The meffenger approaching, to him spake;
But his wafte words return'd to him in vain :
So found he flept, that nought mought him awake.
Then rudely he him thruft, and pusht with pain,
Whereat he 'gan to ftretch: but he again.
Shook him fo hard, that forced him to speak.
As one then in a dream, whofe drier brain
Is toft with troubled fights, and fancies weak,
He mumbled foft, but would not all his filence break.
XLIII.
The sprite then 'gan more boldly him to wake,
And threatned unto him the dreaded name
Of Hecate: whereat he 'gan to quake,
And lifting up his lumpifh head, with blame
Half angry, afked him for what he came.
Hither (quoth he) me Archimago fent,
He that the ftubborn fprites can wifely tame,
He bids thee to him fend for his intent
A fit falfe dream, that can delude the fleepers scent.
XLIV.
The God obeyd, and calling forth ftraight way
A diverse dream out of his prison dark,
Deliver'd it to him, and down did lay
His heavy head, devoid of careful cark,
Whose senses all were ftraight benumb'd and stark.
He back returning by the ivory door,
Remounted up as light as chearful Lark,
And on his little wings the dream he bore
In hafte unto his Lord, where he him left afore.
XLV.
Who all this while, with charms and hidden arts,
Had made a Lady of that other fpright,
And fram'd of liquid air her tender parts
So lively, and fo like in all mens fight,
That weaker fense it could have ravisht quight:
The maker felf, for all his wondrous wit,
Was nigh beguiled with fo goodly fight:
Her all in white he clad, and over it
Cast a black stole, most like to seem for Una fit.
Now, when that idle dream was to him brought,
Unto that Elfin Knight he bade him fly,
(Where he slept foundly, void of evil thought,)
And with falfe thews abufe his fantafy,
In fort as he him schooled privily:
And that new creature born without her due,
Full of the makers guile, with visage fly
He taught to imitate that Lady true,
Whose semblance fhe did carry under feigned hue.
XLVII.
Thus well inftructed, to their work they hafte :
And coming where the Knight in flumber lay,
The one upon his hardy head him plact,
And made him dream of loves and luftful play,
That nigh his manly heart did melt away,
Bathed in wanton blifs and wicked joy :
Then feemed him his Lady by him lay,
And to him plain'd, how that false winged boy,
Her chafte heart had fubdew'd, to learn Dame Pleasures
XLVIII.
And the herself (of beauty foveraine Queen)
Fair Venus, feem'd unto his bed to bring
Her, whom he waking evermore did ween
To be the chafteft flowre, that aye did spring
On earthly branch, the daughter of a King;
Now a loose Leman to vile fervice bound:
And eke the Graces feemed all to fing,
Hymen io Hymen, dancing all around,
Whilft freshest Flora her with ivy girlond crown'd,
In his great paffion of unwonted luft,
Or wonted fear of doing ought amifs,
He starteth up, as feeming to mistrust
Some fecret ill, or hidden foe of his :
Lo there before his face his Lady is,
Under black ftole hiding her baited hook;
And as half blushing, offred him to kiss,
With gentle blandifhment and lovely look,
Moft like that virgin true, which for her Knight him took.
All clean dismayd to fee fo uncouth fight,
And half enraged at her fhameless guife,
He thought have flain her in his fierce defpight:
But hafty heat temp'ring with fuff'rance wife,
He ftaid his hand, and 'gan himself advise
To prove his fenfe, and tempt her feigned truth.
Wringing her hands in womens pitious wife,
Tho 'gan fhe weep, to ftir up gentle ruth,
Both for her noble blood, and for her tender youth.
LI.
And faid, Ah Sir, my liege Lord and my love,
Shall I accufe the hidden cruel fate,
And mighty causes wrought in heaven above,
Or the blind God, that doth me thus amate,
For hoped love to win me certain hate?
Yet thus perforce he bids me do, or die.
Die is my due: yet rue my wretched state,
You, whom my hard avenging deftinie
Hath made judge of my life or death indifferently.
Your own dear fake forct me at first to leave
My Fathers kingdom; There fhe ftopt with tears:
Her fwollen heart her fpeech feem'd to bereave;
And then again begun, My weaker years
Captiv'd to fortune and frail worldly fears,
Fly to your faith for fuccour and fure ayd:
Let me not dye in languor and long tears.
Why Dame (quoth he) what hath ye thus difmayd?
What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayd?
LITI.
Love of yourself, the faid, and dear constraint
Lets' me not fleep, but wafte the weary night
In fecret anguish and unpitied plaint,
Whilft you in carelefs fleep are drowned quight.
Her doubtful words made that redoubted Knight
Sufpect her truth: yet fince n'untruth he knew,
Her fawning love with foul difdainful spight
He would not fhend, but faid, Dear dame, I rew,
That for my fake unknown fuch grief unto you grew.
Affure yourself it fell not all to ground;
For all fo dear as life is to my heart,
I deem your love, and hold me to you bound;
Ne let vain fears procure your needlefs fmart,
Where cause is none, but to your reft depart.
Not all content, yet feem'd fhe to appease
Her mournful plaints, beguiled of her art,
And fed with words that could not chufe but please ;
So fliding foftly forth, fhe turn'd as to her eafe.
LV.
Long after lay he mufing at her mood,
Much griev'd to think that gentle Dame fo light,
For whofe defence he was to fhed his blood.
At laft dull wearinefs of former fight
Having yrockt afleep his irksome spright,
That troublous dream 'gan freshly tofs his brain,
With bowers, and beds, and Ladies dear delight:
But when he faw his labour all was vain,
With that misformed fprite he back return'd again.
The guileful great Enchanter parts
The Red-crofs Knight from Truth:
Into whofe ftead fair Falfhood steps,
And works him woeful ruth.
Y this, the northern wagoner had fet
His feven-fold teme behind the ftedfaft ftar,
That was in ocean waves yet never wet,
But firm is fixt, and fendeth light from far
To all, that in the wide deep wandring are:
And cheerful Chaunticlere with his note fhrill
Had warned once, that Phabus' fiery car
In hafte was climbing up the eastern hill,
Full envious that night fo long his room did fill.
When those accurfed meffengers of hell,
That feigning dream, and that fair-forged Spright
Came to their wicked master, and 'gan tell
Their bootless pains, and ill fucceeding night:
Who, all in rage to fee his skilful might
Deluded fo 'gan threaten hellish pain
And fad Proferpines wrath, them to affright.
But when he faw his threatning was but vain,
He cast about, and fearcht his baleful books again.
III.
Eftfoons he took that mifcreated fair,
And that false other sprite, on whom he fpred
A feeming body of the fubtile air,
Like a young Squire, in loves and lufty-hed
His wanton days that ever loofefly led,
Without regard of arms and dreaded fight:
Those two he took; and in a fecret bed,
Cover'd with darkness and mifdeeming night,
Them both together laid, to joy in vain delight.
IV.
Forth- with he runs with feigned faithful hafte
Unto his gueft, who after troublous fights
And dreams, 'gan now to take more found repaft,
Whom fuddenly he wakes with fearful frights,
As one aghaft with fiends or damned fprights,
And to him calls, rife, rife unhappy fwain,
That here wex old in fleep, whiles wicked wights
Have knit themselves in Venus fhameful chain;
Come, fee where your falfe Lady doth her honour stain.
All in amaze he fuddenly up-ftart
With sword in hand, and with the old man went;
Who foon him brought into a fecret part,
Where that falfe couple were full closely ment
In wanton luft and lewd embracement:
Which when he faw, he burnt with jealous fire,
The eye of reason was with rage yblent,
And would have flain them in his furious ire;
But hardly was reftrained of that aged Sire.
VOL. I.
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