The woeful Dwarf, which faw his masters fall,
Whiles he had keeping of his grafing steed,
And valiant Knight become a caitive thrall,
When all was past, took up his forlorn weed,
His mighty armour, miffing moft at need;
His filver fhield, now idle mafterless;
His poynant fpear, that many made to bleed,
The rueful moniments of heaviness,
And with them all departs, to tell his great diftrefs.
XX.
He had not travell'd long, when on the way
He woeful Lady (woetul Una) met,
Faft flying from the Paynims greedy prey, Whilft Satyrane him from purfuit did let: Who when her eyes fhe on the Dwarf had fet, And faw the figns that deadly tidings fpake, She fell to ground for forrowful regret, And lively breath her fad breaft did forfake, Yet might her pitious heart be feen to pant and quake. XXI.
The meffenger of fo unhappy news,
Would fain have dy'd: dead was his heart within,' Yet outwardly fome little comfort fhews:
At last recovering heart, he does begin
To rub her temples, and to chaufe her chin,
And every tender part does tofs and turn:
So hardly he the flitted life does win,
Unto her native prifon to retourn:
Then 'gins her grieved ghoft thus to lament and mourn,
XXII.
Ye dreary inftruments of doleful fight,
That do this deadly fpectacle behold,
Why do ye longer feed on loathed light,
Or liking find to gaze on earthly mold,
Sith cruel fates the careful threads unfold,
The which my life and love together tide?
Now let the ftony dart of fenfeless cold
Pierce to my heart, and pafs through every fide
And let eternal night fo fad fight from me hide.
O lightsome Day, the lamp of highest Jove,
Firft made by him, mens wandring ways to guide,
When darkness he in deepeft dungeon drove,
Henceforth thy hated face for ever hide,
And shut up heavens windows fhining wide:
For earthly fight can nought but forrow breed,
And late repentance, which fhall long abide.
Mine eyes no more on vanity fhall feed,
But fealed up with death, fhall have their deadly meed.
Then down again fhe fell unto the ground;
But he her quickly reared up again:
Thrice did the fink adown in deadly fwound,
And thrice he her reviv'd with bufie pain:
At laft, when life recover'd had the rein,
And over wreftied his ftrong enemy,
With foltring tongue, and trembling every vein,
Tell on (quoth fhe) the woeful tragedy,
The which thefe reliques fad prefent unto mine eye.
XXV.
Tempeftuous fortune hath spent all her fpight,
'And thrilling forrow thrown his utmost dart;
Thy fad tongue cannot tell more heavy plight,
Than that I feel and harbour in mine heart:
Who hath endur'd the whole, can bear each part.
If death it be, it is not the firft wound
That launced hath my breaft with bleeding fmart.
Begin, and end the bitter baleful ftound;
If lefs than that I fear, more favour I have found.
XXVI.
Then 'gan the Dwarf the whole difcourse declare,
The fubtile trains of Archimago old;
The wanton loves of falfe Fidella fair,
Bought with the blood of vanquifht Paynim bold;
The wretched pair transform'd to trëen mold;
The house of pride, and perils round about;
The combat, which he with Sans-joy did hold;
The lucklefs conflict with the Giant ftout,
Wherein captiv'd, of life or death he stood in doubt.
She heard with patience all unto the end,
And ftrove to master forrowful affay:
Which greater grew, the more fhe did contend,
And almost rent her tender heart in tway;
And love fresh coals unto her fire did lay:
For greater love, the greater is the lofs.
Was never Lady loved dearer day,
Than fhe did love the Knight of the Redcrofs;
For whose dear fake fo many troubles her did tofs.
XXVIII.
At laft when fervent forrow flaked was,
She up arose, resolving him to find
Alive or dead and forward forth doth pass,
All as the Dwarf the way to her affign'd:
And evermore in conftant careful mind
She fed her wound with fresh renewed bale;
Long toft with ftorms, and beat with bitter wind,
High over hills, and low adown the dale,
She wandred many a wood, and measur'd many a vale.
XXIX.
At last she chanced by good hap to meet
A goodly Knight, fair marching by the way
Together with his fquire, arrayed meet:
His glitterand armour fhined far away,
Like glauncing light of Phabus brightest ray,
From top to toe no place appeared bare,
That deadly dint of steel endanger may :
Athwart his breast a bauldrick brave he ware, [rare. That shin'd like twinkling stars, with stones most precious XXX.
And in the midst thereof, one precious stone
Of wondrous worth, and eke of wondrous mights, Shapt like a Ladies head, exceeding fhone, Like Hefperus emongst the leffer lights, And ftrove for to amaze the weaker fights; Thereby his mortal blade full comely hong In ivory fheath, ycarv'd with curious flights; Whofe hilts were burnifht gold, and handle strong Of mother-pearl, and buckled with a golden tong,
His haughty helmet, horrid all with gold,
Both glorious brightnefs, and great terror bred;
For all the creft a Dragon did enfold
With greedy paws, and over all did spread
His golden wings: his dreadful hideous head
Clofe couched on the bever, feem'd to throw
From flaming mouth bright sparkles fiery red,
That fuddain horror to faint hearts did fhow;
'And scaly tail was ftretcht adown his back full low.
XXXII.
top of all his lofty creft,
A bunch of hairs difcolour'd diverfly,
With sprinkled pearl, and gold full richly dreft,
Did fhake, and feem'd to dance for jollity
Like to an Almond tree ymounted high
On top of green Selinis all alone,
With bloffoms brave bedecked daintily;
Whofe tender locks do tremble every one
'At every little breath, that under heaven is blown.
XXXIII.
His warlike fhield all clofely cover'd was,
Ne might of mortal eye be ever feen;
Nor made of steel, nor of enduring brass,
Such earthly metals foon confumed been:
But all of diamond perfect pure and clean
It framed was, one maffie entire mould,
Hew'n out of adamant rock with engines keen,
That point of fpear it never piercen could,
Ne dint of direful sword divide the fubftance would.
XXXIV.
The fame to wight he never wont disclose,
But whenas monfters huge he would difmay,
Or daunt unequal armies of his foes,
Or when the flying heavens he would affray;
For fo exceeding fhone his gliftring ray,
That Phabus golden face it did attaint,
As when a cloud his beams doth over-lay;
And filver Cynthia wexed pale and faint,
As when her face is ftain'd with magick arts conftraint,
XXXV.
No magick arts hereof had any might,
Nor bloody words of bold Enchanters call;
But all that was not fuch as feem'd in fight,
Before that shield did fade, and fuddain fall:
And when him lift the rafcal routs appall,
Men into stones therewith he could tranfmew,
And flones to duft, and duft to nought at all;
And, when him lift the prouder looks fubdew,
He would them gazing blind, or turn to other hew.
XXXVI.
Ne let it seem, that credence this exceeds:
For he that made the fame, was known right well To have done much more admirable deeds. It Merlin was, which whylome did excel All living wights in might of magick spell : Both fhield, and fword, and armour all he wrought For this young Prince, when first to arms he fell; But when he dy'd, the fairy Queen it brought To fairy land, where yet it may be seen, if fought. XXXVII.
A gentle youth, his dearly loved Squire,
His fpear of heben wood behind him bare,
Whofe harmful head, thrice heated in the fire,
Had riven many a breaft with pikehead fquare;
A goodly perfon, and could menage fair
His ftubborn fteed with curbed canon bit,
Who under him did trample as the air,
And chauft, that any on his back should fit;
The iron rowels into frothy foame he bit.
XXXVIII.
Whenas this Knight nigh to the Lady drew,
With lovely court he 'gan her entertain;
But when he heard her answers loth, he knew
Some fecret forrow did her heart diftrain:
Which to allay, and calm her ftorming pain,
Fair feeling words he wifely 'gan display,
And for her humour fitting purpose fain,
To tempt the cause it felf for to bewray :
Wherewith enmov'd, these bleeding words fhe 'gan to say.
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