The Faerie Queene (80 page)

29
And for more horror and more crueltie,

Vnder that cursed Idols altar stone;

An hideous monster doth in darknesse lie,

Whose dreadfull shape was neuer seene of none

That liues on earth; but vnto those alone

The which vnto him sacrificed bee.

Those he deuoures, they say, both flesh and bone:

What else they haue, is all the Tyrants fee;

So that no whit of them remayning one may see.

30
There eke he placed a strong garrisone,

And set a Seneschall of dreaded might,

That by his powre oppressed euery one,

And vanquished all ventrous knights in fight;

To whom he wont shew all the shame he might,

After that them in battell he had wonne.

To which when now they gan approch in sight,

The Ladie counseld him the place to shonne,

Whereas so many knights had fouly bene fordonne.

31
Her fearefull speaches nought he did regard,

But ryding straight vnder the Castle wall,

Called aloud vnto the watchfull ward,

Which there did wayte, willing them forth to call

Into the field their Tyrants Seneschall.

To whom when tydings thereof came, he streight

Cals for his armes, and arming him withall,

Eftsoones forth pricked proudly in his might,

And gan with courage fierce addresse him to the fight

32
They both encounter in the middle plaine,

And their sharpe speares doe both together smite

Amid their shields, with so huge might and maine,

That seem'd their soules they wold haue ryuen quight

Out of their breasts, with furious despight.

Yet could the Seneschals no entrance find

Into the Princes shield, where it empight;

So pure the mettall was, and well refynd,

But shiuered all about, and scattered in the wynd.

33
Not so the Princes, but with restlesse force,

Into his shield it readie passage found,

Both through his haberieon, and eke his corse:

Which tombling downe vpon the senselesse ground,

Gaue leaue vnto his ghost from thraldome bound,

To wander in the griesly shades of night

There did the Prince him leaue in deadly swound,

And thence vnto the castle marched right,

To see if entrance there as yet obtaine he might.

34
But as he nigher drew, three knights he spyde,

All arm'd to point, issuing forth a pace,

Which towards him with all their powre did ryde,

And meeting him right in the middle race,

Did all their speares attonce on him enchace.

As three great Culuerings for battrie bent,

And leueld all against one certaine place,

Doe all attonce their thunders rage forth rent,

That makes the wals to stagger with astonishment.

35
So all attonce they on the Prince did thonder;

Who from his saddle swarued nought asyde,

Ne to their force gaue way, that was great wonder,

But like a bulwarke, firmely did abyde,

Rebutting him, which in the midst did ryde,

With so huge rigour, that his mortall speare

Past through his shield, & pierst through either syde,

That downe he fell vppon his mother deare,

And powred forth his wretched life in deadly dreare.

36
Whom when his other fellowes saw, they fled

As fast as feete could carry them away;

And after them the Prince as swiftly sped,

To be aueng'd of their vnknightly play.

There whilest they entring, th'one did th'other stay,

The hindmost in the gate he ouerhent,

And as he pressed in, him there did slay:

His carkasse tumbling on the threshold, sent

His groning soule vnto her place of punishment.

37
The other which was entred, laboured fast

To sperre the gate; but that same lumpe of clay,

Whose grudging ghost was thereout fled and past;

Right in the middest of the threshold lay,

That it the Posterne did from closing stay:

The whiles the Prince hard preased in betweene,

And entraunce wonne. Streight th'other fled away,

And ran into the Hall, where he did weene

Himselfe to saue: but he there slew him at the skreene.

38
Then all the rest which in that Castle were,

Seeing that sad ensample them before,

Durst not abide, but fled away for feare,

And them conuayd out at a Posterne dore.

Long sought the Prince, but when he found no more

T'oppose against his powre, he forth issued

Vnto that Lady, where he her had lore,

And her gan cheare, with what she there had vewed,

And what she had not seene, within vnto her shewed.

39
Who with right humble thankes him goodly greeting,

For so great prowesse, as he there had proued,

Much greater then was euer in her weeting,

With great admiraunce inwardly was moued,

And honourd him, with all that her behoued.

Thenceforth into mat Castle he her led,

With her two sonnes, right deare of her beloued,

Where all that night them selues they cherished,

And from her balefull minde all care he banished.

Prince Arthure ouercomes the great
   Gerioneo in fight:
Doth slay the Monster, and restore
   Belge vnto her right.

1
It often fals in course of common life,

That right long time is ouerborne of wrong,

Through auarice, or powre, or guile, or strife,

That weakens her, and makes her party strong:

But Iustice, though her dome she doe prolong,

Yet at the last she will her owne cause right.

As by sad
Belge
seemes, whose wrongs though long

She suffred, yet at length she did requight,

And sent redresse thereof by this braue Briton Knight.

2
Whereof when newes was to that Tyrant brought,

How that the Lady
Belge
now had found

A Champion, that had with his Champion fought,

And laid his Seneschall low on the ground,

And eke him selfe did threaten to confound,

He gan to burne in rage, and friese in feare,

Doubting sad end of principle vnsound:

Yet sith he heard but one, that did appeare,

He did him selfe encourage, and take better cheare.

3
Nathelesse him selfe he armed all in hast,

And forth he far'd with all his many bad,

Ne stayed step, till that he came at last

Vnto the Castle, which they conquerd had.

There with huge terrour, to be more ydrad,

He sternely marcht before the Castle gate,

And with bold vaunts, and ydle threatning bad

Deliuer him his owne, ere yet too late,

To which they had no right, nor any wrongfull state.

4
The Prince staid not his aunswere to deuize,

But opening streight the Sparre, forth to him came,

Full nobly mounted in right warlike wize;

And asked him, if that he were the same,

Who all that wrong vnto that wofull Dame

So long had done, and from her natiue land

Exiled her, that all the world spake shame.

He boldly aunswerd him, he there did stand

That would his doings iustifie with his owne hand.

5
With that so furiously at him he flew,

As if he would haue ouerrun him streight,

And with his huge great yron axe gan hew

So hideously vppon his armour bright,

As he to peeces would haue chopt it quight:

That the bold Prince was forced foote to giue

To his first rage, and yeeld to his despight;

The whilest at him so dreadfully he driue,

That seem'd a marble rocke asunder could haue riue.

6
Thereto a great aduauntage eke he has

Through his three double hands thrise multiplyde,

Besides the double strength, which in them was:

For stil when fit occasion did betyde,

He could his weapon shift from side to syde,

From hand to hand, and with such nimblesse sly

Could wield about, that ere it were espide,

The wicked stroke did wound his enemy,

Behinde, beside, before, as he it list apply.

7
Which vncouth vse when as the Prince perceiued,

He gan to watch the wielding of his hand,

Least by such slight he were vnwares deceiued;

And euer ere he saw the stroke to land,

He would it meete, and warily withstand.

One time, when he his weapon faynd to shift,

As he was wont, and chang'd from hand to hand,

He met him with a counterstroke so swift,

That quite smit off his arme, as he it vp did lift.

8
Therewith, all fraught with fury and disdaine,

He brayd aloud for very fell despight,

And sodainely t'auenge him selfe againe,

Gan into one assemble all the might

Of all his hands, and heaued them on hight,

Thinking to pay him with that one for all:

But the sad Steele seizd not, where it was hight,

Vppon the childe, but somewhat short did fall,

And lighting on his horses head, him quite did mall.

9
Downe streight to ground fell his astonisht steed,

And eke to th'earth his burden with him bare:

But he him selfe full lightly from him freed,

And gan him selfe to fight on foote prepare.

Whereof when as the Gyant was aware,

He wox right blyth, as he had got thereby,

And laught so loud, that all his teeth wide bare

One might haue seene enraung'd disorderly,

Like to a rancke of piles, that pitched are awry.

10
Eftsoones againe his axe he raught on hie,

Ere he were throughly buckled to his geare,

And can let driue at him so dreadfullie,

That had he chaunced not his shield to reare,

Ere that huge stroke arriued on him neare,

He had him surely clouen quite in twaine.

But th' Adamantine shield, which he did beare,

So well was tempred, that for all his maine,

It would no passage yeeld vnto his purpose vaine.

11
Yet was the stroke so forcibly applide,

That made him stagger with vncertaine sway,

As if he would haue tottered to one side.

Wherewith full wroth, he fiercely gan assay,

That curt'sie with like kindnesse to repay;

And smote at him with so importune might,

That two more of his armes did fall away,

Like firuitlesse braunches, which the hatchets slight

Hath pruned from the natiue tree, and cropped quight.

12
With that all mad and furious he grew,

Like a fell mastiffe through enraging heat,

And curst, and band, and blasphemies forth threw,

Against his Gods, and fire to them did threat,

And hell vnto him selfe with horrour great.

Thenceforth he car'd no more, which way he strooke,

Nor where it light, but gan to chaufe and sweat,

And gnasht his teeth, and his head at him shooke,

And sternely him beheld with grim and ghastly looke.

13
Nought fear'd the childe his lookes, ne yet his threats,

But onely wexed now the more aware,

To saue him selfe from those his furious heats,

And watch aduauntage, how to worke his care:

The which good Fortune to him offred faire.

For as he in his rage him ouerstrooke,

He ere he could his weapon backe repaire,

His side all bare and naked ouertooke,

And with his mortal steel quite throgh the body strooke.

14
Through all three bodies he him strooke attonce;

That all the three attonce fell on the plainer

Else should he thrise haue needed, for the nonce

Them to haue stricken, and thrise to haue slaine.

So now all three one sencelesse lumpe remaine,

Enwallow'd in his owne blacke bloudy gore,

And byting th'earth for very deaths disdaine;

Who with a cloud of night him couering, bore

Downe to the house of dole, his daies there to deplore.

15
Which when the Lady from the Castle saw,

Where she with her two sonnes did looking stand,

She towards him in hast her selfe did draw,

To greet him the good fortune of his hand:

And all the people both of towne and land,

Which there stood gazing from the Citties wall

Vppon these warriours, greedy t'vnderstand,

To whether should the victory befall,

Now when they saw it falne, they eke him greeted all.

16
But
Belge
with her sonnes prostrated low

Before his feete, in all that peoples sight;

Mongst ioyes mixing some tears, mongst wele, some wo,

Him thus bespake; O most redoubted Knight,

The which hast me, of all most wretched wight,

That earst was dead, restor'd to life againe,

And these weake impes replanted by thy might;

What guerdon can I giue thee for thy paine,

But euen that which thou sauedst, thine still to remaine?

17
He tooke her vp forby the lilly hand,

And her recomforted the best he might,

Saying; Deare Lady, deedes ought not be scand

By th'authors manhood, nor the doers might,

But by their trueth and by the causes right:

That same is it, which fought for you this day.

What other meed then need me to requight,

But that which yeeldeth vertues meed alway?

That is the vertue selfe, which her reward doth pay.

18
She humbly thankt him for that wondrous grace,

And further sayd; Ah Sir, but mote ye please,

Sith ye thus farre haue tendred my poore case,

As from my chiefest foe me to release,

That your victorious arme will not yet cease,

Till ye haue rooted all the relickes out

Of that vilde race, and stablished my peace.

What is there else (sayd he) left of their rout?

Declare it boldly Dame, and doe not stand in dout.

19
Then wote you, Sir, that in this Church hereby,

There stands an Idole of great note and name,

The which this Gyant reared first on hie,

And of his owne vaine fancies thought did frame:

To whom for endlesse horrour of his shame,

He offred vp for daily sacrifize

My children and my people, burnt in flame;

With all the tortures, that he could deuize,

The more t'aggrate his God with such bis blouddy guize.

20
And vnderneath this Idoll there doth lie

An hideous monster, that doth it defend,

And feedes on all the carkasses, that die

In sacrifize vnto that cursed feend:

Whose vgly shape none euer saw, nor kend,

That euer scap'd: for of a man they say

It has the voice, that speaches forth doth send,

Euen blasphemous words, which she doth bray

Out of her poysnous entrails, fraught with dire decay.

21
Which when the Prince heard tell, his heart gan earne

For great desire, that Monster to assay,

And prayd the place of her abode to learne.

Which being shew'd, he gan him selfe streight way

Thereto addresse, and his bright shield display.

So to the Church he came, where it was told,

The Monster vnderneath the Altar lay;

There he that Idoll saw of massy gold

Most richly made, but there no Monster did behold.

22
Vpon the Image with his naked blade

Three times, as in defiance, there he strooke;

And the third time out of an hidden shade,

There forth issewd, from vnder th'Altars smooke,

A dreadfull feend, with fowle deformed looke,

That stretcht it selfe, as it had long lyen still;

And her long taile and fethers strongly shooke,

That all the Temple did with terrour fill;

Yet him nought terrifide, that feared nothing ill.

23
An huge great Beast it was, when it in length

Was stretched forth, that nigh fild all the place,

And seem'd to be of infinite great strength;

Horrible, hideous, and of hellish race,

Borne of the brooding of
Echidna
base,

Or other like infernall furies kinde:

For of a Mayd she had the outward face,

To hide the horrour, which did lurke behinde,

The better to beguile, whom she so fond did finde.

24
Thereto the body of a dog she had,

Full of fell rauin and fierce greedinesse;

A Lions clawes, with powre and rigour dad,

To rend and teare, what so she can oppresse;

A Dragons taile, whose sting without redresse

Full deadly wounds, where so it is empight;

And Eagles wings, for scope and speedinesse,

That nothing may escape her reaching might,

Whereto she euer list to make her hardy flight.

25
Much like in foulnesse and deformity

Vnto that Monster, whom the Theban Knight,

The father of that fatall progeny,

Made kill her selfe for very hearts despight,

That he had red her Riddle, which no wight

Could euer loose, but suffred deadly doole.

So also did this Monster vse like slight

To many a one, which came vnto her schoole,

Whom she did put to death, deceiued like a foole.

26
She comming forth, when as she first beheld

The armed Prince, with shidd so blazing bright,

Her ready to assaile, was greatly queld,

And much dismayd with that dismayfull sight,

That backe she would haue turnd for great affright

But he gan her with courage fierce assay,

That forst her turne againe in her despight,

To saue her selfe, least that he did her slay:

And sure he had her slaine, had she not turnd her way.

27
Tho when she saw, that she was forst to fight,

She flew at him, like to an hellish feend,

And on his shidd tooke hold with all her might,

As if that it she would in peeces rend,

Or reaue out of the hand, that did it hend.

Strongly he stroue out of her greedy gripe

To loose his shield, and long while did contend:

But when he could not quite it, with one stripe

Her Lions clawes he from her feete away did wipe.

28
With that aloude she gan to bray and yell,

And fowle blasphemous speaches forth did cast,

And bitter curses, horrible to tell,

That euen the Temple, wherein she was plast,

Did quake to heare, and nigh asunder brast.

Tho with her huge long taile she at him strooke,

That made him stagger, and stand halfe agast

With trembling ioynts, as he for terrour shooke;

Who nought was terrifide, but greater courage tooke.

29
As when the Mast of some well timbred hulke