Complete Works of Edmund Spenser

by Edmund Spenser

And with unwearied wings each part t’ inquire

  Of the wide rule of his renowmed sire. 40

  For he so swift and nimble was of flight,

  That from this lower tract he dar’d to stie

  Up to the clowdes, and thence, with pineons light,

  To mount aloft unto the christall skie,

  To vew the workmanship of heavens hight: 45

  Whence downe descending he along would flie

  Upon the streaming rivers, sport to finde;

  And oft would dare to tempt the troublous winde.

  So on a summers day, when season milde

  With gentle calme the world had quieted, 50

  And high in heaven Hyperions fierie childe

  Ascending, did his beames abroad dispred,

  Whiles all the heavens on lower creatures smilde,

  Yong Clarion, with vauntfull lustiehead,

  After his guize did cast abroad to fare, 55

  And theretoo gan his furnitures prepare.

  His breastplate first, that was of substance pure,

  Before his noble heart he firmely bound,

  That mought his life from yron death assure,

  And ward his gentle corpes from cruell wound: 60

  For it by arte was framed to endure

  The bit of balefull steele and bitter stownd,

  No lesse than that which Vulcane made to sheild

  Achilles life from fate of Troyan field.

  And then about his shoulders broad he threw 65

  An hairie hide of some wilde beast, whom hee

  In salvage forrest by adventure slew,

  And reft the spoyle his ornament to bee:

  Which, spreadding all his backe with dreadfull vew,

  Made all that him so horrible did see 70

  Thinke him Alcides with the lyons skin,

  When the Næmean conquest he did win.

  Upon his head, his glistering burganet,

  The which was wrought by wonderous device,

  And curiously engraven, he did set: 75

  The mettall was of rare and passing price;

  Not Bilbo steele, nor brasse from Corinth fet,

  Nor costly oricalche from strange Phœnice;

  But such as could both Phœbus arrowes ward,

  And th’ hayling darts of heaven beating hard. 80

  Therein two deadly weapons fixt he bore,

  Strongly outlaunced towards either side,

  Like two sharpe speares, his enemies to gore:

  Like as a warlike brigandine, applyde

  To fight, layes forth her threatfull pikes afore, 85

  The engines which in them sad death doo hyde:

  So did this flie outstretch his fearefull hornes,

  Yet so as him their terrour more adornes.

  Lastly his shinie wings, as silver bright,

  Painted with thousand colours, passing farre 90

  All painters skill, he did about him dight:

  Not halfe so manie sundrie colours arre

  In Iris bowe, ne heaven doth shine so bright,

  Distinguished with manie a twinckling starre,

  Nor Junoes bird in her ey-spotted traine 95

  So manie goodly colours doth containe.

  Ne (may it be withouten perill spoken)

  The Archer god, the sonne of Cytheree,

  That joyes on wretched lovers to be wroken,

  And heaped spoyles of bleeding harts to see, 100

  Beares in his wings so manie a changefull token.

  Ah! my liege lord, forgive it unto mee,

  If ought against thine honour I have tolde;

  Yet sure those wings were fairer manifolde.

  Full manie a ladie faire, in court full oft 105

  Beholding them, him secretly envide,

  And wisht that two such fannes, so silken soft

  And golden faire, her love would her provide;

  Or that, when them the gorgeous flie had doft,

  Some one, that would with grace be gratifide, 110

  From him would steale them privily away,

  And bring to her so precious a pray.

  Report is that Dame Venus on a day,

  In spring when flowres doo clothe the fruitful ground,

  Walking abroad with all her nymphes to play, 115

  Bad her faire damzels, flocking her arownd,

  To gather flowres, her forhead to array.

  Emongst the rest a gentle nymph was found,

  Hight Astery, excelling all the crewe

  In curteous usage and unstained hewe. 120

  Who, being nimbler joynted than the rest,

  And more industrious, gathered more store

  Of the fields honour than the others best;

  Which they in secret harts envying sore,

  Tolde Venus, when her as the worthiest 125

  She praisd’, that Cupide (as they heard before)

  Did lend her secret aide in gathering

  Into her lap the children of the Spring.

  Whereof the goddesse gathering jealous feare,

  Not yet unmindfull how not long agoe 130

  Her sonne to Psyche secrete love did beare,

  And long it close conceal’d, till mickle woe

  Thereof arose, and manie a rufull teare,

  Reason with sudden rage did overgoe,

  And giving hastie credit to th’ accuser, 135

  Was led away of them that did abuse her.

  Eftsoones that damzel, by her heavenly might,

  She turn’d into a winged butterflie,

  In the wide aire to make her wandring flight;

  And all those flowres, with which so plenteouslie 140

  Her lap she filled had, that bred her spight,

  She placed in her wings, for memorie

  Of her pretended crime, though crime none were:

  Since which that flie them in her wings doth beare.

  Thus the fresh Clarion, being readie dight, 145

  Unto his journey did himselfe addresse,

  And with good speed began to take his flight:

  Over the fields, in his franke lustinesse,

  And all the champion he soared light,

  And all the countrey wide he did possesse, 150

  Feeding upon their pleasures bounteouslie,

  That none gainsaid, nor none did him envie.

  The woods, the rivers, and the medowes green,

  With his aire-cutting wings he measured wide,

  Ne did he leave the mountaines bare unseene, 155

  Nor the ranke grassie fennes delights untride.

  But none of these, how ever sweete they beene,

  Most please his fancie, nor him cause t’ abide:

  His choicefull sense with everie change doth flit;

  No common things may please a wavering wit. 160

  To the gay gardins his unstaid desire

  Him wholly caried, to refresh his sprights:

  There lavish Nature, in her best attire,

  Powres forth sweete odors, and alluring sights;

  And Arte, with her contending, doth aspire 165

  T’ excell the naturall with made delights:

  And all that faire or pleasant may be found

  In riotous excesse doth there abound.

  There he arriving, round about doth flie,

  From bed to bed, from one to other border, 170

  And takes survey, with curious busie eye,

  Of everie flowre and herbe there set in order;

  Now this, now that, he tasteth tenderly,

  Yet none of them he rudely doth disorder,

  Ne with his feete their silken leaves deface; 175

  But pastures on the pleasures of each place.

  And evermore with most varietie,

  And change of sweetnesse (for all change is sweete)

  He casts his glutton sense to satisfie;

  Now sucking of the sap of herbe most meete, 180

  Or of the deaw, which yet on them does lie,


  Now in the same bathing his tender feete:

  And then he pearcheth on some braunch thereby,

  To weather him, and his moyst wings to dry.

  And then againe he turneth to his play, 185

  To spoyle the pleasures of that paradise:

  The wholsome saulge, and lavender still gray,

  Ranke smelling rue, and cummin good for eyes,

  The roses raigning in the pride of May,

  Sharpe isope, good for greene wounds remedies, 190

  Faire marigoldes, and bees-alluring thime,

  Sweete marjoram, and daysies decking prime:

  Coole violets, and orpine growing still,

  Embathed balme, and chearfull galingale,

  Fresh costmarie, and breathfull camomill, 195

  Dull poppie, and drink-quickning setuale,

  Veyne-healing verven, and hed-purging dill,

  Sound savorie, and bazill hartie-hale,

  Fat colworts, and comforting perseline,

  Colde lettuce, and refreshing rosmarine. 200

  And whatso else of vertue good or ill

  Grewe in this gardin, fetcht from farre away,

  Of everie one he takes, and tastes at will,

  And on their pleasures greedily doth pray.

  Then, when he hath both plaid, and fed his fill, 205

  In the warme sunne he doth himselfe embay,

  And there him rests in riotous suffisaunce

  Of all his gladfulnes and kingly joyaunce.

  What more felicitie can fall to creature

  Than to enjoy delight with libertie, 210

  And to be lord of all the workes of Nature,

  To raine in th’ aire from earth to highest skie,

  To feed on flowres and weeds of glorious feature,

  To take what ever thing doth please the eie?

  Who rests not pleased with such happines, 215

  Well worthie he to taste of wretchednes.

  But what on earth can long abide in state,

  Or who can him assure of happie day;

  Sith morning faire may bring fowle evening late,

  And least mishap the most blisse alter may? 220

  For thousand perills lie in close awaite

  About us daylie, to worke our decay;

  That none, except a God, or God him guide,

  May them avoyde, or remedie provide.

  And whatso heavens in their secret doome 225

  Ordained have, how can fraile fleshly wight

  Forecast, but it must needs to issue come?

  The sea, the aire, the fire, the day, the night,

  And th’ armies of their creatures all and some

  Do serve to them, and with importune might 230

  Warre against us, the vassals of their will.

  Who then can save what they dispose to spill?

  Not thou, O Clarion, though fairest thou

  Of all thy kinde, unhappie happie flie,

  Whose cruell fate is woven even now 235

  Of Joves owne hand, to worke thy miserie:

  Ne may thee helpe the manie hartie vow,

  Which thy olde sire with sacred pietie

  Hath powred forth for thee, and th’ altars sprent:

  Nought may thee save from heavens avengement. 240

  It fortuned (as heavens had behight)

  That in this gardin, where yong Clarion

  Was wont to solace him, a wicked wight,

  The foe of faire things, th’ author of confusion,

  The shame of Nature, the bondslave of spight, 245

  Had lately built his hatefull mansion,

  And, lurking closely, in awayte now lay,

  How he might anie in his trap betray.

  But when he spide the joyous butterflie

  In this faire plot dispacing too and fro, 250

  Fearles of foes and hidden jeopardie,

  Lord! how he gan for to bestirre him tho,

  And to his wicked worke each part applie!

  His heart did earne against his hated foe,

  And bowels so with ranckling poyson swelde, 255

  That scarce the skin the strong contagion helde.

  The cause why he this flie so maliced

  Was (as in stories it is written found)

  For that his mother which him bore and bred,

  The most fine-fingred workwoman on ground, 260

  Arachne, by his meanes was vanquished

  Of Pallas, and in her owne skill confound,

  When she with her for excellence contended,

  That wrought her shame, and sorrow never ended.

  For the Tritonian goddesse, having hard 265

  Her blazed fame, which all the world had fil’d,

  Came downe to prove the truth, and due reward

  For her prais-worthie workmanship to yeild:

  But the presumptuous damzel rashly dar’d

  The goddesse selfe to chalenge to the field, 270

  And to compare with her in curious skill

  Of workes with loome, with needle, and with quill.

  Minerva did the chalenge not refuse,

  But deign’d with her the paragon to make:

  So to their worke they sit, and each doth chuse 275

  What storie she will for her tapet take.

  Arachne figur’d how Jove did abuse

  Europa like a bull, and on his backe

  Her through the sea did beare; so lively seene,

  That it true sea and true bull ye would weene. 280

  She seem’d still backe unto the land to looke,

  And her play-fellowes aide to call, and feare

  The dashing of the waves, that up she tooke

  Her daintie feete, and garments gathered neare:

  But (Lord!) how she in everie member shooke, 285

  When as the land she saw no more appeare,

  But a wilde wildernes of waters deepe!

  Then gan she greatly to lament and weepe.

  Before the bull she pictur’d winged Love,

  With his yong brother Sport, light fluttering 290

  Upon the waves, as each had been a dove;

  The one his bowe and shafts, the other spring

  A burning teade about his head did move,

  As in their syres new love both triumphing:

  And manie Nymphes about them flocking round, 295

  And manie Tritons, which their hornes did sound.

  And round about, her worke she did empale

  With a faire border wrought of sundrie flowres,

  Enwoven with an yvie winding trayle:

  A goodly worke, full fit for kingly bowres, 300

  Such as Dame Pallas, such as Envie pale,

  That al good things with venemous tooth devowres,

  Could not accuse. Then gan the goddesse bright

  Her selfe likewise unto her worke to dight.

  She made the storie of the olde debate, 305

  Which she with Neptune did for Athens trie:

  Twelve gods doo sit around in royall state,

  And Jove in midst with awfull majestie,

  To judge the strife betweene them stirred late:

  Each of the gods by his like visnomie 310

  Eathe to be knowen; but Jove above them all,

  By his great lookes and power imperiall.

  Before them stands the god of seas in place,

  Clayming that sea-coast citie as his right,

  And strikes the rockes with his three-forked mace; 315

  Whenceforth issues a warlike steed in sight,

  The signe by which he chalengeth the place;

  That all the gods, which saw his wondrous might,

  Did surely deeme the victorie his due:

  But seldome seene, forejudgement proveth true. 320

  Then to her selfe she gives her Aegide shield,

  And steelhed speare, and morion on her hedd,

  Such as she oft is seene in warlicke field:

  Then sets she fo
rth, how with her weapon dredd

  She smote the ground, the which streight foorth did yield 325

  A fruitfull olyve tree, with berries spredd,

  That all the gods admir’d; then all the storie

  She compast with a wreathe of olyves hoarie.

  Emongst those leaves she made a butterflie,

  With excellent device and wondrous slight, 330

  Fluttring among the olives wantonly,

  That seem’d to live, so like it was in sight:

  The velvet nap which on his wings doth lie,

  The silken downe with which his backe is dight,

  His broad outstretched hornes, his hayrie thies, 335

  His glorious colours, and his glistering eies.

  Which when Arachne saw, as overlaid

  And mastered with workmanship so rare,

  She stood astonied long, ne ought gainesaid,

  And with fast fixed eyes on her did stare, 340

  And by her silence, signe of one dismaid,

  The victorie did yeeld her as her share:

  Yet did she inly fret, and felly burne,

  And all her blood to poysonous rancor turne:

  That shortly from the shape of womanhed, 345

  Such as she was, when Pallas she attempted,

  She grew to hideous shape of dryrihed,

  Pined with griefe of follie late repented:

  Eftsoones her white streight legs were altered

  To crooked crawling shankes, of marrowe empted, 350

  And her faire face to fowle and loathsome hewe,

  And her fine corpes to a bag of venim grewe.

  This cursed creature, mindfull of that olde

  Enfested grudge, the which his mother felt,

  So soone as Clarion he did beholde, 355

  His heart with vengefull malice inly swelt;

  And weaving straight a net with manie a folde

  About the cave in which he lurking dwelt,

  With fine small cords about it stretched wide,

  So finely sponne that scarce they could be spide. 360

  Not anie damzell, which her vaunteth most

  In skilfull knitting of soft silken twyne;

  Nor anie weaver, which his worke doth boast

  In dieper, in damaske, or in lyne;

  Nor anie skil’d in workmanship embost; 365

  Nor anie skil’d in loupes of fingring fine,

  Might in their divers cunning ever dare,

  With this so curious networke to compare.

  Ne doo I thinke that that same subtil gin,

  The which the Lemnian god framde craftilie, 370

  Mars sleeping with his wife to compasse in,

  That all the gods with common mockerie

  Might laugh at them, and scorne their shamefull sin,

  Was like to this. This same he did applie

  For to entrap the careles Clarion, 375

  That rang’d each where without suspition.