The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  She had not rid the mountenance of a flight,

  But that she saw there present in her sight,

  Those two false brethren, on that perillous Bridge,

  On which Pollente with Artegall did fight.

  Streight was the passage like a ploughed ridge,

  That if two met, the one mote needes fall ouer the lidge.

  There they did thinke them selues on her to wreake:

  Who as she nigh vnto them drew, the one

  These vile reproches gan vnto her speake;

  Thou recreant false traytor, that with lone

  Of armes has knighthood stolne, yet Knight art none,

  No more shall now the darkenesse of the night

  Defend thee from the vengeance of thy fone,

  But with thy bloud thou shalt appease the spright

  Of Guizor, by thee slaine, and murdred by thy slight.

  Strange were the words in Britomartis eare;

  Yet stayd she not for them, but forward fared,

  Till to the perillous Bridge she came, and there

  Talus desir'd, that he might haue prepared

  The way to her, and those two losels scared.

  But she thereat was wroth, that for despight

  The glauncing sparkles through her beuer glared,

  And from her eies did flash out fiery light,

  Like coles, that through a siluer Censer sparkle bright.

  She stayd not to aduise which way to take;

  But putting spurres vnto her fiery beast,

  Thorough the midst of them she way did make.

  The one of them, which most her wrath increast,

  Vppon her speare she bore before her breast,

  Till to the Bridges further end she past,

  Where falling downe, his challenge he releast:

  The other ouer side the Bridge she cast

  Into the riuer, where he drunke his deadly last.

  As when the flashing Leuin haps to light

  Vppon two stubborne oakes, which stand so neare,

  That way betwixt them none appeares in sight;

  The Engin fiercely flying forth, doth teare

  Th'one from the earth, & through the aire doth beare;

  The other it with force doth ouerthrow,

  Vppon one side, and from his rootes doth reare.

  So did the Championesse those two there strow,

  And to their sire their carcasses left to bestow.

  Cant. VII.

  Britomart comes to Isis Church,

  Where shee strange visions sees:

  She fights with Radigund, her slaies,

  And Artegall thence frees.

  N Ought is on earth more sacred or diuine,

  That Gods and men doe equally adore,

  Then this same vertue, that doth right define:

  For th'heuens th&etilde;selues, whence mortal men implore

  Right in their wrongs, are rul'd by righteous lore

  Of highest Ioue, who doth true iustice deale

  To his inferiour Gods, and euermore

  Therewith containes his heauenly Common-weale,

  The skill whereof to Princes hearts he doth reueale.

  Well therefore did the antique world inuent,

  That Iustice was a God of soueraine grace,

  And altars vnto him, and temples lent,

  And heauenly honours in the highest place;

  Calling him great Osyris, of the race

  Of th'old Ægyptian Kings, that whylome were;

  With fayned colours shading a true case:

  For that Osyris, whilest he liued here,

  The iustest man aliue, and truest did appeare.

  His wife was Isis, whom they likewise made

  A Goddesse of great powre and souerainty

  And in her person cunningly did shade

  That part of Iustice, which is Equity,

  Whereof I haue to treat here presently.

  Vnto whose temple when as Britomart

  Arriued, shee with great humility

  Did enter in, ne would that night depart;

  But Talus mote not be admitted to her part.

  There she receiued was in goodly wize

  Of many Priests, which duely did attend

  Vppon the rites and daily sacrifize,

  All clad in linnen robes with siluer hemd;

  And on their heads with long locks comely kemd,

  They wore rich Mitres shaped like the Moone,

  To shew that Isis doth the Moone portend;

  Like as Osyris signifies the Sunne.

  For that they both like race in equall iustice runne.

  The Championesse them greeting, as she could,

  Was thence by them into the Temple led;

  Whose goodly building when she did behould,

  Borne vppon stately pillours, all dispred

  With shining gold, and arched ouer hed,

  She wondred at the workemans passing skill,

  Whose like before she neuer saw nor red;

  And thereuppon long while stood gazing still,

  But thought, that she thereon could neuer gaze her fill.

  Thence forth vnto the Idoll they her brought,

  The which was framed all of siluer fine,

  So well as could with cunning hand be wrought,

  And clothed all in garments made of line,

  Hemd all about with fringe of siluer twine.

  Vppon her head she wore a Crowne of gold,

  To shew that she had powre in things diuine;

  And at her feete a Crocodile was rold,

  That with her wreathed taile her middle did enfold.

  One foote was set vppon the Crocodile,

  And on the ground the other fast did stand,

  So meaning to suppresse both forged guile,

  And open force: and in her other hand

  She stretched forth a long white sclender wand.

  Such was the Goddesse; whom when Britomart

  Had long beheld, her selfe vppon the land

  She did prostrate, and with right humble hart,

  Vnto her selfe her silent prayers did impart.

  To which the Idoll as it were inclining,

  Her wand did moue with amiable looke,

  By outward shew her inward sence defining.

  Who well perceiuing, how her wand she shooke,

  It as a token of good fortune tooke.

  By this the day with dampe was ouercast,

  And ioyous light the house of Ioue forsooke:

  Which when she saw, her helmet she vnlaste,

  And by the altars side her selfe to slumber plaste.

  For other beds the Priests there vsed none,

  But on their mother Earths deare lap did lie,

  And bake their sides vppon the cold hard stone,

  T'enure them selues to sufferaunce thereby

  And proud rebellious flesh to mortify.

  For by the vow of their religion

  They tied were to stedfast chastity,

  And continence of life, that all forgon,

  They mote the better tend to their deuotion.

  Therefore they mote not taste of fleshly food,

  Ne feed on ought, the which doth bloud containe,

  Ne drinke of wine, for wine they say is blood,

  Euen the bloud of Gyants, which were slaine,

  By thundring Ioue in the Phlegrean plaine.

  For which the earth (as they the story tell)

  Wroth with the Gods, which to perpetuall paine

  Had damn'd her sonnes, which gainst them did rebell,

  With inward griefe and malice did against them swell.

  And of their vitall bloud, the which was shed

  Into her pregnant bosome, forth she brought

  The fruitfull vine, whose liquor blouddy red

  Hauing the mindes of men with fury fraught,

  Mote in them stirre vp old rebellious thought,

  To make new warre against the Gods
againe:

  Such is the powre of that same fruit, that nought

  The fell contagion may thereof restraine,

  Ne within reasons rule, her madding mood containe.

  There did the warlike Maide her selfe repose,

  Vnder the wings of Isis all that night,

  And with sweete rest her heauy eyes did close,

  After that long daies toile and weary plight.

  Where whilest her earthly parts with soft delight

  Of sencelesse sleepe did deeply drowned lie,

  There did appeare vnto her heauenly spright

  A wondrous vision, which did close implie

  The course of all her fortune and posteritie.

  Her seem'd, as she was doing sacrifize

  To Isis, deckt with Mitre on her hed,

  And linnen stole after those Priestes guize,

  All sodainely she saw transfigured

  Her linnen stole to robe of scarlet red,

  And Moone-like Mitre to a Crowne of gold,

  That euen she her selfe much wondered

  At such a chaunge, and ioyed to behold

  Her selfe, adorn'd with gems and iewels manifold.

  And in the midst of her felicity,

  An hideous tempest seemed from below,

  To rise through all the Temple sodainely,

  That from the Altar all about did blow

  The holy fire, and all the embers strow

  Vppon the ground, which kindled priuily,

  Into outragious flames vnwares did grow,

  That all the Temple put in ieopardy

  Of flaming, and her selfe in great perplexity.

  With that the Crocodile, which sleeping lay

  Vnder the Idols feete in fearelesse bowre,

  Seem'd to awake in horrible dismay,

  As being troubled with that stormy stowre;

  And gaping greedy wide, did streight deuoure

  Both flames and tempest: with which growen great,

  And swolne with pride of his owne peerelesse powre,

  He gan to threaten her likewise to eat;

  But that the Goddesse with her rod him backe did beat.

  Tho turning all his pride to humblesse meeke,

  Him selfe before her feete he lowly threw,

  And gan for grace and loue of her to seeke:

  Which she accepting, he so neare her drew,

  That of his game she soone enwombed grew,

  And forth did bring a Lion of great might;

  That shortly did all other beasts subdew.

  With that she waked, full of fearefull fright,

  And doubtfully dismayd through that so vncouth sight.

  So thereuppon long while she musing lay,

  With thousand thoughts feeding her fantasie,

  Vntill she spide the lampe of lightsome day,

  Vp-lifted in the porch of heauen hie.

  Then vp she rose fraught with melancholy,

  And forth into the lower parts did pas;

  Whereas the Priestes she found full busily

  About their holy things for morrow Mas:

  Whom she saluting faire, faire resaluted was.

  But by the change of her vnchearefull looke,

  They might perceiue, she was not well in plight;

  Or that some pensiuenesse to heart she tooke.

  Therefore thus one of them, who seem'd in sight

  To be the greatest, and the grauest wight,

  To her bespake; Sir Knight it seemes to me,

  That thorough euill rest of this last night,

  Or ill apayd, or much dismayd ye be,

  That by your change of cheare is easie for to see.

  Certes (sayd she) sith ye so well haue spide

  The troublous passion of my pensiue mind,

  I will not seeke the same from you to hide,

  But will my cares vnfolde, in hope to find

  Your aide, to guide me out of errour blind.

  Say on (quoth he) the secret of your hart:

  For by the holy vow, which me doth bind,

  I am adiur'd, best counsell to impart

  To all, that shall require my comfort in their smart.

  Then gan she to declare the whole discourse

  Of all that vision, which to her appeard,

  As well as to her minde it had recourse.

  All which when he vnto the end had heard,

  Like to a weake faint-hearted man he fared,

  Through great astonishment of that strange sight;

  And with long locks vp-standing, stifly stared

  Like one adawed with some dreadfull spright.

  So fild with heauenly fury, thus he her behight.

  Magnificke Virgin, that in queint disguise

  Of British armes doest maske thy royall blood,

  So to pursue a perillous emprize,

  How coul[d]st thou weene, through that disguized hood,

  To hide thy state from being vnderstood?

  Can from th'immortall Gods ought hidden bee?

  They doe thy linage, and thy Lordly brood;

  They doe thy sire, lamenting sore for thee;

  They doe thy loue, forlorne in womens thraldome see.

  The end whereof, and all the long euent,

  They doe to thee in this same dreame discouer.

  For that same Crocodile doth represent

  The righteous Knight, that is thy faithfull louer.

  Like to Osyris in all iust endeuer.

  For that same Crocodile Osyris is,

  That vnder Isis feete doth sleepe for euer:

  To shew that clemence oft in things amis,

  Restraines those sterne behests, and cruell doomes of his.

  That Knight shall all the troublous stormes asswage,

  And raging flames, that many foes shall reare,

  To hinder thee from the iust heritage

  Of thy sires Crowne, and from thy countrey deare.

  Then shalt thou take him to thy loued fere,

  And ioyne in equall portion of thy realme:

  And afterwards a sonne to him shalt beare,

  That Lion-like shall shew his powre extreame.

  So blesse thee God, and giue thee ioyance of thy dreame

  All which when she vnto the end had heard,

  She much was eased in her troublous thought,

  And on those Priests bestowed rich reward:

  And royall gifts of gold and siluer wrought,

  She for a present to their Goddesse brought.

  Then taking leaue of them, she forward went,

  To seeke her loue, where he was to be sought;

  Ne rested till she cam without relent

  Vnto the land of Amazons, as she was bent.

  Whereof when newes to Radigund was brought,

  Not with amaze, as women wonted bee,

  She was confused in her troublous thought,

  But fild with courage and with ioyous glee,

  As glad to heare of armes, the which now she

  Had long surceast, she bad to open bold,

  That she the face of her new foe might see.

  But when they of that yron man had told,

  Which late her folke had slaine, she bad th&etilde; forth to hold.

  So there without the gate (as seemed best)

  She caused her Pauilion be pight;

  In which stout Britomart her selfe did rest,

  Whiles Talus watched at the dore all night.

  All night likewise, they of the towne in fright,

  Vppon their wall good watch and ward did keepe.

  The morrow next, so soone as dawning light

  Bad doe away the dampe of drouzie sleepe,

  The warlike Amazon out of her bowre did peepe.

  And caused streight a Trumpet loud to shrill,

  To warne her foe to battell soone be prest:

  Who long before awoke (for she ful ill

  Could sleepe all night, that in vnquiet brest

  Did closely har
bour such a iealous guest)

  Was to the battell whilome ready dight.

  Eftsoones that warriouresse with haughty crest

  Did forth issue, all ready for the fight:

  On th'other side her foe appeared soone in sight.

  But ere they reared hand, the Amazone

  Began the streight conditions to propound,

  With which she vsed still to tye her fone;

  To serue her so, as she the rest had bound.

  Which when the other heard, she sternly frownd

  For high disdaine of such indignity,

  And would no lenger treat, but bad them sound.

  For her no other termes should euer tie

  Then what prescribed were by lawes of cheualrie.

  The Trumpets sound, and they together run

  With greedy rage, and with their faulchins smot;

  Ne either sought the others strokes to shun,

  But through great fury both their skill forgot,

  And practicke vse in armes: ne spared not

  Their dainty parts, which nature had created

  So faire and tender, without staine or spot,

  For other vses, then they them translated;

  Which they now hackt & hewd, as if such vse they hated,

  As when a Tygre and a Lionesse

  Are met at spoyling of some hungry pray,

  Both challenge it with equall greedinesse:

  But first the Tygre clawes thereon did lay;

  And therefore loth to loose her right away,

  Doth in defence thereof full stoutly stond:

  To which the Lion strongly doth gainesay,

  That she to hunt the beast first tooke in hond;

  And therefore ought it haue, where euer she it fond.

  Full fiercely layde the Amazon about,

  And dealt her blowes vnmercifully sore:

  Which Britomart withstood with courage stout,

  And them repaide againe with double more.

  So long they fought, that all the grassie flore

  Was fild with bloud, which from their sides did flow,

  And gushed through their armes, that all in gore

  They trode, and on the ground their liues did strow,

  Like fruitles seede, of which vntimely death should grow.

  At last proud Radigund with fell despight,