Cant. XII.

Marin for loue love of Florimell, In languor wastes his life: The Nymph his mother getteth her, And giues gives to him for wife.

[1] O What what an endlesse worke haue have I in hand, To count the seas abundant progeny, Whose fruitfull seede farre passeth those in land, And also those which wonne in th’azure sky? For much more eath to tell the starres on hy, Albe they endlesse seeme in estimation, 1596.bk4.IV.xii.1.7. Then: Than Then Than to recount the Seas posterity: So fertile be the flouds in generation, So huge their numbers, and numbers,and numbers,,and so numberlesse their nation. 172 THE IIII. BOOKE OF THE Cant. XII. But [2] Therefore the antique wisards well inuented invented , That Venus of the fomy sea was bred; For that the seas by her are most augmented. Witnesse th’exceeding fry, which there are fed, And wondrous sholes, which may of none be red. Then blame me not, if I haue have err’d in count Of Gods, of Nymphs, of riuers rivers yet vnred unred : For though their numbers do much more surmount, Yet all those same were there, which erst I did recount. [3] All those were there, and many other more, Whose names and nations were too long to tell, That Proteus house they fild euen even to the dore; Yet were they all in order, as befell, According their degrees disposed well. Amongst the rest, was faire Cymodoce, The mother of vnlucky unlucky Marinell, Who thither with her came, to learne and see The manner of the Gods when they at banquet be. [4] But for he was halfe mortall, being bred Of mortall sire, though of immortall wombe, He might not with immortall food be fed, Ne with th’eternall Gods to bancket come; But walkt abrode, and round about did rome, To view the building of that vncouth uncouth place, That seem’d vnlike unlike vnto unto his earthly home: Where, as he to and fro by chaunce did trace, There vnto unto him betid a disauentrous disaventrous case. [5] Vnder Under the hanging of an hideous clieffe, He heard the lamentable voice of one, That piteously complaind her carefull grieffe, Which neuer never she before disclosd to none. Cant. XII. FAERIE QVEENE QUEENE . 173 But to her selfe her sorrow did bemone. So feelingly her case she did complaine, That ruth it moued moved in the rocky stone, And made it seeme to feele her grieuous grievous paine, And oft to grone with billowes beating from the maine. [6] Though vaine I see my sorrowes to vnfold unfold , And count my cares, when none is nigh to heare, Yet hoping griefe may lessen being told, I will them tell though vnto unto no man neare: For heauen heaven that vnto unto all lends equall eare, Is farre from hearing of my heauy heavy plight; And lowest hell, to which I lie most neare, Cares not what euils evils hap to wretched wight; And greedy seas doe in the spoile of life delight. [7] Yet loe the seas I see by often beating, Doe pearce the rockes, and hardest marble weares; But his hard rocky hart for no entreating Will yeeld, but when my piteous plaints he heares, Is hardned more with my aboundant teares. Yet though he neuer never list to me relent, But let me waste in woe my wretched yeares, Yet will I neuer never of my loue love repent, But ioy joy that for his sake I suffer prisonment. [8] And when my weary ghost with griefe outworne, By timely death shall winne her wished rest, Let then this plaint vnto unto his eares be borne, That blame it is to him, that armes profest, To let her die, whom he might haue have redrest. There did she pause, inforced to giue give place, Vnto Unto the passion, that her heart opprest, And after she had wept and wail’d a space, She gan afresh thus to renew her wretched case. 174 THE IIII. BOOKE OF THE Cant. XII. Was [9] Ye Gods of seas, if any Gods at all Haue Have care of right, or ruth of wretches wrong, By one or other way me woefull thrall, Deliuer Deliver hence out of this dungeon strong, In which I daily dying am too long. And if ye deeme me death for louing loving one, That loues loves not me, then doe it not prolong, But let me die and end my daies attone, And let him liues lives vnlou’d unlov’d , or loue love him selfe alone. [10] But if that life ye vnto unto me decree, Then let mee liue live , as louers lovers ought to do, And of my lifes deare loue love beloued beloved be: And if he shall through pride your doome vndo undo , Do you by duresse him compell thereto, And in this prison put him here with me: One prison fittest is to hold vs us two: So had I rather to be thrall, 1596.bk4.IV.xii.10.8. then: than then than free; Such thraldome or such freedome let it surely be. [11] But ô vaine iudgement judgement , and conditions vaine, The which the prisoner points vnto unto the free, The whiles I him condemne, and deeme his paine, He where he list goes loose, and laughes at me. So euer ever loose, so euer ever happy be. But where so loose or happy that thou art, Know Marinell that all this is for thee. With that she wept and wail’d, as if her hart Would quite haue have burst through great abũdance abundance of her (smart. [12] All which complaint when Marinell had heard, And vnderstood understood the cause of all her care To come of him, for vsing using her so hard, His stubborne heart, that neuer never felt misfare Cant. XII. FAERIE QVEENE QUEENE . 175 Was toucht with soft remorse and pitty rare; That euen even for griefe of minde he oft did grone, And inly wish, that in his powre it weare Her to redresse: but since he meanes found none He could no more but her great misery bemone. [13] Thus whilst his stony heart with tender ruth, heart was toucht with tender ruth Was toucht, and mighty courage mollifide, And mighty courage mollifide, Dame Venus sonne that tameth stubborne youth With iron bit, and maketh him abide, Till like a victor on his backe he ride, Into his mouth his maystring bridle threw, That made him stoupe, till he did him bestride: Then gan he make him tread his steps anew, And learne to loue love , by learning louers lovers paines to rew. [14] Now gan he in his grieued grieved minde deuise devise , How from that dungeon he might her enlarge; Some while he thought, by faire and humble wise To Proteus selfe to sue for her discharge: But then he fear’d his mothers former charge Gainst womens loue love , long giuen given him in vaine. Then gan he thinke, perforce with sword and targe Her forth to fetch, and Proteus to constraine: But soone he gan such folly to forthinke againe. [15] Then did he cast to steale her thence away, And with him beare, where none of her might know. But all in vaine: for why he found no way To enter in, or issue forth below: For all about that rocke the sea did flow. And though vnto unto his will she giuen given were, Yet without ship or bote her thence to row, He wist not how her thence away to bere; And daunger well he wist long to continue there. 176 THE IIII. BOOKE OF THE Cant. XII. For [16] At last when as no meanes he could inuent invent , Backe to him selfe, he gan returne the blame, That was the author of her punishment; And with vile curses, and reprochfull shame To damne him selfe by euery every euill evill name; And deeme vnworthy unworthy or of loue love or life, That had despisde so chast and faire a dame, Which him had sought through trouble & and lõg long strife; Yet had refusde a God that her had sought to wife. [17] In this sad plight he walked here and there, And romed round about the rocke in vaine, As he had lost him selfe, he wist not where; Oft listening if he mote her heare againe; And still bemoning her vnworthy unworthy paine. Like as an Hynde whose calfe is falne vnawares unawares Into some pit, where she him heares complaine, An hundred times about the pit side fares, Right sorrowfully mourning her bereaued bereaved cares. [18] And now by this the feast was throughly ended, And euery every one gan homeward to resort. Which seeing Marinell, was sore offended, That his departure thence should be so short, And leaue leave his loue love in that sea-walled fort. Yet durst he not his mother disobay, But her attending in full seemly sort, Did march amongst the many all the way: And all the way did inly mourne, like one astray. [19] Being returned to his mothers bowre, In solitary silence far from wight, He gan record the lamentable stowre, In which his wretched loue love lay day and night, Cant. XII. FAERIE QVEENE QUEENE . 177 M For his deare sake, that ill deseru’d deserv’d that plight: The thought whereof empierst his hart so deepe, That of no worldly thing he tooke delight; Ne dayly food did take, ne nightly sleepe, But pyn’d, & and mourn’d, & and languisht, and alone did weepe. [20] That in short space his wonted chearefull hew Gan fade, and liuely lively spirits deaded quight: His cheeke bones raw, and eie-pits hollow grew, And brawney armes had lost their knowen might, That nothing like himselfe he seem’d in sight. Ere long so weake of limbe, and sicke of loue love He woxe, that lenger he note stand vpright upright , But to his bed was brought, and layd aboue above , Like ruefull ghost, vnable unable once to stirre or moue move . [21] Which when his mother saw, she in her mind Was troubled sore, ne wist well what to weene, Ne could by search nor any meanes out find The secret cause and nature of his teene, Whereby she might apply some medicine; But weeping day and night, did him attend, And mourn’d to see her losse before her eyne, Which grieu’d griev’d her more, that she it could not mend: To see an helpelesse euill evill , double griefe doth lend. [22] Nought could she read the roote of his disease, Ne weene what mister maladie it is, Whereby to seeke some meanes it to appease. Most did she thinke, but most she thought amis, That that same former fatall wound of his Whyleare by Tryphon was not throughly healed, But closely rankled vnder under th’orifis: Least did she thinke, that which he most concealed, That loue love it was, which in his hart lay vnreuealed unrevealed . 178 THE IIII. BOOKE OF THE Cant. XII. But [23] Therefore to Tryphon she againe doth hast, And him doth chyde as false and fraudulent, That fayld the trust, which she in him had plast, To cure her sonne, as he his faith had lent: Who now was falne into new languishment Of his old hurt, which was not throughly cured. So backe he came vnto unto her patient, Where searching euery every part, her well assured, That it was no old sore, which his new paine procured. [24] But that it was some other maladie, Or griefe vnknowne unknowne , which he could not discerne: So left he her withouten remedie. Then gan her heart to faint, and quake, and earne, And inly troubled was, the truth to learne. Vnto Unto himselfe she came, and him besought, Now with faire speches, now with threatnings sterne, If ought lay hidden in his grieued grieved thought, It to reueale reveale : who still her answered, there was nought. [25] Nathlesse she rested not so satisfide, But leauing leaving watry gods, as booting nought, Vnto Unto the shinie heauen heaven in haste she hide, And thence Apollo King of Leaches brought. Apollo came; who soone as he had sought; Through his disease, did by and by out find, That he did languish of some inward thought, The which afflicted his engrieued engrieved mind; Which loue love he red to be, that leads each liuing living kind. [26] Which when he had vnto unto his mother told, She gan thereat to fret, and greatly grieue grieve . And comming to her sonne, gan first to scold, And chyde at him, that made her misbelieue misbelieve : Cant. XII. FAERIE QVEENE QUEENE . 179 M2 But afterwards she gan him soft to shrieue shrieve , And wooe with faire intreatie, to disclose, Which of the Nymphes his heart so sore did mieue mieve . For sure she weend it was some one of those, Which he had lately seene, that for his loue love he chose. [27] Now lesse she feared that same fatall read, That warned him of womens loue love beware: Which being ment of mortall creatures sead, For loue love of Nymphes she thought she need not care, But promist him, what euer ever wight she weare, That she her loue love , to him would shortly gaine: So he her told: but soone as she did heare That Florimell it was, which wrought his paine, She gan a fresh afresh to chafe, and grieue grieve in euery every vaine. [28] Yet since she saw the streight extremitie, In which his life vnluckily unluckily was layd, It was no time to scan the prophecie, Whether old Proteus true or false had sayd, That his decay should happen by a mayd. It’s late in death of daunger to aduize advize , Or loue love forbid him, that is life denayd: But rather gan in troubled mind deuize devize , How she that Ladies libertie might enterprize. [29] To Proteus selfe to sew she thought it vaine, Who was the root and worker of her woe: Nor vnto unto any meaner to complaine, But vnto unto great king Neptune selfe did goe, And on her knee before him falling lowe, Made humble suit vnto unto his Maiestie Majestie , To graunt to her, her sonnes life, which his foe A cruell Tyrant had presumpteouslie By wicked doome condemn’d, a wretched death to die. 180 THE IIII. BOOKE OF THE Cant. XII. For [30] To whom God Neptune softly smyling, thus; Daughter me seemes of double wrong ye plaine, Gainst one that hath both wronged you, and vs us : For death t’adward I ween’d did appertaine To none, but to the seas sole Soueraine Soveraine . Read therefore who it is, which this hath wrought, And for what cause; the truth discouer discover plaine. For neuer never wight so euill evill did or thought, But would some rightfull cause pretend, though rightly nought. [31] To whom she answerd, Then it is by name Proteus, that hath ordayn’d my sonne to die; For that a waift, the which by fortune came Vpon Upon your seas, he claym’d as propertie: And yet nor his, nor his in equitie, But yours the waift by high prerogatiue prerogative . Therefore I humbly craue crave your Maiestie Majestie , It to repleuie replevie , and my sonne repriue reprive : So shall you by one gift saue save all vs us three aliue alive . [32] He graunted it: and streight his warrant made, Vnder Under the Sea-gods seale autenticall, Commaunding Proteus straight t’enlarge the mayd, Which wandring on his seas imperiall, He lately tooke, and sithence kept as thrall. Which she receiuing receiving with meete thankefulnesse, Departed straight to Proteus therewithall: Who reading it with inward loathfulnesse, Was grieued grieved to restore the pledge, he did possesse. [33] Yet durst he not the warrant to withstand, But vnto unto her deliuered delivered Florimell. Whom she receiuing receiving by the lilly hand, Admyr’d her beautie much, as she mote well: Cant. XII. FAERIE QVEENE QUEENE . 181 M3 For she all liuing living creatures did excell; And was right ioyous joyous , that she gotten had So faire a wife for her sonne Marinell. So home with her she streight the virgin lad, And shewed her to him, then being sore bestad. [34] Who soone as he beheld that angels face, Adorn’d with all diuine divine perfection, His cheared heart eftsoones away gan chace Sad death, reuiued revived with her sweet inspection, And feeble spirit inly felt refection; As withered weed through cruell winters tine, That feeles the warmth of sunny beames reflection, Liftes vp up his head, that did before decline And gins to spread his leafe before the faire sunshine. [35] Right so himselfe did Marinell vpreare upreare , When he in place his dearest loue love did spy; And though his limbs could not his bodie beare, Ne former strength returne so suddenly, Yet chearefull signes he shewed outwardly. Ne lesse was she in secret hart affected, But that she masked it with modestie, For feare she should of lightnesse be detected: Which to another place I leaue leave to be perfected.