The noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought, i

And is with child of glorious great intent,

Can neuer rest, vntill it forth haue brought

Th’eternall brood of glorie excellent:

Such restlesse passion did all night torment

The flaming corage of that Faery knight,

Deuizing, how that doughtie turnament

With greatest honour he atchieuen might;

Still did he[171] wake, and still did watch for dawning light.

At last the golden Orientall gate[172] ii

Of greatest heauen gan to open faire,

And Phœbus fresh, as bridegrome to his mate,

Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie haire:

And hurld[173] his glistring beames through gloomy aire.

Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiu’d, streight way

He started vp, and did him selfe prepaire,

In sun-bright armes, and battailous array:

For with that Pagan proud he combat will that day.

And forth he comes into the commune[174] hall, iii

Where earely waite him many a gazing eye,

To weet what end to straunger knights may fall.

There many Minstrales maken melody,

To driue away the dull melancholy,

And many Bardes, that to the trembling chord

Can tune their timely voyces cunningly,

And many Chroniclers, that can record

Old loues, and warres for Ladies doen by many a Lord.

Soone after comes the cruell Sarazin, iv

In wouen maile all armed warily,

And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin

Does care for looke of liuing creatures eye.

They bring them wines of Greece and Araby,

And daintie spices fetcht from furthest Ynd,

To kindle heat of corage priuily:

And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd

T’obserue the sacred lawes of armes, that are assynd.

At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene, v

With royall pomp and Princely maiestie;

She is ybrought vnto a paled greene,

And placed vnder stately canapee,

The warlike feates of both those knights to see.

On th’other side in all mens open vew

Duessa placed is, and on a tree

Sans-foy his shield is hangd with bloudy hew:

Both those the lawrell girlonds to the victor dew.

A shrilling trompet sownded from on hye, vi

And vnto battaill bad them selues addresse:

Their shining shieldes about their wrestes[175] they tye,

And burning blades about their heads do blesse,

The instruments of wrath and heauinesse:

With greedy force each other doth assayle,

And strike so fiercely, that they do impresse

Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle;

The yron walles to ward their blowes are weake and fraile.

The Sarazin was stout, and wondrous strong, vii

And heaped blowes like yron hammers great:

For after bloud and vengeance he did long.

The knight was fiers, and full of youthly heat:

And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders threat:

For all for prayse and honour he did fight.

Both stricken strike, and beaten both do beat,

That from their shields forth flyeth firie light,

And helmets hewen[176] deepe, shew marks of eithers might.

So th’one for wrong, the other striues for right: viii

As when a Gryfon seized of his pray,

A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,

Through widest ayre making his ydle way,

That would his rightfull rauine rend away:

With hideous horrour both together smight,

And souce so sore, that they the heauens affray:

The wise Southsayer seeing so sad sight,

Th’amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight.

So th’one for wrong, the other striues for right, ix

And each to deadly shame would driue his foe:

The cruell steele so greedily doth bight

In tender flesh, that streames of bloud down flow,

With which the armes, that earst so bright did show[177],

Into a pure vermillion now are dyde:

Great ruth in all the gazers harts did grow,

Seeing the gored woundes to gape so wyde,

That victory they dare not wish to either side.

At last the Paynim chaunst to cast his eye, x

His suddein eye, flaming with wrathfull fyre,

Vpon his brothers shield, which hong thereby:

Therewith redoubled was his raging yre,

And said, Ah wretched sonne of wofull syre,

Doest[178] thou sit wayling by black Stygian lake,

Whilest here thy shield is hangd for victors hyre,

And sluggish german doest thy forces slake,

To after-send his foe, that him may ouertake?

Goe caytiue Elfe, him quickly ouertake, xi

And soone redeeme from his long wandring woe;

Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make,

That I his shield haue quit from dying foe.

Therewith vpon his crest he stroke him so,

That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall;

End of the doubtfull battell[179] deemed tho

The lookers on, and lowd to him gan call

The false Duessa, Thine the shield, and I, and all.

Soone as the Faerie heard his Ladie speake, xii

Out of his swowning dreame he gan awake,

And quickning faith, that earst was woxen weake,

The creeping deadly cold away did shake:

Tho mou’d with wrath, and shame, and Ladies sake,

Of all attonce he cast auengd to bee,

And with so’exceeding furie at him strake,

That forced him to stoupe[180] vpon his knee;

Had he not stouped so, he should haue clouen bee.

And to him said, Goe now proud Miscreant, xiii

Thy selfe thy message doe to german deare,

Alone he wandring thee too long doth want:

Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare.

Therewith his heauie hand he high gan reare,

Him to haue slaine; when loe a darkesome clowd

Vpon him fell: he no where doth appeare,

But vanisht is. The Elfe him cals alowd,

But answer none receiues: the darknes him does shrowd.

In haste Duessa from her place arose, xiv

And to him running said, O prowest knight,

That euer Ladie to her loue did chose,

Let now abate the terror[181] of your might,

And quench the flame of furious despight,

And bloudie vengeance; lo th’infernall powres

Couering your foe with cloud of deadly night,

Haue borne him hence to Plutoes balefull bowres.

The conquest yours, I yours, the shield, and glory yours.

Not all so satisfide, with greedie eye xv

He sought all round about, his thirstie[182] blade

To bath[183] in bloud of faithlesse enemy;

Who all that while lay hid in secret shade:

He standes amazed, how he thence should fade.

At last the trumpets[184] Triumph sound on hie,

And running Heralds humble homage made,

Greeting him goodly with new victorie,

And to him brought the shield, the cause of enmitie.

Wherewith he goeth to that soueraine Queene, xvi

And falling her before on lowly knee,

To her makes present of his seruice seene:

Which she accepts, with thankes, and goodly gree,

Greatly aduauncing his gay cheualree.

So marcheth home, and by her takes the knight,

Whom all the people follow with great glee,

Shouting, and clapping all their hands on hight,

That all the aire it fils, and flyes to heauen bright.

Home is he brought, and laid in sumptuous bed: xvii

Where many skilfull leaches him abide,

To salue his hurts, that yet still freshly bled.

In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide,

And softly can[185] embalme on euery side.

And all the while, most heauenly melody

About the bed sweet musicke did diuide,

Him to beguile of griefe and agony:

And all the while Duessa wept full bitterly.

As when a wearie traueller[186] that strayes xviii

By muddy shore of broad seuen-mouthed Nile,

Vnweeting of the perillous wandring wayes,

Doth meet a cruell craftie Crocodile,

Which in false griefe hyding his harmefull guile,

Doth weepe full sore, and sheddeth tender teares:

The foolish man, that pitties all this while

His mournefull plight, is swallowd vp vnwares,

Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

So wept Duessa vntill euentide, xix

That shyning lampes in Ioues high house were light:

Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide,

But comes vnto the place, where th’Hethen knight

In slombring swownd[187] nigh voyd of vitall spright,

Lay couer’d with inchaunted cloud all day:

Whom when she found, as she him left in plight,

To wayle his woefull case she would not stay,

But to the easterne coast of heauen makes speedy way.

Where griesly Night, with visage deadly sad, xx

That Phœbus chearefull face durst neuer vew,

And in a foule blacke pitchie mantle clad,

She findes forth comming from her darkesome mew,

Where she all day did hide her hated hew.

Before the dore her yron charet stood,

Alreadie harnessed for iourney new;

And coleblacke steedes yborne of hellish brood,

That on their rustie bits did champ, as they were wood.

Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright, xxi

Adornd with gold and iewels shining cleare,

She greatly grew amazed at the sight,

And th’vnacquainted light began to feare:

For neuer did such brightnesse there appeare,

And would haue backe retyred to her caue,

Vntill the witches speech she gan to heare,

Saying, Yet[188] O thou dreaded Dame, I craue

Abide, till I haue told the message, which I haue.

She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede, xxii

O thou most auncient Grandmother of all,

More old then Ioue, whom thou at first didst breede,

Or that great house of Gods cælestiall,

Which wast begot in Dæmogorgons hall,

And sawst the secrets of the world vnmade,

Why suffredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall

With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade?

Lo where the stout Sansioy doth sleepe in deadly shade.

And him before, I saw with bitter eyes xxiii

The bold Sansfoy shrinke vnderneath his speare;

And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes,

Nor wayld of friends, nor laid on groning beare,

That whylome was to me too dearely deare.

O what of Gods then boots it to be borne,

If old Aveugles sonnes so euill heare?

Or who shall not great Nightes[189] children scorne,

When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne.

Vp then, vp dreary Dame, of darknesse Queene, xxiv

Go gather vp the reliques of thy race,

Or else goe them auenge, and let be seene,

That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place,

And can the children of faire light deface.

Her feeling speeches some compassion moued

In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face:

Yet pittie in her hart was neuer proued

Till then: for[190] euermore she hated, neuer loued.

And said, Deare daughter rightly may I rew xxv

The fall of famous children borne of mee,

And good successes, which their foes ensew:

But who can turne the streame of destinee,

Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee,

Which fast is tyde to Ioues eternall seat?

The sonnes of Day he fauoureth, I see,

And by my ruines thinkes to make them great:

To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat.

Yet shall they not escape so freely all; xxvi

For some shall pay the price of others guilt:

And he the man that made Sansfoy to fall,

Shall with his owne bloud price that he hath spilt.

But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt?

I that do seeme not I, Duessa am[191],

(Quoth she) how euer now in garments gilt,

And gorgeous gold arayd I to thee came;

Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame.

Then bowing downe her aged backe, she kist xxvii

The wicked witch, saying; In that faire face

The false resemblance of Deceipt, I wist

Did closely lurke; yet so true-seeming grace

It carried, that I scarse in darkesome place

Could it discerne, though I the mother bee

Of falshood[192], and root of Duessaes race.

O welcome child, whom I haue longd to see,

And now haue seene vnwares. Lo now I go with thee.

Then to her yron wagon she betakes, xxviii

And with her beares the fowle welfauourd witch:

Through mirkesome aire her readie way she makes.

Her twyfold Teme, of which two blacke as pitch,

And two were browne, yet each to each vnlich,

Did softly swim away, ne euer stampe,

Vnlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch;

Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champe,

And trampling the fine element, would fiercely rampe.

So well they sped, that they be come at length xxix

Vnto the place, whereas the Paynim lay,

Deuoid of outward sense, and natiue strength,

Couerd with charmed cloud from vew of day,

And sight of men, since his late luckelesse fray.

His cruell wounds with cruddy bloud congealed,

They binden vp so wisely, as they may,

And handle softly, till they can be healed:

So lay him in her charet, close in night concealed.

And all the while she stood vpon the ground, xxx

The wakefull dogs did neuer cease to bay,

As giuing warning of th’vnwonted sound,

With which her yron wheeles did them affray,

And her darke griesly looke them much dismay;

The messenger of death, the ghastly Owle

With drearie shriekes did also her bewray;

And hungry Wolues continually did howle,

At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.

Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole, xxxi

And brought the heauie corse with easie pace

To yawning gulfe of deepe Auernus hole.

By that same hole an entrance darke and bace

With smoake and sulphure hiding all the place,

Descends to hell: there creature neuer past,

That backe returned without heauenly grace;

But dreadfull Furies, which their chaines haue brast,

And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

By that same way the direfull dames doe driue xxxii

Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood,

And downe to Plutoes house are come biliue:

Which passing through, on euery side them stood

The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood,

Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide

With stonie eyes; and all the hellish brood

Of feends infernall flockt on euery side,

To gaze on earthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.

They pas the bitter waues of Acheron, xxxiii

Where many soules sit wailing woefully,

And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,

Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry,

And with sharpe shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry,

Cursing high Ioue, the which them thither sent.

The house of endlesse paine is built thereby,

In which ten thousand sorts of punishment

The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.

Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus xxxiv

His three deformed heads did lay along,

Curled with thousand adders venemous,

And lilled forth his bloudie flaming tong:

At them he gan to reare his bristles strong,

And felly gnarre, vntill dayes enemy

Did him appease; then downe his taile he hong

And suffered them to passen quietly:

For she in hell and heauen had power equally.

There was Ixion turned on a wheele, xxxv

For daring tempt the Queene of heauen to sin;

And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele

Against an hill, ne might from labour lin;

There thirstie Tantalus hong by the chin;

And Tityus fed a vulture on his maw;

Typhœus ioynts were stretched on a gin,

Theseus condemned to endlesse slouth by law,

And fifty sisters water in leake[193] vessels draw.

They all beholding worldly wights in place, xxxvi

Leaue off their worke, vnmindfull of their smart,

To gaze on them; who forth by them doe pace,

Till they be come vnto the furthest part:

Where was a Caue ywrought by wondrous art,

Deepe, darke, vneasie, dolefull, comfortlesse,

In which sad Æsculapius farre a part[194]

Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse,

For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse.

Hippolytus a iolly huntsman was, xxxvii

That wont in charet chace the foming Bore;

He all his Peeres in beautie did surpas,

But Ladies loue as losse of time forbore:

His wanton stepdame loued him the more,

But when she saw her offred sweets refused

Her loue she turnd to hate, and him before

His father fierce of treason false accused,

And with her gealous termes his open eares abused.

Who all in rage his Sea-god syre besought, xxxviii

Some cursed vengeance on his sonne to cast:

From surging gulf two monsters straight were brought,

With dread whereof his chasing steedes aghast,

Both charet swift and huntsman ouercast.

His goodly corps on ragged cliffs[195] yrent,

Was quite dismembred, and his members chast

Scattered on euery mountaine, as he went,

That of Hippolytus was left no moniment.

His cruell stepdame seeing what was donne, xxxix

Her wicked dayes with wretched knife did end,

In death auowing th’innocence of her sonne.

Which hearing his rash Syre, began to rend

His haire, and hastie tongue, that did offend:

Tho gathering vp the relicks[196] of his smart

By Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend,

Them brought to Æsculape, that by his art

Did heale them all againe, and ioyned euery part.

Such wondrous science in mans wit to raine xl

When Ioue auizd, that could the dead reuiue,

And fates expired could renew againe,

Of endlesse life he might him not depriue,

But vnto hell did thrust him downe aliue,

With flashing thunderbolt ywounded sore:

Where long remaining, he did alwaies striue

Himselfe with salues to health for to restore,

And slake the heauenly fire[197], that raged euermore.

There auncient Night arriuing, did alight xli

From her nigh[198] wearie waine, and in her armes

To Æsculapius brought the wounded knight:

Whom hauing softly disarayd of armes,

Tho gan to him discouer all his harmes,

Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise,

If either salues, or oyles, or herbes, or charmes

A fordonne wight from dore of death mote raise,

He would at her request prolong her nephews daies.

Ah Dame (quoth he) thou temptest me in vaine, xlii

To dare the thing, which daily yet I rew,

And the old cause of my continued paine

With like attempt to like end to renew.

Is not enough, that thrust from heauen dew

Here endlesse penance for one fault I pay,

But that redoubled crime with vengeance new

Thou biddest me to eeke? Can Night defray

The wrath of thundring Ioue, that rules both night and day?

Not so (quoth she) but sith that heauens king xliii

From hope of heauen hath thee excluded quight,

Why fearest thou, that canst not hope for thing,

And fearest not, that more thee hurten might,

Now in the powre of euerlasting Night?

Goe to then, O thou farre renowmed[199] sonne

Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might

In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne

Great paines, and greater praise, both neuer to be donne.

Her words preuaild: And then the learned leach xliv

His cunning hand gan to his wounds[200] to lay,

And all things else, the which his art did teach:

Which hauing seene, from thence arose away

The mother of dread darknesse, and let stay

Aueugles sonne there in the leaches cure,

And backe returning tooke her wonted way,

To runne her timely race, whilst Phœbus pure

In westerne waues his wearie wagon did recure.

The false Duessa leauing noyous Night, xlv

Returnd to stately pallace of dame Pride;

Where when she came, she found the Faery knight

Departed thence, albe his woundes[201] wide

Not throughly heald, vnreadie were to ride.

Good cause he had to hasten thence away;

For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spide,

Where in a dongeon[202] deepe huge numbers[203] lay

Of caytiue wretched thrals, that wayled night and day.

A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie; xlvi

Of whom he learned had in secret wise

The hidden cause of their captiuitie,

How mortgaging their liues to Couetise,

Through wastfull Pride, and wanton Riotise,

They were by law of that proud Tyrannesse

Prouokt with Wrath, and Enuies false surmise,

Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse,

Where they should liue in woe, and die in wretchednesse.

There was that great proud king of Babylon, xlvii

That would compell all nations to adore,

And him as onely God to call vpon,

Till through celestiall doome throwne out of dore,

Into an Oxe he was transform’d of yore:

There also was king Crœsus, that enhaunst

His heart too high through his great riches store;

And proud Antiochus, the which aduaunst

His cursed hand gainst God, and on his altars[204] daunst.

And them long time before, great Nimrod was, xlviii

That first the world with sword and fire warrayd;

And after him old Ninus farre did pas

In princely pompe, of all the world obayd;

There also was that mightie Monarch layd

Low vnder all, yet aboue all in pride,

That name of natiue syre did fowle vpbrayd,

And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide,

Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he dide.

All these together in one heape were throwne, xlix

Like carkases of beasts in butchers stall.

And in another corner wide were strowne

The antique ruines of the Romaines fall:

Great Romulus the Grandsyre of them all,

Proud Tarquin, and too lordly Lentulus,

Stout Scipio, and stubborne Hanniball,

Ambitious Sylla, and sterne Marius,

High Cæsar, great Pompey, and fierce Antonius.

Amongst these mighty men were wemen mixt, l

Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke:

The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfixt

With sonnes owne blade, her fowle reproches spoke;

Faire Sthenobœa, that her selfe did choke

With wilfull cord[205], for wanting of her will;

High minded Cleopatra, that with stroke

Of Aspes sting her selfe did stoutly kill:

And thousands moe the like, that did that dongeon fill.

Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles, li

Which thither were assembled day by day,

From all the world after their wofull falles,

Through wicked pride, and wasted wealthes decay.

But most of all, which in that[206] Dongeon lay

Fell from high Princes courts, or Ladies bowres,

Where they in idle pompe, or wanton play,

Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres,

And lastly throwne themselues into these heauy stowres.

Whose case when as the carefull Dwarfe had tould, lii

And made ensample of their mournefull sight

Vnto his maister, he no lenger would

There dwell in perill of like painefull plight,

But early rose, and ere that dawning light

Discouered had the world to heauen wyde,

He by a priuie Posterne tooke his flight,

That of no enuious eyes he mote be spyde:

For doubtlesse death ensewd, if any him descryde.

Scarse could he footing find in that fowle way, liii

For many corses, like a great Lay-stall

Of murdred men which therein strowed lay,

Without remorse, or decent funerall:

Which all through that great Princesse pride did fall

And came to shamefull end. And them beside

Forth ryding vnderneath the castell wall,

A donghill of dead carkases he spide,

The dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of Pride.