Cant. VI.
From lawlesse lust by wondrous grace
fayre VnaUna is releast:
Whom saluagesalvage nation does adore,
and learnes her wise beheast.
[1]
AS when a ship, that flyes faire vnderunder saile,
An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwaresunwares,
That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile,
The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares
At perill past, and yet in doubt ne dares
To ioyjoy at his foole-happie ouersightoversight:
So doubly is distrest twixt ioyjoy and cares
The dreadlesse courage of this Elfin knight,
HauingHaving escapt so sad ensamples in his sight.
[2]
Yet sad he was that his too hastie speed
The faire Duess’ had forst him leaueleave behind;
And yet more sad, that VnaUna his deare dreed
Her truth had staind with treason so vnkindunkind;
Yet crime in her could neuernever creature find,
But for his louelove, and for her owne selfe sake,
She wandred had from one to other Ynd,
Him for to seeke, ne euerever would forsake,
Till her vnwaresunwares the fierce Sansloy did ouertakeovertake.
[3]
Who after Archimagoes fowle defeat,
Led her away into a forrest wilde,
And turning wrathfull fire to lustfull heat,
With beastly sin thought her to hauehave defilde,
And made the vassall of his pleasures vilde.
Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes,
Her to perswade, that stubborne fort to yilde:
For greater conquest of hard louelove he gaynes,
That workes it to his will, 1596.bk1.I.vi.3.9. then: thanthenthan he that it constraines.
[4]
With fawning wordes he courted her a while,
And looking louelylovely, and oft sighing sore,
Her constant hart did tempt with diuersediverse guile:
But wordes and lookes, and sighes she did abhore,
As rocke of Diamond stedfast euermoreevermore.
Yet for to feed his fyrie lustfull eye,
He snatcht the vele, that hong her face before;
Then gan her beautie shine, as brightest skye,
And burnt his beastly hart t’efforce her chastitye.
[5]
So when he saw his flatt’ring arts to fayle,
And subtile engines bet from batteree,
With greedy force he gan the fort assayle,
Whereof he weend possessed soone to bee,
And with rich spoile of ransackt chastetee.
Ah heauensheavens, that do this hideous act behold,
And heauenlyheavenly virgin thus outraged see,
How can ye vengeance iustjust so long withhold,
And hurle not flashing flames vponupon that Paynim bold?
[6]
The pitteous maiden carefull comfortlesse,
Does throw out thrilling shriekes, & shrieking cryes,
The last vaine helpe of womens great distresse,
And with loud plaints importuneth the skyes,
That molten starres do drop like weeping eyes;
And Phoebus flying so most shamefull sight,
His blushing face in foggy cloud implyes,
And hides for shame. What wit of mortall wight
Can now deuisedevise to quit a thrall from such a plight?
[7]
Eternall prouidenceprovidence exceeding thought,
Where none appeares can make her selfe a way:
A wondrous way it for this Lady wrought,
From Lyons clawes to pluck the griped pray.
Her shrill outcryes and shriekes so loud did bray,
That all the woodes and forestes did resownd;
A troupe of Faunes and Satyres far away
Within the wood were dauncing in a rownd,
Whiles old SyluanusSylvanus slept in shady arber sownd.
[8]
Who when they heard that pitteous strained voice,
In hast forsooke their rurall meriment,
And ran towards the far rebownded noyce,
To weet, what wight so loudly did lament.
VntoUnto the place they come incontinent:
Whom when the raging Sarazin espide,
A rude, misshapen, monstrous rablement,
Whose like he neuernever saw, he durst not bide,
But got his ready steed, and fast away gan ride.
[9]
The wyld woodgods arriuedarrived in the place,
There find the virgin dolefull desolate,
With ruffled rayments, and faire blubbred face,
As her outrageous foe had left her late,
And trembling yet through feare of former hate;
All stand amazed at so vncouthuncouth sight,
And gin to pittie her vnhappieunhappie state,
All stand astonied at her beautie bright,
In their rude eyes vnworthieunworthie of so wofull plight.
[10]
She more amaz’d, in double dread doth dwell;
And eueryevery tender part for feare does shake:
As when a greedie Wolfe through hunger fell
A seely Lambe farre from the flocke does take,
Of whom he meanes his bloudie feast to make,
A Lyon spyes fast running towards him,
The innocent pray in hast he does forsake,
Which quit from death yet quakes in eueryevery lim
With chaunge of feare, to see the Lyon looke so grim.
[11]
Such fearefull fit assaid her trembling hart,
Ne word to speake, ne ioyntjoynt to mouemove she had:
The saluagesalvage nation feele her secret smart,
And read her sorrow in her count’nance sad;
Their frowning forheads with rough hornes yclad,
And rusticke horror all a side doe lay,
And gently grenning, shew a semblance glad
To comfort her, and feare to put away,
Their backward bent knees teach her humbly to obay.
[12]
The doubtfull Damzell dare not yet commit
Her single person to their barbarous truth,
But still twixt feare and hope amazd does sit,
Late learnd what harme to hastie trust ensu’th,
They in compassion of her tender youth,
And wonder of her beautie souerainesoveraine,
Are wonne with pitty and vnwontedunwonted ruth,
And all prostrate vponupon the lowly plaine,
Do kisse her feete, and fawne on her with count’nance faine.
[13]
Their harts she ghesseth by their humble guise,
And yieldes her to extremitie of time;
So from the ground she fearelesse doth arise,
And walketh forth without suspect of crime:
They all as glad, as birdes of ioyousjoyous Prime,
Thence lead her forth, about her dauncing round,
Shouting, and singing all a shepheards ryme,
And with greene braunches strowing all the ground,
Do worship her, as Queene, with oliueolive girlond cround.
[14]
And all the way their merry pipes they sound,
That all the woods with doubled Eccho ring,
And with their horned feet do weare the ground,
Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant Spring.
So towards old SyluanusSylvanus they her bring;
Who with the noyse awaked, commeth out,
To weet the cause, his weake steps gouerninggoverning,
And aged limbs on Cypresse stadle stout,
And with an yuieyvie twyne his wast is girt about.
[15]
Far off he wonders, what them makes so glad,
If Bacchus merry fruit they did inuentinvent,
Or Cybeles franticke rites hauehave made them mad;
They drawing nigh, vntounto their God present
That flowre of faith and beautie excellent.
The God himselfe vewing that mirrhour rare,
Stood long amazd, and burnt in his intent;
His owne faire Dryope now he thinkes not faire,
And Pholoe fowle, when her to this he doth compaire.
[16]
The woodborne people fall before her flat,
And worship her as Goddesse of the wood;
And old SyluanusSylvanus selfe bethinkes not, what
To thinke of wight so faire, but gazing stood,
In doubt to deeme her borne of earthly brood;
Sometimes Dame Venus selfe he seemes to see,
But Venus neuernever had so sober mood;
Sometimes Diana he her takes to bee,
But misseth bow, and shaftes, and buskins to her knee.
[17]
By vew of her he ginneth to reuiuerevive
His ancient louelove, and dearest Cyparisse,
And calles to mind his pourtraiture aliuealive,
How faire he was, and yet not faire to this,
And how he slew with glauncing dart amisse
A gentle Hynd, the which the louelylovely boy
Did louelove as life, aboueabove all worldly blisse;
For griefe whereof the lad n’ould after ioyjoy,
But pynd away in anguish and selfe-wild annoy.
[18]
The wooddy Nymphes, faire Hamadryades
Her to behold do thither runne apace,
And all the troupe of light-foot Naiades,
Flocke all about to see her louelylovely face:
But when they vewed hauehave her heauenlyheavenly grace,
They enuie her in their malitious mind,
And fly away for feare of fowle disgrace:
But all the Satyres scorne their woody kind,
And henceforth nothing faire, but her on earth they find.
[19]
Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky maid,
Did her content to please their feeble eyes,
And long time with that saluagesalvage people staid,
To gather breath in many miseries.
During which time her gentle wit she plyes,
To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine,
And made her th’Image of Idolatryes;
But when their bootlesse zeale she did restraine
Fro[m] her own worship, they her Asse would worship fayn.
[20]
It fortuned a noble warlike knight
By iustjust occasion to that forrest came,
To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right,
From whence he tooke his well deserueddeserved name:
He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame,
And fild far landes with glorie of his might,
Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame,
And euerever lou’dlov’d to fight for Ladies right,
But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight.
[21]
A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld,
By straunge aduentureadventure as it did betyde,
And there begotten of a Lady myld,
Faire Thyamis the daughter of Labryde,
That was in sacred bands of wedlocke tyde
To Therion, a loose vnrulyunruly swayne;
Who had more ioyjoy to raunge the forrest wyde,
And chase the saluagesalvage beast with busie payne,
Then serueserve his Ladies louelove, and wast in pleasures vayne.
[22]
The forlorne mayd did with louesloves longing burne,
And could not lacke her louerslovers company,
But to the wood she goes, to serueserve her turne,
And seeke her spouse, that from her still does fly,
And followes other game and venery:
A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to find,
And kindling coles of lust in brutish eye,
The loyall links of wedlocke did vnbind,
And made her person thrall vntounto his beastly kind.
[23]
So long in secret cabin there he held
Her captiuecaptive to his sensuall desire,
Till that with timely fruit her belly sweld,
And bore a boy vntounto that saluagesalvage sire:
Then home he suffred her for to retire,
For ransome leauingleaving him the late borne childe;
Whom till to ryper yeares he gan aspire,
He noursled vpup in life and manners wilde,
Emongst wild beasts and woods, from lawes of men exilde.
[24]
For all he taught the tender ymp, was but
To banish cowardize and bastard feare;
His trembling hand he would him force to put
VponUpon the Lyon and the rugged Beare,
And from the she Beares teats her whelps to teare;
And eke wyld roring Buls he would him make
To tame, and ryde their backes not made to beare;
And the Robuckes in flight to ouertakeovertake,
That eueryevery beast for feare of him did fly and quake.
[25]
Thereby so fearelesse, and so fell he grew,
That his owne sire and maister of his guise
Did often tremble at his horrid vew,
And oft for dread of hurt would him aduiseadvise,
The angry beasts not rashly to despise,
Nor too much to prouokeprovoke; for he would learne
The Lyon stoup to him in lowly wise,
(A lesson hard) and make the Libbard sterne
LeaueLeave roaring, when in rage he for reuengerevenge did earne.
[26]
And for to make his powre approuedapproved more,
Wyld beasts in yron yokes he would compell;
The spotted Panther, and the tusked Bore,
The Pardale swift, and the Tigre cruell;
The Antelope, and Wolfe both fierce and fell;
And them constraine in equall teme to draw.
Such ioyjoy he had, their stubborne harts to quell,
And sturdie courage tame with dreadfull aw,
That his beheast they feared, as tyrans law.
[27]
His louingloving mother came vponupon a day
VntoUnto the woods, to see her little sonne;
And chaunst vnwaresunwares to meet him in the way,
After his sportes, and cruell pastime donne,
When after him a Lyonesse did runne,
That roaring all with rage, did lowd requere
Her children deare, whom he away had wonne:
The Lyon whelpes she saw how he did beare,
And lull in rugged armes, withouten childish feare.
[28]
The fearefull Dame all quaked at the sight,
And turning backe, gan fast to fly away,
VntillUntill with louelove reuoktrevokt from vaine affright,
She hardly yet perswaded was to stay,
And 1596.bk1.I.vi.28.5. then: thanthenthan to him these womanish words gan say;
Ah Satyrane, my dearling, and my ioyjoy,
For louelove of me leaueleave off this dreadfull play;
To dally thus with death, is no fit toy,
Go find some other play-fellowes, mine own sweet boy.
[29]
In these and like delights of bloudy game
He trayned was, till ryper yeares he raught,
And there abode, whilst any beast of name
Walkt in that forest, whom he had not taught
To feare his force: and 1596.bk1.I.vi.29.5. then: thanthenthan his courage haught
Desird of forreine foemen to be knowne,
And far abroad for straunge aduenturesadventures sought:
In which his might was neuernever ouerthrowneoverthrowne,
But through all Faery lond his famous worth was blown.
[30]
Yet euermoreevermore it was his manner faire,
After long labours and aduenturesadventures spent,
VntoUnto those natiuenative woods for to repaire,
To see his sire and offspring auncient.
And now he thither came for like intent;
Where he vnwaresunwares the fairest VnaUna found,
Straunge Lady, in so straungehabilimentstraunge habiliment,
Teaching the Satyres, which her sat around,
Trew sacred lore, which from her sweet lips did redound.
[31]
He wondred at her wisedome heauenlyheavenly rare,
Whose like in womens wit he neuernever knew;
And when her curteous deeds he did compare,
Gan her admire, and her sad sorrowes rew,
Blaming of Fortune, which such troubles threw,
And ioydjoyd to make proofe of her crueltie
On gentle Dame, so hurtlesse, and so trew:
Thenceforth he kept her goodly company,
And learnd her discipline of faith and veritie.
[32]
But she all vowd vntounto the Redcrosse knight,
His wandring perill closely did lament,
Ne in this new acquaintaunce could delight,
But her deare heart with anguish did torment,
And all her wit in secret counsels spent,
How to escape. At last in priuie wise
To Satyrane she shewed her intent:
Who glad to gain such fauourfavour, gan deuisedevise,
How with that pensiuepensive Maid he best might thence arise.
[33]
So on a day when Satyres all were gone,
To do their seruiceservice to SyluanusSylvanus old,
The gentle virgin left behind alone
He led away with courage stout and bold.
Too late it was, to Satyres to be told,
Or euerever hope recouerrecover her againe:
In vaine he seekes that hauinghaving cannot hold.
So fast he carried her with carefull paine,
That they the woods are past, & come now to the plaine.
[34]
The better part now of the lingring day,
They traueildtraveild had, when as they farre espide
A wearie wight forwandring by the way,
And towards him they gan in hast to ride,
To weet of newes, that did abroad betide,
Or tydings of her knight of the Redcrosse.
But he them spying, gan to turne aside,
For feare as seemd, or for some feigned losse;
More greedy they of newes, fast towards him do crosse.
[35]
A silly man, in simple weedes forworne,
And soild with dust of the long dried way;
His sandales were with toilesome trauelltravell torne,
And face all tand with scorching sunny ray,
As he had traueildtraveild many a sommers day,
Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde;
And in his hand a IacobsJacobs staffe, to stay
His wearie limbes vponupon: and eke behind,
His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind.
[36]
The knight approching nigh, of him inquerd
Tydings of warre, and of aduenturesadventures new;
But warres, nor new aduenturesadventures none he herd.
Then VnaUna gan to aske, if ought he knew,
Or heard abroad of that her champion trew,
That in his armour bare a croslet red.
Aye me, Deare dame (quoth he) well may I rew
To tell the sad sight, which mine eies hauehave red:
These eyes did see that knight both liuingliving and eke ded.
[37]
That cruell word her tender hart so thrild,
That suddein cold did runne through eueryevery vaine,
And stony horrour all her sences fild
With dying fit, that downe she fell for paine.
The knight her lightly reared vpup againe,
And comforted with curteous kind reliefe:
Then wonne from death, she bad him tellen plaine
The further processe of her hidden griefe;
The lesser pangs can beare, who hath endur’d the chiefe.
[38]
Then gan the Pilgrim thus, I chaunst this day,
This fatall day, that shall I euerever rew,
To see two knights in trauelltravell on my way
(A sory sight) arraung’d in battell new,
Both breathing vengeaunce, both of wrathfull hew:
My fearefull flesh did tremble at their strife,
To see their blades so greedily imbrew,
That drunke with bloud, yet thristed after life:
What more? the Redcrosse knight was slaine with Paynim knife.
[39]
Ah dearest Lord (quoth she) how might that bee,
And he the stoutest knight, that euerever wonne?
Ah dearest dame (quoth he) how might I see
The thing, that might not be, and yet was donne?
Where is (said Satyrane) that Paynims sonne,
That him of life, and vsus of ioyjoy hath reft?
Not far away (quoth he) he hence doth wonne
Foreby a fountaine, where I late him left
Washing his bloudy wounds, that through the steele were cleft.
[40]
Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast,
Whiles VnaUna with huge heauinesseheavinesse opprest,
Could not for sorrow follow him so fast;
And soone he came, as he the place had ghest,
Whereas that Pagan proud him selfe did rest,
In secret shadow by a fountaine side:
EuenEven he it was, that earst would hauehave supprest
Faire VnaUna: whom when Satyrane espide,
With fowle reprochfull words he boldly him defide.
[41]
And said, Arise thou cursed Miscreaunt,
That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train
Faire knighthood fowly shamed, and doest vaunt
That good knight of the Redcrosse to hauehave slain:
Arise, and with like treason now maintain
Thy guilty wrong, or else thee guilty yield.
The Sarazin this hearing, rose amain,
And catching vpup in hast his three square shield,
And shining helmet, soone him buckled to the field.
[42]
And drawing nigh him said, Ah misborne Elfe,
In euillevill houre thy foes thee hither sent,
Anothers wrongs to wreake vponupon thy selfe:
Yet ill thou blamest me, for hauinghaving blent
My name with guile and traiterous intent;
That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I neuernever slew,
But had he beene, where earst his armes were lent,
Th’enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew:
But thou his errour shalt, I hope now prouenproven trew.
[43]
Therewith they gan, both furious and fell,
To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile
Each other bent his enimy to quell,
That with their force they perst both plate and maile,
And made wide furrowes in their fleshes fraile,
That it would pitty any liuingliving eie.
Large floods of bloudadowne their sides did raile;
But floods of bloud could not them satisfie:
Both hungred after death: both chose to win, or die.
[44]
So long they fight, and fell reuengerevenge pursue,
That fainting each, themseluesthemselves to breathen let,
And oft refreshed, battell oft renue:
As when two Bores with rancling malice met,
Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely fret,
Til breathlesse both them seluesselves aside retire,
Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whet,
And trample th’earth, the whiles they may respire;
Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.
[45]
So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once,
They gan to fight returne, increasing more
Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce,
With heaped strokes more hugely, 1596.bk1.I.vi.45.4. then: thanthenthan before,
That with their drerie wounds and bloudy gore
They both deformed, scarsely could be known.
By this sad VnaUna fraught with anguish sore,
Led with their noise, which through the aire was thrown:
Arriu’dArriv’d, where they in erth their fruitles bloud had sown.
[46]
Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin
Espide, he gan reuiuerevive the memory
Of his lewd lusts, and late attempted sin,
And left the doubtfull battell hastily,
To catch her, newly offred to his eie:
But Satyrane with strokes him turning, staid,
And sternely bad him other businesse plie,
Then hunt the steps of pure vnspottedunspotted Maid:
Wherewith he all enrag’d, these bitter speaches said.
[47]
O foolish faeries sonne, what furie mad
Hath thee incenst, to hast thy dolefull fate?
Were it not better, I that Lady had,
Then that thou hadst repented it too late?
Most sencelesse man he, that himselfe doth hate,
To louelove another. Lo 1596.bk1.I.vi.47.6. then: thanthenthan for thine ayd
Here take thy louerslovers token on thy pate.
So they two fight; the whiles the royall Mayd
Fled farre away, of that proud Paynim sore afrayd.
[48]
But that false Pilgrim, which that leasing told,
Being in deed old Archimage, did stay
In secret shadow, all this to behold,
And much reioycedrejoyced in their bloudy fray:
But when he saw the Damsell passe away
He left his stond, and her pursewd apace,
In hope to bring her to her last decay.
But for to tell her lamentable cace,
And eke this battels end, will need another place.
F6v