But the faire Lady ouercommen quight

Of huge affection, did in pleasure melt,

And in sweete rauifhment pourd out her spright : No word they spake, nor earthly thing they felt, But like two fenceles ftocks in long embracemèt dwelt.

Had ye them feene, ye would have furely thought,
That they had beene that faire Hermaphrodite,
Which that rich Roman of white marble wrought, 30
And in his coftly Bath caufd to bee fite:

So feemd those two, as growne together quite,
That Britomart halfe enuying their b[1]effe,
Was much empaffiond in her gentle fprite,
And to her felfe oft wifht like happineffe:

In vaine the wifht, that fate n'ould let her yet poffeffe.

Thus doe thofe louers with fweet counteruayle,

Each other of loues bitter fruit despoile. But now my teme begins to faint and fayle, All woxen weary of their iournal toyle : Therefore I will their fweatie yokes affoyle, At this fame furrowes end, till a new day: And ye faire fwayns, after your long turmoyle, Now ceafe your worke, and at your pleasure play: Now ceafe your worke; to morrow is an holy day.

1. 35, substituted for, of the original.

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FINIS.

THE FOVRTH

BOOKE OF THE
FAERIE QVEENE.

Containing

The Legend of CAMBEL and TELAMOND,

T

OR

OF FRIENDSHIP.

He rugged forhead that with graue forefight

Welds kingdomes caufes, & affaires of state,

1. 1-see general title-page for the two volumes of 1596 in Note, Vol. V., p. 2. Vol. I. contained B. I.-III., Vol. II., B. IV.-VI. As shown by the Various Readings, B. I.-III. of 1590 were carefully revised by the Author for the new edition in 1596. Of B. IV.-VI. there was no second edition during the Author's lifetime, and thus it remains the only authorised text. Consequently, while the Various Readings of B. I.-III. inevitably claimed record as having been the Poet's own, there is no such claim for after-editions, as of 1609, 1611, etc. But I have thought it expedient to place underneath such variations in spelling, etc., of 1609, when the "Faerie Queene" belonged to Mathew Lownes ("At London Printed by H. L. for Mathew Lownes ") as are helpful or interesting. But our text is a faithful reproduction of that of 1596, save a very few corrections, as noted in the places 1. 5, ' Telamond'—so in '96 and 1609. In 1611 altered to 'Triamond,' and since accepted. On this and kindred points see the Life in Vol. I. See C. II. 1. 283, et freq.: 1.9, State' 1609. Be it understood that unless otherwise stated my Variations are fetched from the folio of 1609.

My loofer rimes (I wote) doth sharply wite,
For praising loue, as I haue done of late,
And magnifying louers deare debate;
By which fraile youth is oft to follie led,

Through falfe allurement of that pleasing baite,
That better were in vertues difcipled,

ΙΟ

Then with vaine poemes weeds to haue their fancies fed.

Such ones ill iudge of loue, that cannot loue,

Ne in their frofen hearts feele kindly flame:
For thy, they ought not thing vnknowne reproue,
Ne naturall affection faultlesse blame,

For fault of few that haue abusd the same.
For it of honor and all vertue is

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The roote, and brings forth glorious flowres of fame, That crowne true louers with immortall blis, The meed of them that loue, and do not liue amiffe.

Which who fo lift looke backe to former ages,

And call to count the things that then were donne,
Shall find, that all the workes of thofe wife fages,
And braue exploits which great Heroes wonne,
In loue were either ended or begunne :
Witneffe the father of Philofophie,

Which to his Critias, fhaded oft from funne,
Of loue full manie leffons did apply,

The which thefe Stoicke cenfours cannot well deny.

To fuch therefore I do not fing at all,

But to that facred Saint my foueraigne Queene,

1. 13, after 'which ' : l. 19, ‘For-thy,' and so usually—, added.

30

In whofe chaft breaft all bountie naturall,
And treasures of true loue enlocked beene,

Boue all her sexe that euer yet was seene;
To her I fing of loue, that loueth best
And beft is lou'd of all aliue I weene:

To her this fong most fitly is addrest,

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The Queene of loue, & Prince of peace frõ heauen bleft.

Which that she may the better deigne to heare,

Do thou dred infant, Venus dearling doue,
From her high spirit chafe imperious feare,
And vse of awfull Maieftie remoue:

50

In fted thereof with drops of melting loue, Deawd with ambrofiall kisses, by thee gotten From thy fweete fmyling mother from aboue, Sprinckle her heart, and haughtie courage foften, That she may hearke to loue, and reade this leffon often. 1. 52, misprinted 'foften'.

OF

101010

Full many piteous ftories doe remaine,
But none more piteous euer was ytold,
Then that of Amorets hart-binding chaine,
And this of Florimels vnworthie paine :
The deare compaffion of whose bitter fit
My foftened heart fo forely doth constraine,
That I with teares full oft doe pittie it,
And oftentimes doe wifh it neuer had bene writ.

For from the time that Scudamour her bought
In perilous fight, fhe neuer ioyed day,

A perilous fight when he with force her brought
From twentie Knights, that did him all assay:
Yet fairely well he did them all difmay:
And with great glorie both the shield of loue,
And eke the Ladie felfe he brought away,

1. 1, pp. 3-4 are numbered '5-6,' and so onward in '96.

ΙΟ

20