THE SECOND BOOK

OF

THE FAERIE QUEENE

CONTAYNING

THE LEGEND OF SIR GUYON, OR OF TEMPERAUNCE.

I.

RIGHT well I wote,1 most mighty Soveraine,
That all this famous antique history
Of some th' aboundance of an ydle braine
Will iudged be, and painted forgery,
Rather then matter of iust memory;

Sith 2 none that breatheth living aire doth know
Where is that happy land of Faëry,

Which I so much doe vaunt, yet no where show; But vouch antiquities, which no body can know.

II.

But let that man with better sence advize 3
That of the world least part to us is red1;
And daily how through hardy enterprize
Meny great regions are discovered,
Which to late age were never mentioned.

1 Wote, know.
Sith, since.

3 Advize, bear in mind.
4 Red, made known.

Who ever heard of th' Indian Peru?

Or who in venturous vessell measured
The Amazon huge river, now found trew?
Or fruitfullest Virginia who did ever vew?

III.

Yet all these were, when no man did them know,
Yet have from wisest ages hidden beene;

And later times thinges more unknowne shall show.
Why then should witlesse man so much misweene,1
That nothing is, but that which he hath seene?
What, if within the moones fayre shining spheare,
What, if in every other starre unseene

Of other worldes he happily should heare?

He wonder would much more; yet such to some appeare.

IV.

Of Faery lond yet if he more inquyre,
By certein signes, here sett in sondrie place,
He may it fynd; ne let him then admyre,
But yield his sence to bee too blunt and bace,
That no'te 2 without an hound fine footing trace.
And thou, O fayrest Princesse under sky,
In this fayre mirrhour maist behold thy face,
And thine owne realmes in lond of Faëry,
And in this antique ymage thy great auncestry.

V.

The which O! pardon me thus to enfold
In covert vele, and wrapt in shadowes light,
That feeble eyes your glory may behold,

1 Misweene, misjudge. 2 No'te, knows not, contracted from ne wote.

11. 6.

Who ever heard, &c.] That is, until the present age.

IV. 6.- Fayrest Princesse.] Queen Elizabeth.

Which ells could not endure those beamës bright,
But would bee dazled with exceeding light.

O! pardon, and vouchsafe with patient eare
The brave adventures of this Faery Knight,
The good Sir Guyon, gratiously to heare;

In whom great rule of Temp'raunce goodly doth appeare.

CANTO I.

Guyon, by Archimage abusd,

The Redcrosse Knight awaytes;
Fyndes Mordant and Amavia slaine
With Pleasures poisoned baytes.

I.

THAT Conning Architect of cancred guyle,
Whom Princes late displeasure left in bands,
For falsed letters, and suborned wyle;
Soone as the Redcrosse Knight he understands
To beene departed out of Eden landes,
To serve againe his Soveraine Elfin Queene:
His artes he moves, and out of caytives handes 1
Himselfe he frees by secret meanes unseene;
His shackles emptie lefte, himselfe escaped cleene;

II.

And forth he fares, full of malicious mynd,
To worken mischiefe, and avenging woe,
Whereever he that godly Knight may fynd,
His onely 2 hart-sore and his onely 2 foe;

4

Sith 3 Una now he algates must forgoe,

Whom his victorious handes did earst 5 restore

1 Caytives handes, hands of menials employed to keep him.

2 Onely, greatest.

3 Sith, since.

4 Algates, entirely.

5 Earst, before.

I. 1. That conning Architect.] This is Archimago, who plays so important a part in the first book, and who, at its close, was left in prison.

To native crowne and kingdom late ygoe1; Where she enioyes sure peace for evermore, As wetherbeaten ship arryv'd on happie shore.

III.

Him therefore now the obiect of his spight
And deadly food2 he makes: him to offend
By forged treason, or by open fight,
He seekes, of all his drifte the aymed end:
Thereto his subtile engins he does bend,
His practick witt and his fayre fyled tonge,
With thousand other sleightes; for well he kend3
His credit now in doubtfull ballaunce hong:
For hardly could bee hurt, who was already stong.

IV.

Still, as he went, he craftie stales 4 did lay,
With cunning traynes him to entrap unwares,
And privy spyals 5 plast in all his way,

To weete what course he takes, and how he fares;

To ketch him at a vauntage in his snares,

But now so wise and wary was the Knight

By tryall of his former harmes and cares,

That he descryde, and shonned still, his slight: The fish, that once was caught, new bayt wil hardly byte.

V.

Nath'lesse th' Enchaunter would not spare his payne, In hope to win occasion to his will;

Which when he long awaited had in vayne,

III. 9.

1 Late ygoe, lately.

2 Food, feud.

3 Kend, knew.

4 Stales, baits, devices.

5 Spyals, spies.

6 Weete, know.

·For hardly could, &c.] As the knight had been already injured by him, he would be on his guard, and make it more difficult to do him any hurt a second time.