44 The God obayde, and, calling forth straightway 45 Who all this while with charmes and hidden artes Had made a lady of that other spright, And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender partes That weaker sence it could have ravisht quight: Cast a black stole, most like to seeme for Una fit. 46 Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought, Where he slept soundly void of evil thought, In sort as he him schooled privily. And that new creature, borne without her dew, He taught to imitate that lady trew, Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew. 15 CANTO II. The guilefull great Enchaunter parts By this the northerne wagoner had set 2 His sevenfold teme behind the stedfast starre That was in ocean waves yet never wet, But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre To all that in the wide deepe wandring arre: And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill Had warned once, that Phoebus fiery carre sun, In hast was climbing up the easterne hill, Full envious that night so long his roome did fill. 2 When those accursed messengers of hell, That feigning dreame, and that faire-forged spright, And sad Proserpines wrath, them to affright. 7 Now when the rosy-fingred morning faire, Weary of aged Tithones saffron bed, * Had spread her purple robe through deawy aire, The royall virgin shooke off drowsy-hed; And, rising forth out of her baser bowre, Lookt for her knight, who far away was fled, And for her dwarfe, that wont to waite each houre: Then gan she waile and weepe to see that woefull stowre. 8 And after him she rode with so much speede 9 But subtill Archimago, when his guests And Una wandring in woods and forrests, And in her many troubles did most pleasure take. 10 He then devisde himselfe how to disguise; For by his mighty science he could take As many formes As ever in seeming wise, Proteus to himselfe could make: Sometime a fowle, sometime a fish in lake, Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell, That of himselfe he ofte for feare would quake, And oft would flie away. O who can tell The hidden power of herbes, and might of magicke spell? II But now seemde best the person to put on Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest: A bloudy crosse, and on his craven crest A bounch of haires discolourd diversly. Saint George himself ye would have deemed him to be. 12 But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did beare, Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray. In whose great shield was writ with letters gay : 13 Hee had a faire companion of his way, Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay, Shee wore, with crowns and owches garnished, Her wanton palfrey all was overspred With tinsell trappings, woven like a wave, Whose bridle rung with golden bels and bosses brave. 14 With faire disport and courting dalliaunce, She intertainde her lover all the way: But when she saw the knight his speare advaunce, She soone left off her mirth and wanton play, The red bloud trickling staind the way, as he did ride. 15 The knight of the Redcrosse when him he spide Spurring so hote with rage dispiteous, Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride: And eke themselves, too rudely rigorous, Astonied with the stroke of their owne hand, Doe backe rebut, and each to other yeeldeth land. C 16 As when two rams, stird with ambitious pride, So stood these twaine, unmoved as a rocke, 17 The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies; As from a forge out of their burning shields, 18 Curse on that Crosse, (quoth then the Sarazin,), That keeps thy body from the bitter fit; leath Dead long ygoe I wote thou haddest bin, Had not that charme from thee forwarned it: But yet I warne thee now assured sitt, And hide thy head. Therewith upon his crest That a large share it hewd out of the rest, And glauncing down his shield from blame him fairly blest. 19 Who, thereat wondrous wroth, the sleeping spark |