Fayre VnaUna to the
Redcrosse knight
betrouthed is with ioyjoy:
Though false Duessa
it to barre
Her false sleightes doe
imploy.
[1]
BEholdBehold I see the hauenhaven nigh at hand,
To which I meane my wearie course to bend;
Vere the maine shete, and beare vpup 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 iourneyesjourneyes 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 aboueabove the earth his flaming creast,
When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme,
That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme,
VntoUnto 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.fall,
[3]
VproseUprose with hasty ioyjoy, 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 vnderstandunderstand,
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 ioyjoy 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 heuenheven the ecchoed
report
Of their new ioyjoy, 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,
ReioycingRejoycing 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 grauelygravely 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]
VntoUnto that doughtie Conquerour they came,
And him before themseluesthemselves 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 vponupon their leauesleaves doth light:
And in their handes sweet Timbrels all vpheldupheld 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 ſongtymbrels song
tymbrel ſongstymbrel songs
In well attuned notes, a ioyousjoyous lay,
And made delightfull musick all the way,
VntillUntill 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:flood:
flood,flood,
flood.flood.
[8]
So she beheld those maydens merimentmeriment.
With chearefull vew; who when to her they came,
ThemseluesThemselves to ground with gracious humblesse bent
And her ador’d by honorable name,
Lifting to heuen her euerlastingeverlasting 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 heauenheaven sent,
And gazd vponupon with gaping wonderment.wonderment,
But when they came, where that dead Dragon lay,
Stretcht on the ground in
monſtrousmonstrous
monſtronsmonstrons
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: thanthenthan 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 mouemove 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 reuyldrevyld,
And to her
gossibsgossips gan in counsell say;
How can I tell, but that his talantstalents may
Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand?hand.
So diuerslydiversly them seluesselves in vaine they fray;
Whiles some more bold, to measure him nigh stand,
To proueprove 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 arriuedarrived, where that champion stout
After his foes defeasaunce did remaine,
Him goodly greetes, and fayre does entertayne,
With princely gifts of yuoryyvory 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 ioyousjoyous people singes,
And with their garments strowes the pauedpaved
ſtreet:street:
ſtreetstreet
Whence mounting vpup, they fynd purueyauncepurveyaunce meet
Of all, that royall Princes court became,
And all the floore was vnderneathunderneath 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 deuizedevize,
Of comely seruicesservices, or courtly trayne?
My narrow leauesleaves cannot in them contaynevntaynecontaine
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 vpup but late.
[15]
Then when with meates and drinkes of eueryevery kinde
Their feruentfervent appetites they quenched had,
That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde,
Of straunge aduenturesadventures, and of perils sad,
Which in his trauelltravell him befallen had,
For to demaund of his renowmed guest:
Who then with vtt’ranceutt’rance
grauegrave, and count’nance sad,
From poynt to poynt, as is before exprest,
Discourst his voyage long, according
his request.
[16]
Great
pleaſurepleasure
pleaſurespleasures
mixt with pittifull regard,
That godly King and Queene did passionate,
Whyles they his pittifull aduenturesadventures 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 neuernever 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 thatthe royall Pere in sober wise;
Deare Sonne, great beene the euilsevils, which ye bore
From first to last in your late enterprise,
That I note, whether praise, or pitty more:
For neuernever
liuingliving man, I weene, so sore
In sea of deadly daungers was distrest;
But since now safe ye seised hauehave the shore,
And well arriuedarrived are, (high God be blest)
Let vsus
deuizedevize of ease and euerlastingeverlasting rest.
[18]
Ah dearest Lord, said then that doughty
knight,
Of ease or rest I may not yet deuizedevize;
For by the faith, which I to armes hauehave plight,
I bownden am streight after this emprize,
As that your daughter can ye well aduizeadvize,
Backe to retourne to that great Faery Queene,
And her to serueserve sixe yeares in warlike wize,
Gainst that proud PaynimPynim king, that works her teene:
Therefore I ought crauecrave pardon, till I there hauehave beene.
[19]
VnhappyUnhappy falls that hard necessity,
(Quoth he) the troubler of my happy peace,
And vowed foe of my felicity;
Ne I against the same can iustlyjustly preace:
But since that band ye cannot now release,
Nor doen vndoeundoe; (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 couetcovet to performe,
In sort as through the world I did proclame,
That who so kild that monster most deforme,
And him in hardy battayle ouercameovercame,
Should hauehave 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 cheualreechevalree,
Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo I
yield to thee.
[21]
Then forth he called that his daughter
fayre,
The fairest VnUn’ 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 drawingdawning 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
heauenlyheavenly
heaunnly beautie she did hide,
Whiles on her wearie iourneyjourney she did ride;
And on her now a garment she did weare,
All lilly white, withoutten spot, or pride,
That seemd like silke and siluersilver
wouenwoven neare,
But neither silke nor siluersilver therein did appeare.
[23]
The blazing brightnesse of her beauties
beame,
And glorious light of her sunshyny face
To tell, were as to striuestrive against the streame.
My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace,
Her heauenlyheavenly lineaments for to enchace.
Ne wonder; for her own deare louedloved knight,
All were she daily with himselfe in place,
Did wonder much at her celestiall sight:
Oft had he seene her faire, but neuernever so faire dight.
[24]
So fairely dight, when she in presence
came,
She to her Syre made humble reuerencereverence,
And bowed low, that her right well became,
And added grace vntounto her excellence:
Who with great wisedome, and grauegrave 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 vnwaryunwary 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 aduizedadvized for the best,
Ere thou thy daughter linck in holy band
Of wedlocke to that new vnknowenunknowen guest:
For he already plighted his right hand
VntoUnto another louelove, and to another land.
[27]
To me sad mayd, or rather widow
sad,
He was affyaunced long time before,
And sacred pledges he both gauegave, and had,
False erraunt knight, infamous, and forswore:
Witnesse the burning Altars, which he swore,
And guilty heauensheavens of his bold periuryperjury,
Which though he hath polluted oft ofand yore,
Yet I to them for iudgementjudgement
iustjust doe fly,
And them coniureconjure t’auengeavenge this shamefull iniuryinjury.
[28]
Therefore since mine he is, or free or
bond,
Or false or trew, or liuingliving or else dead,
Withhold, O soueraynesoverayne 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, herhis 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
aduentureſtaduenturestadventureſtadventurest,
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 vpup with termes of louelove
vnkyndunkynd,
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 louesloves of former Dame,
With cryme doe not it couercover, 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 grauegrave intendiment,
What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbraydupbrayd
With breach of louelove, and loialty betrayd.
It was in my mishaps, as hitherward
I lately traueildtraveild, that vnwaresunwares I
ſtraydstrayd
ſtaydstayd
ſtraidstraid
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’inueiglet’inveigle
to inueigleto inveigle
to inuegleto invegle
to inveagle weaker sight:
Who by her wicked arts, and wyliewielywilie skill,
Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,
VnwaresUnwares me wrought vntounto 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 souerainesoveraine Lord, to sheow
The secret treasons, which of late I know
To hauehave 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 improuidedimprovided scath,
By breaking of the band betwixt vsus twaine;
Wherein she vsedused hath the practicke paine
Of this false footman, clokt with
simplenesse,
Whome if ye please for to discouerdiscover plaine,
Ye shall him Archimago
find, I ghesse,
The falsest man aliuealive; whowo tries shall find no lesse.
[35]
The king was greatly mouedmoved 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 euerever to abyde.
[37]
His owne two hands the holy knotts did
knitt,
That none but death for euerever can diuidedivide;
His owne two hands, for such a turne most fitt,
The housling fire did kindle and prouideprovide,
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 euillevill fates, but burnen euerever bright.
[38]
Then gan they sprinckle all the posts
with wine,
And made great feast to solemnize that day;
They all perfumde with frankincense diuinedivine,
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 driuedrive away the dull Melancholy;
The whiles one sung a song of louelove and iollityjollity.
[39]
During the which there was an heauenlyheavenly noise
Heard sownd through all the Pallace pleasantly,
Like as it had bene many an Angels voice,
Singing before th’eternall maiestymajesty,
In their trinall triplicitles on hye;
Yett wist no creature, whence that heuenly sweet
Proceeded, yet eachoneeach one felt secretly
Himselfe thereby refte of his sences meet,
And rauishedravished with rare impression in his sprite.
[40]
Great ioyjoy was made that day of young and old,
And solemne feast proclaymd throughout the land,
That their exceeding merth may not be told:
SufficeSuffice
SnfficeSnffice
it heare by signes to vnderstandunderstand
The vsuallusuall
ioyesjoyes at knitting of louesloves band.
Thrise happy man the knight himselfe did hold,
Possessed of his Ladies hart and hand,
And euerever, when his eie did her behold,
HisHer heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.
[41]
Her ioyousjoyous presence and sweet company
In full content he there did long enioyenjoy,
Ne wicked enuyenvy, ne vile gealosy
His deare delights were hable to annoy:
Yet swimming in that sea of blissful ioyjoy,
He nought forgott, how he whilome had sworne,
IncaseIn case he could that monstrous beast destroy,
VntoUnto his Faery Queene backe to retourne:
The which he shortly did, and VnaUna left to mourne.
[42]
Now strike your sailes yee iollyjolly Mariners,
For we be come vntounto 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 hauehave 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.
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}