The Faerie Queene (73 page)

In hope ye will not turne misfortune to my blame.

29
Being desirous (as all Knights are woont)

Through hard aduentures deedes of armes to try,

And after fame and honour for to hunt,

I heard report that farre abrode did fly,

That a proud Amazon did late defy

All the braue Knights, that hold of Maidenhead,

And vnto them wrought all the villany,

That she could forge in her malicious head,

Which some hath put to shame, and many done be dead.

30
The cause, they say, of this her cruell hate,

Is for the sake of
Bellodant
the bold,

To whom she bore most feruent loue of late,

And wooed him by all the waies she could:

But when she saw at last, that he ne would

For ought or nought be wonne vnto her will,

She turn'd her loue to hatred manifold,

And for his sake vow'd to doe all the ill

Which she could doe to Knights, which now she doth fulfill.

31
For all those Knights, the which by force or guile

She doth subdue, she fowly doth entreate.

First she doth them of warlike armes despoile,

And cloth in womens weedes: And then with threat

Doth them compell to worke, to earne their meat,

To spin, to card, to sew, to wash, to wring;

Ne doth she giue them other thing to eat,

But bread and water, or like feeble thing,

Them to disable from reuenge aduenturing.

32
But if through stout disdaine of manly mind,

Any her proud obseruaunce will withstand,

Vppon that gibbet, which is there behind,

She causeth them be hang'd vp out of hand;

In which condition I right now did stand.

For being ouercome by her in fight,

And put to that base seruice of her band,

I rather chose to die in liues despight,

Then lead that shamefull life, vnworthy of a Knight.

33
How hight that Amazon ? (sayd
Artegall)

And where, and how far hence does she abide?

Her name (quoth he) they
Radigund
doe call,

A Princesse of great powre, and greater pride,

And Queene of Amazons, in armes well tride,

And sundry battels, which she hath atchieued

With great successe, that her hath glorifide,

And made her famous, more then is belieued;

Ne would I it haue ween'd, had I not late it prieued.

34
Now sure (said he) and by the faith that I

To Maydenhead and noble knighthood owe,

I will not rest, till I her might doe trie,

And venge the shame, that she to Knights doth show.

Therefore Sir
Terpin
from you lightly throw

This squalid weede, the patterne of dispaire,

And wend with me, that ye may see and know,

How Fortune will your ruin'd name repaire,

And knights of Maidenhead, whose praise she would empaire.

35
With that, like one that hopelesse was repry'ud

From deathes dore, at which he lately lay,

Those yron fetters, wherewith he was gyu'd,

The badges of reproch, he threw away,

And nimbly did him dight to guide the way

Vnto the dwelling of that Amazone.

Which was from thence not past a mile or tway:

A goodly citty and a mighty one,

The which of her owne name she called
Radegone.

36
Where they arriuing, by the watchmen were

Descried straight, who all the citty warned,

How that three warlike persons did appeare,

Of which the one him seem'd a Knight all armed,

And th'other two well likely to haue harmed.

Eftsoones the people all to harnesse ran,

And like a sort of Bees in clusters swarmed:

Ere long their Queene her selfe, halfe like a man

Came forth into the rout, and them c'array began.

37
And now the Knights being arriued neare,

Did beat vppon the gates to enter in,

And at the Porter, skorning them so few,

Threw many threats, if they the towne did win,

To teare his flesh in peeces for his sin.

Which when as
Radigund
there comming heard,

Her heart for rage did grate, and teeth did grin:

She bad that streight the gates should be vnbard,

And to them way to make, with weapons well prepard.

38
Soone as the gates were open to them set,

They pressed forward, entraunce to haue made.

But in the middle way they were ymet

With a sharpe showre of arrowes, which them staid,

And better bad aduise, ere they assaid

Vnknowen perill of bold womens pride.

Then all that rout vppon them rudely laid,

And heaped strokes so fast on euery side,

And arrowes haild so thicke, that they could not abide.

39
But
Radigund
her selfe, when she espide

Sir
Terpin,
from her direfull doome acquit,

So cruell doale amongst her maides diuide,

T'auenge that shame, they did on him commit,

All sodainely enflam'd with furious fit,

Like a fell Lionesse at him she flew,

And on his head-peece him so fiercely smit,

That to the ground him quite she ouerthrew,

Dismayd so with the stroke, that he no colours knew.

40
Soone as she saw him on the ground to grouell,

She lightly to him leapt, and in his necke

Her proud foote setting, at his head did leuell,

Weening at once her wrath on him to wreake,

And his contempt, that did her iudg'ment breake.

As when a Beare hath seiz'd her cruell clawes

Vppon the carkasse of some beast too weake,

Proudly stands ouer, and a while doth pause,

To heare the piteous beast pleading her plaintiffe cause.

41
Whom when as
Artegall
in that distresse

By chaunce beheld, he left the bloudy slaughter,

In which he swam, and ranne to his redresse.

There her assayling fiercely fresh, he raught her

Such an huge stroke, that it of sence distraught her:

And had she not it warded warily,

It had depriu'd her mother of a daughter.

Nathlesse for all the powre she did apply,

It made her stagger oft, and stare with ghastly eye.

42
Like to an Eagle in his kingly pride,

Soring through his wide Empire of the aire,

To weather his brode sailes, by chaunce hath spide

A Goshauke, which hath seized for her share

Vppon some fowle, that should her feast prepare;

With dreadfull force he flies at her byliue,

That with his souce, which none enduren dare,

Her from the quarrey he away doth driue,

And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth riue.

43
But soone as she her sence recouer'd had,

She fiercely towards him her selfe gan dight,

Through vengeful wrath & sdeignfull pride half mad:

For neuer had she suffred such despight.

But ere she could ioyne hand with him to fight,

Her warlike maides about her flockt so fast,

That they disparted them, maugre their might,

And with their troupes did far a sunder cast:

But mongst the rest the fight did vntill euening last.

44
And euery while that mighty yron man,

With his strange weapon, neuer wont in warre,

Them sorely vext, and courst, and ouerran,

And broke their bowes, and did their shooting marre,

That none of all the many once did darre

Him to assault, nor once approach him nie,

But like a sort of sheepe dispersed farre

For dread of their deuouring enemie,

Through all the fields and vallies did before him flie.

45
But when as daies faire shinie-beame, yclowded

With fearefull shadowes of deformed night,

Warn'd man and beast in quiet rest be shrowded,

Bold
Radigund
with sound of trumpe on hight,

Causd all her people to surcease from fight,

And gathering them vnto her citties gate,

Made them all enter in before her sight,

And all the wounded, and the weake in state,

To be conuayed in, ere she would once retrate.

46
When thus the field was voided all away,

And all things quieted, the Elfin Knight

Weary of toile and trauell of that day,

Causd his pauilion to be richly pight

Before the city gate, in open sight;

Where he him selfe did rest in safety,

Together with sir
Terpin
all that night:

But
Talus
vsde in times of ieopardy

To keepe a nightly watch, for dread of treachery.

47
But
Radigund
full of heart-gnawing griefe,

For the rebuke, which she sustain'd that day,

Could take no rest, ne would receiue reliefe,

But tossed in her troublous minde, what way

She mote reuenge that blot, which on her lay.

There she resolu'd her selfe in single fight

To try her Fortune, and his force assay,

Rather then see her people spoiled quight,

As she had seene that day a disauenterous sight.

48
She called forth to her a trusty mayd,

Whom she thought fittest for that businesse,

Her name was
Clarin,
and thus to her sayd;

Goe damzell quickly, doe thy selfe addresse,

To doe the message, which I shall expresse.

Goe thou vnto that stranger Faery Knight,

Who yeester day droue vs to such distresse,

Tell, that to morrow I with him wil fight,

And try in equall field, whether hath greater might.

49
But these conditions doe to him propound,

That if I vanquishe him, he shall obay

My law, and euer to my lore be bound,

And so will I, if me he vanquish may;

What euer he shall like to doe or say.

Goe streight, and take with thee, to witnesse it,

Sixe of thy fellowes of the best array,

And beare with you both wine and iuncates fit,

And bid him eate, henceforth he oft shall hungry sit.

50
The Damzell streight obayd, and putting all

In readinesse, forth to the Towne-gate went,

Where sounding loud a Trumpet from the wall,

Vnto those warlike Knights she warning sent.

Then
Talus
forth issuing from the tent,

Vnto the wall his way did fearelesse take,

To weeten what that trumpets sounding ment:

Where that same Damzell lowdly him bespake,

And shew'd, that with his Lord she would emparlaunce make.

51
So he them streight conducted to his Lord,

Who, as he could, them goodly well did greete,

Till they had told their message word by word:

Which he accepting well, as he could weete,

Them fairely entertaynd with curt'sies meete,

And gaue them gifts and things of deare delight.

So backe againe they homeward turnd their feete.

But
Artegall
him selfe to rest did dight,

That he mote fresher be against the next daies fight

Artegall fights with Radigund
   And is subdewd by guile:
He is by her emprisoned,
   But wrought by Chains wile.

1
So soone as day forth dawning from the East,

Nights humid curtaine from the heauens withdrew,

And earely calling forth both man and beast,

Comaunded them their daily workes renew,

These noble warriors, mindefull to pursew

The last daies purpose of their vowed fight,

Them selues thereto preparde in order dew;

The Knight, as best was seeming for a Knight,

And th'Amazon, as best it likt her selfe to dight,

2
All in a Camis light of purple silke

Wouen vppon with siluer, subtly wrought,

And quilted vppon sattin white as milke,

Trayled with ribbands diuersly distraught

Like as the workeman had their courses taught;

Which was short tucked for light motion

Vp to her ham, but when she list, it raught

Downe to her lowest heele, and thereuppon

She wore for her defence a mayled habergeon.

3
And on her legs she painted buskins wore,

Basted with bends of gold on euery side,

And mailes betweene, and laced close afore:

Vppon her thigh her Cemitare was tide,

With an embrodered belt of mickell pride;

And on her shoulder hung her shield, bedeckt

Vppon the bosse with stones, that shined wide,

As the faire Moone in her most full aspect,

That to the Moone it mote be like in each respect.

4
So forth she came out of the citty gate,

With stately port and proud magnificence,

Guarded with many damzels, that did wake

Vppon her person for her sure defence,

Playing on shaumes and trumpets, that from hence

Their sound did reach vnto the heauens hight.

So forth into the field she marched thence,

Where was a rich Pauilion ready pight,

Her to receiue, till time they should begin the fight.

5
Then forth came
Artegall
out of his tent,

All arm'd to point, and first the Lists did enter:

Soone after eke came she, with fell intent,

And countenaunce fierce, as hauing fully bent her,

That battels vtmost triall to aduenter.

The Lists were closed fast, to barre the rout

From rudely pressing to the middle center;

Which in great heapes them circled all about,

Wayting, how Fortune would resolue that daungerous dout.

6
The Trumpets sounded, and the field began;

With bitter strokes it both began, and ended.

She at the first encounter on him ran

With furious rage, as if she had intended

Out of his breast the very heart haue rended:

But he that had like tempests often tride,

From that first flaw him selfe right well defended.

The more she rag'd, the more he did abide;

She hewd, she foynd, she lasht, she laid on euery side.

7
Yet still her blowes he bore, and her forbore,

Weening at last to win aduantage new;

Yet still her crueltie increased more,

And though powre faild, her courage did accrew,

Which fayling he gan fiercely her pursew.

Like as a Smith that to his cunning feat

The stubbome mettall seeketh to subdew,

Soone as he feeles it mollifide with heat,

With his great yron fledge doth strongly on it beat.

8
So did Sir
Artegall
vpon her lay,

As if she had an yron anduile beene,

That flakes of fire, bright as the sunny ray,

Out of her steely armes were flashing seene,

That all on fire ye would her surely weene.

But with her shield so well her selfe she warded,

From the dread daunger of his weapon keene,

That all that while her life she safely garded:

But he that helpe from her against her will discarded.

9
For with his trenchant blade at the next blow

Halfe of her shield he shared quite away,

That halfe her side it selfe did naked show,

And thenceforth vnto daunger opened way.

Much was she moued with the mightie sway

Of that sad stroke, that halfe enrag'd she grew,

And like a greedie Beare vnto her pray,

With her sharpe Cemitare at him she flew,

That glauncing downe his thigh, the purple bloud forth drew.

10
Thereat she gan to triumph with great boast,

And to vpbrayd that chaunce, which him misfell,

As if the prize she gotten had almost,

With spightfull speaches, fitting with her well;

That his great hart gan inwardly to swell

With indignation, at her vaunting vaine,

And at her strooke with puissance fearefull fell;

Yet with her shield she warded it againe,

That shattered all to peeces round about the plaine.

11
Hauing her thus disarmed of her shield,

Vpon her hehnet he againe her strooke,

That downe she fell vpon the grassie field,

In sencelesse swoune, as if her life forsooke,

And pangs of death her spirit ouertooke.

Whom when he saw before his foote prostrated,

He to her lept with deadly dreadfull looke,

And her sunshynie hehnet soone vnlaced,

Thinking at once both head and hehnet to haue raced.

12
But when as he discouered had her face,

He saw his senses straunge astonishment,

A miracle of natures goodly grace,

In her faire visage voide of ornament,

But bath'd in bloud and sweat together ment;

Which in the rudenesse of that euill plight,

Bewrayd the signes of feature excellent:

Like as the Moone in foggle winters night,

Doth seeme to be her selfe, though darkned be her light

13
At sight thereof his cruell minded hart

Empierced was with pittifull regard,

That his sharpe sword he threw from him apart,

Cursing his hand that had that visage mard:

No hand so cruell, nor no hart so hard,

But ruth of beautie will it mollifie.

By this vpstarting from her swoune, she star'd

A while about her with confused eye;

Like one that from his dreame is waked suddenlye.

14
Soone as the knight she there by her did spy,

Standing with emptie hands all weaponlesse,

With fresh assault vpon him she did fly,

And gan renew her former cruelnesse:

And though he still retyr'd, yet nathelesse

With huge redoubled strokes she on him layd;

And more increast her outrage mercilesse,

The more that he with meeke intreatie prayd,

Her wrathful hand from greedy vengeance to haue stayd.

15
Like as a Puttocke hauing spyde in sight

A gentle Faulcon sitting on an hill,

Whose other wing, now made vnmeete for flight,

Was lately broken by some fortune ill;

The foolish Kyte, led with licentious will,

Doth beat vpon the gentle bird in vaine,

With many idle stoups her troubling still:

Euen so did
Radigund
with bootlesse paine

Annoy this noble Knight, and sorely him constraine.

16
Nought could he do, but shun the dred despight

Of her fierce wrath, and backward still retyre,

And with his single shield, well as he might,

Beare off the burden of her raging yre;

And euermore he gently did desyre,

To stay her stroks, and he himselfe would yield:

Yet nould she hearke, ne let him. once respyre,

Till he to her deliuered had his shield,

And to her mercie him submitted in plaine field.

17
So was he ouercome, not ouercome,

But to her yeelded of his owne accord;

Yet was he iustdy damned by the doome

Of his owne mouth, that spake so warelesse word,

To be her thrall, and seruice her afford.

For though that he first victorie obtayned,

Yet after by abandoning his sword,

He wilfull lost, that he before attayned.

No fayrer conquest, then that with goodwill is gayned.

18
Tho with her sword on him she flatting strooke,

In signe of true subiection to her powre,

And as her vassall him to thraldome tooke.

But
Terpine
borne to'a more vnhappy howre,

As he, on whom the lucklesse starres did lowre,

She causd to be attacht, and forthwith led

Vnto the crooke t'abide the balefull stowre,

From which he lately had through reskew fled:

Where he full shamefully was hanged by the hed.

19
But when they thought on
Talus
hands to lay,

He with his yron flaile amongst them thondred,

That they were fayne to let him scape away,

Glad from his companie to be so sondred;

Whose presence all their troups so much encombred

That th'heapes of those, which he did wound and slay,

Besides the rest dismayd, might not be nombred:

Yet all that while he would not once assay,

To reskew his owne Lord, but thought it iust t'obay.

20
Then tooke the Amazon this noble knight,

Left to her will by his owne wilfull blame,

And caused him to be disarmed quight,

Of all the ornaments of knightly name,

With which whylome he gotten had great fame:

In stead whereof she made him to be dight

In womans weedes, that is to manhood shame,

And put before his lap a napron white,

In stead of Curiets and bases fit for fight.

21
So being clad, she brought him from the field,

In which he had bene trayned many a day,

Into a long large chamber, which was sield

With moniments of many knights decay,

By her subdewed in victorious fray:

Amongst the which she causd his warlike armes

Be hang'd on high, that mote his shame bewray;

And broke his sword, for feare of further harmes,

With which he wont to stirre vp battailous akrmes.

22
There entred in, he round about him saw

Many braue knights, whose names right well he knew,

There bound t'obay that Amazons proud law,

Spinning and carding all in comely rew,

That his bigge hart loth'd so vncomely vew.

But they were forst through penurie and pyne,

To doe those workes, to them appointed dew:

For nought was giuen them to sup or dyne,

But what their hands could earne by twisting linnen twyne.

23
Amongst them all she placed him most low,

And in his hand a distaffe to him gaue,

That he thereon should spin both flax and tow;

A sordid office for a mind so braue.

So hard it is to be a womans slaue.

Yet he it tooke in his owne selfes despight,

And thereto did himselfe right well behaue,

Her to obay, sith he his faith had plight,

Her vassall to become, if she him wonne in fight.

24
Who had him seene, imagine mote thereby,

That whylome hath
of Hercules
bene told,

How for
Iolas
sake he did apply

His mightie hands, the distaffe vile to hold,

For his huge club, which had subdew'd of old

So many monsters, which the world annoyed;

His Lyons skin chaungd to a pall of gold,

In which forgetting warres, he onely ioyed

In combats of sweet loue, and with his mistresse toyed.

25
Such is the crueltie of womenkynd,

When they haue shaken off the shamefast band,

With which wise Nature did them strongly bynd,

T'obay the heasts of mans well ruling hand,

That then all rule and reason they withstand,

To purchase a licentious libertie.

But vertuous women wisely vnderstand,

That they were borne to base humilitie,

Vnlesse the heauens them lift to lawfiill soueraintie.

26
Thus there long while continu'd
Artegall,

Seruing proud
Radigund
with true subiection;

How euer it his noble heart did gall,

T'obay a womans tyrannous direction,

That might haue had of life or death election:

But hailing chosen, now he might not chaunge.

During which time, the warlike Amazon,

Whose wandring fancie after lust did raunge,

Gan cast a secret liking to this captiue straunge.

27
Which long concealing in her couert brest,

She chaw'd the cud of louers carefull plight;

Yet could it not so thoroughly digest,

Being fast fixed in her wounded spright,

But it tormented her both day and night:

Yet would she not thereto yeeld free accord,

To serue the lowly vassall of her might,

And of her seruant make her souerayne Lord:

So great her pride, that she such basenesse much abhord.

28
So much the greater still her anguish grew,

Through stubborne handling of her loue-sicke hart;

And still the more she stroue it to subdew,

The more she still augmented her owne smart,

And wyder made the wound of th'hidden dart

At last when long she struggled had in vaine,

She gan to stoupe, and her proud mind conuert

To meeke obeysance of loues mightie raine,

And him entreat for grace, that had procur'd her paine.

29
Vnto her selfe in secret she did call

Her nearest handmayd, whom she most did trust,

And to her said;
Clarinda
whom of all