"Henceforth, Sir Knight, take to you wonted " ftrength, "And maister these mishaps with patient might: "Loe where your foelies ftretcht in monitrous "length; "And loe that wicked woman in your fight, "The roote of all your care and wretched plight, "Now in your powre, to let her live or die." "To doe her die," quoth Una, "were defpight, "And fhame t'avenge fo weake an enimy; "But fpoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly." XLVI. So as the bad, that witch they difaraid, XLVII. Her crafty head was altogether bald, So fcabby was, that would have loath'd all womankind. XLVIII. Her neather parts, the shame of all her kind, XLIX. Which when the knights beheld,amaz'd they were, And wondred at fo fowle deformed wight. "Such then," faid Una, " as she seemeth here, "Such is the face of Falfhood, fuch the fight "Of fowle Dueffa, when her borrowed light "Is laid away, and counterfefaunce knowne." Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight, And all her filthy feature open fhowne, They let her goe at will, and wander waies unknowne. L. She flying fast from heaven's hated face, To reft themselves, and weary powres repaire, rare. THE FAERY QUEEN E. BOOK I CANTO IX. His loves and lignage Arthure tells; O GOODLY golden chayne, wherewith yfere As this good prince redeemd the Red-croffe knight from bands. II. IV. "Unto old Timon he me brought bylive; "Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath bee "In warlike feates th' expertest man alive, "And is the wisest now on earth I weene: "His dwelling is low in a valley greene, "Under the foot of Rauran moffy hore, "From whence the river Dee, as filver cleene "His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore: "There all my daies he trained me up in vertu ❝lore. V. "Thether the great magicien Merlin came, "As was his ufe, oft-times to visit mee; "For he had charge my difcipline to frame, "And tutor's nouriture to oversee. "Him oft and oft I afkt in privity, "Of what loines and what lignage I did fpring "Whofe aunfwere bad be still affured bee, "That I was fonne and heir unto a king, "As Time in her iuft term the truth to li "fhould bring." VI. "Well worthy Impe," said then the lady gent, "And pupil fit for fuch a tutor's hand; "But what adventure, or what high intent, "Hath brought you hether into Fary Land, "Aread, Prince Arthure, crowne of mart "band." "Full hard it is," quoth he, " to read aright "The courfe of heavenly caufe, or understand "The fecret meaning of th' eternall might, "That rules mens waics, and rules the thought living wight: Canto IX. VII. « For whether he, through fatal deepe forefight, "Me hether fent, for caufe to me unghest, *Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and "night "Whilome doth rancle in my riven breft, "With forced fury following his behest, Me hether brought by wayes yet never found, "You to have helpt I hold myself yet bleft." "Ah! courteous Knight," quoth fhe, "what " fecret wound "Could ever find to grieve the gentleft hart on 61 ground?" VIII. "Dear Dame," quoth he, “you sleeping sparkes « awake, Which, troubled once, into huge flames will grow; "Ne ever will their fervent fury flake, "Till living moisture into smoke do flow, "And wafted life doe lye in afhes low. "Yet fithens filence leffeneth not my fire, "But told it flames, and hidden it does glow, "I will revele what you so much defire. "Ah! Love, lay down thy bow, the whiles I may refpyre. IX. "It was in fresheft flowre of youthly yeares, "When corage first does creepe in manly cheft; " Then first that cole of kindly heat appeares "To kindle love in every living breft; "But me had warned old Timon's wife behest, "Thofe creeping flames by reason to subdew, "Before their rage grew to fo great unreft, "As miferable lovers ufe to rew, "Which still wex old in woe, whiles woe ftill "wezeth new. X. "That ydle name of love, and lovers life, "As loffe of time, and vertues enimy, "I ever fccrn'd, and ioyd to stirre up ftrife, "In middeft of their mournful tragedy; Ay wont to laugh, when them I heard to cry, "And blow the fire which them to afhes brent: "Their God himselfe, grieved at my libertie, Shott many a dart at me with fiers intent; "But I them warded all with wary government. XI. "But all in vaine; no fort can be fo ftrong, "Ne fleshly breft can armed be so sownd, "But will at last be wonne with battrie long, * Or unawares at difadvantage fownd: Nothing is fure that growes on earthly grownd. "And who most trustes in arme of fiefhly might, " And boasts in beauties chain not to be bownd, "Doth foonest fall in disadventrous fight, "And yeeldes his caytive neck to victours most despight. XII. Enfample make of him your hapleffe ioy, "And of my felfe now mated, as ye fee, " Whose prouder vaunt that proud avenging [bertee: « Boy Did foone pluck downe, and curbd my li "When I awoke, and found her place devoyd, "And nought but preffed gras where he had "lyen, "I forrowed all fo much as erft I ioy'd, "And washed all her place with watry cyen. "From that day forth I lov'd that face divyne, "From that day forth I caft in careful mynd, "To feeke her out with labor and long tyne, "And never vow to reft till her I fynd: "Nyne monthes I seek in vain, yet ni'll that vow unbynd." "O happy Queen of Facries, that haft fownd, Mongit many, one that this great proweffe may "Defend thine honour, and thy foes confownd. "True lovers are often fown, but feldom grow " on ground." [knight, "Thine, O!" then faid the gentle Red-crofle "Next to that ladies love fhal be the place, "O fayreft Virgin! full of heavenly light, "Whofe wondrous faith, exceeding earthly race, "Was firmeft fixt in myne extremest case. "And you, my Lord, the patrone of my life, "Of that greate quecne may well gaine worthie grace; "For cnely worthie you, through prowes priefe, (Yf living man mote worthie be) to be her "liefe." And fad remembraunce now the prince amoves Gave goodly gifts, the fignes of gratefull mynd, And eke the pledges firme, right hands together ioynd. XIX. Prince Arthur gave a box of diamond sure, XX. Thus beene they parted; Arthur on his way XXI. So as they traveild, lo they gan efpy XXII. Nigh as he drew, they might perceive his head XXIII. The Red-croffe knight toward him crossed fast, To weet what mifter wight was so dismay'd; There him he findes all fenceleffe and aghaft, That of himselfe he feemd to be afrayd; Whom hardly he from flying forward stayd, Till he thefe wordes to him deliver might; "Sir Knight, aread who hath ус thus arayd, "And eke from whom make ye this hafty flight? "For never knight I faw in fuch miffeeming plight." XXIV. He anfwerd nought at all; but adding new Feare to his firft amazement, ftaring wide "And am I now in fafetie fure," quoth he, "From him that would have forced me to dye? "And is the point of death now turnd fro mee, ❝hat I may tell this hapleffe history?" "Feare nought," quoth he, " no daunger now is nye." "Then fhall I you recount a ruefull cace," Said he, "the which with this unlucky eye "I late beheld, and, had not greater grace Me reft from it, had bene partaker of the place. |