Yet all these were, when no man did them know;
Yet have from wifeft ages hidden been:
And later times things more unknown fhall fhow.
Why then should witlefs man fo much mifween
That nothing is, but that which he hath feen?
What if within the moon's fair fhining fphear,
What if in every other star unfeen
Of other worlds he happily fhould hear?
He wonder would much more, yet fuch to fome appear. IV.
Of Fairy land yet if he more inquire,
By certain figns here fet in fundry place
He may it find; ne let him then admire,
But yield his fenfe to be too blunt and bace,
That no'te without an hounds fine footing trace.
And thou, O fairest Princess under sky,
In this fair mirror may'ft behold thy face,
And thine own realms in land of Fairy,
And in this antique image thy great ancestry.
V.
The which, O pardon me thus to enfold
In covert veil, and wrap in fhadows light,
That feeble eyes your glory may behold,
Which elfe could not endure thofe beamës bright,
But would be dazled with exceeding light.
O pardon, and vouchsafe with patient ear
The brave adventures of this Fairy Knight,
The good Sir Guyon, gracioufly to hear,
In whom great rule of temp'rance goodly doth appear.
CANTO I.
Guyon by Archimage abus'd,
The Redcross Knight awaits,
Finds Mordant and Amavia flain
With pleafures poisoned baits.
Hat cunning architect of cankred guile,
Whom Princes late displeasure left in bands,
For falfed letters and fuborned wile,
Soon as the Redcrofs Knight he understands,
To been departed out of Eden lands,
To ferve again his Soveraine Elfin Queen,
His arts he moves, and out of caytives hands
Himself he frees by fecret means unseen;
His fhackles empty left, himself escaped clean,
And forth he fares full of malicious mind,
To worken mischief and avenging woe,
Whereever he that godly Knight may find,
His only heart-fore, and his only foe,
Sith Una now he algates muft forgo,
Whom his victorious hands did earst restore
To native crown and kingdom late ygo:
Where the enjoys fure peace for evermore.
As weather-beaten fhip arriv'd on happy fhore.
III.
Him therefore now the object of his fpight
And deadly feud he makes him to offend
By forged treafon, or by open fight
He feeks, of all his drift the aimed end:
Thereto his fubtile engines he does bend,
His practick wit, and his fair filed tongue,
With thousand other fleights: for, well he kend,
His credit now in doubtful ballance hung;
For hardly could be hurt, who was already ftung.
Still as he went, he crafty ftales did lay,
With cunning trains him to entrap unwares,
And privy fpials plact in all his way,
To weet what courfe he takes, and how he fares; To catch him at avantage in his fnares; But now fo wife and wary was the Knight, By tryal of his former harms and cares, That he defcry'd, and fhunned ftill his flight: The fish that once was caught, new bait will hardly bite.
Nath'lefs, th'Enchanter would not spare his pain,
In hope to win occafion to his will:
Which when he long awaited had in vain,
He chang'd his mind from one to other ill.
For to all good he enemy was ftill.
Upon the way him fortuned to meet
(Fair marching underneath a fhady hill)
A goodly Knight, all arm'd in harness meet,
That from his head no place appeared to his feet.
VI.
His carriage was full comely and upright,
His countenance demure, and temperate;
But yet fo ftern and terrible in fight,
That chear'd his friends, and did his foes amate:
He was an Elfin born of noble state,
And mickle worship in his native land;
Well could he tourney, and in lifts debate,
And Knighthood took of good Sir Huons hand,
When with King Oberon he came to Fairy land.
VII.
Him als accompany'd upon the way,
A comely Palmer, clad in black attire, Of ripeft years, and hairs all hoary gray, That with a ftaff his feeble fteps did ftire, Leaft his long way his aged limbs should tire: And if by looks one may the mind aread, He feem'd to be a fage and fober fire, And ever with flow pace the Knight did lead, Who taught his trampling fteed with equal fteps to tread.
Such whenas Archimago them did view,
He weened well to work fome uncouth wile;
Eftfoons untwisting his deceitful clew,
He 'gan to weave a web of wicked guile,
And with fair countenance and flatt'ring stile
To them approaching, thus the Knight befpake:
Fair Son of Mars, that feek with warlike fpoil,
And great atchievements, great your felf to make,
Vouchsafe to stay your steed for humble mifers fake.
IX.
He ftaid his fteed for humble mifers fake,
And bade tell on the tenour of his plaint:
Who feigning then in every limb to quake,
Through inward fear, and feeming pale and faint,
With piteous moan his piercing fpeech 'gan paint;
Dear Lady, how fhall I declare thy cafe,
Whom late I left in languorous constraint!
Would God thyfelf now prefent were in place,
To tell this rueful tale; thy fight could win thee grace.
X.
Or rather would, O would it fo had chanct,
That you, moft noble Sir, had present been,
When that lewd ribauld (with vile luft advanct)
Laid first his filthy hands on virgin clean,
To spoil her dainty corse so fair and sheen,
As on the earth (great mother of us all)
With living eye more fair was never feen,
Of chastity and honour virginall:
Witness ye heavens, whom fhe in vain to help did call.
XI.
How may it be (faid then the Knight half wroth)
That Knight fhould Knighthood ever fo have fhent?
None but that faw (quoth he) would ween for troth
How fhamefully that maid he did torment.
Her loofer golden locks he rudely rent,
And drew her on the ground, and his fharp fword,
Against her fnowy breaft he fiercely bent,
And threatned death with many a bloody word; Tongue hates to tell the reft, that eye to fee abhord.
Therewith, amoved from his fober mood,
And lives he yet (faid he) that wrought this act,
And doen the heavens afford him vital food?
He lives (quoth he) and boafteth of the fact,
Ne yet hath any Knight his courage crackt.
Where may that treachour then (faid he) be found,
Or by what means may I his footing tract?
That fhall I fhew (said he) as fure as hound
The striken dear doth challenge by the bleeding wound.
XIII.
He ftaid not longer talk, but with fierce ire,
And zealous hafte, away is quickly gone
To feek that Knight, where him that crafty Squire
Suppos'd to be. They do arrive anone,
Where fate a gentle Lady all alone.
With garments rent and hair difcheveled,
Wringing her hands, and making pitious mone
Her fwollen eyes were much disfigured,
And her fair face with tears was fouly blubbered.
XIV.
The Knight approaching nigh, thus to her faid,
Fair Lady, through foul forrow ill bedight,
Great pity is to fee you thus difmay'd,
And marr the bloffom of your beauty bright:
Forthy, appeafe your grief and heavy plight,
And tell the caufe of your conceived pain,
For if he live that hath you doen defpight;
He fhall you do due recompence again,
Or else his wrong with greater puiffance maintain.
XV.
Which when she heard, as in defpightful wife,
She wilfully her forrow did augment,
And offred hope of comfort did defpife;
Her golden locks moft cruelly fhe rent,
And scratcht her face with ghaftly dreriment;
Ne would she speak, ne fee, ne yet be feen,
But hid her vifage, and her head down bent,
Either for grievous fhame, or for great teen,
As if her heart with forrow had transtixed been;
|