For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought, And seemd himselfe as conquered to yield.
To see his loved Squyre into such thraldom Whom when his maistresse proud perceiv'd to
And, high advauncing his blood-thirstie blade,
Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld. Unto the Gyaunt lowdly she gan call; [all.' 'O! helpe, Orgoglio; helpe! or els we perish
Stroke one of those deformed heades so sore,
That of his puissaunce proud ensample made:
His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore,
And that misformed shape misshaped more.
A sea of blood gusht from the gaping wownd,
That her gay garments staynd with tilthy
And overflowed all the field arownd, [gore,
That over shoes in blood he waded on the In that bright shield, and all their forces spend
At her so pitteous cry was much amoov'd
Her champion stout; and for to ayde his frend,
Againe his wonted angry weapon proov'd,
But all in vaine, for he has redd his end
Them selves in vaine: for, since that glauncing
He hath no powre to hurt, nor to defend. [sight,
As where th' Almighties lightning brond does
light,
[ces quight.
Thereat he rored for exceeding paine, [bred;
That to have heard great horror would have
And scourging th' emptie ayre with his long It dimmes the dazed eyen, and daunts the sen-
Through great impatience of his grieved hed,
His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted
Would have cast downe, and trodd in durty Whom when the Prince, to batteill new ad
drest
[see,
And threatning high his dreadfull stroke, did
And smote off quite his right leg by the knee,
His sparkling blade about his head he blest.
That downe he tombled, as an aged tree,
High growing on the top of rocky clift,
Whose hartstrings with keene steele nigh
hewen be;
The mightie trunck, halfe rent with ragged rift,
Doth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with feare-
Or as a Castle, reared high and round,
By subtile engins and malitious slight
Is undermined from the lowest ground,
And her foundation forst, and feebled quight,
At last downe falles; and with her heaped
hight
Her hastie ruine does more heavie make,
And yields it selfe unto the victours might.
Such was this Gyaunts fall, that seemd to shake
The stedfast globe of earth, as it for feare did
quake.
The knight, then lightly leaping to the pray,
With mortall steele him smot againe so sore,
That headlesse his unweldy bodie lay,
All wallowd in his owne fowle bloody gore,
Which flowed from his wounds in wondrous
But, soone as breath out of his brest did pas,
That huge great body, which the Gyaunt bore,
Was vanishit quite; and of that monstrous mas
Was nothing left, but like an emptie blader
There all within full rich arayd he found,
With royall arras, and resplendent gold,
And did with store of every thing abound,
That greatest Princes presence might behold.
But all the floore (too filthy to be told)
With blood of guiltlesse babes, and innocents
[fold,
trew,
Which there were slaine as sheepe out of the
Detiled was, that dreadfull was to vew;
And sacred ashes over it was strowed new.
And there beside of marble stone was built
An Altare, carv'd with cunning ymagery,
On which trew Christians blood was often spilt,
And holy Martyres often doen to dye
With cruell malice and strong tyranny:
Whose blessed sprites, from underneath the
Which shaking off, he rent that yron dore
With furious force and indignation fell;
Where entred in, his foot could find no flore,
But all a deepe descent, as darke as hell,
That breathed ever forth a filthie banefull smell.
But nether darkenesse fowle, nor filthy bands,
Nor noyous smell, his purpose could withhold,
(Entire affection hateth nicer hands)
But that with constant zele and corage bold,
After long paines and labors manifold,
He found the meanes that Prisoner up to reare ;
Whose feeble thighes, unable to uphold [beare;
His pined corse, him scarse to light could
A ruefull spectacle of death and ghastly diere.
His sad dull e'es, deepe sunck in hollow pits, Could not endure th' unwonted sunne to view: His bare thin cheekes for want of better bits, To God for vengeance cryde continually; And with great griefe were often heard to And empty sides deceived of their dew, [piteous mone. Could make a stony hart his hap to rew; That hardest heart would bleede to hear their His rawbone armes, whose mighty brawned
Therewith an hollow, dreary, murmuring voyce These pitteous plaintes and dolours did resound:
[hew, Were wont to rive steele plates, and helmets Were clene consum'd; and all his vitall powres Decayd, and al his flesh shronk up like withered flowres.
Whome when his Lady saw, to him she ran
With hasty joy: to see him made her glad,
And sad to view his visage pale and wan,
Who earst in flowres of freshest youth was clad.
Tho, when her well of teares she wasted had,
She said; Ah dearest Lord! what evill starre
On you hath frownd, and pourd his influence
That of your selfe ye thus berobbed arre, [bad,
And this misseeming hew your manly looks
doth marre?
'O! who is that, which bringes me happyBut welcome now, my Lord in wele or woe, Whose presence I have lackt too long a day: Of death, that here lye dying every stound, Yet live perforce in balefull darkenesse bound? And tie on Fortune, mine avowed foe. [alay; For now three Moones have changed thrice Whose wrathful wreakes them selves doe now their hew, [ground, And for these wronges shall treble penaunce pay And have been thrice hid underneath the Of treble good: good growes of evils priefe.' The chearelesse man, whom sorrow did dismay, Since I the heavens chearefull face did vew. O! welcome thou, that doest of death bring Had no delight to treaten of his griefe; His long endured famme needed more reliefe. tydings trew.'
Which when that Champion heard, with
percing point
Of pitty deare his hart was thrilled sore.
And trembling horrour ran through every joynt,
For ruth of gentle knight so fowle forlore
'Faire Lady,' then said that victorious knight, The things, that grievous were to doe, or beare, wote, breeds no delight, Them to renew, Best musicke breeds delight in loathing eare
But th' only good that growes of passed feare Her wrizled skin, as rough as maple rind,
Is to be wise, and ware of like agein.
This daies ensample hath this lesson deare
Deepe written in my heart with yron pen,
That blisse may not abide in state of mortall
So scabby was that would have loathd all
womankind.
Her neather parts, the shame of all her kind,
My chaster Muse for shame doth blush to
write;
But at her rompe she growing had behind
A foxes taile, with dong all fowly dight;
And eke her feete most monstrous were in sight;
For one of them was like an Eagles claw,
The other like a beares uneven paw,
With griping talaunts armd to greedy fight,
More ugly shape yet never living creature saw.
Which when the knights beheld amazd they
And wondred at so fowle deformed wight.
'Such then,' (said Una,) as she seemeth here,
Such is the face of falshood: such the sight
Of fowle Duessa, when her borrowed light
Is laid away, and counterfesaunce knowne.'
Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight,
And all her filthy feature open showne,
They let her goe at will, and wander waies
unknowne.
Shee, flying fast from heavens hated face,
And from the world that her discovered wide,
Fled to the wastfull wildernesse apace,
From living eies her open shame to hide,
And lurkt in rocks and caves, long unes pide.
But that faire crew of knights, and Una faire,
Did in that castle afterwards abide,
To rest them selves, and weary powres repaire;
Where store they fownd of al that dainty was
and rare.
His loves and lignage Arthure tells:
The knights knitt friendly bands:
Sir Trevisan flies from Despeyre,
Whom Redcros knight withstands.
Who when their powres, empayrd through
labor long,
With dew repast they had recured well,
And that weake captive wight now wexed
strong.
O GOODLY golden chayne, wherewith yfere
The vertues linked are in lovely wize;
And noble mindes of yore allyed were,
In brave poursuit of chevalrous emprize,
That none did others safety despize,
Nor aid envy to him in need that stands;
But friendly each did others praise devize,
How to advaunce with favourable hands,
As this good Prince redeemd the Redcrosse, That straunger knight his name and nation
Them list no lenger there at leasure dwell,
But forward fare as their adventures fell:
But, ere they parted, Una faire besought
Least so great good, as he for her had wrought, With forced fury following his behest,
Should die unknown, and buried be in thankles
Me hither brought by wayes yet never found,
You to have helpt I hold my selfe yet blest.'
Ah! courteous Knight,' (quoth she) 'what
secret wound
[ground?'
Could ever find to grieve the gentlest hart on
'Dear Dame,' (quoth he)' you sleeping sparkes awake, [grow Which, troubled once, into huge flames will Ne ever will their fervent fury slake, Till living moysture into smoke do flow, And wasted life doe lye in ashes low: Yet sithens silence lesseneth not my fire, But, told, it flames; and, hidden, it does glow, I will revele what ye so much desire. Ah. Love! lay down thy bow, the whiles I
It was in freshest flowre of youthly yeares,
When corage first does creepe in manly chest,
Then first the cole of kindly heat appeares
To kindle love in every living brest:
But me had warnd old Timons wise behest,
Those creeping flames by reason to subdew,
Before their rage grew to so great unrest,
As miserable lovers use to rew, [wexeth new.
Which still wex old in woe, whiles wo stil
'That ydle name of love, and lovers life,
As losse of time, and vertues enimy,
I ever scornd, and joyd to stirre up strife,
In middest of their mournfull Tragedy,
Ay wont to laugh when them I heard to cry,
And blow the fire which them to ashes brent:
Their God himselfe, grievd at my libertie,
Shott many a dart at me with fiers intent;
But I them warded all with wary government.
'But all in vaine: no fort can be so strong,
Ne fleshly brest can armed be so sownd,
But will at last be wonne with battrie long,
Or unawares at disavantage fownd.
Nothing is sure that growes on earthly grownd;
And who most trustes in arme of fleshly might,
And boastes in beauties chaine not to be bownd,
Doth soonest fall in disaventrous fight,
And yeeldes his caytive neck to victours most
despight.
'Ensample make of him your haplesse joy,
And of my selfe now mated, as ye see:
Whose prouder vaunt that proud avenging boy
Did soone pluck downe, and curbd my libertee.
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