Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

So as they gazed after her awhyle,

Lo! where a griesly foster forth did rush, Breathing out beastly lust her to defyle: His tyreling jade be fiersly forth did push

Whereto that single knight did answere frame;
"These six would me enforce, by oddes of might,
To chaunge my liefe, and love another dame;
That death me liefer were then such despight,

Through thicke and thin, both over banck and bush, So unto wrong to yield my wrested right:

In hope her to attaine by hooke or crooke, That from his gory sydes the blood did gush: Large were his limbes, and terrible his looke,

For I love one, the truest one on grownd,

Ne list me chaunge; she th' Errant Damzell hight; For whose deare sake full many a bitter stownd

And in his clownish hand a sharp bore-speare he I have endurd, and tasted many a bloody wownd." shooke.

Which outrage when those geutle knights did see,
Full of great envy and fell gealosy

They stayd not to avise who first should bee,
But all spurd after, fast as they mote fly,
To reskew her from shamefull villany.
The prince and Guyon equally bylive
Herselfe pursewd, in hope to win thereby
Most goodly meede, the fairest dame alive:
But after the foule foster Timias did strive.

The whiles faire Britomart, whose constant mind
Would not so lightly follow beauties chace,
Ne reckt of ladies love, did stay behynd;
And them awayted there a certaine space,
To weet if they would turne backe to that place:
But, when she saw them gone, she forward went,
As lay her iourney, through that perlous pace,
With stedfast corage and stout hardiment;
Ne evil thing she feard, ne evill thing she ment.

At last, as nigh out of the wood she came,
A stately castle far away she spyde,
To which her steps directly she did frame.
That castle was most goodly edifyde,
And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde:
But faire before the gate a spatious playne,
Mantled with greene, itselfe did spredden wy de,
On which she saw six knights, that did darrayne
Fiers battaill, against one with cruell might and
mayne.

Mainely they all attonce upon him laid,
And sore beset on every side arownd,
That nigh he breathlesse grew, yet nought dismaid,
Ne ever to them yielded foot of grownd,
All had he lost much blood through many a wownd;
But stoutly dealt his blowes, and every way,
To which ne turned in his wrathfull stownd,
Made them recoile, and fly from dredd decay,
That none of all the six before him durst assay:

Like dastard curres, that, having at a bay
The salvage beast embost in wearie chace,
Dare not adventure on the stubborne pray,
Ne byte before, but rome from place to place
To get a snatch when turned is his face.
In such distresse and doubtfull ieopardy
When Britomart him saw, she ran apace
Unto his reskew, and with earnest cry
Badd those same sixe forbeare that single enimy.

But to her cry they list not lenden eare,
Ne ought the more their mightie strokes surceasse;
But, gathering him rownd about more neare,
Their direfull rancour rather did encreasse;
Till that she rushing through the thickest preasse
Perforce disparted their compacted gyre,
And soone compeld to hearken unto peace:
Tho gan she myldly of them to inquyre
The cause of their dissention and outrageous yre.

"Certes," said she, "then beene ye sixe to blame,
To weene your wrong by force to justify:
For kaight to leave his lady were great shame
That faithfull is; and better were to dy.
All losse is lesse, and lesse the infamy,
Then losse of love to him that loves but one:
Ne may Love be compeld by maistery;
For, soone as maistery comes, sweet Love anone
Taketh his nimble winges, and soone away is gone.”

Then spake one of those six; "There dwelleth here
Within this castle-wall a lady fayre,
Whose soveraine beautie hath no living pere;
Thereto so bounteous and so debonayre,
That never any mote with her compayre:
She hath ordaind this law, which we approve,
That every knight which doth this way repayre,
In case he have no lady nor no love,
Shall doe unto her service, never to remove :

"But if he have a lady or a love, Then must he her forgoe with fowle defame, Or els with us by dint of sword approve, That she is fairer then our fairest dame; As did this knight, before ye hether came." "Perdy," said Britomart, "the choise is hard! But what reward had he that overcame ?” "He should advaunced bee to high regard," Said they, "and have our ladies love for his reward.

"Therefore aread, sir, if thou have a love." "Love have I sure," quoth she, "but lady none; Yet will I not fro mine owne love remove, But wreake your wronges wrought to this knight Ne to your lady will I service done, [alone, She mightily aventred towards one, And prove his cause." With that, her mortall speare

And downe him smot ere well aware he weare; Then to the next she rode, and downe the next did beare.

Ne did she stay till three on ground she layd,
That none of them himselfe could reare againe:
The fourth was by that other knight dismayd,
All were he wearie of his former paine;
That now there do but two of six remaine;
Which two did yield before she did them smight.
"Ah!" said she then, "now may ye all see plaine,
That Truth is strong, and trew Love most of might,
That for his trusty servaunts doth so strongly fight."

"Too well we see," saide they," and prove too well
Our faulty weakenes, and your matchlesse might:
Ferthy, faire sir, yours be the damozell,
Which by her owne law to your lot doth light,
And we your liegemen faith unto you plight."
So underneath her feet their swords they mard,
And, after, her besought, well as they might,
To enter in and reape the dew reward:
She graunted; and then in they all together far'd.

Long were it to describe the goodly frame,
And stately port of Castle Joyeous,

(For so that castle hight by common name)
Where they were entertaynd with courteous
And comely glee of many gratious

Faire lad es, and of many a gentle knight;
Who, through a chamber long and spacious,
Eftsoones them brought unto their ladies sight,
That of them cleeped was the Lady of Delight.

Bat, for to tell the sumptuous aray

Of that great chamber, should be labour lost;
For living wit, I weene, cannot display
The roiall riches and exceeding cost
Of every pillour and of every post,
Which all of purest bullion framed were,

And with great perles and pretious stones embost;
That the bright glister of their beamës cleare
Did sparckle forth great light, and glorious did ap-
peare.

[led

These stranger knights, through passing, forth were
Into an juner rowme, whose royaltee
And rich purveyance might uneath be red;
Mote princes place beseeme so deckt to bee.
Which stately manner whenas they did see,
The image of superfluous riotize,
Exceeding much the state of meane degree,
They greatly wondred whence so sumptuous guize
Might be maintaynd, and each gan diversely devize.
The wals were round about apparelled
With costly clothes of Arras and of Toure;
In which with cunning hand was pourtrahed
The love of Venus and her paramoure,
The fayre Adonis, turned to a flowre;
A worke of rare device and wondrous wit.
First did it shew the bitter balefull stowre,
Which her assayd with many a fervent fit,
When first her tender hart was with his beautie smit:

Then with what sleights and sweet allurements she
Entyst the boy, as well that art she knew,
And wooed him her paramoure to bee;
Now making girlonds of each flowre that grew,
To crowne his golden lockes with honour dew;
Now leading him into a secret shade

From his beauperes, and from bright Heavens vew,
Where him to sleepe she gently would perswade,
Or bathe him in a fountaine by some covert glade:

And, whilst he slept, she over him would spred
Her mantle colour'd like the starry skyes,
And her soft arme lay underneath his hed,
And with ambrosiall kisses bathe his eyes;
And, whilst he bath'd, with her two crafty spyes
She secretly would search each daintie lim,
And throw into the well sweet rosemaryes,
And fragrant violets, and paunces trim;
And ever with sweet nectar she did sprinkle him.

So did she steale his heedelesse hart away,
And joyd his love in secret unespyde:
But for she saw him bent to cruell play,
To hunt the salvage beast in forrest wyde,
Dreadfull of daunger that mote him betyde
She oft and oft adviz'd him to refraine
From chase of greater beastes, whose brutish pryde
Mote breede him scath unwares: but all in vaine;
For who can shun the chance that dest'ny doth or-
daine ?

Lo! where beyond he lyeth languishing,
Deadly eugored of a great wilde bore;
And by his side the goddesse groveling
Makes for him endlesse mone, and evermore
With her soft garment wipes away the gore
Which staynes his snowy skin with hatefull hew:
But, when she saw no helpe might him restore,
Him to a dainty flowre she did transmew,
Which in that cloth was wrought, as if it lively grew.

So was that chamber clad in goodly wize:
And rownd about it many beds were dight,
As whylome was the antique worldes guize,
Some for untimely ease, some for de ight,
As pleased them to use that use it might:
And all was full of damzels and of squyres,
Dauncing and reveling both day and night,
And swimming deepe in sensuall desyres;
And Cupid still emongest them kindled lustfull fyres.

And all the while sweet musicke did divide
Her looser notes with Lydian harmony;
And all the while sweete birdes thereto applide
Their daintie layes and dulcet melody,
Ay caroling of love and iollity,

That wonder was to heare their trim consórt.
Which when those knights beheld, with scornefull eye
They sdeigned such lascivious disport,
And loath'd the loose demeanure of that wanton sort.

Thence they were brought to that great ladies vew,
Whom they found sitting on a sumptuous bed
That glistred all with gold and glorious shew,
As the proud Persian queenes accustomed :
She seemd a woman of great bountihed
And of rare beautie, saving that askaunce
Her wanton eyes (ill signes of womanhed)
Did roll too lightly, and too often glaunce,
Without regard of grace or comely amenaunce.

Long worke it were, and needlesse, to devize
Their goodly entertainement and great glee:
She caused them be led in courteous wize
Into a bowre, disarmed for to be,
And cheared well with wine and spiceree :
The Redcrosse knight was soon disarmed there;
But the brave mayd would not disarmed bee,
But onely vented up her umbriëre,
And so did let her goodly visage to appere.

As when fayre Cynthia, in darkesome night,.
Is in a noyous cloud enveloped,

Where she may finde the substance thin and light,
Breakes forth her silver beames, and her bright hed
Discovers to the world discomfited;

Of the poore traveiler that went astray
With thousand blessings she is heried:
Such was the beautie and the shining ray,
With which fayre Britomart gave light unto the day.

And eke those six, which lately with her fought,
Now were disarmd, and did themselves present
Unto her vew, and company unsought;
For they all seemed courteous and gent,
And all sixe brethren, borne of one parent,
Which had them traynd in all civilitee,
And goodly taught to tilt and turnament;
Now were they liegmen to this ladie free,
And her knights-service ought, to hold of her in fee.

The first of them by name Gardantè hight,
A iolly person, and of comely vew ;
The second was Parlantè, a bold knight;
And next to him Iocantè did ensew;
Basciantè did himselfe most courteous shew;
But fierce Bacchantè seemd too fell and keene;
And yett in armes Noctantè greater grew:
All were faire knights, and goodly well beseene;
But to faire Britomart they all but shadowes beene.

For shee was full of amiable grace
And manly terror mixed therewithall;
That as the one stird up affections bace,
So th' other did mens rash desires apall,
And hold them backe that would in error fall:
As hee that hath espide a vermeill rose,

To which sharp thornes and breres the way forstall,
Dare not for dread his hardy hand expose,
But, wishing it far off, his ydle wish doth lose.

Whom when the lady saw so faire a wight,
All ignorant of her contráry sex,

(For shee her weend a fresh and lusty knight)
Shee greatly gan enamoured to wex,
And with vaine thoughts her falsed fancy vex:
Her fickle hart conceived hasty fyre,

Like sparkes of fire which fall in sclender flex,
That shortly brent into extreme desyre,
And ransackt all her veines with passion entyre.

Eftsoones shee grew to great impatience,
And into termes of open outrage brust,
That plaine discovered her incontinence;
Ne reckt shee who her meaning did mistrust;
For she was given all to fleshly lust,

And poured forth in sensuall delight,

That all regard of shame she had discust,

And meet respect of honor put to flight:

So, when they slaked had the fervent heat
Of appetite with meates of every sort,
The lady did faire Britomart entreat
Her to disarme, and with delightfull sport
To loose her warlike limbs and strong effort:
But when shee mote not thereunto be wonne,
(For shee her sexe under that straunge purpórt
Did use to hide, and plaine apparaunce shonne)
In playner wise to tell her grievaunce she begonne;

And all attonce discovered her desire

With sighes, and sobs, and plaints, and piteous griefe,
The outward sparkes of her in-burning fire:
Which spent in vaine, at last she told her briefe,
That, but if she did lend her short reliefe
And doe her comfort, she mote algates dye.
But the chaste damzell, that had never priefe
Of such malengine and fine forgerye,
Did easely beleeve her strong extremitye.

Full easy was for her to have beliefe,
Who by self-feeling of her feeble sexe,
And by long triall of the inward griefe
Wherewith imperious love her hart did vexe,
Could indge what paines doe loving harts perplexe.
Who means no guile, be guiled soonest shall,
And to faire semblaunce doth light faith annexe :
The bird, that knowes not the false fowlers call,
Into his hidden nett full easely doth fall.

Forthy she would not in discourteise wise
Scorne the faire offer of good will profest;
For great rebuke it is love to despise,
Or rudely sdeigne a gentle harts request;
But with faire countenaunce, as beseemed best,
Her entertaynd; nath'lesse shee inly deemd
Her love too light, to wooe a wandring guest;
Which she misconstruing, thereby esteemd [steemd.

So shamelesse beauty soone becomes a loathly sight. That from like inward fire that outward smoke had

[blocks in formation]

Now whenas all the world in silence deepe
Yshrowded was, and every mortall wight
Was drowned in the depth of deadly sleepe,
Faire Malecasta, whose engrieved spright
Could find no rest in such perplexed plight,
Lightly arose out of her wearie bed,
And, under the blacke vele of guilty night,
Her with a scarlott mantle covered

That was with gold and ermines faire enveloped.

Then panting softe, and trembling every ioynt,
Her fearfull feete towards the bowre she mov'd,
Where she for secret purpose did appoynt
To lodge the warlike maide, unwisely loov'd;
And, to her bed approching, first she proov'd
Whether she slept or wakte: with her softe hand
She softely felt if any member moov'd,
And lent her wary eare to understand

If any puffe of breath or signe of sence shee fond.

Which whenas none she fond, with easy shifte,
For feare least her unwares she should abrayd,
Th' embroder'd quilt she lightly up did lifte,
And by her side herselfe she softly layd,
Of every finest fingers touch affrayd;
Ne any noise she made, ne word she spake,
But inly sighd. At last the royall mayd
Out of her quiet slomber did awake,

And chaungd her weary side the better ease to take.

Where feeling one close couched by her side,
She lightly lept out of her filed bedd,
And to her weapon ran, in minde to gride
The loathed leachour: but the dame, halfe dedd
Through suddeine feare and ghastly drerihedd
Did shrieke alowd, that through the hous it rong,
And the whole family therewith adredd
Rashly out of their rouzed couches sprong,
And to the troubled chamber all in armes did throng.

And those sixe knightes, that ladies champions,
And eke the Redcrosse knight ran to the stownd,
Halfe armd and halfe unarmd, with them attons:
Where when confusedly they came, they fownd
Their lady lying on the sencelesse grownd:
On th' other side they saw the warlike mayd
Al in her snow-white smocke, with locks unbownd,
Threatning the point of her avenging blade;
That with so troublous terror they were all dismayd.

About their ladye first they flockt arownd;
Whom having laid in comfortable couch,
Shortly they reard out of her frosen swownd;
And afterwardes they gan with fowle reproch
To stirre up strife, and troublous contecke broch:
Bat, by ensample of the last dayes losse,
None of them rashly durst to her approch,
Ne in so glorious spoile themselves embosse:
Her succourd eke the champion of the bloody crosse.

But one of those sixe knights, Gardantè hight,
Drew out a deadly bow and arrow keene,
Which forth he sent with felonous despight
And fell intent against the virgin sheene:
The mortall steele stayd not till it was seene
To gore her side; yet was the wound not deepe,
But lightly rased her soft silken skin,

That drops of purple blood thereout did weepe, Which did her lilly smock with staines of vermeil steep.

Wherewith enrag'd she fiercely at them flew,
And with her flaming sword about her layd,
That none of them foule mischiefe could eschew,
But with her dreadfull strokes were all dismayd:
Here, there, and every where, about her swayd
Her wrathfull steele, that none mote it abyde;
And eke the Redcrosse knight gave her good ayd,
Ay ioyning foot to foot, and syde to syde; [fyde.
That in short space their foes they have quite terri-

Tho, whenas all were put to shamefull flight,
The noble Britomartis her arayd,
And her bright armes about her body dight:
For nothing would she lenger there be stayd,
Where so loose life, and so ungentle trade,
Was usd of knightes and ladies seeming gent:
So, earely, ere the grosse Earthes gryesy shade
Was all disperst out of the firmament, [went.
They tooke their steeds, and forth upon their journey

CANTO II.

The Redcrosse knight to Britomart
Describeth Artegall :

The wondrous myrrhour, by which she
In love with him did fall.

HERE have I cause in men iust blame to find,
That in their proper praise too partiall bee,
And not indifferent to woman kind,

To whom no share in armes and chevalree
They doe impart, ne maken memoree
Of their brave gestes and prowesse martiall:
Scarse do they spare to one, or two, or three,
Rowme in their writtes; yet the same writing small
Does all their deedes deface, and dims their glo-
ries all.

But by record of antique times I finde
That wemen wont in warres to beare most sway,
And to all great exploites themselves inclin'd,
Of which they still the girlond bore away;
Till envious men, fearing their rules decay,
Gan coyne streight lawes to curb their liberty:
Yet, sith they warlike armes have laide away,
They have exceld in artes and pollicy,
That now we foolish men that prayse gin eke t'envy.

Of warlike puissaunce in ages spent,

Be thon, faire Britomart, whose prayse I wryte ;
But of all wisedom bee thou precedent,

O soveraine queene, whose prayse I would endyte,
Endite I would as dewtie doth excyte;
But ah! my rymes too rude and rugged arre,
When in so high an obiect they doe lyte,
And, striving fit to make, I feare, doe marre:
Thyselfe thy prayses tell, and make them knowen
farre.

She, traveiling with Guyon, by the way
Of sondry thinges faire purpose gan to find,
T'abridg their journey long and lingring day:
Mongst which it fell into that Fairies mind
To aske this Briton maid, what uncouth wind
Brought her into those partes, and what inquest
Made her dissemble her disguised kind:
Faire lady she him seemd like lady drest,
But fairest knight alive when armed was her brest.

Thereat she sighing softly had no powre
To speake awhile, ne ready answere make;
But with hart-thrilling throbs and bitter stowre,
As if she had a fever fitt, did quake,
And every daintie limbe with horrour shake;
And ever and anone the rosy red

Flasht through her face, as it had beene a flake
Of lightning through bright Heven fulmined:
At last, the passion past, she thus him answered:

"Faire sir, I let you weete, that from the howre
I taken was from nourses tender pap,
I have been trained up in warlike stowre,
To tossen speare and shield, and to affrap
The warlike ryder to his most mishap;
Sithence I loathed have my life to lead,
As ladies wont, in Pleasures wanton lap,
To finger the fine needle and nyce thread;

Me lever were with point of foemans speare be dead.

"All my delight on deedes of armes is sett,
To hunt out perilles and adventures hard,
By sea, by land, whereso they may be mett,
Onely for honour and for high regard,
Without respect of richesse or reward:
For such intent into these partes I came,
Withouten compasse or withouten card,
Far fro my native soyle, that is by name

But to occasion him to further talke,
To feed her humor with his pleasing style,
Her list in stryfull termes with him to balke,
And thus replyde; "However, sir, ye fyle
Your courteous tongue his prayses to compyle,
It ill beseemes a knight of gentle sort,
Such as ye have him boasted, to beguyle
A simple maide, and worke so hainous tort,
In shame of knighthood, as I largely can report.

"Let bee therefore my vengeaunce to disswade,
And read, where I that faytour false may find."
"Ah! but if reason faire might you perswade
To slake your wrath, and mollify your mind,"
Said he, "perhaps ye should it better find:
For hardie thing it is, to weene by might
That man to hard conditions to bind ;
Or ever hope to match in equall fight,
Whose prowesse paragone saw never living wight.

"Ne soothlich is it easie for to read
Where now on Earth, or how, he may be fownd;
For he ne wonneth in one certeine stead,
But restlesse walketh all the world arownd,
Ay doing thinges that to his fame redownd,
Defending ladies cause and orphans right,
Whereso he heares that any doth confownd
Them comfortlesse through tyranny or might;

The Greater Brytayne, here to seeke for praise and So is his soveraine honour raisde to Hevens hight."

fame.

"Fame blazed hath, that here in Faery lond
Doe many famous knightes and ladies wonne,
And many straunge adventures to bee fond,
Of which great worth and worship may be wonne:
Which to prove, I this voyage have begonne.
But mote I weet of you, right courteous knight,
Tydings of one that hath unto me donne
Late foule dishonour and reprochfull spight,

The which I seek to wreake, and Arthegall he hight."

The worde gone out she backe againe would call,
As her repenting so to have missayd,
But that he, it uptaking ere the fall,
Her shortly answered; "Faire martiall mayd,
Certes ye misavised beene t' upbrayd
A gentle knight with so unknightly blame:
For, weet ye well, of all that ever playd
At tilt or tourney, or like warlike game,
The noble Arthegall hath ever borne the name.

"Forthy great wonder were it, if such shame
Should ever enter in his bounteous thought,
Or ever doe that mote deserven blame:
The noble corage never weeneth ought
That may unworthy of itselfe be thought.
'Therefore, faire damzell, be ye well aware,
Least that too farre ye have your sorrow sought:
You and your countrey both I wish welfare,
And honour both; for each of other worthy are."

[merged small][ocr errors]

His feeling wordes her feeble sence much pleased,
And softly sunck into her molten hart:
Hart, that is inly hurt, is greatly eased
With hope of thing that may allegge his smart;
For pleasing wordes are like to magick art,
That doth the charmed snake in slomber lay:
Such secrete ease felt gentle Britomart,
Yet list the same efforce with faind gainesay;
(So dischord ofte in musick makes the sweeter lay;)
And sayd; "Sir Knight, these ydle termes forbeare;

And, sith it is uneath to find his haunt,
Tell me some markes by which he may appeare,
If chaunce I him encounter paravaunt;
For perdy one shall other slay, or daunt:
What shape, what shield, what armes, what steed,

what stedd,

And whatso else his person most may vaunt?"
All which the Redcrosse knight to point ared,
And him in everie part before her fashioned.

Yet him in everie part before she knew,
However list her now her knowledge fayne,
Sith him whylome in Britayne she did vew,
To her revealed in a mirrhour playne;
Whereof did grow her first engraffed payne,
Whose root and stalke so bitter yet did taste,
That, but the fruit more sweetnes did contayne,
Her wretched dayes in dolour she mote waste,
And yield the pray of love to lothsome death at last.

By straunge occasion she did him behold,
And much more straungely gan to love his sight,
As it in bookes hath written beene of old.
In Deheubarth, that now South-Wales is hight,
What time king Ryence raign'd and dealed right,
The great magitien Merlin had deviz'd,

By his deepe science and Hell-dreaded might,
A looking-glasse, right wondrously aguiz'd,

Whose vertues through the wyde worlde soone were

solemniz'd.

« ZurückWeiter »