Malbecco will no straunge knights host,
For peeuishpeevish gealosy:
Paridell giusts with Britomart:
both shew their auncestry.
[1]
REedoubted knights, and honorable Dames,
To whom I leuelllevell all my labours end,
Right sore I feare, least with vnworthieunworthie blames
This odious argument my rymes should shend,
Or ought your goodly patience offend,
Whiles of a wanton Lady I doe write,
Which with her loose incontinence doth blend
The shyning glory of your souerainesoveraine light,
And knighthood fowle defaced by a faithlesse
knight.
[2]
But neuernever let th’ensample of the bad
Offend the good: for good by paragone
Of euillevill, may more notably be rad,
As white seemes fayrer, macht with blacke attoneattonce;
Ne all are shamed by the fault of one:
For lo in heuenheven, whereas all goodnes is,
Emongst the Angels, a whole legione
Of wicked Sprightes did fall from happy blis;
What wonder then, if one of women all did
mis?
[3]
Then listen Lordings, if ye list to weet
The cause, why Satyrane and Paridell
Mote not be entertaynd, as seemed meet,
Into that Castle (as that Squyre does
tell.)tell).
Therein a cancred crabbed Carle does dwell,
That has no skill of Court nor courtesie,
Ne cares, what men say of him ill or well;
For all his dayes he drownes in priuitieprivitie,
Yet has full large to liuelive, and spend at libertie.
[4]
But all his mind is set on mucky pelfe,
To hoord vpup heapes of euillevill gotten masse,
For which he others wrongs and wreckes himselfe;
Yet is he lincked to a louelylovely lasse,
Whose beauty doth her bounty far surpasse,
The which to him both far vnequallunequall yeares,
And also far vnlikeunlike conditions has;
For she does ioyjoy to play emongst her peares,
And to be free from hard restraynt and
gealous feares.
[5]
But he is old, and withered like hay,
VnfitUnfit faire Ladies seruiceservice to supply,supply;
The priuieprivie guilt whereof makes him alway
Suspect her truth, and keepe continuall spy
VponUpon her with his other blincked eye;
Ne suffreth he resort of liuingliving wight
Approch to her, ne keepe her company,
But in close bowre her mewes from all mens sight,
Depriu’dDepriv’d of kindly ioyjoy and naturall delight.
[6]
Malbecco he, and Hellenore she hight,
VnfitlyUnfitly yokt together in one teeme,
That is the cause, why neuernever any knight
IsIt suffred here to enter, but he seeme
Such, as no doubt of him he neede misdeeme.
Thereat Sir Satyrane gan smyle, and say;
Extremely mad the man I surely deeme,
That weenes with watch and hard restraynt to stay
A womans will, which is disposd to go
astray.
[7]
In vaine he feares that, which he cannot
shonne:
For who wotes not, that womans subtiltyes
Can guylen Argus, when she list miſdonnemisdonnediſdonnedisdonne?
It is not yron bandes, nor hundred eyes,
Nor brasen walls, nor many wakefull spyes,
That can withhold her wilfull wandring feet,
But fast goodwill with gentle courtesyes,
And timely seruiceservice to her pleasures meet
May her perhaps containe, that else would algates fleet.
[8]
Then is he not more mad (sayd Paridell)
That hath himselfe vntounto such seruiceservice sold,
In dolefull thraldome all his dayes to dwell?
For sure a foole I doe him firmely hold,
That louesloves his fetters, though they were of gold.
But why doe wee deuisedevise of others ill,
Whyles thus we suffer this same dotard old,
To keepe vsus out, in scorne of his owne will,
And rather do not ransack all, and him selfe
kill?
[9]
Nay let vsus first (sayd Satyrane) entreat
The man by gentle meanes, to let vsus in,
And afterwardes affray with cruell threat,
Ere that we to efforce it doe begin:
Then if all fayle, we will by force it win,
And eke reward the wretch for his mesprise,
As may be worthy of his haynoushayno us sin.
That counsell pleasd: then Paridell did rise,
And to the Castle gate approcht in quiet
wise.
[10]
Whereat soft knocking, entrance he
desyrd.
The good man selfe, which then the Porter playd,
Him answered, that all were now retyrd
VntoUnto their rest, and all the keyes conuaydconvayd
VntoUnto their maister, who in bed was layd,
That none him durst awake out of his dreme;
And therefore them of patience gently prayd.
Then Paridell began to chaunge his theme,
And threatned him with force &and punishment extreme.
[11]
But all in vaine; for nought mote him
relent,
And now so long before the wicket fast
They wayted, that the night was forward spent,
And the faire welkin fowly ouercastovercast,
Gan blowen vpup a bitter stormy blast,
With showre and hayle so horrible and dred,
That this faire many were compeld at last,
To fly for succour to a little shed,
The which beside the gate for swyne was
ordered.
[12]
It fortuned, soone after they were gone,
Another knight, whom tempest thether brought,
Came to that Castle, and with earnest mone,
Like as the rest, late entrance deare besought;
But like so as the rest he prayd for nought,
For flatly he of entrance was refuſd.refusd.refuſd,refusd,refus’d.
Sorely thereat he was displeasd, and thought
How to auengeavenge himselfe so sore abusd,
And euermoreevermore the Carle of courtesie accusd.
[13]
But to auoydeavoyde th’intollerable stowre,
He was compeld to seeke some refuge neare,
And to that shed, to shrowd him from the showre,
He came, which full of guests he found whyleare,
So as he was not let to enter there:
Whereat he gan to wex exceeding wroth,
And swore, that he would lodge with them yfere,
Or them dislodg, all were they liefe or loth;
And so defyde themAnd defide themAnd them defied each, and so defyde them both.
[14]
Both were full loth to leaueleave that needfull tent,
And both full loth in darkenesse to debate;
Yet both full liefe him lodging to hauehave lent,
And both full liefe his boasting to abate;
But chiefely Paridell his hart did grate,
To heare him threaten so despightfully,
As if he did a dogge into kenell rate,
That durst not barke; and rather had he dy,
1590.bk3.III.ix.14.9. Then: ThanThenThan when he was defyde, in coward corner ly.
[15]
Tho hastily remounting to his steed,
He forth issew’d; like as a boystrous winde,
Which in th’earthes hollow cauescaves hath long ben hid,
And shut vpup fast within her prisons blind,
Makes the huge element against her kinde
To mouemove, and tremble as it were aghast,
VntillUntill that it an issew forth may finde;
Then forth it breakes, and with his furious blast
Confounds both land &and seas, and skyes doth ouercastovercast.
[16]
Their steel-hed speares they strongly
coucht, and met
Together with impetuous rage and forse,
That with the terrour of their fierce affret,
They rudely drouedrove to ground both man and horse,
That each awhile lay like a sencelesse corse.
But Paridell sore brused with the blow,
Could not arise, the counterchaunge to scorse,
Till that young Squyre him reared from below;
Then drew he his bright sword, &and gan about him throw.throwthrowe.
[17]
But
Satyrane
Saʇyrane
forth stepping, did them stay
And with faire treaty pacifide their yre;
Then when they were accorded from the fray,
Against that Castles Lord they gan conspire,
To heape on him dew vengeaunce for his hire.
They beene agreed, and to the gates they goe
To burne the same with vnquenchableunquenchable fire,
And that vncurteousuncurteous Carle their commune foe
To doe fowle death to die, or wrap in grieuousgrievous woe.
[18]
Malbecco seeing them resoludresolvd in deed
To flame the gates, and hearing them to call
For fire in earnest, ran with fearfull speed,
And to them calling from the castle wall,
Besought them humbly, him to beare with all,
As ignorant of seruantsservants bad abuse,
And slacke attendaunce vntounto straungers call,call.
The knights were willing all things to excuse,
Though nought beleu’dbelev’d, &and
entraũceentraunce late did not refuse.
[19]
They beene ybrought into a comely bowre,
And serudservd of all things that mote needfull bee;
Yet secretly their hoste did on them lowre,
And welcomde more for feare, 1590.bk3.III.ix.19.4. then: thanthenthan charitee;
But they dissembled, what they did not see,
And welcomed themseluesthemselves. Each gan vndightundight
Their garments wett, and weary armour free,
To dry them seluesselves by Vulcanes flaming light,
And eke their lately bruzed parts to bring
in plight.
[20]
And eke that straunger knight emongst the
rest,rest;
Was for like need enforst to disaray:
Tho whenas vailed was her lofty crest,
Her golden locks, that were in tramells gay
VpboundenUpbounden, did them seluesselves adowne display,
And raught vntounto her heeles; like sunny beames,
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded, shewe their golden gleames,
And through the persant aire shoote forth their azure streames.
[21]
Shee also dofte her heauyheavy
haberieonhaberjeon,
Which the faire feature of her limbs did hyde,
And her well plighted frock, which she did won
To tucke about her short, when she did ryde,
Shee low let fall, that flowd from her lanck syde
Downe to her foot, with carelesse modestee.
Then of them all she plainly was espyde,
To be a woman wight, vnwistunwist to bee,
The fairest woman wight, that euerever eie did see.
[22]
Like as
BellonaMinerua, being late returnd
From slaughter of the Giaunts conquered;
Where proud Encelade, whose wide
nosethrils burnd
With breathed flames, like to a furnace redd,
Transfixed with herthe speare, downe tombled dedd
From top of Hemus, by him heaped
hye;
Hath loosd her helmet from her lofty hedd,
And her Gorgonian shield gins to vntyeuntye
From her lefte arme, to rest in glorious
victorye.
[23]
Which whenas they beheld, they smitten
were
With great amazement of so wondrous sight,
And each on other, and they all on her
Stood gazing, as if suddein great affright
Had them surprizd. At last auizingavizing right,
Her goodly personage and glorious hew,
Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight
In their first error, and yett still anew
With wonder of her beauty fed their hongry vew.
[24]
Yet note their hongry vew be satisfide,
But seeing still the more desir’d to see,
And euerever firmely fixed did abide
In contemplation of diuiniteedivinitee:
But most they meruaildmervaild
But they meruaildmervaild at her cheualreechevalree,
And noble prowesse, which they had approu’dapprov’d,
That much they faynd to know, who she mote bee;
Yet none of all them her thereof amou’damov’d,
Yet eueryevery one her likte, and eueryevery one her lou’dlov’d.
[25]
And Paridell though partly discontent
With his late fall, and fowle indignity,
Yet was soone wonne his malice to relent,
Through gratious regard of her faire eye,
And knightly worth, which he too late did try,
Yet tried did adore. Supper was dight;
Then they Malbecco prayd of courtesy,
That of his lady they might hauehave the sight,
And company at meat, to doe them more
delight.
[26]
But he to shifte their curious request,
Gan causen, why she could not come in place;
Her crased helth, her late recourse to rest,
And humid eueningevening ill for sicke folkes cace,
But none of those excuses could take place;
Ne would they eate, till she in presence came.
Shee came in presence with right comely grace,
And fairely them saluted, as became,
And shewd her selfe in all a gentle
courteous Dame.
[27]
They sate to meat, and Satyrane his chaunce,
Was her before, and Paridell beside;
But he him selfe sate looking still askaunce,
Gainst Britomart, and euerever closely eide
Sir Satyrane, whichwiththat glaunces might not glide:
But his blinde eie, that sided Paridell,
All his demeasnure from his sight did hide:
On her faire face so did he feede his fill,
And sent close messages of louelove to her at will.
[28]
And euerever and anone, when none was ware,
With speaking lookes, that close embassage bore,
He rou’drov’d at her, and told his secret care:
For all that art he learned had of yore.
Ne was she ignoraunt of that leud lore,
But in his eye his meaning wisely redd,
And with the like him aunswerd euermoreevermore:
Shee sent at him one fyrie dart, whose hedd
Empoisned was with priuyprivy lust, and gealous dredd.
[29]
He from that deadly throw made no
defence,
But to the wound his weake heart opened wyde;
The wicked engine through false influence,
Past through his eies, and secretly did glyde
Into his heart, which it did sorely gryde.
But nothing new to him was that same paine,
Ne paine at all; for he so ofte had tryde
The powre thereof, and lou’dlov’d so oft in vaine,
That thing of course he counted, louelove to entertaine.
[30]
Thenceforth to her he sought to intimate
His inward griefe, by meanes to him well knowne,
Now Bacchus fruit out of the siluersilver plate
He on the table dasht, as ouerthrowneoverthrowne,
Or of the fruitfull liquor ouerflowneoverflowne,
And by the dauncing bubbles did diuinedivine,
Or therein write to lett his louelove be showne;
Which well she redd out of the learned line,
A sacrament prophane in mistery of wine.
[31]
And when so of his hand the pledge she
raught,
The guilty cup she fained to mistake,
And in her lap did shed her idle draught,
Shewing desire her inward flame to slake:
By such close signes they secret way did make
VntoUnto their wils, and one eies watch escape;
Two eies him needeth, for to watch and wake,
Who louerslovers will deceiuedeceive. Thus was the ape,
By their faire handling, put into Malbeccoes cape.
[32]
Now when of meats and drinks they had their
fill,
Purpose was mouedmoved by that gentle Dame,
VntoUnto those knights aduenturousadventurous, to tell
Of deeds of armes, which vntounto them became,
And eueryevery one his kindred, and his name.
Then Paridell, in whom a kindly pride
Of gratious speach, and skill his words to frame
Abounded, being ygladglad
ofoſos so fitte tide
Him to commend to her, thus spake, of al
well eide.
[33]
Troy, that art now nought, but an idle name,
And in thine ashes buried low dost lie,
Though whilome far much greater 1590.bk3.III.ix.33.3. then: thanthenthan thy fame,
Before that angry Gods, and cruell skie
VponUpon thee heapt a direfull destinie,
What boots it boast thy glorious descent,
And fetch from heuenheven thy great genealogie,
Sith all thy worthie prayses being blent,
Their ofspring hath embaste, and later glory
shent.
[34]
Most famous Worthy of the world, by
whome
That warre was kindled, which did Troy
inflame,
And stately towres of Ilion whilome
Brought vntounto balefull ruine, was by name
Sir Paris far renowmd through noble
fame,
Who through great prowesse and bold hardinesse,
From Lacedæmon fetcht the fayrest
Dame,
That euerever
Greece did boast, or knight possesse,
Whom Venus to him gauegave for meed of worthinesse.
[35]
Fayre Helene,
flowre of beautie excellent,
And girlond of the mighty Conquerours,
That madest many Ladies deare lament
The heauieheavie losse of their brauebrave Paramours,
Which they far off beheld from
TroianTrojan toures,
And saw the fieldes of faire Scamander strowne
With carcases of noble warrioures,
Whose fruitlesse liueslives were vnderunder furrow sowne,
And Xanthus
sandy bankes with blood all ouerflowneoverflowne
ouerſ⁀lowneoverſ⁀lowneouerslowneoverslowne
overflowne.
[36]
From him my linage I deriuederive aright,
Who long before the ten yeares siege of Troy,
Whiles yet on Ida he a shepeheard
hight,
On faire Oenone got a louelylovely boy,
Whom for remembrance of her passed ioyjoy,
She of his Father Parius did name;
Who, after Greekes did Priams realme destroy,
Gathred the
TroianTrojan reliques sau’dsav’d from flame,
And with them sayling thence, to th’Isle of
Paros came.
[37]
That was by him cald Paros, which before
Hight Nausa, there he many yeares did
raine,
And built Nausicle by the Pontick shore,
The which he dying lefte next in remaine
To Paridas his sonne.
From whom I Paridell by kin descend;
But for faire ladies louelove, and glories gaine,
My natiuenative soile hauehave lefte, my dayes to spend
In seewing deeds of armes, my liueslives and labors end.
[38]
Whenas the noble Britomart heard tell
Of
TroianTrojan warres, and Priams
citieCitie sackt,
The ruefull story of Sir Paridell,
She was empassiond at that piteous act,
With zelous enuyenvy of Greekes cruell fact,
Against that nation, from whose race of old
She heard, that she was lineally extract:
For noble Britons sprong from
TroiansTrojans bold,
And
TroynouantTroynovant was built of old Troyes ashes cold.
[39]
Then sighing soft awhile, at last she
thus:
O lamentable fall of famous towne,
Which raignd so many yeares victorious,
And of all Asie bore the souerainesoveraine crowne,
In one sad night consumd, and throwen downe:
What stony hart, that heares thy haplesse fate,
Is not empierst with deepe compassiowne,
And makes ensample of mans wretched state,
That floures so fresh at morne, &and fades at eueningevening late?
[40]
Behold, Sir, how your pitifull complaint
Hath fownd another partner of your payne:
For nothing may impresse so deare constraint,
As countries cause, and commune foes disdayne.
But if it should not grieuegrieve you, backe agayne
To turne your course, I would to heare desyre,
What to Aeneas fell; sith that men
sayne
He was not in the citiescitesCities wofull fyre
Consum’d, but did him selfe to safety
retyre.
[41]
Anchyses sonne begott of Venus fayre,
Said he, out of the flames for safegard fled,
And with a remnant did to sea repayre,
Where he through fatall errour long was led
Full many yeares, and weetlesse wandered
From shore to shore, emongst the Lybick sandes,
Ere rest he fownd. Much there he suffered,
And many perilles past in forreine landes,
To sauesave his people sad from victours vengefull handes.
[42]
At last in Latium he did arryuearryve,
Where he with cruell warre was entertaind
Of th’inland folke, which sought him backe to driuedrive,
Till he with old Latinus was
constraind,
To contract wedlock: (so the fates
ordaind.)ordaind).
Wedlocke contract in blood, and eke in blood
Accomplished, that many deare complaind:
The riuallrivall slaine, the victour through the flood
Escaped hardly, hardly praisd his wedlock
good.
[43]
Yet after all, he victour did suruiuesurvive,
And with Latinus did the kingdom
part.
But after, when both nations gan to striuestrive,
Into their names the title to conuartconvart,
His sonne Iülus did from thence
depart,
With all the warlike youth of
TroiansTrojans bloud,
And in long Alba plast his throne
apart,
Where faire it florished, and long time stoud,
Till Romulus
renewing it, to Rome
remoudremovd.
[44]
There there (said Britomart) a fresh appeard
The glory of the later world to spring,
And Troy againe out of her dust was
reard,
To sitt in second seat of souerainesoveraine king,
Of all the world vnderunder her gouerninggoverning.
But a third kingdom yet is to arise,
Out of the
TroiansTrojans scattered ofspring,
That in all glory and great enterprise,
Both first and second Troy shall dare to equalise.
[45]
It
TroynouantTroynovant is hight, that with the waueswaves
Of wealthy Thamis washed is along,
VponUpon whose stubborne necknecks whereat he rauesraves
With roring rage, and sore him selfe does throng,
That all men feare to tempt his billowes strong,
She fastned hath her foot, which standes so hy,
That it a wonder of the world is song
In forreine landes, and all which passen by,
Beholding it from farre, doe thinke it
threates the skye.
[46]
The
TroianTrojan Brute did first that citieCitie fownd,
And HygateHygate gate
Hygate
made the meare thereof by west,
And OuertOvert gate by North: that is the bownd
Toward the land; two riuersrivers bownd the rest.
So huge a scope at first him seemed best,
To be the compasse of his kingdomes seat:
So huge a mind could not in lesser rest,
Ne in small meares containe his glory great,
That Albion
had conquered first by warlike feat.
[47]
Ah fairest Lady knight, (said Paridell)
Pardon I pray my heedlesse ouersightoversight,
Who had forgot, that whylome I hardheard tell
From aged Mnemon; for my wits beene
light.
Indeed he said (if I remember
right,)right),
That of the antique TroianTrojan stocke, there grew
Another plant, that raught to wondrous hight,
And far abroad his mightie braunches threw,
Into the vtmostutmost Angle of the world he knew.
[48]
For that same Brute, whom much he did aduaunceadvaunce
In all his speach, was SyluiusSylvius his sonne,
Whom hauinghaving slain, through luckles arrowes glaũceglaunce
He fled for feare of that he had misdonne,
Or els for shame, so fowle reproch to shonne,
And with him ledd toto the sea an youthly trayne,
Where wearie wandring they long time did wonne,
And many fortunes prou’dprov’d in th’Ocean mayne,
And great aduẽturesaduenturesadvẽturesadventures found, that now were lõglong to ſayne.sayne.ſaynesayneſaine.saine.
[49]
At last by fatall course they driuendriven were
Into an Island spatious and brode,
The furthest North, that did to them appeare:
Which after rest they seeking farre abrode,
Found it the fittest soyle for their abode,
Fruitfull of all thinges fitt for liuingliving foode,
But wholy waste, and void of peoples trode,
SaueSave an huge nation of the Geaunts broode,
That fed on liuingliving flesh, &and dronck mens vitall blood.
[50]
Whom he through wearie wars and labours
long,
Subdewd with losse of many Britons
bold:
In which the great Goemagot of
strong
Corineus, and Coulin of Debon
old
Were ouerthrowneoverthrowne, and laide on th’earth full cold,
Which quaked vnderunder their so hideous masse,
A famous history to bee enrold
In euerlastingeverlasting moniments of brasse,
That all the antique Worthies merits far did
passe.
[51]
His worke great
TroynouantTroynovant, his worke is eke
Faire Lincolne, both renowmed far
away,
That who from East to West will endlong seeke,
Cannot two fairer Cities find this day,
Except Cleopolis: so heard I say
Old Mnemon. Therefore Sir, I greet you
well
Your countrey kin, and you entyrely pray
Of pardon for the strife, which late befell
Betwixt vsus both vnknowneunknowne. So ended Paridell.
[52]
But all the while, that he these speeches
spent,
VponUpon his lips hong faire Dame Hellenore,
With vigilant regard, and dew attent,
Fashioning worldes of fancies euermoreevermore
In her fraile witt, that now her quite forlore:
The whiles vnwaresunwares away her wondring eye,
And greedy eares her weake hart from her bore:
Which he perceiuingperceiving, euerever
priuilyprivily
In speaking, many false belgardes at her let
fly.
[53]
So long these knightes discoursed diuerslydiversly,
Of straunge affaires, and noble hardiment,
Which they had past with mickle ieopardyjeopardy,
That now the humid night was farforth spent,
And heuenlyhevenly lampes were halfendeale ybrent:
Which th’old man seeing wel, who too lõglong thought
EueryEvery discourse and eueryevery argument,
Which by the houres he meaſuredmeasuredmeaſurdmeasurdmeaſuredmeasured(meaſured)(measured), besought
Them go to rest. So all vntounto their bowres were brought.
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