Babes bloody handes may not be clensd,
the of .
Her sisters two :
striuestrive her to banish .
[1]
THhus when Sir GuyonGuyon with his faithful guyde
Had with dew rites and dolorous lament
The end of their
,
The litle babe vpup in his armes he hent;
Who with sweet pleasaunce and bold blandishment
Gan smyle on them, that rather ought to weepe,
As carelesse of his woe, or
innocent
Of that was doen, that ruth emperced deepe
In that knightes hart, and wordes with bitter
teares did steepe.
[2]
Ah lucklesse babe, borne vnderunder cruell starre,
And ,
Full little weenest thou, what sorrowes are
Left thee for porcion of thy liuelyhedlivelyhed,
Poore Orphane in the wide world scattered,
And throwen forth, till it
be withered:
Such is the state of men: Thus enter we
Into this life with woe and end with
miseree.
[3]
soft him selfe inclyning on his knee
Downe to that well, did in the water
weene
His guiltie handes from bloody gore to
cleene;
He washt them oft and oft, yet nought they beene
For all his washing cleaner. Still he strouestrove,
Yet still the litle hands were bloody
seene;
The which him into great amaz’ment drouedrove,
And into doubt his waueringwavering wonder cloueclove.
[4]
He wist not whether blott of fowle offence
Might not be purgd with water nor with bath;
Or that high God, in lieu of innocence,
had that token
of his wrath,
To shew how sore he hat’thhat’hhat’th;
Or that the , which they dronck,
Being diffused through the sencelesse
tronck,
That through the great contagion direful deadly stonck.
ſtonck,stonck,
ſtunck.stunck.
ſtunk.stunk.
[5]
Whom thus at gaze, the Palmer gan
With goodly reason, and thus fayre
bespake;
Ye bene right harthard amated, gratious
Lord,
Whiles cause not well conceiuedconceived ye mistake.
But know, that secret vertues are
infusd
In eueryevery fountaine, and in euerieeverie lake,
Which who hath skill them
rightly to hauehave chusd,
To proofe of passing
wonders hath full often vsdusd.
[6]
Of those some were so from their sourse
indewd
By , from
whose fruitfull
pap
Their welheads spring, and are with moisture
deawd;
Which feedes each liuingliving plant with liquid sap,
And filles with flowres fayre Floraes painted lap:
But other some by ,
Or by good prayers, or by other hap,
Had pourd into
their waters bace,
And thenceforth were renowmd, and sought from place to place.place place.
[7]
is this well, wrought by occasion straunge,
Which to her Nymph befell. VponUpon a day,
As she the woodes with bow and shaftes did raunge,
The and Robucke to dismay,
chaunst to meet her by the way,
And kindling fire at her faire burning eye,
Inflamed was to follow beauties ,
And chaced her, that fast from him did fly;
As Hynd from her, so she fled from her
enimy.
[8]
At last when fayling breath began to
faint,
And saw no meanes to scape, ,
She set her downe to weepe for sore constraint,
And to calling
lowd for ayde,
Her deare besought, to let her die a mayd.
The goddesse heard, and suddeine where she
sate,
Welling out streames of teares, and quite
With stony feare of that rude rustick ,
Transformd her to a stone from stedfast
virgins state.
[9]
Lo now she is that stone, from
whoſewhose
thoſethose
two heads,
As from two weeping eyes, fresh streames do flow,
Yet colde through feare, and ;
And yet the stone her semblance seemes to show,
Shapt like a maide, that such ye may her know;
And yet her vertues in her
water byde:
For it is chaste and pure, as purest snow,
Ne lets her waueswaves with any filth behe dyde,
But euerever like her selfe vnstaynedunstayned hath beene tryde.
[10]
From thence it comes, that this babes bloody
hand
May not be clensd with
water of this well:
Ne certes Sir striuestrive you it to withstand,
But let them still be bloody, as
befell,
That they his mothers
may tell,
As she bequeathd in her last testament;
That as a
sacred it may
In her sonnes flesh, to mind
reuengementrevengement,
And be for all chaste Dames
an endlesse moniment.
[11]
He hearkned to his reason, and the childe
VptakingUptaking, to the Palmer gauegave to beare;
But his sad fathers armes with blood defilde,
An heauieheavie load himselfe did lightly reare,
And turning to that place, in which whyleare
He left his loftie steed with golden sell,
And goodly gorgeous barbes, him found not theare.
By other accident that earst befell,
He is conuaideconvaide, but how or where, here fits not
tell.
[12]Which when Sir Guyon saw, all were he wroth,
Yet algates mote he soft himselfe appease,
And fairely fare on
foot, how euerever loth;
His double burden did him
sore disease.
So long they traueiledtraveiled with litle ease,
Till that at last they to a Castle came,
adioyningadjoyning to the seas,
It was an auncient worke of antique fameantique frame,
And wondrous strong by nature, and by
skilfull frame.
[13]
Therein three sisters dwelt of sundry
sort,
The children of one syre by mothers three;
Who dying whylome did diuidedivide this fort
To them :
But stryfull mind, and diuersediverse qualitee
Drew them in partes, and
each made others foe:
Still did they striuestrive, and daily disagree;
The eldest did against the
youngest goe,
And both against the
middest meant to worken woe.
[14]
Where when the knight arriu’darriv’d, he was right well
Receiu’dReceiv’d, as knight of so much worth became,
Of second sister, who did far excell
The other two; was her name,
A sober sad, and comely courteous Dame;
Who rich arayd, and yet in modest guize,
In goodly garments, that her well became,
Fayre marching forth in honorable wize,
Him at the threshold mett, and well did
.
[15]
She led him vpup into a goodly bowre,
And comely courted with
meet modestie,
Ne in her speach, ne in her hauiourhaviour,
Was lightnesse seene, or looser vanitie,
But gratious womanhood, and grauitiegravitie,
Her golden lockes she roundly did vptyeuptye
In breaded tramels, that no looser heares
Did out of order stray about her daintie
eares.
[16]
Whilest she her selfe thus busily did frame,
Seemely to entertaine her new-come guest,
Newes hereof to her other sisters came,
Who all this while were at their rest,
each her frend
with lauishlavish fest:
They were two knights of perelesse puissaunce,
And famous far abroad for warlike gest,
Which to these Ladies louelove did ,
And to his mistresse each himselfe strouestrove to aduaunceadvaunce.
[17]
He that made louelove
vntounto the eldest Dame,
Was hight Sir , an
hardy man;
Yet not so good of deedes, as great of name,
Which he by many rash aduenturesadventures wan,
Since errant armes to sew he first began;
More huge in strength, 1590.bk2.II.ii.17.6. then: thanthenthan wise in workes he was,
And reason with foole-hardize ouerover ran;
And was for terrour more, all armd in shyning
bras.
[18]
But he that lou’dlov’d the youngest, was ,
He that faire VnaUna late fowle outraged,
The most vnrulyunruly, and the boldest boy,
That euerever warlike weapons menaged,
And to all lawlesse lust encouraged,
Through strong opinion of his matchlesse might:
Ne ought he car’d, whom he endamaged
By tortious wrong, or whom bereau’dbereav’d of right.
He now this Ladies Champion chose for louelove to fight.
[19]
These two gay knights, vowd to so diuersediverse
louesloves,
Each other does envy with deadly hate,
And daily warre against his foeman mouesmoves,
In hope to win more fauourfavour with his mate,
And th’others pleasing seruiceservice to abate,
To magnifie his owne. But when they heard,
How in that place straunge knight arriuedarrived late,
Both knightes and ladies forth right angry far’d,
And fercely vntounto battell sterne themseluesthemselves prepar’d.
[20]
But ere they could proceede vntounto the place,
Where he abode, themseluesthemselves at discord fell,
And cruell combat ioyndjoynd in :
With horrible assault, and fury fell,
They heapt huge strokes, ,
That all on vproreuprore from her settled seat,
The house was raysd, and all
that in did dwell;
Seemd that lowde thunder with amazement great
Did rend the ratling skyes with flames of
heat.
[21]
The noyse thereof caldcalth forth that straunger knight,
To weet, what dreadfull thing was there in hand;
Where when as two brauebrave knightes in bloody fight
With deadly rancour he enraunged fond,
His sunbroad shield about
his wrest he bond,
And shyning blade vnsheathdunsheathd, with which he ran
VntoUnto that stead, their strife to vnderstondunderstond;
And at his first arriuallarrivall, them began
With goodly meanes
to pacifie, well as he can.
[22]
But they him spying, both with greedy
forse
Attonce vponupon him ran, and him beset
With strokes of mortall steele without remorse,
And on his shield like yron sledges bet:
As when a Beare and Tygre being met
In cruell fight on wide,
Espye a traueilertraveiler with feet ,
Whom they in equall pray hope to diuidedivide,
They stint their strife, and him assayle on euerieeverie side.
[23]
But he, not like a weary traueileretraveilere,
Their sharp assault right boldlybloudyboldy did rebut,
And suffred not their blowes to byte him nere,
But with redoubled buffes them backe did put:
Whose grieuedgrieved mindes, which choler did englut,
Against themseluesthemselves turning their wrathfull spight,
Gan with new rage their shieldes to hew and cut;
But still when Guyon came to part their fight,
With heauieheavie load on him they freshly gan to smight.
[24]
As a tall ship tossed in troublous seas,
Whom raging windes
threatning to make the pray
Of the rough rockes, doe diuerslydiversly
disease,
Meetes two contrarie billowes by the way,
That her on either side doe sore assay,
And boast to swallow her in greedy grauegrave;
Shee scorning both their spights, does make wide way,
And with her brest breaking the fomy wauewave,
Does ride on both their
backs, &and faire her self doth sauesave.
[25]
So boldly he him beares, and rusheth
forth
Betweene them both, by conduct of his
blade.
Wondrous great prowesse and heroick worth
He shewd that day, and rare ensample made,
When two so mighty warriours he :
Attonce he wards and strikes, he takes and paies,
Now forst to yield, now forcing to inuadeinvade,
Before, behind, and round about him laies:
So double was his paines, so double be his
praise.
[26]
Straunge sort of fight, three valiaunt
knights to see
Three combates ioinejoine in one, and to darraine
A with
triple enmitee,
All for their Ladies froward louelove to gaine,
Which gotten was but hate. So louelove does raine
In stoutest minds, and maketh monstrous warre;
He maketh warre, he maketh peace againe,
And yett his peace is but continuall iarrejarre:
O miserable men, that to him subiectsubject arre.
[27]
thus they mingled were in furious
armes,
The faire Medina with her tresses
torne,
And naked brest, in pitty of their harmes,
Emongst them ran, and falling them beforne,
Besought them by the womb, which them had born,
And by the louesloves, which were to them most deare,
And by the knighthood, which they sure had sworn,
Their deadly cruell discord to forbeare,
And to her iustjust conditions of faire peace to heare.
[28]
But her two other sisters standing by,
Her lowd gainsaid, and both theirboth her
championschampionChampion
bad
Pursew the end of their
strong enmity,
As euerever of their louesloves they would be glad.
Yet she with pitthy words and counsell sad,
Still strouestrove their stubborne rages to reuokerevoke,
That at the last suppressing fury mad,
They gan abstaine from dint of direfull stroke,
And hearken to the sober speaches, which she
spoke.
[29]
Ah puissaunt Lords, what cursed euillevill Spright,
Or fell
in your noble
harts,
Her hellish brond hath kindled with despight,
And stird you vpup to worke your wilfull smarts?
Is this the ioyjoy of armes? be these the parts
Of glorious knighthood, after blood to ,
And not regard dew right and iustjust desarts?
Vaine is the vaunt, and victory vniustunjust,
That more to mighty hãdshands, 1590.bk2.II.ii.29.9. thẽ: than1590.bk2.II.ii.29.9. then: thanthẽthenthãthan rightful cause doth trust.
[30]
And were 1590.bk2.II.ii.30.1. their: theretheirthere rightfull cause of difference,
Yet were not better, fayre it to accord,
Then with bloodguiltnesse to heape offence,
And mortal vengeaunce ioynejoyne to crime abhord?
O fly from wrath, fly, O my liefest Lord:
Sad be the sights, and bitter fruites of warre,
And thousand furies wait on wrathfull sword;
Ne ought the praise of prowesse more doth marre,
1590.bk2.II.ii.30.9. Then: ThanThenThan fowle reuengingrevenging rage, and base contentious iarrejarre.
[31]
But , and most sacred
peace
Doth nourish vertue, and fast friendship breeds;
Till it the pitch of highest praise exceeds:
BraueBrave be her warres, and honorable deeds,
By which she triumphes ouerover yre and pride,
And winnes an for her meeds:
Be therefore, O my deare Lords, pacifide,
And this misseeming discord meekely lay
aside.
[32]
Her gracious words their rancour did appall,
And suncke so deepe into their boyling brests,
That downe they lett their cruell weapons fall,
And lowly did abase their
lofty crests
To her faire presence, and discrete behests.
Then she began a treaty to procure,
And stablish termes betwixt both their ,
That for euerever should endure;
[33]
Which to confirme, and fast to bind their
league,
After their weary sweat and bloody toile,
She them besought, during their quiet ,
Into her lodging to repaire a while,
To rest themseluesthemselves, and .
They soone consent: so forth with her they fare,
Where they are well receiudreceivd, and made to spoile
ThemseluesThemselves of soiled armes, and to
prepare
Their minds to pleasure, &and their mouths to dainty fare.
[34]
And those two froward sisters, their faire louesloves
Came with them eke, all were
they wondrous loth,
And fained cheare, as for the time behouesbehoves,
But could not colour yet so well the troth,
But that their natures bad appeard in both:
For both did at their
second sister grutch,
And inly grieuegrieve, as doth an hidden moth
The inner garment frett, not th’vtterutter touch;
One thought her cheare too litle, th’other thought too
mutch.
[35]
(so the eldest hight) did
deeme
Such entertainment base, ne ought would
eat,
Ne ought would speake, but euermoreevermore did seeme
As discontent for want of merthmirth or meat;
No solace could her
Paramour intreat
Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliaunce,
But with bent lowring browes, as she would threat,
She scould, and frownd with froward
countenaunce,
VnworthyUnworthy of faire Ladies comely gouernauncegovernaunce.
[36]
But young was of other mynd,
Full of disport, still laughing, loosely light,
And quite contrary to her sisters kynd;
No ,
no rule of right,
But and delight;
In wine and meats she flowd aboueabove the banck,
And in excesse exceeded her
owne might;
In sumptuous tire she ioydjoyd her selfe to pranck,
But of her louelove too lauishlavish (litle hauehave she thanck).thank.)thanke.)thanck.)
[37]
FaſtFast
FirſtFirst
by her side did sitt the bold Sansloy,
Fitt mate for such a mincing mineon,
Who in her loosenesse tooke exceeding ioyjoy;
Might not be found a francker
franion,
Of her leawd parts to
make companion:
But Huddibras, more like a ,
Did see and grieuegrieve at his bold fashion;
Hardly could he endure his hardiment,
Yett still he satt, and inly did him selfe
torment.
[38]
Betwixt them both the faire Medina sate
With sober grace, and goodly carriage:
With equall measure she did moderate
The strong of their outrage,
That forward paire she euerever would asswage,
When they would striuestrive dew reason to exceed;
But that same froward twaine would accorage,
And of her plenty adde vntounto their need:
So kept she them in order, and her selfe in
heed.
[39]
Thus fairely shee attempered her feast,
And pleasd them all with meete satiety:
At last when lust of meat
and drinke was ceast,
She Guyon deare besought of curtesie,
To tell from whence he came through ieopardyjeopardy,
And whether now on new aduentureadventure bownd.
Who with bold grace, and comely grauitygravity,
Drawing to him the eies
of all arownd,
From lofty siege began these words aloud to
sownd.
[40]
This thy demaund, O Lady, doth reuiuerevive
Fresh memory in me of that great Queene,
Great and most glorious virgin Queene aliuealive,
That with her souerainesoveraine powre, and scepter shene
All Faery lond does peaceablypeaceablee
sustene.
In widest Ocean she her throne does reare,
That ouerover all the earth it may be seene;
As morning Sunne her beames dispredden cleare,
[41]
In her the richesse of all heauenlyheavenly grace,
In chiefe degree are heaped vpup on hye:
And all that els this worlds enclosure bace,
Hath great or glorious in mortall eye.
Adornes the person of her MaiestyeMajestye;
That men beholding so great excellence,
And rare perfection in mortalitye,
Doe her adore with sacred reuerencereverence,
As th’ of her makers great .
[42] To her I homage and my seruiceservice owe,
In number of the noblest knightes on ground,
Mongst whom on me she deigned to bestowe
Order of Maydenhead,
the most renownd,
That may this day in all the world be found,
An yearely solemne feast
she wontes to
To which all knights of worth and courage
bold
Resort, to heare of straunge aduenturesadventures to be told.
[43]There this old Palmer shewd himselfe that day,
And to that
mighty Princesse did complaine
Of grieuousgrievous mischiefes, which a wicked Fay
Had wrought, and many
whelmd in deadly
paine,
Whereof he crau’dcrav’d redresse. My SoueraineSoveraine,
Whose glory is in gracious deeds, and ioyesjoyes
Throughout the world her mercy to maintaine,
Eftsoones deuisddevisd redresse for such annoyes;
Me
all vnfittunfitt for so great purpose she employes.employes,
[44]
Now hath faire Phebe with her siluersilver face
Thrise seene the shadowes of the neather
world,
Sith last I left that honorable place,
In which her is entroldintrold;
Ne euerever shall I rest in house nor hold,
Till I that false Acrasia
haue have wonne;
Of whose fowle deedes, too hideous to bee
told
I witnesse am, and this their wretched sonne,
Whose wofull parents she hath wickedly fordonne.fordonne,
[45]
Tell on, fayre Sir, said she, that dolefull tale,
From which
sad ruth does seeme you to restraine,
That we may pitty such vnhappieunhappie
bale,
And learne
from pleasures poyson to abstaine:
Then forward he his purpose gan pursew,
And told the story of the mortall payne,
Which Mordant and
AmauiaAmavia did rew;
As with lamenting eyes him selfe did lately
vew.
[46]
Night was far spent, and now in Ocean
deep
Orion, flying fast from hissing
snake,
His flaming head did hasten for to steep,
When of his pitteous tale he end did make;
WhilſtWhilst
WhileſtWhilest
with delight of that he wisely spake,
Those guestes beguyled, did beguyle their eyes
Of kindly sleepe, that did them ouertakeovertake.
At last when they had markt the chaunged skyes,
They wist their houre was spẽtspent; thẽthen each to rest him hyes.hies.hyes
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