The Faerie Queene

  And fostred vp with bitter milke of tine,

  Fowle Gealosie, that turnest loue diuine

  To ioylesse dread, and mak’st the louing hart

  With hatefull thoughts to languish and to pine,

  And feed it selfe with selfe-consuming smart?

  Of all the passions in the mind thou vilest art.

  2 O let him far be banished away,

  And in his stead let Loue for euer dwell,

  Sweet Loue, that doth his golden wings embay

  In blessed Nectar, and pure Pleasures well,

  Vntroubled of vile feare, or bitter fell.

  And ye faire Ladies, that your kingdomes make

  In th’harts of men, them gouerne wisely well,

  And of faire Britomart ensample take,

  That was as trew in loue, as Turtle to her make.

  3 Who with Sir Satyrane, as earst ye red,

  Forth ryding from Malbeccoes hosdesse hous,

  Far off aspyde a young man, the which fled

  From an huge Geaunt, that with hideous

  And hatefull outrage long him chaced thus;

  It was that Ollyphant, the brother deare

  Of that Argante vile and vitious,

  From whom the Squire of Dames was reft whylere;

  This all as bad as she, and worse, if worse ought were.

  4 For as die sister did in feminine

  And filthy lust exceede all woman kind,

  So he surpassed his sex masculine,

  In beastly vse that I did euer find;

  Whom when as Britomart beheld behind

  The fearefull boy so greedily pursew,

  She was emmoued in her noble mind,

  T’employ her puissaunce to his reskew,

  And pricked fiercely forward, where she him did vew.

  5 Ne was Sir Satyrane her far behinde,

  But with like fiercenesse did ensew the chace:

  Whom when the Gyaunt saw, he soone resinde

  His former suit, and from them fled apace;

  They after both, and boldly bad him bace,

  And each did striue the other to out-goe,

  But he them both outran a wondrous space,

  For he was long, and swift as any Roe,

  And now made better speed, t’escape his feared foe.

  6 It was not Satyrane, whom he did feare,

  But Britomart the flowre of chastity;

  For he the powre of chast hands might not beare,

  But alwayes did their dread encounter fly:

  And now so fast his feet he did apply,

  That he has gotten to a forrest neare,

  Where he is shrowded in security.

  The wood they enter, and search euery where,

  They searched diuersely, so both diuided were.

  7 Faire Britomart so long him followed,

  That she at last came to a fountaine sheare,

  By which there lay a knight all wallowed

  Vpon the grassy ground, and by him neare

  His haberieon, his helmet, and his speare;

  A little off, his shield was rudely throwne,

  On which the winged boy in colours cleare

  Depeincted was, full easie to be knowne,

  And he thereby, where euer it in field was showne.

  8 His face vpon the ground did groueling ly,

  As if he had bene slombring in the shade,

  That the braue Mayd would not for courtesy,

  Out of his quiet slomber him abrade,

  Nor seeme too suddeinly him to inuade:

  Still as she stood, she heard with grieuous throb

  Him grone, as if his hart were peeces made,

  And with most painefull pangs to sigh and sob,

  That pitty did the Virgins hart of patience rob.

  9 At last forth breaking into bitter plaintes

  He said; ô soueraigne Lord that sit’st on bye,

  And raignst in bus emongst thy blessed Saintes,

  How suffrest thou such shamefull cruelty,

  So long vnwreaked of thine enimy?

  Or hast thou, Lord, of good mens cause no heed?

  Or doth thy iustice sleepe, and silent ly?

  What booteth then the good and righteous deed,

  If goodnesse find no grace, nor righteousnesse no meed?

  10 If good find grace, and righteousnesse reward,

  Why then is Amoret in caytiue band,

  Sith that more bounteous creature neuer far’d

  On foot, vpon the face of liuing land?

  Or if that heauenly iustice may withstand

  The wrongfull outrage of vnrighteous men,

  Why then is Busirane with wicked hand

  Suffred, these seuen monethes day in secret den

  My Lady and my loue so cruelly to pen?

  11 My Lady and my loue is cruelly pend

  In dolefull darkenesse from the vew of day,

  Whilest deadly torments do her chast brest rend,

  And the sharpe Steele doth riue her hart in tway,

  All for she Scudamore will not denay.

  Yet thou vile man, vile Scudamore art sound,

  Ne canst her ayde, ne canst her foe dismay;

  Vnworthy wretch to tread vpon the ground,

  For whom so faire a Lady feeles so sore a wound.

  12 There an huge heape of singulfes did oppresse

  His strugling soule, and swelling throbs empeach

  His foltring toung with pangs of drerinesse,

  Choking the remnant of his plaintfie speach,

  As if his dayes were come to their last reach.

  Which when she heard, and saw the ghastly fit,

  Threatning into his life to make a breach,

  Both with great ruth and terrour she was smit,

  Fearing least from her cage the wearie soule would flit

  13 Tho stooping downe she him amoued light;

  Who therewith somewhat starting, vp gan looke,

  And seeing him behind a straunger knight,

  Whereas no liuing creature he mistooke,

  With great indignaunce he that sight forsooke,

  And downe againe himselfe disdainefully

  Abiecting, th’earth with his faire forhead strooke:

  Which the bold Virgin seeing, gan apply

  Fit med’dne to his griefe, and spake thus courtesly.

  14 Ah gentle knight, whose deepe concerned griefe

  Well seemes t’exceede the powre of patience,

  Yet if that heauenly grace some good reliefe

  You send, submit you to high prouidence,

  And euer in your noble hart prepense,

  That all the sorrow in the world is lesse,

  Then vertues might, and values confidence,

  For who nill bide the burden of distresse,

  Must not here thinke to liue: for life is wretchednesse.

  15 Therefore, faire Sir, do comfort to you take,

  And freely read, what wicked felon so

  Hath outrag’d you, and thrald your gentle make.

  Perhaps this hand may helpe to ease your woe,

  And wreake your sorrow on your cruell foe,

  At least it faire endeuour will apply.

  Those feeling wordes so neare the quicke did goe,

  That vp his head he reared easily,

  And leaning on his elbow, these few wordes let fly.

  16 What boots it plaine, that cannot be redrest,

  And sow vaine sorrow in a fruitlesse eare,

  Sith powre of hand, nor skill of learned brest,

  Ne worldly price cannot redeeme my deare,

  Out of her thraldome and continuall feare?

  For he the tyraunt, which her hath in ward

  By strong enchauntments and blacke Magicke leare,

  Hath in a dungeon deepe her close embard,

  And many dreadfull feends hath pointed to her gard.

  17 There he tormenteth her most terribly,

  And day and night afflicts wi
th mortall paine,

  Because to yield him loue she doth deny,

  Once to me yold, not to be yold againe:

  But yet by torture he would her constraine

  Loue to conceiue in her disdainfull brest,

  Till so she do, she must in doole remaine,

  Ne may by liuing meanes be thence relest:

  What boots it then to plaine, that cannot be redrest?

  18 With this sad hersall of his heauy stresse,

  The warlike Damzell was empassiond sore,

  And said; Sir knight, your cause is nothing lesse,

  Then is your sorrow, certes if not more;

  For nothing so much pitty doth implore,

  As gentle Ladies helplesse misery.

  But yet, if please ye listen to my lore,

  I will with proofe of last extremity,

  Deliuer her fro thence, or with her for you dy.

  19 Ah gentlest knight aliue, (said Scudamore)

  What huge heroicke magnanimity

  Dwels in thy bounteous brest? what couldst thou more,

  If she were thine, and thou as now am I?

  O spare thy happy dayes, and them apply

  To better boot, but let me dye, that ought;

  More is more losse: one is enough to dy.

  Life is not lost, (said she) for which is bought

  Endlesse renowm, that more then death is to be sought

  20 Thus she at length perswaded him to rise,

  And with her wend, to see what new successe

  Mote him befall vpon new enterprise;

  His armes, which he had vowed to disprofesse,

  She gathered vp and did about him dresse,

  And his forwandred steed vnto him got:

  So forth they both yfere make their progresse,

  And march not past the mountenaunce of a shot,

  Till they arriu’d, whereas their purpose they did plot

  21 There they dismounting, drew their weapons bold

  And stoutly came vnto the Castle gate;

  Whereas no gate they found, them to withhold,

  Nor ward to wait at morne and euening late,

  But in the Porch, that did them sore amate,

  A flaming fire, ymixt with smouldry smoke,

  And stinking Sulphure, that with griesly hate

  And dreadfull horrour did all entraunce choke,

  Enforced them their forward footing to reuoke.

  22 Greatly thereat was Britomart dismayd,

  Ne in that stownd wist, how her selfe to beare;

  For daunger vaine it were, to haue assayd

  That cruell element, which all things feare,

  Ne none can suffer to approchen neare:

  And turning backe to Scudamour, thus sayd;

  What monstrous enmity prouoke we heare,

  Foolhardy as th’Earthes children, the which made

  Battell against the Gods? so we a God inuade.

  23 Daunger without discretion to attempt,

  Inglorious and beastlike is: therefore Sir knight,

  Aread what course of you is safest dempt,

  And how we with our foe may come to fight

  This is (quoth he) the dolorous despight,

  Which earst to you I playnd: for neither may

  This fire be quencht by any wit or might,

  Ne yet by any meanes remou’d away,

  So mighty be th’enchauntments, which the same do stay.

  24 What is there else, but cease these fruidesse paines,

  And leaue me to my former languishing;

  Faire Amoret must dwell in wicked chaines,

  And Scudamore here dye widi sorrowing.

  Perdy not so; (said she) for shamefull thing

  It were t’abandon noble cheuisaunce,

  For shew of perill, without venturing:

  Rather let try extremities of chaunce,

  Then enterprised prayse for dread to disauaunce.

  25 Therewithresolu’d to proue her vtmost might,

  Her ample shield she threw before her race,

  And her swords point directing forward right,

  Assayld the flame, the which eftsoones gaue place,

  And did it sdfe diuide with equall space,

  That through she passed; as a thunder bolt

  Perceth the yielding ayre, and dothdisplace

  The soring clouds into sad showres ymolt;

  So to her yold the flames, and did their force reuolt.

  26 Whom whenas Scudamour saw past die fire,

  Safe and vntoucht, he likewise gan assay,

  With greedy will, and enuious desire,

  And bad the stubborne flames to yield him way:

  But cruell Mulciber would not obay

  His threatfull pride, but did die more augment

  His mighty rage, and widi imperious sway

  Him forst (maulgre) his fiercenesse to relent,

  And backe retire, all scorcht and pitifully brent

  27 With huge impatience he inly swelt,

  More for great sorrow, that he could not pas,

  Then forthe burning torment, which he felt,

  That with fell woodnesse he effierced was,

  And wilfully him throwing onthe gras,

  Did beat and bounse bis head and brest full sore;

  The whiles the Championesse now entred has

  The vtmost rowme, and past the formest dore,

  The vtmost rowme, abounding with all precious store.

  28 For round about, the wals yclothed were

  With goodly arras of great maiesty,

  Wouen with gold and silke so dose and nere,

  That the rich metall lurked priuily,

  As faining to be hid from enuious eye;

  Yet here, and there, and euery where vnwares

  It shewd it selfe, and shone vnwillingly;

  Like a discolourd Snake, whose hidden snares

  Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht backe

  [declares.

  29 And in those Tapets weren fashioned

  Many faire pourtraicts, and many a faire feate,

  And all of loue, and all of lusty-hed,

  As seemed by their semblaunt did entreat;

  And eke all Cupids warres they did repeate,

  And cruell battels, which he whilome fought

  Gainst all the Gods, to make his empire great;

  Besides the huge massacres, which he wrought

  On mighty kings and kesars, into thraldome brought.

  30 Therein was writ, how often thundring Ioue

  Had felt the point of his hart-percing dart,

  And leauing heauens kingdome, here did roue

  In straunge disguize, to slake his scalding smart;

  Now like a Ram, faire Helle to peruart,

  Now like a Bull, Europa to withdraw:

  Ah, how the fearefull Ladies tender hart

  Did liuely seeme to tremble, when she saw

  The huge seas vnder her t’obay her seruaunts law.

  31 Soone after that into a golden showre

  Him selfe he chaung’d faire Danaë to vew,

  And through the roofe of her strong brasen towre

  Did raine into her lap an hony dew,

  The whiles her foolish garde, that little knew

  Of such deceipt, kept th’yron dore fast bard,

  And watcht, that none should enter nor issew;

  Vaine was the watch, and bootlesse all the ward,

  Whenas the God to golden hew him selfe transfard.

  32 Then was he turnd into a snowy Swan,

  To win faire Leda to his louely trade:

  O wondrous skill, and sweet wit of the man,

  That her in daffadillies sleeping made,

  From scorching heat her daintie limbes to shade:

  Whiles the proud Bird ruffing his fethers wyde,

  And brushing his faire brest, did her inuade;

  She slept, yet twixt her eyelids closely spyde,

  How towards
her he rusht, and smiled at his pryde.

  33 Then shewd it, how the Thebane Semelee

  Deceiu’d of gealous Iuno, did require

  To see him in his soueraigne maiestee,

  Armd with his thunderbolts and lightning fire,

  Whence dearely she with death bought her desire.

  But faire Alcmena better match did make,

  Ioying his Ioue in likenesse more entire;

  Three nights in one, they say, that for her sake

  He then did put, her pleasures lenger to partake.

  34 Twise was he seene in soaring Eagles shape,

  And with wide wings to beat the buxome ayre,

  Once, when he with Asterie did scape,

  Againe, when as the Troiane boy so faire

  He snatcht from Ida hill, and with him bare:

  Wondrous delight it was, there to behould,

  How the rude Shepheards after him did stare,

  Trembling through feare, least down he fallen should

  And often to him calling, to take surer hould.

  35 In Satyres shape Antiopa he snatcht:

  And like a fire, when he Aegin assayd:

  A shepheard, when Mnemosyne he catcht:

  And like a Serpent to the Thracian mayd.

  Whiles thus on earth great Ioue these pageaunts playd,

  The winged boy did thrust into his throne,

  And scoffing, thus vnto his mother sayd,

  Lo now the heauens obey to me alone,

  And take me for their Ioue, whiles Ioue to earth is gone.

  36 And thou, faire Phoebus, in thy colours bright

  Wast there enwouen, and the sad distresse,

  In which that boy thee plonged, for despight,

  That thou bewray’dst his mothers wantonnesse,

  When she with Mars was meynt in ioyfulnesse:

  For thy he thrild thee with a leaden dart,

  To loue faire Daphne, which thee loued lesse:

  Lesse she thee lou’d, then was thy iust desart,

  Yet was thy loue her death, & her death was thy smart.

  37 So louedst thou the lusty Hyacinct,

  So louedst thou the faire Coronis deare:

  Yet both are of thy haplesse hand extinct,

  Yet both in flowres do liue, and loue thee beare,

  The one a Paunce, the other a sweet breare:

  For griefe whereof, ye mote haue liuely seene

  The God himselfe rending his golden heare,

  And breaking quite his gyrlond euer greene,

  With other signes of sorrow and impatient teene.

  38 Both for those two, and for his owne deare sonne,

  The sonne of Climene he did repent,

  Who bold to guide the charet of the Sunne,

  Himselfe in thousand peeces fondly rent,

  And all the world with flashing fier brent,

  So like, that all the walles did seeme to flame.