Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

There he her found in sorrow and dismay,

  All solitarie without living wight;

  For all her other children, through affray, 165

  Had hid themselves, or taken further flight:

  And eke her selfe through sudden strange affright,

  When one in armes she saw, began to fly;

  But when her owne two sonnes she had in sight,

  She gan take hart, and looke up joyfully: 170

  For well she wist this knight came succour to supply:

  XX

  And running unto them with greedy joyes,

  Fell straight about their neckes, as they did kneele,

  And bursting forth in teares, ‘Ah! my sweet boyes,’

  Sayd she, ‘yet now I gin new life to feele, 175

  And feeble spirits, that gan faint and reele,

  Now rise againe at this your joyous sight.

  Alreadie seemes that Fortunes headlong wheele

  Begins to turne, and sunne to shine more bright

  Then it was wont, through comfort of this noble knight.’ 180

  XXI

  Then turning unto him, ‘And you, sir knight,’

  Said she, ‘that taken have this toylesome paine

  For wretched woman, miserable wight,

  May you in heaven immortall guerdon gaine

  For so great travell as you doe sustaine: 185

  For other meede may hope for none of mee,

  To whom nought else but bare life doth remaine;

  And that so wretched one, as ye do see,

  Is liker lingring death then loathed life to bee.’

  XXII

  Much was he moved with her piteous plight, 190

  And low dismounting from his loftie steede,

  Gan to recomfort her all that he might,

  Seeking to drive away deepe rooted dreede,

  With hope of helpe in that her greatest neede.

  So thence he wished her with him to wend, 195

  Unto some place where they mote rest and feede,

  And she take comfort, which God now did send:

  Good hart in evils doth the evils much amend.

  XXIII

  ‘Ay me!’ sayd she, ‘and whether shall I goe?

  Are not all places full of forraine powres? 200

  My pallaces possessed of my foe,

  My cities sackt, and their sky-threating towres

  Raced, and made smooth fields now full of flowres?

  Onely these marishes and myrie bogs,

  In which the fearefull ewftes do build their bowres, 205

  Yeeld me an hostry mongst the croking frogs,

  And harbour here in safety from those ravenous dogs.’

  XXIV

  ‘Nathlesse,’ said he, ‘deare ladie, with me goe;

  Some place shall us receive, and harbour yield;

  If not, we will it force, maugre your foe, 210

  And purchase it to us with speare and shield:

  And if all fayle, yet farewell open field:

  The Earth to all her creatures lodging lends.’

  With such his chearefull speaches he doth wield

  Her mind so well, that to his will she bends, 215

  And bynding up her locks and weeds, forth with him wends.

  XXV

  They came unto a citie farre up land,

  The which whylome that ladies owne had bene;

  But now by force extort out of her hand

  By her strong foe, who had defaced cleene 220

  Her stately towres and buildings sunny sheene,

  Shut up her haven, mard her marchants trade,

  Robbed her people, that full rich had beene,

  And in her necke a castle huge had made,

  The which did her commaund, without needing perswade. 225

  XXVI

  That castle was the strength of all that state,

  Untill that state by strength was pulled downe,

  And that same citie, so now ruinate,

  Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne;

  Both goodly castle, and both goodly towne, 230

  Till that th’ offended Heavens list to lowre

  Upon their blisse, and balefull Fortune frowne.

  When those gainst states and kingdomes do conjure,

  Who then can thinke their hedlong ruine to recure?

  XXVII

  But he had brought it now in servile bond, 235

  And made it beare the yoke of Inquisition,

  Stryving long time in vaine it to withstond;

  Yet glad at last to make most base submission,

  And life enjoy for any composition.

  So now he hath new lawes and orders new 240

  Imposd on it, with many a hard condition,

  And forced it the honour that is dew

  To God to doe unto his idole most untrew.

  XXVIII

  To him he hath, before this castle greene,

  Built a faire chappell, and an altar framed 245

  Of costly ivory, full rich beseene,

  On which that cursed idole, farre proclamed,

  He hath set up, and him his god hath named,

  Offring to him in sinfull sacrifice

  The flesh of men, to Gods owne likenesse framed, 250

  And powring forth their bloud in brutishe wize,

  That any yron eyes to see it would agrize.

  XXIX

  And for more horror and more crueltie,

  Under that cursed idols altar stone

  An hideous monster doth in darknesse lie, 255

  Whose dreadfull shape was never seene of none

  That lives on earth, but unto those alone

  The which unto him sacrificed bee.

  Those he devoures, they say, both flesh and bone:

  What else they have is all the tyrants fee; 260

  So that no whit of them remayning one may see.

  XXX

  There eke he placed a strong garrisone,

  And set a seneschall of dreaded might,

  That by his powre oppressed every one,

  And vanquished all ventrous knights in fight; 265

  To whom he wont shew all the shame he might,

  After that them in battell he had wonne.

  To which when now they gan approch in sight,

  The ladie counseld him the place to shonne,

  Whereas so many knights had fouly bene fordonne. 270

  XXXI

  Her fearefull speaches nought he did regard,

  But ryding streight under the castle wall,

  Called aloud unto the watchfull ward,

  Which there did wayte, willing them forth to call

  Into the field their tyrants seneschall. 275

  To whom when tydings thereof came, he streight

  Cals for his armes, and arming him withall,

  Eftsoones forth pricked proudly in his might,

  And gan with courage fierce addresse him to the fight.

  XXXII

  They both encounter in the middle plaine, 280

  And their sharpe speares doe both together smite

  Amid their shields, with so huge might and maine,

  That seem’d their soules they wold have ryven quight

  Out of their breasts, with furious despight.

  Yet could the seneschals no entrance find 285

  Into the Princes shield, where it empight,

  So pure the mettall was, and well refynd,

  But shivered all about, and scattered in the wynd.

  XXXIII

  Not so the Princes, but with restlesse force

  Into his shield it readie passage found, 290

  Both through his haberjeon and eke his corse:

  Which tombling downe upon the senselesse ground,

  Gave leave unto his ghost from thraldome bound,

  To wander in the griesly shades of night.

  There did the Prince him leave in deadly swound, 295

  And thence unto the castle march
ed right,

  To see if entrance there as yet obtaine he might.

  XXXIV

  But as he nigher drew, three knights he spyde,

  All arm’d to point, issuing forth a pace,

  Which towards him with all their powre did ryde, 300

  And meeting him right in the middle race,

  Did all their speares attonce on him enchace.

  As three great culverings for battrie bent,

  And leveld all against one certaine place,

  Doe all attonce their thunders rage forth rent, 305

  That makes the wals to stagger with astonishment.

  XXXV

  So all attonce they on the Prince did thonder;

  Who from his saddle swarved nought asyde,

  Ne to their force gave way, that was great wonder,

  But like a bulwarke firmely did abyde, 310

  Rebutting him which in the midst did ryde,

  With so huge rigour, that his mortall speare

  Past through his shield, and pierst through either syde,

  That downe he fell uppon his mother deare,

  And powred forth his wretched life in deadly dreare. 315

  XXXVI

  Whom when his other fellowes saw, they fled

  As fast as feete could carry them away;

  And after them the Prince as swiftly sped,

  To be aveng’d of their unknightly play.

  There whilest they, entring, th’ one did th’ other stay, 320

  The hindmost in the gate he overhent,

  And as he pressed in, him there did slay:

  His carkasse, tumbling on the threshold, sent

  His groning soule unto her place of punishment.

  XXXVII

  The other, which was entred, laboured fast 325

  To sperre the gate; but that same lumpe of clay,

  Whose grudging ghost was thereout fled and past,

  Right in the middest of the threshold lay,

  That it the posterne did from closing stay:

  The whiles the Prince hard preased in betweene, 330

  And entraunce wonne. Streight th’ other fled away,

  And ran into the hall, where he did weene

  Him selfe to save: but he there slew him at the skreene.

  XXXVIII

  Then all the rest which in that castle were,

  Seeing that sad ensample them before, 335

  Durst not abide, but fled away for feare,

  And them convayd out at a posterne dore.

  Long sought the Prince, but when he found no more

  T’ oppose against his powre, he forth issued

  Unto that lady, where he her had lore, 340

  And her gan cheare with what she there had vewed,

  And what she had not seene within unto her shewed.

  XXXIX

  Who with right humble thankes him goodly greeting,

  For so great prowesse as he there had proved,

  Much greater then was ever in her weeting, 345

  With great admiraunce inwardly was moved,

  And honourd him with all that her behoved.

  Thenceforth into that castle he her led,

  With her two sonnes, right deare of her beloved,

  Where all that night them selves they cherished, 350

  And from her balefull minde all care he banished.

  Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents

  Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’

  Canto XI

  Prince Arthure overcomes the great

  Gerioneo in fight:

  Doth slay the monster, and restore

  Belge unto her right.

  I

  IT often fals in course of common life,

  That right long time is overborne of wrong,

  Through avarice, or powre, or guile, or strife,

  That weakens her, and makes her party strong:

  But Justice, though her dome she doe prolong, 5

  Yet at the last she will her owne cause right:

  As by sad Belge seemes, whose wrongs though long

  She suffred, yet at length she did requight,

  And sent redresse thereof by this brave Briton knight.

  II

  Whereof when newes was to that tyrant brought, 10

  How that the Lady Belge now had found

  A champion, that had with his champion fought,

  And laid his seneschall low on the ground,

  And eke him selfe did threaten to confound,

  He gan to burne in rage, and friese in feare, 15

  Doubting sad end of principle unsound:

  Yet sith he heard but one that did appeare,

  He did him selfe encourage, and take better cheare.

  III

  Nathelesse him selfe he armed all in hast,

  And forth he far’d with all his many bad, 20

  Ne stayed step, till that he came at last

  Unto the castle which they conquerd had.

  There with huge terrour, to be more ydrad,

  He sternely marcht before the castle gate,

  And with bold vaunts and ydle threatning bad 25

  Deliver him his owne, ere yet too late,

  To which they had no right, nor any wrongfull state.

  IV

  The Prince staid not his aunswere to devize,

  But opening streight the sparre, forth to him came,

  Full nobly mounted in right warlike wize; 30

  And asked him, if that he were the same,

  Who all that wrong unto that wofull dame

  So long had done, and from her native land

  Exiled her, that all the world spake shame.

  He boldly aunswerd him, he there did stand 35

  That would his doings justifie with his owne hand.

  V

  With that so furiously at him he flew,

  As if he would have overrun him streight,

  And with his huge great yron axe gan hew

  So hideously uppon his armour bright, 40

  As he to peeces would have chopt it quight:

  That the bold Prince was forced foote to give

  To his first rage, and yeeld to his despight;

  The whilest at him so dreadfully he drive,

  That seem’d a marble rocke asunder could have rive. 45

  VI

  Thereto a great advauntage eke he has

  Through his three double hands thrise multiplyde,

  Besides the double strength which in them was:

  For stil when fit occasion did betyde,

  He could his weapon shift from side to syde, 50

  From hand to hand, and with such nimblesse sly

  Could wield about, that ere it were espide,

  The wicked stroke did wound his enemy,

  Behinde, beside, before, as he it list apply.

  VII

  Which uncouth use when as the Prince perceived, 55

  He gan to watch the wielding of his hand,

  Least by such slight he were unwares deceived;

  And ever ere he saw the stroke to land,

  He would it meete and warily withstand.

  One time, when he his weapon faynd to shift, 60

  As he was wont, and chang’d from hand to hand,

  He met him with a counterstroke so swift,

  That quite smit off his arme, as he it up did lift.

  VIII

  Therewith, all fraught with fury and disdaine,

  He brayd aloud for very fell despight, 65

  And sodainely t’ avenge him selfe againe,

  Gan into one assemble all the might

  Of all his hands, and heaved them on hight,

  Thinking to pay him with that one for all:

  But the sad steele seizd not, where it was hight, 70

  Uppon the childe, but somewhat short did fall,

  And lighting on his horses head, him quite did mall.

  IX

  Downe streight to ground fell his astonisht st
eed,

  And eke to th’ earth his burden with him bare:

  But he him selfe full lightly from him freed, 75

  And gan him selfe to fight on foote prepare.

  Whereof when as the gyant was aware,

  He wox right blyth, as he had got thereby,

  And laught so loud, that all his teeth wide bare

  One might have seene enraung’d disorderly, 80

  Like to a rancke of piles, that pitched are awry.

  X

  Eftsoones againe his axe he raught on hie,

  Ere he were throughly buckled to his geare,

  And can let drive at him so dreadfullie,

  That had he chaunced not his shield to reare, 85

  Ere that huge stroke arrived on him neare,

  He had him surely cloven quite in twaine.

  But th’ adamantine shield which he did beare

  So well was tempred, that, for all his maine,

  It would no passage yeeld unto his purpose vaine. 90

  XI

  Yet was the stroke so forcibly applide,

  That made him stagger with uncertaine sway,

  As if he would have tottered to one side.

  Wherewith full wroth, he fiercely gan assay

  That curt’sie with like kindnesse to repay; 95

  And smote at him with so importune might,

  That two more of his armes did fall away,

  Like fruitlesse braunches, which the hatchets slight

  Hath pruned from the native tree, and cropped quight.

  XII

  With that all mad and furious he grew, 100

  Like a fell mastiffe through enraging heat,

  And curst, and band, and blasphemies forth threw

  Against his gods, and fire to them did threat,

  And hell unto him selfe with horrour great.

  Thenceforth he car’d no more which way he strooke, 105

  Nor where it light, but gan to chaufe and sweat,

  And gnasht his teeth, and his head at him shooke,

  And sternely him beheld with grim and ghastly looke.

  XIII

  Nought fear’d the childe his lookes, ne yet his threats,

  But onely wexed now the more aware, 110

  To save him selfe from those his furious heats,

  And watch advauntage, how to worke his care;

  The which good fortune to him offred faire.

  For as he in his rage him overstrooke,

  He, ere he could his weapon backe repaire, 115

  His side all bare and naked overtooke,

  And with his mortal steel quite throgh the body strooke.

  XIV

  Through all three bodies he him strooke attonce,

  That all the three attonce fell on the plaine:

  Else should he thrise have needed for the nonce 120

  Them to have stricken, and thrise to have slaine.

  So now all three one sencelesse lumpe remaine,

  Enwallow’d in his owne blacke bloudy gore,