Thou falsed1 hast thy faith with periuree, And sold thy selfe to serve Duessa vild, With whom in all abuse thou hast thy selfe defild? XLVII. "Is not he iust, that all this doth behold From highest heven, and beares an equall eie? Is not His law, Let every sinner die, Die shall all flesh? What then must needs be donne? Is it not better to doe willinglie, Then linger till the glas be all out ronne? Death is the end of woes: Die soone, O Faries sonne." XLVIII. The Knight was much enmoved with his speach, XLIX. In which amazement when the Miscreaunt Perceived him to waver weake and fraile, 1 Falsed, broken. 2 Reverse, cause to return. VOL. I. 17 3 As, as if. 4 Table, picture. The damned ghosts, that doe in torments waile, And thousand feends, that doe them endlesse paine With fire and brimstone, which for ever shall remaine. L. The sight whereof so throughly him dismaid, And bad him choose, what death he would desire: For death was due to him, that had provokt Gods ire. LI. But whenas none of them he saw him take, And troubled blood through his pale face was seene At last, resolv'd to work his finall smart, He lifted up his hand, that backe againe did start. LII. Which whenas Una saw, through every vaine 1 Overcraw, overcrow, assume a superiority over. 2 Raught, reached. Crudled, curdled. 3 As, as if. Reliv'd, brought to life again. What meanest thou by this reprochfull strife? Is this the battaile, which thou vauntst to fight With that fire-mouthed Dragon, horrible and bright? LIII. "Come; come away, fraile, feeble, fleshly wight, Ne let vaine words bewitch thy manly hart, Ne divelish thoughts dismay thy constant spright: In heavenly mercies hast thou not a part? Why shouldst thou then despeire, that chosen art? Where justice growes, there growes eke greater grace, The which doth quench the brond of hellish smart, And that accurst hand-writing doth deface: Arise, sir Knight; arise, and leave this cursed place." LIV. So up he rose, and thence amounted1 streight. 'Till he should die his last, that is, eternally.* 1 Amounted, departed. 2 Drest, treated. LIV. 5.- Unbid.] This word may mean either without being di rected by any one,' or, without praying, i. e. without bidding his beads,' as used in the third stanza of the next canto. The powerful description of Despair, in this canto, is the portion of the poem which is said to have been submitted, in manuscript, to Sir Philip Sydney, and of which he testified his admiration in the liberal manner already related in the Life of Spenser. The story is, however, very improbable, and (as has been said) seeks to compliment the poet at the expense of the common sense of the patron. CANTO X. Her faithfull Knight faire Una brings Where he is taught repentaunce, and The way to hevenly blesse. I. WHAT man is he, that boasts of fleshly might Which, all so soone as it doth come to fight But all the good is Gods, both power and eke will. II. By that which lately hapned, Una saw That this her Knight was feeble, and too faint; She cast to bring him, where he chearen 2 might, Till he recovered had his late decayed plight. 1 Daint, delicate. 2 Chearen, be cheered. III. There was an auncient House not far away, Renowmd throughout the world for sacred lore Of wretched soules, and helpe the helpelesse pore: IV. Dame Cælia men did her call, as thought Though spousd, yet wanting wedlocks solemnize; Was lincked, and by him had many pledges dere. V. Arrived there, the dore they find fast lockt; With lookes full lowly cast, and gate full slow, 1 Thewes, accomplishments. IV. 1. 2 Fere, husband. III. 8. — Bidding of her bedes.] In prayers and devotional exercises. Dame Calia, &c.] Calia means heavenly. Fidelia, Speranza, and Charissa, as their names indicate, are Faith, Hope, and Charity. |