Besiegd of many foes, whom
knightes to flightfight compell.
[1]
But none 5. then: thanthenthan it, more fowle and ,
through misrule
and passions bace:
It growes a Monster, and incontinent
Doth
dignity and natiuenative grace.
Behold, who list, both one and other in .
[2]
After the Paynim brethren conquer’d were,
The Briton Prince recou’ringrecov’ring his stolne sword,
And Guyon his
lost shield, they both
Forth passed on their way in fayre accord,
Till him the Prince ;
Sir knight, mote I of you this court’sy read,
Full liuelylively is the semblaunt, though the
substance dead.
[3]
Fayre Sir (sayd he) if in that picture
dead
Such life ye read, and vertue in vaine shew,
What mote ye weene, if the trew
Of that most glorious visage ye did vew?
[4]
Shee is the mighty Queene of Faery,
Whose faire I in my shield doe beare;
Shee is the flowre of grace and chaſtitychastityehaſtityehastity,
Throughout the world renowmed far and neare,
My liefe, my , my SoueraineSoveraine, my deare,
Far reach her mercies, and her praises farre,
As well in state of peace, as puissaunce in warre.
[5]
Thrise happy man, (said then the Briton knight)
Whom gracious lott, and thy great valiaunce
HaueHave made thee soldier of that Princesse bright,
Which with her bounty and glad countenaunce
Doth blesse her seruauntsservaunts, and them high aduaunceadvaunce.
How may straunge knight hope euerever to aspire,
By faithfull seruiceservice, and meete amenaunce,
VntoUnto such blisse? sufficient were that hire
For losse of thousand liueslives, .
[6]
Said Guyon, Noble Lord, what meed so great,
Or grace of earthly Prince so souerainesoveraine,
But by your wondrous worth andadd warlike feat
Ye well may hope, and easely attaine?
But were your will, her sold to entertaine,
And numbred be mongst ,
Great guerdon, well I wote, should you remaine,
And in her fauorfavor high bee reckoned,
As
, and now
beene honored.
[7]
Certes (then said the Prince) I God auowavow,
That sith I armes and knighthood first did plight,
My whole desire hath beene, and yet is now,
To serueserve that Queene with al my powre and might.
Sith of that Goddesse ,
Yet no where can her find: such happinesse
HeuenHeven doth to me enuyenvy, and fortune fauourlessefavourlesse.
[8]
, the foe of famous
Seldome (said Guyon) yields to vertue aide,
But in her way throwes mischiefe and mischaunce,
Whereby her course is stopt, and passage staid.
But you, faire Sir, be not herewith dismaid,
But constant keepe the way, in which ye stand;
Which were it not, that I am els delaid
With hard adventure, which I hauehave in hand,
I labour would to guide you through al Fary
land.
[9]
Gramercy Sir (said he) but mote I wote,
What straunge aduentureadventure doe ye now pursew?
Perhaps my succour, or aduizementadvizement meete
Mote stead you much your purpose to .
So talked they, the whiles
They wasted had much way, and measurd many
miles.
[10]
And now faire Phoebus gan decline in haste
His weary wagon to the
Westerne vale,
Whenas they spide a goodly castle, plaste
Foreby a riuerriver in a pleasaunt dale,
Which choosing for that eueningsevenings
hospitale,
They thether marcht: but when they came in sight,
They found the gates fast barred long ere night,
And eueryevery
fast lockt, as fearing foes
despight.
[11]
Which when they saw, they weened fowle
reproch
Was to them doen, their entraunce to forstall,
Eftsoones forth looked from the highest spire
The watch, and lowd vntounto the knights did call,
To weete, what they so rudely did require.
Who gently answered, They entraunce did
desire.
[12]
Fly fly, good knights, (said he) fly fast
away
If that your liueslives ye louelove, as meete ye should;
Fly fast, and sauesave your seluesselves from neare decay,
Here may ye not hauehave entraunce, though we would:
We would and would againe, if that we could;
But thousand enemies about vsus
rauerave,
And with long siege vsus in this castle hould:
this wize they vsus besieged hauehave,
And many good knights slaine, that hauehave
vsus sought to save.
[13]
Thus as he spoke, loe with outragious cry
A thousand rownd about them swarmd
Out of the rockes and cauescaves
adioyningadjoyning nye,
Vile caitiuecaitive wretches, ragged, rude, deformd,
All threatningthreaning death, all in straunge manner armd,
Sterne was their looke, like wild amazed steares,
Staring with hollow eies, and stiffe vpstandingupstanding
heares.
[14]
Fiersly at first those knights they did
assayle,
And drouedrove them to recoile: but when againe
They gauegave fresh charge, their forces gan to fayle,
VnhableUnhable their encounter to sustaine;
For with such puissaunce and impetuous maine
Those Champions broke on them, that forst thẽthem fly,
Like scattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds swaine
A Lyon and a Tigre doth espye,
With greedy pace forth rushing from the
forest nye.
[15]
A while they fled, but soone retournd
againe
With greater fury, 2. then: thanthenthan before was fownd;
And euermoreevermore their cruell CapitaineCaptaine
Sought with his t’enclose them rownd,
And ouerrõneouerronneoverrõneoverronne to tread them to the grownd.
But soone the knights with their bright-burning blades
Broke their rude troupes, and orders did confownd,
[16]
As when a swarme of Gnats at euentideeventide
Out of doe arise,
Their murmuring small trompetts sownden wide,
Whiles in the aire their clustring army flies,
That as a cloud doth seeme to dim the skies;
Ne man nor beast may rest, or take repast,
For their sharpe wounds, and noyous iniuriesinjuries,
Till the fierce Northerne wind withwind blustring blast
Doth blow them quite away, and in the Ocean cast.
[17]
Thus when they had that troublous rout
disperst,
VntoUnto the castle gate they come againe,
And entraunce crau’dcrav’d, which was denied erst.
Now when report of that their perlous paine,
And combrous conf⁀lic⁀tconflictcomf⁀lic⁀tcomflict, which they did sustaine,
Came to the Ladies eare, which there did dwell,
Shee forth issewed with a goodly traine
Of Squires and Ladies equipaged well,
[18]
she called was, a virgin bright;
That had not yet felt Cupides wanton
rage,
Yet was shee wooed of many a gentle knight,
And many a Lord of noble parentage,
That sought with her to lincke in marriage:
For shee was faire, as faire mote euerever bee,
And in the flowre now of her freshest age;
Yet full of grace and goodly modestee,
[19]
The traine whereof loose far behind her strayd,
Braunched with gold &and perle, most richly wrought,
And borne of two faire Damsels, which were taught
That seruiceservice well. Her yellow golden heare
Was trimly wouenwoven, and in tresses wrought,
Ne other tire she on her
head did weare,
But crownedcrownd with a garland of sweete Rosiere.
[20]
Goodly shee entertaind those noble
knights,
And brought them vpup into her castle hall;
Where gentle court and gracious delight
Shee to them made, with mildnesse virginall,
Shewing her selfe both wise and liberall:
ThenThere when they rested had a season dew,
They her besought of fauourfavour speciall,
Of that faire Castle to affoord them vew;
Shee graunted, &and them leading forth, the same did shew.
[21]
themhim led vpup to the Castle wall,
That was so high, as foe might not it clime,
And all so faire, and fenſiblefensibleſenſiblesensible withall,
But O great pitty, that no lenger timelenger a time
So goodly workemanship should not endure:
Soone it must turne to earth; no earthly
thing is suresnre.
[22]
thereof seemd partly circulare,
And part triangulare, O worke diuinedivine;
Those two the first and last proportions are,
And twixt them both a quadrate was the base,
Proportioned equally by seuenseven and nine;
Nine was the circle sett in heauensheavens place,
All which compacted made a
.
[23]
Therein two gates were placed seemly
well:
The one before, by which all in did pas,
Did far in
workmanship excell;
For not of wood, nor of enduring bras,
But of more worthy substance fram’d it was;
Doubly disparted, it did locke and close,
[24]
Of hewen stone the porch was fayrely
wrought,
Stone more of valew, and more smooth and fine,
3. Then: ThanThenThan
IettJett or Marble far
brought;
And ouerover it a fayre hong,
Which to the gate directly did incline,
With comely compasse, and
,
Nether vnseemlyunseemly short, nor yet exceeding long.
[25]
Within the Barbican a Porter sate,
Day and night duely keeping watch and ward,
Nor wight, nor word mote passe out of the gate,
But in good order, and with dew regard;
Bablers of folly, and .
His larumbell might lowd
and wyde be hard,
When cause requyrd, but ;
Early and late it rong, .
[26]
And rownd about the on eueryevery
syde
ſ⁀ideside
ſyde.syde.
Twise sixteene satt, all armed bright,
In glistring steele, and strongly fortifyde:
Tall yeomen seemed they,
and of great might,
And were enraunged ready,
still for fight.
By them as Alma passed with her
guestes,
They did obeysaunce, as
beseemed right,
And then againe retourned to their restes:
The Porter eke to her did lout with humble gestes.
[27]
Thence she them brought into a stately
Hall,
Wherein were many tables fayre dispred,
And ready dight with drapets
festiuallfestivall,
Against the viaundes should be ministred.
At th’upper end there sate, yclad in red
Downe to the ground, a comely personage,
That in his hand a white rod menaged,
He was hight Diet;
rype of age,
And in demeanure sober, and in counsell
sage.
[28]
And through the Hall there walked to and
fro
A iollyjolly yeoman, ,
Whose name was Appetite; he did
bestow
Both guestes and meate, when euerever in they came,
And knew them how to order without blame,
As him the Steward badd. They both attone
Did dewty to their Lady, as became;
Who passing by, forth ledd her guestes
anone
Into the kitchin rowme, ne spard for
none.
[29]
It was a vaut ybuilt for great ,
With many reard along the wall;
And one great chimney, whose long tonnell thence,
The smoke forth threw. And in the midst of all
For day and night it brent, ne ceased not,
So long as any thing it in the caudron
gott.
[30]
But to delay the heat, least by mischaunce
It might breake out, and set the whole on fyre,
There added was by goodly ordinaunce,
An huge great payre of bellowes, which did styre
Continually, and cooling breath inspyre.
About the Caudron many Cookes ,
With hookes and ladles, as need did requyre;
The whyles the viaundes in the vessell boyld
They did about their businesse sweat, and
sorely toyld.
[31]
The maister Cooke was cald ,
A carefull man, and full of comely guyse:
The kitchin clerke, that hight ,
Did order all th’
inseemelyin seemely wise,
And set them forth, as well he could deuisedevise.
The rest had seuerallseverall offices assynd,
Some to remoueremove the scum, as it did rise;
Others to beare the same away did mynd;
And others it to vseuse according to his kynd.
[32]
the liquour, which was fowle and waste,
Not good nor seruiceableserviceable elles for ought,
They in another great rownd vessell plaste,
Till by a conduit pipe it thence were brought:
And all the rest, that noyous was, and ,
By , that
none might it espy,
Was
conuaidconvaid, and to the backgate brought,
That cleped was , whereby
It was auoidedavoided quite, and throwne out priuilyprivily.
[33]
Which goodly order, and great workmans
skill
Whenas those knightes beheld, with rare delight,
And gazing wonder they ;
For neuernever had they seene .
[34]
And eke emongst them litle Cupid
playd
His wanton sportes, being retourned late
[35]
delights they fownd them seluesselves to please;
Some song in sweet consort, some laught for ioyjoy,
Some plaid with strawes, some ydly satt at
ease,
But other some could not abide to toy,
All pleasaunce was to them griefe and annoy:
This froũdfround, that faund, the third for
shame did blush,
Another seemed enuiousenvious, or coy,
Another in her teeth did :
But at these straungers presence eueryevery one did hush.
[36]
Soone as the gracious Alma came in place,
They all attonce out of their seates arose,
And to her homage made, with humble grace:
Whom when the knights beheld, they gan dispose
ThemseluesThemselves to court, and each a damzell
did on a Lady light,
That was right faire and fresh as morning rose,
But somwhat sad, and solemne eke in sight,
As if some pensiuepensive thought cõstraindconstraind her gentle
ſpright.spright.
ſprightspright
[37]
In a long purple pall, whose skirt with
gold,
Was fretted all about, she was arayd;
And in her hand a did hold:
To whom the prince in courteous maner sayd,
Gentle Madame, why beene ye thus dismayd,
And your faire beautie doe with sadnes spill?
LiuesLives any, that you hath thus ill
apayd?
Or doen you louelove,your louelove, or doen you lack your will?
What euerever bee the cause, it sure beseemes you ill.
[38]
Fayre Sir, said she halfe in disdainefull
wise,
How is it, that this word in me ye blame,
And in your selfe doe not the same
,
anothers fault to name,
That may vnwaresunwares bee blotted with the same:
PensiuePensive I yeeld I am, and sad in mind,
Through great desire of glory and of fame;
Ne ought I weene are ye therein behynd,
That hauehave
twelue monethstwelue months
, yet no where can her find.
[39]
The Prince was inly mouedmoved at her speach,
Well weeting trew, what she had rashly told,
Yet with faire
ſemblauntsemblaunt
ſamblauntsamblaunt
sought to hyde the breach,
Which chaunge of colour did perforce vnfoldunfold,
Tho turning soft aside, he did inquyre
What wight she was, that Poplar braunch did hold:
It answered was, her name was ,
That by well doing sought to honour to
aspyre.
[40]
The whyles, the Faery knight did entertayne
Another Damsell of that gentle crew,
That was right fayre, and modest of demayne,
But that too oft she chaung’d her natiuenative hew:
Straunge was her tyre,
and all her garment blew,
Close rownd about her tuckt with many a plight:
[41]
So long as Guyon with her ,
VntoUnto the grownd she cast her modest eye,
Great wonder had the knight, to see the mayd
So straungely passioned, and to her gently
ſaid,said,
ſaid.said.
ſayd,sayd,
[42]
Fayre Damzell, seemeth, by your troubled chearecleare,
That either me too bold ye weene, this wise
You to molest, or other ill to feare
From whence it doth, as cloud from sea aryse.
If it be I, of pardon I you pray;
But if ought else that I mote not deuysedevyse,
[43]
She answerd nought, but more abasht for
shame,
Held downe her head, the whiles her louelylovely face,
That Guyon
meruayldmervayld at her vncouthuncouth cace;
Till Alma him bespake, why wonder
yee
Faire Sir at that, which ye so much embrace?
She is the fountaine of your ;
[44]
And turnd his face away; but she the same
Dissembled faire, and faynd to ouerseeoversee.
Till that great Lady ,
To vew her Castles other wondrous frame.
VpUp to a stately Turret she them brought,
Ascending by ten steps of wrought.
[45]
That Turrets frame most admirable was,
Like highest heauenheaven
compassed around,
And lifted high aboueabove this earthly masse,
Which it , as hils doen lower ground;
In Thebes, which Alexander did confound;
Nor that proud towre of Troy, though
,
From which s blood by cruell Greekes was spilt.
[46]
The roofe hereof was arched ouerover head,
And deckt with flowers and herbars daintily;
Two goodly Beacons, set in
watches stead,
Therein gauegave light, and flamd continually:
For they of most subtilly,
Were made, and set in siluersilver sockets bright,
Couer’dCover’d with lids deuiz’ddeviz’d of substance sly,
That readily they shut and open might.
O who can tell the prayses of that makers might?might!
[47]
Ne can I tell, ne can I stay to tell
This parts great workemanship, &and wondrous powre,
That all this other worldes worke doth excell,
[48]
Might be compar’d to thesethis
by many parts:
These three in these three rowmes did sondry dwell,
[49]
So that no time, nor reason could arize,
But that the same .
For thy the first did in the forepart sit,
That nought mote hinder his quicke preiudizeprejudize:
He had a sharpe foresight, and working wit,
That neuernever idle was, ne once wouldcould rest a whit.
[50]
His chamber was dispainted all within,
With sondry colours, in the which were writ
Infinite shapes of thinges dispersed thin;
Some daily seene, and knowen by their names,
Such as in idle fantasies doe flit:
[52]
Emongst them all sate he, which wonned there,
That hight by
his nature trew,
A man of yeares yet fresh, as mote appere,
That mad or foolish seemd: one by his vew
[53]
hauinghaving shewed to her guestes,
Thence brought thẽthem to the second rowme, whose wals
Were painted faire with memorable gestes,
Of famous Wisards, and with
Of Magistrates, of courts, of tribunals,
Of commen wealthes, of states, of pollicy,
Of lawes, of iudgementesjudgementes, and of decretals;
All artes, all , all Philosophy,
And all that in the world was ay thought wittily.
[54]
Of those that rowme was full, and them
among
There sate a man of ,
Who did them meditate all his life long,
That through continuall practise and vsageusage,
He now was growne right wise, and wondrous sage.
Great plesure had those straunger knightes, to see
His goodly reason, and grauegrave
personage,
That his disciples both desyrd to bee;
But Alma thence thẽthem led to th’hindmost rowme of three.
[55]
That chamber seemed ruinous and old,
And therefore was remouedremoved far behind,
Yet were the wals, that did the same vpholduphold,
Right firme &and strong, though somwhat ;
[56]
Ne suffred them to perish through long eld,
Where they for euerever incorrupted dweld:
[57]
though longest liu’dliv’d;
For he remembred both their infancis:
Ne wonder then, if that he were depriu’ddepriv’d
Of natiuenative strength now, that he them suruiu’dsurviv’d.
[58]
Amidst them all he in a chaire was sett,
Tossing and turning them withouten end;
But for he was vnhableunhable them to fett,
A litle boy did on him still attend,
To reach, when euerever he for ought did send;
And oft when thinges were lost, or laid amis,
That boy them sought, and vntounto him did lend.
ThereforeThereſoreTheresore he cleped is,
And that old man , by their propertis.
[59]
The knightes there entring, did him reuerencereverence dew
And wondred at his endlesse exercise,
Then as they gan his Library to vew,
And antique Regesters for to ,
There
[60]
eke on another booke,
That hight,
of Faery lond.
In which whenas he greedily did looke,
Th’ofspring of EluesElves and Faryes there he fond,
As it deliuereddelivered was from hond to hond:
Whereat they burning both with feruentfervent fire,
Their countreys auncestry to vnderstondunderstond,
Crau’dCrav’d
leaueleave of Alma, and that aged sire,
To read those bookes; who gladly graunted
their desire.
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