The Faerie Queene (49 page)

And soueraine fauour towards chastity,

Doe succour send to her distressed cace:

So much high God doth innocence embrace.

It fortuned, whilest thus she stifly stroue,

And the wide sea importuned long space

With shrilling shriekes,
Proteus
abrode did roue,

Along the fomy waues drilling his finny droue.

30
Proteus
is Shepheard of the seas of yore,

And hath the charge of
Neptunes
mightie heard;

An aged sire with head all frory hore,

And sprinckled frost vpon his deawy beard:

Who when those pittifull outcries he heard,

Through all the seas so ruefully resound,

His charet swift in haste he thither steard,

Which with a teeme of scaly
Phocas
bound

Was drawne vpon the waues, that fomed him around.

31
And comming to that Fishers wandring bote,

That went at will, withouten carde or sayle,

He therein saw that yrkesome sight, which smote

Deepe indignation and compassion frayle

Into his hart attonce: streight did he hayle

The greedy villein from his hoped pray,

Of which he now did very litle fayle,

And with his staffe, that driues his Heard astray,

Him bet so sore, that life and sense did much dismay.

32
The whiles the pitteous Ladie vp did ryse,

Ruffled and fowly raid with filthy soyle,

And blubbred face with teares of her faire eyes:

Her heart nigh broken was with weary toyle,

To saue her selfe from that outrageous spoyle,

But when she looked vp, to weet, what wight

Had her from so infamous fact assoyld,

For shame, but more for feare of his grim sight,

Downe in her lap she hid her face, and loudly shright.

33
Her selfe not saued yet from daunger dred

She thought, but chaung'd from one to other feare;

Like as a fearefull Partridge, that is fled

From the sharpe Hauke, which her attached neare,

And fals to ground, to seeke for succour theare,

Whereas the hungry Spaniels she does spy,

With greedy iawes her readie for to teare;

In such distresse and sad perplexity

Was
Florimell,
when
Proteus
she did see thereby.

34
But he endeuoured with speeches milde

Her to recomfort, and accourage bold,

Bidding her feare no more her foeman vilde,

Nor doubt himselfe; and who he was, her told.

Yet all that could not from affright her hold,

Ne to recomfort her at all preuayld;

For her faint heart was with the frozen cold

Benumbd so inly, that her wits nigh fayld,

And all her senses with abashment quite were quayld.

35
Her vp betwixt his rugged hands he reard,

And with his frory lips full softly kist,

Whiles the cold ysickles from his rough beard,

Dropped adowne vpon her yuorie brest:

Yet he himselfe so busily addrest,

That her out of astonishment he wrought,

And out of that same fishers filthy nest

Remouing her, into his charet brought,

And there with many gentle termes her faire besought.

36
But that old leachour, which with bold assault

That beautie durst presume to violate,

He cast to punish for his hainous fault;

Then tooke he him yet trembling sith of late,

And tyde behind his charet, to aggrate

The virgin, whom he had abusde so sore:

So drag'd him through the waues in scornefull state,

And after cast him vp, vpon the shore;

But
Florimell
with him vnto his bowre he bore.

37
His bowre is in the bottome of the maine,

Vnder a mightie rocke, gainst which do raue

The roaring billowes in their proud disdaine,

That with the angry working of the waue,

Therein is eaten out an hollow caue,

That seemes rough Masons hand with engines keene

Had long while laboured it to engraue:

There was his wonne, ne liuing wight was seene,

Saue one old
Nymph,
hight
Panope
to keepe it cleane.

38
Thither he brought the sory
Florimell,

And entertained her the best he might

And
Panope
her entertaind eke well,

As an immortall mote a mortall wight,

To winne her liking vnto his delight:

With flattering words he sweetly wooed her,

And offered faire gifts t'allure her sight,

But she both offers and the offerer

Despysde, and all the fawning of the flatterer.

39
Daily he tempted her with this or that,

And neuer suffred her to be at rest:

But euermore she him refused flat,

And all his fained kindnesse did detest,

So firmely she had sealed vp her brest.

Sometimes he boasted, that a God he hight:

But she a mortall creature loued best:

Then he would make himselfe a mortall wight;

But then she said she lou'd none, but a Faerie knight

40
Then like a Faerie knight himselfe he drest;

For euery shape on him he could endew:

Then like a king he was to her exprest,

And offred kingdomes vnto her in vew,

To be his Leman and his Ladie trew:

But when all this he nothing saw preuaile,

With harder meanes he cast her to subdew,

And with sharpe threates her often did assaile,

So thinking for to make her stubborne courage quaile.

41
To dreadrull shapes he did himselfe transforme,

Now like a Gyant, now like to a feend,

Then like a Centaure, then like to a storme,

Raging within the waues: thereby he weend

Her will to win vnto his wished end.

But when with feare, nor fauour, nor with all

He else could doe, he saw himselfe esteemd,

Downe in a Dongeon deepe he let her fall,

And threatned there to make her his eternall thrall.

42
Eternall thraldome was to her more liefe,

Then losse of chastitie, or chaunge of loue:

Die had she rather in tormenting griefe,

Then any should of falsenesse her reproue,

Or loosenesse, that she lightly did remoue.

Most vertuous virgin, glory be thy meed,

And crowne of heauenly praise with Saints aboue,

Where most sweet hymmes of this thy famous deed

Are still emongst them song, that far my rymes exceed.

43
Fit song of Angels caroled to bee;

But yet what so my feeble Muse can frame,

Shall be t'aduance ihy goodly chastitee,

And to enroll thy memorable name,

In th'heart of euery honourable Dame,

That they thy vertuous deedes may imitate,

And be partakers of thy endlesse fame.

It yrkes me, leaue thee in this wofull state,

To tell
of Satyrane,
where I him left of late.

44
Who hauing ended with that
Squire of Dames

A long discourse of his aduentures vaine,

The which himselfe, then Ladies more defames,

And finding not th'
Hyena
to be slaine,

With that same
Squire,
returned backe againe

To his first way. And as they forward went,

They spyde a knight faire pricking on the plaine,

As if he were on some aduenture bent,

And in his port appeared manly hardiment.

45
Sir
Satyrane
him towards did addresse,

To weet, what wight he was, and what his quest:

And comming nigh, eftsoones he gan to gesse

Both by the burning hart, which on his brest

He bare, and by the colours in his crest,

That
Paridell
it was. Tho to him yode,

And him saluting, as beseemed best,

Gan first inquire of tydings farre abrode;

And afterwardes, on what aduenture now he rode.

46
Who thereto answering, said; The tydings bad,

Which now in Faerie court all men do tell,

Which turned hath great mirth, to mourning sad,

Is the late mine of proud
Marinell,

And suddein parture of faire
Florimell,

To find him forth: and after her are gone

All the braue knights, that doen in armes excell,

To sauegard her, ywandred all alone;

Emongst the rest my lot (vnworthy) is to be one.

47
Ah gentle knight (said then Sir
Satyrane)

Thy labour all is lost, I greatly dread,

That hast a thanklesse seruice on thee ta'ne,

And offrest sacrifice vnto the dead:

For dead, I surely doubt, thou maist aread

Henceforth for euer
Florimell
to be,

That all the noble knights of
Maydenhead,

Which her ador'd, may sore repent with me,

And all faire Ladies may for euer sory be.

48
Which words when
Paridell
had heard, his hew

Gan greatly chaunge, and seem'd dismayd to bee;

Then said, Faire Sir, how may I weene it trew,

That ye doe tell in such vncertaintee?

Or speake ye of report, or did ye see

Iust cause of dread, that makes ye doubt so sore?

For perdie else how mote it euer bee,

That euer hand should dare for to engore

Her noble bloud? the heauens such crueltie abhore.

49
These eyes did see, that they will euer rew

T'haue seene, (quoth he) when as a monstrous beast

The Palfrey, whereon she did trauell, slew,

And of his bowels made his bloudie feast:

Which speaking token sheweth at the least

Her certaine losse, if not her sure decay:

Besides, that more suspition encreast,

I found her golden girdle cast astray,

Distaynd with durt and bloud, as relique of the pray.

50
Aye me, (said
Paridell)
the signes be sad,

And but God turne the same to good soothsay,

That Ladies safetie is sore to be drad:

Yet will I not forsake my forward way,

Till triall doe more certaine truth bewray.

Faire Sir (quoth he) well may it you succeed,

Ne long shall
Satyrane
behind you stay,

But to the rest, which in this Quest proceed

My labour adde, and be partaker of their speed.

51
Ye noble knights (said then the
Squire of Dames)

Well may ye speed in so praiseworthy paine:

But sith the Sunne now ginnes to slake his beames,

In deawy vapours of the westerne maine,

And lose the teme out of his weary waine,

Mote not mislike you also to abate

Your zealous hast, till morrow next againe

Both light of heauen, and strength of men relate:

Which if ye please, to yonder castle turne your gate.

52
That counsell pleased well; so all yfere

Forth marched to a Castle them before,

Where soone arriuing, they restrained were

Of readie entrance, which ought euermore

To errant knights be commun: wondrous sore

Thereat displeasd they were, till that young Squire

Gan them informe the cause, why that same dore

Was shut to all, which lodging did desire:

The which to let you weet, will further time require.

Malbecco will no straunge knights host,
   For peeuish gealosie:
Paridell giusts with Britomart:
   Both shew their auncestrie.

1
Redoubted knights, and honorable Dames,

To whom I leuell all my labours end,

Right sore I feare, least with vnworthy blames

This odious argument my rimes should shend,

Or ought your goodly patience offend,

Whiles of a wanton Lady I do write,

Which with her loose incontinence doth blend

The shyning glory of your soueraigne light,

And knighthood fowle defaced by a faithlesse knight

2
But neuer let th'ensample of the bad

Offend the good: for good by paragone

Of euill, may more notably be rad,

As white seemes fairer, macht with blacke attone;

Ne all are shamed by the fault of one:

For lo in heauen, whereas all goodnesse is,

Emongst the Angels, a whole legione

Of wicked Sprights did fall from happy blis;

What wonder then, if one of women all did mis?

3
Then listen Lordings, if ye list to weet

The cause, why
Satyrane
and
Paridell

Mote not be entertaynd, as seemed meet,

Into that Castle (as that Squire does tell.)

Therein a cancred crabbed Carle does dwell,

That has no skill of Court nor courtesie,

Ne cares, what men say of him ill or well;

For all his dayes he drownes in priuitie,

Yet has full large to liue, and spend at libertie.

4
But all his mind is set on mucky pelfe,

To hoord vp heapes of euill gotten masse,

For which he others wrongs, and wreckes himselfe;

Yet is he lincked to a louely lasse,

Whose beauty doth her bounty far surpasse,

The which to him both far vnequall yeares,

And also far vnlike conditions has;

For she does ioy to play emongst her peares,

And to be free from hard restraint and gealous feares.

5
But he is old, and withered like hay,

Vnfit faire Ladies seruice to supply;

The priuie guilt whereof makes him alway

Suspect her truth, and keepe continuall spy

Vpon her with his other blincked eye;

Ne suffreth he resort of liuing wight

Approch to her, ne keepe her company,

But in close bowre her mewes from all mens sight,

Depriu'd of kindly ioy and naturall delight.

6
Malbecco
he, and
Hellenore
she hight,

Vnfitly yokt together in one teeme,

That is the cause, why neuer any knight

Is suffred here to enter, but he seeme

Such, as no doubt of him he neede misdeeme.

Thereat Sir
Satyrane
gan smile, and say;

Extremely mad the man I surely deeme,

That weenes with watch and hard restraint to stay

A womans will, which is disposd to go astray.

7
In vaine he feares that, which he cannot shonne:

For who wotes not, that womans subtiltyes

Can guilen
Argus,
when she list misdonne?

It is not yron bandes, nor hundred eyes,

Nor brasen walls, nor many wakefull spyes,

That can withhold her wilfull wandring feet;

But fast good will with gentle curtesyes,

And timely seruice to her pleasures meet

May her perhaps containe, that else would algates fleet

8
Then is he not more mad (said
Paridell)

That hath himselfe vnto such seruice sold,

In dolefull thraldome all his dayes to dwell?

For sure a foole I do him firmely hold,

That loues his fetters, though they were of gold.

But why do we deuise of others ill,

Whiles thus we suffer this same dotard old,

To keepe vs out, in scorne of his owne will,

And rather do not ransack all, and him selfe kill?

9
Nay let vs first (said
Satyrane)
entreat

The man by gentle meanes, to let vs in,

And afterwardes affray with cruell threat,

Ere that we to efforce it do begin:

Then if all fayle, we will by force it win,

And eke reward the wretch for his mesprise,

As may be worthy of his haynous sin.

That counsell pleasd: then
Paridell
did rise,

And to the Castle gate approcht in quiet wise.

10
Whereat soft knocking, entrance he desyrd.

The good man selfe, which then the Porter playd,

Him answered, that all were now retyrd

Vnto their rest, and all the keyes conuayd

Vnto their maister, who in bed was layd,

That none him durst awake out of his dreme;

And therefore them of patience gently prayd.

Then
Paridell
began to chaunge his theme,

And threatned him with force & punishment extreme.

11
But all in vaine; for nought mote him relent,

And now so long before the wicket fast

They wayted, that the night was forward spent,

And the faire welkin fowly ouercast,

Gan blowen vp a bitter stormy blast,

With shoure and hayle so horrible and dred,

That this faire many were compeld at last,

To fly for succour to a little shed,

The which beside the gate for swine was ordered.

12
It fortuned, soone after they were gone,

Another knight, whom tempest thither brought,

Came to that Castle, and with earnest mone,

Like as the rest, late entrance deare besought;

But like so as the rest he prayd for nought,

For flatly he of entrance was refusd,

Sorely thereat he was displeasd, and thought

How to auenge himselfe so sore abusd,

And euermore the Carle of curtesie accusd.

13
But to auoyde th'intollerable stowre,

He was compeld to seeke some refuge neare,

And to that shed, to shrowd him from the showre,

He came, which full of guests he found whyleare,

So as he was not let to enter there:

Whereat he gan to wex exceeding wroth,

And swore, that he would lodge with them yfere,

Or them dislodge, all were they liefe or loth;

And so defide them each, and so defide them both.

14
Both were full loth to leaue that needfull tent,

And both full loth in darkenesse to debate;

Yet both full liefe him lodging to haue lent,

And both full liefe his boasting to abate;

But chiefly
Paridell
his hart did grate,

To heare him threaten so despightfully,

As if he did a dogge to kenell rate,

That durst not barke; and rather had he dy,

Then when he was defide, in coward corner ly.

15
Tho hastily remounting to his steed,

He forth issew'd; like as a boistrous wind,

Which in th'earthes hollow caues hath long bin hid,

And shut vp fast within her prisons blind,

Makes the huge element against her kind

To moue, and tremble as it were agast,

Vntill that it an issew forth may find;

Then forth it breakes, and with his furious blast

Confounds both land & seas, and skyes doth ouercast

16
Their steel-hed speares they strongly coucht, and met

Together with impetuous rage and forse,

That with the terrour of their fierce affret,

They rudely droue to ground both man and horse,

That each awhile lay like a sencelesse corse.

But
Paridell
sore brused with the blow,

Could not arise, the counterchaunge to scorse,

Till that young Squire him reared from below;

Then drew he his bright sword, & gan about him throw.

17
But
Satyrane
forth stepping, did them stay

And with faire treatie pacifide their ire;

Then when they were accorded from the fray,

Against that Castles Lord they gan conspire,

To heape on him dew vengeaunce for his hire.

They bene agreed, and to the gates they goe

To burne the same with vnquenchable fire,

And that vncurteous Carle their commune foe

To do fowle death to dye, or wrap in grieuous woe.

18
Malbecco
seeing them resolu'd in deed

To flame the gates, and hearing them to call

For fire in earnest, ran with fearefull speed,

And to them calling from the castle wall,

Besought them humbly, him to beare with all,

As ignoraunt of seruants bad abuse,

And slacke attendaunce vnto straungers call.

The knights were willing all things to excuse,

Though nought beleu'd, & entraunce late did not refuse.

19
They bene ybrought into a comely bowre,

And seru'd of all things that mote needfull bee;

Yet secretly their hoste did on them lowre,

And welcomde more for feare, then charitee;

But they dissembled, what they did not see,

And welcomed themselues. Each gan vndight

Their garments wet, and weary armour free,

To dry them selues by
Vulcanes
flaming light,

And eke their lately bruzed parts to bring in plight.

20
And eke that straunger knight emongst the rest,

Was for like need enforst to disaray:

Tho whenas vailed was her loftie crest,

Her golden locks, that were in tramels gay

Vpbounden, did them selues adowne display,

And raught vnto her heeles; like sunny beames,

That in a cloud their light did long time stay,

Their vapour vaded, shew their golden gleames,

And through the persant aire shoote forth their azure streames.

21
She also dofte her heauy haberieon,

Which the faire feature of her limbs did hyde,

And her well plighted frock, which she did won

To tucke about her short, when she did ryde,

She low let fall, that flowd from her lanck syde

Downe to her foot, with carelesse modestee.

Then of them all she plainly was espyde,

To be a woman wight, vnwist to bee,

The fairest woman wight, that euer eye did see.

22
Like as
Minerua,
being late returnd

From slaughter of the Giaunts conquered;

Where proud
Encelade,
whose wide nosethrils burnd

With breathed flames, like to a furnace red,

Transfixed with the speare, downe tombled ded

From top
of Hemus,
by him heaped hye;

Hath loosd her helmet from her lofty hed,

And her
Gorgonian
shield gins to vntye

From her left arme, to rest in glorious victorye.

23
Which whenas they beheld, they smitten were

With great amazement of so wondrous sight,

And each on other, and they all on her

Stood gazing, as if suddein great affright

Had them surprised. At last auizing right,

Her goodly personage and glorious hew,

Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight

In their first errour, and yet still anew

With wonder of her beauty fed their hungry vew.

24
Yet note their hungry vew be satisfide,

But seeing still the more desir'd to see,

And euer firmely fixed did abide

In contemplation of diuinitie:

But most they meruaild at her cheualree,

And noble prowesse, which they bad approued,

That much they faynd to know, who she mote bee;

Yet none of all them her thereof amoued,

Yet euery one her likte, and euery one her loued,

25
And
Paridell
though partly discontent

With his late fall, and fowle indignity,

Yet was soone wonne his malice to relent,

Through gracious regard of her faire eye,

And knightly worth, which he too late did try,

Yet tried did adore. Supper was dight;

Then they
Malbecco
prayd of curtesy,

That of his Lady they might haue the sight,

And company at meat, to do them more delight

26
But he to shift their curious request,

Gan causen, why she could not come in place;

Her erased health, her late recourse to rest,

And humid euening ill for sicke folkes cace:

But none of those excuses could take place;

Ne would they eate, till she in presence came.

She came in presence with right comely grace,

And fairely them saluted, as became,

And shewd her selfe in all a gentle curteous Dame.

27
They sate to meat, and
Satyrane
his chaunce

Was her before, and
Paridell
besyde;

But he him selfe sate looking still askaunce,

Gainst
Britomart,
and euer closely eyde

Sir
Satyrane,
that glaunces might not glyde:

But his blind eye, that syded
Paridell,

All his demeasnure from his sight did hyde:

On her faire face so did he feede his fill,

And sent close messages of loue to her at will.

28
And euer and anone, when none was ware,

With speaking lookes, that dose embassage bore,

He rou'd at her, and told his secret care:

For all that art he learned had of yore.

Ne was she ignoraunt of that lewd lore,

But in his eye his meaning wisely red,

And with the like him answerd euermore:

She sent at him one firie dart, whose hed

Empoisned was with priuy lust, and gealous dred.

29
He from that deadly throw made no defence,

But to the wound his weake hart opened wyde;