That chamber feemed ruinous and old,
And therefore was removed far behind,
Yet were the walls, that did the fame uphold,
Right firm and strong, though fomewhat they declin'd;
And therein fate an old old man, half blind,
And all decrepit in his feeble corfe,
Yet lively vigour refted in his mind,
And recompenst him with a better scorce:
Weak body well is chang'd for minds redoubled force,
LVI.
This man of infinite remembrance was,
And things foregone through many ages held, Which he recorded ftill as they did pass, Ne fuffred them to perish through long eld, As all things elfe, the which this world doth wel'd, But laid them up in his immortal fcrine, Where they for ever incorrupted dwell'd; The wars he well remembred of King Nine, Of old Afaracus, and Inachus divine.
The years of Neftor nothing were to his,
Ne yet Metbufalem, though longeft liv'd;
For he remembred both their infancies:
Ne wonder then, if that he were depriv'd
Of native strength now, that he them surviv'd.
His chamber all was hang'd about with roles,
And old records from ancient times deriv'd,
Some made in books, fome in long parchment feroles, That were all worm-eaten, and full of canker holes. LVIII.
Amidst them all he in a chair was fet,
Toffing and turning them withouten end;
But for he was unable them to fet,
A little boy did on him ftill attend
To reach, whenever he for ought did fend;
And oft when things were loft, or laid amifs,
That boy them fought, and unto him did lend.
Therefore he Anamnestes cleped is,
And that old man Eumneftes, by their properties,
The Knights, there entring, did him reverence dew,
And wondred at his endless exercise.
Then as they 'gan his library to view,
And antique registers for to avife,
There chanced to the Princes hand to rife
An ancient book, hight Briton monuments,
That of this lands first conqueft did devise,
And old divifion into regiments,
Till it reduced was to one mans governments.
LX.
Sir Guyon chanct eke on another book,
That hight Antiquity of Fairy lond.
In which whenas he greedily did look;
Th' off-fpring of Elves and Faires there he fond,
As it delivered was from hond to hond:
Whereat they burning both with fervent fire
Their Countries aunceftry to understond,
Crav'd leave of Alma, and that aged fire,
To read those books; who gladly granted their defire.
A Chronicle of Briton Kings
From Brute to Uthers reign:
And rolls of Elfin Emperours,
Till time of Gloriane.
WHO now fhall give unto me words and found,
Equal unto this haughty enterprise ?
Or who fhall lend me wings, with which from ground My lowly verfe may loftily arife,
And lift it felf unto the highest skies?
More ample fprite than hitherto was wount,
Here needs me, whiles the famous aunceftries
Of my moft dreaded Sõveraine I recount,
By which all earthly Princes fhe doth far furmount.
Ne under Sun, that shines fo wide and fair,
Whence all that lives, does borrow life and light,
Lives ought, that to her linage may compair,
Which though from earth it be derived right,
Yet doth it felf ftretch forth to heavens height
And all the world with wonder overfpred;
A labour huge, exceeding far my might:
How fhall frail pen, with fear difparaged,
Conceive fuch foveraine glory, and great bountihed?
III.
Argument worthy of Mæonian quill,
Or rather worthy of great Phebus rote,
Whereon the ruins of great Offa hill,
And triumphs of Phlegraan Jove he wrote,
That all the Gods admir'd his lofty note.
But if fome relish of that heavenly lay
His learned daughter would to me report,
To deck my fong withall, I would affay,
Thy name, O foveraine Queen, to blazon far away.
IV.
Thy name, O foveraine Queen, thy realm and race,
From this renowned Prince derived are,
Who mightily upheld that royal mace,
Which now thou bear'ft, to thee defcended far
From mighty Kings, and Conquerors in war,
Thy Fathers and great Grand-fathers of old,
Whofe noble deeds above the northern ftar
Immortal Fame for ever hath enrol'd;
As in that old mans book they were in order told.
The land, which warlike Britons now poffefs,
And therein have their mighty empire rais'd,
In antique times was falvage wildernefs,
Unpeopled, unmanur'd, unprov'd, unprais'd;
Ne was it Iland then, ne was it pais'd
Amid the Ocean waves, ne was it fought
Of merchants far, for profits therein prais'd,
But was all defolate, and of fome thought
By Sea to have been from the Celtick main-land brought.
VI.
Ne did it then deferve a name to have,
Till that the vent'rous mariner that way
Learning his fhip from thofe white rocks to fave,
Which all along the fouthern fea-coaft lay,
Threatning unheedy wreck and rafh decay,
For fafeties fake that fame his fea-mark made,
And nam'd it Albion. But later day
Finding in it fit ports for fifhers trade,
Gan more the fame frequent, and further to invade.
VII.
But far in land a falvage nation dwelt,
Of hideous Giants, and half beastly men,
That never tafted grace, nor goodness felt,
But like wild beasts lurking in loathsome den,
And flying faft as Roebuck through the fen,
All naked without fhame, or care of cold,
By hunting and by fpoiling lived then ;
Cf ftature huge, and eke of courage bold,
That Sons of men amaz'd their fternnefs to behold.
VIII.
But whence they fprung, or how they were begot,
Uneath is to affure; uneath to ween
That monstrous error which doth fome affot,
That Dioclefians fifty daughters fheen
Into this land by chance have driven been,
Where companing with fiends and filthy sprights,
Through vain illufion of their luft unclean,
They brought forth Giants and fuch dreadful wights, As far exceeded men in their immeafur'd mights.
They held this land, and with their filthiness
Polluted this fame gentle foil long time :
That their own mother loath'd their beaftliness,
And 'gan abhor her broods unkindly crime,
All were they born of her own native flime;
Untill that Brutus anciently deriv'd
From royal stock of old Affaracs line,
Driven by fatal errour, here arriv'd,
And them of their unjuft poffeffion depriv'd.
But ere he had established his throne,
And fpred his empire to the utmost shore, He fought great battles with his falvage foné; In which he them defeated evermore, And many Giants left on groning flore That well can witnefs yet unto this day The western Hogh, befprinkled with the gore Of mighty Goëmot, whom in ftout fray Corineus conquered, and cruelly did flay.
And eke that ample pit, yet far renown'd,
For the large leap, which Debon did compel
Coulin to make, being eight lugs of ground;
Into the which returning back, he fell :
But those three monftrous ftones do moft excel,
Which that huge Son of hideous Albion,
Whofe Father, Hercules in France did quell,
Great Godmer threw, in fierce contention,
At bold Canutus; but of him was flain anon.
XII.
In meed of thefe great conquefts by them got,
Corineus had that province utmost west,
To him affigned for his worthy lot,
Which of his name and memorable gest
He called Cornwaile, yet fo called beft:
And Debons fhare was, that is Devonshire:
But Canute had his portion from the reft,
The which he call'd Canutium, for his hire;
Now Cantium, which Kent we commonly inquire.
XIII.
Thus Brute this realm unto his rule fubdew'd
And reigned long in great felicity,
Lov'd of his friends, and of his foes efchew'd,
He left three fons (his famous progeny)
Born of fair Inogene of Italy;
Mongst whom he parted his imperial ftate,
And Locrine left chief Lord of Britany.
At laft ripe age bade him surrender late
His life, and long good fortune, unto final fate,
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