The Faerie Queene (52 page)

That on the rockes he fell so flit and light,

That he thereby receiu'd no hurt at all,

But chaunced on a craggy cliff to light;

Whence he with crooked clawes so long did crall,

That at the last he found a caue with entrance small.

58
Into the same he creepes, and thenceforth there

Resolu'd to build his balefull mansion,

In drery darkenesse, and continuall feare

Of that rockes fall, which euer and anon

Threates with huge ruine him to fall vpon,

That he dare neuer sleepe, but that one eye

Still ope he keepes for that occasion;

Ne euer rests he in tranquillity,

The roring billowes beat his bowre so boystrously.

59
Ne euer is he wont on ought to feed,

But toades and frogs, his pasture poysonous,

Which in his cold complexion do breed

A filthy bloud, or humour rancorous,

Matter of doubt and dread suspitious,

That doth with curelesse care consume the hart,

Corrupts the stomacke with gall vitious,

Croscuts the liuer with internall smart,

And doth transfixe the soule with deathes etemall dart

60
Yet can he neuer dye, but dying liues,

And doth himselfe with sorrow new sustaine,

That death and life attonce vnto him giues.

And painefull pleasure turnes to pleasing paine.

There dwels he euer, miserable swaine,

Haterull both to him selfe, and euery wight;

Where he through priuy griefe, and horrour vaine,

Is woxen so deform'd, that he has quight

Forgot he was a man, and
Gealosie
is hight

Britomart chaceth Ollyphant,
   findes Scudamour distrest:
Assayes the house ofBusyrane,
   where Loues spoyles are exprest.

1
O hatefull hellish Snake, what furie furst

Brought thee from balefull house of Proserpine,

Where in her bosome she thee long had nurst,

And fostred vp with bitter milke of tine,

Fowle Gealosie, that turnest loue diuine

To ioylesse dread, and mak'st the louing hart

With hatefull thoughts to languish and to pine,

And feed it selfe with selfe-consuming smart?

Of all the passions in the mind thou vilest art.

2
O let him far be banished away,

And in his stead let Loue for euer dwell,

Sweet Loue, that doth his golden wings embay

In blessed Nectar, and pure Pleasures well,

Vntroubled of vile feare, or bitter fell.

And ye faire Ladies, that your kingdomes make

In th'harts of men, them gouerne wisely well,

And of faire
Britomart
ensample take,

That was as trew in loue, as Turtle to her make.

3
Who with Sir
Satyrane,
as earst ye red,

Forth ryding from
Malbeccoes
hosdesse hous,

Far off aspyde a young man, the which fled

From an huge Geaunt, that with hideous

And hatefull outrage long him chaced thus;

It was that
Ollyphant, th
e brother deare

Of that
Argante
vile and vitious,

From whom the
Squire of Dames
was reft whylere;

This all as bad as she, and worse, if worse ought were.

4
For as die sister did in feminine

And filthy lust exceede all woman kind,

So he surpassed his sex masculine,

In beastly vse that I did euer find;

Whom when as
Britomart
beheld behind

The fearefull boy so greedily pursew,

She was emmoued in her noble mind,

T'employ her puissaunce to his reskew,

And pricked fiercely forward, where she him did vew.

5
Ne was Sir
Satyrane
her far behinde,

But with like fiercenesse did ensew the chace:

Whom when the Gyaunt saw, he soone resinde

His former suit, and from them fled apace;

They after both, and boldly bad him bace,

And each did striue the other to out-goe,

But he them both outran a wondrous space,

For he was long, and swift as any Roe,

And now made better speed, t'escape his feared foe.

6
It was not
Satyrane,
whom he did feare,

But
Britomart
the flowre of chastity;

For he the powre of chast hands might not beare,

But alwayes did their dread encounter fly:

And now so fast his feet he did apply,

That he has gotten to a forrest neare,

Where he is shrowded in security.

The wood they enter, and search euery where,

They searched diuersely, so both diuided were.

7
Faire
Britomart
so long him followed,

That she at last came to a fountaine sheare,

By which there lay a knight all wallowed

Vpon the grassy ground, and by him neare

His haberieon, his helmet, and his speare;

A little off, his shield was rudely throwne,

On which the winged boy in colours cleare

Depeincted was, full easie to be knowne,

And he thereby, where euer it in field was showne.

8
His face vpon the ground did groueling ly,

As if he had bene slombring in the shade,

That the braue Mayd would not for courtesy,

Out of his quiet slomber him abrade,

Nor seeme too suddeinly him to inuade:

Still as she stood, she heard with grieuous throb

Him grone, as if his hart were peeces made,

And with most painefull pangs to sigh and sob,

That pitty did the Virgins hart of patience rob.

9
At last forth breaking into bitter plaintes

He said; ô soueraigne Lord that sit'st on bye,

And raignst in bus emongst thy blessed Saintes,

How suffrest thou such shamefull cruelty,

So long vnwreaked of thine enimy?

Or hast thou, Lord, of good mens cause no heed?

Or doth thy iustice sleepe, and silent ly?

What booteth then the good and righteous deed,

If goodnesse find no grace, nor righteousnesse no meed?

10
If good find grace, and righteousnesse reward,

Why then is
Amoret
in caytiue band,

Sith that more bounteous creature neuer far'd

On foot, vpon the face of liuing land?

Or if that heauenly iustice may withstand

The wrongfull outrage of vnrighteous men,

Why then is
Busirane
with wicked hand

Suffred, these seuen monethes day in secret den

My Lady and my loue so cruelly to pen?

11
My Lady and my loue is cruelly pend

In dolefull darkenesse from the vew of day,

Whilest deadly torments do her chast brest rend,

And the sharpe Steele doth riue her hart in tway,

All for she
Scudamore
will not denay.

Yet thou vile man, vile
Scudamore
art sound,

Ne canst her ayde, ne canst her foe dismay;

Vnworthy wretch to tread vpon the ground,

For whom so faire a Lady feeles so sore a wound.

12
There an huge heape of singulfes did oppresse

His strugling soule, and swelling throbs empeach

His foltring toung with pangs of drerinesse,

Choking the remnant of his plaintfie speach,

As if his dayes were come to their last reach.

Which when she heard, and saw the ghastly fit,

Threatning into his life to make a breach,

Both with great ruth and terrour she was smit,

Fearing least from her cage the wearie soule would flit

13
Tho stooping downe she him amoued light;

Who therewith somewhat starting, vp gan looke,

And seeing him behind a straunger knight,

Whereas no liuing creature he mistooke,

With great indignaunce he that sight forsooke,

And downe againe himselfe disdainefully

Abiecting, th'earth with his faire forhead strooke:

Which the bold Virgin seeing, gan apply

Fit med'dne to his griefe, and spake thus courtesly.

14
Ah gentle knight, whose deepe concerned griefe

Well seemes t'exceede the powre of patience,

Yet if that heauenly grace some good reliefe

You send, submit you to high prouidence,

And euer in your noble hart prepense,

That all the sorrow in the world is lesse,

Then vertues might, and values confidence,

For who nill bide the burden of distresse,

Must not here thinke to liue: for life is wretchednesse.

15
Therefore, faire Sir, do comfort to you take,

And freely read, what wicked felon so

Hath outrag'd you, and thrald your gentle make.

Perhaps this hand may helpe to ease your woe,

And wreake your sorrow on your cruell foe,

At least it faire endeuour will apply.

Those feeling wordes so neare the quicke did goe,

That vp his head he reared easily,

And leaning on his elbow, these few wordes let fly.

16
What boots it plaine, that cannot be redrest,

And sow vaine sorrow in a fruitlesse eare,

Sith powre of hand, nor skill of learned brest,

Ne worldly price cannot redeeme my deare,

Out of her thraldome and continuall feare?

For he the tyraunt, which her hath in ward

By strong enchauntments and blacke Magicke leare,

Hath in a dungeon deepe her close embard,

And many dreadfull feends hath pointed to her gard.

17
There he tormenteth her most terribly,

And day and night afflicts with mortall paine,

Because to yield him loue she doth deny,

Once to me yold, not to be yold againe:

But yet by torture he would her constraine

Loue to conceiue in her disdainfull brest,

Till so she do, she must in doole remaine,

Ne may by liuing meanes be thence relest:

What boots it then to plaine, that cannot be redrest?

18
With this sad hersall of his heauy stresse,

The warlike Damzell was empassiond sore,

And said; Sir knight, your cause is nothing lesse,

Then is your sorrow, certes if not more;

For nothing so much pitty doth implore,

As gentle Ladies helplesse misery.

But yet, if please ye listen to my lore,

I will with proofe of last extremity,

Deliuer her fro thence, or with her for you dy.

19
Ah gentlest knight aliue, (said
Scudamore)

What huge heroicke magnanimity

Dwels in thy bounteous brest? what couldst thou more,

If she were thine, and thou as now am I?

O spare thy happy dayes, and them apply

To better boot, but let me dye, that ought;

More is more losse: one is enough to dy.

Life is not lost, (said she) for which is bought

Endlesse renowm, that more then death is to be sought

20
Thus she at length perswaded him to rise,

And with her wend, to see what new successe

Mote him befall vpon new enterprise;

His armes, which he had vowed to disprofesse,

She gathered vp and did about him dresse,

And his forwandred steed vnto him got:

So forth they both yfere make their progresse,

And march not past the mountenaunce of a shot,

Till they arriu'd, whereas their purpose they did plot

21
There they dismounting, drew their weapons bold

And stoutly came vnto the Castle gate;

Whereas no gate they found, them to withhold,

Nor ward to wait at morne and euening late,

But in the Porch, that did them sore amate,

A flaming fire, ymixt with smouldry smoke,

And stinking Sulphure, that with griesly hate

And dreadfull horrour did all entraunce choke,

Enforced them their forward footing to reuoke.

22
Greatly thereat was
Britomart
dismayd,

Ne in that stownd wist, how her selfe to beare;

For daunger vaine it were, to haue assayd

That cruell element, which all things feare,

Ne none can suffer to approchen neare:

And turning backe to
Scudamour,
thus sayd;

What monstrous enmity prouoke we heare,

Foolhardy as th'Earthes children, the which made

Battell against the Gods? so we a God inuade.

23
Daunger without discretion to attempt,

Inglorious and beastlike is: therefore Sir knight,

Aread what course of you is safest dempt,

And how we with our foe may come to fight

This is (quoth he) the dolorous despight,

Which earst to you I playnd: for neither may

This fire be quencht by any wit or might,

Ne yet by any meanes remou'd away,

So mighty be th'enchauntments, which the same do stay.

24
What is there else, but cease these fruidesse paines,

And leaue me to my former languishing;

Faire
Amoret
must dwell in wicked chaines,

And
Scudamore
here dye widi sorrowing.

Perdy not so; (said she) for shamefull thing

It were t'abandon noble cheuisaunce,

For shew of perill, without venturing:

Rather let try extremities of chaunce,

Then enterprised prayse for dread to disauaunce.

25
Therewithresolu'd to proue her vtmost might,

Her ample shield she threw before her race,

And her swords point directing forward right,

Assayld the flame, the which eftsoones gaue place,

And did it sdfe diuide with equall space,

That through she passed; as a thunder bolt

Perceth the yielding ayre, and dothdisplace

The soring clouds into sad showres ymolt;

So to her yold the flames, and did their force reuolt.

26
Whom whenas
Scudamour
saw past die fire,

Safe and vntoucht, he likewise gan assay,

With greedy will, and enuious desire,

And bad the stubborne flames to yield him way:

But cruell
Mulciber
would not obay

His threatfull pride, but did die more augment

His mighty rage, and widi imperious sway

Him forst (maulgre) his fiercenesse to relent,

And backe retire, all scorcht and pitifully brent

27
With huge impatience he inly swelt,

More for great sorrow, that he could not pas,

Then forthe burning torment, which he felt,

That with fell woodnesse he effierced was,

And wilfully him throwing onthe gras,

Did beat and bounse bis head and brest full sore;

The whiles the Championesse now entred has

The vtmost rowme, and past the formest dore,

The vtmost rowme, abounding with all precious store.

28
For round about, the wals yclothed were

With goodly arras of great maiesty,

Wouen with gold and silke so dose and nere,

That the rich metall lurked priuily,

As faining to be hid from enuious eye;

Yet here, and there, and euery where vnwares

It shewd it selfe, and shone vnwillingly;

Like a discolourd Snake, whose hidden snares

Through the greene gras his long bright burnisht backe

[declares.

29
And in those Tapets weren fashioned