And our weak hands (need makes good scholars)
teach
The dreadful spear and shield to exercise:
Ne1
certes, daughter, that same warlike wise,
I ween, would you misseem; for ye, been tall
And large of limb t' achieve an hard emprise;
Ne aught ye want but skill, which practice small
Will bring, and shortly make you a maid martial.
'And, sooth, it ought your courage much inflame
To hear so often, in that royal house,
From whence to none inferior ye came,
Bards tell of many women valorous,
Which have full many feats adventurous
Perform'd, in paragon of proudest men:
The bold Bonduca, whose victorious
Exploits made Rome to quake; stout Guendolen;
Renowned Martia; and redoubted Emmilen;
And, that which more than all the rest may sway,
Late days' ensample, which these eyes beheld:
In the last field before Menevia,
Which Uther with those foreign Pagans held,
I saw a Saxon virgin, the which fell'd
Great Ulfin thrice upon the bloody plain;
And, had not Carados her hand withheld
From rash revenge, she had him surely slain;
Yet Carados himself from her escap'd with pain.'
'Ah! read,' quoth Britomart, 'how is she hight?'5
'Fair Angela,' quoth she, men do her call,
No whit less fair than terrible in fight:
She hath the leading of a martial
And mighty people, dreaded more than all
The other Saxons, which do, for her sake
And love, themselves of her name Angles call.
Therefore, fair Infant,1 her ensample make
Unto thyself, and equal courage to thee take.'
Her hearty words so deep into the mind
Of the young Damsel sunk, that great desire
Of warlike arms in her forthwith they tin'd,2
And generous stout courage did inspire,
That she resolv'd, unweeting to her sire,
Advent'rous knighthood on herself to don;
And counsell'd with her nurse her maid's attire
To turn into a massy habergeon;5
And bade her all things put in readiness anon.
Th' old woman naught that needed did omit;
But all things did conveniently purvey.
It fortunéd (so time their turn did fit)
A band of Britons, riding on foray
Few days before, had gotten a great prey
Of Saxon goods; amongst the which was seen
A goodly armour, and full rich array,
Which long'd to Angela, the Saxon queen,
All fretted round with gold and goodly well beseen.
The same, with all the other ornaments,
King Ryence causéd to be hangéd high
In his chief church, for endless monuments
Of his success and gladful victory:
Of which herself avizing 7 readily,
In th' evening late old Glaucè thither led
Fair Britomart, and, that same armoury
Down taking, her therein apparelléd
Well as she might, and with brave baldric3 garnished. * Belt.
Beside those arms there stood a mighty spear,
Which Bladud made by magic art of yore,
And us'd the same in battle aye to bear;
Sith1 which it had been here preserv'd in store,
For his great virtues provéd long afore:
For never wight so fast in sell2 could sit,
But him perforce unto the ground it bore:
Both spear she took and shield which hung by it; Both spear and shield of great pow'r, for her purpose
Thus when she had the virgin all array'd,
Another harness which did hang thereby
About herself she dight,3 that the young maid
She might in equal arms accompany,
And as her squire attend her carefully:
Tho to their ready steeds they clomb full light;
And through back ways, that none might them
Cover'd with secret cloud of silent night, Themselves they forth convey'd, and passed forward
Ne rested they, till that to Faery Lond
They came, as Merlin them directed late:
Where, meeting with this Redcross Knight, she
Of diverse things discourses to dilate,5
But most of Arthegall and his estate.
At last their ways so fell, that they must part:
Then each to other, well affectionate,
Friendship professed with unfeigned heart:
'Diverged. The Redcross Knight diverst;7 but forth rode Brito
Bold Marinell of Britomart
Is thrown on the Rich Strond:
Fair Florimell of Arthur is
Long follow'd, but not fond.
WHERE is the antique glory now become,
That whilome1 wont in women to appear?
Where be the brave achievements done by some?
Where be the battles, where the shield and spear,
And all the conquests which them high did rear,
That matter made for famous poets' verse,
And boastful men so oft abash'd to hear?
Been they all dead, and laid in doleful hearse?
Or doen they only sleep, and shall again reverse?2
If they be dead, then woe is me therefore;
But if they sleep, O let them soon awake!
For all too long I burn with envy sore
To hear the warlike feats which Homer spake
Of bold Penthesilee, which made a lake
Of Greekish blood so oft in Trojan plain;
But when I read, how stout Deborah strake.
Proud Sisera, and how Camill' hath slain
The huge Orsilochus, I swell with great disdain.
Yet these, and all that else had puissance,
Cannot with noble Britomart compare,
As well for glory of great valiance,
As for pure chastity and virtue rare,
That all her goodly deeds do well declare.
Well worthy stock, from which the branches sprong
• Love. Directed her
course
That in late years so fair a blossom bare,
As thee, O Queen,1 the matter of my song,
Whose lineage from this Lady I derive along!
Who when, through speeches with the Redcross
She learned had th' estate of Arthegall, [Knight,
And in each point herself inform'd aright,
A friendly league of love perpetual
She with him bound, and congé2 took withal.
Then he forth on his journey did proceed,
To seek adventures which might him befall,
And win him worship through his warlike deed,
Which always of his pains he made the chiefest mecd.
But Britomart kept on her former course,
Ne ever doff'd her arms; but all the way
Grew pensive through that amorous discourse,
By which the Redcross Knight did erst3 display
Her lover's shape and chivalrous array:
A thousand thoughts she fashion'd in her mind;
And in her feigning fancy did pourtray
Him, such as fittest she for love could find,
Wise, warlike, personable, courteous, and kind.
With such self-pleasing thoughts her wound she fed,
And thought so to beguile her grievous smart; But so her smart was much more grievous bred, And the deep wound more deep engor'd her heart, That naught but death her dolour might depart.* So forth she rode, without répose or rest, Searching all lands and each remotest part, Following the guidance of her blinded guest,5 Till that to the sea-coast at length she her addrest.
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