Sir Guyon layd is by
despoyld,
Whom
Arthure soone hath reskewed
And Paynim brethren foyld.
[1]
ANnd is
there care in heauenheaven? and is 1590.bk2.II.viii.1.1. their: theretheirthere
louelove
That may compassion of their euillesevilles
mouemove?
There is: else much more wretched were the cace
Of men 1590.bk2.II.viii.1.5. then: thanthenthan beasts. But O th’exceeding grace
Of highest God, that louesloves his creatures so,
That blessed , he
sends to and fro,
To serueserve to wicked man, to serueserve his wicked foe.
[2]
How oft do they, their siluersilver bowers leaueleave,
To come to succour
vsus, that succour want,want?
How oft do they with golden pineons, cleauecleave
The flitting skyes, like
flying PursuiuantPursuivant,
Against fowle feendes to ayd vsus
They for vsus fight, they watch and dewly ward,
And all for louelove, and nothing for reward:
O why should heuenlyhevenly God to men hauehave such regard?regard.
[3]
During the while, that Guyon did abide
In Mamons
house, the Palmer, whom whyleare
That wanton
Mayd of passage had denide,
By further search had passage found elsewhere,
And being on his way, approched neare,
Where Guyon
lay in traunce, when suddeinly
He heard a voyce, that called lowd and cleare,
Come hether, come hether, O come hastily;
That all the fields resounded with the
ruefull cry.
[4]
The Palmer lent his eare vntounto the noyce,
To weet, who called so importunely:
Againe he heard a more voyce,
That bad him come in haste. He by and by
His feeble feet directed to the cry;
Which to that shady deluedelve him brought at last,
Where Mammon
earst did :
There the good
Guyon he found slumbring fast
In ; which sight at first him sore aghast.
[5]
there satt ,
Of wondrouswondtous beauty, and of freshest yeares,
Whose tender bud to blossome new began,
And florish faire aboueabove his equall peares;
curled with golden heares,
Like Phoebus face
adornd with sunny rayes,
DiuinelyDivinely shone, and two sharpe ,
Decked with diuersediverse plumes, ,
Were fixed at his backe, to cut his ayery
wayes.
[6]
as Cupido on ,
When hauinghaving laid his cruell bow away,
And mortall arrowes, wherewith he doth fill
The world with murdrous spoiles and bloody pray,
With his faire mother he him dights to play,
And with , Graces three;
The Goddesse pleased with his wanton play,
Suffers her selfe to bee,
The whiles the other Ladies mind theyr mery
glee.
[7]
Whom when the Palmer saw, abasht he was
Through fear and wonder, that he nought could say,
Till him the
bespoke, Long lackt, alas,
Hath bene thy faithfull aide in hard assay,
Whiles deadly fitt thy pupill doth dismay;
Behold this heauyheavy sight, thou reuerendreverend Sire,
But dread of death and dolor doe away;
For life ere long shall to her home retire,
And he that breathlesse seems, shal corage bold
respire.
[8]
Of his deare safety, I to thee commend;
Yet will I not forgoe, ne yet forgett
The care thereof my selfe vntounto the end,
But euermoreevermore him succour, and defend
Against his foe and mine: watch thou I pray;
For euillevill is at hand him to .
So hauinghaving said, eftsoones he gan display
His painted nimble wings, and vanisht quite away.
[9]
The Palmer seeing his lefte empty place,
And his slow eies beguiled of their sight,
Woxe sore affraid, and standing still a space,
Gaz’d after him, ;
At last him turning to his charge behight,
With trembling hand his troubled pulse gan try,
Where finding life not yet dislodged quight,
He much reioystrejoyst, and it tenderly,
As chicken , from dreaded destiny.
[10]
At last he spide, where towards him did
pace
Two knights, al armd as bright as skie,
And far before a light-foote Page did flie,
That breathed strife and troublous enmitie;
Those were the old,
Who meeting earst with
Archimago slie,
Foreby that idle strond,
of him were told,
That he, which earst them combatted, was
Guyon bold.
[11]
Which to auengeavenge on him they dearly vowd,
Where euerever that on ground they mote him find;
False Archimage
prouokteprovokte their corage prowd,
And stryful
in their stubborne mind
Coles of contention and whot vengeaunce
tind.
Now bene they come, whereas the Palmer sate,
Keeping that corse to him assind;
Well knew they both his person, sith of late
With him in bloody armes they rashly did debate.
[12]
Whom when PyrochlesPyrrhochles saw, inflam’d with rage,
That sire he fowl bespake, Thou dotard vile,
That with thy brutenesse
shendst thy age,
Abandon soone, I read, the caytiuecaytive spoile
Of that same outcast carcas, that ere whileerewhileere whfle
Made it
ſelfeselfe
felfe famous through false trechery,
And crownd his coward crest with knightly stile;
Loe where he now inglorious doth lye,
To prooueproove he liuedlived il, that did thus fowly dye.
[13]
To whom the Palmer fearlesse answered,
Certes, Sir knight, ye bene too much to blame,
Thus for to blott the honor of the dead,
And with fowle cowardize his carcas shame,
Whose liuingliving handes immortalizd his name.
Vile is the vengeaunce on the ashes cold,
And at sleeping
fame:
Was neuernever wight, that treason of him told;
Your self his prowesse prou’dprov’d
&and found him fiers &and bold.
[14]
Then sayd Cymochles, Palmer, thou doest dote,
Ne canst of prowesse, ne of knighthood deeme,
SaueSave as thou seest or hearst. But well I wote,
That of his puissaunce tryall made extreeme;
Ne all good knights, that shake well speare &and shield:
The worth of all men by
their end esteeme,
And then dew praise, or dew reproch them
yield;
Bad therefore I him deeme, that
thus lies dead on field.
[15]
Good or bad, gan his brother fiers
reply,
What doe I recke, sith
that he dide entire?
Or what doth his bad death now satisfy,
The greedy hunger of reuengingrevenging yre;
Sith wrathfull hand wrought not her owne desire?
Yet since no way is lefte to wreake my spight,
I will him reauereave of armes, the victors hire,
And of that shield, more worthy of good knight;
For why should a dead dog be deckt in
armour bright?
[16]
Fayr Sir, said then the Palmer
suppliaunt,
For knighthoods louelove, doe not so fowle a deed,
Ne blame your honor
with so shamefull vaunt
Of vile reuengerevenge. To spoile the dead of weed
Is sacrilege,
and doth all sinnes exceed;
But leaueleave these relicks of his liuingliving might,
To decke his herce, and trap his tomblacketomb-blacketomb-black steed.
What herce or steed (said he) should he hauehave
dight,
[17]
With that, rude hand vponupon his shield he laid,
And th’other brother gan his helme vnlaceunlace,
Both fiercely bent to hauehave him disaraid;
Till that they spyde, where towards them did pace
An armed knight, of bold and bounteous grace,
Whose squire bore after him an heben launce,
.
Th’enchaunter by his armes and amenaunce,
When vnderunder him he saw his Lybian steed to praunce.
[18]
And to those brethren sayd, Rise rise byliuebylive,
And vntounto batteil doe yourseluesyourselves addresse;
For yonder comes the prowest knight aliuealive,
Prince Arthur, flowre of grace and nobilesse,
That hath to Paynim knights wrought gret
diſtreſſe,distresse,
diſtreſſe.distresse.
And thousand Sar’zins fowly donne to dye.
That word so deepe did in their harts impresse,
That both eftsoones vpstartedupstarted furiously,
And gan themseluesthemselves prepare to batteill greedily.
[19]
The want thereof now greatly gan to plaine,
And Archimage besought, him that afford,
Which he had brought for BraggadochioBraggadocchio vaine.
So would I (said th’enchaunter) glad and faine
Beteeme to you this
sword, you to defend,
Or ought that els your honor might maintaine,
But that this weapons powre I well hauehave
kend,
To be contrary to the worke, which ye
intend.
[20]
For that same knights owne sword this is of
yore,
Which Merlin
made by his almightie art,
For that his noursling, when he knighthood swore,
Therewith to doen his foes eternall smart.
The metall first he mixt with ,
That no enchauntment from his dint might sauesave;
Then it in flames of
wrought apart,
And dipped in the bitter wauewave
Of hellish Styx, .
[21]
The vertue is, that nether steele, nor
stone
The stroke thereof from entraunce may defend;
Ne euerever may be vsedused by his ,
Ne forst his rightful
owner to offend,
Ne euerever will it breake, ne euerever bend.
Wherefore it
rightfully is hight.
In vaine therefore, PyrhochlesPyrrhochles, should I lend
The same to thee, against his lord to fight,
For sure yt would deceiuedeceive thy labor, and thy might.
[22]
Foolish old man, said then the Pagan
wroth,
That weenest words or charms may force withstond:
Soone shalt thou see, and then beleeuebeleeve for troth,
That I can caruecarve with this inchaunted brond
.
Therewith out of his hond
That steele he
rudely snatcht away,
And Guyons
shield about his wrest he bond;
So ready dight, fierce battaile to assay,
And match his brother proud in battailous
aray.
[23]
By this that straunger knight in presence
came,
And goodly them; who nought againe
Him answered, as courtesie became,
But with sterne lookes, and stomachous disdaine,
GaueGave signes of grudge and discontentment vaine:
Then turning to the Palmer, he gan spy
Where at his feet, with sorrowfull demayne
And deadly hew, an armed corse did lye,
In whose dead face he redd great .
[24]
Sayd he then to the Palmer, ReuerendReverend syre,
What great misfortune hath betidd this knight?
Or did his life her fatall date expyre,
Or did he fall by treason, or by fight?
How euerever, sure I rew his pitteous plight.
Not one, nor other, sayd the Palmer grauegrave,
Hath him befalne, but cloudes of deadly night
A while his heauyheavy eylids couercover’d hauehave,
And all his sences drowned in deep
sencelesse wauewave.
[25]
Which, those his cruell
ſamesame
foes, that stand hereby,
Making aduauntageadvauntage, to reuengerevenge their spight,
Would him disarme, and treaten shamefully,
VnworthieUnworthie
vsageusage of redoubted knight.
But you, faire Sir, whose honourable sight
Doth promise hope of helpe, and timely
grace,
Mote I beseech to succour his sad plight,
And by your powre protect his feeble cace.
First prayse of knighthood is, fowle
outrage to .
[26]
Palmer, (said he) no knight so rude, I
weene,
As to doen outrage to a sleeping ghost:
Ne was there euerever noble corage seene,
That in aduauntageadvauntage would his puissaunce bost:
Honour is least, where oddes appeareth most.
May bee, that better reason will aswage,
The rash reuengersrevengers heat. Words well dispost
HaueHave secrete powre, t’appease inflamed rage:
If not, leaueleave
vntounto me thy knights last patronagepatonagepat⁀ronage.
[27]
Tho turning to those brethren, thus
bespoke,
Ye warlike payre, whose valorous great might
It seemes, iustjust wronges to vengeaunce doe prouokeprovoke,
To wreake your wrath on this dead seeming knight,
Mote ought allay the storme of your despight,
And settle patience in so furious heat?
,
But for this carkas pardon I entreat,
Whom fortune hath already laid in lowest
seat.
[28]
To whom Cymochles said, For what art thou,
The vengeaunce prest? Or who shall let me now,
On this vile body from to wreak my wrong,
And make his carkas as the outcast dong?
Why should not that dead carrion satisfye
The guilt, which if he liuedlived had thus long,
His life for dew reuengerevenge should deare abye?
The trespas still doth liuelive, albee the person dye.
[29]
Indeed, then said the Prince, the euillevill donne
Dyes not, when breath the body first doth leaueleave,
But from the grandsyre to the sonne,
And all his seede the curse doth often cleauecleave,
Till vengeaunce vtterlyutterly the guilt :
So streightly God doth iudgejudge. But gentle knight,
That doth against the dead his hand ,
His honour staines with rancour and despight,
And great disparagment makes to his former
might.
[30]
Pyrrhochles gan reply the
second tyme,
And to him said, Now felon sure I read,
How that thou art partaker of his cryme:
Therefore by
thou shalt be dead.
With that his hand, more sad
1590.bk2.II.viii.30.5. then: thanthenthan lomp of lead,
VpliftingUplifting high, he weened with Morddure,
His owne good sword Morddure, to cleauecleave his head.
The faithfull steele such treason n’ouldno’uld endure,
But swaruingswarving from the marke, his Lordes life did assure.
[31]
Yet was the force so furious and so
fell,
That horse and man it made to reele asyde;
Nath’lesse the Prince would not forsake his sell:
For well of yore he learned had to ryde,
But full of anger fiersly to him cryde;
False traitour miscreaunt, thou broken hast
The law of armes, to strike foe vndefideundefide.
But thou thy treasons fruit, I hope, shalt taste
Right sowre, &and feele the law, the which thou hast
defaſt.defast.
defaſtdefast
defac’tdefac’t
[32]
With that his balefull speare, he fiercely
bent
Against the PagansPagons brest, and therewith thought
His cursed life out of her lodg hauehave rent:
But ere the point arriuedarrived, where it ought,
He cast between toward the bitter stownd:
Through all those foldes the steelehead passage wrought
And through his shoulder perst; wherwith to groũdground
He grouelinggroveling fell, all gored in his gushing wound.
[33]
Which when his brother saw, fraught with
great griefe
And wrath, he to him leaped furiously,
And fowly saide, By ,
cursed thiefe,
That direfull stroke thou dearely shalt aby.
Then hurling vpup his harmefull blade on hy,
Smote him so hugely on his haughtie crest,
That from his saddle forced him to fly:
downe to his manly brest
HaueHave cleft his head in twaine, and life thence
diſpoſſeſt.dispossest.
diſpoſſeſtdispossest
[34]
Now was the Prince in daungerous
distresse,
Wanting his sword, when he on foot should fight:
His single speare could doe
him small redresse,
Against two foes of so exceeding might,
The least of which was match for any knight.
And now the other, whom he earst did daunt,
Had reard him selfe againe to cruel fight,
Three times more furious, and more puissaunt,
VnmindfullUnmindfull of his wound, of his fate ignoraunt.
[35]
So both attonce him charge on either
syde,
With hideous strokes, and importable powre,
That forced him his
ground to trauersetraverse wyde,
And wisely watch to ward that deadly :
For onin his shield, as thicke as stormie showre,
Their strokes did raine, yet did he neuernever quaile,
Ne backward shrinke, but as a stedfast towre,
Whom foe with doubledoubly battry doth assaile,
Them on her bulwarke beares, and bids them
nought
auaile.availe.
[36]
So stoutly he withstood their strong assay,
Till that at last, when he aduantageadvantage spyde,
His poynant speare he
thrust with puissant sway
At proud Cymochles, whiles his shield was wyde,
That through his thigh the mortall steele did :
He swaruingswarving with the force, within his flesh
Did breake the launce, and let the head abyde:
Out of the wound the redblood flowed fresh,
That vnderneathunderneath his feet soone made a purple plesh.
[37]
Horribly then he gan to rage, and
rayle,
Cursing , and
him selfe damning deepe:
Als when his brother saw the redblood rayletraile
Adowne so fast and all his armour steepe,
For very felnesse lowd
he gan to weepe,
And said, CaytiueCaytive, cursse on thy cruell hond,
That twise hath spedd, yet shall it not thee keepe
From the third brunt of this my fatall :
Lo where the dreadfull Death behynd thy
backe doth stond.
[38]
With that he strooke, and thother strooke withall,
That nothing seemd mote beare so mõstrousmonstrous might:
vponupon his coueredcovered shield did fall,
And glauncing downe would not :
But th’other did vponupon his smyte,
Which hewing quite a sunderasunder, further way
It made, and on his hacqueton did lyte,
The which diuidingdividing with importune sway,
It seizd in his right side, and there the dint did stay.
[39]Wyde was the wound, and a large lukewarme flood,
Red as the Rose, thence gushed grieuouslygrievously,
That when the Paynym spyde the streaming blood,
GaueGave him great hart, andaud hope of victory.
On thother side, in huge perplexity,
The Prince now stood, hauinghaving his weapon broke;
Nought could he hurt, but still at warde did ly:
Yet with his troncheon he so rudely stroke
Cymochles twise, that twise
him forst his foot reuokerevoke.
[40]
Whom when the Palmer saw in such
distresse,
Sir Guyons
sword he lightly to him raught,
And said, fayre Sonne, great god thy right hãdhand
blesse,
To vseuse that sword
ſo well, as
heso well, as he
ſo wiſely asso wisely as
it ought.
Glad was the knight, &and with fresh courage fraught,
When as againe he armed felt his hond;
Then like a Lyon, which
hath long time saught
His robbed whelpes and at the last them
fond
Emongst the shepeheard swaynes,
then wexeth wood
&and
yond.
[41]
So fierce he laid about him, and dealt
blowes
On either side, that neither mayle could hold,
Ne shield defend the thunder of his throwes:
Now to Pyrrhochles many strokes he told;
Eft to Cymochles twise so many fold:
Then backe againe turning his busie hond,
Them both atonce compeld with courage bold,
To yield wide way to his hart-thrilling brond;
And though they both stood stiffe, yet
could not both withstond.
[42]
Bull, whom two fierce mastiuesmastives bayt,
Forgets with wary warde them to awayt,
But with his dreadfull hornes them driuesdrives afore,
Or flings aloft or treades downe in the flore,
Breathing out wrath, and bellowing disdaine,
That all the forest quakes to heare him rore:
So rag’d Prince Arthur twixt his foemen twaine,
That neither could his mightie puissaunce
sustaine.
[43]
But euerever at Pyrrhochles
when he smitt,
Who Guyons
shield cast euerever him before,before.
His hand relented, and the stroke forbore,
And his deare hart the picture gan adore,
Which oft the Paynim sau’dsav’d from deadly .
But him henceforth the same can sauesave no more;
For now arriuedarrived is his fatall howre,
That n’oteno’te
auoydedavoyded be by earthly skill or powre.
[44]
For when Cymochles saw the fowle reproch,
Which them appeached,
prickt with guiltiegultyguilty shame,
And inward griefe, he fiercely gan approch,
Resolu’dResolv’d to put away that loathly blame,
Or dye with honour and desert of fame;
And on the haubergh
stroke the Prince so sore,
That quite disparted all the linked frame,
And pierced to the skin, but bit not thoreno more,
Yet made him twise to reele, that neuernever
moou’dmoov’d afore.
[45]
Whereat with wrath and sharp
regret,
He stroke so hugely with his borrowd blade,
That it
empierſtempierst
empieſtempiest
empearc’t the Pagans burganet,
And cleauingcleaving the hard steele, did deepe inuadeinvade
Into his head, and cruell passage made
Quite through his brayne. He tombling downe on ground,
Breathd out his ghost, which to th’infernall shade
Fast flying, there eternall torment found,
For all the sinnes, wherewith his lewd life did abound.abound,
[46]
Which when his german saw, the stony feare,
Ran to his hart, and all his sence dismayd,
Ne thenceforth life ne corage did appeare,
But as a man, whom hellish feendes hauehave
frayd,
Long trembling still he stoode: at last thus sayd,
Traytour what hast thou doen? how euerever may
Thy cursed hand so cruelly hauehave swayd
Against that knight: HarrowharrowHorrow and well away,
After so wicked deede why liu’stliv’st thou lenger day?
[47]
With that all desperate as loathing
light,
Assembling all his force and vtmostutmost might,
And strooke, and foynd,
and lasht outrageously,
Withouten reason or regard. Well knew
The Prince, with pacience and sufferaunce sly
So hasty heat soone cooled to subdew:
Tho when this breathlesse woxe, that batteil gan
renew.
[48]
As when a windy tempest bloweth hye,
That nothing may withstand his stormy stowre,
The clowdes, as thinges affrayd, before him flye;
But all so soone as his outrageous powre
Is layd, they fiercely then begin to showre,
And as in scorne of his spent stormy spight,
Now all attonce their malice forth do poure;
So did Prince ArthurSir Guyon beare himselfe in
fight,
And suffred rash Pyrrhochles waste his ydle might.
[49]
At last when as the Sarazin perceiu’dperceiv’d,
How that straunge sword refusd, to serueserve his neede,
But when he stroke most strong, the dint deceiu’ddeceiv’d,
He flong it from him, and deuoyddevoyd of dreed,
VponUpon him lightly leaping without heed,
Twixt his two
mighty armes engrasped fast,
Thinking to ouerthroweoverthrowe and downe him tred:
But him in strength and skill the Prince surpast,
And through his nimble sleight did vnderunder him down
caſt.cast.
caſtcast
[50]
Nought booted it the Paynim then to striuestrive;
For as a in the Eagles
clawe,
That may not hope by flight to scape aliuealive,
Still waytes for death with dread and trembling
aw,
So he now subiectsubject to the victours law,
Did not once mouemove, nor vpwardupward cast his eye,
For vile disdaine and rancour, which did gnaw
His hart in twaine with sad
melancholy,
As one that loathed life, and yet despysd
to dye.
[51]
But full of princely bounty and ,
The Conquerour nought cared him to slay,
But casting wronges and all reuengerevenge behind,
More glory thought to giuegive life, 1590.bk2.II.viii.51.4. then: thanthenthan
decay,
And sayd, Paynim, this is thy dismall
day;
Yet if thou wilt renounce thy ,
And my trew
yield thy selfe for ay,
Life will I graunt thee for thy valiaunce,
And all thy wronges will wipe out of my souenauncesovenaunce.
[52]
(sayd the Pagan) I thy gift defye,
And say, that I not ouercomeovercome doe dye,
But in despight of life, for death doe call.
Wroth was the Prince, and sory yet withall,
That he so wilfully refused grace;
Yet sith his fate so cruelly did fall,
His shining Helmet he
gan soone vnlaceunlace,
And left his headlesse body
bleeding all the place.
[53]
By this Sir Guyon from his traunce awakt,
Life hauinghaving maystered ;
And looking vpup, when as his shield he lakt,
And sword saw not, he wexed wondrous woe:
But when the Palmer, whom he long ygoe
Had lost, he by him spyde, right glad he grew,
And saide, Deare sir, whom wandring to and fro
I long hauehave lackt, I ioyjoy thy face to vew;
[54]
But read, what wicked hand hath robbed
mee
Of my good sword and shield? The Palmer glad,
With so fresh hew vprysinguprysing him to see,
Him answered; fayre sonne, be no whit sad
For want of weapons, they shall soone be had.had,had.
So gan he to discourse the whole debate,
Which that straunge knight for him sustained had.
And those two Sarazins confounded late,
Whose carcases on ground were horribly
prostrate.
[55]
Which when he heard, and saw ,
His hart with great affection was ,
And to the Prince bowingwith
bowing
reuerencereverence
dew,
As to , thus sayd;
My Lord, , by
whose most gratious ayd
I liuelive this day, and see my foes subdewd,
What may suffise, to be for meede repayd
Of so great graces, as ye hauehave me shewd,
[56]
To whom the thus, Fayre Sir, what need
Good turnes be counted, as a seruileservile bond,
To bind their dooers, to receiuereceive their meed?
Are not all knightes by oath bound, to withstond
Oppressours powre by armes and puissant hond?
Suffise, that I hauehave done my dew in place.
So goodly purpose they
together fond,
Of kindnesse and of courteous aggrace;
The whiles false Archimage and Atin
fled apace.
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;){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}