Yet sad he was, that his too hastie speed The fayre Duess' had forst him leave behind; And yet more sad, that Una, his deare dreed, Her truth had staynd with treason so unkind; Yet cryme in her could never creature find: But for his love, and for her own selfe sake, She wandred had from one to other Ynd, Him for to seeke, ne ever would forsake; Till her unwares the fiers Sansloy did overtake:
Who, after Archimagoes fowle defeat, Led her away into a forest wilde; And, turning wrathfull fyre to lustfull heat, With beastly sin thought her to have defilde, And made the vassall of his pleasures vilde. Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes, Her to persuade that stubborne fort to yilde: For greater conquest of hard love he gaynes, That workes it to his will, then he that it constraines.
With fawning wordes he courted her a while; And, looking lovely and oft sighing sore, Her constant hart did tempt with diverse guile: But wordes, and lookes, and sighes she did abhore; As rock of diamond stedfast evermore. Yet, for to feed his fyrie lustfull eye,
He snatcht the vele that hong her face before: Then gan her beautie shyne as brightest skye, And burnt his beastly hart t'enforce her chastitye.
So when he saw his flatt'ring artes to fayle, And subtile engines bett from batteree; With greedy force he gan the fort assayle, Whereof be weend possessed soone to bee, And win rich spoile of ransackt chastitee. Ah Heavens! that doe this hideous act behold, And heavenly virgin thus outraged see, How can ye vengeance just so long withhold, And hurle not flashing flames upon that Paynim bold?
The pitteous mayden, carefull, comfortlesse, Does throw out thrilling shrickes, and shrieking cryes, (The last va ne helpe of wemens greate distresse) And with loud plaintes impórtuneth the skyes; That molten starres doe drop like weeping eyes; And Phoebus, flying so most shameful sight, His blushing face in foggy cloud implyes, And hydes for shame. What witt of mortall wight Can now devise to quitt a thrall from such a plight?
Eternall Providence, exceeding thought, Where none appeares can make her selfe a way! A wondrous way it for this lady wrought, From lyons clawes to pluck the gryped pray. Her shrill outeryes and shrieks so loud did bray, That all the woodes and forestes did resownd: A troupe of Faunes and Satyres far away Within the wood were dauncing in a rownd, Whiles old Sylvanus slept in shady arber sownd:
Who, when they heard that pitteous strained voice, In haste forsooke their rurall meriment, And ran towardes the far rebownded noyce, To weet what wight so loudly did lament. Unto the place they come incontinent: Whom when the raging Sarazin espyde, A rude, mishapen, monstrous rablement, Whose Ike he never aw, he durst not byde; But got his ready steed, and fast away gan ryde.
The wyld woodgods, arrived in the place, There find the virgin, doolfull, desolate, With ruffled rayments, and fayre blubbred face, As her outrageous foe had left her late; And trembling yet through feare of former hate: All stand amazed at so uncouth sight, And gin to pittie her unhappie state; All stand astonied at her beautie bright, In their rude eyes unworthy of so wofull plight. She, more amazd, in double dread doth dwell; And every tender part for feare does shake. As when a greedy wolfe, through honger fell, A seely lamb far from the flock does take, Of whom he meanes his bloody feast to make, A lyon spyes fast running towards him, The innocent pray in hast he does forsake; Which, quitt from death, yet quakes in every lim With chaunge of feare, to see the lyon looke so grim.
Such fearefull fitt assaid her trembling hart; Ne word to speake, ne ioynt to move, she had: The salvage nation feele her secret smart, And read her sorrow in her count'nance sad; Their frowning forheads, with rough hornes yclad And rustick horror, all asyde doe lay; And, gently grenning, shew a semblance glad To comfort her; and, feare to put away, [obay. Their backward-bent knees teach her humbly to
The doubtfull damzell dare not yet committ Her single person to their barbarous truth; But still twixt feare and hope amazd does sitt, Late learnd what harme to hasty trust ensu'th: They, in compassion of her tender youth And wonder of her beautie soverayne, Are woune with pitty and unwonted ruth; And, all prosti áte upon the lowly playne, Doe kisse her feete, and fawne on her with count'nance fayne.
Their harts she ghesseth by their humble guise, And yieldes her to extremitie of time: So from the ground she fearelesse doth arise,` And walketh forth without suspect of crime: They, all as glad as b'rdes of ioyous pryme, Thence lead her forth, about her dauncing round, Shouting, and singing all a shepheards ryme; And, with greene braunches strowing all the ground, Do worship her as queene with olive girlond cround. And all the way their merry pipes they sound, That all the woods with doubled eccho ring; And with their horned feet doe weare the ground, Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant spring. So towards old Sylvanus they her bring; Who, with the noyse awaked, commeth out To weet the cause, his weake steps governing And aged limbs on cypresse stadle stout; And with an yvie twyne his waste is girt about. Far off he wonders what them makes so glad, Or Bacchus merry fruit they did invent, Or Cybeles franticke rites have made them mad: They, drawing nigh, unto their god present That flowre of fayth and beautie excellent: The god himselfe, vewing that mirrhour rare,
Stood long amazd, and burnt in his intent: His owne fayre Dryope now he thinkes not faire, And Pholoë fowle, when her to this he doth com-
The wood-borne people fall before her flat, And worship her as goddesse of the wood; And old Sylvanus selfe bethinkes not, what To thinke of wight so fayre; but gazing stood In doubt to deeme her borne of earthly brood: Sometimes dame Venus selfe he semes to see; But Venus never had so sober mood: Sometimes Diana he her takes to be,
So long in secret cabin there he held Her captive to his sensuall desyre; Till that with timely fruit her belly sweld, And bore a boy unto that salvage syre: Then home he suffred her for to retyre; For ransome leaving him the late-borne childe: Whom, till to ryper years he gan aspyre, He nousled up in life and maners wilde,
But misseth bow and shaftes, and buskins to her knee. Emongst wild beastes and woods, from lawes of mea
By vew of her he ginneth to revive His ancient love, and dearest Cvparisse; And calles to mind his pourtraiture alive, How fayre he was, and yet not fayre to this; And how he slew with glancing dart amisse A gentle hynd, the which the lovely boy Did love as life, above all worldly blisse: For griefe whereof the lad n'ould after joy; But pynd away in anguish and selfewild annoy.
The wooddy nymphes, faire Hamadryades, Her to behold do thether runne apace; And all the troupe of light-foot Naiades Flocke all about to see her lovely face:
But, when they vewed have her heavenly grace, They envy her in their malitious mind, And fly away for feare of fowle disgrace: But all the Satyres scorne their woody kind. [find. And henceforth nothing faire, but her, on Earth they Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky mayd Did her content to please their feeble eyes; And long time with that salvage people stayd, To gather breath in many miseryes. During which time her gentle wit she plyes, To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine, And made her th' image of idolatryes :
But, when their bootlesse zeale she did restrayne From her own worship, they her asse would worship fayn.
It fortuned, a noble warlike knight By just occasion to that forrest came To secke his kindred, and the lignage right From whence he tooke his wel-deserved name: He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame, And fild far landes with glorie of his might; Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame, And ever lov'd to fight for ladies right: But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight.
A satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld, By straunge adventure as it did betyde, And there begotten of a lady myld, Fayre Thyamis the daughter of Labryde; That was in sacred bandes of wedlocke tyde To Therion, a loose unruly swayne, Who had more joy to raunge the forrest wyde, And chase the salvage beast with busie payne, Then serve his ladies love, and waste in pleasures
The forlorne mayd did with loves longing burne, And could not lacke her lovers company; But to the wood she goes, to serve her turne, And seeke her spouse, that from her still does fly And followes other gaine and venery: A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to finde; And, kindling coles of lust in brutish eye, The loyall linkes of wedlocke did unbinde, And made her person thrall unto his beastly kind.
For all he taught the tender ymp, was but To banish cowardize and bastard feare: His trembling hand he would him force to put Upon the lyon and the rugged beare; And from the she-beares teats her whelps to teare; And eke wyld roring buls he would him make To tame, and ryde their backes not made to beare; And the robuckes in flight to overtake: That everie beast for feare of him did fly and quake.
Thereby so fearelesse and so fell he grew, That his owne syre and maister of his guise Did often tremble at his horrid vew; And oft, for dread of hurt, would him advise The angry beastes not rashly to despise, Nor too much to provoke; for he would learne (A lesson hard) and make the Ibbard sterne The lyon stoup to him in lowly wise, Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did carne.
And, for to make his powre approved more, Wyld beastes in yron yokes he would compell; The spotted panther, and the tusked bore, The pardale swift, and the tigré cruéll, The antelope and wolfe, both fiers and fell; And them constraine in equall teme to draw. Such ioy he had their stubborne harts to quell, And sturdie courage tame with dreadfull aw; That his beheast they feared, as a tyrans law.
His loving mother came upon a day Unto the woodes, to see her little sonne; And chaunst unwares to meet him in the way, After his sportes and cruell pastime donne; When after him a lyonesse did runne, That roaring all with rage did lowd requere Her children deare, whom he away had wonne : The lyon whelpes she saw how he did beare, And lull in rugged armes withouten childish feare.
The fearefull dame all quaked at the sight, And turning backe gan fast to fly away; Until, with love revokt from vaine affright, She hardly yet perswaded was to stay, And then to him these womanish words gan say: "Ah, Satyrane, my dearling and my ioy, For love of me leave off this dreadfull play; To dally thus with death is no fit toy: Go, find some other play-fellowes, mine own sweet
In these and like delightes of bloody game He trayned was, till ryper years he raught; And there abode, whylst any beast of name Walkt in that forrest, whom he had not taught To feare his force: and then his courage haught Desyrd of forreine formen to be knowne, And far abroad for straunge adventures sought; In which his might was never overthrowne; But through al Faery lond his famous worth was blown.
Yet evermore it was his manner faire, After long labours and adventures spent, Unto those native woods for to repaire, To see his syre and ofspring auncient. And now he thether came for like intent; Where he unwares the fairest Una found, Straunge lady, in so straunge habiliment, Teaching the Satyres, which her sat around, [dound. Trew sacred lore, which from her sweet lips did re-
He wondred at her wisedome hevenly rare, Whose like in womens witt he never knew; And, when her curteous deeds he did compare, Gan her admire, and her sad sorrowes rew, Blaming of Fortune, which such troubles threw, And oyd to make proofe of her cruelty On gentle dame, so hurtlesse and so trew: Thenceforth he kept her goodly company, And learnd her discipline of faith and verity.
But she, all vowd unto the Redcrosse knight, His wandring perill closely did lament, Ne in this new acquaintaunce could delight; But her deare heart with anguish did torment, And all her witt in secret counsels spent, How to escape. At last in privy wise To Satyrane she shewed her intent; Who, glad to gain such favour, gan devise, [arise. How with that pensive maid he best might thence
So on a day, when Satyres all were gone To do their service to Sylvanus old, The gentle virgin, left behinde alone, He led away with corage stout and bold. Too late it was to Satyres to be told, Or ever hope recover her againe;
In vaine he seekes that, having, cannot hold. So fast he carried her with carefull paine, [plaine. That they the woods are past, and come now to the
The better part now of the lingring day They traveild had, whenas they far espide A weary wight forwandring by the way; And towards him they gan in hast to ride, To weete of newes that did abroad betyde, Or tidings of her knight of the Redcrosse; But he, them spying, gan to turne aside For feare, as seemd, or for some feigned losse: More greedy they of newes fast towards him do
A silly man, in simple weeds forworne, And soild with dust of the long dried way; His sandales were with toilso:ne travell torne, And face all tand with scorching sunny ray, As he had trave ld many a sommers day Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde; And in his hand a lacobs staffe, to stay His weary limbs upon; and eke behind
His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did
The knight, approching nigh, of him inquerd Tidings of warre, and of adventures new ; But warres, nor new adventures, none he herd. Then Una gan to aske, if ought he knew Or heard abroad of that her champion trew, That in his armour bare a croslet red. [rew "Ay me! deare dame," quoth he, "well may I To tell the sad sight which mine eies have red; [ded." These eies did see that knight both living and eke
That cruell word her tender hart so thrild, That suddein cold did ronne through every vaine, And stony horrour all her sences fild With dying fitt, that downe she fell for paine. The knight her lightly reared up againe, And comforted with curteous kind reliefe: Then, wonne from death, she bad him tellen plaine The further processe of her hidden griefe: [chief. The lesser pangs can beare, who hath endur'd the
Then gan the pilgrim thus; " I chaunst this day, This fatall day, that shall I ever rew, To see two knights, in travell on my way, (A sory sight) arraung'd in batteill new, Both breathing vengeaunce, both of wrathfull hew: My feareful flesh did tremble at their strife, To see their blades so greedily imbrew, That, dronke with blood, yet thristed after life: What more? the Redcrosse knight was slain with Paynim knife."
"Ah! dearest lord," quoth she, "how might that And he the stoutest knight, that ever wonne?" [bee, "Ah! dearest dame," quoth he, "how might I see The thing, that might not be, and yet was donne?" "Where is," said Satyrane, "that Paynims sonne, That him of life, and us of ioy, hath refte?" "Not far away," quoth he," he hence doth wonne, Foreby a fountaine, where I late him left [were cleft." Washing his bloody wounds, that through the steele
Therewith the knight then marched forth in hast, Whiles Una, with huge heavinesse opprest, Could not for sorrow follow him so fast; And soone he came, as he the place had ghest, Whereas that Pagan proud himselfe did rest In secret shadow by a fountaine side; Even he it was, that earst would have supprest Faire Una; whom when Satyrane espide, With foule reprochful words he boldly him defide;
And said, "Arise, thou cursed miscreaunt, [train, That hast with knightlesse guile, and trecherous Faire knighthood fowly shamed, and doest vaunt That good knight of the Redcrosse to have slain: Arise, and with like treason now maintain Thy guilty wrong, or els thee guilty yield." The Sarazin, this hearing, rose amain, And, catching up in hast his three-square shield And shining helmet, soone him buckled to the field;
And, drawing nigh him, said; "Ah! misborn Elfe, In evill houre thy foes thee hither sent Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thy selfe: Yet ill thou blamest me, for having blent My name with guile and traiterous intent: That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I never slew; But had he beene, where earst his armes were lent, Th' enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew: But thou his errour shalt, I hope, now proven trew.”
Therewith they gan, both furious and fell, To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile Each other, bent his enimy to quell ; That with their force they perst both plate and maile, And made wide furrowes in their fleshes fraile, That it would pitty any living eie: Large floods of blood adowne their sides did raile; But floods of blood could not them satisfie: Both hongred after death; both chose to win, or die.
So long they fight, and full revenge pursue, That, fainting, each themselves to breathen lett; And, ofte refreshed, battell oft renue.
As when two bores, with rancling malice mett, Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely frett; Til breathlesse both themselves aside retire, Where, foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whett, And trample th' earth, the whiles they may respire; Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.
So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once, They gan to fight retourne; increasing more Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce, With heaped strokes more hugely then before; That with their drery wounds, and bloody gore, They both deformed, scarsely could bee known. By this, sad Una fraught with anguish sore,
Led with their noise which through the aire was thrown,
Arriv'd, wher they in erth their fruitles blood had
Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin Espide, he gan revive the memory Of his leud lusts, and late attempted sin; And lefte the doubtfull battel hastily, To catch her, newly offred to his eie: But Satyrane, with strokes him turning, staid, And sternely bad him other business plie Then hunt the steps of pure unspotted maid : Wherewith he al enrag'd these bitter speaches said;
"O foolish Faeries sonne, what fury mad Hath thee incenst to hast thy dolefull fate? Were it not better I that lady had Then that thou hadst repented it too late? Most sencelesse man he, that himselfe doth hate To love another: lo then, for thine ayd, Here take thy lovers token on thy pate." So they to fight; the whiles the royall mayd Fledd farre away, of that proud Paynim sore afrayd.
But that faise pilgrim, which that leasing told, Being in deed old Archimage, did stay In secret shadow all this to behold; And much reioyced in their bloody fray: But, when he saw the damsell passe away, He left his stond, and her pursewd apace, In hope to bring her to her last decay. But for to tell her lamentable cace,
And eke this battels end, will need another place.
The Redcrosse knight is captive made By gyaunt proud opprest: Prince Arthure meets with Una great- ly with those newes distrest.
WHAT man so wise, what earthly witt so ware, As to discry the crafty cunning traine, By which Deceipt doth maske in visour faire, And cast her coulours died deepe in graine,
To seeme like Truth, whose shape she well can faine, And fitting gestures to her purpose frame, The guiltlesse man with guile to entertaine? Great maistresse of her art was that false dame, The false Duessa, cloked with Fidessaes name.
Who when, returning from the drery Night, She found not in that perilous Hous of Pryde, Where she had left the noble redcrosse knight, Her hoped pray; she would no lenger byde, But forth she went to seeke him far and wide. Ere long she fownd, whereas he wearie sate To rest him selfe, foreby a fountaine syde, Disarmed all of yron-coted plate;
And by his side his steed the grassy forage ate.
Hee feedes upon the cooling shade, and bayes His sweatie forehead in the breathing wynd, Which through the trembling leaves full gently Wherein the chearefull birds of sundry kynd [playes, Doe chaunt sweet musick, to delight his myud: The witch approching gan him fayrely greet, And with reproch of carelesnes unkynd Upbrayd, for leaving her in place unmeet, With fowle words tempring faire, soure gall with hony sweet.
Unkindnesse past, they gan of solace treat, And bathe in pleasaunce of the ioyous shade, Which shielded them against the boyling heat, And, with greene boughes decking a gloomy glade, About the fountaine like a girlond made; Whose bubbling wave did ever freshly well, Ne ever would through fervent sommer fade: The sacred nymph, which therein wont to dwell, Was out of Dianes favor, as it then befell.
The cause was this: one day, when Phoebe fayre With all her band was following the chace, This nymph, quite tyr'd with heat of scorching ayre, Satt downe to rest in middest of the race: The goddesse wroth gan fowly her disgrace, And badd the waters, which from her did flow, Be such as she her selfe was then in place. Thenceforth her waters wexed dull and slow; [grow. And all, that drinke thereof, do faint and feeble
Hereof this gentle knight unweeting was; And, lying downe upon the sandie graile, Dronke of the streame, as cleare as christall glas: Eftsoones his manly forces gan to fayle, And mightie strong was turnd to feeble frayle. His chaunged powres at first themselves not felt; Till crudled cold his corage gan assayle, And cheareful blood in fayntnes chill did melt, Which, like a fever fit, through all his bodie swelt.
Yet goodly court he made still to his dame, Pourd out in loosnesse on the grassy grownd, Both carelesse of his health, and of his fame: Till at the last he heard a dreadfull sownd, Which through the wood loud bellowing did rebow nd, That all the Earth for terror seemd to shake, And trees did tremble. Th' Elfe, therewith astownd, Upstarted lightly from his looser make, And his unready weapons gan in hand to take.
But ere he could his armour on him dight, Or gett his shield, his monstrous enimy With sturdie steps came stalking in his sight, And hideous geaunt, horrible and hye, That with his tallnesse seemd to threat the skye; The ground eke groned under him for dreed: His living like saw never living eye,
Ne durst behold; his stature did exceed The hight of three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed.
So growen great, through arrogant delight Of th' high descent whereof he was yborne, And through presumption of his matchlesse might, All other powres and knighthood he did scorne. Such now he marcheth to this man forlorne, And left to losse; his stalking steps are stayde Upon a snaggy oke, which he had torne Out of his mothers bowelles, and it made [mayde. His mortall mace, wherewith his foemen he dis-
That, when the knight he spyde, he gan advaunce With huge force and insupportable mayne, And towardes him with dreadfull fury praunce; Who haplesse, and eke hopelesse, all in vaine Did to him pace sad battaile to darrayne, Disarmd, disgraste, and inwardly dismayde; And eke so faint in every ioynt and vayne, Through that fraile fountain, which him feeble made, That scarsely could he weeld his bootlesse single
The geaunt strooke so maynly mercilesse, That could have overthrowne a stony towre; And, were not hevenly grace that did him blesse, He had beene pouldred all, as thin as flowre; But he was wary of that deadly stowre, And Fghtly lept from underneath the blow: Yet so exceeding was the villeins powre, That with the winde it did him overthrow, And all his sences stoond, that still he lay full low. As when that divelish yron engin, wrought In deepest Hell, and framd by Furies skill, With windy nitre and quick sulphur fraught, And ramd with bollet rownd, ordaind to kill, Conceiveth fyre; the Heavens it doth fill With thundring noyse, and all the ayre doth choke, That none can breath, nor see, nor heare at will, Through smouldry cloud of duskish stincking smoke; That th' only breath him daunts, who hath escapt the stroke.
So daunted when the geaunt saw the knight, His heavie hand he heaved up on bye, And him to dust thought to have battred quight, Untill Duessa loud to him gan crye; "O great Orgoglio, greatest under skye, O! hold thy mortall hand for ladies sake; Hold for my sake, and doe him not to dye, But vanquisht thine eternall bondslave make, And me, thy worthy meed, unto thy leman take." He hearkned, and did stay from further harmes, To gayne so goodly guerdon as she spake: So willingly she came into his armes, Who her as willingly to grace did take, And was possessed of his newfound make. Then up he tooke the slombred sencelesse corse; And, ere he could out of his swowne awake, Him to his castle brought with hastie forse, And in a dongeon deepe him threw without remorse.
His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length, That to the hous of hevenly gods it raught; And with extorted powre, and borrow'd strength, The everburning lamps from thence it braught, And prowdly threw to ground, as things of naught; And underneath his filthy feet did tread The sacred thinges, and holy heastes foretaught. Upon this dreadfull beast with sevenfold head He sett the false Duessa, for more aw and dread. The wofull dwarfe, which saw his maisters fall, (Whiles he had keeping of his grasing steed) And valiant knight become a caytive thrall; When all was past, tooke up his forlorne weed; His mightie armour, missing most at need; His silver shield, now idle, maisterlesse; His poynant speare, that many made to bleed; The rueful moniments of heavinesse; [tresse. And with them all departes, to tell his great dis-
He had not travaild long, when on the way He wofull lady, wofull Una, met Fast flying from that Paynims greedy pray, Whilest Satyrane him from pursuit did let: Who when her eyes she on the dwarf had set, She fell to ground for sorrowfull regret, And saw the signes that deadly tydinges spake, Yet might her pitteous hart be seen to pant and And lively breath her sad brest did forsake; quake.
The messenger of so unhappie newes Would faine bave dyde; dead was his hart within; Yet outwardly some little comfort shewes: At last, recovering hart, he does begin To rub her temples, and to chaufe her chin, And everie tender part does tosse and turne: So hardly he the flitted life does win Unto her native prison to retourne. [mourne: Then gins her grieved ghost thus to lament and
"Ye dreary instruments of dolefull sight, That doe this deadly spectacle behold, Why doe ye lenger feed on loathed light, Or liking find to gaze on earthly mould, Sith cruell fates the carefull threads unfould, The which my life and love together tyde? Now let the stony dart of sencelesse Cold Perce to my hart, and pas through everie side; And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hyde.
« PreviousContinue » |