Spenser's The Faerie Queene Part 12

Too late it was, to Satyres to be told, Or ever hope recover her againe: 290 In vaine he seekes that having cannot hold.

So fast he carried her with carefull paine, That they the woods are past, and come now to the plaine.

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The better part now of the lingring day, They traveild had, whenas they farre espide 295 A weary wight forwandring by the way, And towards him they gan in haste to ride, To weete of newes, that did abroad betide, Or tydings of her knight of the Redcrosse.

But he them spying, gan to turne aside, 300 For feare as seemd, or for some feigned losse; More greedy they of newes, fast towards him do crosse.

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A silly man, in simple weedes forworne, And soild with dust of the long dried way; His sandales were with toilsome travell torne, 305 And face all tand with scorching sunny ray, As he had traveild many a sommers day, Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde; And in his hand a Jacobs staffe, to stay His wearie limbes upon: and eke behind, 310 His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind.

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The knight approaching nigh, of him inquerd Tidings of warre, and of adventures new; But warres, nor new adventures none he herd.

Then Una gan to aske, if ought he knew, 315 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 have red.

These eies did see that knight both living and eke ded.

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320 That cruell word her tender hart so thrild, That suddein cold did runne through every vaine, And stony horrour all her sences fild With dying fit, that downe she fell for paine.

The knight her lightly reared up againe, 325 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.

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Then gan the Pilgrim thus, I chaunst this day, 330 This fatall day, that shall I ever rew, To see two knights in travell 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, 335 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.

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Ah dearest Lord (quoth she) how might that bee, And he the stoughtest knight, that ever wonne?

340 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 us of joy hath reft?

Not far away (quoth he) he hence doth wonne 345 Foreby a fountaine, where I late him left Was.h.i.+ng his bloudy wounds, that through the steele were cleft.

XL

Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast, Whiles Una with huge heavinesse opprest, Could not for sorrow follow him so fast; 350 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: Even he it was, that earst would have supprest Faire Una: whom when Satyrane espide, 355 With fowle reprochfull words he boldly him defide.

XLI

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 have slain: 360 Arise, and with like treason now maintain Thy guilty wrong, or els thee guilty yield.

The Sarazin this hearing, rose amain, And catching up in hast his three-square s.h.i.+eld, And s.h.i.+ning helmet, soone him buckled to the field.

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365 And drawing nigh him said, Ah misborne Elfe, In evill houre thy foes thee hither sent, Anothers wrongs to wreake upon thy selfe: Yet ill thou blamest me, for having blent My name with guile and traiterous intent: 370 That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I never slew, But had he beene, where earst his arms were lent, Th' enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew: But thou his errour shalt, I hope, now proven trew.

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Therewith they gan, both furious and fell, 375 To thunder blowes, and fiersly to a.s.saile 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 living eie.

380 Large floods of bloud adowne their sides did raile; But floods of bloud could not them satisfie: Both hungred after death: both chose to win, or die.

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So long they fight, and fell revenge pursue, That fainting each, themselves to breathen let, 385 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 selves aside retire, Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whet, 390 And trample th' earth, the whiles they may respire; Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.

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So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once, They gan to fight returne, increasing more Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce.

395 With heaped strokes more hugely then before, That with their drerie wounds and bloudy gore They both deformed, sca.r.s.ely could be known.

By this, sad Una fraught with anguish sore, Led with their noise, which through the aire was thrown: 400 Arriv'd, wher they in erth their fruitles bloud had sown.

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Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin Espide, he gan revive the memory Of his lewd l.u.s.ts, and late attempted sin, And left the doubtfull battell hastily, 405 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 unspotted Maid: Wherewith he all enrag'd, these bitter speaches said.

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410 O foolish faeries son, what fury mad Hath thee incenst, to hast thy doefull fate?

Were it not better I that Lady had, Then that thou hadst repented it too late?

Most senseless man he, that himselfe doth hate 415 To love another. Lo then for thine ayd Here take thy lovers token on thy pate.

So they two fight; the whiles the royall Mayd Fledd farre away, of that proud Paynim sore afrayd.

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But that false Pilgrim, which that leasing told, 420 Being in deed old Archimage, did stay In secret shadow, all this to behold, And much rejoiced in their bloudy fray: But when he saw the Damsell pa.s.se away, He left his stond, and her pursewd apace, 425 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.

CANTO VII The Redcrosse knight is captive made by Gyaunt proud opprest, Prince Arthur meets with Una great- ly with those newes distrest.

I

WHAT man so wise, what earthly wit so ware, As to discry the crafty cunning traine, By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire, And cast her colours dyed deepe in graine, 5 To seeme like Truth, whose shape she well can faine, And fitting gestures to her purpose frame; The guiltlesse man with guile to entertaine?

Great maistresse of her art was that false Dame, The false Duessa, cloked with Fidessaes name.

II

10 Who when returning from the drery Night, She fownd not in that perilous house of Pryde, Where she had left, the n.o.ble Redcrosse knight, Her hoped pray; she would no lenger bide, But forth she went, to seeke him far and wide.

15 Ere long she fownd, whereas he wearie sate To rest him selfe, foreby a fountaine side, Disarmed all of yron-coted Plate, And by his side his steed the gra.s.sy forage ate.

III

He feedes upon the cooling shade, and bayes 20 His sweatie forehead in the breathing wind, Which through the trembling leaves full gently playes, Wherein the cherefull birds of sundry kind Do chaunt sweet musick, to delight his mind: The Witch approaching gan him fairely greet, 25 And with reproch of carelesnesse unkind Upbrayd, for leaving her in place unmeet, With fowle words tempring faire, soure gall with hony sweet.

IV

Unkindnesse past, they gan of solace treat, And bathe in pleasaunce of the joyous shade, 30 Which s.h.i.+elded them against the boyling heat, And with greene boughes decking a gloomy glade, About the fountaine like a girlond made; Whose bubbling wave did ever freshly well, Ne ever would through fervent sommer fade: 35 The sacred Nymph, which therein wont to dwell, Was out of Dianes favour, as it then befell.

V

The cause was this: One day, when Phbe fayre With all her band was following the chace, This Nymph, quite tyr'd with heat of scorching ayre, 40 Sat downe to rest in middest of the race: The G.o.ddesse wroth gan fowly her disgrace, And bad the waters, which from her did flow, Be such as she her selfe was then in place.

Thenceforth her waters waxed dull and slow, 45 And all that drinke thereof do faint and feeble grow.

VI

Hereof this gentle knight unweeting was, And lying downe upon the sandie graile, Drunke of the streame, as cleare as cristall glas: Eftsoones his manly forces gan to faile, 50 And mightie strong was turned to feeble fraile.

His chaunged powres at first them selves not felt, Till crudled cold his corage gan a.s.saile, And cheareful bloud in faintnesse chill did melt, Which like a fever fit through all his body swelt.

VII

55 Yet goodly court he made still to his Dame, Pourd out in loosnesse on the gra.s.sy grownd, Both carelesse of his health, and of his fame: Till at the last he heard a dreadfull sownd, Which through the wood loud bellowing did rebownd, 60 That all the earth for terrour seemd to shake, And trees did tremble. Th' Elfe therewith astownd, Upstarted lightly from his looser make, And his unready weapons gan in hand to take.

VIII

But ere he could his armour on him dight, 65 Or get his s.h.i.+eld, his monstrous enimy With st.u.r.die steps came stalking in his sight, An hideous Geant, horrible and hye, That with his tallnesse seemd to threat the skye, The ground eke groned under him for dreed; 70 His living like saw never living eye, Ne durst behold: his stature did exceed The hight of three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed.

IX

The greatest Earth his uncouth mother was, And bl.u.s.tering aeolus his boasted syre, * * * * *

75 Brought forth this monstrous ma.s.se of earthly slime Puft up with emptie wind, and fild with sinfull crime.

X

So growen great through arrogant delight Of th' high descent, whereof he was yborne, And through presumption of his matchlesse might, 80 All other powres and knighthood he did scorne.

Such now he marcheth to this man forlorne, And left to losse: his stalking steps are stayde Upon a snaggy Oke, which he had torne Out of his mothers bowelles, and it made 85 His mortall mace, wherewith his foeman he dismayde.

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