So, as fhe bade, that Witch they difarray'd,
And robb'd of royal robes, and purple pall,
And ornaments that richly were display'd;
Ne spared they to strip her naked all.
Then when they had defpoyl'd her tire and call,
Such as fhe was, their eyes might her behold,
That her mishapen parts did them appall,
A loathly, wrinkled hag, ill favour'd, old,
Whofe fecret filth, good manners biddeth not be told..
XLVII.
Her crafty head was altogether bald,
And (as in hate of honourable eld)
Was over-grown with fcurf and filthy scald;
Her teeth out of her rotten gums were feld,
And her fowre breath abominably fmeld;
Her dried dugs, like bladders lacking wind,
Hung down, and filthy matter from them weld;
Her wrizled skin, as rough as maple rind,
So fcabby was, that would have loath'd all woman-kind.
XLVIII.
Her neather parts, the fhame of all her kind,
My chafter muse for shame doth blush to write:
But at her rump fhe growing had behind
A foxes tail, with dung all fouly dight;
And eke her feet most monstrous were in fight;
For one of them was like an eagles claw,
With griping talons arm'd to greedy fight,
The other like a bears uneven paw:
More ugly shape, yet never living creature faw.
XLIX.
Which when the Knights beheld, amaz'd they were,
And wonderd at fo foul deformed wight.
Such then (faid Una) as fhe feemeth here,
Such is the face of falfhood, fuch the fight
Of foul Duelfa, when her borrowd light
Is laid away, and counterfefaunce known.
Thus when they had the Witch difrobed quight,
And all her filthy feature open fhown,
They let her go at will, and wander ways unknown.
She flying faft from heavens hated face,
And from the world that her discover'd wide,
Fled to the waftful wilderness apace,
From living eyes her open fhame to hide,
And lurkt in rocks and caves long unefpide,
But that fair crew of Knights, and Una fair,
Did in that castle afterwards abide,
To reft themselves, and weary powres repair,
Where ftore they found of all that dainty was and rare,
goodly golden chain, wherewith yfere,
The vertues linked are in lovely wife;
And noble minds of yore allied were,
In brave pursuit of chevalrous emprife,
That none did others fafety defpife,
Nor aid envy to him in need that stands,
But friendly each did others praise devise
How to advance with favourable hands,
As thisgood Prince redeem'd the RedcrofsKnightfrombands.
Who when their powres empair'd through labour long,
With due repaft they had recured well,
And that weak captive wight now wexed ftrong,
Them lift no longer there at leifure dwell,
But forward fare, as their adventures fell:
But ere they parted, Una fair befought
That stranger Knight his name and nation tell;
Left fo great good as he for her had wrought,
Should die unknown, and buried be in thanklefs thought
Fair Virgin (faid the Prince) ye me require
A thing without the compass of my wit:
For both the linage and the certain Sire
From which I fprung, from me are hidden yet.
For all fo foon as life did me admit
Into this world, and fhewed heavens light,
From mothers pap I taken was unfit,
And ftraight deliver'd to a Fairy Knight,
To be upbrought in gentle thews and martial might.
IV.
Unto old Timon he me brought bylive,
Old Timon, who in youthful years hath been
In warlike feats th' experteft man alive,
And is the wifeft now on earth I ween;
His dwelling is low in a valley green,
Under the foot of Rauran moffie hore,
From whence the river Dee as filver clean
His tumbling billows rolls with gentle rore:
There all my days he train'd me up in vertuous lore.
V.
Thither the great magician Merlin came,
As was his ufe, oft-times to visit me:
For he had charge my difcipline to frame,
And tutors nouriture to oversee.
Him oft and oft I askt in privity,
Of what loyns and what linage I did spring:
Whose answer bade me ftill affured be,
That I was fon and heir unto a King,
As time in her juft term the truth to light should bring
Well worthy imp, faid then the Lady gent,
And pupil fit for fuch a tutors hand,
But what adventure, or what high intent
Hath brought you hither into Fairy land,
Aread, Prince Arthur, crown of martial band?
Full hard it is (quoth he) to read aright
The courfe of heavenly caufe, or understand
The secret meaning of th' eternal might,
That rulesmensways, and rules thethoughtsoflivingwight.
VII.
For whether he through fatal deep forefight
Me hither fent, for caufe to me unghest,
Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and night
Whilome doth rankle in my riven breast,
With forced fury following his beheast,
Me hither brought by ways yet never found,
You to have helpt I hold myself yet bleft.
Ah courteous Knight (quoth fhe) what fecret wound Could ever find, to grieve the gentleft heart on ground? VIII.
Dear Dame (quoth he) you sleeping sparks awake,
Which troubled once, into huge flames will
Ne never will their fervent fury flake,
Till living moisture into smoak do flow,
And wafted life do lie in ashes low.
Yet fithence filence leffeneth not my fire
(But told, it flames; and hidden, it does glow)
I will reveal what ye fo much defire:
Ah Love, lay down thy bow, the whiles I may refpire.
IX.
It was in fresheft flowre of youthful years,
When courage firft does creep in manly cheft,
Then first the coal of kindly heat appears
To kindle love in every living breast;
But me had warn'd old Timon's wife beheast,
Thofe creeping flames by reason to subdue,
Before their rage grew to fo great unrest,
As miferable lovers ufe to rue,
Which still wex old in woe, while woe ftill wexeth new.
X.
That idle name of love, and lovers life,
As lofs of time, and vertues enemy
I ever fcorn'd, and joy'd to ftir up ftrife,
In middeft of their mournful tragedy,'
Ay wont to laugh, when them I heard to cry;
And blow the fire which them to afhes brent:
Their God himself griev'd at my liberty,
Shot many a dart at me with fierce intent,
But I them warded all with wary government.
But all in vain: no fort can be so strong,
Ne fleshly breaft can armed be fo found,
But will at last be won with battry long,
Or unawares at difadvantage found;
Nothing is fure that grows on earthly ground:
And who moft trufts in arm of fleshly might,
And boafts in beauties chain not to be bound,
Doth fooneft fall in difadventrous fight,
And yield his caitive neck to victors most despight.
XII.
Enfample make of him your hapless joy,
And of my self now mated, as ye fee:
Whose prouder vaunt, that proud avenging boy
Did foon pluck down, and curb'd my liberty,
For on a day, prickt forth with jollity
Of loofer life, and heat of hardiment,
Ranging the foreft wide on courser free,
The fields, the floods, the heavens with one confent Did feem to laugh on me, and favour mine intent. XIII.
For wearied with my fports, I did alight
From lofty fteed, and down to fleep me laid;
The verdant grafs my couch did goodly dight,
And pillow was my helmet fair difplay'd:
While every fenfe the humour fweet embay'd,
And flumbring foft my heart did fteal away,
Me feemed by my fide a royal maid
Her dainty limbs full foftly down did lay:
So fair a creature yet faw never funny day.
XIV.
Moft goodly glee and lovely blandishment
She to me made, and bade me love her dear;
For dearly fure her love was to me bent,
As when just time expired should appear.
But whether dreams delude, or true it were,
Was never heart fo ravifht with delight,
Ne living man like words did ever hear,
As fhe to me deliver'd all that night;
And at her parting faid, the Queen of Faries hight..
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