Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee; Frælissa was as faire, as faire mote bee, And ever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee. XXXVIII. "The wicked Witch, now seeing all this while What not by right, she cast to win by guile; And a dull blast that breathing on her face And with foule ugly forme did her disgrace: Then was she fayre alone, when none was fayre in place.1 XXXIX. "Then cride she out, 'Fye, fye, deformed wight, XL. "Thensforth I tooke Duessa for my Dame, And in the Witch unweeting3 ioyd long time; Ne ever wist, but that she was the same: 1 In place, beside. 2 Eftsoones, immediately. 3 Unweeting, unknowing. XXXVII. 8.- ·Frælissa,] i. e. fragile, or frail. XXXVIII. 5. - A foggy mist.] Here the effects of calumny in blasting a fair reputation, are expressed. Till on a day (that day is everie Prime, That ever to have toucht her I did deadly rew. XLI. "Her neather partes misshapen, monstruous, I saw before mine eyes, if I were knowne to stray. XLII. “The divelish hag, by chaunges of my cheare, Banisht from living wights, our wearie daies we waste." XLIII. "But how long time," said then the Elfin Knight, "Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?" 1 Origane, wild marjoram. 2 Then, than. XL. 4. 3 Decay, destruction. Everie Prime.] Prime here means spring. It is a com mon notion that witches are obliged to do penance once a year in some unsightly or bestial form. "We may not chaunge," quoth he, " this evill plight, Till we be bathed in a living Well: That is the terme prescribed by the spell." "O how," sayd he, "mote I that Well out find, Shall us restore; none else from hence may us unbynd." XLIV. The false Duessa, now Fidessa hight, Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament, But the good Knight, And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound: XLV. Her seeming dead he fownd with feigned feare, 4 As all unweeting of that well she knew; And paynd himselfe with busie care to reare 1 Well, well-being. 2 Kynd, nature. 3 Dreriment, sorrow. 4 Unweeting, unknowing. Of these enchanted lovers we hear no more. Upton conjectures that their disenchantment would have been effected in some subsequent book, had the poem been completed. CANTO III. Forsaken Truth long seekes her Love, 1. NOUGHT is there under heaven's wide hollownesse, I. 1. II. And now it is empassioned1 so deepe, For fairest Unaes sake, of whom I sing, That my frayle eies these lines with teares do steepe, 1 Empassioned, moved, Nought, &c.] In this canto the adventures of Una are re sumed, from the ninth stanza of the preceding canto. II. 5. — True as touch,] i. e. true as the touchstone by which other substances are tried, Is from her Knight divorced in despayre, And her dew loves deryv'd1 to that vyle Witches shayre. III. Yet she, most faithfull Ladie, all this while 2 Far from all peoples preace, as in exile, To seeke her Knight;. who, subtily betrayd Through that late vision which th' Enchaunter wrought, Had her abandond: She, of nought affrayd, Through woods and wastnes wide him daily sought; Yet wished tydinges none of him unto her brought. IV. One day, nigh wearie of the yrkesome way, V. It fortuned, out of the thickest wood A ramping lyon rushed suddeinly, 2 1 Deryo'd, transferred. Preace, press or throng. 3 Undight, took off. V. 2. A ramping lyon.] Upton conjectures the lion to be the English monarch, the defender of the faith. He seems rather to represent a manly and courageous people like the English, and the homage he pays to Una betokens the respect which would be felt by such a people to beauty and innocence. |