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7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.24.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.24.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.24.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.25.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.26.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.27.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.28.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.29.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.29.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.29.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.29.4 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1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.39.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.40.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.41.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.xii.42.9
Cant. XII.
Fayre Vna to the Redcrosse knight
betrouthed is with ioy:
Though false Duessa it to barre
Her false sleightes doe imploy.
[1]
Behold I see the hauen nigh at hand,
To which I meane my wearie course to bend;
Vere the maine shete, and beare vp with the land,
The which afore is fayrly to be kend,
And seemeth safe from storms, that may offend;
There this fayre virgin wearie of her way
Must landed bee, now at her iourneyes end:
There eke my feeble barke a while may stay,
Till mery wynd and weather call her thence away.
[2]
Scarsely had Phœbus in the glooming East
Yett harnessed his fyrie-footed teeme,
Ne reard aboue the earth his flaming creast,
When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme,
That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme,
Vnto the watchman on the castle wall;
Who thereby dead that balefull Beast did deeme,
And to his Lord and Lady lowd gan call,
To tell, how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall.
[3]
Vprose with hasty ioy, and feeble speed
That aged Syre, the Lord of all that land,
And looked forth, to weet, if trew indeed
Those tydinges were, as he did vnderstand,
Which whenas trew by tryall he out fond,
He badd to open wyde his brasen gate,
Which long time had beene shut, and out of hond
Proclaymed ioy and peace through all his state;
For dead now was their foe, which them forrayed late.
[4]
Then gan triumphant Trompets sownd on hye,
That sent to heuen the ecchoed report
Of their new ioy, and happie victory
Gainst him, that had them long opprest with tort,
And fast imprisoned in sieged fort.
Then all the people, as in solemne feast,
To him assembled with one full consort,
Reioycing at the fall of that great beast,
From whose eternall bondage now they were releast.
[5]
Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene,
Arayd in antique robes downe to the grownd,
And sad habiliments right well beseene;
A noble crew about them waited rownd
Of sage and sober Peres, all grauely gownd;
Whom far before did march a goodly band
Of tall young men, all hable armes to sownd,
But now they laurell braunches bore in hand;
Glad signe of victory and peace in all their land.
[6]
Vnto that doughtie Conquerour they came,
And him before themselues prostrating low,
Their Lord and Patrone loud did him proclame,
And at his feet their lawrell boughes did throw.
Soone after them all dauncing on a row
The comely virgins came, with girlands dight,
As fresh as flowres in medow greene doe grow,
When morning deaw vpon their leaues doth light:
And in their handes sweet Timbrels all vpheld on hight.
[7]
And them before, the fry of children yong
Their wanton sportes and childish mirth did play,
And to the Maydens sownding tymbrels song
In well attuned notes, a ioyous lay,
And made delightfull musick all the way,
Vntill they came, where that faire virgin stood;
As fayre Diana in fresh sommers day,
Beholdes her Nymphes, enraung’d in shady wood,
Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood:
[8]
So she beheld those maydens meriment
With chearefull vew; who when to her they came,
Themselues to ground with gracious humblesse bent
And her ador’d by honorable name,
Lifting to heuen her euerlasting fame:
Then on her head they sett a girlond greene,
And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game;
Who in her self-resemblance well beseene,
Did seeme such, as she was, a goodly maiden Queene.
[9]
And after all the raskall many ran,
Heaped together in rude rablement,
To see the face of that victorious man:
Whom all admired, as from heauen sent,
And gazd vpon with gaping wonderment.
But when they came, where that dead Dragon lay,
Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent,
The sight with ydle feare did them dismay,
Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay.
[10]
Some feard, and fledd; some feard and well it faynd;
One that would wiser seeme, 1590.bk1.I.xii.10.2. then: thanthen all the rest,
Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd
Some lingring life within his hollow brest,
Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest
Of many Dragonettes, his fruitfull seede;
Another saide, that in his eyes did rest
Yet sparckling fyre, and badd thereof take heed;
Another said, he saw him moue his eyes indeed.
[11]
One mother, whenas her foolehardy chyld
Did come to neare, and with his talants play
Halfe dead through feare, her litle babe reuyld,
And to her gossibs gan in counsell say;
How can I tell, but that his talants may
Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand?
So diuersly them selues in vaine they fray;
Whiles some more bold, to measure him nigh stand,
To proue how many acres he did spred of land.
[12]
Thus flocked all the folke him rownd about,
The whiles that hoarie king, with all his traine,
Being arriued, where that champion stout
After his foes defeasaunce did remaine,
Him goodly greetes, and fayre does entertayne,
With princely gifts of yuory and gold,
And thousand thankes him yeeldes for all his paine.
Then when his daughter deare he does behold,
Her dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold.
[13]
And after to his Pallace he them bringes,
With shaumes, and trompets, and with Clarions sweet;
And all the way the ioyous people singes,
And with their garments strowes the paued street:
Whence mounting vp, they fynd purueyaunce meet
Of all, that royall Princes court became,
And all the floore was vnderneath their feet
Bespredd with costly scarlott of great name,
On which they lowly sitt, and fitting purpose frame.
[14]
What needes me tell their feast and goodly guize,
In which was nothing riotous nor vaine?
What needes of dainty dishes to deuize,
Of comely seruices, or courtly trayne?
My narrow leaues cannot in them contayne
The large discourse of roiall Princes state.
Yet was their manner then but bare and playne:
For th’antique world excesse and pryde did hate;
Such proud luxurious pompe is swollen vp but late.
[15]
Then when with meates and drinkes of euery kinde
Their feruent appetites they quenched had,
That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde,
Of straunge aduentures, and of perils sad,
Which in his trauell him befallen had,
For to demaund of his renowmed guest:
Who then with vtt’rance graue, and count’nance sad,
From poynt to poynt, as is before exprest,
Discourst his voyage long, according his request.
[16]
Great pleasure mixt with pittifull regard,
That godly King and Queene did passionate,
Whyles they his pittifull aduentures heard,
That oft they did lament his lucklesse state,
And often blame the too importune fate,
That heapd on him so many wrathfull wreakes:
For neuer gentle knight, as he of late,
So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes;
And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks.
[17]
Then sayd that royall Pere in sober wise;
Deare Sonne, great beene the euils, which ye bore
From first to last in your late enterprise,
That I note, whether praise, or pitty more:
For neuer liuing man, I weene, so sore
In sea of deadly daungers was distrest;
But since now safe ye seised haue the shore,
And well arriued are, (high God be blest)
Let vs deuize of ease and euerlasting rest.
[18]
Ah dearest Lord, said then that doughty knight,
Of ease or rest I may not yet deuize;
For by the faith, which I to armes haue plight,
I bownden am streight after this emprize,
As that your daughter can ye well aduize,
Backe to retourne to that great Faery Queene,
And her to serue sixe yeares in warlike wize,
Gainst that proud Paynim king, that works her teene:
Therefore I ought craue pardon, till I there haue beene.
[19]
Vnhappy falls that hard necessity,
(Quoth he) the troubler of my happy peace,
And vowed foe of my felicity;
Ne I against the same can iustly preace:
But since that band ye cannot now release,
Nor doen vndoe; (for vowes may not be vayne)
Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease,
Ye then shall hether backe retourne agayne,
The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twayn.
[20]
Which for my part I couet to performe,
In sort as through the world I did proclame,
That who so kild that monster most deforme,
And him in hardy battayle ouercame,
Should haue mine onely daughter to his Dame,
And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee:
Therefore since now to thee perteynes the same,
By dew desert of noble cheualree,
Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo I yield to thee.
[21]
Then forth he called that his daughter fayre,
The fairest Vn his onely daughter deare,
His onely daughter, and his only hayre;
Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare,
As bright as doth the morning starre appeare
Out of the East, with flaming lockes bedight,
To tell that dawning day is drawing neare,
And to the world does bring long wished light;
So faire and fresh that Lady shewd her selfe in sight.
[22]
So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May;
For she had layd her mournefull stole aside,
And widow-like sad wimple throwne away,
Wherewith her heauenly beautie she did hide,
Whiles on her wearie iourney she did ride;
And on her now a garment she did weare,
All lilly white, withoutten spot, or pride,
That seemd like silke and siluer wouen neare,
But neither silke nor siluer therein did appeare.
[23]
The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame,
And glorious light of her sunshyny face
To tell, were as to striue against the streame.
My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace,
Her heauenly lineaments for to enchace.
Ne wonder; for her own deare loued knight,
All were she daily with himselfe in place,
Did wonder much at her celestiall sight:
Oft had he seene her faire, but neuer so faire dight.
[24]
So fairely dight, when she in presence came,
She to her Syre made humble reuerence,
And bowed low, that her right well became,
And added grace vnto her excellence:
Who with great wisedome, and graue eloquence
Thus gan to say. But eare he thus had sayd,
With flying speede, and seeming great pretence,
Came running in, much like a man dismayd,
A Messenger with letters, which his message sayd.
[25]
All in the open hall amazed stood,
At suddeinnesse of that vnwary sight,
And wondred at his breathlesse hasty mood.
But he for nought would stay his passage right,
Till fast before the king he did alight;
Where falling flat, great humblesse he did make,
And kist the ground, whereon his foot was pight;
Then to his handes that writt he did betake,
Which he disclosing, read thus, as the paper spake.
[26]
To thee, most mighty king of Eden fayre,
Her greeting sends in these sad lines addrest,
The wofull daughter, and forsaken heyre
Of that great Emperour of all the West;
And bids thee be aduized for the best,
Ere thou thy daughter linck in holy band
Of wedlocke to that new vnknowen guest:
For he already plighted his right hand
Vnto another loue, and to another land.
[27]
To me sad mayd, or rather widow sad,
He was affyaunced long time before,
And sacred pledges he both gaue, and had,
False erraunt knight, infamous, and forswore:
Witnesse the burning Altars, which he swore,
And guilty heauens of his bold periury,
Which though he hath polluted oft of yore,
Yet I to them for iudgement iust doe fly,
And them coniure t’auenge this shamefull iniury.
[28]
Therefore since mine he is, or free or bond,
Or false or trew, or liuing or else dead,
Withhold, O souerayne Prince, your hasty hond
From knitting league with him, I you aread;
Ne weene my right with strength adowne to tread,
Through weakenesse of my widowhed, or woe:
For truth is strong, her rightfull cause to plead,
And shall finde friends, if need requireth soe.
So bids thee well to fare, Thy neither friend, nor foe, Fidessa.
[29]
When he these bitter byting wordes had red,
The tydings straunge did him abashed make,
That still he sate long time astonished
As in great muse, ne word to creature spake.
At last his solemne silence thus he brake,
With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his guest;
Redoubted knight, that for myne only sake
Thy life and honor late aduenturest,
Let nought be hid from me, that ought to be exprest.
[30]
What meane these bloody vowes, and idle threats,
Throwne out from womanish impatient mynd?
What heuens? what altars? what enraged heates
Here heaped vp with termes of loue vnkynd,
My conscience cleare with guilty bands would bynd?
High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame.
But if your selfe, Sir knight, ye faulty fynd,
Or wrapped be in loues of former Dame,
With cryme doe not it couer, but disclose the same.
[31]
To whom the Redcrosse knight this answere sent,
My Lord, my king, be nought hereat dismayd,
Till well ye wote by graue intendiment,
What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbrayd
With breach of loue, and loialty betrayd.
It was in my mishaps, as hitherward
I lately traueild, that vnwares I strayd
Out of my way, through perils straunge and hard;
That day should faile me, ere I had them all declard.
[32]
There did I find, or rather I was fownd
Of this false woman, that Fidessa hight,
Fidessa hight the falsest Dame on grownd,
Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,
That easy was t’inueigle weaker sight:
Who by her wicked arts, and wylie skill,
Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,
Vnwares me wrought vnto her wicked will,
And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill.
[33]
Then stepped forth the goodly royall Mayd,
And on the ground her selfe prostrating low,
With sober countenaunce thus to him sayd;
O pardon me, my soueraine Lord, to sheow
The secret treasons, which of late I know
To haue bene wrought by that false sorceresse.
Shee onely she it is, that earst did throw
This gentle knight into so great distresse,
That death him did awaite in daily wretchednesse.
[34]
And now it seemes, that she suborned hath
This crafty messenger with letters faine,
To worke new woe and improuided scath,
By breaking of the band betwixt vs twaine;
Wherein she vsed hath the practicke paine
Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse,
Whome if ye please for to discouer plaine,
Ye shall him Archimago find, I ghesse,
The falsest man aliue; who tries shall find no lesse.
[35]
The king was greatly moued at her speach,
And all with suddein indignation fraight,
Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach.
Eftsoones the Gard, which on his state did wait,
Attacht that faytor false, and bound him strait:
Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,
As chained beare, whom cruell dogs doe bait,
With ydle force did faine them to withstand,
And often semblaunce made to scape out of their hand.
[36]
But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe,
And bound him hand and foote with yron chains.
And with continual watch did warely keepe;
Who then would thinke, that by his subtile trains
He could escape fowle death or deadly pains?
Thus when that Princes wrath was pacifide,
He gan renew the late forbidden bains,
And to the knight his daughter deare he tyde,
With sacred rites and vowes for euer to abyde.
[37]
His owne two hands the holy knotts did knitt,
That none but death for euer can diuide;
His owne two hands, for such a turne most fitt,
The housling fire did kindle and prouide,
And holy water thereon sprinckled wide;
At which the bushy Teade a groome did light,
And sacred lamp in secret chamber hide,
Where it should not be quenched day nor night,
For feare of euill fates, but burnen euer bright.
[38]
Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine,
And made great feast to solemnize that day;
They all perfumde with frankincense diuine,
And precious odours fetcht from far away,
That all the house did sweat with great aray:
And all the while sweete Musicke did apply
Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play,
To driue away the dull Melancholy;
The whiles one sung a song of loue and iollity.
[39]
During the which there was an heauenly noise
Heard sownd through all the Pallace pleasantly,
Like as it had bene many an Angels voice,
Singing before th’eternall maiesty,
In their trinall triplicitles on hye;
Yett wist no creature, whence that heuenly sweet
Proceeded, yet eachone felt secretly
Himselfe thereby refte of his sences meet,
And rauished with rare impression in his sprite.
[40]
Great ioy was made that day of young and old,
And solemne feast proclaymd throughout the land,
That their exceeding merth may not be told:
Suffice it heare by signes to vnderstand
The vsuall ioyes at knitting of loues band.
Thrise happy man the knight himselfe did hold,
Possessed of his Ladies hart and hand,
And euer, when his eie did her behold,
His heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.
[41]
Her ioyous presence and sweet company
In full content he there did long enioy,
Ne wicked enuy, ne vile gealosy
His deare delights were hable to annoy:
Yet swimming in that sea of blissful ioy,
He nought forgott, how he whilome had sworne,
Incase he could that monstrous beast destroy,
Vnto his Faery Queene backe to retourne:
The which he shortly did, and Vna left to mourne.
[42]
Now strike your sailes yee iolly Mariners,
For we be come vnto a quiet rode,
Where we must land some of our passengers,
And light this weary vessell of her lode.
Here she a while may make her safe abode,
Till she repaired haue her tackles spent,
And wants supplide. And then againe abroad
On the long voiage whereto she is bent:
Well may she speede and fairely finish her intent.
Finis Lib. I.
1590.bk1.I.xii.10.2. then: than
2.9. fall.] 1609; fall, 1590, 1596;
7.3. tymbrels song ] 1590 state 2; tymbrel songs 1590 state 1;
7.9. flood: ] 1609; flood, 1590; flood. 1596;
8.1. meriment] 1596, 1609; meriment. 1590;
9.5. wonderment.] 1596, 1609; wonderment, 1590;
9.7. monstrous ] 1590, 1609; monstrons 1596;
11.4. gossibs] 1590; gossips 1596, 1609;
11.5. talants] 1590FE; talents 1590, 1596, 1609;
11.6. hand?] 1596, 1609; hand. 1590;
13.4. street: ] 1596, 1609; street 1590;
14.5. contayne] 1590FE; vntayne 1590; containe 1596, 1609;
16.1. pleasure ] 1590; pleasures 1596, 1609;
17.1. that] 1590; the 1596, 1609;
18.8. Paynim] 1590, 1609; Pynim 1596;
21.7. drawing] 1590; dawning 1596, 1609;
22.4. heauenly ] 1590, 1609; heaunnly 1596;
27.7. of] 1590; and 1596, 1609;
28.7. her] 1590; his 1596, 1609;
31.7. strayd ] 1590FE, 1596; stayd 1590; straid 1609;
32.5. t’inueigle ] 1590FE; to inueigle 1590; to inuegle 1596; to inveagle 1609;
32.6. wylie] 1596; wiely 1590; wilie 1609;
34.9. who] 1590FE, 1609; wo 1590, 1596;
40.4. Suffice ] 1596, 1609; Snffice 1590;
40.9. His] 1590; Her 1596, 1609;
I.x.24.6 Editorial policy for this edition is to silently close up compounds, there being no warrant to assume that details like spacing and orthography reflect authorial intention. We make an exception here because it is just possible that the 1590 reading accurately renders copy that gave an outdated form deliberately as part of the effort to lend an archaic feel to the language. "Ther to" and "there to" are at least as frequent as "thereto" in Medieval texts; the close-up form appears to have become standard during the sixteenth century.
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Introduction

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Textual Changes

The vagaries of early modern printing often required that lines or words be broken. Toggling Modern Lineation on will reunite divided words and set errant words in their lines.

Off: That a large share it hewd out of the rest, (blest. And glauncing downe his shield, from blame him fairely (FQ I.ii.18.8-9) On: That a large share it hewd out of the rest, And glauncing downe his shield, from blame him fairely blest.

Toggling Expansions on will undo certain early modern abbreviations.

Off: Sweet slõbring deaw, the which to sleep them biddes: (FQ I.i.36.4)

Toggling Modern Characters on will convert u, v, i, y, and vv to v, u, j, i, and w. (N.B. the editors have silently replaced ſ with s, expanded most ligatures, and adjusted spacing according contemporary norms.)

Off: And all the world in their subiection held, Till that infernall feend with foule vprore (FQ I.i.5.6-7) On: And all the world in their subjection held, Till that infernall feend with foule uprore

Toggling Lexical Modernizations on will conform certain words to contemporary orthographic standards.

Off: But wander too and fro in waies vnknowne (FQ I.i.10.5) On: But wander to and fro in waies vnknowne.

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Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine (FQ I.i.14.9) 14.9. Most lothsom] this edn.; Mostlothsom 1590

(The text of 1590 reads Mostlothsom, while the editors’ emendation reads Most lothsom.)

Apparatus

Toggling Collation Notes on will highlight words that differ among printings.

And shall thee well rewarde to shew the place, (FQ I.i.31.5) 5. thee] 1590; you 15961609

(The text of 1590 reads thee, while the texts of 1596 and 1609 read you.)

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To my long approoved and singular good frende, Master G.H. (Letters I.1) 1. long aprooved: tried and true, found trustworthy over a long period
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