Cant. III. Forsaken Truth long seekes her loue love , And makes the Lyon mylde, Marres blind Deuotions Devotions mart, & and fals In hand of leachour vylde. [1] NOught Nought is there vnder under heau’ns wide hollownesse, That moues moves more deare compassion of mind, 1590.bk1.I.iii.1.3. Then: Than Then Than beautie brought t’ vnworthie unworthie wretchednesse Through enuies envies snares or fortunes freakes vnkind unkind : I, whether lately through her brightnes brightne brightneſſebrightnesse blynd, Or through alleageance and fast fealty, Which I do owe vnto unto all womankynd, Feele my hart perst with so great agony, When such I see, that all for pitty I could dy. [2] And now it is empassioned so deepe, For fairest Vnaes Unaes sake, of whom I sing, That my frayle eies these lines with teares do steepe, To thinke, how ſ⁀he through guyleful handeling,thinke, how she through guyleful handeling, thinke how ſ⁀he through guylefull handelingthinke how she through guylefull handeling thinke how ſ⁀he through guilefull handeling,thinke how she through guilefull handeling, Though true as touch, though daughter of a king, Though faire as euer ever liuing living wight was fayre, Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting, Is from her knight diuorced divorced in despayre And her dew loues loves deryu’d deryv’d to that vile witches shayre. 33 the Faerie Queene. Cant. III. And C2 [3] Yet she most faithfull Ladie all this while Forsaken, wofull, solitarie mayd Far from all peoples preace, as in exile, In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd, To seeke her knight; who subtily betrayd Through that late vision, which th’Enchaunter (wrought Had her abandond. She of nought affrayd, Through woods and wastnes wide him daily sought; Yet wished tydinges none of him vntounto vno [turned ’t’]uno [turned ’t’] vntounto her brought. [4] One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way, From her vnhastie unhastie beast she did alight, And on the grasse her dainty limbs did lay In secrete shadow, far from all mens sight: From her fayre head her fillet she vndight undight , And layd her stole aside. Her angels face As the great eye of heauen heaven shyned bright, And made a sunshine in the shady place; Did neuer never mortall eye behold such heauenly heavenly grace. [5] It fortuned out of the thickest wood A ramping Lyon rushed suddeinly, Hunting full greedy after saluage salvage blood; Soone as the royall virgin he did spy, With gaping mouth at her ran greedily, To haue have attonce deuourd devourd her tender corse: But to the pray when as he drew more ny, His bloody rage aswaged with remorse, And with the sight amazd, forgat his furious forse. [6] In stead thereof he kist her wearie feet, And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong, As he her wronged innocence did weet. O how can beautie maister the most strong, 34 The first Booke of Cant. III. Long And simple truth subdue auenging avenging wrong? Whose yielded pryde and proud submission, Still dreading death, when she had marked long, Her hart gan melt in great compassion, And drizling teares did shed for pure affection. [7] The Lyon Lord of euerie everie beast in field Quoth she, his princely puissance doth abate, And mightie proud to humble weake does yield, Forgetfull of the hungry rage, which late Him prickt, in pit tie pittie of my sad estate: But he my Lyon, and my noble Lord How does he find in cruell hart to hate Her that him lou’d lov’d , and euer ever most adord, As the God of my life? why hath he me abhord? [8] Redounding teares did choke th’end of her plaint, Which softly ecchoed from the neighbour wood; And sad to see her sorrowfull constraint The kingly beaſtbeast beaſt,beast, beaſtbeast vpon upon her gazing stood; With pittie calmd, downe fell his angry mood. At last in close hart shutting vp up her payne, Arose the virgin borne of heauenly heavenly brood, And to her snowy Palfrey got agayne, To seeke her strayed Champion, if she might attayne. [9] The Lyon would not leaue leave her desolate, But with her went along, as a strong gard Of her chast person, and a faythfull mate Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard: Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward, And when she wakt, he wayted diligent, With humble seruice service to her will prepard: From her fayre eyes he tooke commandement, And euer ever by her lookes conceiued conceived her intent. i ntent. 35 the Faery Queene. Cant. III. She C3 [10] Long she thus traueiled traveiled through deserts wyde, By which she thought her wandring knight shold pas, Yet neuer never shew of liuing living wight espyde; Till that at length she found the troden gras, In which the tract of peoples footing was, Vnder Under the steepe foot of a mountaine hore; The same she followes, till at last she has A damzell spyde slow footing her before, That on her shoulders sad a pot of water bore. [11] To whom approching she to her gan call, To weet, if dwelling place were nigh at hand; But the rude wench her answerd nought at all, She could not heare, nor speake, nor vnderstand understand ; Till seeing by her side the Lyon stand, With suddeine feare her pitcher downe she threw, And fled away: for neuer never in that land Face of fayre Lady she before did vew, And that dredd Lyons looke her cast in deadly hew. [12] Full fast she fled, ne euer ever lookt behynd, As if her life vpon upon the wager lay, And home she came, whereas her mother blynd Sate in eternall night: nought could she say, But suddeine catching hold did her dismay With quaking hands, and other signes of feare: Who full of ghastly fright and cold affray, Gan shut the dore. By this arriued arrived there Dame Vna Una , weary Dame, and entrance did requere. [13] Which when none yielded, her vnruly unruly Page With his rude clawes the wicket open rent, And let her in; where of his cruell rage Nigh dead with feare, and faint astonishment, 36 The first Booke of Cant. III. He Shee found them both in darkesome darkefome corner pent; Where that old woman day and night did pray Vpon Upon her beads deuoutly devoutly penitent; Nine hundred Pater nosters euery every day, And thrise nine hundred Aues Aves she was wont to say. [14] And to augment her painefull penaunce more, Thrise euery every weeke in ashes shee did sitt, And next her wrinkled skin rough sackecloth wore, And thrise three times did fast from any bitt: But now for feare her beads she did forgett. Whose needelesse dread for to remoue remove away, Faire Vna Una framed words and count’naunce fitt: Which hardly doen, at length she gan them pray, That in their cotage small that night she rest her may. [15] The day is spent, and commeth drowsie night, When euery every creature shrowded is in sleepe; Sad Vna Una downe her laies in weary plight, And at her feete the Lyon watch doth keepe: In stead of rest, she does lament, and weepe For the late losse of her deare loued loved knight, And sighes, and grones, and euermore evermore does steepe Her tender brest in bitter teares all night, All night she thinks too long, and often lookes for light. [16] Now when Aldeboran was mounted hye Aboue Above the shinie Cassiopeias chaire, And all in deadly sleepe did drowned lye, One knocked at the dore, and in would fare; He knocked fast, and often curst, and sware, That ready entraunce was not at his call: For on his backe a heauy heavy load he bare Of nightly stelths and pillage seuerall severall , Which he had got abroad by purchas criminall. criminall, 37 the Faery Queene. Cant. III. Druncke C4 [17] He was to weete a stout and sturdy thiefe, Wont to robbe Churches of their ornaments, And poore mens boxes of their due reliefe, Which giuen given was to them for good intents; The holy Saints of their rich vestiments He did disrobe, when all men carelesse slept, And spoild the Priests of their habiliments, Whiles none the holy things in safety kept; Then he by conning sleights in at the window crept. [18] And all that he by right or wrong could find, Vnto Unto this house he brought, and did bestow Vpon Upon the daghter of this woman blind, Abessa daughter of Corceca slow, With whom he whoredome vsd usd , that few did know, And fed her fatt with feast of offerings, And plenty, which in all the land did grow; Ne spared he to giue give her gold and rings: And now he to her brought part of his stolen things. [19] Thus long the dore with rage and threats he bett, Yet of those fearfull women none durst rize, The Lyon frayed them, him in to lett: He would no lenger stay him to aduize advize , But open breakes the dore in furious wize, And entring is; when that disdainfull beast Encountring fierce, him suddein doth surprize, And seizing cruell clawes on trembling brest, Vnder Under his Lordly foot him proudly hath supprest. [20] Him booteth not resist, nor succour call, His bleeding hart is in the vengers hand, Who streight him rent in thousand peeces small, And quite dismembred hath: the thirsty land 38 The first Booke of Cant. III. But Dronke vp up his life; his corse left on the strand. His fearefull freends weare out the wofull night, Ne dare to weepe, nor seeme to vnderstand understand The heauie heavie hap, which on them is alight, Affraid, least to themselues themselves the like mishappen might. [21] Now when broad day the world discouered discovered has, Vp Up Vna Una rose, vp up rose the lyon eke, And on their former iourney journey forward pas, In waies vnknowne unknowne , her wandring knight to seeke, With paines far passing that long wandring Greeke, That for his loue love refused deitye; Such were the labours of this Lady meeke, Still seeking him, that from her still did flye, Then furthest from her hope, whẽ when most she weened nye. [22] Soone as she parted thence, the fearfull twayne, That blind old woman and her daughter dear Came forth, and finding Kirkrapine there slayne, For anguish great they gan to rend their heare, And beat their brests, and naked flesh to teare. And when whcn they both had wept and wayld their fill, Then forth they ran like two amazed deare, Halfe mad through malice, and reuenging revenging will, To follow her, that was the causer of their ill. [23] Whome ouertaking overtaking , they gan loudly bray, With hollow houling, and lamenting cry, Shamefully at her rayling all the way, And her accusing of dishonesty, That was the flowre of faith and chastity; And still amidst her rayling she did pray, That plagues, and mischiefes, and long misery Might fall on her, and follow all the way, And that in endlesse error she might euer ever stray. 39 the Faery Queene. Cant. III. That [24] But when she saw her prayers nought preuaile prevaile , Shee backe retourned with some labour lost; And in the way, as shee did weepe and waile, A knight her mett in mighty armes embost, Yet knight was not for all his bragging bost, But subtill Archimag, that Vna Una sought By traynes into new troubles to haue have toste: Of that old woman tidings he besought, If that of such a Lady shee could tellen ought. [25] Therewith she gan her passion to renew, And cry, and curse, and raile, and rend her heare, Saying, that harlott she too lately knew, That causd her shed so many a bitter teare, And so forth told the story of her feare: Much seemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce, And after for that Lady did inquere; Which being taught, he forward gan aduaunce advaunce His fair enchaunted steed, and eke his charmed launce. [26] Ere long he came, where Vna Una traueild traveild slow, And that wilde Champion wayting her besyde: Whome seeing such, for dread hee durst not show Him selfe too nigh at hand, but turned wyde Vnto Unto an hil; from whence when she him spyde, By his like seeming shield her knight by name Shee weend it was, and towards him gan ride: Approching nigh she wist, it was the same, And with faire fearefull humblesse towards him shee (came. [27] And weeping said, Ah my long lacked Lord, Where haue have ye bene thus long out of my sight? Much feared I to haue have bene quite abhord, Or ought haue have done, that ye displeasen might, 40 The first Booke of Cant. III. Much That should as death vnto unto my deare heart light; For since mine eie your ioyous joyous sight did mis, My chearefull day is turnd to chearelesse night, And eke my night of death the shadow is; But welcome now my light, and shining lampe of blis. [28] He thereto meeting said, My dearest Dame, Far be it from your thought, and fro my wil, To thinke that knighthood I so much should shame, As you to leaue leave , that haue have me loued loved stil, And chose in Faery court of meere goodwil, Where noblest knights were to be found on earth: e a rth earth: The earth shall sooner leaue leave her kindly skil To bring forth foth fruit, and make eternall derth, Then I leaue leave you, my liefe, yborn of heuenly berth. [29] And sooth to say, why I lefte you so long, Was for to seeke aduenture adventure in straunge place, Where Archimago said a felon strong To many knights did daily worke disgrace; But knight he now shall neuer never more deface, Good cause of mine excuse, that mote ye please Well to accept, and euer ever more embrace My faithfull seruice service , that by land and seas Haue Have vowd you to defend. Now then your plaint ap-(pease. [30] His louely lovely words her seemd due recompence Of all her passed paines: one louing loving howre For many yeares of sorrow can dispence: A dram of sweete is worth a pound of sowre: Shee has forgott, how many’a many, a many a woeful stowre For him she late endurd; she speakes no more Of past: true is, that true loue love hath no powre To looken backe; his eies be fixt before. Before her stands her knight, for whom she toyld so sore. 41 the Faery Queene. Cant. III. Loth [31] Much like, as when the beaten marinere, That long hath wandred in the Ocean wide, Ofte soust in swelling Tethys saltish teare, And long time hauing having tand his tawney hide, With blustring breath of Heauẽ Heauen Heavẽ Heaven , that none can bide, And scorching flames of fierce Orions hound, Soone as the port from far he has espide, His chearfull whistle merily doth sound, And Nereus crownes with cups; his mates him pledg a-(round. [32] Such ioy joy made Vna Una , when her knight she found; And eke th’enchaunter ioyous joyous seemde no lesse, 1590.bk1.I.iii.32.3. Then: Than Then Than the glad marchant, that does vew from ground His ship far come from watrie wildernesse, He hurles out vowes, and Neptune oft doth blesse: So forth they past, and all the way they spent Discoursing of her dreadful late distresse, In which he askt her, what the Lyon ment: Who told her all that fell in iourney journey , as she went. [33] They had not ridden far, when they might see One pricking towards them with hastie heat, Full strongly armd, and on a courser free, That through his fiersnesse fomed all with sweat, And the sharpe yron did for anger eat, When his hot ryder spurd his chauffed side; His looke was sterne, and seemed still to threat Cruell reuenge revenge , which he in hart did hyde, And on his shield Sans loy in bloody lines was dyde. [34] When nigh he drew vnto unto this gentle payre And saw the Red-crosse, which the knight did beare, He burnt in fire, and gan eftsoones prepare Himselfe to batteill with his couched speare. 42 The first Booke of Cant. III. Her Loth was that other, and did faint through feare, fea, feare To taste th’vntryed th’untryed dint of deadly steele; But yet his Lady did so well him cheare, That hope of new good hap he gan to feele; So bent his speare, and ſpurdspurd ſpurndspurnd his horse with yron heele. [35] But that proud Paynim forward came so ferce, And full of wrath, that with his sharphead speare Through vainly crossed shield he quite did perce, And had his staggering steed not shronke for feare, Through shield and body eke he should him beare: Yet so great was the puissance of his push, That from his sadle quite he did him beare: He tombling rudely downe to ground did rush, And from his gored wound a well of bloud did gush. [36] Dismounting lightly from his loftie steed, He to him lept, in minde to reaue reave his life, And proudly said, Lo there the worthie meed Of him, that slew Sansfoy with bloody knife; Henceforth his ghost freed from repining strife, In peace may passen ouer over Lethe lake, When mourning altars purgd with enimies life, The black infernall Furies doen aslake: Life from Sansfoy thou tookst, Sansloy shall frõ from thee take. [37] Therewith in haste his helmet gan vnlace unlace , Till Vna Una cride, O hold that heauie heavie hand, Deare Sir, what euer ever that thou be in place: Enough is, that thy foe doth vanquisht ſtandstand ſtand;stand; ſtandstand Now at thy mercy: Mercy not withstand withſtand: withstand: withſtandwithstand withſtand:withstand: For he is one the truest knight aliue alive , Though conquered now he lye on lowly land, And whilest him fortune fauourd favourd , fayre did thriue thrive In bloudy field: therefore of life him not depriue. 43 the Faery Queene. Cant. III. And [38] Her piteous wordes might not abate his rage, But rudely rending vp up his helmet, would Haue Have slayne him streight: but when he sees his age, And hoarie head of Archimago old, His hasty hand he doth amased hold, And halfe ashamed, wondred at the sight: For that For the For, the old man well knew he, though vntold untold , In charmes and magick to haue have wondrous might, Ne euer ever wont in field, ne in round lists to fight. [39] And said, Why Archimago, lucklesse syre, What doe I see? what hard mishap is this, That hath thee hether brought to taste mine yre? Or thine the fault, or mine the error is, Instead of foe to wound my friend amis? He answered nought, but in a traunce still lay, And on those guilefull dazed eyes of his The cloude of death did sit. Which doen away, He left him lying so, ne would no lenger stay. [40] But to the virgin comes, who all this while Amased stands, her selfe so mockt to see By him, who has the guerdon of his guile, For so misfeigning her true knight to bee: Yet is she now in more perplexitie, Left in the hand of that same Paynim bold, From whom her booteth not at all to flie; Who by her cleanly garment catching hold, Her from her Palfrey pluckt, her visage to behold. [41] But her fiers seruant servant full of kingly aw And high disdaine, whenas his soueraine soveraine Dame So rudely handled by her foe he saw, With gaping iawes jawes full greedy at him came, 44 The first Booke of Cant. III. Cant. And ramping on his shield, did weene the same Haue Have reft away with his ſ⁀harp rending clawes:sharp rending clawes: ſ⁀harprending clawes:sharprending clawes: But he was was stout, and lust did now inflame His corage more, that frõ from his griping pawes He hath his shield redeemd, and forth his swerd he (drawes. [42] O then too weake and feeble was the forse Of saluage salvage beast, his puissance to withstand: For he was strong, and of so mightie corse, As euer ever wielded speare in warlike hand, And feates of armes did wisely vnderstand understand . Eftsoones he perced through his chaufed chest With thrilling point of deadly yron brand, And launcht his Lordly hart: with death opprest He ror’d aloud, whiles life forsooke his stubborne brest. [43] Who now is left to keepe the forlorne maid From raging spoile of lawlesse victors will? Her faithfull gard remou’d remov’d , her hope dismaid, Her selfe a yielded pray to saue save or spill. He now Lord of the field, his pride to fill, With foule reproches, and disdaineful spight Her vildly entertaines, and will or nill, Beares her away vpon upon his courser light: Her prayers nought preuaile prevaile , his rage is more of might. [44] And all the way, with great lamenting paine, And piteous plaintes she filleth his dull eares, That stony hart could riuen riven haue have in twaine, And all the way she wetts with flowing teares: But he enrag’d with rancor, nothing heares. Her seruile servile beast yet would not leaue leave her so, But followes her far 1590.bk1.I.iii.44.7. of: off of off , ne ought he feares, To be partaker of her wandring woe, More mild in beastly kind, 1590.bk1.I.iii.44.9. then: than then than that her beastly foe.