0fq1590.bk1.I.ii.0 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.argument.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.argument.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.argument.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.argument.4 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.1.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.2.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.3.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.4.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.5.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.5.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.5.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.5.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.5.5 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8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.15.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.15.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.16.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.17.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.18.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.19.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.20.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.21.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.22.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.23.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.24.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.25.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.26.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.27.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.28.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.29.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.30.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.31.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.32.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.33.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.34.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.35.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.36.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.37.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.38.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.7 8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.39.9 1fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.1 2fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.2 3fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.3 4fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.4 5fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.5 6fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.6 7fq1590.bk1.I.ii.40.7 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8fq1590.bk1.I.ii.45.8 9fq1590.bk1.I.ii.45.9
Cant. II.
The guilefull great Enchaunter parts.
The Redcrosse Knight from Truth:
Into whose ſteadstead ſtepssteps faire falshood steps,
And workes him woefull ruth.
[1]
BYBy this the Northerne wagoner had set
His seuenfoldsevenfold teme behind the stedfast starre,
That was in Ocean waueswaves yet neuernever wet,
ButBur firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre
To al, that in the wide deepe wandring arre:
And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill
Had warned once, that Phoebus fiery carre,
In hast was climbing vpup the Easterne hill,
Full enuiousenvious that night so long his roome did fill.
[2]
When those accursed messengers of hell,
That feigning dreame, and that faire-forged Spright
Came to their wicked maister, and gan tel
Their bootelesse paines, and ill succeeding night:
Who all in rage to see his skilfull might
Deluded so, gan threaten hellish paine
And sad Proserpines wrath, them to affright.
But when he saw his threatning was but vaine,
He cast about, and searcht his baleful bokes againe.
[3]
Eftsoones he tooke that miscreated faire,
And that false other Spright, on whom he spred
A seeming body of the subtile aire,
Like a young Squire, in louesloves and lusty hed
His wanton daies that euerever loosely led,
Without regard of armes and dreaded fight:
Those twoo he tooke, and in a secrete bed,
CoueredCovered with darkenes and misdeeming night,
Them both together laid, to ioyjoy in vaine delight.
[4]
Forthwith he runnes with feigned faithfull hast
VntoUnto his guest, who after troublous sights
And dreames gan now to take more sound repast,
Whom suddenly he wakes with fearful frights,
As one aghast with feends or damned sprights,
And to him cals, Rise rise vnhappyunhappy Swaine,
That here wex old in sleepe, whiles wicked wights
HaueHave knit themseluesthemselves in Venus shameful chaine;
Come see, where your false Lady doth her honor staine.
[5]
All in amaze he suddenly vpup start
With sword in hand, and with the old man went;
Who soone him brought into a secret part,
Where that false couple were full closely ment
In wanton lust and leud enbracement:
Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,
The eie of reason was with rage yblent,
And would hauehave slaine them in his furious ire,
But hardly was restreined of that aged sire.
[6]
Retourning to his bed in torment great,
And bitter anguish of his guilty sight,
He could not rest, but did his stout heart eat,
And wast his inward gall with deepe despight,
Yrkesome of life, and too long lingring night.
At last faire Hesperus in highest skie
Had spent his lãpelampe, and brought forth dawning light,
Then vpup he rose, and clad him hastily;
The dwarfe him brought his steed: so both away do fly.
[7]
Now when the rosy fingred Morning faire,
Weary of aged Tithones saffron bed,
Had spred her purple robe through deawy aire,
And the high hils Titan discouereddiscovered,
The royall virgin shooke of drousy hed,
And rising forth out of her baser bowre,
Lookt for her knight, who far away was fled,
And for her dwarfe, that wont to wait each howre;
Then gan she wail and weepe, to see that woeful stowre.
[8]
And after him she rode with so much speede,
As her slowe beast could make; but all in vaine:
For him so far had borne his light-foot steede,
Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce disdaine,
That him to follow was but fruitlesse paine;
Yet she her weary limbes would neuernever rest,
But eueryevery hil and dale, each wood and plaine
Did search, sore grieuedgrieved in her gentle brest,
He so vngentlyungently left her, whome she louedloved louestloveſtlovest best.
[9]
But subtill Archimago when his guests
He saw diuideddivided into double parts,
And VnaUna wandring in woods and forrests,
Th’end of his drift, he praisd his diuelishdivelish arts,
That had such might ouerover true meaning harts:
Yet rests not so, but other meanes doth make,
How he may worke vntounto her further smarts:
For her he hated as the hissing snake,
And in her many troubles did most pleasure take.
[10]
He then deuisdedevisde himselfe how to disguise;
For by his mighty science he could take
As many formes and shapes in seeming wise,
As euerever Proteus to himselfe could make:
Sometime a fowle, sometime a fish in lake,
Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell,
That of himselfe he ofte for feare would quake,
And oft would flie away. O who can tell
The hidden powre of herbes, and might of Magick spel?
[11]
But now seemde best, the person to put on
Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest:
In mighty armes he was yclad anon:
And siluersilver shield, vponupon his coward brest
A bloody crosse, and on his crauencraven crest
A bounch of heares discolourd diuerslydiversly:
Full iollyjolly knight he seemde, and wel addrest,
And when he sate vpponuppon his courser free,
Saint George himselfe ye would hauehave deemed him to be.
[12]
But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did beare,
The true Saint George was wandred far away,
Still flying from his thoughts and gealous feare;
Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray.
At last him chaunst to meete vponupon the way
A faithlesse Sarazin all armde to point,
In whose great shield was writ with letters gay
Sans foy: full large of limbe and eueryevery iointjoint
He was, and cared not for God or man a point.
[13]
Hee had a faire companion of his way,
A goodly Lady clad in scarlot red,
Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay,
And like a Persian mitre on her hed
Shee wore, with crowns and owches garnished,
The which her lauishlavish louerslovers to her gauegave,
Her wanton palfrey all was ouerspredoverspred
With tinsell trappings, wouenwoven like a wauewave,
Whose bridle rung with golden bels and bosses brauebrave.
[14]
With faire disport and courting dalliaunce
She intertainde her louerlover all the way:
But when she saw the knight his speare aduaunceadvaunce,
Shee soone left 1590.bk1.I.ii.14.4. of: offofoff her mirth and wanton play,
And bad her knight addresse him to the fray:
His foe was nigh at hand. He prickte with pride
And hope to winne his Ladies hearte that day,day.
Forth spurred fast: adowne his coursers side
The red bloud trickling staind the way, as he did ride.
[15]
The knight of the Redcrosse when him he spide,
Spurring so hote with rage dispiteous,
Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride:
Soone meete they both, both fell and furious,
That daunted with theyr forces hideous,
TheirTheit steeds doe stagger, and amazed stand,
And eke themseluesthemselves too rudely rigorous,
Astonied with the stroke of their owne hand,
Doe backe rebutte, and ech to other yealdeth land.
[16]
As when two rams stird with ambitious pride,
Fight for the rule of the rich fleeced flocke,
Their horned fronts so fierce on either side,
Doe meete, that with the terror of the ſ⁀hockeshocke ſ⁀hocke.shocke. ſ⁀hockshock
Aſtonied both,Astonied both, Aſtonied, bothAstonied, both ſtand ſenceleſ⁀ſestand sencelesse ſtands fenceleſ⁀ſestands fencelesse as a blocke,blocke.block,
Forgetfull of the hanging victory:
So stood these twaine, vnmouedunmoved as a rocke,
Both staring fierce, and holding idely,
The broken reliques of their former cruelty.
[17]
The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe
Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies;
Who well it wards, and quyteth cuff with cuff:
Each others equall puissaunce enuiesenvies,
And through their iron sides with cruell spies cruelties
Does seeke to perce: repining courage yields
No foote to foe. The flashing fier flies
As from a forge out of their burning shields,
And streams of purple bloud new dies the verdãtverdant fields.
[18]
Curse on that Crosse (qd.quoth then the Sarazin)
That keepes thy body from the bitter fitt;
Dead long ygoe I wote thou haddest bin,
Had not that charme from thee forwarned itt:
But yet I warne thee now assured sitt,
And hide thy head. Therewith vponupon his crest
With rigor so outrageous he smitt,
That a large share it hewd out of the rest,
And glauncing downe his shield, from blame him fairely blest.
[19]
Who thereat wondrous wroth, the sleeping spark
Of natiuenative vertue gan eftsoones reuiuerevive,
And at his haughty helmet making mark,
So hugely stroke, that it the steele did riuerive,
And cleft his head. He tumbling downe aliuealive,
With bloudy mouth his mother earth did kis,
Greeting his grauegrave: his grudging ghost did striuestrive
With the fraile flesh; at last it flitted is,
Whether the soules doe fly of men, that liuelive amis.
[20]
The Lady when she saw her champion fall,
Like the old ruines of a broken towre,
Staid not to waile his woefull funerall,
But from him fled away with all her powre;
Who after her as hastily gan scowre,
Bidding the dwarfe with him to bring away
The Sarazins shield, signe of the conqueroure,
Her soone he ouertookeovertooke, and bad to stay,
For present cause was none of dread her to dismay.
[21]
Shee turning backe with ruefull countenaunce,
Cride, Mercy mercy Sir vouchsafe to ſ⁀howshow ſ⁀howeshowe ſ⁀howshow ſ⁀howeshowe
On silly Dame, subiectsubject to hard mischaunce,
And to your mighty wil. Her humblesse low
In so ritch weedes and seeming glorious show,
Did much emmoueemmove his stout heroïcke heart,
And said, Deare dame, your suddein ouerthrowoverthrow
Much rueth me; but now put feare apart,
And tel, both who ye be, and who that tooke your part.
[22]
Melting in teares, then gan shee thus lament;
The wreched woman, whom vnhappyunhappy howre
Hath now made thrall to your commandement,
Before that angry heauensheavens list to lowre,
And fortune false betraide me to thyyour powre,
Was, (O what now auailethavaileth that I was?was!)
Borne the sole daughter of an Emperour,
He that the wide West vnderunder his rule has,
And high hath set his throne, where Tiberis doth pas.
[23]
He in the first flowre of my freshest age,
Betrothed me vntounto the onely haire
Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage;
Was neuernever Prince so faithfull and so faire,
Was neuernever Prince so meeke and debonaire;
But ere my hoped day of spousall shone,
My dearest Lord fell from high honors staire,
Into the hands of hys accursed fone,
And cruelly was slaine, that shall I euerever mone.
[24]
His blessed body spoild of liuelylively breath,
Was afterward, I know not how, conuaidconvaid
And fro me hid: of whose most innocent death
When tidings came to mee vnhappyunhappy maid,
O how great sorrow my sad soule assaidsoulea ssaid.
Then forth I went his woefull corse to find,
And many yeares throughout the world I straid,
A virgin widow, whose deepe wounded mind
With louelove, long time did languish as the striken hind.
[25]
At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin,
To meete me wandring, who perforce me led
With him away, but yet could neuernever win
The Fort, that Ladies hold in soueraignesoveraigne dread.
There lies he now with foule dishonor dead,
Who whiles he liudelivde, was called proud Sans foy,
The eldest of three brethren, all three bred
Of one bad sire, whose youngest is SansioySansjoy,
And twixt them both was born the bloudy bold SansloySans loy.
[26]
In this sad plight, friendlesse, vnfortunateunfortunate,
Now miserable I Fidessa dwell,
CrauingCraving of you in pitty of my state,
To doe none ill, if please ye not doe well.
He in great passion al this while did dwell,
More busying his quicke eies, her face to view,
1590.bk1.I.ii.26.7. Then: ThanThenThan his dull eares, to heare what shee did tell,
And said, faire Lady hart of flint would rew
The vndeseruedundeserved woes and sorrowes, which ye shew.
[27]
Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest,
HauingHaving both found a new friend you to aid,
And lost an old foe, that did you molest:
Better new friend 1590.bk1.I.ii.27.4. then: thanthenthan an old foe is said.
With chaunge of chear the seeming simple maid
Let fal her eien, as shamefast to the earth,
And yeelding soft, in that she nought gain-said,
So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth,
And shee coy lookes: so dainty they say maketh derth.
[28]
Long time they thus together traueiledtraveiled,
Til weary of their way, they came at last,
Where grew two goodly trees, that faire did spred
Their armes abroad, with gray mosse ouercastovercast,
And their greene leauesleaves trembling with eueryevery blast,
Made a calme shadowe far in compasse round:
The fearefull Shepheard often there aghast
VnderUnder them neuernever sat, ne wont there sound
His mery oaten pipe, but shund th’vnluckyunlucky ground.
[29]
But this good knight soone as he them can spie,
For the coole ſ⁀hade himshade him ſ⁀hadeshade ſ⁀hadowshadow thither hastly got:
For golden Phoebus now ymountedthat mounted hie,
From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot
Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot,
That liuingliving creature mote it not abide;
And his new Lady it endured not.
There they alight, in hope themseluesthemselves to hide
From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide.tide,
[30]
Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes,
With goodly purposes there as they sit:
And in his falsed fancy he her takes
To be the fairest wight, that liuedlived yit;
Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit,
And thinking of those braunches greene to frame
A girlond for her dainty forehead fit,
He pluckt a bough; out of whose rifte there came
Smal drops of gory bloud, that trickled down the same.
[31]
Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard,
Crying, O spare with guilty hands to teare
My tender sides in this rough rynd embard,
But fly, ah fly far hence away, for feare
Least to you hap, that happened to me heare,
And to this wretched Lady, my deare louelove,
O too deare louelove, louelove bought with death too deare.
Astond he stood, and vpup his heare did houehove,
And with that suddein horror could no member mouemove.
[32]
At last whenas the dreadfull passion
Was ouerpastoverpast, and manhood well awake,
Yet musing at the straunge occasion,
And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake;
What voice of damned Ghost from Limbo lake,
Or guilefull spright wandring in empty aire,
Both which fraile men doe oftentimes mistake,
Sends to my doubtful eares these speaches rare,
And ruefulltuefull plaintsplants, me bidding guiltlesse blood to spare?
[33]
Then groning deep, Nor damned Ghost, (qd.quoth he,)
Nor guileful sprite to thee these words doth speake,
But once a man Fradubio, now a tree,
Wretched man, wretched tree; whose nature weake
A cruell witch her cursed will to wreake,
Hath thus transformd, and plast in open plaines,
Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleake,
And scorching Sunne does dry my secret vaines:
For though a tree I seme, yet cold &and heat me paines.
[34]
Say on Fradubio then, or man, or tree,
Qd.Quoth then the knight, by whose mischieuousmischievous arts
Art thou misshaped thus, as now I see?
He oft finds med’cine, who his griefe imparts;
But double griefs afflict concealing harts,
As raging flames who striuethstriveth to suppresse.
The author then (said he) of all my smarts,
Is one Duessa a false sorceresse,
That many errãterrant knights hath broght to wretchednesse.
[35]
In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hott
The fire of louelove and ioyjoy of cheualreechevalree
First kindled in my brest, it was my lott
To louelove this gentle Lady, whome ye see,
Now not a Lady, but a seeming tree;
With whome as once I rode accompanyde,
Me chaunced of a knight encountred bee,
That had a like faire Lady by his syde,
Lyke a faire Lady, but did fowle Duessa hyde.
[36]
Whose forged beauty he did take in hand,
All other Dames to hauehave exceded farre;
I in defence of mine did likewise stand,
Mine, that did then shine as the Morning starre:
So both to batteill fierce arraunged arre,
In which his harder fortune was to fall
VnderUnder my speare: such is the dye of warre:
His Lady left as a prise martiall,
Did yield her comely person, to be at my call.
[37]
So doubly lou’dlov’d of ladies vnlikeunlike faire,
Th’one seeming such, the other such indeede,
One day in doubt I cast for to compare,
Whether in beauties glorie did exceede;
A Rosy girlond was the victors meede:
Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee,
So hard the discord was to be agreede.
Fræliſſa Frælissa FraliſſaFralissa was as faire, as faire mote bee,
And euerever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee.
[38]
The wicked witch now seeing all this while
The doubtfull ballaunce equally to sway,
What not by right, she cast to win by guile,
And by her hellish science raisd streight way
A foggy mist, that ouercastovercast the day,
And a dull blast, that breathing on her face,
Dimmed her former beauties shining ray,
And with foule vglyugly forme did her disgrace:
Then was she fayre alone, when none was faire in place.
[39]
Then cride she out, fye, fye, deformed wight,
Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine
To hauehave before bewitched all mens sight;
O leaueleave her soone, or let her soone be slaine.
Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine,
Eftsoones I thought her such, as she me told,
And would hauehave kild her; but with faigned paine,
The false witch did my wrathfull hand with-hold:
So left her, where she now is turnd to treen mould.
[40]
Thens forthThen forthThenceforth I tooke Duessa for my Dame,
And in the witch vnweetingunweeting ioydjoyd long time,
Ne euerever wist, but that she was the same,
Till on a day (that day is euerieeverie Prime,
When Witches wont do penance for their crime)
I chaunst to see her in her proper hew,
Bathing her selfe in origane and thyme:
A filthy foule old woman I did vew,
That euerever to hauehave toucht her, I did deadly rew.
[41]
Her neather partes misshapen, monstruous,
Were hidd in water, that I could not see,
But they did seeme more foule and hideous,
1590.bk1.I.ii.41.4. Then: ThanThenThan womans shape man would beleeuebeleeve to bee.
Thens forthThen forthThenceforth from her most beastly companie
I gan refraine, in minde to slipp away,
Soone as appeard safe opportunitie:
For danger great, if not assurd decay
I saw before mine eyes, if I were knowne to stray.
[42]
The diuelishdivelish hag by chaunges of my cheare
Perceiu’dPerceiv’d my thought, and drownd in sleepie night,
With wicked herbes and oyntments did besmeare
My body all, through charmes and magicke might,
That all my senses were bereauedbereaved quight:
Then brought she me into this desert waste,
And by my wretched louerslovers side me pight,
Where now enclosd in wooden wals full faste,
Banisht from liuingliving wights, our wearie daies we waste.
[43]
But how long time, said then the Elfin knight,
Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?
We may not chaunge (quoth he) this euillevill plight,
Till we be bathed in a liuingliving well;
That is the terme prescribed by the spell.
O how, sayd he, mote I that well out find,
That may restore you to your wonted well?
Time and suffised fates to former kynd
Shall vsus restore, none else from hence may vsus vnbyndunbynd.
[44]
The false Duessa, now Fidessa hight,
Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament,
And knew well all was true. But the good knight
Full of sad feare and ghastly dreriment,
When all this speech the liuingliving tree had spent,
The bleeding bough did thrust into the ground,
That from the blood he might be innocent,
And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound:
Then turning to his Lady, dead with feare her fownd.
[45]
Her seeming dead he fownd with feigned feare,
As all vnweetingunweeting of that well she knew,
And paynd himselfe with busie care to reare
Her out of carelesse swowne. Her eylids blew
And dimmed sight with pale and deadly hew
At last she vpup gan lift: with trembling cheare
Her vpup he tooke, too simple and too trew,
And oft her kist. At length all passed feare,
He set her on her steede, and forward forth did beare.
3. ſteadstead ] 1590FE, 1596, 1609; ſtepssteps 1590;
1.4. But] 1596, 1609; Bur 1590;
8.9. louedloved ] 1590, 1609; louestloveſtlovest 1596;
14.7. day,] this edn.; day. 1590;
15.6. Their] 1596, 1609; Theit 1590;
16.4. ſ⁀hockeshocke ] 1596; ſ⁀hocke.shocke. 1590; ſ⁀hockshock 1609;
16.5. Aſtonied both,Astonied both, ] 1590, 1596; Aſtonied, bothAstonied, both 1609;
16.5. ſtand ſenceleſ⁀ſestand sencelesse ] 1590FE, 1596, 1609; ſtands fenceleſ⁀ſestands fencelesse 1590;
16.5. blocke,] 1596; blocke. 1590; block, 1609;
17.5. cruell spies ] 1590FE; cruelties 1590, 1596, 1609;
21.2. ſ⁀howshow ] 1590 state 2; ſ⁀howeshowe 1590 state 1; ſ⁀howshow 1596; ſ⁀howeshowe 1609;
22.5. thy] 1590; your 1596, 1609;
22.6. was?] 1590; was! 1596, 1609;
24.5. soule assaid] 1596, 1609; soulea ssaid 1590;
25.9. Sansloy] 1590; Sans loy 1596, 1609;
29.2. ſ⁀hade himshade him ] 1590; ſ⁀hadeshade 1596; ſ⁀hadowshadow 1609;
29.3. ymounted] 1590FE; that mounted 1590, 1596, 1609;
29.9. tide.] 1596, 1609; tide, 1590;
32.9. ruefull] 1590FE, 1596, 1609; tuefull 1590;
32.9. plaints] 1596, 1609; plants 1590;
37.8. Fræliſſa Frælissa ] 1596, 1609; FraliſſaFralissa 1590;
40.1. Thens forth] 1590FE; Then forth 1590, 1596; Thenceforth 1609;
41.5. Thens forth] 1590FE; Then forth 1590, 1596; Thenceforth 1906;
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.

Toggling Emendations on will correct obvious errors in the edition on which we base our text and modernize its most unfamiliar features.

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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