The Shorter Poems

by Edmund Spenser

  Clad like a Nimph, that wings of siluer weares,

  And in triumphant chayre was set on hie,

  50

  The auncient glory of the Romaine Peares.

  No worke it seem’d of earthly craftsmans wit,

  But rather wrought by his owne industry,

  That thunder-dartes for Ioue his syre doth fit.

  Let me no more see faire thing vnder sky,

  55

  Sith that mine eyes haue seene so faire a sight

  With sodain fall to dust consumed quight.

  5

  Then was the faire Dodonian tree far seene,

  Vpon seauen hills to spread his gladsome gleame,

  And conquerours bedecked with his greene,

  60

  Along the bancks of the Ausonian streame:

  There many an auncient Trophee was addrest,

  And many a spoyle, and many a goodly show,

  Which that braue races greatnes did attest,

  That whilome from the Troyan blood did flow.

  65

  Rauisht I was so rare a thing to vew,

  When lo a barbarous troupe of clownish fone

  The honour of these noble boughs down threw,

  Vnder the wedge I heard the tronck to grone;

  And since I saw the roote in great disdaine

  70

  A twinne of forked trees send forth againe.

  6

  I saw a Wolfe vnder a rockie caue

  Noursing two whelpes; I saw her litle ones

  In wanton dalliance the teate to craue,

  While she her neck wreath’d from them for the nones:

  75

  I saw her raunge abroad to seeke her food,

  And roming through the field with greedie rage

  T’embrew her teeth and clawes with lukewarm blood

  Of the small heards, her thirst for to asswage.

  I saw a thousand huntsmen, which descended

  80

  Downe from the mountaines bordring Lombardie,

  That with an hundred speares her flank wide rended.

  I saw her on the plaine outstretched lie,

  Throwing out thousand throbs in her owne soyle:

  Soone on a tree vphang’d I saw her spoyle.

  7

  85

  I saw the Bird that can the Sun endure,

  With feeble wings assay to mount on hight,

  By more and more she gan her wings t’assure,

  Following th’ensample of her mothers sight:

  I saw her rise, and with a larger flight

  90

  To pierce the cloudes, and with wide pinneons

  To measure the most haughtie mountaines hight,

  Vntill she raught the Gods owne mansions:

  There was she lost, when suddaine I behelde,

  Where tumbling through the ayre in firie fold,

  95

  All flaming downe she on the plaine was felde,

  And soone her bodie turn’d to ashes colde.

  I saw the foule that doth the light dispise,

  Out of her dust like to a worme arise.

  8

  I saw a riuer swift, whose fomy billowes

  100

  Did wash the ground work of an old great wall;

  I saw it couer’d all with griesly shadowes,

  That with black horror did the ayre appall:

  Thereout a strange beast with seuen heads arose,

  That townes and castles vnder her brest did coure,

  105

  And seem’d both milder beasts and fiercer foes

  Alike with equall rauine to deuoure.

  Much was I mazde, to see this monsters kinde

  In hundred formes to change his fearefull hew,

  When as at length I saw the wrathfull winde,

  110

  Which blows cold storms, burst out of Scithian mew,

  That sperst these cloudes, and in so short as thought,

  This dreadfull shape was vanished to nought.

  9

  Then all astonied with this mighty ghoast,

  An hideous bodie big and strong I sawe,

  115

  With side long beard, and locks down hanging loast,

  Sterne face, and front full of Saturnlike awe;

  Who leaning on the belly of a pot,

  Pourd foorth a water, whose out gushing flood

  Ran bathing all the creakie shore aflot,

  120

  Whereon the Troyan prince spilt Turnus blood;

  And at his feete a bitch wolfe suck did yeeld

  To two young babes: his left the Palme tree stout,

  His right hand did the peacefull Oliue wield,

  And head with Lawrell garnisht was about.

  125

  Sudden both Palme and Oliue fell away,

  And faire greene Lawrell branch did quite decay.

  10

  Hard by a riuers side a virgin faire,

  Folding her armes to heauen with thousand throbs,

  And outraging her cheekes and golden haire,

  130

  To falling riuers sound thus tun’d her sobs.

  Where is (quoth she) this whilom honoured face?

  Where the great glorie and the auncient praise,

  In which all worlds felicitie had place,

  When Gods and men my honour vp did raise?

  135

  Suffisd’ it not that ciuill warres me made

  The whole worlds spoile, but that this Hydra new,

  Of hundred Hercules to be assaide,

  With seuen heads, budding monstrous crimes anew,

  So many Neroes and Caligulaes

  140

  Out of these crooked shores must dayly rayse?

  11

  Vpon an hill a bright flame I did see,

  Wauing aloft with triple point to skie,

  Which like incense of precious Cedar tree,

  With balmie odours fil’d th’ayre farre and nie.

  145

  A Bird all white, well feathered on each wing,

  Hereout vp to the throne of Gods did flie,

  And all the way most pleasant notes did sing,

  Whilst in the smoake she vnto heauen did stie.

  Of this faire fire the scattered rayes forth threw

  150

  On euerie side a thousand shining beames:

  When sudden dropping of a siluer dew

  (O grieuous chance) gan quench those precious flames;

  That it which earst so pleasant sent did yeld,

  Of nothing now but noyous sulphure smeld.

  12

  155

  I saw a spring out of a rocke forth rayle,

  As cleare as Christall gainst the Sunnie beames,

  The bottome yeallow, like the golden grayle

  That bright Pactolus washeth with his streames;

  It seem’d that Art and Nature had assembled

  160

  All pleasure there, for which mans hart could long;

  And there a noyse alluring sleepe soft trembled,

  Of manie accords more sweete than Mermaids song:

  The seates and benches shone as yuorie,

  And hundred Nymphes sate side by side about;

  165

  When from nigh hills with hideous outcrie,

  A troupe of Satyres in the place did rout,

  Which with their villeine feete the streame did ray,

  Threw down the seats, and droue the Nymphs away.

  13

  Much richer then that vessell seem’d to bee,

  170

  Which did to that sad Florentine appeare,

  Casting mine eyes farre off, I chaunst to see,

  Vpon the Latine Coast herselfe to reare:

  But suddenly arose a tempest great,

  Bearing close enuie to these riches rare,

  175

  Which gan assaile this ship with dreadfull threat,

  This ship, to whic
h none other might compare.

  And finally the storme impetuous

  Sunke vp these riches, second vnto none,

  Within the gulfe of greedie Nereus.

  180

  I saw both ship and mariners each one,

  And all that treasure drowned in the maine:

  But I the ship saw after raisd’ againe.

  14

  Long hauing deeply gron’d these visions sad,

  I saw a Citie like vnto that same,

  185

  Which saw the messenger of tidings glad;

  But that on sand was built the goodly frame:

  It seem’d her top the firmament did rayse,

  And no lesse rich than faire, right worthie sure

  (If ought here worthie) of immortall dayes,

  190

  Or if ought vnder heauen might firme endure.

  Much wondred I to see so faire a wall:

  When from the Northerne coast a storme arose,

  Which breathing furie from his inward gall

  On all, which did against his course oppose,

  195

  Into a clowde of dust sperst in the aire

  The weake foundations of this Citie faire.

  15

  At length, euen at the time, when Morpheus

  Most trulie doth vnto our eyes appeare,

  Wearie to see the heauens still wauering thus,

  200

  I saw Typhœus sister comming neare;

  Whose head full brauely with a morion hidd,

  Did seeme to match the Gods in Maiestie.

  She by a riuers bancke that swift downe slidd,

  Ouer all the world did raise a Trophee hie;

  205

  An hundred vanquisht Kings vnder her lay,

  With armes bound at their backs in shamefull wize;

  Whilst I thus mazed was with great affray,

  I saw the heauens in warre against her rize:

  Then downe she stricken fell with clap of thonder,

  210

  That with great noyse I wakte in sudden wonder.

  FINIS.

  The Visions of Petrarch.

  formerly translated.

  1

  Being one day at my window all alone,

  So manie strange things happened me to see,

  As much it grieueth me to thinke thereon.

  At my right hand a Hynde appear’d to mee,

  5

  So faire as mote the greatest God delite;

  Two eager dogs did her pursue in chace,

  Of which the one was blacke, the other white:

  With deadly force so in their cruell race

  They pincht the haunches of that gentle beast,

  10

  That at the last, and in short time I spide,

  Vnder a Rocke where she alas opprest,

  Fell to the ground, and there vntimely dide.

  Cruell death vanquishing so noble beautie,

  Oft makes me wayle so hard a destenie.

  2

  15

  After at sea a tall ship did appeare,

  Made all of Heben and white Yuorie,

  The sailes of golde, of silke the tackle were,

  Milde was the winde, calme seem’d the sea to bee,

  The skie eachwhere did show full bright and faire;

  20

  With rich treasures this gay ship fraighted was:

  But sudden storme did so turmoyle the aire,

  And tumbled vp the sea, that she (alas)

  Strake on a rock, that vnder water lay,

  And perished past all recouerie.

  25

  O how great ruth and sorrowfull assay,

  Doth vex my spirite with perplexitie,

  Thus in a moment to see lost and drown’d,

  So great riches, as like cannot be found.

  3

  Then heauenly branches did I see arise

  30

  Out of the fresh and lustie Lawrell tree,

  Amidst the yong greene wood: of Paradise

  Some noble plant I thought my selfe to see:

  Such store of birds therein yshrowded were,

  Chaunting in shade their sundrie melodie,

  35

  That with their sweetnes I was rauish’t nere.

  While on this Lawrell fixed was mine eie,

  The skie gan euerie where to ouercast,

  And darkned was the welkin all about,

  When sudden flash of heauens fire out brast,

  40

  And rent this royall tree quite by the roote,

  Which makes me much and euer to complaine:

  For no such shadow shalbe had againe.

  4

  Within this wood, out of a rocke did rise

  A spring of water, mildly rumbling downe,

  45

  Whereto approched not in anie wise

  The homely shepheard, nor the ruder clowne;

  But manie Muses, and the Nymphes withall,

  That sweetly in accord did tune their voyce

  To the soft sounding of the waters fall,

  50

  That my glad hart thereat did much reioyce.

  But while herein I tooke my chiefe delight,

  I saw (alas) the gaping earth deuoure

  The spring, the place, and all cleane out of sight.

  Which yet aggreeues my hart euen to this houre,

  55

  And wounds my soule with rufull memorie,

  To see such pleasures gon so suddenly.

  5

  I saw a Phœnix in the wood alone,

  With purple wings, and crest of golden hewe;

  Strange bird he was, whereby I thought anone,

  60

  That of some heauenly wight I had the vewe;

  Vntill he came vnto the broken tree,

  And to the spring, that late deuoured was.

  What say I more? each thing at last we see

  Doth passe away: the Phœnix there alas

  65

  Spying the tree destroid, the water dride,

  Himselfe smote with his beake, as in disdaine,

  And so foorthwith in great despight he dide:

  That yet my heart burnes in exceeding paine,

  For ruth and pitie of so haples plight:

  70

  O let mine eyes no more see such a sight.

  6

  At last so faire a Ladie did I spie,

  That thinking yet on her I burne and quake;

  On hearbs and flowres she walked pensiuely,

  Milde, but yet loue she proudly did forsake:

  75

  White seem’d her robes, yet wouen so they were,

  As snow and golde together had been wrought.

  Aboue the wast a darke clowde shrouded her,

  A stinging Serpent by the heele her caught;

  Wherewith she languisht as the gathered floure,

  80

  And well assur’d she mounted vp to ioy.

  Alas, on earth so nothing doth endure,

  But bitter griefe and sorrowfull annoy: