Fayre Pastorella by great hap
Her parents understands.
Calidore doth the Blatant Beast
Subdew, and bynd in bands.
LIKE as a ship, that through the ocean wyde
Directs her course unto one certaine cost,
Is met of many a counter winde and tyde,
With which her winged speed is let1 and crost,
And she herselfe in stormie surges tost;
Yet, making many a borde 2 and many a bay,
Still winneth way, ne hath her compasse lost;
Right so it fares with me in this long way,
Whose course is often stayd, yet never is astray.
For all that hetherto hath long delayd
This gentle Knight from sewing 3 his first quest,4
Though out of course, yet hath not bene mis-sayd,5
To shew the courtesie by him profest
Even unto the lowest and the least.
But now I come into my course againe,
To his atchievement of the Blatant Beast;
Who all this while at will did range and raine,
Whilst none was him to stop, nor none him to restraine.
1 Let, hindered. 2 Borde, (abord, Fr.,) harbor. 3 Sewing, following. Mis-sayd, said to no purpose.
Sir Calidore, when thus he now had raught1
Faire Pastorella from those Brigants powre,
Unto the Castle of Belgard her brought,
Whereof was Lord the good Sir Bellamoure;
Who whylome 2 was, in his youthes freshest flowre,
A lustie Knight as ever wielded speare,
many a dreadfull stoure In bloudy battell for a Ladie deare,
The fayrest Ladie then of all that living were:
Her name was Claribell; whose father hight 4.
The Lord of many ilands, farre renound
For his great riches and his greater might:
He, through the wealth wherein he did abound,
This Daughter thought in wedlocke to have bound
Unto the Prince of Picteland, bordering nere;
But she, whose sides before with secret wound
Of love to Bellamoure empierced were,
By all meanes shund to match with any forreign fere.5
And Bellamour againe so well her pleased
With dayly service and attendance dew,
That of her love he was entyrely seized,
And closely did her wed, but knowne to few:
Which when her father understood, he grew
In so great rage that them in dongeon deepe
Without compassion cruelly he threw ;
Yet did so streightly them asunder keepe,
That neither could to company of th' other creepe.
1 Raught, reached, rescued. 2 Whylome, formerly.
4 Hight, was called. Fere, husband. Closely, secretly. 7 Streightly, strictly.
Nathlesse Sir Bellamour, whether through grace
Or secret guifts, so with his keepers wrought,
That to his Love sometimes he came in place;
Whereof her wombe unwist1 to wight was fraught,
And in dew time a Mayden Child forth brought:
Which she streightway (for dread least if her syre
Should know thereof to slay he would have sought)
Delivered to her handmayd, that for hyre
She should it cause be fostred under straunge attyre.
The trustie damzell bearing it abrode
Into the emptie fields, where living wight
Mote not bewray the secret of her lode,
She forth gan lay unto the open light
The litle Babe, to take thereof a sight:
Whom whylest she did with watrie eyne behold,
Upon the litle brest, like christall bright,
She mote perceive a litle purple mold,o
That like a rose her silken leaves did faire unfold.
Well she it markt, and pittied the more,
Yet could not remedie her wretched case;
But, closing it againe like as before,
Bedeaw'd with teares there left it in the place;
Yet left not quite, but drew a litle space
Behind the bushes, where she her did hyde,
To weet 3 what mortall hand, or heavens grace,
Would for the wretched Infants helpe provyde;
For which it loudly cald, and pittifully cryde.
Unwist, unknown. 2 Mold, mole. 3 Weet, learn.
At length a shepheard, which thereby did keepe
His fleecie flocke upon the playnes around,
Came to the place; where when he wrapped found
Th' abandond spoyle, he softly it unbound;
And, seeing there that did him pittie sore,
He tooke it up and in his mantle wound ;
So home unto his honest wife it bore,
Who as her owne it nurst and named evermore.
Thus long continu'd Claribell a thrall,
And Bellamour in bands; till that her syre
Departed life, and left unto them all:
Then all the stormes of fortunes former yre
Were turnd, and they to freedome did retyre.
Thenceforth they ioy'd in happinesse together,
And lived long in peace and love entyre,
Without disquiet or dislike of ether,
Till time that Calidore brought Pastorella thether.
Both whom they goodly well did entertaine;
For Bellamour knew Calidore right well,
And loved for his prowesse, sith1 they twaine
Long since had fought in field: als Claribell
Ne lesse did tender the faire Pastorell,
Seeing her weake and wan through durance long.
There they awhile together thus did dwell
IX. 6.- That did him pittie sore.] That which did greatly move his pity.
In much delight, and many ioyes among,
Untill the Damzell gan to wex more sound and strong.
Tho1 gan Sir Calidore him to advize 2 Of his first quest, which he had long forlore, Asham'd to thinke how he that enterprize, The which the Faery Queene had long afore Bequeath'd to him, forslacked 3 had so sore; That much he feared least reproachfull blame With foule dishonour him mote blot therefore; Besides the losse of so much loos 4 and fame, As through the world thereby should glorifie his name.
Therefore, resolving to returne in hast
Unto so great atchievement, he bethought
To leave his Love, now perill being past,
With Claribell; whylest he that Monster sought
Throughout the world, and to destruction brought.
So taking leave of his faire Pastorell,
Whom to recomfort all the meanes he wrought,
With thanks to Bellamour and Claribell,
He went forth on his quest, and did that him befell.
But first, ere I doe his adventures tell
In this exploite, me needeth to declare
What did betide 5 to the faire Pastorell,
During his absence left in heavy care,
Through daily mourning and nightly misfare 6:
Yet did that auncient Matrone all she might,
1 Tho, then.
3 Forslacked, delayed.
Betide, happen.
2 Him to advize, bethink himself.
4 Loos, (los, Fr.,) praise.
6 Misfure, mishap, misfortune.
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