XXXI Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard, Astond he stood, and up his heare did hove; move. XXXII At last whenas the dreadfull passion XXXIII XXXVI 'Whose forged beauty he did take in hand XXXVII 'So doubly lov'd of ladies, unlike faire, XXXVIII 'The wicked witch, now seeing all this while The doubtfull ballaunce equally to sway, Then, groning deep; Nor damned Ghost,' What not by right she cast to win by guile; (quoth he,) [speake; And by her hellish science raisd streight way 'Nor guileful sprite to thee these words doth A foggy mist that overcast the day, But once a man, Fradubio, now a tree; [weake And a dull blast, that breathing on her face Wretched man, wretched tree! whose nature Dimmed her former beauties shining ray, A cruell witch, her cursed will to wreake, Hath thus transformd, and plast in open plaines, Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleake, And scorching Sunne does dry my secret vaines; For though a tree I seme, yet cold and heat me paines.' XXXIV And with foule ugly forme did her disgrace: Then was she fayre alone, when none was faire in place. 6 'Say on, Fradubio, then, or man or tree,' XXXIX 'Then cride she out, "Fye, fye! deformed wight, To have before bewitched all mens sight: Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine O! leave her soone, or let her soone be slaine." Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine, Eftsoones I thought her such as she me told, And would have kild her; but with faigned paine [hold: The false witch did my wrathfull hand withThat many errant knights hath broght to So left her, where she now is turnd to treen wretchednesse. mould. XL Thensforth I tooke Duessa for my Dame, XLI 'Her neather partes misshapen, monstruous, XLII That is the terme prescribed by the spell.' XLIV The false Duessa, now Fidessa hight, Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament, And knew well all was true. But the good Full of sad feare and ghastly dreriment, [ knight, When all this speech the living tree had spent, 'The divelish hag by chaunges of my cheare The bleeding bough did thrust into the ground, Perceiv'd my thought; and, drownd in sleepie That from the blood he might be innocent, night, [smeare And with fresh clay did close the wooden With wicked herbes and oyntments did bewound: [her fownd. My body all, through charmes and magicke Then, turning to his Lady, dead with feare might, That all my senses were bereaved quight: we waste.' XLIII 'But how long time,' said then the Elfin 'Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?' I XLV Her seeming dead he fownd with feigned As all unweeting of that well she knew; CANTO III. Forsaken Truth long seekes her love, NOUGHT is there under heav'ns wide hollow nesse, nesse Though true as touch, though daughter of a king, Though faire as ever living wight was fayre, That moves more deare compassion of mind, Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting, Then beautie brought t'unworthie wretched- Is from her knight divorced in despayre, [unkind. And her dew loves deryv'd to that vile witches Through envies snares, or fortunes freakes shayre. I, whether lately through her brightnes blynd, Or through alleageance, and fast fealty, Which I do owe unto all womankynd, Feele my hart perst with so great agony, When such I see, that all for pitty I could dy. II And now it is empassioned so deepe, To thinke how she through guyleful handeling, III Yet she, most faithfull Ladie, all this while Had her abandond. She, of nought affrayd, XIV And to augment her painefull penaunce more, And thrise three times did fast from any bitt; XV The day is spent; and commeth drowsie night, When every creature shrowded is in sleepe. Sad Una downe her laies in weary plight, And at her feete the Lyon watch doth keepe: In stead of rest she does lament and weepe, For the late losse of her deare loved knight, And sighes, and grones, and evermore does steepe Her tender brest in bitter teares all nignt; All night she thinks too long, and often lookes for light. XVI Now when Aldeboran was mounted hye Above the shinie Cassiopeias chaire, And all in dea ly sleepe did drowned lye One knocked at the dore, and in would fare: He knocked fast, and often curst, and sware, That ready entraunce was not at his call; For on his backe a heavy load he bare Of nightly stelths, and pillage severall, Which he had got abroad by purchas criminall. XVII He was, to weete, a stout and sturdy thiefe, Wont to robbe churches of their ornaments, And poore mens boxes of their due reliefe, Which given was to them for good intents: The holy Saints of their rich vestiments He did disrobe, when all men carelesse slept, And spoild the Priests of their habiliments; Whiles none the holy things in safety kept, Then he by conning sleights in at the window crept. XVIII And all that he by right or wrong could find, Unto this house he brought, and did bestow Upon the daughter of this woman blind, Abessa, daughter of Corceca slow, XXIII With whom he whoredome usd, that few did That was the flowre of faith and chastity: XXIV XXVIII He thereto meeting said, 'My dearest Dame, Far be it from your thought, and fro my wil, To thinke that knighthood I so much should shame, As you to leave that have me loved stil, And chose in Faery court, of meere goodwil, But, when she saw her prayers nought pre- Where noblest knights were to be found on vaile, earth. |