For nothing else might keep her safe and sound:
But Verdant (so he hight1) he soon untied,
And counsel sage in stead thereof to him applied.
But all those pleasant bowers, and palace brave,2 Beauti Guyon broke down with rigour pitiless:
Ne aught their goodly workmanship might save Them from the tempest of his wrathfulness, But that their bliss he turn'd to balefulness, Their groves he fell'd; their gardens did deface; Their arbours spoil; their cabinets 4 suppress; Their banquet-houses burn; their buildings race; 5 Raze. And, of the fairest late, now made the foullest place.
Then led they her away, and eke that knight
They with them led, both sorrowful and sad:
The way they came, the same return'd they right,
Till they arrivéd where they lately had
Charm'd those wild beasts that rag'd with fury
Which, now awaking, fierce at them gan fly, [mad;
As in their mistress' rescue, whom they lad;"
But them the Palmer soon did pacify.
Then Guyon ask'd, what meant those beasts which
there did lie.
Said he; These seeming beasts are men in deed,
Whom this enchantress hath transformed thus;
Whilome her lovers, which her lusts did feed,
Now turnéd into figures hideous,
According to their minds like monstruous.'
'Sad end,' quoth he, of life intemperate,
And mournful meed of joys delicious!
But, Palmer, if it might thee so aggrate,3
Let them returnéd be unto their former state.'
1 Having virtue, or power.
Straightway he with his virtuous1 staff them strook
And straight of beasts they comely men became;
Yet being men they did unmanly look,
And stared ghastly; some for inward shame,
And some for wrath to see their captive Dame:
But one above the rest in special
That had an hog been late, hight2 Gryll by name,
Repinéd greatly, and did him miscall3
That had from hoggish form him brought to natural.
Said Guyon; 'See the mind of beastly man,
That hath so soon forgot the excellence
Of his creation, when he life began,
That now he chooseth with vile difference
To be a beast, and lack intelligence!'
To whom the Palmer thus; The dunghill kind
Delights in filth and foul incontinence:
Let Gryll be Gryll, and have his hoggish mind;
But let us hence depart whilst weather serves and
THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS, OR OF CHASTITY.
Ir falls me here to write of Chastity,
That fairest virtue, far above the rest:
For which what needs me fetch from Faëry
Foreign ensamples it to have exprest?
Sith1 it is shrinéd in my Sovereign's breast,
And form'd so lively in each perfect part,
That to all ladies, which have it profest,
Need but behold the portrait of her heart;
If pourtray'd it might be by any living art:
But living art may not least part express,
Nor life-resembling pencil it can paint:
All2 were it Zeuxis or Praxiteles,
His dædal hand would fail and greatly faint,
And her perfections with his error taint:
Ne poet's wit, that passeth painter far
In picturing the parts of beauty daint,
So hard a workmanship adventure dare,
For fear through want of words her excellence to
How then shall I, apprentice of the skill
That whilome1 in divinest wits did reign,
Presume so high to stretch mine humble quill?
Yet now my luckless lot doth me constrain
Hereto perforce: but. O dread Soveraine,
Thus far forth pardon, sith2 that choicest wit
Cannot your glorious portrait figure plain,
That I in colour'd shows may shadow it,
And antique praises unto present persons fit.
But if in living colours, and right hue,
Thyself thou covet to see picturéd,
Who can it do more lively, or more true,
Than that sweet yerse, with nectar sprinkeled,
In which a gracious servant* pictured
His Cynthia, his heaven's fairest light?
That with his melting sweetness ravished,
And with the wonder of her beamës bright,
My senses lulled are in slumber of delight.
But let that same delicious poet lend
A little leave unto a rustic Muse
To sing his Mistress' praise; and let him mend,
If aught amiss her liking may abuse:
Ne let his fairest Cynthia refuse
In mirrors more than one herself to see;
But either Gloriana let her chuse,
Or in Belphoebe fashionéd to be;
In th' one her rule, in th' other her rare chastity.
* Servant:' Sir Walter Raleigh, who wrote a poem called 'Cynthia eulogising Queen Elizabeth.
Guyon encount'reth Britomart:
Fair Florimell is chas'd:
Duessa's trains and Malecas-
ta's champions are defac'd.
THE famous Briton Prince and Faery Knight,
After long ways and perilous pains endur'd,
Having their weary limbs to perfect plight
Restor'd, and sorry wounds right well recur'd,
Of the fair Alma greatly were procur'd1
To make there longer sojourn and abode;
But, when thereto they might not be allur'd
From seeking praise and deeds of arms abroad,
They courteous congé2 took, and forth together yode.3 ? Farewell
But the captív'd Acrasia he sent,
Because of travel long, a nigher way,
With a strong guard, all rescue to prevent,
And her to Faery Court safe to convey;
That her for witness of his hard assay
Unto his Faery Queen he might present:
But he himself betook another way,
To make more trial of his hardiment,
And seek adventures, as he with Prince Arthur went.
Long so they travelled through wasteful ways,
Where dangers dwelt, and perils most did wonne, › Dwell.
To hunt for glory and renownéd praise:
Full many countries they did overrun,
From the uprising to the setting sun,
And many hard adventures did achieve;
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