The Faerie Queene

by The Faerie Queen(Lit)

  These two false Knights, whom there ye lying see,

  To be by them dishonoured and shent:

  But thankt be God, and your good hardiment,

  They haue the price of their owne folly payd.

  So said this Damzell, that hight Samient,

  And to those knights, for their so noble ayd,

  Her selfe most gratefull shew'd, & heaped thanks repayd.

  But they now hauing throughly heard, and seene

  Al those great wrongs, the which that mayd complained

  To haue bene done against her Lady Queene,

  By that proud dame, which her so much disdained,

  Were moued much thereat, and twixt them fained,

  With all their force to worke auengement strong

  Vppon the Souldan selfe, which it mayntained,

  And on his Lady, th'author of that wrong,

  And vppon all those Knights, that did to her belong.

  But thinking best by counterfet disguise

  To their deseigne to make the easier way,

  They did this complot twixt them selues deuise,

  First, that sir Artegall should him array,

  Like one of those two Knights, which dead there lay.

  And then that Damzell, the sad Samient,

  Should as his purchast prize with him conuay

  Vnto the Souldans court, her to present

  Vnto his scornefull Lady, that for her had sent.

  So as they had deuiz'd, sir Artegall

  Him clad in th'armour of a Pagan knight,

  And taking with him, as his vanquisht thrall,

  That Damzell, led her to the Souldans right.

  Where soone as his proud wife of her had sight,

  Forth of her window as she looking lay,

  She weened streight, it was her Paynim Knight,

  Which brought that Damzell, as his purchast pray;

  And sent to him a Page, that mote direct his way.

  Who bringing them to their appointed place,

  Offred his seruice to disarme the Knight;

  But he refusing him to let vnlace,

  For doubt to be discouered by his sight,

  Kept himselfe still in his straunge armour dight.

  Soone after whom the Prince arriued there,

  And sending to the Souldan in despight

  A bold defyance, did of him requere

  That Damzell, whom he held as wrongfull prisonere.

  Wherewith the Souldan all with furie fraught,

  Swearing, and banning most blasphemously,

  Commaunded straight his armour to be brought,

  And mounting straight vpon a charret hye,

  With yron wheeles and hookes arm'd dreadfully,

  And drawne of cruell steedes, which he had fed

  With flesh of men, whom through fell tyranny

  He slaughtred had, and ere they were halfe ded,

  Their bodies to his beasts for prouender did spred.

  So forth he came all in a cote of plate,

  Burnisht with bloudie rust, whiles on the greene

  The Briton Prince him readie did awayte,

  In glistering armes right goodly well beseene,

  That shone as bright, as doth the heauen sheene;

  And by his stirrup Talus did attend,

  Playing his pages part, as he had beene

  Before directed by his Lord; to th'end

  He should his flale to finall execution bend.

  Thus goe they both together to their geare,

  With like fierce minds, but meanings different:

  For the proud Souldan with presumpteous cheare,

  And countenance sublime and insolent,

  Sought onely slaughter and auengement:

  But the braue Prince for honour and for right,

  Gainst tortious powre and lawlesse regiment,

  In the behalfe of wronged weake did fight:

  More in his causes truth he trusted then in might.

  Like to the Thracian Tyrant, who they say

  Vnto his horses gaue his guests for meat,

  Till he himselfe was made their greedie pray,

  And torne in peeces by Alcides great.

  So thought the Souldan in his follies threat,

  Either the Prince in peeces to haue torne

  With his sharpe wheeles, in his first rages heat,

  Or vnder his fierce horses feet haue borne

  And trampled downe in dust his thoughts disdained scorne.

  But the bold child that perill well espying,

  If he too rashly to his charet drew,

  Gaue way vnto his horses speedie flying,

  And their resistlesse rigour did eschew.

  Yet as he passed by, the Pagan threw

  A shiuering dart with so impetuous force,

  That had he not it shun'd with heedfull vew,

  It had himselfe transfixed, or his horse,

  Or made them both one masse withouten more remorse.

  Oft drew the Prince vnto his charret nigh,

  In hope some stroke to fasten on him neare;

  But he was mounted in his seat so high,

  And his wingfooted coursers him did beare

  So fast away, that ere his readie speare

  He could aduance, he farre was gone and past.

  Yet still he him did follow euerywhere,

  And followed was of him likewise full fast;

  So long as in his steedes the flaming breath did last.

  Againe the Pagan threw another dart,

  Of which he had with him abundant store,

  On euery side of his embatteld cart,

  And of all other weapons lesse or more,

  Which warlike vses had deuiz'd of yore.

  The wicked shaft guyded through th'ayrie wyde,

  By some bad spirit, that it to mischiefe bore,

  Stayd not, till through his curat it did glyde,

  And made a griesly wound in his enriuen side.

  Much was he grieued with that haplesse throe,

  That opened had the welspring of his blood;

  But much the more that to his hatefull foe

  He mote not come, to wreake his wrathfull mood.

  That made him raue, like to a Lyon wood,

  Which being wounded of the huntsmans hand

  Can not come neare him in the couert wood,

  Where he with boughes hath built his shady stand,

  And fenst himselfe about with many a flaming brand.

  Still when he sought t'approch vnto him ny,

  His charret wheeles about him whirled round,

  And made him backe againe as fast to fly;

  And eke his steedes like to an hungry hound,

  That hunting after game hath carrion found,

  So cruelly did him pursew and chace,

  That his good steed, all were he much renound

  For noble courage, and for hardie race,

  Durst not endure their sight, but fled from place to place.

  Thus long they trast, and trauerst to and fro,

  Seeking by euery way to make some breach,

  Yet could the Prince not nigh vnto him goe,

  That one sure stroke he might vnto him reach,

  Whereby his strengthes assay he might him teach.

  At last from his victorious shield he drew

  The vaile, which did his powrefull light empeach;

  And comming full before his horses vew,

  As they vpon him prest, it plaine to them did shew.

  Like lightening flash, that hath the gazer burned,

  So did the sight thereof their sense dismay,

  That backe againe vpon themselues they turned,

  And with their ryder ranne perforce away:

  Ne could the Souldan them from flying stay,

  With raynes, or wonted rule, as well he knew.

  Nought feared they, what he could do, or say,

  But th'onely feare, that was before their vew;

&nb
sp; From which like mazed deare, dismayfully they flew.

  Fast did they fly, as them their feete could beare,

  High ouer hilles, and lowly ouer dales,

  As they were follow'd of their former feare.

  In vaine the Pagan bannes, and sweares, and rayles,

  And backe with both his hands vnto him hayles

  The resty raynes, regarded now no more:

  He to them calles and speakes, yet nought auayles;

  They heare him not, they haue forgot his lore,

  But go, which way they list, their guide they haue forlore.

  As when the firie-mouthed steeds, which drew

  The Sunnes bright wayne to Phaetons decay,

  Soone as they did the monstrous Scorpion vew,

  With vgly craples crawling in their way,

  The dreadfull sight did them so sore affray,

  That their well knowen courses they forwent,

  And leading th'euer-burning lampe astray,

  This lower world nigh all to ashes brent,

  And left their scorched path yet in the firmament.

  Such was the furie of these head-strong steeds,

  Soone as the infants sunlike shield they saw,

  That all obedience both to words and deeds

  They quite forgot, and scornd all former law;

  Through woods, and rocks, and mountaines they did draw

  The yron charet, and the wheeles did teare,

  And tost the Paynim, without feare or awe;

  From side to side they tost him here and there,

  Crying to them in vaine, that nould his crying heare.

  Yet still the Prince pursew'd him close behind,

  Oft making offer him to smite, but found

  No easie meanes according to his mind.

  At last they haue all ouerthrowne to ground

  Quite topside turuey, and the pagan hound

  Amongst the yron hookes and graples keene,

  Torne all to rags, and rent with many a wound,

  That no whole peece of him was to be seene,

  But scattred all about, and strow'd vpon the greene.

  Like as the cursed sonne of Theseus,

  That following his chace in dewy morne,

  To fly his stepdames loues outrageous,

  Of his owne steedes was all to peeces torne,

  And his faire limbs left in the woods forlorne;

  That for his sake Diana did lament,

  And all the wooddy Nymphes did wayle and mourne.

  So was this Souldan rapt and all to rent,

  That of his shape appear'd no litle moniment.

  Onely his shield and armour, which there lay,

  Though nothing whole, but all to brusd and broken,

  He vp did take, and with him brought away,

  That mote remaine for an eternall token

  To all, mongst whom this storie should be spoken,

  How worthily, by heauens high decree,

  Iustice that day of wrong her selfe had wroken,

  That all men which that spectacle did see,

  By like ensample mote for euer warned bee.

  So on a tree, before the Tyrants dore,

  He caused them be hung in all mens sight,

  To be a moniment for euermore.

  Which when his Ladie from the castles hight

  Beheld, it much appald her troubled spright:

  Yet not, as women wont in dolefull fit,

  She was dismayd, or faynted through affright,

  But gathered vnto her her troubled wit,

  And gan eftsoones deuize to be aueng'd for it.

  Streight downe she ranne, like an enraged cow,

  That is berobbed of her youngling dere,

  With knife in hand, and fatally did vow,

  To wreake her on that mayden messengere,

  Whom she had causd be kept as prisonere,

  By Artegall, misween'd for her owne Knight,

  That brought her backe. And comming present there,

  She at her ran with all her force and might,

  All flaming with reuenge and furious despight.

  Like raging Ino, when with knife in hand

  She threw her husbands murdred infant out,

  Or fell Medea, when on Colchicke strand

  Her brothers bones she scattered all about;

  Or as that madding mother, mongst the rout

  Of Bacchus Priests her owne deare flesh did teare.

  Yet neither Ino, nor Medea stout,

  Nor all the Moenades so furious were,

  As this bold woman, when she saw that Damzell there.

  But Artegall being thereof aware,

  Did stay her cruell hand, ere she her raught,

  And as she did her selfe to strike prepare,

  Out of her fist the wicked weapon caught:

  With that like one enfelon'd or distraught,

  She forth did rome, whether her rage her bore,

  With franticke passion, and with furie fraught;

  And breaking forth out at a posterne dore,

  Vnto the wyld wood ranne, her dolours to deplore.

  As a mad bytch, when as the franticke fit

  Her burning tongue with rage inflamed hath,

  Doth runne at randon, and with furious bit

  Snatching at euery thing, doth wreake her wrath

  On man and beast, that commeth in her path.

  There they doe say, that she transformed was

  Into a Tygre, and that Tygres scath

  In crueltie and outrage she did pas,

  To proue her surname true, that she imposed has.

  Then Artegall himselfe dicouering plaine,

  Did issue forth gainst all that warlike rout

  Of knights and armed men, which did maintaine

  That Ladies part, and to the Souldan lout:

  All which he did assault with courage stout,

  All were they nigh an hundred knights of name:

  And like wyld Goates them chaced all about,

  Flying from place to place with cowheard shame,

  So that with finall force them all he ouercame.

  Then caused he the gates be opened wyde,

  And there the Prince, as victour of that day,

  With tryumph entertayn'd and glorifyde,

  Presenting him with all the rich array,

  And roiall pompe, which there long hidden lay,

  Purchast through lawlesse powre and tortious wrong

  Of that proud Souldan, whom he earst did slay.

  So both for rest there hauing stayd not long,

  Marcht with that mayd, fit matter for another song.

  Cant. IX.

  Arthur and Artegall catch Guyle

  whom Talus doth dismay,

  They to Mercillaes pallace come,

  and see her rich array.

  W Hat Tygre, or what other saluage wight

  Is so exceeding furious and fell,

  As Wrong, when it hath arm'd it selfe with might?

  Not fit mongst men, that doe with reason mell,

  But mongst wyld beasts and saluage woods to dwell;

  Where still the stronger doth the weake deuoure,

  And they that most in boldnesse doe excell,

  Are dreadded most, and feared for their powre:

  Fit for Adicia, there to build her wicked bowre.

  There let her wonne farre from resort of men,

  Where righteous Artegall her late exyled;

  There let her euer keepe her damned den,

  Where none may be with her lewd parts defyled,

  Nor none but beasts may be of her despoyled:

  And turne we to the noble Prince, where late

  We did him leaue, after that he had foyled

  The cruell Souldan, and with dreadfull fate

  Had vtterly subuerted his vnrighteous state.

  Where hauing with Sir Artegall a space

  Well solast in that Souldans late delight,

  They
both resoluing now to leaue the place,

  Both it and all the wealth therein behight

  Vnto that Damzell in her Ladies right,

  And so would haue departed on their way.

  But she them woo'd by all the meanes she might,

  And earnestly besought, to wend that day

  With her, to see her Ladie thence no farre away.

  By whose entreatie both they ouercommen,

  Agree to goe with her, and by the way,

  (As often falles) of sundry things did commen.

  Mongst which that Damzell did to them bewray

  A straunge aduenture, which not farre thence lay;

  To weet a wicked villaine, bold and stout,

  Which wonned in a rocke not farre away,

  That robbed all the countrie there about,

  And brought the pillage home, whence none could get it out.

  Thereto both his owne wylie wit, (she sayd)

  And eke the fastnesse of his dwelling place,

  Both vnassaylable, gaue him great ayde:

  For he so crafty was to forge and face,

  So light of hand, and nymble of his pace,

  So smooth of tongue, and subtile in his tale.

  That could deceiue one looking in his face;

  Therefore by name Malengin they him call,

  Well knowen by his feates, and famous ouer all.

  Through these his slights he many doth confound,

  And eke the rocke, in which he wonts to dwell,

  Is wondrous strong, and hewen farre vnder ground

  A dreadfull depth, how deepe no man can tell;

  But some doe say, it goeth downe to hell.

  And all within, it full of wyndings is,

  And hidden wayes, that scarse an hound by smell

  Can follow out those false footsteps of his,

  Ne none can backe returne, that once are gone amis.

  Which when those knights had heard, their harts gan earne,

  To vnderstand that villeins dwelling place,

  And greatly it desir'd of her to learne,

  And by which way they towards it should trace.

  Were not (sayd she) that it should let your pace

  Towards my Ladies presence by you ment,

  I would you guyde directly to the place.

  Then let not that (said they) stay your intent;