The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  And many dreadfull feends hath pointed to her gard.

  There he tormenteth her most terribly,

  And day and night afflicts with mortall paine,

  Because to yield him loue she doth deny,

  Once to me yold, not to be yold againe:

  But yet by torture he would her constraine

  Loue to conceiue in her disdainfull brest;

  Till so she do, she must in doole remaine,

  Ne may by liuing meanes be thence relest:

  What boots it then to plaine, that cannot be redrest?

  With this sad hersall of his heauy stresse,

  The warlike Damzell was empassiond sore,

  And said; Sir knight, your cause is nothing lesse,

  Then is your sorrow, certes if not more;

  For nothing so much pitty doth implore,

  As gentle Ladies helplesse misery.

  But yet, if please ye listen to my lore,

  I will with proofe of last extremity,

  Deliuer her fro thence, or with her for you dy.

  Ah gentlest knight aliue, (said Scudamore)

  What huge heroicke magnanimity

  Dwels in thy bounteous brest? what couldst thou more,

  If she were thine, and thou as now am I?

  O spare thy happy dayes, and them apply

  To better boot, but let me dye, that ought;

  More is more losse: one is enough to dy.

  Life is not lost, (said she) for which is bought

  Endlesse renowm, that more then death is to be sought.

  Thus she at length perswaded him to rise,

  And with her wend, to see what new successe

  Mote him befall vpon new enterprise;

  His armes, which he had vowed to disprofesse,

  She gathered vp and did about him dresse,

  And his forwandred steed vnto him got:

  So forth they both yfere make their progresse,

  And march not past the mountenaunce of a shot.

  Till they arriu'd, whereas their purpose they did plot.

  There they dismounting, drew their weapons bold

  And stoutly came vnto the Castle gate;

  Whereas no gate they found, them to withhold,

  Nor ward to wait at morne and euening late,

  But in the Porch, that did them sore amate,

  A flaming fire, ymixt with smouldry smoke,

  And stinking Sulphure, that with griesly hate

  And dreadfull horrour did all entraunce choke,

  Enforced them their forward footing to reuoke.

  Greatly thereat was Britomart dismayd,

  Ne in that stownd wist, how her selfe to beare;

  For daunger vaine it were, to haue assayd

  That cruell element, which all things feare,

  Ne none can suffer to approchen neare:

  And turning backe to Scudamour, thus sayd;

  What monstrous enmity prouoke we heare,

  Foolhardy as th'Earthes children, the which made

  Battell against the Gods? so we a God inuade.

  Daunger without discretion to attempt,

  Inglorious and beastlike is: therefore Sir knight,

  Aread what course of you is safest dempt,

  And how we with our foe may come to fight.

  This is (quoth he) the dolorous despight,

  Which earst to you I playnd: for neither may

  This fire be quencht by any wit or might,

  Ne yet by any meanes remou'd away,

  So mighty be th'enchauntments, which the same do stay.

  What is there else, but cease these fruitlesse paines,

  And leaue me to my former languishing;

  Faire Amoret must dwell in wicked chaines,

  And Scudamore here dye with sorrowing.

  Perdy not so; (said she) for shamefull thing

  It were t'abandon noble cheuisaunce,

  For shew of perill, without venturing:

  Rather let try extremities of chaunce,

  Then enterprised prayse for dread to disauaunce.

  Therewith resolu'd to proue her vtmost might,

  Her ample shield she threw before her face,

  And her swords point directing forward right,

  Assayld the flame, the which eftsoones gaue place,

  And did it selfe diuide with equall space,

  That through she passed; as a thunder bolt

  Perceth the yielding ayre, and doth displace

  The soring clouds into sad showres ymolt;

  So to her yold the flames, and did their force reuolt,

  Whom whenas Scudamour saw past the fire,

  Safe and vntoucht, he likewise gan assay,

  With greedy will, and enuious desire,

  And bad the stubborne flames to yield him way:

  But cruell Mulciber would not obay

  His threatfull pride, but did the more augment

  His mighty rage, and with imperious sway

  Him forst (maulgre) his fiercenesse to relent,

  And backe retire, all scorcht and pitifully brent.

  With huge impatience he inly swelt,

  More for great sorrow, that he could not pas,

  Then for the burning torment, which he felt,

  That with fell woodnesse he effierced was,

  And wilfully him throwing on the gras,

  Did beat and bounse his head and brest full sore;

  The whiles the Championesse now entred has

  The vtmost rowme, and past the formest dore,

  The vtmost rowme, abounding with all precious store.

  For round about, the wals yclothed were

  With goodly arras of great maiesty,

  Wouen with gold and silke so close and nere,

  That the rich metall lurked priuily,

  As faining to be hid from enuious eye;

  Yet here, and there, and euery where vnwares

  It shewd it selfe, and shone vnwillingly;

  Like a discolourd Snake, whose hidden snares

  Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht backe declares.

  And in those Tapets weren fashioned

  Many faire pourtraicts, and many a faire feate,

  And all of loue, and all of lusty-hed,

  As seemed by their semblaunt did entreat;

  And eke all Cupids warres they did repeate,

  And cruell battels, which he whilome fought

  Gainst all the Gods, to make his empire great;

  Besides the huge massacres, which he wrought

  On mighty kings and kesars, into thraldome brought.

  Therein was writ, how often thundring Ioue

  Had felt the point of his hart-percing dart,

  And leauing heauens kingdome, here did roue

  In straunge disguize, to slake his scalding smart;

  Now like a Ram, faire Helle to peruart,

  Now like a Bull, Europa to withdraw:

  Ah, how the fearefull Ladies tender hart

  Did liuely seeme to tremble, wheh she saw

  The huge seas vnder her t'obay her seruaunts law.

  Soone after that into a golden showre

  Him selfe he chaung'd faire Danaë to vew,

  And through the roofe of her strong brasen towre

  Did raine into her lap an hony dew,

  The whiles her foolish garde, that little knew

  Of such deceipt, kept th'yron dore fast bard,

  And watcht, that none should enter nor issew;

  Vaine was the watch, and bootlesse all the ward,

  Whenas the God to golden hew him selfe transfard.

  Then was he turnd into a snowy Swan,

  To win faire Leda to his louely trade:

  O wondrous skill, and sweet wit of the man,

  That her in daffadillies sleeping made,

  From scorching heat her daintie limbes to shade:

  Whiles the proud Bird ruffing his fethers wyde,

  And brushing his faire brest, did her
inuade;

  She slept, yet twixt her eyelids closely spyde,

  How towards her he rusht, and smiled at his pryde.

  Then shewd it, how the Thebane Semelee

  Deceiu'd of gealous Iuno, did require

  To see him in his soueraigne maiestee,

  Armd with his thunderbolts and lightning fire,

  Whence dearely she with death bought her desire.

  But faire Alcmena better match did make,

  Ioying his loue in likenesse more entire;

  Three nights in one, they say, that for her sake

  He then did put, her pleasures lenger to partake.

  Twise was he seene in soaring Eagles shape,

  And with wide wings to beat the buxome ayre,

  Once, when he with Asterie did scape,

  Againe, when as the Troiane boy so faire

  He snatcht from Ida hill, and with him bare:

  Wondrous delight it was, there to behould,

  How the rude Shepheards after him did stare,

  Trembling through feare, least down he fallen should,

  And often to him calling, to take surer hould.

  In Satyres shape Antiopa he snatcht:

  And like a fire, when he Aegin' assayd:

  A shepheard, when Mnemosyne he catcht:

  And like a Serpent to the Thracian mayd.

  Whiles thus on earth great Ioue these pageaunts playd,

  The winged boy did thrust into his throne,

  And scoffing, thus vnto his mother sayd,

  Lo now the heauens obey to me alone,

  And take me for their Ioue, whiles Ioue to earth is gone.

  And thou, faire Phoebus, in thy colours bright

  Wast there enwouen, and the sad distresse,

  In which that boy thee plonged, for despight,

  That thou bewray'dst his mothers wantonnesse,

  When she with Mars was meynt in ioyfulnesse:

  For thy, he thrild thee with a leaden dart,

  To loue faire Daphne, which thee loued lesse:

  Lesse she thee lou'd, then was thy iust desart,

  Yet was thy loue her death, & her death was thy smart.

  So louedst thou the lusty Hyacinct,

  So louedst thou the faire Coronis deare:

  Yet both are of thy haplesse hand extinct,

  Yet both in flowres do liue, and loue thee beare,

  The one a Paunce, the other a sweet breare:

  For griefe whereof, ye mote haue liuely seene

  The God himselfe rending his golden heare,

  And breaking quite his gyrlond euer greene,

  With other signes of sorrow and impatient teene.

  Both for those two, and for his owne deare sonne,

  The sonne of Climene he did repent,

  Who bold to guide the charet of the Sunne,

  Himselfe in thousand peeces fondly rent,

  And all the world with flashing fier brent;

  So like, that all the walles did seeme to flame.

  Yet cruell Cupid, not herewith content,

  Forst him eftsoones to follow other game,

  And loue a Shepheards daughter for his dearest Dame.

  He loued Isse for his dear est Dame,

  And for her sake her cattell fed a while,

  And for her sake a cowheard vile became,

  The seruant of Admetus cowheard vile,

  Whiles that from heauen he suffered exile.

  Long were to tell each other louely fit,

  Now like a Lyon, hunting after spoile,

  Now like a Stag, now like a faulcon flit:

  All which in that faire arras was most liuely writ.

  Next vnto him was Neptune pictured,

  In his diuine resemblance wondrous lyke:

  His face was rugged, and his hoarie hed

  Dropped with brackish deaw; his three-forkt Pyke

  He stearnly shooke, and therewith fierce did stryke

  The raging billowes, that on euery syde

  They trembling stood, and made a long broad dyke,

  That his swift charet might haue passage wyde,

  Which foure great Hippodames did draw in temewise tyde.

  His sea-horses did seeme to sport amayne,

  And from their nosethrilles blow the brynie streame,

  That made the sparckling waues to smoke agayne,

  And flame with gold, but the white fomy creame,

  Did shine with siluer, and shoot forth his beame.

  The God himselfe did pensiue seeme and sad,

  And hong adowne his head, as he did dreame:

  For priuy loue his brest empierced had,

  Ne ought but deare Bisaltis ay could make him glad.

  He loued eke Iphimedia deare,

  And Aeolus faire daughter Arne hight.

  For whom he turnd him selfe into a Steare,

  And fed on fodder, to beguile her sight.

  Also to win Deucalions daughter bright,

  He turnd him selfe into a Dolphin fayre;

  And like a winged horse he tooke his flight,

  To snaky-locke Medusa to repayre,

  On whom he got faire Pegasus, that flitteth in the ayre.

  Next Saturne was, (but who would euer weene,

  That sullein Saturne euer weend to loue?

  Yet loue is sullein, and Saturnlike seene,

  As he did for Erigone it proue,)

  That to a Centaure did him selfe transmoue.

  So proou'd it eke that gracious God of wine,

  When for to compasse Philliras hard loue,

  He turnd himselfe into a fruitfull vine,

  And into her faire bosome made his grapes decline.

  Long were to tell the amorous assayes,

  And gentle pangues, with which he maked meeke

  The mighty Mars, to learne his wanton playes:

  How oft for Venus, and how often eek

  For many other Nymphes he sore did shreek,

  With womanish teares, and with vnwarlike smarts,

  Priuily moystening his horrid cheek.

  There was he painted full of burning darts,

  And many wide woundes launched through his inner parts.

  Ne did he spare (so cruell was the Elfe)

  His owne deare mother, (ah why should he so?)

  Ne did he spare sometime to pricke himselfe,

  That he might taste the sweet consuming woe,

  Which he had wrought to many others moe.

  But to declare the mournfull Tragedyes,

  And spoiles, wherewith he all the ground did strow,

  More eath to number, with how many eyes

  High heauen beholds sad louers nightly theeueryes.

  Kings Queenes, Lords Ladies, Knights & Damzels gent

  Were heap'd together with the vulgar sort,

  And mingled with the raskall rablement,

  Without respect of person or of port,

  To shew Dan Cupids powre and great effort:

  And round about a border was entrayld,

  Of broken bowes and arrowes shiuered short,

  And a long bloudy riuer through them rayld,

  So liuely and so like, that liuing sence it fayld.

  And at the vpper end of that faire rowme,

  There was an Altar built of pretious stone,

  Of passing valew, and of great renowme,

  On which there stood an Image all alone,

  Of massy gold, which with his owne light shone;

  And wings it had with sundry colours dight,

  More sundry colours, then the proud Pauone

  Beares in his boasted fan, or Iris bright,

  When her discolourd bow she spreds through heauens hight.

  Blindfold he was, and in his cruell fist

  A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold,

  With which he shot at randon, when him list,

  Some headed with sad lead, some with pure gold;

  (Ah man beware, how thou those darts behold)

 
; A wounded Dragon vnder him did ly,

  Whose hideous tayle his left foot did enfold,

  And with a shaft was shot through either eye,

  That no man forth might draw, ne no man remedye.

  And vnderneath his feet was written thus,

  Vnto the Victor of the Gods this bee:

  And all the people in that ample hous

  Did to that image bow their humble knee,

  And oft committed fowle Idolatree.

  That wondrous sight faire Britomart amazed,

  Ne seeing could her wonder satisfie,

  But euermore and more vpon it gazed,

  The whiles the passing brightnes her fraile sences dazed.

  Tho as she backward cast her busie eye,

  To search each secret of that goodly sted,

  Ouer the dore thus written she did spye

  Be bold: she oft and oft it ouer-red,

  Yet could not find what sence it figured:

  But what so were therein or writ or ment,

  She was no whit thereby discouraged

  From prosecuting of her first intent,

  But forward with bold steps into the next roome went.

  Much fairer, then the former, was that roome,

  And richlier by many partes arayd:

  For not with arras made in painefull loome,

  But with pure gold it all was ouerlayd,

  Wrought with wilde Antickes, which their follies playd,

  In the rich metall, as they liuing were:

  A thousand monstrous formes therein were made,

  Such as false loue doth oft vpon him weare:

  For loue in thousand monstrous formes doth oft appeare.

  And all about, the glistring walles were hong

  With warlike spoiles, and with victorious prayes,

  Of mighty Conquerours and Captaines strong,

  Which were whilome captiued in their dayes

  To cruell loue, and wrought their owne decayes:

  Their swerds & speres were broke, & hauberques rent;

  And their proud girlonds of tryumphant bayes

  Troden in dust with fury insolent,

  To shew the victors might and mercilesse intent.

  The warlike Mayde beholding earnestly

  The goodly ordinance of this rich place,

  Did greatly wonder, ne could satisfie

  Her greedy eyes with gazing a long space: