"His hound is to the hunting gane, 10 His hawk to fetch the wild-fowl hame, His lady's ta'en anither mate, So we may mak our dinner sweet. "Ye'll sit on his white hause-bane, And I'll pike out his bonny blue e'en: 15 Wi'ae lock o' his gowden hair, We'll theek our nest when it grows bare. Mony a one for him maks mane, But nane sall ken whar he is gane; O'er his white banes, when they are bare, 20 The wind sall blaw for evermair." In this ballad with barbaric fitness are woven the strands of a plot as unnatural and gruesome as that in “Hamlet,” — “frailty thy name is woman,' ," man's foul treachery, and a carcass supplying food for the region ravens. (13) Cf. “The Braes O Yarrow": The noblest mind the best contentment has. A dram of sweete is worth a pound of sowre. Deepe written in my heart with yron pen, That blisse may not abide in state of mortall men. Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas, Ease after warre, death after life does greatly please. -F. Q. Book I. So love of soule doth love of bodie passe, —F. Q. Book IV. Ill can he rule the great that cannot reach the small. -F. Q. Book V. For of the soule the bodie forme doth take; THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE FAERY QUEENE Contayning the Legend of the Knight of the Red Crosse, or of Holinesse I Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske, For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine oaten reeds, To blazon broade emongst her learned throng: Fierce warres and faithfull loves shall moralize my song. 2 Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of nine, The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still, Whom that most noble Briton prince so long Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill, O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong. 3 And thou most dreaded impe of highest Jove, Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde; After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd. 4 And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright, Mirrour of grace and majestie divine, Great Lady of the greatest isle, whose light And raise my thoughts, too humble and too vile, The argument of mine afflicted stile : The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dread, a while. CANTO I The patron of true Holinesse doth to his home entreate. I A gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine, 2 And on his brest a bloudie crosse he bore, The deare remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead as living ever him ador'd: Upon his shield the like was also scor'd, For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had: Right faithfull true he was in deede and word, But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad; Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad. 3 Upon a great adventure he was bond, That greatest glorious Queene of Faerie lond, 4 A lovely ladie rode him faire beside, Upon a lowly asse more white then snow, 5 So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and every vertuous lore, And by descent from royall lynage came Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore Forwasted all their land, and them expeld; Whom to avenge, she had this knight from far compeld. 6 Behind her farre away a dwarfe did lag, That lasie seemd in being ever last, Or wearied with bearing of her bag Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past, |