The faithfull knight in equall field
subdewes his faithlesse foe,
Whom false Duessa sauessaves, and for
his cure to hell does goe.
[1]
THe noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought,
And is with child of glorious great intent,
Can neuernever rest, vntilluntill it forth hauehave brought
Th’eternall brood of glorie excellent:
Such restlesse passion did all night torment
The flaming corage of that Faery knight,
DeuizingDevizing, how that doughtie turnament
With greatest honour he atchieuenatchieven might;
Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light.
[2]
At last the golden Orientall gate
Of greatest heauenheaven gan to open faire,
And Phoebus fresh, as bridegrome to his mate,
Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie haire:
And hurld his glistring beames through gloomy aire.
Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiu’dperceiv’d, streight way
He started vpup, and did him selfe prepaire,
In sun-bright armes, and battailous array:
For with that Pagan proud he combat will that day.
[3]
And forth he comes into the commune hall,
Where earely waite him many a gazing eye,
To weet what end to straunger knights may fall.
There many Minstrales maken melody,
To driuedrive away the dull melancholy,
And many Bardes, that to the trembling chord
Can tune their timely voyces cunningly,
And many Chroniclers, that can record
Old louesloves, and warres for Ladies doen by many a Lord.
[4]
Soone after comes the cruell Sarazin,
In wouenwoven maile all armed warily,
And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin
Does care for looke of liuingliving creatures eye.
They bring them wines of Greece and Araby,
And daintie spices fetcht from furthest Ynd,
To kindle heat of corage priuilyprivily:
And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd
T’obserue the sacred lawes of armes, that are assynd.
[5]
At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene,
With royall pomp and Princely maiestiemajestie;
She is ybrought vntounto a paled greene,
And placed vnderunder stately canapee,
The warlike feates of both those knights to see.
On th’other side in all mens open vew
Duessa placed is, and on a tree
Sans-foy his shield is hangd with bloudy hew:
Both those the lawrell girlonds to the victor dew.
[6]
A shrilling trompet sownded from on hye,
And vntounto battaill bad them seluesselves addresse:
Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye,
And burning blades about their heads do blesse,
The instruments of wrath and heauinesseheavinesse:
With greedy force each other doth assayle,
And strike so fiercely, that they do impresse
Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle;
The yron walles to ward their blowes are weake & fraile.
[7]
The Sarazin was stout, and wondrous strong,
And heaped blowes like yron hammers great:
For after bloud and vengeance he did long.
The knight was fiers, and full of youthly heat:
And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders threat:
For all for prayse and honour he did fight.
Both stricken strike, and beaten both do beat,
That from their shields forth flyeth firie light,
And helmets hewen deepe, shew marks of eithers might.
[8]
So th’one for wrong, the other striuesstrives for right:
As when a Gryfon seized of his pray,
A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,
Through widest ayre making his ydle way,
That would his rightfull rauineravine rend away:
With hideous horrour both together smight,
And souce so sore, that they the heauensheavens affray:
The wise Southsayer seeing so sad sight,
Th’amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight.
[9]
So th’one for wrong, the other striuesstrives for right,
And each to deadly shame would driuedrive his foe:
The cruell steele so greedily doth bight
In tender flesh, that streames of bloud down flow,
With which the armes, that earst so bright did show,
Into a pure vermillion now are dyde:
Great ruth in all the gazers harts did grow,
Seeing the gored woundes to gape so wyde,
That victory they dare not wish to either side.
[10]
At last the Paynim chaunst to cast his eye,
His suddein eye, flaming with wrathfull fyre,
VponUpon his brothers shield, which hong thereby:
Therewith redoubled was his raging yre,
And said, Ah wretched sonne of wofull syre,
Doest thou sit wayling by black Stygian lake,
Whilest here thy shield is hangd for victors hyre,
And sluggish german doest thy forces slake,
To after-send his foe, that him may ouertakeovertake?
[11]
Goe caytiuecaytive Elfe, him quickly ouertakeovertake,
And soone redeeme from his long wandring woe;
Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make,
That I his shield hauehave quit from dying foe.
Therewith vponupon his crest he stroke him so,
That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall;
End of the doubtfull battell deemed tho
The lookers on, and lowd to him gan call
The false Duessa, Thine the shield, and I, and all.
[12]
Soone as the Faerie heard his Ladie speake,
Out of his swowning dreame he gan awake,
And quickning faith, that earst was woxen weake,
The creeping deadly cold away did shake:
Tho mou’dmov’d with wrath, and shame, and Ladies sake,
Of all attonce he cast auengdavengd to bee,
And with so’exceeding furie at him strake,
That forced him to stoupe vponupon his knee;
Had he not stouped so, he should hauehave clouencloven bee.
[13]
And to him said, Goe now proud Miscreant,
Thy selfe thy message doe to german deare,
Alone he wandring thee too long doth want:
Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare.
Therewith his heauieheavie hand he high gan reare,
Him to hauehave slaine; when loe a darkesome clowd
VponUpon him fell: he no where doth appeare,
But vanisht is. The Elfe him cals alowd,
But answer none receiuesreceives: the darknes him does shrowd.
[14]
In haste Duessa from her place arose,
And to him running said, O prowest knight,
That euerever Ladie to her louelove did chose,
Let now abate the terror of your might,
And quench the flame of furious despight,
And bloudie vengeance; lo th’infernall powres
CoueringCovering your foe with cloud of deadly night,
HaueHave borne him hence to Plutoes balefull bowres.
The conquest yours, I yours, the shield, and glory yours.
[15]
Not all so satisfide, with greedie eye
He sought all round about, his thirstie blade
To bath in bloud of faithlesse enemy;
Who all that while lay hid in secret shade:
He standes amazed, how he thence should fade.
At last the trumpets, Triumph sound on hie,
And running Heralds humble homage made,
Greeting him goodly with new victorie,
And to him brought the shield, the cause of enmitie.
[16]
Wherewith he goeth to that souerainesoveraine Queene,
And falling her before on lowly knee,
To her makes present of his seruiceservice seene:
Which she accepts, with thankes, and goodly gree,
Greatly aduauncingadvauncing his gay cheualreechevalree.
So marcheth home, and by her takes the knight,
Whom all the people follow with great glee,
Shouting, and clapping all their hands on hight,
That all the aire it fils, and flyes to heauenheaven bright.
[17]
Home is he brought, and laid in sumptuous bed:
Where many skilfull leaches him abide,
To saluesalve his hurts, that yet still freshly bled.
In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide,
And softly can embalme on eueryevery side.
And all the while, most heauenlyheavenly melody
About the bed sweet musicke did diuidedivide,
Him to beguile of griefe and agony:
And all the while Duessa wept full bitterly.
[18]
As when a wearie traueller that strayes
By muddy shore of broad seuen-mouthed Nile,
VnweetingUnweeting of the perillous wandring wayes,
Doth meet a cruell craftie Crocodile,
Which in false griefe hyding his harmefull guile,
Doth weepe full sore, and sheddeth tender teares:
The foolish man, that pitties all this while
His mournefull plight, is swallowd vpup vnwaresunwares,
Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.
[19]
So wept Duessa vntilluntill euentideeventide,
That shyning lampes in IouesJoves high house were light:
Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide,
But comes vntounto the place, where th’Hethen knight
In slombring swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright,
Lay couer’d with inchaunted cloud all day:
Whom when she found, as she him left in plight,
To wayle his woefull case she would not stay,
But to the easterne coast of heauenheaven makes speedy way.
[20]
Where griesly Night, with visage deadly sad,
That Phoebus chearefull face durst neuernever vew,
And in a foule blacke pitchie mantle clad,
She findes forth comming from her darkesome mew,
Where she all day did hide her hated hew.
Before the dore her yron charet stood,
Alreadie harnessed for iourneyjourney new;
And coleblacke steedes yborne of hellish brood,
That on their rustie bits did champ, as they were wood.
[21]
Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright,
Adornd with gold and iewelsjewels shining cleare,
She greatly grew amazed at the sight,
And th’vnacquainted light began to feare:
For neuernever did such brightnesse there appeare,
And would hauehave backe retyred to her cauecave,
VntillUntill the witches speech she gan to heare,
Saying, Yet ô thou dreaded Dame, I crauecrave
Abide, till I hauehave told the message, which I hauehave.
[22]
She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede,
O thou most auncient Grandmother of all,
More old 1596.bk1.I.v.22.3. then: thanthenthan IoueJove, whom thou at first didst breede,
Or that great house of Gods clestiall,
Which wast begot in Dmogorgons hall,
And sawst the secrets of the world vnmadeunmade,
Why suffredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall
With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade?
Lo where the stout SansioySansjoy doth sleepe in deadly shade.
[23]
And him before, I saw with bitter eyes
The bold Sansfoy shrinke vnderneathunderneath his speare;
And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes,
Nor wayld of friends, nor laid on groning beare,
That whylome was to me too dearely deare.
O what of Gods 1596.bk1.I.v.23.6. then: thanthenthan boots it to be borne,
If old Aveugles sonnes so euillevill heare?
Or who shall not great Nightes children scorne,
When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne?
[24]
VpUp then, vp dreary Dame, of darknesse Queene,
Go gather vpup the reliques of thy race,
Or else goe them auengeavenge, and let be seene,
That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place,
And can the children of faire light deface.
Her feeling speeches some compassion mouedmoved
In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face:
Yet pittie in her hart was neuernever proued
Till 1596.bk1.I.v.24.9. then: thanthenthan: for euermoreevermore she hated, neuernever louedloved.
[25]
And said, Deare daughter rightly may I rew
The fall of famous children borne of mee,
And good successes, which their foes ensew:
But who can turne the streame of destinee,
Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee,
Which fast is tyde to IouesJoves eternall seat?
The sonnes of Day he fauourethfavoureth, I see,
And by my ruines thinkes to make them great:
To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat.
[26]
Yet shall they not escape so freely all;
For some shall pay the price of others guilt:
And he the man that made Sansfoy to fall,
Shall with his owne bloud price that he hath spilt.
But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt?
I that do seeme not I, Duessa am,
(Quoth she) how euerever now in garments gilt,
And gorgeous gold arayd I to thee came;
Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame.
[27]
Then bowing downe her aged backe, she kist
The wicked witch, saying; In that faire face
The false resemblance of Deceipt, I wist
Did closely lurke; yet so true-seeming grace
It carried, that I scarse in darkesome place
Could it discerne, though I the mother bee
Of falshood, and root of Duessaes race.
O welcome child, whom I hauehave longd to see,
And how hauehave seene vnwaresunwares. Lo now I go with thee.
[28]
Then to her yron wagon she betakes,
And with her beares the fowle welfauourdwelfavourd witch:
Through mirkesome aire her readie way she makes.
Her twyfold Teme, of which two blacke as pitch,
And two were browne, yet each to each vnlichunlich,
Did softly swim away, ne euerever stampe,
VnlesseUnlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch;
Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champe,
And trampling the fine element, would fiercely rampe.
[29]
So well they sped, that they be come at length
VntoUnto the place, whereas the Paynim lay,
DeuoidDevoid of outward sense, and natiuenative strength,
CouerdCoverd with charmed cloud from vew of day,
And sight of men, since his late luckelesse fray.
His cruell wounds with cruddy bloud congealed,
They binden vpup so wisely, as they may,
And handle softly, till they can be healed:
So lay him in her charet, close in night concealed.
[30]
And all the while she stood vponupon the ground,
The wakefull dogs did neuernever cease to bay,
As giuinggiving warning of th’vnwonted sound,
With which her yron wheeles did them affray,
And her darke griesly looke them much dismay;
The messenger of death, the ghastly Owle
With drearie shriekes did also her bewray;
And hungry Wolues continually did howle,
At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.
[31]
Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole,
And brought the heauieheavie corse with easie pace
To yawning gulfe of deepe AuernusAvernus hole.
By that same hole an entrance darke and bace
With smoake and sulphure hiding all the place,
Descends to hell: there creature neuernever past,
That backe returned without heauenlyheavenly grace;
But dreadfull Furies, which their chaines hauehave brast,
And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.
[32]
By that same way the direfull dames doe driuedrive
Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood,
And downe to Plutoes house are come biliuebilive:
Which passing through, on eueryevery side them stood
The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood,
Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide
With stonie eyes; and all the hellish brood
Of feends infernall flockt on eueryevery side,
To gaze on earthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.
[33]
They pas the bitter waueswaves of Acheron,
Where many soules sit wailing woefully,
And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,
Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry,
And with sharpe shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry,
Cursing high IoueJove, the which them thither sent.
The house of endlesse paine is built thereby,
In which ten thousand sorts of punishment
The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.
[34]
Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus
His three deformed heads did lay along,
Curled with thousand adders venemous,
And lilled forth his bloudie flaming tong:
At them he gan to reare his bristles strong,
And felly gnarre, vntilluntill dayes enemy
Did him appease; 1596.bk1.I.v.34.7. then: thanthenthan downe his taile he hong
And suffered them to passen quietly:
For she in hell and heauenheaven had power equally.
[35]
There was Ixion turned on a wheele,
For daring tempt the Queene of heauenheaven to sin;
And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele
Against an hill, ne might from labour lin;
There thirstie Tantalus hong by the chin;
And Tityus fed a vulture on his maw;
Typhoeus ioyntsjoynts were stretched on a gin,
Theseus condemned to endlesse slouth by law,
And fifty sisters water in leake vessels draw.
[36]
They all beholding worldly wights in place,
LeaueLeave off their worke, vnmindfullunmindfull of their smart,
To gaze on them; who forth by them doe pace,
Till they be come vntounto the furthest part:
Where was a CaueCave ywrought by wondrous art,
Deepe, darke, vneasie, dolefull, comfortlesse,
In which sad Æsculapius farre a part
Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse,
For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse.
[37]
Hippolytus a iollyjolly huntsman was,
That wont in charet chace the foming Bore;
He all his Peeres in beautie did surpas,
But Ladies louelove as losse of time forbore:
His wanton stepdame louedloved him the more,
But when she saw her offred sweets refused
Her louelove she turnd to hate, and him before
His father fierce of treason false accused,
And with her gealous termes his open eares abused.
[38]
Who all in rage his Sea-god syre besought,
Some cursed vengeance on his sonne to cast:
From surging gulf two monsters straight were brought,
With dread whereof his chasing steedes aghast,
Both charet swift and huntsman ouercastovercast.
His goodly corps on ragged clifts yrent,
Was quite dismembred, and his members chast
Scattered on eueryevery mountaine, as he went,
That of Hippolytus was left no moniment.
[39]
His cruell stepdame seeing what was donne,
Her wicked dayes with wretched knife did end,
In death auowingavowing th’innocence of her sonne.
Which hearing his rash Syre, began to rend
His haire, and hastie tongue, that did offend:
Tho gathering vpup the relicks of his smart
By Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend,
Them brought to Æsculape, that by his art
Did heale them all againe, and ioynedjoyned eueryevery part.
[40]
Such wondrous science in mans wit to raine
When IoueJove auizdavizd, that could the dead reuiuerevive,
And fates expired could renew againe,
Of endlesse life he might him not depriuedeprive,
But vntounto hell did thrust him downe aliuealive,
With flashing thunderbolt ywounded sore:
Where long remaining, he did alwaies striuestrive
Himselfe with saluessalves to health for to restore,
And slake the heauenlyheavenly fire, that raged euermoreevermore.
[41]
There auncient Night arriuingarriving, did alight
From her high wearie waine, and in her armes
To Æsculapius brought the wounded knight:
Whom hauinghaving softly disarayd of armes,
Tho gan to him discouerdiscover all his harmes,
Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise,
If either saluessalves, or oyles, or herbes, or charmes
A fordonne wight from dore of death mote raise,
He would at her request prolong her nephews daies.
[42]
Ah Dame (quoth he) thou temptest me in vaine,
To dare the thing, which daily yet I rew,
And the old cause of my continued paine
With like attempt to like end to renew.
Is not enough, that thrust from heauenheaven dew
Here endlesse penance for one fault I pay,
But that redoubled crime with vengeance new
Thou biddest me to eeke? Can Night defray
The wrath of thundring IoueJove, that rules both night and day?
[43]
Not so (quoth she) but sith that heauensheavens king
From hope of heauenheaven hath thee excluded quight,
Why fearest thou, that canst not hope for thing,
And fearest not, that more thee hurten might,
Now in the powre of euerlastingeverlasting Night?
Goe to 1596.bk1.I.v.43.6. then: thanthenthan, ô thou farre renowmed sonne
Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might
In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne
Great paines, & greater praise, both neuer to be donne.
[44]
Her words preuaildprevaild: And 1596.bk1.I.v.44.1. then: thanthenthan the learned leach
His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay,
And all things else, the which his art did teach:
Which hauinghaving seene, from thence arose away
The mother of dread darknesse, and let stay
AueuglesAveugles sonne there in the leaches cure,
And backe returning tooke her wonted way,
To runne her timely race, whilst Phoebus pure
In westerne waueswaves his wearie wagon did recure.
[45]
The false Duessa leauingleaving noyous Night,
Returnd to stately pallace of dame Pride;
Where when she came, she found the Faery knight
Departed thence, albe his woundes wide
Not throughly heald, vnreadie were to ride.
Good cause he had to hasten thence away;
For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spide,
Where in a dongeon deepe huge numbers lay
Of caytiuecaytive wretched thrals, that wayled night and day.
[46]
A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie;
Of whom he learned had in secret wise
The hidden cause of their captiuitiecaptivitie,
How mortgaging their liueslives to CouetiseCovetise,
Through wastfull Pride, and wanton Riotise,
They were by law of that proud Tyrannesse
ProuoktProvokt with VVrath, and Enuies false surmise,
Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse,
Where they should liue in woe, & die in wretchednesse.
[47]
There was that great proud king of Babylon,
That would compell all nations to adore,
And him as onely God to call vponupon,
Till through celestiall doome throwne out of dore,
Into an Oxe he was transform’d of yore:
There also was king Cræsus, that enhaunst
His heart too high through his great riches store;
And proud Antiochus, the which aduaunstadvaunst
His cursed hand gainst God, and on his altars daunst.
[48]
And them long time before, great Nimrod was,
That first the world with sword and fire warrayd;
And after him old Ninus farre did pas
In princely pompe, of all the world obayd;
There also was that mightie Monarch layd
Low vnderunder all, yet aboueabove all in pride,
That name of natiuenative syre did fowle vpbraydupbrayd,
And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide,
Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he dide.
[49]
All these together in one heape were throwne,
Like carkases of beasts in butchers stall.
And in another corner wide were strowne
The antique ruines of the Romaines fall:
Great Romulus the Grandsyre of them all,
Proud Tarquin, and too lordly Lentulus,
Stout Scipio, and stubborne Hanniball,
Ambitious Sylla, and sterne Marius,
High Csar, great Pompey, and fierce Antonius.
[50]
Amongst these mighty men were wemen mixt,
Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke:
The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfixt
With sonnes owne blade, her fowle reproches spoke;
Faire Sthenoboea, that her selfe did choke
With wilfull cord, for wanting of her will;
High minded Cleopatra, that with stroke
Of Aspes sting her selfe did stoutly kill:
And thousands moe the like, that did that dongeon fill.
[51]
Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles,
Which thither were assembled day by day,
From all the world after their wofull falles,
Through wicked pride, and wasted wealthes decay.
But most of all, which in the Dongeon lay
Fell from high Princes courts, or Ladies bowres,
Where they in idle pompe, or wanton play,
Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres,
And lastly throwne themseluesthemselves into these heauyheavy stowres.
[52]
Whose case when as the carefull Dwarfe had tould,
And made ensample of their mournefull sight
VntoUnto his maister, he no lenger would
There dwell in perill of like painefull plight,
But early rose, and ere that dawning light
DiscoueredDiscovered had the world to heauenheaven wyde,
He by a priuie Posterne tooke his flight,
That of no enuiousenvious eyes he mote be spyde:
For doubtlesse death ensewd, if any him descryde.
[53]
Scarse could he footing find in that fowle way,
For many corses, like a great Lay-stall
Of murdred men which therein strowed lay,
Without remorse, or decent funerall:
Which all through that great Princesse pride did fall
And came to shamefull end. And them beside
Forth ryding vnderneathunderneath the castell wall,
A donghill of dead carkases he spide,
The dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of Pride.
;){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}