The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  Her golden locks, that were in tramels gay

  Vpbounden, did them selues adowne display,

  And raught vnto her heeles; like sunny beames,

  That in a cloud their light did long time stay,

  Their vapour vaded, shew their golden gleames,

  And through the persant aire shoote forth their azure streames.

  She also dofte her heauy haberieon,

  Which the faire feature of her limbs did hyde,

  And her well plighted frock, which she did won

  To tucke about her short, when she did ryde,

  She low let fall, that flowd from her lanck syde

  Downe to her foot, with carelesse modestee.

  Then of them all she plainly was espyde,

  To be a woman wight, vnwist to bee,

  The fairest woman wight, that euer eye did see.

  Like as Minerua, being late returnd

  From slaughter of the Giaunts conquered;

  Where proud Encelade, whose wide nosethrils burnd

  With breathed flames, like to a furnace red,

  Transfixed with the speare, downe tombled ded

  From top of Hemus, by him heaped hye;

  Hath loosd her helmet from her lofty hed,

  And her Gorgonian shield gins to vntye

  From her left arme, to rest in glorious victorye.

  Which whenas they beheld, they smitten were

  With great amazement of so wondrous sight,

  And each on other, and they all on her

  Stood gazing, as if suddein great affright

  Had them surprised. At last auizing right,

  Her goodly personage and glorious hew,

  Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight

  In their first errour, and yet still anew

  With wonder of her beauty fed their hungry vew.

  Yet note their hungry vew be satisfide,

  But seeing still the more desir'd to see,

  And euer firmely fixed did abide

  In contemplation of diuinitie:

  But most they meruail[e]d at her cheualree,

  And noble prowesse, which they had approued,

  That much they faynd to know, who she mote bee;

  Yet none of all them her thereof amoued,

  Yet euery one her likte, and euery one her loued.

  And Paridell though partly discontent

  With his late fall, and fowle indignity,

  Yet was soone wonne his malice to relent,

  Through gracious regard of her faire eye,

  And knightly worth, which he too late did try,

  Yet tried did adore. Supper was dight;

  Then they Malbecco prayd of curtesy,

  That of his Lady they might haue the sight,

  And company at meat, to do them more delight.

  But he to shift their curious request,

  Gan causen, why she could not come in place;

  Her crased health, her late recourse to rest,

  And humid euening ill for sicke folkes cace:

  But none of those excuses could take place;

  Ne would they eate, till she in presence came.

  She came in presence with right comely grace,

  And fairely them saluted, as became,

  And shewd her selfe in all a gentle curteous Dame.

  They sate to meat, and Satyrane his chaunce

  Was her before, and Paridell besyde;

  But he him selfe sate looking still askaunce,

  Gainst Britomart, and euer closely eyde

  Sir Satyrane, that glaunces might not glyde:

  But his blind eye, that syded Paridell,

  All his demeasnure from his sight did hyde:

  On her faire face so did he feede his fill,

  And sent close messages of loue to her at will.

  And euer and anone, when none was ware,

  With speaking lookes, that close embassage bore,

  He rou'd at her, and told his secret care:

  For all that art he learned had of yore.

  Ne was she ignoraunt of that lewd lore,

  But in his eye his meaning wisely red,

  And with the like him answerd euermore:

  She sent at him one firie dart, whose hed

  Empoisned was with priuy lust, and gealous dred.

  He from that deadly throw made no defence,

  But to the wound his weake hart opened wyde;

  The wicked engine through false influence,

  Past through his eyes, and secretly did glyde

  Into his hart, which it did sorely gryde.

  But nothing new to him was that same paine,

  Ne paine at all; for he so oft had tryde

  The powre thereof, and lou'd so oft in vaine,

  That thing of course he counted, loue to entertaine.

  Thenceforth to her he sought to intimate

  His inward griefe, by meanes to him well knowne,

  Now Bacchus fruit out of the siluer plate

  He on the table dasht, as ouerthrowne,

  Or of the fruitfull liquor ouerflowne,

  And by the dauncing bubbles did diuine,

  Or therein write to let his loue be showne;

  Which well she red out of the learned line,

  A sacrament prophane in mistery of wine.

  And when so of his hand the pledge she raught,

  The guilty cup she fained to mistake,

  And in her lap did shed her idle draught,

  Shewing desire her inward flame to slake:

  By such close signes they secret way did make

  Vnto their wils, and one eyes watch escape;

  Two eyes him needeth, for to watch and wake,

  Who louers will deceiue. Thus was the ape,

  By their faire handling, put into Malbeccoes cape.

  Now when of meats and drinks they had their fill,

  Purpose was moued by that gentle Dame,

  Vnto those knights aduenturous, to tell

  Of deeds of armes, which vnto them became,

  And euery one his kindred, and his name.

  Then Paridell, in whom a kindly pryde

  Of gracious speach, and skill his words to frame

  Abounded, being glad of so fit tyde

  Him to commend to her, thus spake, of all well eyde.

  Troy, that art now nought, but an idle name,

  And in thine ashes buried low dost lie,

  Though whilome far much greater then thy fame,

  Before that angry Gods, and cruell skye

  Vpon thee heapt a direfull destinie,

  What boots it boast thy glorious descent,

  And fetch from heauen thy great Genealogie,

  Sith all thy worthy prayses being blent,

  Their of-spring hath embaste, and later glory shent.

  Most famous Worthy of the world, by whome

  That warre was kindled, which did Troy inflame,

  And stately towres of Ilion whilome

  Brought vnto balefull ruine, was by name

  Sir Paris far renowmd through noble fame,

  Who through great prowesse and bold hardinesse,

  From Lacedæmon fetcht the fairest Dame,

  That euer Greece did boast, or knight possesse,

  Whom Venus to him gaue for meed of worthinesse.

  Faire Helene, flowre of beautie excellent,

  And girlond of the mighty Conquerours,

  That madest many Ladies deare lament

  The heauie losse of their braue Paramours,

  Which they far off beheld from Troian toures,

  And saw the fieldes of faire Scamander strowne

  With carcases of noble warrioures,

  Whose fruitlesse liues were vnder furrow sowne,

  And Xanthus sandy bankes with bloud all ouerflowne.

  From him my linage I deriue aright,

  Who long before the ten yeares siege of Troy,

  Whiles yet on Ida he a shepheard hight,

 
; On faire Oenone got a louely boy,

  Whom for remembraunce of her passed ioy,

  She of his Father Parius did name;

  Who, after Greekes did Priams realme destroy,

  Gathred the Troian reliques sau'd from flame,

  And with them sayling thence, to th'Isle of Paros came.

  That was by him cald Paros, which before

  Hight Nausa, there he many yeares did raine,

  And built Nausicle by the Pontick shore,

  The which he dying left next in remaine

  To Paridas his sonne.

  From whom I Paridell by kin descend;

  But for faire Ladies loue, and glories gaine,

  My natiue soile haue left, my dayes to spend

  In sewing deeds of armes, my liues and labours end.

  Whenas the noble Britomart heard tell

  Of Troian warres, and Priams Citie sackt,

  The ruefull story of Sir Paridell,

  She was empassiond at that piteous act,

  With zelous enuy of Greekes cruell fact,

  Against that nation, from whose race of old

  She heard, that she was lineally extract:

  For noble Britons sprong from Troians bold,

  And Troynouant was built of old Troyes ashes cold.

  Then sighing soft awhile, at last she thus:

  O lamentable fall of famous towne,

  Which raignd so many yeares victorious,

  And of all Asie bore the soueraigne crowne,

  In one sad night consumd, and throwen downe:

  What stony hart, that heares thy haplesse fate,

  Is not empierst with deepe compassiowne,

  And makes ensample of mans wretched state,

  That floures so fresh at morne, and fades at euening late?

  Behold, Sir, how your pitifull complaint

  Hath found another partner of your payne:

  For nothing may impresse so deare constraint,

  As countries cause, and commune foes disdayne.

  But if it should not grieue you, backe agayne

  To turne your course, I would to heare desyre,

  What to Aeneas fell; sith that men sayne

  He was not in the Cities wofull fyre

  Consum'd, but did him selfe to safetie retyre.

  Anchyses sonne begot of Venus faire,

  (Said he,) out of the flames for safegard fled,

  And with a remnant did to sea repaire,

  Where he through fatall errour long was led

  Full many yeares, and weetlesse wandered

  From shore to shore, emongst the Lybicke sands,

  Ere rest he found. Much there he suffered,

  And many perils past in forreine lands,

  To saue his people sad from victours vengefull hands.

  At last in Latium he did arriue,

  Where he with cruell warre was entertaind

  Of th'inland folke, which sought him backe to driue,

  Till he with old Latinus was constraind,

  To contract wedlock: (so the fates ordaind.)

  Wedlock contract in bloud, and eke in blood

  Accomplished, that many deare complaind:

  The riuall slaine, the victour through the flood

  Escaped hardly, hardly praisd his wedlock good.

  Yet after all, he victour did suruiue,

  And with Latinus did the kingdome part.

  But after when both nations gan to striue,

  Into their names the title to conuart,

  His sonne Iulus did from thence depart,

  With all the warlike youth of Troians bloud,

  And in long Alba plast his throne apart,

  Where faire it florished, and long time it stoud,

  Till Romulus renewing it, to Rome remoud.

  There there (said Britomart) a fresh appeard

  The glory of the later world to spring,

  And Troy againe out of her dust was reard,

  To sit in second seat of soueraigne king,

  Of all the world vnder her gouerning.

  But a third kingdome yet is to arise,

  Out of the Troians scattered of-spring,

  That in all glory and great enterprise,

  Both first and second Troy shall dare to equalise.

  It Troynouant is hight, that with the waues

  Of wealthy Thamis washed is along,

  Vpon whose stubborne neck, whereat he raues

  With roring rage, and sore him selfe does throng,

  That all men feare to tempt his billowes strong,

  She fastned hath her foot, which standes so hy,

  That it a wonder of the world is song

  In forreine landes, and all which passen by,

  Beholding it from far, do thinke it threates the skye.

  The Troian Brute did first that Citie found,

  And Hygate made the meare thereof by West,

  And Ouert gate by North: that is the bound

  Toward the land; two riuers bound the rest.

  So huge a scope at first him seemed best,

  To be the compasse of his kingdomes seat:

  So huge a mind could not in lesser rest,

  Ne in small meares containe his glory great,

  That Albion had conquered first by warlike feat.

  Ah fairest Lady knight, (said Paridell)

  Pardon I pray my heedlesse ouersight,

  Who had forgot, that whilome I heard tell

  From aged Mnemon; for my wits bene light.

  Indeed he said (if I remember right,)

  That of the antique Troian stocke, there grew

  Another plant, that raught to wondrous hight,

  And far abroad his mighty branches threw,

  Into the vtmost Angle of the world he knew.

  For that same Brute, whom much he did aduaunce

  In all his speach, was Syluius his sonne,

  Whom hauing slaine, through luckles arrowes glaũce

  He fled for feare of that he had misdonne,

  Or else for shame, so fowle reproch to shonne,

  And with him led to sea an youthly trayne,

  Where wearie wandring they long time did wonne,

  And many fortunes prou'd in th'Ocean mayne,

  And great adu&etilde;tures found, that now were lõg to sayne.

  At last by fatall course they driuen were

  Into an Island spatious and brode,

  The furthest North, that did to them appeare:

  Which after rest they seeking far abrode,

  Found it the fittest soyle for their abode,

  Fruitfull of all things fit for liuing foode,

  But wholy wast, and void of peoples trode,

  Saue an huge nation of the Geaunts broode,

  That fed on liuing flesh, & druncke mens vitall blood.

  Whom he through wearie wars and labours long,

  Subdewd with losse of many Britons bold:

  In which the great Goemagot of strong

  Corineus, and Coulin of Debon old

  Were ouerthrowne and layd on th'earth full cold,

  Which quaked vnder their so hideous masse,

  A famous history to be enrold

  In euerlasting moniments of brasse,

  That all the antique Worthies merits far did passe.

  His worke great Troynouant, his worke is eke

  Faire Lincolne, both renowmed far away,

  That who from East to West will endlong seeke,

  Cannot two fairer Cities find this day,

  Except Cleopolis: so heard I say

  Old Mnemon. Therefore Sir, I greet you well

  Your countrey kin, and you entirely pray

  Of pardon for the strife, which late befell

  Betwixt vs both vnknowne. So ended Paridell.

  But all the while, that he these speaches spent,

  Vpon his lips hong faire Dame Hellenore,

  With vigilant regard, and dew attent,

  Fashioning worlds of fancies euermore<
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  In her fraile wit, that now her quite forlore:

  The whiles vnwares away her wondring eye,

  And greedy eares her weake hart from her bore:

  Which he perceiuing, euer priuily

  In speaking, many false belgardes at her let fly.

  So long these knights discoursed diuersly,

  Of straunge affaires, and noble hardiment,

  Which they had past with mickle ieopardy,

  That now the humid night was farforth spent,

  And heauenly lampes were halfendeale ybrent:

  Which th'old man seeing well, who too long thought

  Euery discourse and euery argument,

  Which by the houres he measured, besought

  Them go to rest. So all vnto their bowres were brought.

  Cant. X.

  Paridell rapeth Hellenore:

  Malbecco her pursewes:

  Findes emongst Satyres, whence with him

  To turne she doth refuse.

  T He morow next, so soone as Phoebus Lamp

  Bewrayed had the world with early light,

  And fresh Aurora had the shady damp

  Out of the goodly heauen amoued quight,

  Faire Britomart and that same Faerie knight

  Vprose, forth on their iourney for to wend:

  But Paridell complaynd, that his late fight

  With Britomart, so sore did him offend,

  That ryde he could not, till his hurts he did amend.

  So forth they far'd, but he behind them stayd,

  Maulgre his host, who grudged grieuously,

  To house a guest, that would be needes obayd,

  And of his owne him left not liberty:

  Might wanting measure moueth surquedry.

  Two things he feared, but the third was death;

  That fierce young mans vnruly maistery;

  His money, which he lou'd as liuing breath;

  And his faire wife, whom honest long he kept vneath.

  But patience perforce he must abie,

  What fortune and his fate on him will lay,

  Fond is the feare, that findes no remedie;

  Yet warily he watcheth euery way,

  By which he feareth euill happen may:

  So th'euill thinkes by watching to preuent;

  Ne doth he suffer her, nor night, nor day,

  Out of his sight her selfe once to absent.