In the cool soile, after long thirstinesse,

Which he in chace endureth hath, now nigh breathlesse.

XLV.

Lightly he clipt her twixt his armës twaine,
And streightly did embrace her body bright,
Her body, late the prison of sad paine,

Now the sweet lodge of loue and dear delight:
But the faire lady, overcommen quight
Of huge affection, did in pleasure melt,

And in sweet ravishment pourd out her spright.
No word they spake, nor earthly thing they felt,
But like two senceless stocks in long embracements dwelt.

XLVI.

Had ye them seene, ye would have surely thought
That they had been that faire hermaphrodite,
Which that rich Roman of white marble wrought,
And in his costly bath caused to be site.3

So seemd those two, as growne together quite;
That Britomart, halfe enuying their blesse,
Was much empassiond in her gentle sprite,
And to her selfe oft wisht like happinesse:

In vaine she wisht, that fate n'ould let her yet possesse.
XLVII.

Thus doe those louers with sweet counteruayle,5
Each other of loues bitter fruit despoile.
But now my teme begins to faint and fayle,
All woxen weary of their iournallR toyle;
Therefore I will their sweatie yokes assoyle
At this same furrowes end, till a new day:
And ye, fair swayns, after your long turmoyle,
Now cease your worke, and at your pleasure play;
Now cease your work; to-morrow is an holy day.

XLVI. 4.-Costly bath.] This statue was found in the baths of Diocletian.

THE FOURTH BOOKE

OF

THE FAERIE QUEENE

CONTAYNING

THE LEGEND OF CAMBEL AND TRIAMOND, OR OF

FRIENDSHIP.

I.

THE rugged forhead, that with grave foresight
Welds kingdomes causes and affaires of state,
My looser rimes, I wote,2 doth sharply wite 3
For praising love as I have done of late,
And magnifying lovers deare debate;
By which fraile youth is oft to follie led,

Through false allurement of that pleasing baite,

That better were in vertues discipled,+

Then 5 with vaine poemes weeds to have their fancies fed.

II.

Such ones ill iudge of love, that cannot love,

Ne in their frosen hearts feele kindly flame:

1 Welds, wields.
2 Wote, know.
4 Discipled, disciplined.

3 Wite, blame.

5 Then, than.

I. 1.

The rugged forhead.] The lord treasurer Burleigh is supposed to be "the rugged forhead" here mentioned.

I. 9.- Weeds.] Here used for something noxious or useless.

Forthy they ought not thing unknowne reprove,

Ne naturall affection faultlesse blame

For fault of few that have abusd the same:

For it of honor and all vertue is

The roote, and brings forth glorious flowres of fame,
That crowne true lovers with immortall blis,

The meed of them that love, and do not live amisse.

III.

Which whoso list looke backe to former ages,
And call to count the things that then were donne,
Shall find that all the workes of those wise sages,
And brave exploits which great heroes wonne,
In love were either ended or begunne :
Witnesse the Father of Philosophie,

Which to his Critias, shaded oft from sunne,
Of love full manie lessons did apply,

The which these Stoicke censours cannot well deny.

IV.

To such therefore I do not sing at all;

But to that sacred Saint my soveraigne Queene,
In whose chast brest all bountie 2 naturall
And treasures of true love enlocked 3 beene,
Bove all her sexe that ever yet was seene;

To her I sing of love, that loveth best,
And best is lov'd of all alive I weene;

To her this song most fitly is addrest,

[blest.

The Queene of love, and Prince of peace from heaven

V.

Which that she may the better deigne to heare,

1 Forthy, therefore.

2 Bountie, generosity. Enlocked, enclosed, contained.

III. 6. Father of Philosophie.] Socrates.

Do thou, dred Infant, Venus dearling dove, From her high spirit chase imperious feare, And use of awfull maiestie remove: Insted thereof with drops of melting love, Deawd with ambrosiall kisses, by thee gotten From thy sweete-smyling Mother from above, Sprinckle her heart, and haughtie courage soften, That she may hearke to love, and reade this lesson often.

V. 3.- Imperious feare.] "Feare" here means that which inspires fear in others.

V. 5.- With drops of melting love, &c.] This language has an odd sound when we recollect that Queen Elizabeth, when this portion of the poem was published, was over sixty years old.

CANTO I.

Fayre Britomart saves Amoret:

Duessa discord breedes

Twixt Scudamour and Blandamour:
Their fight and warlike deedes.

I.

Or lovers sad calamities of old
Full many piteous stories doe remaine,
But none more piteous ever was ytold
Then1 that of Amorets hart-binding chaine,
And this of Florimels unworthie paine:
The deare compassion of whose bitter fit 2
My softned heart so sorely doth constraine,
That I with teares full oft doe pittie it,

And oftentimes doe wish it never had bene writ.

II.

For, from the time that Scudamour her bought 3
In perilous fight, she never ioyed day;
A perilous fight! when he with force her brought
From twentie Knights that did him all assay 4;
Yet fairely well he did them all dismay,
And with great glorie both the Shield of Love
And eke the Ladie selfe he brought away;

5

1 Then, than.

2 Fit, affliction.

3 Bought, won.

• Assay, assail.

5 Dismay, subdue.

11. 3. - A perilous fight.] Of the manner in which Scudamore won Amoret, we are informed hereafter, in the tenth canto of this book.