Cant. XII.

The mafke of Cupid, and th'enchaunted
Chamber are displayd,

Whence Britomart redeemes faire

Amoret, through charmes decayd.

TH

Ho when as cheareleffe Night ycouered had Faire heauen with an vniuerfall cloud, That euery wight difmayd with darknesse sad, In filence and in fleepe themfelues did fhroud, She heard a fhrilling Trompet found aloud, Signe of nigh battell, or got victory;

Nought therewith daunted was her courage proud, But rather stird to cruell enmity,

Expecting euer, when fome foe fhe might defcry.

With that, an hideous ftorme of winde arofe,
With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt,
And an earth-quake, as if it ftreight would lose
The worlds foundations from his centre fixt;
A direfull ftench of smoke and fulphure mixt
Enfewd, whose noyance fild the fearefull fted,
From the fourth houre of night vntill the fixt;

ΙΟ

20

1. 2, 'enchanted': 1. 7, Fayre . . . clowd,' and so 'w' for 'u'in stanza's rhyme-words: 1. 8, 'darkenes': 1. 11, ‘battaill' : 1. 17, ‘carthquake' : 1. 20, 'noyaunce': 1. 21, 'howre.'

Yet the bold Britoneffe was nought ydred, Though much emmou'd, but ftedfaft ftill perfeuered.

All fuddenly a ftormy whirlwind blew

Throughout the house, that clapped euery dore,
With which that yron wicket open flew,
As it with mightie leuers had bene tore :
And forth iffewd, as on the ready flore
Of fome Theatre, a graue perfonage,
That in his hand a branch of laurell bore,
With comely haueour and count'nance fage,
Yclad in coftly garments, fit for tragicke Stage.

Proceeding to the midft, he still did stand,

As if in mind he fomewhat had to fay,
And to the vulgar beckning with his hand,
In figne of filence, as to heare a play,
By liuely actions he gan bewray
Some argument of matter paffioned;
Which doen, he backe retyred soft away,
And passing by, his name discouered,
Eafe, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

The noble Mayd, ftill ftanding, all this vewd,
And merueild at his ftrange intendiment ;
With that a ioyous fellowship ifsewd
Of Minstrals, making goodly meriment,
With wanton Bardes, and Rymers impudent,
All which together fung full chearefully

A lay of loues delight, with sweet confent:

30

40

1. 24, 'fuddeinly': 1. 27, 'mighty': I. 28, yfewd. . . readie': 1. 30, ' braunch': l. 33, ‘fiil': 1. 34, ' minde’: 1. 35, ‘vulgare ': 1. 42,, added after Standing': 1. 43, fraunge: 1. 45, Minftrales': 1. 47, Jong': 1. 48, concent.'

After whom marcht a iolly company,

In manner of a maske, enranged orderly.

The whiles a moft delitious harmony,

In full ftraunge notes was sweetly heard to found, That the rare sweetnesse of the melody

The feeble senses wholly did confound,

And the fraile foule in deepe delight nigh dround: And when it ceaft, fhrill trompets loud did bray, That their report did farre away rebound,

And when they ceaft, it gan againe to play, The whiles the maskers marched forth in trim aray. /

The first was Fancy, like a louely boy,

Of rare aspect, and beautie without peare;
Matchable either to that ympe of Troy,
Whom Ioue did loue, and chofe his cup to beare,
Or that fame daintie lad, which was fo deare
To great Alcides, that when as he dyde,
He wailed womanlike with many a teare,

And euery wood, and euery valley wyde

50

60

He fild with Hylas name; the Nymphes eke Hylas cryde.

His garment neither was of filke nor fay,

But painted plumes, in goodly order dight,
Like as the funburnt Indians do aray

Their tawney bodies, in their proudest plight:
As those same plumes, fo feemd he vaine and light,
That by his gate might easily appeare;

For ftill he far'd as dauncing in delight,

70

1. 54, fences wholy': 1. 55, 'frayle . . . drownd': 1. 56, 'lowd': 1. 57, 'far': 1. 60, 'Boy': l. 61,, for ;: 1. 67, 'word,' and not noted in 'Faults escaped': 1. 69, ‘nether' : 1. 70, ‘paynted.'

And in his hand a windy fan did beare,

That in the idle aire he mou'd ftill here and there.

And him befide marcht amorous Defyre,

Who feemd of riper yeares, then th'other Swaine,
Yet was that other fwayne this elders fyre,
And gaue him being, commune to them twaine :
His garment was disguised very vaine,
And his embrodered Bonet fat awry ;

80

Twixt both his hands few sparkes he close did straine, Which still he blew, and kindled bufily,

That foone they life conceiu'd, & forth in flames did fly.

Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a difcolour'd cote, of ftraunge disguyfe,
That at his backe a brode Capuccio had,
And fleeues dependant Albanefe-wyle:
He/lookt afkew with his mistrustfull eyes,
And nicely trode, as thornes lay in his way,
Or that the flore to fhrinke he did auyfe,
And on a broken reed he ftill did stay

His feeble steps, which fhrunke, when hard theron he lay.

90

With him went Daunger, cloth' in ragged weed,
Made of Beares fkin, that him more dreadfull made,
Yet his owne face was dreadfull, ne did need
Straunge horrour, to deforme his griefly fhade;

1. 77, 'ydle ayre' : 1. 79, ' ryper' : ib., ‘Swayne,' and so 'y' for '¿' in stanza's rhyme-words: 1. 80, 'other' in 1609-accepted for 'others' of '90 and '96: 1. 82, disguysed': 1. 84. 'Sparks': 1. 86, 'and': 1. 90, ‘dependaunt': 1. 92, 'nycely': l. 94,, after 'flay' : 1. 95, 'fhrunck'; l. 99,, for ;.

A net in th'one hand, and a rustie blade
In th'other was, this Mischiefe, that Mishap;
With th'one his foes he threatned to inuade,
With th'other he his friends ment to enwrap:
For whom he could not kill, he practizd to entrap,

Next him was Feare, all arm'd from top to toe,
Yet thought himselfe not safe enough thereby,
But feard each fhadow mouing to and fro,
And his owne armes when glittering he did spy,
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,
As afhes pale of hew, and wingyheeld;
And euermore on daunger fixt his eye,

Gainst whom he alwaies bent a brafen fhield,

Which his right hand vnarmed fearefully did wield.

With him went Hope in rancke, a handfome Mayd,
Of chearefull looke and louely to behold;
In filken famite fhe was light arayd,

And her faire lockes were wouen vp in gold;
She alway fmyld, and in her hand did hold
An holy water Sprinckle, dipt in deowe,
With which she fprinckled fauours manifold,
On whom the lift, and did great liking fheowe,
Great liking vnto many, but true loue to feowe.

And after them Diffemblance and Suspect

Marcht in one rancke, yet an vnequall paire :
For fhe was gentle, and of milde aspect,
Courteous to all, and feeming debonaire,

:

100

ΠΙΟ

I20

1. 100, 'rusty' 1. 101, 'mishap': I. 107, 'too or froe': 1. 110, 'winged heeld' 1. 112, 'alwayes': 1. 117, 'fayre': 1. 123, Dissemblaunce,' and so l. 134.