LIV.

"Thereat that formost matrone me did blame,
"And sharpe rebuke, for being over-bold;
"Saying it was to knight unseemely shame,
"Upon a recluse virgin to lay hold,
"That unto Venus' services was sold.
“To whom I thus, Nay, but it fitteth best
"For Cupid's man with Venus' mayd to hold,
"For ill your goddesse services are drest
"By virgins, and her sacrifices let to rest.

LV.

"With that my shield I forth to her did show, "Which all that while I closely had conceld; "On which when Cupid with his killing bow "And cruell shafts emblazond she beheld, "At sight thereof she was with terror queld, "And said no more: but I, which all that while, "The pledge of faith, her hand engaged held, "Like warie hynd within the weedie soyle, "For no intreatie would forgoe so glorious spoyle. LVI.

"And evermore upon the goddesse face

"Mine eye was fixt, for feare of her offence; "Whom when I saw with amiable grace "To laugh on me, and favour my pretence, "I was emboldned with more confidence, "And nought for nicenesse nor for envy sparing, "In presence of them all forth led her thence, "All looking on, and like astonisht staring, "Yet to lay hand on her not one of all them daring.

LVII.

"She often pray'd, and often me besought, "Sometime with tender teares to let her goe, "Sometime with witching smyles; but yet for nought

"That ever she to me could say or doe, "Could she her wished freedome fro me wooe; "But forth I led her through the temple gate, "By which I hardly past with much adoe; "But that same ladie which me friended late "In entrance, did me also friend in my retrate. LVIII.

"No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread, "Whenas he saw me, maugre all his powre, "That glorious spoyle of beautie with me lead, "Then Cerberus, when Orpheus did recoure "His leman from the Stygian prince's boure: "But evermore my shield did me defend "Against the storme of every dreadfull stoure; "Thus safely with my love I thence did wend.” So ended he his tale, where I this Canto end.

THE FAERY QUEENE.

BOOK IV. CANTO XI.

Marinell's former wound is heald;

He comes to Proteus' hall,

Where Thames doth the Medway wedd,
And feasts the sea-gods all.

I.

BUT ah for pittie! that I have thus long
Left a fayre ladie languishing in payne:
Now well away! that I have doen such wrong,
To let faire Florimell in bands remayne,

In bands of love, and in sad thraldomes chayne,
From which unlesse some heavenly powre her free
By miracle, not yet appearing playne,

She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee;

That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.

II.

Here neede you to remember, how erewhile
Unlovely Proteus, missing to his mind
That virgin's love to win by wit or wile,
Her threw into a dongeon deepe and blind,
And there in chaynes her cruelly did bind,
In hope thereby her to his bent to draw ;
For whenas neither gifts nor graces kind
Her constant mind could move at all he saw,

He thought her to compell by crueltie and awe.

III.

Deepe in the bottome of an huge great rocke
The dongeon was in which her bound he left,
That neither yron barres nor brasen locke
Did neede to gard from force or secret theft
Of all her lovers which would her have reft ;
For wall'd it was with waves, which rag'd and ror'd
As they the cliffe in pieces would have cleft;
Besides, ten thousand monsters foule abhor'd
Did waite about it, gaping griesly, all begor'd.
IV.

And in the midst thereof did Horror dwell,
And Darkenesse dredd, that never viewed day,
Like to the balefull house of lowest hell,
In which old Styx her aged bones alway

(Old Styx, the grandame of the gods) doth lay: There did this lucklesse mayd seven months abide, Ne ever evening saw, ne morning's ray,

Ne ever from the day the night descride,

[vide. But thought it all one night, that did no houres di

V.

All this was for love of Marinell,

Who her despys'd (ah! who would her despyse?)
And wemens love did from his hart expell,
And all those ioyes that weake mankind entyse.
Nathlesse his pride full dearely he did pryse,
For of a woman's hand it was ywroke,
That of the wound he yet in languor lyes,
Ne can be cured of that cruell stroke

Which Britomart him gave when he did her provoke.

VI.

Yet farre and neare the nymph his mother sought,
And many salves did to his sore applie,

And many herbes did use; but whenas nought
She saw could ease his rankling maladie,
At last to Tryphon she for helpe did hie,
(This Tryphon is the sea-gods surgeon hight)
Whom she besought to find some remedie,
And for his paines a whistle him behight,
That of a fishes shell was wrought with rare delight.
VII.

So well that leach did hearke to her request,
And did so well employ his carefull paine,
That in short space his hurts he had redrest,
And him restor❜d to healthfull state againe,
In which he long time after did remaine
There with the nymph his mother, like her thrall;
Who sore against his will did him retaine,
For feare of perill which to him mote fall

[all.

Through his too ventrous prowesse, proved over
VIII.

It fortun'd then a solemne feast was there
To all the sea-gods and their fruitfull seede,
In honour of the spousalls which then were
Betwixt the Medway and the Thames agreed.
Long had the Thames (as we in records reed)
Before that day her wooed to his bed,
But the proud nymph would for no worldy meed,
Nor no entreatie, to his love be led,

Till now at last relenting she to him was wed.