"Great Venus! queene of Beautie and of Grace,
The joy of gods and men, that under skie
Doest fayrest shine, and most adorne thy place;
That with thy smyling looke doest pacifie
The raging seas, and makst the stormes to flie;
Thee, goddesse, thee the winds, the clouds doe feare;
And, when thou spredst thy mantle forth on hie,
The waters play, and pleasant lands appeare,
And Heavens laugh, and al the world shews ioyous
cheare:

""Then doth the dædale Earth throw forth to thee
Out of her fruitfull lap aboundant flowres;
And then all living wights, soone as they see
The Spring breake forth out of his lusty bowres,
They all doe learne to play the paramours:
First doe the merry birds, thy prety pages,
Privily pricked with thy lustfull powres,
Chirpe loud to thee out of their leavy cages,
And thee their mother call to coole their kindly rages.

"Then doe the salvage beasts begin to play
Their pleasant friskes, and loath their wonted food:
The lyons rore; the tygers loudly bray;
The raging buls rebellow through the wood,
And breaking forth dare tempt the deepest flood
To come where thou doest draw them with desire:
So all things else, that nourish vitall blood,
Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire,
In generation seeke to quench their inward fire.

"So all the world by thee at first was made,
And dayly yet thou doest the same repayre;
Ne ought on Earth that merry is and glad,
Ne ought on Earth that lovely is and fayre,
But thou the same for pleasure didst prepayre:
Thou art the root of all that ioyous is:
Great god of men and women, queene of th' ayre,
Mother of laughter, and wel-spring of blisse,
O graunt that of my love at last I may not misse!'

"So did he say: but I with murmure soft,
That none might heare the sorrow of my hart,
Yet inly groning deepe and sighing oft,
Besought her to graunt ease unto my smart,
And to my wound her gratious help impart.
Whilest thus I spake, behold! with happy eye
I spyde where at the idoles feet apart
A bevie of fayre damzels close did lye,
Wayting whenas the antheme should be sung on hye.
"The first of them did seeme of ryper yeares
And graver countenance then all the rest;
Yet all the rest were eke her equall peares,
Yet unto her obayed all the best:
Her name was Womanhood; that she exprest
By her sad semblant and demeanure wyse:
For stedfast still her eyes did fixed rest,
Ne rov'd at random, after gazers guyse,
Whose luring baytes oftimes doe heedlesse harts en-

[tyse.

"And next to her sate goodly Shamefastnesse,
Ne ever durst her eyes from ground upreare,
Ne ever once did looke up from her desse,
As if some blame of evill she did feare,
That in her cheekes made roses oft appeare:
And her against sweet Cherefulnesse was placed,
Whose eyes, like twinkling stars in evening cleare,
Were deckt with smyles that all sad humors chaced,
And darted forth delights the which her goodly
graced.

"And next to her sate sober Modestie,
Holding her hand upon her gentle hart;
And her against sate comely Curtesie,
That unto every person knew her part;
And her before was seated overthwart
Soft Silence, and submisse Obedience,
Both linckt together never to dispart;
Both gifts of God not gotten but from thence;
Both girlonds of his saints against their foes offence.

"Thus sate they all around in seemely rate:
And in the midst of them a goodly mayd
(Even in the lap of Womanhood) there sate,
The which was all in lilly white arayd,
With silver streames amongst the linnen stray'd;
Like to the Morne, when first her shyning face
Hath to the gloomy world itself bewray'd:
That same was fayrest Amoret in place, [grace.
Shyning with beauties light and heavenly vertues

"Whome soone as I beheld, my hart gan throb
And wade in doubt what best were to be donne :
For sacrilege me seem'd the church to rob;
And folly seem'd to leave the thing undonne,
Which with so strong attempt I had begonne.
Tho, shaking off all doubt and shamefast feare,
Which ladies love I heard had never wonne
Mongst men of worth, I to her stepped neare,
And by the lilly hand her labour'd up to reare.
"Thereat that formost matrone me did blame,
And sharpe rebuke for being over-bold;
Saying it was to knight unseemely shame,
Upon a récluse virgin to lay hold,
That unto Venus services was sold.
To whom I thus; Nay, but it fitteth best
For Cupids man with Venus mayd to hold;
For ill your goddesse services are drest
By virgins, and her sacrifices let to rest.'

"With that my shield I forth to her did show,
Which all that while I closely had conceld,
On which when Cupid with his killing bow
And cruell shafts emblazond she bebeld,
At sight thereof she was with terror queld,
And said uo more: but I, which all that while
The pledge of faith her hand engaged held,
(Like warie hynd within the weedie soyle)
For no intreatie would forgoe so glorious spoyle.

"And evermore upon the goddesse face
Mine eye was fixt, for feare of her offence:
Whom when I saw with amiable grace
To laugh on me, and favour my pretence,
I was emboldned with more confidence;

And, nought for nicenesse nor, for envy sparing,
In presence of them all forth led her thence,
All looking on, and like astonisht staring,
Yet to lay hand on her not one of all them daring.

"She often prayd, and often me besought, Sometime with tender teares to let her goè, Sometime with witching smyles: but yet, for nought

That ever she to me could say or doe,
Could she her wished freedome fro me wooe;
But forth I led her through the temple gate,
By which I hardly past with much adoe:
But that same ladie, which me friended late
In entrance, did me also friend in my retrate.

"No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread,
Whenas he saw me, maugre all his powre,
That glorious spoyle of beautie with me lead,
Then Cerberus, when Orpheus did recoure
His leman from the Stygian princes boure.
But evermore my shield did me defend
Against the storme of every dreadfull stoure:
Thus safely with my love I thence did wend."
So ended he his tale; where I this canto end.

CANTO XI.

Marinells former wound is heald;

He comes to Proteus hall, Where Thames doth the Medway wedd, And feasts the sea-gods all.

BUT ah! for pittie that I have thus long
Left a fayre ladie languishing in payne!
Now well away! that I have doen such wrong,
To let faire Florimell in bands remayne,
In bands of love, and in sad thraldomes chayne;
From which unlesse some heavenly powre her free
By miracle, not yet appearing playne,
She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee;

That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

Here neede you to remember, how erewhile
Unlovely Proteus, missing to his mind
That virgins love to win by wit or wile,
Her threw into a dongeon deepe and blind,
And there in chaynes her cruelly did bind,
In hope thereby her to his bent to draw:
For, whenas neither gifts nor graces kind
Her constant mind could move at all he saw,
He thought her to compell by crueltie and awe.

Deepe in the bottome of an huge great rocke
The dongeon was, in which her bound he left,
That neither yron barres, nor brasen locke,
Did neede to gard from force or secret theft
Of all her lovers which would her have reft:
For wall'd it was with waves, which rag'd and ror'd
As they the cliffe in peeces would have cleft;
Besides, ten thousand monsters foule abhor'd
Did waite about it, gaping griesly, all begor'd.

And in the midst thereof did Horror dwell,
And Darkenesse dredd that never viewed day,
Like to the balefull house of lowest Hell,
In which old Styx her aged bones alway
(Old Styx the grandame of the gods) doth lay.
There did this lucklesse mayd seven months abide,
Ne ever evening saw, ne mornings ray,
Ne ever from the day the night descride,

Yet farre and neare the nymph his mother sought,
And many salves did to his sore applie,

And many herbes did nse: but whenas nought
She saw could ease his rankling maladie;
At last to Tryphon she for helpe did hie,
(This Tryphon is the sea-gods surgeon hight)
Whom she besought to find some remedie:
And for his paines a whistle him behight,
That of a fishes shell was wrought with rare delight,

So well that leach did hearke to her request,
And did so well employ his carefull paine,
That in short space his hurts he had redrest,
And him restor❜d to healthfull state againe :
In which he long time after did remaine
There with the nymph his mother, like her thrall
Who sore against his will did him retaine,
For feare of perill which to him mote fall
Through his too ventrous prowesse proved over all.

It fortun'd then, a solemne feast was there
To all the sea-gods and their fruitfull seede,
In honour of the spousalls which then were
Betwixt the Medway and the Thames agreed.
Long had the Thames (as wé in records reed)
Before that day her wooed to his bed;
But the proud nymph would for no worldly meed,
Nor no entreatie, to his love be led;

Till now at last relenting she to him was wed.

So both agreed that this their bridale feast
Should for the gods in Proteus house be made;
To which they all repayr'd, both most and least,
As well which in the mightie ocean trade,
As that in rivers swim, or brookes doe wade:
All which, not if an hundred tongues to tell,
And hundred mouthes, and voice of brasse I had,
And endlesse memorie that mote excell,
In order as they came could I recount them well.

Helpe therefore, O thou sacred impe of love,
The noursling of dame Memorie his deare,
To whom tho e rolles, layd up in Heaven above,
And records of antiquitie appeare,

To which no wit of man may comen neare;
Helpe me to tell the names of all those floods
And all those nymphes, which then assembled were
To that great banquet of the watry gods,
And all their sundry kinds, and all their hid abodes.

First came great Neptune, with his three-forkt mace,
That rules the seas and makes them rise or fall;
His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace
Under his diademe imperiall:

And by his side his queene with coronall,
Faire Amphitrite, most divinely faire,
Whose yvorie shoulders weren covered all,
As with a robe, with her owne silver haire,

vide.

And all this was for love of Marinell,

Who her despysd (ah! who would her despyse!)
And wemens love did from his hart expell,
And all those ioyes that weake mankind entyse.
Nathlesse his pride full dearely he did pryse;
For of a womans hand it was ywroke,
That of the wound he yet in languor lyes,
Ne can be cured of that cruell stroke

Which Britomart him gave, when he did her provoke.

prepaire.

These marched farre afore the other crew:
And all the way before them, as they went,
Triton his trompet shrill before them blew,
For goodly triumph and great jollyment,
That made the rockes to roare as they were rent.
And after them the royall issue came,
Which of them sprung by lineall descent':
First the sea-gods, which to themselves doe clame
The powre to rule the billowes, and the waves to tame.

Phorcys, the father of that fatall brood,
By whom those old heroes wonne such fame;
And Glaucus, that wise southsayes understood;
And tragicke Inoes soune, the which became
A god of seas through his mad mothers blame,
Now hight Palemon, and is saylers frend;
Great Brontes; and Astræus, that did shame
Himselfe with incest of his kin unkend;

And huge Orion, that doth tempests still portend;

The rich Cteatus; and Eurytus long;
Neleus and Pelias, lovely brethren both;
Mightie Chrysaor; and Caïcus strong;
Eurvpulus, that calmes the waters wroth;
And faire Euphœmus, that upon them go'th,
As on the ground, without dismay or dread;
Fierce Eryx; and Alebius, that know th
The waters depth, and doth their bottome tread;
And sad Asopus, comely with his hoarie head.

There also some most famous founders were
Of puissant nations, which the world possest,
Yet sonnes of Neptune, now assembled here:
Ancient Ogvges, even th' auncientest;
And Inachus renowmd above the rest;
Phoenix; and Aon; and Pelasgus old;
Great Belus; Phoax; and Agenor best;
And mightie Albion, father of the bold

And warlike people which the Britaine islands hold:

For Albion the sonne of Neptune was;
Who, for the proofe of his great puissance,
Out of his Albion did on dry-foot pas
Into old Gall, that now is cleeped France,
To fight with Hercules, that did advance
To vanquish all the world with matchlesse might;
And there his mortall part by great mischance
Wassline; but that which is th' immortali spright
Lives still, and to this feast with Neptunes seed was
dight.

But what do I their names seeke to reherse,
Which all the world have with their issue fild?
How can they all in this so narrow verse
Contayned be, and in small compasse bild?
Let them record them that are better skild,
And know the moniments of passed age:
Onely what needeth shall be here fulfild,
T" expresse some part of that great equipage [age.
Which from great Neptune do derive their parent-

Next came the aged Ocean and his dame
Old Tethys, th' oldest two of all the rest;
For all the rest of those two parents came,
Which afterward both sea and land possest;
Of all which Nereus, th' eldest and the best,
Did first proceed; then which none more upright,
Ne more sincere in word and deed profest;
Most voide of guile, most free from fowie despight,
Doing himselfe and teaching others to doe right:

Thereto he was expert in prophecies,
And could the ledden of the gods unfold;

And after him the famous rivers came,
Which doe the earth enrich and beautifie :
The fertile Nile, which creatures new doth frame,
Long Rhodanus, whose sourse springs from the skie;
Faire Ister, flowing from the mounta nes hie;
Divine Scamander, purpled yet with blood
Of Greeks and Trojans, which therein did die;
Pactolus glistring with his golden flood;

And Tygris fierce, whose streames of none may be withstood;

Great Ganges; and immortall Euphrates;
Deepe Indus; and Mæander intricate;
Slow Peneus; and tempestus Phasides;
Swift Rhene; and Alpheus still immaculate;
Ooraxes, feared for great Cyrus fate;
Tybris, renowmed for the Romaines fame;
Rich Oranochy, though but knowen late;
And that huge river, which doth beare his name
Of warlike Amazons which doe possesse the same.

Joy on those warlike women, which so long
Can from all men so rich a kingdome hold!
And shame on you, O men, which boast your strong
And valiant hearts, in thoughts lesse hard and bold,
Yet quaile in conquest of that land of gold!
But this to you, O Britons, most pertaines,
To whom the right hereof itselfe hath sold;
The which, for sparing litle cost or paines,
Loose so immortall glory, and so endlesse gaines.
Then was there heard a most celestiall sound
Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew
Before the spouse: that was Arion crownd;
Who, playing on his harpe, unto him drew
That even yet the dolphin, which him bore
The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew;
Stood still by him astonisht at his lore,
Through the Ægéan seas from pirates vew,
And all the raging seas for ioy forgot to rore.
So went he playing on the watery plaine:
Soone after whom the lovely bridegroome came,
The noble Thames, with all his goodly traine.
But him before there went, as best became,
His auncient parents, namely th' auncient Thame;
But much more aged was his wife then he,
The Ouze, whom men doe Isis rightly name;
Full weake and crooked creature seemed shee,
And almost blind through eld, that scarce her way

could see.

And auncient heavy burden which he bore
Of that faire city, wherein make abode
So many learned impes, that shoote abrode,
And with their braunches spred all Britany,
No lesse then do her elder sisters broode.
loy to you both, ye double noursery
Of arts! but, Oxford, thine doth Thame most glo-

[rify.