The maske of Cupid, and th’enchanted
Chamber are displayd,
Whence Britomart redeemes faire
Amoret, through charmes decayd.
[1]
THho when as chearelesse Night ycoueredycovered had
Fayre heauenheaven with an vniuersalluniversall clowd,
That eueryevery wight dismayd with darkenes sad,
In silence and in sleepe themseluesthemselves did shrowd,
She heard a shrilling Trompet sound alowd,
Signe of nigh battaill, or got victory;
Nought therewith daunted was her courage prowd,
But rather stird to cruell enmity,
Expecting euerever, when some foe she might descry.
[2]
With that, an hideous storme of winde
arose,
With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt,
And an earthquake, as if it streight would lose
The worlds foundations from his centre fixt;
A direfull stench of smoke and sulphure mixt
Ensewd, whose noyaunce fild the fearefull sted,
From the fourth howre of night vntilluntill the sixt;
Yet the bold Britonesse was nought
ydred,
Though much emmou’demmov’d, but stedfast still perseueredpersevered.
[3]
All suddeinly a stormy whirlwind blew
Throughout the house, that clapped eueryevery dore,
With which that yron wicket open flew,
As it with mighty leuerslevers had bene tore:
And forth yssewd, as on the readie flore
Of some Theatre, a grauegrave personage,
That in his hand a braunch of laurell bore,
With comely haueourhaveour and count’nance sage,
Yclad in costly garments, fit for tragicke
Stage.
[4]
Proceeding to the midst, he stil did
stand,
As if in minde he somewhat had to say,
And to the vulgare beckning with his hand,
In signe of silence, as to heare a play,
By liuelylively actions he gan bewray
Some argument of matter passioned;
Which doen, he backe retyred soft away,
And passing by, his name discouereddiscovered,
Ease, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.
[5]
The noble Mayd, still standing all this
vewd,
And merueildmerveild at his straunge intendiment;
With that a ioyousjoyous fellowship issewd
Of Minstrales, making goodly meriment,
With wanton Bardes, and Rymers impudent,
All which together song full chearefully
A lay of louesloves delight, with sweet concentconſentconsent:
After whom marcht a iollyjolly company,
In manner of a maske, enranged orderly.
[6]
The whiles a most delitious harmony,
In full straunge notes was sweetly heard to sound,
That the rare sweetnesse of the melody
The feeble sences wholy did confound,
And the frayle soule in deepe delight nigh drownd:
And when it ceast, shrill trompets lowd did bray,
That their report did far away rebound,
And when they ceast, it gan againe to play,
The whiles the maskers marched forth in trim
aray.
[7]
The first was Fansy, like a louelylovely Boy,
Of rare aspect, and beautie without peare,
Matchable ethereithereyther to that ympe of Troy,
Whom IoueJove did louelove, and chose his cup to beare,
Or that same daintie lad, which was so deare
To great Alcides, that when as he
dyde,
He wailed womanlike with many a teare,
And eueryevery
woodword, and eueryevery valley wyde
He fild with Hylas name; the Nymphes eke Hylas cryde.
[8]
His garment netherneither was of silke nor say,
But paynted plumes, in goodly order dight,
Like as the sunburnt Indians do
aray
Their tawney bodies, in their proudest plight:
As those same plumes, so seemd he vaine and light,
That by his gate might easily appeare;
For still he far’d as dauncing in delight,
And in his hand a windy fan did beare,
That in the ydle ayre he mou’dmov’d still here and theare.
[9]
And him beside marcht amorous Desyre,
Who seemd of ryper yeares, 1590.bk3.III.xii.9.2. then: thanthenthan th’other Swayne,
Yet was that otherothers swayne this elders syre,
And gauegave him being, commune to them twayne:
His garment was disguysed very vayne,
And his embrodered Bonet sat awry;
Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did strayne,
Which still he blew, and kindled busily,
That soone they life conceiu’dconceiv’d, and forth in flamesinflames did fly.
[10]
Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a discolour’d cote, of straunge disguyse,
That at his backe a brode Capuccio had,
And sleeuessleeves dependaunt Albanese-wyse:
He lookt askew with his mistrustfull eyes,
And nycely trode, as thornes lay in his way
Or that the flore to shrinke he did auyseavyse
And on a broken reed he still did stay,
His feeble steps, which shrunck, when hard
thereon he lay.
[11]
With him went Daunger, cloth’d in ragged weed,
Made of Beares skin, that him more dreadfull made,
Yet his owne face was dreadfull, ne did need
Straunge horrour, to deforme his griesly shade,shade;
A net in th’one hand, and a rusty blade
In th’other was, this Mischiefe, that mishap;
With th’one his foes he threatned to inuadeinvade,
With th’other he his friends ment to enwrap:
For whom he could not kill, he practizd to
entrap.
[12]
Next him was Feare, all arm’d from top to toe,
Yet thought himselfe notnntnot safe enough thereby,
But feard each shadow mouingmoving
totoo
orand froe,
And his owne armes when glittering he did spy,
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,
As ashes pale of hew, and wingyheeldwinged heeldwingy-heeld;
And euermoreevermore on daunger fixt his eye,
Gainst whom he alwayes bent a brasen shield,
Which his right hand vnarmedunarmed fearefully did wield.
[13]
With him went Hope in rancke, a handsome Mayd,
Of chearefull looke and louelylovely to behold;
In silken samite she was light arayd,
And her fayre lockes were wouenwoven
vpup in gold;
She alway smyld, and in her hand did hold
An holy water Sprinckle, dipt in deowe,
With which she sprinckled fauoursfavours manifold,
On whom she list, and did great liking sheowe,
Great liking vntounto many, but true louelove to feowe.
[14]
And after them DissemblaunceDissemblaunee, and Suspect
Marcht in one rancke, yet an vnequallunequall paire:
For she was gentle, and of milde aspect,
Courteous to all, and seeming debonaire,
Goodly adorned, and exceeding faire:
Yet was that all but paynted, and pourloynd,
And her bright browes were deckt with borrowed haire:
Her deeds were forged, and her words false coynd,
And alwaies in her hand two clewes of silke
she twynd.
[15]
But he was fowle, ill fauouredfavoured, and grim,
VnderUnder his eiebrowes looking still askaunce;
And euerever as Dissemblaunce laught on him,
He lowrd on her with daungerous eyeglaunce;
Shewing his nature in his countenaunce;
His rolling eies did neuernever rest in place,
Bnt walkte each where, for feare of hid mischaunce,
Holding a lattis still before his face,
Through which he stil did peep, as forward
he did pace.
[16]
Next him went Griefe, and Fury matcht yfere;
Griefe all in sable sorrowfully clad,
Downe hanging his dull head, with heauyheavy chere,
Yet inly being more, 1590.bk3.III.xii.16.4. then: thanthenthan seeming sad:
A paire of Pincers in his hand he had,
With which he pinched people to the hart,
That from thenceforth a wretched life they ladd,
In wilfull languor and consuming smart,
Dying each day with inward wounds of dolours dart.
[17]
But Fury was
full ill appareiled,
In rags, that naked nigh she did appeare,
With ghastly looks and dreadfull drerihed;
For from her backe her garments she did teare,
And from her head ofte rent her snarled heare:
In her right hand a firebrand shee did tosse
About her head, still roming here and there;
As a dismayed Deare in chace emboſtembostemhoſtemhost,
Forgetfull of his safety, hath his right
way lost.
[18]
After them went Displeasure and Pleasaunce,
He looking lompish and full sullein sad,
And hanging downe his heauyheavy countenaunce;
She chearfull fresh and full of ioyauncejoyaunce glad,
As if no sorrow she ne felt ne draddread;
That euillevill matched paire they seemd to bee:
An angry Waspe th’one in a viall hadhad:
Th’other in hers an hony-lady Bee,Bee;
Thus marched these six couples forth in
faire degree.degree
[19]
After all these there marcht a most faire
Dame,
Led of two grysie villeins, th’one Despight,
The other cleped Cruelty by name:
She dolefull Lady, like a dreary Spright,
Cald by strong charmes out of eternall night,
Had DeathesdeathesDeaths owne ymage figurd in her face,
Full of sad signes, fearfull to liuingliving sight,
Yet in that horror shewd a seemely grace,
And with her feeble feete did mouemove a comely pace.
[20]
Her brest all naked, as nett yuoryyvory,
Without adorne of gold or siluersilver bright,
Wherewith the Craftesman wonts it beautify,
Of her dew honour was despoyled quight,
And a wide wound therein (O ruefull sight)
Entrenched deep with knyfe accursed keene,
Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting spright,
(The worke of cruell hand) was to be seene,
That dyde in ſanguinesanguineſanginesangineſanguinesanguine red her skin all snowy cleene.
[21]
At that wide orifice herhet trembling hart
Was drawne forth, and in siluersilver basin layd,
Quite through transfixed with a deadly dart,
And in her blood yet steeming fresh embayd:
And those two villeins, which her steps vpstaydupstayd,
When her weake feete could scarcely her sustaine,
And fading vitall powres gan to fade,
Her forward ſtillstillskill with torture did constraine,
And euermoreevermore encreased her consuming paine.
[22]
Next after her, the winged God him
selfe
Came riding on a Lion rauenousravenous,
Taught to obay the menage of that Elfe,
That man and beast with powre imperious
Subdeweth to his kingdome tyrannous:
His blindfold eies he bad a while vnbindeunbinde,
That his proud spoile of that same dolorous
Faire Dame he might behold in perfect kinde,
Which seene, he much reioycedrejoyced in his cruell minde.
[23]
Of which ful prowd, him selfe vpup rearing hye,
He looked round about with sterne disdayne;
And did suruaysurvay his goodly company:
And marshalling the euillevill ordered trayne,
With that the darts which his right handright did straine,
Full dreadfully he shooke that all did quake,
And clapt on hye his coulourd winges twaine,
That all his many it affraide did make:
Tho blinding him againe, his way he forth
did take.
[24]
Behinde him was Reproch, Repentaunce, Shame;
Reproch the first, Shame
next, Repent behinde:
RepentaunceRepentanceRepen’aunce feeble, sorowfull, and lame:
Reproch despightful, carelesse, and vnkindeunkinde;
Shame most illfauourdillfavourd, bestiall, and blinde:
Shame lowrd, Repentaunce
sigh’d, Reproch did scould;
Reproch sharpe stings, Repentaunce whips entwinde,
Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand did hold:
All three to each vnlikeunlike, yet all made in one mould.
[25]
And after them a rude confused rout
Of persons flockt, whose names is hard to read:
Emongst them was sterne Strife, and
Anger stout,
VnquietUnquiet
Care, and fond
VnthriftyheadUnthriftyheadVnthriftybeadUnthriftybeadV nthriftiheadU nthriftihead,
Lewd Losse of Time,Time,, and Sorrow seeming dead,
Inconstant Chaunge, and false Disloyalty,
Consuming Riotise, and guilty Dread
Of heauenlyheavenly vengeaunce, faint Infirmity,
Vile
PouertyPoverty, and lastly Death with infamy.
[26]
There were full many moe like maladies,
Whose names and natures I note readen well;
So many moe, as there be phantasies
In waueringwavering wemens witt, that none can tell,
Or paines in louelove, or punishments in hell;
AllAnd which disguized marcht in masking wise,
About the chambercamberchamber
by thewith that Damozell,
And then returned, hauinghaving marched thrise,
Into the inner rowme, from whence they first did rise.
[27]
So soone as they were in, the dore streight
way
Fast locked, driuendriven with that stormy blast,
Which first it opened; nothing did remayne.and bore all away
Then the brauebrave Maid, which al this while was plast,
In secret shade, and saw both first and last,
Issewed forth, and went vntounto the dore,
To enter in, but fownd it locked fast:
It vaine she thought with rigorousrigoronsrigorous
vproreuprore
For to efforce, when charmes had closed it
afore.
[28]
Where force might not auaileavaile, theretheir sleights and art
She cast to vseuse, both fitt for hard emprize;
For thy from that same rowme not to depart
Till morrow next, shee did her selfe auizeavize,
When that same Maske againe should forth arize.
The morrowe next appeard with ioyousjoyous cheare,
Calling men to their daily exercizeezercizeexerciſeexercise,
Then she, as morrow fresh, her selfe did reare
Out of her secret stand, that day for to
outweare.
[29]
All that day she outwore in wandering,
And gazing on that Chambers ornament,
Till that againe the second eueningevening
Her coueredcovered with her sable vestiment,
Wherewith the worlds faire beautie she hath blent:
Then when the second watch was almost past,
That brasen dore flew open, and in went
Bold Britomart, as she had late forecast,
Nether of ydle showes, nor of false charmes
aghast.
[30]
So soone as she was entred, rownd about
Shee cast her eies, to see what was become
Of all those persons, which she saw without:
But lo, they streight were vanisht all and some,
Ne liuingliving wight she saw in all that roome,
SaueSave that same woefull Lady, both whose hands
Were bounden fast, that did her ill become,
And her small waste girt rownd with yron bands,
VntoUnto a brasen pillour, by the which she stands.
[31]
And her before the vile Enchaunter
sate,
Figuring straunge characters of his art,
With liuingliving blood he those characters wratewrote,
Dreadfully dropping from her dying hart,
Seeming transfixed with a cruell dart,
And all perforce to make her him to louelove.
Ah who can louelove the worker of her smart?
A thousand charmes he formerly did proueprove;
Yet thousand charmes could not her stedfast hart remoue.remove.
[32]
Soone as that virgin knight he saw in
place,
His wicked bookes in hast he ouerthrewoverthrew,
Not caring his long labours to deface,
And fiercely running to that Lady trew,
A murdrous knife out of his pocket drew,
The which he thought, for villeinous despight,
In her tormented bodie to embrew:
But the stout Damzell to him leaping light,
His cursed hand withheld, and maistered his
might.
[33]
From her, to whom his fury first he
ment,
The wicked weapon rashly he did wrest,
And turning to the nexther ſelfeher selfe his fell intent,
VnwaresUnwares it strooke into her snowie chest,
That litle drops empurpled her faire brest.
Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew,
Albe the wound were nothing deepe imprest,
And fiercely forth her mortall blade she drew,
To giuegive him the reward for such vile outrage dew.
[34]
So mightily she smote him, that to
ground
He fell halfe dead; next stroke him should hauehave slaine,
Had not the Lady, which by him stood bound,
Dernly vntounto
herhim called to abstaine,
From doing him to dy. For else her paine
Should be remedilesse, sith none but hee,
Which wrought it, could the same recure againe.
Therewith she stayd her hand, loth stayd to bee;
For life she him enuydeenvyde, and long’d reuengerevenge to see.
[35]
And to him said, Thou wicked man, whose
meed
For so huge mischiefe, and vile villany
Is death, or if that ought doe death exceed,
Be sure, that nought may sauesave thee from to dy,
But if that thou this Dame doe presently
Restore vntounto her health, and former state;
This doe and liuelive, els dye vndoubtedlyundoubtedly.
He glad of life, that lookt for death but late,
Did yield him selfe right willing to
prolong his date.
[36]
And rising vpup, gan streight to ouerlookeoverlooke
Those cursed leauesleaves, his charmes back to reuersereverse;
Full dreadfull thinges out of that balefull booke
He red, and measur’d many a sad verse,
That horrour gan the virgins hart to perse,
And her faire locks vpup stared stiffe on end,
Hearing him those same bloody lynes reherse;
And all the while he red, she did extend
Her sword high ouerover him, if ought he did offend.
[37]
Anon she gan perceiueperceive the house to quake,
And all the dores to rattle round about;
Yet all that did not her dismaied make,
Nor slack her threatfull hand for daungers dout,
But still with stedfast eye and courage stout,
Abode to weet, what end would come of all.
At last that mightie chaine, which round about
Her tender waste was wound, adowne gan fall,
And that great brasen pillour broke in
peeces small.
[38]
The cruell steele, which thrild her dying
hart,
Fell softly forth, as of his owne accord,
And the wyde wound, which lately did dispart
Her bleeding brest, and riuenriven bowels gor’d,
Was closed vpup, as it had not beene ſor’dsor’dbor’d,
And eueryevery part to safety full sownd,
As she were neuernever hurt, was soone restor’d:
Tho when she felt her selfe to be vnbowndunbownd,
And perfect hole, prostrate she fell vntounto the grownd,ground.ground:
[39]
Before faire Britomart, she fell prostrate,
Saying, Ah noble knight, what worthy meede
Can wretched Lady, quitt from wofull state,
Yield you in lieu of this your gracious deed;deed?
Your vertue selfe her owne reward shall breed,
EuenEven immortall prayse, and glory wyde
Which I your vassall, by your prowesse freed,
Shall through the world make to be notifyde,
And goodly well aduaunceadvaunce that goodly well was tryde.
[40]
But Britomart
vprearinguprearing her from grownd,
Said, Gentle Dame, reward enough I weene
For many labours more, 1590.bk3.III.xii.40.3. then: thanthenthan I hauehave found,
This, that in safetie now I hauehave you seene,
And meane of your deliuerancedeliverance
hauehave beene:
Henceforth faire LadyLad comfort to you take,
And put away remembraunce of late teene;
Insted thereof know, that your louingloving Make,
Hath no lesse griefe endured for your
gentle sake.
[41]
She much was cheard to heare him
mentiond,
Whom of all liuingliving wightes she louedloved best.
Then laid the noble Championesse strong hond
VponUpon th’enchaunter, which had her distrest
So sore, and with foule outrages opprest:
With that great chaine, wherewith not long ygoe
He bound that pitteous Lady prisoner, now relest,
Himselfe she bound, more worthy to be so,
And captiuecaptive with her led to wretchednesse and wo.
[42]
Returning back, those goodly rowmes, which
erst
SheHe saw so rich and royally arayd,
Now vanisht vtterlyutterly, and cleane subuerstsubverst
SheHe found, and all their glory quite decayd,
That sight of such a chaunge himher much dismayd.
Thenceforth descending to that perlous Porch,
Those dreadfull flames she also found delayd,
And quenched quite, like a consumed torch,
That erst all entrers wont so cruelly to
scorch.
[43]
At last she came vntounto the place, where late
She left Sir Scudamour in great distresse,
Twixt dolour and despight halfe desperate,
Of his louesloves
ſuccoursuccourfuccour, of his owne redresse,
And of the hardie Britomarts successe:
There on the cold earth him now thrown she found,
In wilfull anguish, and dead heauinesseheavinesse,
And to him cald; whose voices knowen sound
Soone as he heard, himself he reared light
from ground.
[44]
There did he see, that most on earth him ioydjoyd,
His dearest louelove, the comfort of his dayes,
Whose too long absence him had sore annoyd,
And wearied his life with dull delayes:
Straight he vpstartedupstarted from the loathedloath ed layes,
And to her ran with hasty egernesse,
Like as a Deare, that greedily embayes
In the coole soile, after long thirstinesse,
Which he in chace endured hath, now nigh
breathlesse.
[45]
Lightly he clipt her twixt his armes
twaine,
And streightly did embrace her body bright,
Her body, late the prison of sad paine,
Now the sweet lodge of louelove and deare delight:
But she faire Lady ouercommenovercommen quight
Of huge affection, did in pleasure melt,
And in sweete rauishmentravishment pourd out her spright:
No word they spake, nor earthly thing they felt,
But like two senceles stocks in long embracemẽtembracement dwelt.
[46]
Had ye them seene, ye would hauehave surely thought,
That they had beene that faire Hermaphrodite,
Which that rich Romane of white marble
wrought,
And in his costly Bath causd to bee site:
So seemd those two, as growne together quite,
That Britomart halfe enuyingenvying their blesse,
Was much empassiond in her gentle sprite,
And to her selfe oft wisht like happinesse,
In vaine she wisht, that fate n’ould let
her yet possesse.
[47]
Thus doe those louerslovers with sweet counteruaylecountervayle,
Each other of louesloves bitter fruit despoile.
But now my teme begins to faint and fayle,
All woxen weary of their iournalljournall toyle:
Therefore I will their sweatie yokes assoyle
At this same furrowes end, till a new day:
And ye faire Swayns, after your long turmoyle,
Now cease your worke, and at your pleasure play;
Now cease your worke; to morrow is an holy
day.
FINIS.
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