Cant. VI.
Proud Change (not pleasd, in
mortall (things,
beneath the Moone, to raigne)
Pretends, as well of Gods, as Men,
to be the SoueraineSoveraine.
[1]
WHat man that sees the euer-whirlingever-whirling wheele
Of Change, the which all mortall things
doth (sway,
But that therby doth find, &and plainly feele,
How MVTABILITYMUTABILITY in them doth play
Her cruell sports, to many mens decay?
Which that to all may better yet appeare,
I will rehearse that whylome I heard say,
How she at first her selfe began to reare,
Gainst all the Gods, and th’empire sought from them to (beare.
[2]
But first, here falleth fittest to vnfoldunfold
Her antique race and linage ancient,
As I hauehave found it registred of old,
In Faery Land mongst records permanent:
She was, to weet, a daughter by descent
Of those old Titans, that did whylome striuestrive
VVithWith Saturnes sonne for heauensheavens regiment.
Whom, though high
Ioue
Jove
of kingdome did depriuedeprive,
Yet many of their stemme long after did surviuesurvive.
354
THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF
Cant.VI.
All
[3]
And many of them, afterwards obtain’d
Great power of
Ioue
Jove
, and high authority;
As Hecaté, in whose almighty hand,
He plac’t all rule and principality,
To be by her disposed diuerslydiversly,
To Gods, and men, as she them list diuidedivide:
And drad Bellona, that doth sound on hie
Warres and allarums vntounto Nations wide,
That makes both heauenheaven &and earth to tremble at her pride.
[4]
So likewise did this Titanesse aspire,
Rule and dominion to her selfe to gaine;
That as a Goddesse, men might her admire,
And heauenlyheavenly honours yield, as to them twaine.
And first, on earth she sought it to obtaine;
Where she such proofe and sad examples shewed
Of her great power, to many ones great paine,
That not men onely (whom she soone subdewed)
But eke all other creatures, her bad dooings rewed.
[5]
For, she the face of earthly things so changed,
That all which Nature had establisht first
In good estate, and in meet order ranged,
She did pervert, and all their statutes burst:
And all the worlds faire frame (which none yet durst
Of Gods or men to alter or misguide)
She alter’d quite, and made them all accurst
That God had blest; and did at first prouideprovide
In that still happy state for euerever to abide.
[6]
Ne shee the lawes of Nature onely brake,
But eke of IusticeJustice, and of Policie;
And wrong of right, and bad of good did make,
And death for life exchanged foolishlie:
Since which, all liuingliving wights hauehave learn’d to die,
And all this world is woxen daily worse.
O pittious worke of MVTABILITIEMUTABILITIE!
By which, we all are subiectsubject to that curse,
And death in stead of life hauehave sucked from our Nurse.
[7]
And now, when all the earth she thus had brought
To her behest, and thralled to her might,
She gan to cast in her ambitious thought,
T’attempt th’empire of the heauensheavens hight,
And
Ioue
Jove
himselfe to shoulder from his right.
And first, she past the region of the ayre,
And of the fire, whose substance thin and slight,
Made no resistance, ne could her contraire,
But ready passage to her pleasure did prepaire.
[8]
Thence, to the Circle of the Moone she clambe,
Where Cynthia raignes in euerlastingeverlasting glory,
To whose bright shining palace straight she came,
All fairely deckt with heauensheavens goodly story:
Whose siluersilver gates (by which there sate an hory
Old aged Sire, with hower-glasse in hand,
Hight Tyme) she entred, were he liefe or sory:
Ne staide till she the highest stage had scand,
VVhereWhere Cynthia did sit, that neuernever still did stand.
[9]
Her sitting on an IuoryIvory throne shee found,
Drawne of two steeds, th’one black, the other white,
Environd with tenne thousand starres around,
That duly her attended day and night;
And by her side, there ran her Page, that hight
Vesper, whom we the Euening-starreEvening-starre intend:
That with his Torche, still twinkling like twylight,
Her lightened all the way where she should wend,
And ioyjoy to weary wandring trauailerstravailers did lend:
[10]
That when the hardy Titanesse beheld
The goodly building of her Palace bright,
Made of the heauensheavens substance, and vp-heldup-held
With thousand Crystall pillors of huge hight,
Shee gan to burne in her ambitious spright,
And t’envie her that in such glorie raigned.
Eftsoones she cast by force and tortious might,
Her to displace; and to her selfe to hauehave gained
The kingdome of the Night, and waters by her wained.
[11]
Boldly she bid the Goddesse downe descend,
And let her selfe into that Ivory throne;
For, shee her selfe more worthy thereof wend,
And better able it to guide alone:
Whether to men, whose fall she did bemone,
Or vntounto Gods, whose state she did maligne,
Or to th’infernall Powers, her need giuegive lone
Of her faire light, and bounty most benigne,
Her selfe of all that rule shee deemed most condigne.
[12]
But shee that had to her that soueraignesoveraigne seat
By highest
Ioue
Jove
assign’d, therein to beare
Nights burning lamp, regarded not her threat,
Ne yielded ought for fauourfavour or for feare;
But with sterne countenaunce and disdainfull cheare,
Bending her horned browes, did putpvt her back:
And boldly blaming her for comming there,
Bade her attonce from heauensheavens coast to pack,
Or at her perill bide the wrathfull Thunders wrack.
[13]
Yet nathemore the Giantesse forbare:
But boldly preacing-on, raught forth her hand
To pluck her downe perforce from off her chaire;
And there-with lifting vp her golden wand,
Threatned to strike her if she did with-stand.
Whereat the starres, which round about her blazed,
And eke the Moones bright wagon, still did stand,
All beeing with so bold attempt amazed,
And on her vncouthuncouth habit and sterne looke still gazed.
[14]
Meane-while, the lower World, which nothing knew
Of all that chaunced here, was darkned quite;
And eke the heauensheavens, and all the heauenlyheavenly crew
Of happy wights, now vnpurvaideunpurvaide of light,
Were much afraid, and wondred at that sight;
Fearing least Chaos broken had his chaine,
And brought againe on them eternall night:
But chiefely Mercury, that next doth raigne,
Ran forth in haste, vntounto the king of Gods to plaine.
Cant. VI.
THE FAERIE QVEENEQUEENE
355
For,
[15]
All ran together with a great out-cry,
To
Ioues
Joves
faire Palace, fixt in heauensheavens hight;
And beating at his gates full earnestly,
Gan call to him aloud with all their might,
To know what meant that suddaine lack of light.
The father of the Gods when this he heard,
Was troubled much at their so strange affright,
Doubting least Typhon were againe vprear’duprear’d,
Or other his old foes, that once him sorely fear’d.
[16]
Eftsoones the sonne of MaiaMaja forth he sent
Downe to the Circle of the Moone, to knowe
The cause of this so strange astonishment,
And why shee did her wonted course forslowe;
And if that any were on earth belowe
That did with charmes or Magick her molest,
Him to attache, and downe to hell to throwe:
But, if from heauenheaven it were, then to arrest
The Author, and him bring before his presence prest.
[17]
The wingd-foot God, so fast his plumes did beat,
That soone he came where-as the Titanesse
Was striuingstriving with faire Cynthia for her seat:
At whose strange sight, and haughty hardinesse,
He wondred much, and feared her no lesse.
Yet laying feare aside to doe his charge,
At last, he bade her (with bold stedfastnesse)
Ceasse to molest the Moone to walke at large,
Or come before high
Ioue
Jove
, her dooings to discharge.
[18]
And there-with-all, he on her shoulder laid
His snaky-wreathed Mace, whose awfull power
Doth make both Gods and hellish fiends affraid:
VVhere-atWhere-at the Titanesse did sternely lower,
And stoutly answer’d, that in euillevill hower
He from his
Ioue
Jove
such message to her brought,
To bid her leaueleave faire Cynthias siluersilver bower;
Sith shee his
Ioue
Jove
and him esteemed nought,
No more then Cynthia’s selfe; but all their kingdoms
(sought.
[19]
The HeauensHeavens Herald staid not to reply,
But past away, his doings to relate
VntoUnto his Lord; who now in th’highest sky,
VVasWas placed in his principall Estate,
VVithWith all the Gods about him congregate:
To whom when Hermes had his message told,
It did them all exceedingly amate,
SaueSave IoueJove; who, changing nought his count’nance bold,
Did vntounto them at length these speeches wise vnfoldunfold;
[20]
Harken to mee awhile yee heauenlyheavenly Powers;
Ye may remember since th’Earths cursed seed
Sought to assaile the heauensheavens eternall towers,
And to vs all exceeding feare did breed:
But how we then defeated all their deed,
Yee all doe knowe, and them destroied quite;
Yet not so quite, but that there did succeed
An off-spring of their bloud, which did alite
VponUpon the fruitfull earth, which doth vs yet despite.
[21]
Of that bad seed is this bold woman bred,
That now with bold presumption doth aspire
To thrust faire Phoebe from her siluersilver bed,
And eke our seluesselves from heauensheavens high Empire,
If that her might were match to her desire:
VVhereforeWherefore, it now behoues vs to advise
What way is best to driuedrive her to retire;
Whether by open force, or counsell wise,
Areed ye sonnes of God, as best ye can deuisedevise.
[22]
So hauinghaving said, he ceast; and with his brow
(His black eye-brow, whose doomefull dreaded beck
Is wont to wield the world vntounto his vow,
And eueneven the highest Powers of heauenheaven to check)
Made signe to them in their degrees to speake:
Who straight gan cast their counsell grauegrave and wise.
Meane-while, th’Earths daughter, thogh she nought did (reck
Of Hermes message; yet gan now advise,
What course were best to take in this hot bold emprize.
[23]
Eftsoones she thus resolv’d; that whil’st the Gods
(After returne of Hermes Embassie)
Were troubled, and amongst themseluesthemselves at ods,
Before they could new counsels re-allie,
To set vponupon them in that extasie;
And take what fortune time and place would lend:
So, forth she rose, and through the purest sky
To
Ioues
Joves high Palace straight cast to ascend,
To prosecute her plot: Good on-set boads good end.
[24]
Shee there arriuing, boldly in did pass;
Where all the Gods she found in counsell close,
All quite vnarm’d, as then their manner was.
At sight of her they suddaine all arose,
In great amaze, ne wist what way to chose.
But
Ioue
Jove
, all fearelesse, forc’t them to aby;
And in his souerainesoveraine throne, gan straight dispose
Himselfe more full of grace and MaiestieMajestie,
That mote encheare his friends, &and foes mote terrifie.
[25]
That, when the haughty Titanesse beheld,
All were she fraught with pride and impudence,
Yet with the sight thereof was almost queld;
And inly quaking, seem’d as reft of sense,
And voyd of speech in that drad audience;
VntillUntill that
Ioue
Jove
himselfe, her selfe bespake:
Speake thou fraile woman, speake with confidence,
Whence art thou, and what doost thou here now make?
What idle errand hast thou, earths mansion to forsake?
[26]
Shee, halfe confused with his great commaund,
Yet gathering spirit of her natures pride,
Him boldly answer’d thus to his demaund:
I am a daughter, by the mothers side,
Of her that is Grand-mother magnifide
Of all the Gods, great Earth, great Chaos child:
But by the fathers (be it not envide)
I greater am in bloud (whereon I build)
1609.bk7.TCM.vi.26.9. Then: Than
Then
Than
all the Gods, though wrongfully from heauenheaven exil’d.
356
THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF
Cant. VI.
But
[27]
For, Titan (as ye all acknowledge must)
Was Saturnes elder brother by birth-right;
Both, sonnes of VranusUranus: but by
vniust
unjust
And guilefull meanes, through Corybantes slight,
The younger thrust the elder from his right:
Since which, thou
Ioue
Jove
, iniuriouslyinjuriously hast held
The HeauensHeavens rule from Titans sonnes by might;
And them to hellish dungeons downe hast feld:
Witnesse ye HeauensHeavens the truth of all that I hauehave teld.
[28]
Whil’st she thus spake, the Gods that gauegave good eare
To her bold words, and marked well her grace,
Beeing of stature tall as any there
Of all the Gods, and beautifull of face,
As any of the Goddesses in place,
Stood all astonied, like a sort of Steeres;
Mongst whom, some beast of strange &and forraine race,
VnwaresUnwares is chaunc’t, far straying from his peeres:
So did their ghastly gaze bewray their hidden feares.
[29]
Till hauinghaving pauz’d awhile,
Ioue
Jove
thus bespake;
VVillWill neuernever mortall thoughts ceasse to aspire,
In this bold sort, to HeauenHeaven claime to make,
And touch celestiall seates with earthly mire?
I would hauehave thought, that bold Procrustes hire,
Or Typhons fall, or proud Ixions paine,
Or great Prometheus, tasting of our ire,
Would hauehave suffiz’d, the rest for to restraine;
And warn’d all men by their example to refraine:
[30]
But now, this off-scum of that cursed fry,
Dare to renew the like bold enterprize,
And chalenge th’heritage of this our skie;
Whom what should hinder, but that we likewise
Should handle as the rest of her allies,
And thunder-driue to hell? With that, he shooke
His Nectar-deawed locks, with which the skyes
And all the world beneath for terror quooke,
And eft his burning levin-brond in hand he tooke.
[31]
But, when he looked on her louelylovely face,
In which, faire beames of beauty did appeare,
That could the greatest wrath soone turne to grace
(Such sway doth beauty eueneven in HeauenHeaven beare)
He staide his hand: and hauinghaving chang’d his cheare,
He thus againe in milder wise began;
But ah! if Gods should striuestrive with flesh yfere,
Then shortly should the progeny of Man
Be rooted out, if
Ioue
Jove
should doe still what he can:
[32]
But thee faire Titans child, I rather weene,
Through some vaine errour or inducement light,
To see that mortall eyes hauehave neuernever seene;
Or through ensample of thy sisters might,
Bellona; whose great glory thou doost spight,
Since thou hast seene her dreadfull power belowe,
Mongst wretched men (dismaide with her affright)
To bandie Crownes, and Kingdomes to bestowe:
And sure thy worth, no lesse then hers doth seem to showe.
[33]
But wote thou this, thou hardy Titanesse,
That not the worth of any liuingliving wight
May challenge ought in HeauensHeavens interesse;
Much lesse the Title of old Titans Right:
For, we by Conquest of our souerainesoveraine might,
And by eternall doome of Fates decree,
HaueHave wonne the Empire of the HeauensHeavens bright;
Which to our seluesselves we hold, and to whom wee
Shall worthy deeme partakers of our blisse to bee.
[34]
Then ceasse thy idle claime thou foolish gerle,
And seeke by grace and goodnesse to obtaine
That place from which by folly Titan fell;
There-to thou maist perhaps, if so thou faine
HaueHave
Ioue
Jove
thy gratious Lord and SoueraigneSoveraigne.
So, hauinghaving said, she thus to him replide;
Ceasse Saturnes sonne, to seeke by proffers vaine
Of idle hopes t’allure mee to thy side,
For to betray my Right, before I hauehave it tride.
[35]
But thee, ô
Ioue
Jove
, no equall IudgeJudge I deeme
Of my desert, or of my dewfull Right;
That in thine owne behalfe maist partiall seeme:
But to the highest him, that is behight
Father of Gods and men by equall might;
To weet, the God of Nature, I appeale.
There-at
Ioue
Jove
wexed wroth, and in his spright
Did inly grudge, yet did it well conceale;
And bade Dan Phoebus Scribe her Appellation seale.
[36]
Eftsoones the time and place appointed were,
Where all, both heauenlyheavenly Powers, &and earthly wights,
Before great Natures presence should appeare,
For triall of their Titles and best Rights:
That was, to weet, vponupon the highest hights
Of Arlo-hill (Who knowes not Arlo-hill?)
That is the highest head (in all mens sights)
Of my old father Mole, whom Shepheards quill
Renowmed hath with hymnes fit for a rurall skill.
[37]
And, were it not ill fitting for this file,
To sing of hilles &and woods, mongst warres &and Knights,
I would abate the sternenesse of my stile,
Mongst these sterne stounds to mingle soft delights;
And tell how Arlo through Dianaes spights
(Beeing of old the best and fairest Hill
That was in all this holy-Islands hights)
Was made the most vnpleasantunpleasant, and most ill.
Meane while, ô Clio, lend Calliope thy quill.
[38]
Whylome, when IRELAND florished in fame
Of wealths and goodnesse, far aboueabove the rest
Of all that beare the British Islands name,
The Gods then vs’dus’d (for pleasure and for rest)
Oft to resort there-to, when seem’d them best:
But none of all there-in more pleasure found,
1609.bk7.TCM.vi.38.7. Then: ThanThenThan
Cynthia; that is souerainesoveraine Queene profest
Of woods and forrests, which therein abound,
Sprinkled with wholsom waters, more 1609.bk7.TCM.vi.38.9. thẽ: than1609.bk7.TCM.vi.38.9. then: than
thẽ
then
than
than
most on ground.
Cant. VI.
THE FAERIE QVEENEQUEENE
357
But
[39]
But mongst them all, as fittest for her game,
Either for chace of beasts with hound or boawe,
Or for to shroude in shade from Phoebus flame,
Or bathe in fountaines that doe freshly flowe,
Or from high hilles, or from the dales belowe,
She chose this Arlo ; where shee did resort
With all her Nymphes enranged on a rowe,
With whom the woody Gods did oft consort:
For, with the Nymphes, the Satyres louelove to play &and sport.
[40]
Amongst the which, there was a Nymph that hight
Molanna; daughter of old father Mole,
And sister vntounto Mulla, faire and bright:
VntoUnto whose bed false Bregog whylome stole,
That Shepheard Colin dearely did condole,
And made her lucklesse louesloves well knowne to be.
But this Molanna, were she not so shole,
Were no lesse faire and beautifull then shee:
Yet as she is, a fairer flood may no man see.
[41]
For, first, she springs out of two marble Rocks,
On which, a grouegrove of Oakes high mounted growes,
That as a girlond seemes to deck the locks
Of som faire Bride, brought forth with pompous showes
Out of her bowre, that many flowers strowes:
So, through the flowry Dales she tumbling downe,
Through many woods, and shady coverts flowes
(That on each side her siluersilver channell crowne)
Till to the Plaine she come, whose Valleyes shee doth (drowne.
[42]
In her sweet streames, Diana vsedused oft
(After her sweatie chace and toilesome play)
To bathe her selfe; and after, on the soft
And downy grasse, her dainty limbes to lay
In couertcovert shade, where none behold her may:
For, much she hated sight of liuingliving eye.
Foolish God Faunus, though full many a day
He saw her clad, yet longed foolishly
To see her naked mongst her Nymphes in priuityprivity.
[43]
No way he found to compasse his desire,
But to corrupt Molanna, this her maid,
Her to discouerdiscover for some secret hire:
So, her with flattering words he first assaid;
And after, pleasing gifts for her purvaid,
Queene-apples, and red Cherries from the tree,
VVithWith which he her allured and betraid,
To tell what time he might her Lady see
When she her selfe did bathe, that he might secret bee.
[44]
There-to hee promist, if shee would him pleasure
With this small boone, to quit her with a better;
To weet, that where-as shee had out of measure
Long lov’d the Fanchin, who by nought did set her,
That he would vndertakeundertake, for this to get her
To be his LoueLove, and of him liked well:
Besides all which, he vow’d to be her debter
For many moe good turnes then he would tell;
The least of which, this little pleasure should excell.
[45]
The simple maid did yield to him anone;
And eft him placed where he close might view
That neuernever any saw, sauesave onely one;
VVhoWho, for his hire to so foole-hardy dew,
Was of his hounds devour’d in Hunters hew.
Tho, as her manner was on sunny day,
Diana, with her Nymphes about her, drew
To this sweet spring; where, doffing her array,
She bath’d her louelylovely limbes, for
Ioue
Jove
a likely pray.
[46]
There Faunus saw that pleased much his eye,
And made his hart to tickle in his brest,
That for great ioyjoy of some-what he did spy,
He could him not containe in silent rest;
But breaking forth in laughter, loudlovd profest
His foolish thought. A foolish Faune indeed,
That couldst not hold thy selfe so hidden blest,
But wouldest needs thine owne conceit areed.
Babblers vnworthyunworthy been of so diuinedivine a meed.
[47]
The Goddesse, all abashed with that noise,
In hasteforth started from the guilty brooke;
And running straight where-as she heard his voice,
Enclos’d the bush about, and there him tooke,
Like darred Larke; not daring vp to looke
On her whose sight before so much he sought.
Thence, forth they drew him by the hornes, &and shooke
Nigh all to peeces, that they left him nought;
And then into the open light they forth him brought.
[48]
Like as an huswife, that with busie care
Thinks of her Dairie to make wondrous gaine,
Finding where-as some wicked beast vnwareunware
That breakes into her Dayr’house, there doth draine
Her creaming pannes, and frustrate all her paine;
Hath in some snare or gin set close behind,
Entrapped him, and caught into her traine,
Then thinkes what punishment were best assign’d,
And thousand deathes deuisethdeviseth in her vengefull mind:
[49]
So did Diana and her maydens all
VseUse silly Faunus, now within their baile:
They mocke and scorne him, and him foule miscall;
Some by the nose him pluckt, some by the taile,
And by his goatish beard some did him haile:
Yet he (poore soule) with patience all did beare;
For, nought against their wils might countervaile:
Ne ought he said what euerever he did heare;
But hanging downe his head, did like a Mome appeare.
[50]
At length, when they had flouted him their fill,
They gan to cast what penaunce him to giuegive.
Some would hauehave gelt him, but that same would spill
The Wood-gods breed, which must for euerever liuelive:
Others would through the riuerriver him hauehave driuedrive,
And ducked deepe: but that seem’d penaunce light;
But most agreed and did this sentence giuegive,
Him in Deares skin to clad; &and in that plight,
To hunt him with their hounds, him selfe
sauesave how hee (might.
358
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Cant. VII.
And
[51]
But Cynthia’s selfe, more angry then the rest,
Thought not enough, to punish him in sport,
And of her shame to make a gamesome iestjest;
But gan examine him in straighter sort,
Which of her Nymphes, or other close consort,
Him thither brought, and her to him betraid?
He, much affeard, to her confessed short,
That ’twas Molanna which her so bewraid.
Then all attonce their hands vponupon Molanna laid.
[52]
But him (according as they had decreed)
With a Deeres-skin they coueredcovered, and then chast
With all their hounds that after him did speed;
But he more speedy, from them fled more fast
1609.bk7.TCM.vi.52.5. Then: ThanThenThan any Deere: so sore him dread aghast.
They after follow’d all with shrill out-cry,
Shouting as they the heauensheavens would hauehave brast:
That all the woods and dales where he did flie,
Did ring againe, and loudlovd reeccho to the skie.
[53]
So they him follow’d till they weary were;
When, back returning to Molann’ againe,
They, by commaund’ment of Diana, there
Her whelm’d with stones. Yet Faunus (for her paine)
Of her belouedbeloved Fanchin did obtaine,
That her he would receiuereceive vntounto his bed.
So now her waueswaves passe through a pleasant Plaine,
Till with the Fanchin she her selfe doe wed,
And (both combin’d) themseluesthemselves in one faire riuerriver spred.
[54]
Nath’lesse, Diana, full of indignation,
Thence-forth abandond her delicious brooke;
In whose sweet streame, before that bad occasion,
So much delight to bathe her limbes she tooke:
Ne onely her, but also quite forsooke
All those faire forrests about Arlo hid,
And all that Mountaine, which doth over-looke
The richest champian that may else be rid,
And the faire Shure, in which are thousand Salmons bred.
[55]
Them all, and all that she so deare did way,
Thence-forth she left; and parting from the place,
There-on an heauyheavy haplesse curse did lay,
To weet, that Wolues, where she was wont to space,
Should harbour’d be, and all those Woods deface,
And Thieues should rob and spoile that Coast around.
Since which, those Woods, and all that goodly Chase,
Doth to this day with Wolues and Thieues abound:
Which too-too true that lands in-dwellers since hauehave
foũd
found
.
Ii1r