The first Booke of
the Faerie Queene.
Contayning
The Legend of the Knight
of the Red Crosse,
OR
Of Holinesse.
[1]
LOLo
I the man, whose Muse whylome did maske,
As time her taught, in lowly Shephards weeds,
Am now enforst a farre vnfitterunfitter taske,
For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds:
And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds,
Whose praises hauinghaving slept in silence long,
Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds
To blazon broade emongst her learned throng:
Fierce warres and faithfull louesloves shall moralize my song.
[2]
Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of
nyne,
Thy weaker NouiceNovice to performe thy will,
Lay forth out of thine euerlastingeverlasting scryne
The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,
Of Faerie knights and fayrest Tanaquill,
Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long
Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,
That I must rue his vndeseruedundeserved wrong:
O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen
my dull tong.
[3]
And thou most dreaded impe of highest IoueJove,
Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart
At that good knight so cunningly
didst rouerove,
That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,
Lay now thy deadly Heben bowe apart,
And with thy mother mylde come to mine ayde:
Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,
In louesloves and gentle iollitiesjollities arraid,
After his murdrous spoyles and bloudie
rage allayd.
[4]
And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenlyheavenly bright,
Mirrour of grace and MaiestieMajestie
diuinedivine,
Great Ladie of the greatest Isle, whose light
Like Phœbus lampe throughout the
world doth shine,
Shed thy faire beames into mymine feeble eyne,
And raise my thoughtes too humble and too vile,
To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,
The argument of mine afflicted stile:
The which to heare, vouchsafe, O
dearest dread a while.
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}
;){kind=link}