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ENGLISH CLASSICS

SPENSER

KITCHIN

HENRY FROWDE, M.A.

PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF OxrOKU

LONDON, EDINBURGH

NEW YORK

IrE'

SPENSER FAERY QUEENE, BOOK I

EDITED BY

G. W. KITCHIN, D.D.

DEAN OF DURHAM

NEW EDITION WITH GLOSSARY

BY THE

Rev. a. L. MAYHEW, M.A.

OXFORD AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

M DCCCC I

PR

OXFORD

PRINTED AT THE CLARENDON PRESS

BY HORACE HART, M.A. PRINTER TO THE UNIVERSITY

I NTRODU CTION.

The life of Edmund Spenser has few incidents and little certainty. He tells us he was born in London^, near the Tower, and was connected, though not closely, with the house whose name he bears ^', But the date of his birth can only be inferred approximately from his matriculation at Cambridge, and his second courtship. He entered as a sizar at Pembroke Hall in 1569, when he was not likely to be under fifteen or over twenty years of age. His birth, then, will fall between 1549 and 1554. But he tells us (in his 60th Sonnet) that he was forty years old when his second courtship began. The date of that courtship lies between 1591 and 1593, so that he must have been born between 1551 and 1553. If then we take 1552 for the year of his birth, we shall not be far wrong.

We may conjecture from his writings, especially from his Letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, that, while at Cambridge, he studied Aristotle and Plato as well as the Greek and Latin poets. He became B.A. in 1573, M.A. in 1576. At the University he con- tracted a close friendship with Gabriel Harvey (the Hobbinol ot his Shepheards Calender) the author of many ingenious poems. It was one of those college friendships the influence of which is felt through a man's whole life. For Harvey gave Spenser advice

* Prothalamium, 11. 128-131:

" To mery London, my most kyndly nourse, That to me gave this lifes first native source; Though from another place I take my name, A house of auncient fame." •> Colin Clouts come back again, 11. 53S, 539: " The honor of the noble familie Of which I meanest boast myself to be." The Spcnsers of his day were wealthy landowners, not yet ennobled.

VI INTRODUCTION.

and encouragement as to his writings — save that he did not admire the Faery Queene ; he induced him to retrace his steps from the north ; he also helped him forwards by introducing him to the notice of Sir Philip Sidney, who, in his turn, obtained for him the goodwill and patronage of his uncle Lord Leicester.

It is thought that some disappointment, or disagreement with his college authorities, led Spenser to leave Cambridge soon after taking his M,A, degree ; and he went into the north of England. The Shepheards Calender bears some few traces of northern dialect. Thence, by the advice of Harvey c, he came southwards again, and in the year 1578, or thereabout, settled in London. About the same time Harvey brought him and Sir Philip Sidney together. To Sidney he dedicated his first printed work, the Shepheards Calender, which was published in the year 1579. Next year, Arthur, Lord Grey de Wilton, took Spenser with him as his secretary to Ireland, in all probability through Lord Leicester's influence ; for just before this time he had been staying at Penshurst, Lord Leicester's seat in Kent. On Lord Grey's recall, in 1582, Spenser returned with him to England. This brief period of active political life must have given Spenser much of that experience in Irish affairs which he afterwards embodied in his " View of the State of Ireland."

In 1586 his friends obtained for him from Queen Elizabeth a grant of a large estate, at Kilcolman, in the county Cork, part of the territories forfeited by the Earl of Desmond ; and he appears to have gone at once to take possession of his new property. ■ The battle of Zutphen, in 1587, deprived him of his best friend, Sir Philip Sidney, whose untimely death he tenderly bewailed in an elegy entitled Astrophel.

And now Spenser seems to have passed a few years in literary

<= In Eclogue vi. of the Shepheards Calender, Hobbinol (Harvey) prays Colin Clout (Spenser) to '' forsake the soyle that thee doth so bewitch," and " to the dales resort." On this E. K. (Edward Kirke, the contemporary annotator of the Shepheards Calender) remarks, "This is no poeticall fiction, but unfeignedly spoken of the poet selfe, who for special! occasion of private affaires (as I have been partly by himselfe informed) and for his more prefer- ment, remooved out of the north partes, [and] came into the south."

INTRODUCTION. Vll

ease and employment at Kilcolman Castle. There, on the shore of a pleasant lake, with fine distant views of mountains all round, he busied himself in the composition of the first three Books of the Faery Queene. These he shewed in manuscript to Sir W. Raleigh (whose friendship he had gained during his first visit to Ireland). Sir Walter, while banished from court, seems to have spent some time at Kilcolman, and his visit forms one chief topic of the poem headed " Colin Clouts come home again." To Raleigh, whose opinion of the Faery Queene was most favourable, is addressed the explanatory letter prefixed to the work ; and as soon as the three Books were ready for the printer, Spenser went over to England in Raleigh's company, induced partly by the wish to publish the book, and still more tempted by Sir Walter's promise to present him to "his Cynthia," Queen Elizabeth ^, The Queen " unto his oaten pipe enclined her eare. That she thenceforth therein gan take delight." She received the poet with high favour, and, soon after the publication of the first three Books of the Faery Queene in 1590, granted him a pension of fifty pounds a year, thus in fact making him her laureate.

He returned the same year to Ireland ; and so much had his fame grown, that his bookseller eagerly gathered together a volume of his smaller poems, which came out in 1591. One of these pieces ^ may be briefly noticed here, as having given occa- sion to a groundless tale about Lord Burleigh's dislike to Spenser, and his endeavour to stop his pension. Spenser, who loved and admired Archbishop Grindal^ (the good Algrind of the Shep- heards Calender), must have disliked Burleigh, who treated the

•1 Colin Clout, 11. i84-r96:

'• The which to leave (sc. Kilcolman) thenceforth he counselled me, —

And wend with him, his Cynthia to see,

Whose grace was great, and bounty most rewardfull.

So, what with hope of good and hate of ill,

He mee persuaded forth with him to fare.

So to the sea we came." — And so on, describing his voyage and reception at Court. <= Mother Hubberd's Tale, 898. ' Shepheards Calender, Eel. vii. 213-230.

viii INTRODUQTION.

Archbishop with no Httle severity ; and on the other hand, Bur- leigh, Lord Leicester's rival at court, cannot have felt much goodwill towards one who was so closely attached to the party of his antagonist. Beyond this, there seems to be no ground for the tale. .

Early in life Spenser had worshipped a fair Rosalind, whose faithless trifling with him, and eventual preference of a rival, are recorded in the Shepheards Calender. E. K. s tells us that "the name being well ordered will betray the I'ery name of Spensers love," whence it has been conjectured that she was a Kentish lass of the name of Rose Lynde, the name of Lynde being found among the gentry of that county. But this may pass. She rejected him, and he remained some twelve or four- teen years without thoughts of marriage. But in the years 1592-3 (if Mr. Todd's reasonings arc correct *"•) he fell in with an Elizabeth, (her surname is lost,) towards whom his heart turned; and after a courtship, set forth in his Amoretti, or Sonnets, he married her in 1594. The wedding took place on St. Barnabas' Day, as he tells us himself', in the city of Cork, near which lies Kilcolman Castle. He was then forty-one or forty-two years of age ^. His wife was of lowly origin — " she was certes but a countrey lasse" (Faery Queene, VL x. 25), but beautiful — "So sweet, so lovely, and so mild as she" (Epithal. 1. 169). Her eyes were "sapphires blue," her hair of "rippling gold." He likens her locks to the Queen's ; but those were not golden, but red.

In 1596 Spenser was in England, superintending the second

P Edward Kirke was a friend of Spenser, and compiled a ' Gloss' on the Shepheards Calender.

h I must here record my great obligation to the careful Life of Spenser prefixed to Mr. Todd's edition of his works. ' Epithalaniiiim, 1. 265 :

" This day the Sun is in his chiefest height, With Barnaby the bright." •* Sonnet Ix. :

" So since the winged God his planet clear Began in me to move, one year is spent : The which doth longer unto me appear, Than all those foriy which my life out-went."

INTRODUCTION. IX

edition of Books I-III of the Faery Queene, which came out in that year with Books IV- VI, then first given to the world. In 1597 he returned to Ireland, hoping for an honourable and quiet life at Kilcolman. But it was a vain hope. The Queen had already recommended him to the Irish Government as Sheriff of Cork', when the Tyrone rebellion broke out in 1598, and he was obliged to flee in great haste to save his life. In the confusion and terror of flight one of his little ones by some strange oversight was left behind in the castle ; and the rebels, following swiftly after, sacked and burnt the house. The child was never more heard of, and probably perished in the fire. Spenser reached England broken-hearted, and next January, some three months later, his body rested by Chaucer's side in the south transept of Westminster Abbey™.

So his life withered away; he died at the age of forty-five or forty-six. The limits of that life were almost those of the reign of the great Queen ; it seemed to take its tone and cha- racter from it. Spenser's poems are full of allusions to the young life of England — to her outburst of national feeling, her devotion for the Queen, her resistance to Spain, her ocean adventures, her great men, her high artistic and intellectual culture, her romantic spirit, her championship of freedom abroad, and her reverence for law and authority at home. Spenser comes first in the series of great writers who are the glory of English literature in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Shakespeare appears soon after the publication of the Faery Queene ; Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity is brought out in 1594; Bacon's Essays in 1597. The land is a-glowwith every form of life: and Spenser connects the past with the future. Looking back to his master, Chaucer, he draws his own England with a romantic hand, the chivalrous and the imaginative qualities of his mind being

1 See Todd's Life, ed. 1863, p. xlvii.

■" 111 the copy of the ed. 1596 in the Bodleian Library there is preserved a tracing of the following note : " Qui obiit apud diversorium in platea Regia apud Westinonasteriuni juxta London, 16 die Janii. 1598 [1599] juxtaque GefFereium Chaucer in eadem ecclesia supradicta (Honoratissimi Coniitis Essexiae impensis) sepelitur. Henry Capell, 1598 [1599-]"

X INTRODUCTION.

rather of the past than of his own time. He couches his mar- vellous creations in a somewhat archaic language ; not in an obsolete dialect, as some have said, but with a natural affinity for older forms and turns of idiom, which help to give the proper colouring to his pictures ; while at the same time we can trace the real life of his age in every canto of his great work. His star set, wept by the unfortunate Earl of Essex, just as the other lights were rising in the firmament ; he had but a glimpse of the coming splendour, when he was cut off in the midst of his days. But he had done enough to entitle him to his acknowledged place among English poets. Shakespeare stands alone ; and who can stand by the side of Milton, if it be not Spenser?

Short curhng hair, a full moustache, cut after the pattern of Lord Leicester's, close-clipped beard, heavy eyebrows, and under them thoughtful brown eyes, whose upper eyelids weigh them dreamily down ; a long and straight nose, strongly developed, answering to a long and somewhat spare face, with a well-formed sensible-looking forehead ; a mouth almost obscured by the moustache, but still shewing rather full lips denoting feeling, well set together, so that the warmth of feeling shall not run riot, with a touch of sadness in them ; — such is the look of Spenser, as his portrait hands it down to us. A refined, thoughtful, warm- hearted, pure-souled Englishman. The face is of a type still current among us; and we may read in it loyalty, ability, and simplicity. Its look is more modern in character than that of most of the portraits of the period, — more modern, but not the Stuart gaiety, or Hanoverian heaviness, but rather, like the best type of our own age in its return to religious feeling, truthfulness, and nobility of thought and character.

We have ample opportunities for studying the poet's mind and education. At Cambridge his love for poetry grew strong, though vitiated at first by the bad taste of his friends, who worshipped the English hexameter, in a rude form, as a new revelation of poetic power and promise : but the strength of the poet was not likely to be held in such bands as these, and the Shc])hcards Calender, published some three years after he left Cambridge,

INTRODUCTION. xi

proves how entirely he had freed himself from these unnatural trammels. His studies, by natural affinity, led him to those sources in which the highest poetry was to be found. He was full of Biblical knowledge and feeling: we can trace the influence of the Hebrew poets, and of the more unconscious poetry of the New Testament, in all he wrote. He knew and understood the Homeric epics ; was conversant with the chief Latin poets ; studied, and was master of Italian, in order that he might enjoy the free fancy of Ariosto and the more classical and colder muse of the Gierusalemme Liberata. Drawing deep draughts of poetical life from the freshest of English poets, he delighted in all ways to proclaim himself the disciple of the ancient 'Tityrus,' the father of English poetry, Dan Chaucer himself.

Nor did he neglect stricter studies. Fascinated by Plato, as we see by his ' Four Hymns on Love and Beauty,' he was no less filled with respect for the great " Master of them that know n," and we see traces of the influence of Aristotle through- out the Faery Qiieene. But it is Aristotle idealized. We have the Twelve Moral Virtues, with their crowning chief. Magnanimity ; but they take the forms of knights and heroes, and Arthur, mysterious type of man's perfection, is their Prince.

Fortunate in his studies, he was not less fortunate in his friends. He moved among the noblest of the youth of England. No wonder that high dreams of gentle life filled his mind. He lived among those who reproduced in England the chivalrous hopes and proud endeavours which had, just half a century before, gilded the last moments of the German Ritterdom — the knight- estate, with its dream of a world to be regenerated by the Gospel and the knightly sword. We think of Ulrich von HUtten, and Franz von Sickingen, crushed by the joint weight of lay and ecclesiastical nobility in arms against that revolution, ahnost as terrible to them as a peasant war, which would have destroyed their grand feudal privilege, and set up in its room a knightly aristocracy and an emancipated people, governed by the Bible

" "Maestro di color chc saiiuo.'' Dante, luf. iv. 131.

xii INTRODUCTION.

and the sense of honour ! Spenser's whole character felt the in- fluence of the refinement and nobility of mind which he saw around him : Sidney, Raleigh, and Lord Grey, and at greater distance, Walsingham, Leicester, and Essex, taught him that loyalty and sensitiveness, which marked him in both his life and his writings.

Add to these a pure and deep sense of religion, and an ac- quaintance with the subtilties of that Calvinism which was the aristocratic form of Protestantism at that time in both France and England, and we ' shall obtain a fair conception of the elements of that genius which produced the Faery Queene.

The First Book of the Faery Qiieene is in reality a complete work, taken by itself. Hallam tells us that " it is generally ad- mitted to be the finest of the six. In no other is the allegory so clearly conceived by the poet or so steadily preserved. . . . That the Red Cross Knight designates the militant Christian, whom Una, the true Church, loves, whom Duessa, the type of Popery, seduces, who is reduced almost to despair, but rescued by the intervention of Una and the assistance of Faith, Hope, and Charity, is what no one feels any difficulty in acknowledging, but what every one may easily read the poem without perceiving or remembering. In an allegory conducted with such propriety, and concealed or revealed with so much art, there can surely be nothing to repel our taste : and those who read the First Book of the Faery Queene without pleasure, must seek (what others perhaps will be at no loss to discover for them) a diiferent cause for their insensibility than the tediousness or insipidity of allegorical poetry. Every canto of this book teems with the choicest beauties of imagination ; he came to it in the freshness of his genius, which shines throughout °."

The general bearings of the poem are marked out with sufficient distinctness by the poet himself in his Letter to Sir W. Raleigh, to which we call the reader's attention. It will be found printed as a kind of preface to this little volume. From it we learn

° Hallam, Literature of Europe, Part II. cli. ii. § So.

INTRODUCTION. xiii

that Prince Arthur is the centrepiece of the whole work ; that lesser knights will be introduced, Book by Book, endeavouring their best, each for the virtue which he represents ; but that the help of Arthur, or Magnificence p, who was " perfected in the twelve private moral virtues," is always needed to bring each adventure through. So in the First Book, the hero, the Red Cross Knight, after sundry slips and failings, is rescued by Arthur out of the Giant's Castle in which he lies a helpless thrall.

Taking the story as such, and setting allegory aside, we must be struck with the rapid movement of the tale, its completeness of structure, the great variety of scenes, the beauty of the de- scriptive passages, and the numerous types of character, all dis- tinctly and freely touched off. The whole book is full of graphic power, of pictures bright or dark, vivid personification, marked character ; nor do either the moral or the religious sentiments fall below the poetic level. It is the highest poetic fancy com- bined with most complete truthfulness.

But if we undertake also to interpret the allegorical bearings of the poem — for such we may fairly call this single Book — we shall find ourselves in the presence of another series of phe- nomena full of real interest.

, Two allegories underlie the tale : one of abstract virtues and religious qualities, the other of the concrete presentatit)ns of the same. The first is the struggle of the human soul after holiness and purity, under the guidance of ' gospel truth ; ' the second sets before us the chief personages of Spenser's day, each playing a part, according to the character of each, in this ' life's drama.' i If we study the more abstract side of the allegory, we shall be aware of the Christian warrior, prototype of Bunyan's Pilgrim (and tlie resemblance is not merely fortuitous), who^ with many failures and some downfalls, wins his heavenward way over "the vanquished bodies of bins and temptations. Clad (as the poet s.ys) in the armour spoken of by St. Paul, and guided by snow-

V Spenser tb' . translates that virtue of Magnanimity, which seemed to Aristotle to c -ntain in itself all the moral virtues. It is perhaps hardly necessary to .-u that Spenser's twelve virtues are not the same as Aristotle's.

XIV INTRODUCTION.

white Truth, he goes forth to fight against the Dragon, the ' old Serpent,' who has wrought man's ruin and holds him beleaguered, having blasted the land which ought to be a paradise.

But on his way he meets with abundant ' lets and hindrances.' No sooner is the light of heaven obscured by a passing storm, than the warrior and his guide lose their way in the wood of Error; but at last encountering Error herself, the Knight, with the aid of his heavenly armour, overcomes and destroys her. By this Spenser wished to indicate the doubts and dangers which beset the soul of him who has just embraced the truth of the Gospel — the ' variations of Protestantism,' in fact, and the risks of private judgment. When this danger has been safely passed, we find the Knight a prey to what may be called 'a Roman Catholic reaction.' Any student of history will know how natu- rally this risk would suggest itself to a \\Titer's mind at the end of the sixteenth century. Archimago, or Hypocrisy, with his friend and companion, Duessa, double-faced witch, false and frivolous, fair and foul, now encounter him ; and he, whom Error could not overcome;^ falls a victim to flattery and dissimula- tion. The artifices of the Jesuits, which had met with so great success, and had already stopped the progress of the Reformation in most European countries, were felt in the form of underhand plots and deceits in England ; and there can be no doubt that it is at these that Spenser points. Duessa is the Roman Church herself. She is described as dressed in scarlet, riding on the monster of the Apocalypse, which all reformed England regarded as the Rome of the Papacy. The guile of the magician mis- leads the hero, till he thinks that truth is fiilse, and falsehood true. This is the guiding-line to all his subsequent troubles. He gives way to self-indulgence, falls into pride, and though he overcomes the Paynim Unbelief, he p'-esently grows enervated through the false comrade who has taken Truth's place ; he hys aside his sacred armour, is captured by Urgoglio, Antichris", proud giant, and is wellnigh cast away. At this point Una, who has gone through many troubles (so truth is triecr) in the search after her Knight, meets with Prince Arthur, in whom we may

INTRODUCTION. XV

recognise that spiritual help which succours man in his worst straits, when he can no longer help himself. Arthur slays the giant, and delivers the Knight from his dungeon.. After this spiritual deliverance, he falls into the gloomiest state of despond- ency, into the " Cave of Despair," and nearly ends his own life through consciousness of his failure and sinfulness. But Una saves him again, and carries him to the " House of Mercy," where after due spiritual discipline, all remnants of pride, all earthly tendencies, all stains contracted by his contact with the false one, are washed or burnt away ; and after a glimpse of a better world, he comes forth pure and chastened, and restored to his spiritual health, wearing once more the heavenly armour. Thus prepared and equipped, he encounters the grim Dragon, at last destroys the last enemy, and triumphs gloriously. Thus has he over- come the world, the flesh, and the devil ; and with his betrothal to Una the book ends.

This is the allegory of the human soul, winning its way by God's help to heaven, and in the power of the Gospel overcoming every spiritual foe. Let us now turn to the lower, or more concrete side of the talq, and we shall find that under the person- ages of the story Spenser signified certain living men and women, who were to him typical of the characteristics that have been drawn out above.

The Red Cross Knight, St. George, is the pattern Englishman ; he cannot be called by any one name ; nor is Una more than an abstract quality ; but the Faery Queene is^ QueenElizabeth, as . Spenser takes no small pains to let us know fT)uessaTrMarv_Queen of Scots, as we learn from a later Book ; by the giant Orgoglio is probably intended Philip II, King of Spain; Prince Arthur is Lord Leicester i. No doubt other names have their own mean- ings ; but these are all as to which we can feel any certainty, and conjecture is useless. Indeed those characters whose inten-

1 Holinshed, iii. p. 1426, describes the following scene, at the reception of Lord Leicester, so as to leave no doubt on this point. " Over the entrance of the court gate was placed aloft upon a scaffold, as it had beene in a cloud or skie, Arlbur-of Britaine, whom they compared to the Earle."

xvi INTR OD UCTTON.

tion we do know scarcely encourage us to search any further. There is a sad incongruity between Lord Leicester aad Prince Arthur which discourages any inquiry into the remaining per- sonages. This personal side to allegory must be a failure, and in the sixteenth century was little more than a vehicle for flattery. It adds something to the interest of the poem ; nothing to its excellence.

But not only in hidden meanings does the poet shew us the constructive and imaginative elements of his character, but in the manner and language in which he lays his thoughts before us. Now Spenser lived in a world of romance ; he had studied with delight the literature of chivalry and adventure, and was also living in the midst of that courtly tendency towards the romantic which characterized the latter years of Elizabeth's reign. It was one of the different reactions for which the period is noted. It was a reaction from the severity of the Queen's earlier years, and from the more primitive simplicity.^^ the first age of the Refor- mation. Naturally, then, Spenser threw his tale into an ancient form suitable to what Bishop Hurd calls his " Gothick style." He had an affinity for those older turns of expression, those more curious inflexions, which give the Faery Queene at first sight the appearance of having been written in an obsolete dia- lect. He chose the language which was dying out; and without any intention of writing in old English, looked always backwards, never forwards, in his choice of words and phrases. Nor should it be forgotten that he was protesting against the transition then going on in language, and against the affectations which were taking the place of thought and feeling. But, escaping from one form of ' Euphuism,' he fell into another ; until his archaisms be- came an affectation. Even to men of his own age his style seemed to be too antique. Daniel (Sonnet cxi.) says of him — " Let others sing of knights and palladines In aged accents and untimely words." A little later, Ben Jonson declares that " Spenser writ no language," In the eighteenth century the classical M'ritcrs could scarcely endure the uncouth forms. They looked in vain for the wigs

INTRODUCTION. xvii

and powder of their own time. Warton feels it to be a great drawback to the poem. Hughes published an edition much modernized : but it was reserved for * A Person of Quality' to publish a ' Spenser redivivus,' in which he succeeds in freeing the poet entirely from what he calls 'the Saxon dialect.' To the ingenious activity of such persons we probably owe the indifference to Spenser which has since prevailed.

A few examples will suffice to shew the sort of archaism to be met with in the Faery Queene. In constructions, we may mention the use of the impersonal verb without the usual pro- noun before it :— "sits not" = 'it sits not,' " seemed" = 'it seemed,' and the like, occur very frequently :— or again, the use of the double negative, "ne can no man:" — or "should" for 'would have,' as "should beare" for "would have borne.' As to forms or inflexions, we may notice among parts of verbs the p, p. >'^r«<^ = dreaded, ycladd = c\d.A, troden = ivod^Qn, ivoxen, p.p. of 'to wax;' the pret. /«^=led; ivot, pret. of 'to weet;' raft of 'to reave' = to bereave ; can = gan = began; raught = reached ; brast = burst. Again we find bene, been, for the modern ' are ;' mote = might ; and a variety of similar forms. Trenchand, glitterand, are pres. participles. There are also old plurals of nouns, as fone = foes, eyne or eyen = eyes. For ancient words, now obsolete, though not perhaps lost from the language in Spenser's time^ the Glossary at the end of this volume may be consulted.

It would be an interesting task to trace the gradual assimila- tion of French words into our language ; and the Faery Queene provides a large number of instances of transition. Thus in ed, 1590 we have 'ferse,' in 1596 'fierce;' 'perse,' 'persaunt' are nearer the French origin than ' pierce,' ' piercing ;' ' richesse,' ' noblesse,' ' humblesse,' are words not yet digested by our lan- guage; 'renverst,' 'esloyne,' 'covetise,' ' pourtrahed,' 'journall' ^for 'daily'), are all French forms; 'insupportable,' 'envy,' spirituall.' 'the tigre cruel,' are all in pronunciation nearer the French than the English. The language had thrown open ts doors, and these are some of the guests not yet naturalized.

While on this subject we must not omit to notice the Latinisms,

b

xvni INTRODUCTION.

and imitations of llio Italian, which meet us in every page. It was impossible that a writer of such keen sympathies as Spenser should avoid the influences of those books which he regarded as his models. The more marked instances will be pointed out in the Notes.

Another characteristic which tends to give an archaic feeling to the poem, is the use of alliteration, of which Spenser was particularly fond. It is a great feature of Early English poetry, as we see, for example, in the Vision of Piers Ploughman, or in the alliterative poems of the fourteenth century.

We cannot leave this part of the subject without noticing the Spenserian stanza. It is said to be a modification of the ' ottava rime' of Ariosto. But although this may be partly true, the long nine-lined stanza, ending with an Alexandrine, has an entirely independent character. Ariosto's verse runs rapidly on, answer- ing to the lively style of the poet, and his quick transitions : but Spenser's stanza, with occasional weaknesses, arising from its greater length, has a melody, a dignity, and weight, which suit his manner of handling his subject and the gravity of his mind. It may be fairly said to be all his own, and to have been accepted at his hands by poets ever since. How many English poets of name have written, often written their best, in the Spenserian stanza !

We have mentioned Ariosto ; it is time we took brief notice of the sources whence Spenser drew the materials which he worked up into the P^aery Queene. Homer and Virgil, whose influence can often be seen in the turn of expression and in the illustrations employed, we will pass over. From Chaucer he drev. largely; though, as has been said, Chaucer painted persons Spenser qualities. Still we see the influence of the Father of English poetry, which Spenser himself willingly acknowledged, in every part of his m ritings. He was also well read in the ol(l romances. We can trace the Morte d'Arthur in the descrip- tion of Prince Arthur ; the twelve Knights of the Faery Queene are modelled after the Seven Champions of Christendom ; am from Sir Bevis of Hampton ho has drawn a great part of hi;

INTR OD UCTTON. XIX

account of the contest between the Red Cross Knight and the Dragon. It is from these romances that what we may term the ' properties' of the poem are taken : the Hon, the enchanted horn, the diamond shield, the sacred well, are all to be found in them. He may sometimes take a scene from the classical poets, as, for example, the bleeding trees ; and he may draw upon the classical mythologies for his furniture of illustration ; but he treats these subjects in an independent and romantic, rather than in a classical manner. There is nothing, however, so striking as the relation in which the F'aery Queene stands to the two great Italian poets of the time, Ariosto and Tasso. Although Spenser borrowed very largely from the latter, to the extent of almost translating whole scenes, still there can be no doubt that he owed more to the former ; for he was drawn towards the natural and fresh mind of Ariosto. The " poet of conduct and decorum," the semi-classical Tasso, the delight of the eighteenth-century critics, could not have so much real influence over him. It has been rightly re- marked that Spenser drew literal imitations from Chaucer, artificial fictions from Ariosto : that is, forms of expression may be found in abundance which are to be traced to the English poet, while such creations as Archimago and Duessa come from the Italian.

Wh^n_theFaery Queenejirst appeared, the whole_of_England ■seems to hnvp~"Rppn moved by it. No such poet had arisen in this country for nearly two hundred years. Since Chaucer and the author of Piers Ploughman there had been no great poem. The fifteenth century had been almost a blank, the darkest period of our literary annals ; the earlier part of the sixteenth had been occupied with great theological questions, which had engrossed men's minds till the long reign of Elizabeth gave stability to the Reformation in England, and the first fervour of the Church writers subsided. The tone of society was favourable to a work which, with a strong theological element in it, still dealt with feats of chivalry and heroes of romance. The English mind was filled with a sense of poetry yet unexpressed. Great deeds, great discoveries, and men of capacity moving among them, had roused the spirit of the nation. The people were proud of

b 2

XX INTRODUCTION.

their Queen and their freedom ; the new aristocracy was just feeling its strength ; it was a time of most varied life. Nothing was wanted but a great poem to express the universal desire; and Spenser first and then Shakespeare appeared, to fulfil the national instinct. Drayton, Fletcher (in his " Purple Island"), Milton, and perhaps Bunyan, shew in their writings the effect of our poet's genius. After the Restoration his influence cannot be so easily traced. Between 1650 and 1750 there are but few notices of him, and very few editions of his works. After 1750 there was a revived interest in his poetry; and between 1751 and 1758 no fewer than four diflferent editions appeared. The classicists of the period treated Spenser as an ancient to be handled accord- ing to the then popular principles of classical criticism. Warton, Church, Hughes, Spence, and the like, found innumerable faults. They tried him by their own standard, and, as a classic, he was sorely deficient. Bishop Hurd at last appeared as his champion, and pointed out to an astonished age that the ' Gothick' poet could not be judged upon classical principles. And so the attack upon him for his inaccurate use of allegories, of mythologies, of metaphors, for his ' strong writing,' which off'ended the taste of a fastidious and dissolute age, came at last to an end, — and Spenser returned into comparative oblivion. His position was assured, but his works have had little attention paid to them during the last century. Of late years there have been symptoms of a revived interest, which it is hoped that the present little volume may help forward.

This specimen of his works, the First Book of the Faery Queene, is intended to give students in English literature some notion of the style and manner of the poet. The text is printed from a new collation of the editions of 1590 and 1596, the latter being chiefly followed. Where however in these two editions, both published under the author's eye, a difference in ortho- graphy occurs, that spelling is usually followed which is the more modern of the two : for this volume only aims at a text useful to the student of English literature. For the same reason the punctuation of the edition of 1596 is departed from, wherever

INTRODUCTION. xxi

it is wrong. Here and tliere a few stanzas have been omitted, as not suitable for an edition intended for purposes of education ; the omissions are marked with asterisks. After the text of the volume will be found Notes, explaining the historical and other allusions, or pointing out grammatical peculiarities, or giving references to the passages which Spenser seems to have imitated. And at the end of all is a Glossary, in which most philological questions arising from our author's language are discussed. The student is requested to look for the solution of any difficulty or obscurity that may arise from the use of obsolete words, or of words employed in senses not now current, in the Glossary, not in the Notes ; from which all philological matter has been as far as possible excluded.

If it be asked. How should this little volume be studied, so as to obtain the greatest amount of good from a familiarity with Spenser's masterpiece ? I reply that the teacher, who sets the book before the young, will remember that his pupil may benefit by it in four ways at least.

1 . By obtaining an insight into the genius of a great poet, and thereby purifying and ennobling his taste, as well as exercising his imagination. This is the first lesson to be learnt — the training of the poetic faculty.

2. Next, the teacher will find in it plentiful texts on which to hang historical instruction ; and what period of the history of England is so likely to arouse a boy's sympathies and interest as the latter half of the sixteenth century ?

3. Then, from the peculiarities of its language, it is well suited to teach learners to look carefully into the meaning of words, the forms of inflexion, and the construction of sentences in their mother-tongue.

4. Lastly, from the singularly clear and vivid descriptions of human qualities contained in the book, from the pictures of true nobility of soul in man and woman, and from the opposite views of the intrinsic baseness and misery of selfishness and vice, the student may learn lessons of religious and moral truth, of no small value at that time of life at which education ought to

xxn INTRODUCTION.

set before the young and fervent imagination the beauty and chivalrous elevation of what is good, and the degradation of evil. Let us welcome whatever tends to turn into right channels the boy's sense of honour, and instinctive preferences for what is gallant and truthful.

In speaking of Spenser, Milton did not hesitate to call him "a better teacher than Scotus or Aquinas ^ " — a better philosopher, a purer moralist, than either one or other of the leaders of scholastic lore ; — and we may re-echo his words without offence, when we say that a young student is as likely to gain a vivid conception of duty and virtue from his pages as from those works which deal in a more exact manner with the moral constitution of man's nature. Herejthe_qualities and actions of man are set before us in their living forms ; the genius ofJJi£_Bpet carries us along with him, we~personify with him^ we ^nact the scenes which jaint the victory of Good over the monster Dragon of Evil.

And so we commend to our readers the allegory of Morality and Faith, the epic of the struggles and triumph of Truth.

G. W. K.

Oxford, 1867.

In the Second Edition the text had the great advantage of the oversight of the Rev. W. H. Bliss, M.A. I hope we have thus secured as close an agreement, in spelling, &c., between the two Books, as, in the nature of the case, could be attained to.

G. W. K.

A New Glossary has been written for the present edition by the Rev. A. L. Mayhew, M.A., of Wadham College.

Oxford, 1896.

' In his Areopagltica, or Speech on Unlicensed rriiiting.

TO

THE MOST HIGH, NflGHTIE. AND MAGNIFICENT

EMPERESSE

RENOWNED FOR PIETIE, VERTVE, AND ALL GRATIOVS GOVERNMENT

ELIZABETH

^ BY THE CRACK OF GOD

^ufciu of (^nghmb, <4i-r;i(mtf, nnh Irchmi), anit of IHrginia ^£f£ub«r of i)^t <#aiflj ttt.

HER MOST HUMBLE SERVAUNT

EDMVND SPENSER

DOTH IN ALL HUMILITIE DEDICATE, PRESENT, AND CONSECRATE

THESE HIS LABOVRS

TO LIVE WITH THE ETERNITIE OF HER FAME.

TABLE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS.

AT HOME. A.D.

Edmi/tid Spenser born (about) 1552 Edward VI dies; M.iry crowned 1553

Mary dies; .Elizabeth crowned 155S

Elizabeth helps the Netherlands 1578 Spenser publishes hisjirst work,

the Shepheards Calender 1579 Spenser goe^ to Ireland . 1580

Drake sails round the world 1585 Lord Leicester goes to the

Netherlands . . „

Death of Sir P. Sidney . 1586 Mary Queen of Scots executed 15S7 Defeat of the Spanish Armada 1588 Lord Leicester dies . . „

Charles V transfers his king- doms to his son Philip II 1556 Charles V resigns the Imperial Crown ; Ferdinand I Em- peror .... 1558 Charles IX King of France 1560 Council of Trent closes . 1563 Maximilian II Emperor ^b^\

Capture of Brill by the Ne-

therland patriots , . 15 7 2

Gregory XIII Pope . „

The St. Bartholomew Mas- sacre .... ,, Charles IX dies; Henry III

crowned . . . 1574

Rodolph II Emperor . 1576

Tasso's Gierusalemme Li- berata published . . 1581

William the Silent assassi- nated .... 1584

Sixtus V Pope . . 1585

TABLE OF HISTORICAL EVENTS.

Sir W. Raleigh in Ireland . 15S9

Spenser publishes the Faery Queene, Books I-III . 1590

Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis . . . 1 593

Hooker publishes the Ecclesi- astical Polity, Books I-IV „

Spenser's Faery Queene, 2nd ed., containing Booh I-VI 1596

Shakespeare's earlier plays

brought out by . . 1597

Bacon publishes his Essays „

Spenser dies in Westminster 1599

Henry III assassinated; Henry IV succeeds . . 1589

Edict of Nantes Philip III

1598

A LETTER OF THE AUTHORS

Expounding his tvhole inlention in the course of this worke : which for that

it giveth great light to the reader, for the better understanding

is hereunto annexed.

To the Right Nohle and Valorous

SIR WALTER RALEIGH, Knight,

LO: WARDEIN OF THE STANNERIES, AND HER MAIESTIES LIEUTENAUNT OF THE COUNTIE OF CORNEWAYLL.

Sir, Knowing how doubtfully all Allegories may be construed, and this booke of mine, which I have entituled Tbe Faery Queene, being a continued Allegoric, or darke conceit, I have thought good, as well for avoyding of jealous opinions and misconstructions, as also for your better light in reading thereof, (being so by you commanded) to discover unto you the eenerall intention and meaning, which in the whole course thereof I have fashioned,

therein occasionedU" TJie generall end therefore of all the booke. is to fashion a gentleman or noble person in vertuous and gentle discipline. Which for that I conceived shoulde be most plausible and pleasing, beeing coloured with an historicall fiction, the which the most part of men ^Ij^ht to read, rather for varietie of matter than for profit of the ensample : I chose the historic of king Arthure, as most fit for the excellencie of his person, beeing made famous by many mens former workes, and also furthest from the danger of envie, and suspicion of present

XXVI I,ETTER TO

time. In which I have followed all the antique poets historicall: first Homer, who in the persons of Agamemnon and Ulysses hath ensampled a good governour and a vertuous man, the one in his Ilias, the other in his Odysseis : then Virgil, whose like intention was to doe in the person of ^neas : after him Ariosto comprised them both in his Orlando: and lately Tasso dissevered them agaiiie, and formed both parts in two persons, namely, that part which they in philosophy call Ethice, or vertues of a private man, coloured in his Rinaldo : the other named Politice, in his Godfredo.'pBy ensample of Avhich excellent Poets, I labour to pourtraict in Arthure, before he was king, the image of a brave knight, perfected in the twelve private morall vertues, as Aristotle hath devised; the which is the purpose of these first twelve bookes : M'hich if I finde to be well accepted, I may be perhaps encoraged to frame the other part of poUitike vertues in his person, after he came to bee king.

To some I know this Methode will seem displeasant, which had rather have good discipline delivered plainly in way of precepts, or sermoned at large, as they use, then thus clowdily enwrapped in Allegoricall devises. But such, mee seeme, should be satisfied with the use of these dayes, seeing all things accounted by their showes, and nothing esteemed of, that is not delightfull and pleasing to common sense. For this cause is Xenophon preferred before Plato, for that the one, in the exquisite depth of his judgement, formed a Conununc-wealth, such as it should be ; but the other, in the person of Cyrus and the Persians, fashioned a government, such as might best be : So much more prQfitable_anA.gi:a£ioj.is_ iaJuilrij3£_by- £nsau:43le^lh 3 So have I laboured to doe in the person of Arthm-e : whom 1 conceive, after his long education by Timon (to whom he was by Merlin delivered to be brought up, so soone as he was borne of the Lady Igrayne) to have scene in a dreame or vision the Faerie Queene, with whose excellent beautie ravished, hee awaking, i-esolved to secke her out : and so, being by Merlin armed, and by Timon throughly instructed, he went to seeke her forth in Faery land. In that Faery ()ueene I^ iiieane ^ory

SIR WALTER RALEIGH. XXVll

in my generall intention : but in niy particular I conceive the most excellent and glorious personj2f-QUr...spyeraine the Queene, and her kingdome in Faery land. And yet, in some places else, I doe otherwise shadow her. For considering shee beareth two persons, the one of a most royall Queene or Empresse, the other of a most vertuous and beautifull lady, this latter part in some places I doe expresse in Belphoebe, fashioning her name accord- ing to your owne excellent conceipt of Cynthia, (Phoebe and *, Cynthia being both names of Diana.) So in the person of Prince Arthure I sette forth Magnificence in particular, which vertue, for that (according to Aristotle and the rest) it is the perfecjtion of all the rest, and containeth in it them all, therefore in the whole course I mention the deeds of Arthure appliable to that vertue, which I write of in that booke. L^But of the twelve other vertues 1 make xii. other knights the patrons, for the jnore vaggtie qf the historic : Of which these three bookes containe three. The first, of the Knight of the Redcrosse, in whom 1 expresse Holinesse : the second of Sir Guyon, in whome I set foorth Temperance : the third of Britomartis, a Lady knight, in whom I picture Chastitie. But because yi£j)gaiimng. of the whole worke seemeth abrupt and as depending upon other nntpppHpnts, if nppds that yee know the occasion of these v three knights. 5.e.v,ei:aU.ailY£lltures. For the Methode of aPoeH^ historicall is not such as of an Historiographer. For an His- toriographer discourseth of affaires orderly as they were done, -^ accounting as well the times as the actions; but a Poet thrusteth ^^C into the middest, even where it most concerneth him, and there recoursing to the things forepast, and divining of things to come, ^ maketh a pleasing analysis of all. TJie b^^nrygg therefore of {^^^ ^ my historic, if it were to be told by an Historiographer, should be the twelfth booke, which is the last ; where I devise that the Faery Queene kept her annuall feast twelve dales ; uppon which twelve severall dayes, the occasions of the twelve severall adven- tures hapned, which being undertaken by xii. severall knights, are in these twelve books severally handled and discoursed.

The first was this. In the beginning of the feast, there pre- •1

XXVlll LETTER TO

sented him selfe a tall clownish younge man, who falling before the Queene of Faeries desired a boone (as the manner then was) which during that feast she might not refuse : which was that hee might have the atchievement of any adventure, which during that feast should happen ; that being granted, he rested him selfe on the floore, unfit through his rusticitie for a better place. Soone after entred a faire Ladie in mourning weedes, riding on a white Asse, with a dwarfe behind her leading a warlike steed, that bore the Armes of a knight, and his speare in the dwarfes hand. She falling before the Queene of Faeries, complayned that her father and mother, an ancient King and Queene, had bene by an huge dragon many yeers shut up in a brazen Castle, who thence suffered them not to issew : and therefore besought the Faery Queene to assigne her some one of her knights to take on him that exployt. Presently that clownish person upstarting, desired that adventure; whereat the Queene much wondering, and the Lady much gaine-saying, yet he earnestly importuned his desire. In the end the Lady told him, that unlesse that armour which she brought would serve him (that is, the armour of a Christian man specified by Saint Paul, v. Ephes.) that he could not succeed in that enterprise: which being forth-with put upon him with due furnitures thereunto, he seemed the goodliest man in al that company, and was well liked of the Lady. And eftesoones taking on him knighthood, and mounting on that straunge Courser, he went forth with her on that adventure : where beginneth the first booke, viz.

A gentle knight was pricking on the playne, &:c.

The second day there came in a Palmer bearing an Infant with bloody hands, whose Parents he complained to have bene slaine by an enchauntresse called Acrasia : and therefore craved of the Faery Queene, to appoint him some knight to performe that adventure, which being assigned to Sir Guyon, he presently went foorth with that same Palmer: which is the beginning of the second booke and the whole subject thereof. The third day there came in a Groome, who complained before the Faery

SIR WALTER RALEIGH. xxix

Queene, that a vile Enchaunter, called Busirane, had in hand a most faire Lady, called Amoretta, whom he kept in most grievous torment. Whereupon Sir Scudamour, the lover of that Lady, presently tooke on him that adventure. But beeing unable to performe it by reason of the hard Enchauntments, after long sorrow, in the end met with Britomartis, who succoured him, and reskewed his love.

But by occasion hereof, many other adventures are intermedled ;|l but rather as accidents then intendments. As the love of Brito- mart, the overthrow of Marincll, the miserie of Florimell, the vertuousnesse of Belphoebe ; and many the like.

Thus much, Sir, I have briefly over-run to direct your under- standing to the wel-head of the History, that from thence gathering the whole intention of the conceit, ye may as in ai» handfull gripe all the discourse, which otherwise may happely seemM tedious and confused. So hiunbly craving the continuance ot your honourable favour towards nie, and th' eternall establishment of your happines, I humbly take leave.

Yours most humbly affectionate,

EDM. SPENSER.

23 Liiiuarie, 1589.

7o the Right Noble and Valorous Knight,

SIR WALTER RALEIGH,

Lord Wardein of the Stanneryes, and Lieftenaunt of Cornewaile,

To thee that art the sommers Nightingale, Thy soveraigne Goddesses most deare delight, Why doe I send this rustick Madrigale, That may thy tunefull eare unseason quite ?

Thou onely fit this argument to write

In whose high thoughts Pleasure hath built her bowre, And dainty Love learnd sweetly to endite. My rimes I know unsavory and sowre,

To taste the streames, that, like a golden showre, Flow from thy fruitfull head, of thy Loves praise ; Fitter perhaps to thunder martiall stowrc, When so thee list thy loftie Muse to raise:

Yet, till that thou thy poeme wilt make knowne.

Let thy faire Cinthias praises be thus rudely showne.

E. S.

THE FIRST BOOKE OF

THE FAERY QUEENE

CONTAYNING

of tije Hnfgljt of ti)c 3aeO ©roggc, or of pJoUne^ge.

man, whose^I

1 Lo I the man, whbse'-Muse whilome did maske, As time her taught, in lowly Shepheards weeds, Am now enforst, a far unfitter taske,

For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine oaten reeds. And sing of knights and ladies gentle deeds; Whose praises having slept in silence long, Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds To blazon broade emongst her learned throng: Fierce warres and faithfull loves shall moralize my song.

2 Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of nine, Thy weaker novice to performe thy will ; Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryne

The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still, Of Faerie knights and fairest Tanaquill, Whom that most noble Briton prince so long Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill. That I must rue his undeserved wrong : O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

B

THE FAERY QUEENE.

3 And thou most dreaded impe of highest Jove, Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart At that good knight so cunningly didst rove, That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,

Lay now thy deadly heben bow apart, And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde ; Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart, In loves and gentle jollities arrayd. After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd. .

4 And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright, Mirrour of grace and majestic divine,

Great Lady of the greatest isle, whose light Like Phoebus lampe throughout the world doth shine, Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne. And raise my thoughts, too humble and too vile, To thinke of that true glorious type of thine. The argument of mine afflicted stile : The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dread, a while.

CANTO I.

The patron of tr^te Holinesse

foxde Errour dolb defeate ; HypQcrisie him to entrappe

doth to his home entreate.

1 A GENTLE Knight was pricking on the plaine, Ycladd in niightie amies and silver shielde, Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine, The cruel markes of many a bloudy fielde;

Yet armes till that time did he never wield :*" His angry steede did chide his foming bitt, As much disdayning to the curbe to yield : Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt, As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

2 And on his brest a bloudie crosse he bore, The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,

For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead as living ever him ador'd : Upon his shield the like was also scor'd, For soveraine hope, which in his heipe he had : Right faithful 1 true he was in deede and word. But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad ; Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.

3 Upon a great adventure he was bond, That greatest Gloriana to him gave,

That greatest glorious Queene of Faerie lond. To winne him worship, and her grace to have, Which of all earthly things he most did crave ; And ever as he rode, his hart did earne To prove his puissance in battell brave Upon his foe, and his new force to learne ; ^., Upon his foe, a dragon horrible and stearne. \.

B 2

4 THE FAERV QUEENS.

4 A lovely ladle rode him faire beside, Upon a lowly asse more white then snow, Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide Under a vele, that wimpled was full low, And over all a blacke stole she did throw. As one that inly mournd : so was she sad, And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow: Seemed in heart some hidden care she had.

And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.

5 So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and every vertuous lore, And by descent from royall lynage came

Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore Their scepters stretcht from east to westerne shore, And all the world in their subjection held;

,_ Till that infernall feend with foule uprore Forwasted all their land, and them expeld;

Whom to avenge, she had this knight from far compeld.

6 Behind her farre away a dwarfe did lag, That lasie seemd in being ever last.

Or wearied with bearing of her bag Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past, The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast, i And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine Did poure into his lemans lap so fast. That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain. And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.

7 Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand, A shadie grove not farr away they spide, — - That promist ayde the tempest to withstand: Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide, Not perceable \vith power of any starre :

And all within were pathes and alleies wide, With footing worne, and leading inward farre : ^ Faire harbour that them seems; so in they entred arrc.

CANTO I. 7

8 And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward lecjJ, joying to heare the birdes sweete harmony, Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred, Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky. Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy, The sayHng pine, the cedar proud and tall,

The vine-prop elme, the poplar never dry. The builder oake, sole king of forrests all, The aspine good for staves, the cypresse funerall,

9 The laurell, meed of mightie conquerours And poets sage, the firre that weepeth still,

_, The willow worne of forlorne paramours, The eugh obedient to the benders will, The birch for shaftes, the sallow for the mill. The mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound, The warlike beech, the ash for nothing ill, The fruitful olive, and the platane round. The carver holme, the maple seeldom inward sound.

10 Led with delight, they thus beguile the way, Untill the blustring storme is overblowne ; When weening to returne, .whence they did stray,

\ They cannot find that path, Hvhich first was showne, But wander too and fro in wayes unknowne. Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene, That makes them doubt their wits be not their owne: So many pathes, so many turnings seene. That which of them to take in diverse doubt they been.

1 1 At last resolving forward still to fare.

Till that some end they finde or in or out, That path they take, that beaten seemd most bare, And like to lead the labyrinth about : Which when by tract they hunted had throughout, At length it brought them to a hollow cave Amid the thickest woods. The champion stout Eftsoones dismounted from his courser brave, And to the dwarfe awhile his needlesse spere he gave.

4 THE FAERY QUEENE.

12 Be well aware, quoth then that ladie milde,

^ Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash provoke : \ The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde, Breedes dreadfull doubts : Oft fire is without smoke. And perill without show : therefore your stroke, Sir knight, with-hold, till further triall made. Ah ladie, (said he) shame were to revoke The forward footing for an hidden shade : Vertue gives her selfe light, through darkenesse for to wade.

13 Yea but (quoth she) the perill of this place 1 better wot then you, though now too late To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace, Yet wisedome warnes, whilest foot is in the gate,

' To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate. ~~~\ This is the wandring wood,\this Errours den, ) A monster vile, whom God and man does hateT Theiefore I read beware. Fly fly (quoth then The fearefull dwarfe) this is no place for living men.

14 But full of fire and greedy hardiment,

The youthfull knight could not for ought be staidc, But forth unto the darksome hole he went, / And looked in : his glistring armor made - A litle glooming light, much like a shade, ^ \^ ' By which he saw the ugly monster plaine, __ yJ'^ Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,

t^ But th' other halfe did womans shape retainc.

Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.

15 And as she lay upon the durtie ground, Her huge long taile her den all overspred,

Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound, Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred A thousand yong ones,\ which she dayly fed, Sucking upon her poisnous dugs, eachone Of sundry shapes, yet all ill favored : Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone. Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all Mere gone.

CANTO I. 7

1 6 Their dam upstart, out of her den effraide, And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile About her cursed head, whose folds displaid

Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile. She lookt about, and seing one in mayle. Armed to point, sought backe to turne againe ; For light she hated as the deadly bale,*^' Ay wont in desert darknes to remaine, Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.

17 Which when the valiant Elfe perceiv'd, he lept As lyon fierce upon the flying pray,

And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept From turning backe, and forced her to stay : Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray, And turning fierce, her speckled taile advaunst, Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay : Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst : The stroke down from her head unto her shoulder glaunst. '^^

1 8 Much daunted with that dint her sence was dazd ; Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round, And all attonce her beastly body raizd

With doubled forces high above the ground ; Tho wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd, Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine All suddenly about his body wound, That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine : God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.

19 His lady sad to see his sore constraint,

Cride out. Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee, Add faith unto your force, and be not faint : Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee. That when he heard, in great perplexitie. His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine. And knitting all his force got one hand free, Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine. That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine. \

8 THE FAERY QJTEENE

20 Therewith she spewd out of her filthy maw A floud of poyson horrible and blacke,

Full of great lumps of flesh and gobbets raw, Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slacke His grasping hold, and from her turne him backe : Her vomit full of bookes and papers was. With ■ loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke, And creeping sought way in the weedy, gras : Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has.

21 As when old father Nilus gins to swell With timely pride above the Aegyptian vale, His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell, And overflow each plaine and lowly dale : But, when his later spring gins to avale,

Huge heapes of mudd he leaves, wherin there breed Ten thousand kindes of creatures, partly male And partly female, of his fruitful seed ; Such ugly monstrous shapes elswhere may no man reed.

22 The same so sore annoyed has the knight. That welnigh choked with the deadly stinkc. His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.

Whose corage when the feend perceiv'd to shrinke, She poured forth out of her hellish sinke Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small, Deformed monsters, fowle, and blacke as inke, Which swarming all about his legs did crall. And him encombred sore, but could not hurt at all.

23 As gentle shepheard in sweete even-tide, When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west, High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide, Markes which doe byte their hasty supper best, A cloud of combrous gnattes doe him molest, All striving to infixe their feeble stinges.

That from their noyance he no where can rest,

But with his clownish hands their tender wings

He brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murnun-ings.

CANTO J. g

24 Thus ill bestedd, and fearefiill more of shame Then of the certeine perill he stood in, Halfe furious unto his foe he came, Resolv'd in minde all suddenly to win,

Or soone to lose, before he once would lin ; And stroke at her with more then manly force, That from her body full of filthie sin He raft her hateful! head without remorse j: A streame of cole black bloud forth gushed from her corse. \ r\\^

25 Her scattred brood, soone as their parent dearc They saw so rudely falling to the ground, Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare Gathred themselves about her body round, Weening their wonted entrance to have found At her wide mouth : but being there withstood They flocked all about her bleeding wound, ., And sucked up their dying mothers bloud, ''''

Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good.

26 That detestable sight him much amazde,

To see th' unkindly impes, of heaven accurst, Devoure their dam ; on whom while so he gazd, Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst. Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst, \ And bowels gushing forth : well worthy end Of such, as drunke her life, the which them nurst ; Now needeth him no lenger labour spend, His foes have slaine themselves, with whom he should contend. ■»-

27 His lady seeing all that chaunst from farre Approcht in hast to greet his victorie.

And saide, Faire knight, borne under happy starre. Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye: Well worthie be you of that armory. Wherein ye have great glory wonne this day, And proov'd your strength on a strong enimie, Your first adventure : many such I pray. And henceforth ever wish that like succeed it may.

lO THE FAERV QIJEENE.

28 Then mounted he upon his steede againe, And with the lady backward sought to wend ; That path he kept, which beaten was most plaine, Ne ever would to any by-way bend, But still did follow one unto the end. The which at last out of the wood them brought.) So forward on his way (with God to frcnd)

He passed forth, and new adventure sought ; Long way he travailed, before he heard of ought.

29 At length they chaunst to meet upon the way An aged_sixe, in long blacke weedes yclad, His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie gray, And by his belt his booke he hanging had ; Sober he seemde, and very sagely sad,

And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent, Simple in shew, and voide of malice bad. And all the way he prayed, as he went. And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.

30 He faire the knight saluted, louting low, Who faire him quited, as that courteous was: And after asked him, if he did know

— > Of straunge adventures, which abroad did pasr- Ah my dear sonne (quoth he) how should, alas, Silly old man, that lives in hidden cell, Bidding his beades all day for his trespas, Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell ?

With holy father sits not with such things to mell.

31 But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell, And homebred evil ye desire to heare,

, Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,

That wasteth all this countrey farre and neare.

Of such (said he) I chiefly do inquere ;

And shall you well reward to shew the place,

In which that wicked wight his dayes doth weare :

For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace.

That such a cursed creature lives so long a space.

CANTO I.

32 Far hence (quoth he) in wastfull wildernesse His dwelling is, by which no living wight May ever passe, but thorough great distresse. Now (sayd the lady) draweth toward night, And well I wote, that of your later fight

, Ye all forwearied be : for what so strong,

* But wanting rest will also want of might ? The sunne that measures heaven all day long,

At night doth baite his steedes the ocean waves emong.

33 Then with the sunne take. Sir, your timelyi rest, \ And with new day new worke at once begin : Untroubled night they say gives counsell best. Right well. Sir knight, ye have advised bin, (Quoth then that aged man) the way to win

Is wisely to advise : now day is spent ; Therefore with me ye may take up your in For this same night. The knight was well content So with that godly father to his home they went. -.

34 A little lowly hermitage it was, Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side. Far from resort of people, that did pas In travell to and froe: a Httle wyde

vThere was an holy chappell edifyde, "|

• Wherein the hermite dewly wont to say His holy things each morne and eventyde : Thereby a christall streame did gently play,

Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.

35 Arrived there, the little house they fill,

Ne looke for entertainement, where none was : Rest is their feast, and all thinges at their will ; The noblest mind the best contentment has. With faire discourse the evening so they pas : For that olde man of pleasing wordes had store, And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas, He told of saintes and popes, and evermore He strowd an Ave-Mary after and before.

12 THE FAERY QUE EN E.

36 The drouping night thus creepeth on them fast, And the sad humour loading their eye liddes,

— As messenger of Morpheus, on them cast

Sweet slombring deaw, the which to sleene them biddes. Unto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes: Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes, He to' this studie goes, and there amiddes His magick bookes, and artes of sundry, kindes. He seeks out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy mindes.

37 Then choosing out few words most horrible, (Let none them read) thereof did verses frame, With which and other spelles like terrible,

■^- He bad awake blacke Plutoes griesly dame,

And cursed heaven, and spake reprochfull shame Of highest God, the Lord of life and light ; ^A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by name

— Great Gorgon, Prince of darknesse and dead night. At which Cocytus quakes, and Styx is put to flight.

38 And forth he cald out of deepe darknesse dred Legions of Sprights, the which like little flyes, Fluttring about his ever damned hed,

Awaite whereto their service he applyes, To aide his friends, or fray his enimies : Of those he chose out two, the falsest twoo, And fittest for to forge true-seeming lyes ; The one of them he gave a message too, The other by himselfe staide other worke to doo.

39 He making speedy way through spersed ayre. And through the world of waters wide and deepe, To Morpheus house doth hastily repaire.

Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,

And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,

— His dwelling is; there Tethys his wet bed

•^ Doth ever wash, and Cynthia still doth steepe

In silver deaw his ever-drouping hed, Whiles sad night over him her mantle black doth spred.

CANTO I. 13

40 Whose double gates he findeth locked fast, The one faire fram'd of burnisht yvory, The other all with silver overcast ;

And wakeful dogges before them farre do lye, Watching to banish Care their enimy, Who oft is wont to trouble gentle Sleepe. By them the sprite doth passe in quietly, ^ And unto Morpheus comes, whom drowned deepe In drowsie fit he findes : of nothing he takes keepe.

41 And more, to luUe him in his slumber soft,

A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe, And ever-drizling raine upon the loft, Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne Of swarming bees, did cast him in a swowne: No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes, As still are wont t' annoy the walled towne, Might there be heard : but carelesse Qiiiet lyes, Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enemyes.

42 The messenger approching to him spake. But his wast wordes returnd to him in vaine ;

So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake. Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine. Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake. As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake, He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.

43 The sprite then gan more boldly him to wake. And threatned unto him the dreaded name

Of Hecate : whereat he gan to quake. And, lifting up his lumpish head, with blame Halfe angry asked him^ for what he came. Hither (quoth he) me Archimago^^sent, He that the stubbome sprites can wisely tame, He bids thee to him send for his intent A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.

14 THE FA ERF QUEENE.

44 The God obayde, and, calling forth straightway A diverse dreame out of his prison darke, Delivered it to him, and downe did lay

His heavie head, devoide of careful carke, Whose sences all were straight benumbd and starke He backe returning by the yvor]e_dore, 'xtMJ. Remounted up as light as chearefull larke; And on his litle winges the dreame he bore In hast unto his lord, where he him left afore.

45 Who all this while with charmes and hidden artes Had made a lady of that other spright,

And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender partes ■ So lively and so like in all mens sight.

That weaker sence it could have ravisht quight: The makers selfe, for all his wondrous witt, Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight : Her all in white he clad, and over it Cast a black stole, most like to seeme for Una tit.

46 Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought, Unto that elfin knight he bad him fly.

Where he slept soundly void of evil thought, And with false shewes abuse his fantasy; In sort as he him schooled privily. And that new creature, borne without her dew. Full of the makers guile, with usage sly He taught to imitate that lady trew. Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew.

15

CANTO II.

The guile/ull great E?ichaunter parts

the Redcrosse Knight from Truth : Into whose stead /aire Falshood steps,

and ivorkes him woefiill ruth.

1 By this the northerne wagoner had set

His sevenfold teme behind the stedfast starre That was in ocean waves yet never wet, But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre To all that in the wide deepe wandring arre : And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill Had warned once, that Phoebus fiery carre In hast was climbing up the easterne hill. Full envious that night so long his roome did fill.

2 When those accursed messengers of hell,

That feigning dreame, and that faire-forged spright, Came to their wicked maister, and gan tell Their bootelesse paines, and ill-succeeding night : Who all in rage to see his skilfull might Deluded so, gan threaten hellish paine And sad Proserpines wrath, them to affright. But, when he saw his threatning was but vaine. He cast about, and searcht his baleful bookes againe.

* * -X- * * *

7 Now when the rosy-fingred morning faire, Weary of aged Tithones saff'ron bed, Had spread her purple robe through deawy aire, And the high hils Titan discovered, The royall virgin shooke off drowsy-hed ; And, rising forth out of her baser bowre, -,J Lookt for her knight, who far away was fled,;^ And for her dwarfe, that wont to waite each houre:

Then gan she waile and weepe to see that woeful! stowre.

1 6 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

8 And after him she rode with so much speede As her slow beast could make ; but all in vaine : For him so far had borne his light-foot steede^ Pricked with wrath and fiery fierce disdaine, That him to follow was but fi-uitlesse paine; Yet she her weary limbes would never rest, But every hil and dale, each wood and plaine. Did search, sore grieved in her gentle brest.

He so ungently left her, whom she loved best.

9 But subtill Archimago, when his guests He saw divided into double parts,

And Una wandring in woods and forrests, Th' end of his drift, he praisd his divelish arts, That had such might over true meaning harts: Yet rests not so, but other meanes doth make, How he may worke unto her further smarts : For her he hated as the hissing snake. And in her many troubles did most pleasure take.

10 He then devisde himselfe how to disguise ; For by his mighty science he could take

As many formes and shapes in seeming wise, __ As ever Proteus to himselfe could make : Sometime a fowle, sometime a fish in lake, Now like a foxe, now like a dragon fell, That of himselfe he ofte for feare would quake, And oft would flie away. O who can tell The hidden power of herbes, and might of magicke spell?

11 But now seemde best the person to put on Of that good knight, his late beguiled guest : In mighty armes he was yclad anon.

And silver shield, upon his coward brest A bloudy crosse, and on his craven crest A bounch of haires discolourd diversly. ! Full jolly knight he seemde, 'and well addrest. And when he sate upon his courser free, Saint George himself ye would have deemed him to be.

CANTO II. 17

12 But he the knight, whose semblaunt he did bearc, The true Saint George, was wandred far away, Still flying from his thoughts and gealous feare ; Will was his guide, and griefe led him astray.

At last him chaunst to meete upon the way A faithlesse Sarazin all arm'd to point, In whose great shield was writ with letters gay ^ Sans foy : full large of limbe and every joint He was, and cared not for God or man a point.

13 Hee had a faire companion of his way, A goodly lady clad in scarlot red, Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay, And like a Persian mitre on her hed

1 Shee wore, with crowns and owches garnished, The which her lavish lovers to her gave; Her wanton palfrey all was overspred With tinsell trappings, woven like a wave. Whose bridle rung with golden bels and bosses brave.

14 With faire disport and courting dalliaunce, She intertainde her lover all the way:

But when she saw the knight his speare advaunce. She soone left off her mirth and wanton play, And bad her knight addresse him to the fray: His foe was nigh at hand. He prickt with pride And hope to winne his ladies hearte that day, Forth spurred fast: adowne his coursers side The red bloud trickling staind the way, as he did ride.

15 The knight of the Redcrosse when him he spide Spurring so hote with rage dispiteous,

Gan fairely couch his speare, and towards ride: Soone meete they both, both fell and furious, That daunted with their forces hideous, Their steeds do stagger, and amazed stand. And eke themselves, too rudely rigorous, Astonied with the stroke of their owne hand, j Doe backe rebut, and each to other yeeldeth land, n^ c

l8 THE FAERY QUEENE.

1 6 As when two rams, stird with ambitious pride, Fight for the rule of the rich fleeced flocice. Their horned fronts so fierce on either side Do meete, that with the terror of the shocke Astonied both stand sencelesse as a blocke, Forgetful! of the hanging victory :

So stood these twaine, unmoved as a rocke, Both staring fierce, and holding idely The broken rcliques of their former cruelty.

17 The Sarazin sore daunted with the buffe Snatcheth his sword, and fiercely to him flies ; Who well it wards, and quyteth cuff with cuff: Each others equall puissaunce envies,

And through their iron sid;s with cruell spies Does seeke to perce; repining courage yields No foote to foe. The flashing fier flies. As from a forge out of their burning shields, And streams of purple bloud new dies the verdant fields.

18 Curse on that Crosse, (quoth then the Sarazin,) That keeps thy body from the bitter fit; Dead long ygoe I wote thou haddest bin.

Had not that charme from thee forwarned it : But yet I warne thee now assured sitt, And hide thy head. Therewith upon his crest With rigor so outrageous he smitt, That a large share it hewd out of the rest. And glauncing down his shield from blame him fairly blest.

19 W^ho, thereat wondrous wTOth, the sleeping spark Of native vertue gan eftsoones revive ;

And at his haughtie helmet making mark, So hugely stroke, that it the Steele did rive. And cleft his head. He, tumbling downe alive; With bloudy mouth his mother earth did kis. Greeting his grave : his grudging ghost did strive M'ith the fraile flesh ; at last it flitted is, Whither the soules do fly of men, that live amis.

19

:/

CANTO II.

20 The Lady when she saw her champion fall, Like the old mines of a broken towre, Staid not to waile his woefull funerall. But from him fled away with all her powre ; "Who after her as hastily gan scowre, Bidding the dwarfe with him to bring away The Sarazins shield, signe of the conqueroure. Her soone he overtooke, and bad to stay,

For present cause was none of dread her to dismay.

21 Shee turning backe with ruefull countenaunce Cride, Mercy mercy Sir vouchsafe to show On silly dame, subject to hard mischaunce, And to your mighty will. Her humblesse low In so ritch weedes and seeming glorious show, Did much emmove his stout heroicke heart ; And said, Deare dame, your suddein overthrow Much rueth me ; but now put feare apart.

And tel, both who ye be, and who that tooke your part.

2 2 Melting in teares, then gan she thus lament; The wretched woman, whom unhappy howre Hath now made thrall to your commandement. Before that angry heavens list to lowre, And fortune false betraide me to your powre, Was, (O what now availeth that I was !)

— Borne the sole daughter of an Emperour, q. ,^

He that the wide West under his rule has.

And high hath set his throne, where Tiberis doth pas. ^^sr*-^

23 He in the first flowre of my freshest age. Betrothed me unto the onely haire Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage ; Was never Prince so faithfull and so faire, Was never Prince so meeke and debonaire ; But ere my hoped day of spousall shone, My dearest Lord fell from high honours staire Into the hands of his accursed fone.

And cruelly was slaine ; that shall I ever mone. c 2

20 THE FA ERF QUEENE.

24 His blessed body spoild of lively breath, Was afterward, I know not how, convaid

And fro me hid ; of whose most innocent death When tidings came to me unhappy maid, O how great sorrow my sad soule assaid. Then forth I went his woefull corse to find, And many yeares throughout the world I straid, A virgin widow, whose deepe wounded mind With love long time did languish as the striken hind.

25 At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin

To meete me wandring; who perforce me led With him away, but yet could never win ; There lies he now with foule dishonour dead. Who whiles he livde, was called proud Sans foy, The eldest of three brethren, all three bred Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans joy ; And twixt them both was born the bloudy bold Sans loy.

26 In this sad plight, friendlesse, unfortunate, Now miserable I Fidessa dwell, Craving of you in pitty of my state.

To do none ill, if please ye not do well. He in great passion all this while did dwell, More busying his quicke eyes, her face to view. Then his dull eares, to heare what she did tell; And said, Faire lady, hart of flint would rew The undeserved woes and sorrowes, which ye shew.

27 Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest. Having both found a new friend you to aid,

' And lost an old foe that did you molest: Better new friend then an old foe is said. With chaunge of cheare the seeming simple maid Let fal her eyen, as shamefast, to the earth. And yeelding soft, in that she nought gain-said ; So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth, And she coy lookes: so dainty they say maketh derth.

CANTO II. 21

28 Long time they thus together travelled, 1 'i Til weary of their way, they came at last, fvM-^ Where grew twogoodlyi^rees, that faire did spred - ^ ^ Their armes abroad, with gray mosse overcast ; FajljA And their greene leaves trembling with every blast.

Made a calme shadow far in compasse round : The fearfuU shepheard often there aghast Under them never sat, ne wont there sound His mery oaten pipe, but shund th' unlucky ground.

29 But this good knight, soone as he them can spie, F"or the cool shade him thither hastly got :

For golden Phoebus now ymounted hie. From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot, That living creature mote it not abide ; And his new lady it endured not. There they alight, in hope themselves to hide From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide.

30 Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes, With goodly purposes there as they sit :

And in his falsed fancy he her takes To be the fairest wight, that lived yit ; Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit. And thinking of those braunches greene to frame A girlond for her dainty forehead fit, He pluckt a bough ; out of whose rift there came Smal drops of gory bloud, that trickled down the same.

1

31 Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard,

Crying, O spare with guilty hands to teare My tender sides in this rough rynd embard; But fly, ah fly far hence away, for feare Least to you hap, that happened to me heare, And to this wretched lady, my deare love, O too deare love, love bought with death too deare. Astond he stood, and up his haire did hove ; And with that suddein horror could no member move.

22 THE FAERY QUEENE.

32 At last whenas the dreadfull passion Was overpast, and manhood well awake ; Yet musing at the straunge occasion,

And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake ; What voice of damned ghost from Limbo lake, Or guilefuU spright wandring in empty aire. Both which fraile men doe oftentimes mistake. Sends to my doubtful eares these speaches rare. And ruefull plaints, me bidding guiltlesse bloud to spare ?

33 Then, groning deep, Nor damned ghost (quoth he) Nor guileful sprite to thee these words doth speake ;

— But once a man Fradubio, now a tree,

Wretched man, wretched tree ; whose nature weake A cruell witch her cursed will to wreake, Hath thus transformd, and plast in open plaines. Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleake. And scorching sunne does dry my secret vaines;

For though a tree I seeme, yet cold and heat me paines.

34 Say on Fradubio then, or man, or tree,

Quoth then the knight, by whose mischievous arts Art thou misshaped thus, as now I see ? He oft finds med'cine, who his griefe imparts; But double griefs afflict concealing harts, As raging flames who striveth to suppresse. The author then (said he) of all my smarts Is one Duessa, a false sorceresse, That many erranl knights hath brought to wretchednesse.

35 In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hot The fire of love and joy of chevalree

First kindled in my brest, it was my lot

To love this gentle lady, whome ye see.

Now not a lady, but a seeming tree ;

With whom as once I rode accompanyde, I Me chaunced of a knight encountrcd bee, \ That had "a like faire lady by his syde ; Like a faire lady, but did fowle Duessa hyde.

CANTO II. 33

36 Whose forged beauty he did take in hand All other dames to have exceeded farre ;

I in defence of mine did likewise stand, Mine, that did then shine as the morning starre. So both to battell fierce arraunged arre. In which his harder fortune was to fall Under my speare : such is the dye of warre : His lady, left as a prise martiall. Did yield her comely person to be at my call.

37 So doubly lov'd of ladies unlike faire,

Th' one seeming such, the other such indeede. One day in doubt I cast for to compare Whether in beauties glorie did exceede ;

! A rosy girlond was the victors meede :

Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee, So hard the discord was to be agreede. Fraelissa was as faire, as faire mote bee,

And ever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee.

38 The wicked witch now seeing all this while The doubtfuU ballaunce equally to sway. What not by right, she cast to win by guile, And by her hellish science raisd streightway A foggy mist that overcast the day.

And a dull blast that breathing on her face Dimmed her former beauties shining ray, And with foule ugly forme did her disgrace: Then was she faire alone, when none was faire in place.

39 Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine To have before bewitched all mens sight ;

O leave her soone, or let her soone be slaine. Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine, Eftsoones I thought her such, as she me told. And would have kild her; but M'ith faigned paine The false witch did my wrathfull hand with-hold: So left her, where she now is tumd to treen mould.

24 THE FAERY QUEENE.

40 Then forth I tooke Duessa for my Dame, | And in the witch unweeting joyd long timej Ne ever wist, but that she was the same : ( Till on a day (that day is every prime, When witches wont do penance for their crime) I chaunst to see her in her proper hew, Bathing her selfe in origane and thyme : A filthy foule old woman I did vew.

That ever to have toucht her I did deadly rew.

42 The hatefull hag by chaunges of my cheare Perceiv'd my thought, and, drownd in sleepie night, With wicked herbes and ointments did besmeare My body all, through charmes and magicke might, That all my senses were bereaved quight :

Then brought she me into this desert waste. And by my wretched lovers side me pight ; Where now enclosd in wooden wals full faste, Banisht from living wights, our wearie dayes we waste.

43 But how long time, said then the Elfin knight, Are you in this misformed house to dwell ?

We may not chaunge (quoth he) this evil plight. Till we be bathed in a living well ; That is the terme prescribed by'^lHe spell. O how, said he, mote I that well out find, That may restore you to your wonted well ? Time and suffised fates to former kynd Shall us restore, none else from hence may us unbynd.

44 The false Duessa, now Fidessa hight, Heard how in vaine Fradubio did lament.

And knew well all was true. But the good knight. Full of sad feare and ghastly dreriment, When all this speech the living tree had spent, The bleeding bough did thrust into the ground. That from the bloud he miglit be innocent, And with fresh clay did close the wooden wound : Then turning to his lady, dead with feare her found.

CANTO 11. 25

45 Her seeming dead he found with feigned feare, As all unweeting of that well she knew; And paynd himselfe with busie care to reare Her out of carelesse swowne. Her eylids blew And dimmed sight with pale and deadly hew At last she gan up lift : with trembling cheare Her up he tooke, too simple and too trew, And oft her kist. At length all passed feare,

He set her on her steede, and forward forth did beare.

26 THE FAERV QUEEN E.

CANTO III.

Forsaken Truth long seehes her love,

and makes the Lyon mylde. Mar-res blind Devotions mart, and fals

in band of treachour vylde.

1 Nought is there under heav'ns wide hoUownesse, That moves more deare compassion of mind, Then beautie brought t' unworthy wretchednesse Through envies snares, or fortunes freakes unkind. I, whether lately through her brightnesse blind, Or through alleageance and fast fealtie,

Which I do owe unto all woman kind, Feele my hart perst with so great agony, When such I see, that all for pitty I could die.

2 And now it is empassioned so deepe, For fairest Unaes sake, of whom I sing.

That my fraile eyes these lines with teares do steepe, To thinke how she through guilefull handeling, — Though true as touch, though daughter of a king, Though faire as ever' living wight was faire. Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting. Is from her knight divorced in despaire, And her dew loves deriv'd to that vile witches share.

3 Yet she most faithfull ladie all this while Forsaken, wofull, solitarie mayd,

Far from all peoples preace, as in exile, In wildernesse and wastfuU deserts strayd, To seeke her knight ; who subtily betrayd Through that late vision, which th' enchaunter wrought, Had her abandond. She of nought affrayd. Through woods and wastnesse wide him daily sought ; Yet wished tydings none of him unto her brought.

CANTO III. 27

4 One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way, From her unhastie beast she did alight, And on the grasse her dainty limbs did lay In secret shadow, far from all mens sight: From her faire head her fillet she imdight, And laid her stole aside. Her angels face, As the great eye of heaven shyned bright, And made a sunshine in the shadie place ;

Did never mortall eye behold such heavenly grace.

5 It fortuned out of the thickest wood A ramping lyon rushed suddainly, Hunting full greedy after salvage blood ; Soone as the royall virgin he q.g spy, With gaping mouth at her ran greedily, To have attonce devourd her tender corse : But to the pray when as he drew more ny, His bloody rage aswaged with remorse,

And with the sight amazd, forgat his furious forse.

6 In stead thereof he kist her wearie feet, And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong, As he her wronged innocence did weet. "" — \ O how can beautie maister the most strong, And simple truth subdue avenging wrong! Whose yielded pride and proud submission. Still dreading death, when she had marked long, Her hart gan melt in great compassion,

And drizling teares did shed for pure affection.

7 The lyon lord of everie beast in field. Quoth she, his princely puissance doth abate. And mightie proud to humble weake does yield, Forgetfull of the hungry rage, which late Him prickt, in pittie of my sad estate : But he my lyon, and my noble lord, How does he find in cruell hart to hate, Her that him lov'd, and ever most adord,

As the God of my life? why hath he me abhord?

28 THE FAERY QUEENS.

8 Redounding teares did choke th' end of her plaint, Which softly ecchoed from the neighbour wood ; And, sad to see her sorrowfull constraint.

The kingly beast upon her gazing stood ; With pittie calmd, downe fell his angry mood. At last in close hart shutting up her paine. Arose the virgin borne of heavenly brood, And to her sno\w_£alfrey got againe ^-^

To seeke her strayed champion, if she might attaine.

9 The lyon would not leave her desolate.

But with her went along, as a strong gard i Of her chast person, and a faithfull mate 1 Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard : Still when she slept, he kept both watch and ward, And when she wakt, he waited diligent, With humble service to her will prepard : From her faire eyes he tooke commandement, And ever by her lookes conceived her intent.

10 Long she thus travelled through deserts wyde,

By which she thought her wandring knight shold pas,

Yet never shew of living wight espyde ;

Till that at length she found the troden gras,

In which the tract of peoples footing was,

Under the steepe foot of a mountaine hore ;

The same she followes, till at last she has

I A damzell spyde slow footing her before, That on her shoulders sad a pot of water bore.

11 To whom approaching she to her gan call, To weet, if dwelling place were nigh at hand; But the rude wench her answerd nought at all ; She could not heare, nor speake, nor understand ; Till seeing by her side the lyon stand,

With suddaine feare her pitcher downe she threw. And fled away : for never in that land Face of faire lady she before did vew, And that dread Ivons looke her cast in deadly hew.

CANTO III. 29

12 Full fast she fled, ne ever lookt behynd, As if her life upon the wager lay,

And home she came, whereas her mother blvnd Sate in eternall night : nought could she say, But, suddaine catching hold, did her dismay ^(^^

With quaking hands, and other signes of feare : (|»«^»**' Who full of ghastly fright and cold alTray, ^ jj^'^ '

Gan shut the dore. By this arrived there ^'^

Dame Una, weary dame, and entrance did requere.

13 Which when none yielded, her unruly page A-i-^ ^''' '^

\ With his rude clawes the wicket open rent, r \u*»^*^'

\ And let her in ; where, of his cruell rage ' Nigh dead with feare, and faint astonishment, Shee found them both in darkesome corner pent ; Where that old woman day and night did pray — Upon her beads devoutly penitent; - '

Nine hundred Pater nosters every day. And thrise nine hundred Aves she was wont to say.

14 And to augment her painefull penaunce more, Thrise every weeke in ashes she did sit.

And next her wrinkled skin rough sackcloth wore, And thrise three times did fast from any bit: But now for feare her beads she did forget. Whose needlesse dread for to remove away, Faire Una framed words and count'naunce tit: Which hardly doen, at length she gan them pray. That in their cotage small that night she rest her may. _,

15 The day is spent, and commeth drowsie night, When every creature shrowded is in sleepe ; Sad Una downe her laies in wearie plight, And at her feete the lyon watch doth keepe ; In stead of rest, she does lament, and weepe For the late losse of her deare loved knight. And sighes, and grones, and evermore does steepe Her tender brest in bitter teares all night;

All night she thinks too long, and often lookes for light.

30 THE FAERY QUEENE.

1 6 Now when Aldeboran was mounted hie Above the shinie Casseiopeias chaire, And all in deadly sleepe did drowmed lie,

I One knocked at the dore, and in would fare ; • He knocked fast, and often curst, and sware, That readie entraunce was not at his call : For on his backe a heavy load he bare Of nightly stelths, and pillage severall. Which he had got abroad by purchase criminall.

17 He was, to weete, a stout and sturdy thiefe, Wont to robbe churches of their ornaments. And poore mens boxes of their due reliefe, Which given was to them for good intents; The holy saints of their rich vestiments

He did disrobe, when all men carelesse slept; And spoild the priests of their habiliments ; Whiles none the holy things in safety kept, Then he by conning sleights in at the window crept.

18 And all that he by right or wrong could find Unto this house he brought, and did bestow Upon the daughter of this woman blind, Abessa, daughter of Corceca slow,

And fed her fat with feast of offerings, And plenty, which in all the land did grow; Ne spared he to give her gold and rings: And now he to her brought part of his stolen things.

19 Thus long the dore with rage and threats he bet ; Yet of those fearfull women none durst rize. The lyon frayed them, him in to let :

He would no longer stay him to advize. But open breakes the dore in furious wize, And entring is; when that disdainfull beast Encountring fierce, him suddein doth surprize. And seizing cruell clawes on trembling brest, Under his lordly foot him proudly hath supprest.

CANTO III. 31

20 Him booteth not resist, nor succour call, His bleeding hart is in the vengers hand ;

Who streight him rent in thousand peeces small, \ And quite dismembred hath : the thirsty land > Drunke up his life ; his corse left on the strand. His fearefull freends weare out the woful night, Ne dare to weepe, nor seeme to understand The heavie hap, which on them is alight ; Affraid, least to themselves the like mishappen might.

21 Now when broad day the world discovered has, Up Una rose, up rose the lyon eke,

And on their former journey forward pas, In wayes unknowne, her wandring knight to seeke, "With paines far passing that long wandring Greeke, That for his love refused deitye: Such were the labours of this lady meeke. Still seeking him, that from her still did flye ; Then furthest from her hope, when most she weened nye.

22 Soone as she parted thence, the fearfull twaine, That blind old woman, and her daughter deare. Came forth, and finding Kirkrapine there slaine, For anguish great they gan to rend their heare. And beat their brests, and naked flesh to teare. And when they both had wept and wayld their fill. Then forth they ran like two amazed deare, Halfe mad through malice, and revenging will,

To follow her, that was the causer of their ill.

23 Whom overtaking, they gan loudly bray. With hollow howling, and lamenting cry, Shamefully at her rayling all the way, And her accusing of dishonesty.

That was the flowre of faith and chastity ; And still amidst her rayling, she did pray That plagues, and mischiefes, and long misery, Might fall on her, and follow all the way. And that in endlesse error she might ever stray.

32 THE FAERY QUEENE.

24 But, when she saw her prayers nought prevaile, She backe retourned with some labour lost ; And in the way as shee did weepe and waile, .

j A knight her met in mighty armes embost, 1 Yet knight was not for all his bragging bost, But subtill Archimag, that Una sought By traynes into new troubles to have tost : Of that old woman tidings he besought, If that of such a ladie she could tellen ought.

25 Therewith she gan her passion to renew,

And cry, and curse, and raile, and rend her hearo, Saying, that woman she too lately knew. That causd her shed so many a bitter teare: And so forth told the story of her feare : Much seemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce, And after for that ladie did inquere ; Which being taught, he forward gan advaunce His fair enchaunted steed, and eke his charmed launce.

26 Ere long he came where Una traveild slow, And that wilde champion wayting her besyde : Whom seeing such, for dread hee durst not show Him selfe too nigh at hand, but turned wyde Unto an hill ; from whence when she him spyde, y By his like seeming shield, her knight by name / She weend it was, and towards him gan ryde ; Approching nigh she wist it was the same.

And with faire fearefuU humblesse towards him shee came ;

27 And weeping said. Ah my long lacked lord, Where have ye bene thus long out of my sight ? Much feared I to have bene quite abhord.

Or ought have done, that ye displeasen might. That should as death unto my deare heart light: For since mine eye your joyous sight did mis, My chearefull day is turnd to chearelesse night, And eke my night of death the shadow is; But welcome now my light, and shining lampe of blis.

t >

CANTO III. 33

28 He thereto meeting said, My dearest dame,

Far be it from your thought, and fro my will, '

To thinke that knighthood I so much should shame, As you to leave, that have me loved still, And chose in Faery court of meere goodwill, Where noblest knights were to be found on earth : The earth shall sooner leave her kindly skill To bring forth fruit, and make eternall derth, Then I leave you, my liefe, yborn of heavenly berth.

29 And sooth to say, why I lefte you so long, Was for to seeke adventure in strange place ; W'here Archimago said a felon strong

To many knights did daily worke disgrace ; , But knight he now shall never more deface :

Good cause of mine excuse ; that mote ye please

Well to accept, and evermore embrace

My faithfull service, that by land and seas Have vowd you to defend : now then your plaint appease.

30 His lovely words her seemd due recompence Of all her passed paines : one loving howre For many yeares of sorrow can dispence :

A dram of sweete is worth a pound of sowre : Shee has forgot how many a woful stowre For him .she late endurd ; she speakes no more Of past : true is, that true love hath no powre To looken backe ; his eyes be fixt before. Before her stands her knight, for whom she toyld so sore.

31 Much like, as when the beaten marinere. That long hath wandred in the ocean wide, Oft soust in swelling Tethys saltish teare, And long time having tand his tawney hide

With blustring breath of heaven, that none can bide, And scorching flames of fierce Orions hound, Soone as the port from far he has espide. His chearfull whistle merrily doth sound, And Nereus crownes with cups ; his mates him pledg around.

34 THE FAERV QUEENE.

32 Such joy made Una, when her knight she found; And eke th' enchaunter joyous seemd no lesse Then the glad marchant, that does vew from ground His ship far come from watrie wildernesse ;

He hurles out vowes, and Neptune oft doth blesse: So forth they past, and all the way they spent Discoursing of her dreadful late distresse, In which he askt her, what the lyon ment ; Who told her all that fell in journey as she went.

33 They had not ridden far, when they might see One pricking to\vards them with hastie heat, Full strongly armd, and on a courser free,

That through his fiercenesse fomed all with sweat. And the sharpe yron did for anger eat, When his hot ryder spurd his chauffed side ; His looke was sterne, and seemed still to threat Cruell revenge, which he in hart did hyde ; And on his shield Sans loy in bloody lines was dyde.

34 When nigh he drew unto this gentle payre,

And saw the Red crosse, which the knight did beare, He burnt in fire, and gan eftsoones prepare Himselfe to battell with his couched speare. Loth was that other, and did faint through fearc, To taste th' untryed dint of deadly Steele ; But yet his lady did so well him cheare. That hope of new good hap he gan to feele ; So bent his speare, and spurd his horse with yron heele.

35 But that proud Paynim I'orward came so fierce And full of wrath, that with his sharp-head speare. Through vainly crossed shield he quite did pierce ; And had his staggering steede not shronke for feare, Through shield and bodie eke he should him beare : Yet, so great was the puissance of his push,

That from his saddle quite he did him beare :

He tombling rudely downe to ground did rush,

And from his gored wound a well of bloud did gush.

CANTO ITT. 35

36 Dismounting lightly from his loftie steed, He to him lept, in mind to reave his life, And proudly said, Lo there the worthie meed Of him, that slew Sansfoy with bloody knife ; Henceforth his ghost, freed from repining strife,

— In peace may passen over Lethe lake.

When mourning altars purgd with enemies life, The black infernall Furies doen aslake :

( Life from Sansfoy thou tookst, Sansloy shall from thee take. \

37 Therewith in haste his helmet gan unlace, Till Una cride, O hold that heavie hand, Deare sir, what ever that thou be in place : Enough is, that thy foe doth vanquisht stand

' Now at thy mercy : Mercy not withstand : For he is one the truest knight alive, Though conquered now he lye on lowly land. And whitest him fortune favourd, faire did thrive In bloudy field: therefore of life him not deprive.

38 Her piteous wordes might not abate his rage; But, rudely rending up his helmet, would

, Have slaine him straight : but when he sees his age,

V And hoarie head of Archimago old. His hasty hand he doth amazed hold. And, halfe ashamed, wondred at the sight : For that old man well knew he, though untold. In charmes and magick to have wondrous might ; Ne ever wont in field, ne in round lists to fight ;

39 And said, Why, Archimago, lucklesse syre. What doe I see ? what hard mishap is this, That hath thee hither brought to taste mine yre ? Or thine the fault, or mine the error is, Instead of foe to wound my friend amis?

He answered nought, but in a traunce still lay, And on those guilefull dazed eyes of his The cloude of death did sit. Which doen away. He left him lying so, ne would no lenger stay : D 2

36 THE FAERY QUEENE.

40 But to the virgin comes, who all this while Amased stands, her selfe so mockt to see ,y By him, who has the guerdon of his guile, ' For so misfeigning her true knight to bee :

Yet is she now in more perplex itie, Left in the hand of that same Paynim bold, From whom her booteth not at all to flie ; Who, by her cleanly garment catching hold. Her from her palfrey pluckt, her visage to behold.

41 But her fierce servant, full of kingly awe And high disdaine, whenas his soveraine dame So rudely handled by her foe he sawe. With gaping jawes full greedy at him came. And ramping on his shield, did weene the same Have reft away with his sharp rending clawes : But he was stout, and yre did now inflame His corage more, that from his griping pawes

He hath his shield redeemd, and forth his swerd he drawes.

42 O then too weake and feeble was the forse Of salvage beast, his puissance to withstand : For he was strong, and of so mightie corse. As ever wielded speare in warlike hand, And feates of amies did wisely understand. Eftsoones he perced through his chaufed chest With thrilling point of deadly yron brand, And launcht his lordly hart : with death opprest

He roar'd aloud, whiles life forsooke his stubbornc brest.

43 Who now is left to keepe the forlorne maid From raging spoile of lawlesse victors will ? Her faithfull gard remov'd, her hope dismaid, Her selfe a yielded pray to save or spill.

He now lord of the field, his pride to fill, With foule reproches and disdaineful spight Her vildly entertaines, and, will or nil!, Beares her away upon his courser light : Her pravers nought prevaile, his rage is more of might.

CANTO III. 37

44 And all the way, with great lamenting paine, And piteous plaintes she filleth his dull earcs, That stony hart could riven have in twaine ; And all the way she wets with flowing teares : But he, enrag'd with rancor, nothing heares. Her servile beast yet would not leave her so, j/^ But follows her far off, ne ought he feares To be partaker of her wandring woe.

More mild in beastly kind, then that her beastly foe.

38 THE FAERY Q_UEENE.

CANTO IV.

To siti/ull house of Pride, Duessa

guides the faitbfull hiight. Where brother's death to wreak, Satisjoy

doth chalenge him to fight.

1 Young knight whatever that dost amies professe. And through long labours huntest after fame, Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,

In choice and change of thy deare loved dame, Least thou of her believe too lightly blame, And rash misweening doe thy hart remove : For unto knight there is no greater shame, Then lightnesse and inconstancie in love; That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly prove.

2 Who after that he had faire Una lorne, Through light misdeeming of her loialtie. And false Duessa in her sted had borne, Called Fidess', and so supposed to be ; Long with her traveild, till at last they see A goodly building, bravely garnished ;

The house of mightie prince it seemd to be : And towards it a broad high way that led, All bare through peoples feet, which thither travelled.

3 Great troupes of people traveild thitherward Both day and night, of each degree and place ; But few returned, having scaped hard.

With baleful! beggery, or foule disgrace ; Which ever after in most wTetched case. Like loathsome lazars, by the hedges lay. Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace : For she is wearic of the toilesome way ; And also nigh consumed is the lingring day.

CANTO IV. 39

4 A stately pallace built of squared bricke, Which cunningly was without morter laid,

Whose wals were high, but nothing strong, nor thick, And golden foile all over them displaid, That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid : High lifted up were many loftie towres, And goodly galleries far over laid. Full of faire windowes and delightful bowres ; And on the top a diall told the timely howres.

5 It was a goodly heape for to behould.

And spake the praises of the workmans wit ; - But full great pittie, that so faire a mould Did on so weake foundation ever sit : \ For on a sandie hill, that still did flit \ And fall away, it mounted was full hie, That every breath of heaven shaked it : And all the hinder parts, that few could spie, Were ruinous and old, but painted cunningly.

6 Arrived there, they passed in forth right; For still to all the gates stood open wide :

Yet charge of them was to a porter hight, 5l )»L

Cald Malvenu, who entrance none denide : vf^fv**^ K Thence to the hall, which was on every side With rich array and costly arras dight : Infinite sorts of people did abide There waiting long, to win the wished sight Of her, that was the lady of the pallace bright.

7 By them they passe, all gazing on them round, And to the presence mount ; whose glorious vew Their frayle amazed senses did confound :

In living Princes court none ever knew Such endlesse richesse, and so sumptuous shew; Ne Persia selfe, the nourse of pompous pride. Like ever saw. And there a noble crew Of lordes and ladies stood on every "side, Which with their presence faire the place much beautifide.

40 THE FAERY QUEENS.

8 High above all a cloth of state was spred, And a rich throne, as bright as sunny day ; On which there sate, most brave embellished With royall robes and gorgeous array, ^ A mayden Queene that shone, as Titans ray. In glistring gold and peerelesse pretious stone: Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne.

As envying her selfe, that too exceeding shone.

— 9 Exceeding shone, like Phoebus fairest childe, That did presume his fathers firie wayne, And flaming mouthes of steedes unwonted wilde, Through highest heaven with weaker hand to rayne ; Proud of such glory and advancement vaine. While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen, He leaves the welkin way most beaten plaine, And, rapt with whirling wheeles, inflames the skyen With fire not made to burne, but fairely for to sbyne.

10 So proud she shyned in her princely state. Looking to heaven ; for earth she did disdayne : And sitting high ; for lowly she did hate :

Lo underneath her scornefuU feete was layne A dreadfull dragon with an hideous trayne; And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright, Wherein her face she often vewed fayne. And in her selfe-lov'd semblance tooke delight ; For she was wondrous faire, as any living wight.

11 Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was, And sad Proserpina, the Queene of hell ;

Yet did she thinke her pearelesse worth to pas That parentage, with pride so did she swell ," And thundring Jove, that high in heaven doth dwell And wield the world, she claymed for her syrc ; Or if that any else did Jove excell : For to the highest she did still aspyre ; Or if ought higher were then that, did it desyre.

CANTO IV.

-12 And proud Lucifera men did her call,

That made her selfe a queene, and crownd to be, Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all, Ne heritage of native soveraintie, But did usurpe with wrong and tyrannie Upon the scepter, which she now did hold: Ne ruld her realme with lawes, but pollicie, And strong advizement of six wizards old, That with their counsels bad her kingdome did uphold.

1 3 Soone as the elfin knight in presence came, And false Duessa, seeming lady faire,

A gentle husher, Vanitie by name, Made rowme, and passage for them did prepaire : So goodly brought them to the lowest staire Of her high throne, where they on humble knee Making obeysaunce, did the cause declare. Why they were come, her royall state to see. To prove the wide report of her great majestee.

14 With loftie eyes, halfe loth to looke so low. She thanked them in her disdainefull wise ; Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show Of princesse worthy, scarse them bad arise. Her lordes and ladies all this while devise Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight: Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise, Some prancke their ruffes, and others trimly dight

Their gay attire : each others greater pride does spight.

15 Goodly they all that knight do entertaine, Right glad with him to have increast their crew: But to Duess' each one himselfe did paine

All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew; For in that court whylome her well they knew : Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew, And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd. That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

41

43 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

1 6 Suddein upriseth from her stately place

The royall dame, and for her coche did call : All hurtlen forth; and she, with princely pace, As faire Aurora in her purple pall, Out of the east the dawning day doth call ; So forth she comes; her brightnesse brode doth blaze; The Tieapes of people, thronging in the hall, Do ride each other, upon her to gaze : Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eyes amaze.

17 So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme. Adorned all with gold, and girlonds gay,

— That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime,

And strove to match, in royall rich array, ■ — Great Junoes golden chaire, the which they say The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride To Joves high house through heavens bras-paved way, Drawne of faire pecocks, that excell in pride, — ^ And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispreddeu wide.

118 But this was drawne of six unequal! beasts, On which her six sage counsellours did ryde, f Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts,

|, — With like conditions to their kinds applyde : f Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde, ^.

, Was sluggish Idlenesse, the nourse of sin ; i

Upon a slouthfuU asse he chose to ryde, Arayd in habit blacke, and amis thin, Like to an holy monck, the service to begin.

19 And in his hand his portesse still he bare, That much was worne, but therein little red ; For of devotion he had little care, Still drownd in sleepe, and most of his dayes ded ; Scarse could he once uphold his heavie hed, To looken whether it were night or day. May seeme the wayne was very evill led, When such an one had guiding of the way,

That knew not. whether right he went, or else astray.

CANTO IV.

20 From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne, And greatly shunned manly exercise ; From every worke he chalenged essoyne, For contemplation sake : yet otherwise His life he led in lawlesse riotise; By which he grew to grievous malady ; For in his lustlesse limbs, through evill guise, A shaking fever raignd continually :

Such one was Idlenesse, first of this company

43

21 And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony, Deformed creature, on a filthie swyne : His belly was up-blowne with luxury,

And eke with fatnesse swollen were his eyne, __ And like a crane his neck was long and fyne. With which he swallowed up excessive feast. For want whereof poore people oft did pyne ; And all the way, most like a brutish beast. He spued up his gorge, that all did him deteast.

22 In greene vine leaves he was right fitly clad; For other clothes he could not wear for heat ; And on his head an yvie girland had,

P>om under which fast trickled downe the sweat : Still as he rode, he somewhat still did eat. And in his hande did beare a bouzing can. Of which he supt so oft, that on his seat His dronken corse he scarse upholden can; In shape and life more like a monster, then a man.

23 Unfit he was for any wordly thing. And eke unhable once to stirre or go, Not meet to be of counsell to a king,

Whose mind in meat and drinke was drowned su, That from his friend he seldome knew his fo : Full of diseases was his carcas blew,

And a dry dropsie through his flesh did flow, ^

Which by misdiet daily greater grew : Such one was Gluttony, the second of that crew.

44 ^^-E FAERY QUEENS.

/^\ I 27 And greedy Avarice by him did ride, {^ )

i "^ Upon a camell loaden all with gold : Two iron coifers hong on either side, With precious metall full as they might hold; And in his lap an heap of coine he told; For of his wicked pelfe his God he made, And unto hell him selfe for money sold ; Accursed usurie was all his trade ; And right and wrong ylike in equall ballaunce waide.

28 His life was nigh unto deaths doore yplast, And thred-bare cote, and cobled shoes he ware ; Ne scarse good morsell all his life did tast ; But both from backe and belly still did spare, To fill his bags, and richesse to compare ;

Yet childe ne kinsman living had he none To leave them to ; but thorough daily care To get, and nightly feare to lose, his owne, He led a wretched life unto him selfe unknownc.

29 Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suflfisc, Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store, Whose need had end, but no end covetise,

Whose welth was want, whose plenty made him pore. Who had enough, yet wished ever more ; A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand A grievous gout tormented him full sore, ^^ That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand :

^-v ) Such one was Avarice, the fourth of this faire band.

30 And next to him malicious Envie rode Upon a ravenous wolfe, and still did chaw Between his cankred teeth a venemous tode, That all the poison ran about his chaw; But inwardly he chawed his owne maw

At neighbours welth, that made him ever sad ; P'or death it was, when any good he saw, And wept, that cause of weeping none he had. But when he heard of harme, he wexcd wondrous glad.

45

CANTO IV.

31 All in a kirtle of discolourd say

He clothed was, ypaynted full of eyes ; And in his bosome secretly there lay An hatefull snake, the which his taile uptyes In many folds, and mortall sting implyes. Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth to see Those heapes of gold with griple covetyse ; And grudged at the great felicitie Of proud Lucifera, and his owne companie.

32 He hated all good workes and vertuous deeds, And him no lesse, that any like did use;

And who with gratious bread the hungry feeds, His almes for want of faith he doth accuse: So every good to bad he doth abuse: And eke the verse of famous poets witt He does backebite, and spightfull poison spues ^-1. From leprous mouth on all, that ever writt: f\ J Such one vile Envy was, that fifte in row did sitt.

33 And him beside rides fierce revenging Wrath, Upon a lion, loth for to be led; — And in his hand a burning brond he hath, The which he brandisheth about his hed : His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red, And stared sterne on all, that him beheld ; As ashes pale of hew and seeming ded ; And on his dagger still his hand he held,

Trembhng through hasty rage, when choler in him sweld.

34 His ruffin raiment all was staind with blood Which he had spilt, and all to rags yrent ; Through unad\i7,ed rashnesse woxen wood ; For of his hands he had no governement, Ne car'd for bloud in his avengement : But when the furious fit was overpast,

His cruell facts he often would repent ; Yet wilfull man he 1 ever would forecast. How manv mischieves si ould ensue his heedlesse hast.

46 THE FAERY QUEE^!E.

35 Full many mischiefes follow cruell Wrath: Abhorred bloodshed, and tumultuous strife, Unmanly murder, and unthrifty scath, Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife ; And fretting griefe the enemy of life ;

All these, and many evils moe haunt ire, The swelling splene, and frenzy raging rife, The shaking palsey, and Saint Fraunces lire : Such one was Wrath, the last of this ungodly tire.

36 And, after all, upon the wagon beame Rode Sathan with a smarting whip in hand, With which he forward lasht the laesy teme, So oft as Slowth still in the mire did stand. Huge routs of people did about them band, Showting for joy ; and still before their way A foggy mist had covered all the land ; And underneath their feet all scattered lay

Dead sculls and bones of men whose life had gone astray,

37 So forth they marchen in this goodly sort, To take the solace of the open aire,

And in fresh flowring fields themselves to sport ; Emongst the rest rode that false lady faire. The foule Duessa, next unto the chaire Of proud Liicifera, as one of the traine : But that good knight would not so nigh repaire. Him selfe estraunging from their joyaunce vaine, Whose fellowship seemd far unfit for warlike swaine.

38 So, having solaced themselves a space With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed, They backe retourned to the princely place ; Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled, And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red Was writt Sans joy they new arrived find : Enflam'd with fury and fiers hardy-hed,

He seemd in hart to harbou ■ thoughts unkind, And nourish bloudy vengeauncf in his bitter mind.

CANTO IV. 47

39 Who, when the shamed shield of slaine Sans foy

He spide with that same Faery champions page, •'' Bewraying him, that did of late destroy His eldest brother, burning all with rage He to him leapt, and that same envious gage Of victors glory from him snatcht away: But th' elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage, Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray, And him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray.

40 Therewith they gan to hurtlen greedily, Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne,

And clash their shields, and shake their swords on hy. That with their sturre they troubled all the traine ; Till that great Queene, upon eternall paine Of high displeasure that ensewen might, Commaunded them their fury to refraine, And if that either to that shield had right, In equall lists they should the morrow next it fight. '

41 Ah dearest dame, (quoth then the Paynim bold,) Pardon the error of enraged wight.

Whom great griefe made forget the raines to hold Of reasons rule, to see this recreant knight, No knight, but treachour full of false despight And shamefull treason, who through guile hath slayn The prowest knight that ever field did fight. Even stout Sans foy, (O, who can then refrayn ?) Whose shield he beares renverst, the more to heap disdayn.

42 And to augment the glorie of his guile. His dearest love, the faire Fidessa, loe Is there possessed of the tray tour vile, Who reapes the harvest sowen by his foe, Sowen in bloudy field, and bought with woe : That brothers hand shall dearely well requight, So be, O Queene, you equall favour showe. Him litle answerd th' angry elfin knight ;

He never meant with words, but swords, to plead his right :

48 THE FAERY QUEENE.

43 But threw his gauntlet, as a sacred pledge His cause in combat the next day to try :

So been they parted both, with harts on edge . To be aveng'd each on his enimy. That night they pas in joy and jollity. Feasting and courting both in bowre and hall ; For steward was excessive Gluttonie, That of his plenty poured forth to all : Which doen, the chamberlain Slowth did to rest them call.

44 Now whenas darkesome night had all displayd Her coleblacke curtein over brightest skye, The warlike youthes on dayntie couches layd, Did chace away sweet sleepe from sluggish eye, To muse on meanes of hoped victory.

But whenas Morpheus had with leaden mace Arrested all that courtly company,

i Up-rose Duessa from her resting place. And to the Paynims lodging comes with silent pace.

45 Whom broad awake she findes, in troublous fit, Forecasting, how his foe he might annoy ; And him amoves with speaches seeming fit : Ah, deare Sans joy, next dearest to Sans foy, Cause of my new griefe, cause of my new joy, Joyous, to see his ymage in mine eye,

And greev'd, to thinke how foe did him destroy, That was the flowre of grace and chevalrye ; Lo his Fidessa to thy secret faith I flye.

46 With gentle wordes he can her fairely greet, And bad say on the secret of her hart. Then sighing soft, I learne that little sweet Oft tempred is (quoth she) with muchell smart : For since my brest was launcht with lovely dart Of deare Sans foy I never joyed howre,

But in eternail woes my weaker hart Have wasted, loving him with all my powre. And for his sake have felt full many an heavie sto\\Te.

CANTO IV

49

4 7 At last when perils all I weened past,

And hop'd to reape the crop of all my care,

Into new woes unweeting I was cast

By this false faytor, who unworthy ware

His worthy shield, whom he with guilefull snare

Entrapped slew, and brought to shamefull grave.

Me silly maid away with him he bare,

And ever since hath kept in darksome cave ;

For that I would not yeeld, that to Sans toy I gave. \

48 But since faire sunne hath sperst that lovvring clowd, And to my loathed life now shewes some light, Under your beames I will me safely shrowd

From dreaded storme of his disdainful! spight : To you th' inheritance belongs by right Of brothers prayse, to you eke longs his love. Let not his love, let not his restlesse spright, Be unreveng'd, that calles to you above From wandring Stygian shores, where it doth endlesse move.

49 Thereto said he, Faire dame, be nought dismaid For sorrowes past ; their griefc is with them gone : Ne yet of present perill be affraid ;

For needlesse feare did never vantage none ; And helplesse hap it booteth not to mone. Dead is Sans foy, his vitall paines are past. Though greeved ghost for vengeance deepe do grone: He lives, that shall him pay his dewties last, And guiltie elfin blood shall sacrifice in hast.

50 O but I feare the fickle freakes (quoth shee) Of fortune false, and oddes of amies in field. Why Dame (quoth he) what oddes can ever bee Where both do fight alike, to win or yield ? Yea but (quoth she) he beares a charmed shield. And eke enchaunted armes, that none can perce; Ne none can wound the man, that does them wield. Charmd or enchaunted (answerd he then ferce)

I no whit reck, ne you the like need to reherce.

K

50 THE FAERV QUEENE.

51 But, faire Fidessa, sithens fortunes guile, Or enimies powre, hath now captived you, Returne from whence ye came, and rest a while Till morrow next, that I the Elfe subdew, And with Sans foyes dead dowry you endew. Ay me, that is a double death (she said) With proud foes sight my sorrow to renew : Where ever yet 1 be, my secret aid

Shall follow you. So passing forth she him obaid.

51

CANTO V.

Tkc faithjidl knight in eijuall jield

si/bdewes bis faithlesse foe ; Whom false Duessa saves, and for

bis cure to bell does goe.

1 The noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought, And is -with child of glorious great intent,

(]an never rest, untill it forth have brought Th' eternall brood of glorie excellent. Such restlesse passion did all night torment The flaming corage of that Faery knight. Devizing, how that doughtie turnament With greatest honour be atchieven might : Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light.

2 At last the golden orientall gate

Of greatest heaven gan to open faire, And Phoebus fresh, as bridegrome to his mate, Game dauncing forth, shaking his deawie haire ; And hurls his glistring beams through gloomy aire. Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiv'd, streightway He started up, and did him selfe prepaire In sunbright amies, 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 e)e,

To weet what end to straunger knights may fall. There many minstrales maken melody. To drive away the dull melancholy ; And many bardes, that to the trembling chord Can tune their timely voices cunningly ; And many chroniclers that can record Old loves, and warres for ladies doen by many a lord.

E 2

52 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

^ Soone after comes the cruell Sarazin, In woven maile all armed warily ; And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin Does care for looke of living creatures eye. They bring them wines of Greece and Araby, And' daintie spices fetcht from furthest Ynd, To kindle heat of corage privily ; And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd j T' observe the sacred lawes of armes, that are assynd.

5 At last forth comes that far renowmed Qucene, With royall pomp and princely majestic ;

She is ybrought unto a paled greene, And placed under 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 unto battaill bad themselves addresse :

Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tyc, And burning blades about their heades doe blesse, The instruments of wrath and heavinesse: With greedy force each other doth assaylc, And strike so fiercely, that they do impresse I Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle : I The yron walles to ward their blowes are weak and frailc.

7 The Sarazin was stout, and M'ondrous 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 praise 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 cithers might.

53

CANTO V.

8 So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right : — As when a gryfon, seized of his pray,

A dragon fiers encountreth in his flight. Through widest ayre inaliing his ydle way, That would his rightful! ravine rend away ; With hideous horror both together smight, And souce so sore, that they the heavens aflTray : The wise soothsayer, seeing so sad sight, Th' amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight.

9 So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right ; And each to deadly shame would drive his foe : The cruell Steele so greedily doth bight

I n 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 wrathful fyre. Upon 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 blacke 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 overtake?

1 1 Goe caytive Elfe, him quickly overtake,

And soone redeeme from his longwandring woe : Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make. That I his shield have quit from dying foe. Therewith upon his crest he stroke him so, That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall : End of the doubtful! battel! deemed tho The lookers on, and lowd to him gan call The false Duessa, Thine tlie shield, and I, and all.

54 THE FAERY QUEENE.

12 Soone as the Faerie heard his lady speake, j Out of his swowning dreame he gan awake ;

And quickning faiih, that earst was woxen weake, j The creeping deadly cold away did shake ;

Tho mov'd with wrath, and shame, and ladies sake, Of all attonce he cast aveng'd to be, And with so' exceeding furie at him strake, That forced him to stoupe upon his knee : Had he not stouped so, he should have cloven bee.

' 13 And to him said, Goe now proud miscreant, Thyselfe thy message do to german deare ; Alone he wandring thee too long doth want : Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare. ^Therewith his heavie hand he high gan reare, { Him to have slaine ; when lo a darkesome clow d Upon him fell ; j he no where doth appeare, But vanisht is. The elfe him calls alowd, But answer none receives : the darknes him does shrowd.

14 In haste Duessa from her place arose,

And to him running said, O prowest knight, That ever ladie to her love did chose. Let now abate the terror of your might. And quench the flame of furious despight And bloudie vengeance ; lo th' infernall powres, Covering your foe with cloud of deadly night, Have borne him hence to Plutoes balefuU bowrcs. / The conquest yours, I yours, the shield and glory yours, j

15 Not all so satisfide, with greedie eye

He sought, all round about, his thirstie blade To bathe 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 ofenmitio.

CANTO V. 55

1 6 Wherewith he goeth to that soveraine Queene ; And failing her before on lowly knee,

To her makes present of his service seene ; Which she accepts with thankes and goodly gree, Greatly advauncing his great chevairee. So niarcheth home, and by her takes the knight, Whom ail the people follow with great glee, Shouting, and clapping all their hands on hight. That all the aire it Ills, and Hyes to heaven bright.

1 7 Home is he brought, and laid in sumptuous bed : Where many skilfull leaches him abide,

To salve his hurts, that yet still freshly bled. In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide, < And softly gan embalme on everie side. And all the while most heavenly melody About the bed sweet musicke did divide, Him to beguile of griefe and agony : And all the while Duessa wept full bitterly.

1 8 As when a wearie traveller that strayes

By muddy shore of broad seven-mouthed Nile, Unweeting of the perillous wandring wayes, Doth meete 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 swallowed up unwares, ForgetfuU of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

19 So wept Duessa untill eventide,

That shyning lampes in Joves high house were light : Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide ; But comes unto the place, where th' hethen knight, In slombring swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright, Lay cover'd with inchaunted cloud all day: Whom when she found, as she him left in plight, To wayle his wofull case she would not stay. But to the easterne coast of heaven makes speedy way.

r^6 THE FA ERF QITEENE.

20 Where griesly night, with visage deadly sad, That Phoebus chearefull face durst never \ew. And in a foule blacke pitchy mantle clad,

She findes forth comniing from her darksome mew. Where she all day did hide her hated hew. Before the dore her yron charet stood, Already harnessed for journey new, And cole blacke steedes yborne of hellish brood. That on their rusty bits did champ, as they were wood.

21 Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright, Adornd with gold and jewels shining cleare, She greatly grew amazed at the sight, And th' unacquainted light began to feare ; (F^or never did such brightnes there appeare ;) And would have backe retyred to her cave, Untill the witches speech she gan to heare. Saying, Yet, O thou dreaded dame, 1 crave

Abide, till I have told the message which I have.

22 She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede, O thou most auncient grandmother of all.

More old then Jove, whom thou at first didst breede, Or that great house of gods Ccelestiall ; Which wast begot in Daemogorgons hall, And sawst the secrets of the world unmade, Why suftredst thou thy nephewes deare to fall With elfin sword most shamefully betrade ? Lo where the stout Sans joy doth sleepe in deadly shaile.

23 And him before, I saw with bitter eyes

The bold Sans foy shrinke underneath his speare ; And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes. Nor wayld of friends, nor layd on groning beare, That whylome was to me too dearely deare. O what of Gods then boots it to be borne. If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare? Or who shall not great nightes children scorne. When two of three her nephews are so fowle forlorne ?

CANTO V. 57

24 Up then, up dreary dame, of darknesse Queene; Go gather up the reliques of thy race;

Or else goe them avenge, 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 mov'd In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face : Yet pitty in her hart was never prov'd Till then : for evermore she hated, never lov'd :

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, 1 ^,.--" < Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee.

Which fast is tyde to Joves eternall seat?

The sonnes of day he favoureth, I see,

And by my mines 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 Sans foy to fall, j

Shall with his owne bloud price that he has spilt, j But what art thou, that telst of nephews kilt ? ' I that do seeme not 1, Duessa am, (Quoth she) how ever now in garments gilt And gorgeous gold arayd I to thee came ; Duessa 1, 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 roote of Duessaes race. O welcome, child, whom I have longd to see, And now have seene unwares. Lo now I goe with thee.

58 THE FAERY QJTEENE.

2 8 Then to her yron wagon she betakes,

And with her beares the fowle welfavourd witch : Through mirkesome aire her ready way she makes. Her twyfold teme, of which two blacke as pitch, And two were browne, yet each to each unlich, Did softly swim away, ne ever stamp, Unlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champ,

And trampling the tine element would fiercely ramp.

29 So well they sped, that they be come at length Unto the place, whereas the paynim lay Devoid of outward sense, and native strength, Goverd with charmed cloud from vew of day And sight of men, since his late luckelesse fray. His cruell wounds with cruddy bloud congeald They binden up so wisely as they may,

And handle softly, till they can be heald : So lay him in her charet, close in night conceald.

30 And, all the while she stood upon the ground The wakefull dogs did never cease to bay. As giving warning of th' unwonted 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 drery shriekes did also her bewray ; And hungry wolves continually did howle

At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.

31 Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole, And brought the heavy corse with easy pace To yawning gulfe of deepe Avernus hole :

By that same hole an entrance dark and bace, , With smoake and sulphur hiding all the place, I Descends to hell \ there creature never past. That backe returned without heavenly grace ; But dreadful! Furies, which their chaines have brast. And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

CANTO V. 59

32 By that same way the direfull dames doe drive Their mournefuU charet, fild with rusty blood, And downe to Plutoes house are come bilive : Which passing through, on every side them stood The trembUng ghosts with sad amazed mood, Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide With stonie eyes ; and all the hellish brood Oi feends infernall flockt on every side.

To gaze on earthly wight, that with the night durst ride,

— 33 They pas the bitter waves of Acheron,

• — Where many soules sit wailing woefully ; ■~ And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton,

Whereas the damned ghosts in torments fry, ' And with sharp shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry, (Cursing high Jove, 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 venomous, And lilled forth his bloody flaming tong: At them he gan to reare his bristles strong. And felly gnarre, untill dayes enemy Did him appease ; then downe his taile he hong, And suffered them to passen quietly : For she in hell and heaven had power equally.

~ 35 There was Ixion turned on a wheele,

Yor daring tempt the Queene of heaven to sin ;

And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele

Against an hill, ne might from labour lin ;

There thirsty Tantalus hong by the chin ;

And Tityus fed a vulture on his maw; Typhoeus joynts were stretched on a gin ; — Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth by law; — ■ And fiftv sisters water in leake vessels draw.

6o THE FAERY QIJEENE.

36 They all beholding worldly wights in place,

Leave oft" their worke, unmindfull of their smart, To gaze on them ; who forth by them doe pace, Till they be come unto the furthest part ; Where was a cave y wrought by wondrous art, Deepe,- darke, uneasy, dolefull, corofortlesse,

— • In which sad Aesculapius far apart ) Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse ;

For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse. *****

40 Such wondrous science in mans witt to rain When Jove avizd, that could the dead revive, And fates expired could renew again,

Of endlesse life he might him not deprive. But unto hell did thrust him downe alive. With flashing thunderbolt ywounded sore : Where long remaining, he did alwaies strive Himselfe with salves to health for to restore, And slake the heavenly fire, that raged evermore.

41 There auncient night arriving, did alight

From her nigh weary waine, and in her amies ^ To Aesculapius brought the wounded knight:''' Whom having softly disarayd of armes, Tho gan to him discover all his harmes, Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise, If either salves, 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 heaven 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 Jove, that rules both night and day

CANTO V. 6 1

45 Not so (quoth she) but sith that heavens king From hope of heaven 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 everlasting Night ? Goe to then, O thou far renowmed sonne Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne

CJreat pains, and greater praise, both never to be donne.

44 Her words prevaild : And then the learned leach His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay. And all things else, the which his art did teach: Which having scene, from thence arose away The mother of dread darknesse, and let stay Aveugles sonne there in the leaches cure ;

And backe returning tooke her wonted way To runne her timely race, whilst Phoebus pure In westerne waves his weary wagon did rccure.

45 The false Duessa leaving noyous Night, j 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, unready were to ride.

Good cause he had to hasten thence away ;

For on a day his wary dwarfe had spide

Where in a dungeon deepe huge numbers lay Of caytive wretched thralls, that wayled night and day. \

46 A ruefull sight, as could be scene with eie ; Of whom he learned had in secret wise The hidden cause of their captivitie; How mortgaging their lives to covetise, Through wastfull pride and wanton riotisc. They were by law of that proud tyrannesse, Provokt with wrath and envies false surmise, Condemned to that dongeon mercilesse,

Where they should live in woe, and die in wretchednesse.

6a THE FAERY QUEENE.

' 47 There was that great proud king of Babylon, That would compell all nations to adore And him as onely God to call upon, Till through celestiall doome thrown out of dorc, — Into an oxe he was transform'd of yore. There" also was king Croesus, that enhaunst His hart too high through his great richesse store; And proud Antiochus, the which advaunst 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 far did pas

In princely pomp, of all the world obayd;

„' There also was that mightie monarch layd Low under all, yet above all in pride, That name of native syre did fowle upbrayd. And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide. Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he didc.

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 ruins of the Romanes fall : _ Great Ronuilus, the grandsyre of them all,

— Proud Tarquin, and too lordly Lentulus,

— Stout Scipio, and stubborne Hanniball, - Ambitious Sylla, and sterne Marius,

High Caesar, great Pompey, and fierce Antonius.

50 Amongst these mightie men were wemen mixt, Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke :

__The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfixt With sonnes own 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 dungeon fill;

CANTO V. 6cj

51 Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles, Which thither were assembled day by day F'rom all the world, after their wofull falles Through wicked pride and w-asted wealthes decay. But most of all which in that dongeon lay,

Fell from high princes courts, or ladies bowres; Where they in idle pomp, or wanton play, /

Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres, And lastly thrown themselves into these heavy stowres.

52 Whose case when as the careful dwarfe had tould, And made ensample of their mournfull sight Unto his maister, he no lenger would

There dwell in perill of like painefull plight. But early rose, and ere that dawning light Discovered had the world to heaven wyde. He by a privy posterne tooke his flight, That of no envious 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 shamefuU end. And them beside Forth ryding underneath the castell wall, ,\ donghill of dead carkases he spide ; "\

The dreadfuU spectacle of that sad house of Pride. )

64 THE FAERY QUEENE.

. CANTO VI.

From lawlesse lust by wondrous grace

fnyre Una is releast ; Whom salvage nation does adore,

and learnes her wise beheast.

1 As when a ship, that flyes faire under saile, An hidden rocke escaped hath unwares, That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, The mariner yet halfe amazed stares

At per ill past, and yet in doubt ne dares To joy at his fool happie oversight : So doubly is distrest twixt joy and cares The dreadlesse courage of this elfin knight, Having escapt so sad ensamples in his sight.

2 Yet sad he was that his too hastie speedc

/ The faire Duess' had forst him leave behind : And yet more sad, that Una his deare dreed Her truth had staind wnth treason so unkind : Yet crime in her could never creature find ; But for his love, and for her o^vne selfe sake, She wandred had from one to other Ynd, Him for to seeke, ne ever would forsake,

Till her unwares the fiers Sans loy did overtake. * * * * * *

6 The pitteous maiden carefuU comfortlessc.

Does throw out thrilling shriekes, and shrieking cryes,

The last vaine helpe of womens greate distressc,

And with loud plaints importuneth the skyes,

That molten starres doe drop like weeping eyes;

And Phoebus flying so most shameful sight,

His blushing face in foggy cloud implyes.

And hides for shame. What wit of mortall wight

Can now devise to quit a thrall from such a plight ?

CANTO VI. 6^

7 Eternall providence exceeding thought,

Where none appeares can make her selfe a way : A wondrous way it for this lady wrought, From lyons clawes to pUick 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 Sylvanus slept in shady arber sownd :

8 Who when they heard that pitteous strained voice, In haste forsooke their rurall merriment,

And ran towardes the far rebownded noyce, To weet, what wight so loudly did lament. ' Unto the place they come incontinent : Whom when the raging Sarazin espide, A rude, mishapen, monstrous rablement, Whose like he never saw, he durst not bide, But got his ready steed, and fast away gan ride. /

9 The wyld wood gods arrived 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 uncouth sight, And gin to pittie her unhappie state ; All stand astonied at her beautie bright. In their rude eyes unworthy of so wofuU plight.

lo She, more amaz'd, in double dread doth dwell; And every tender part for feare does shake : As when a greedy wolfe, through honger fell, A seely lamb far from the flock does take, Of whom he meanes his bloody feast to make, A lyon spyes fast running towards him, The innocent pray in hast he does forsake ; Which quitt from death yet quakes in every lim

With chaunge of feare, to see the lyon looke so grim, F

66 THE FAERY QUEENE.

11 Such fearefuU fit assaid her trembling hart;

Ne worde to speake, ne joynt to move she had : The salvage nation feele her secret smart, And read her sorrow in her count'nance sad ; Their frowning forheads with rough homes yclad And rustick horror all a side doe lay; And gently grenning, show a semblance glad To comfort her, and, feare to put av.ay, 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 hasty trust ensu'th: They in compassion of her tender youth,

And wonder of her beautie soveraine. Are wonne with pitty and unwonted ruth, And, all prostrate upon 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 fearlesse doth arise, And walketh forth without suspect of crime: They all as glad, as birdes of joyous 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 olive girlond cround.

14 And all the way their merry pipes they sound. That all the woods with double eccho ring.

And with their horned feet do weare the ground, Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant spring. So towards old Sylvanus they her bring; Who with the noyse awaked commeth out To weet the cause, his weake steps governing And aged limbs on cypresse stadle stout ; And with an yvie twyne his wast is girt about.

CANTO VI. 67

15 Far off he wonders, what them makes so glad, Or Bacchus merry fruit they did invent,

— Or Cybeles franticke rites have made them mad : They drawing nigh, unto 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 thinkcs 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 Sylvanus 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 never had so sober mood : Sometimes Diana he her takes to be;

But misseth bow, and shaftes, and buskins to her knee.

17 By vew of her he ginneth to revive His ancient love, and dearest Cyparisse ; And calles to mind his pourtraiture alive, How faire he was, and yet not faire to this ; And how he slew with glauncing dart amisse A gentle hynd, the which the lovely boy Did love as life, above all worldly blisse ; For griefe whereof the lad n'ould after joy,

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 lovely face :

But, when they vewed have her heavenly grace, They envy 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. ¥ 2

68 THE FAERY QUEENE.

19 Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse lucky maid Did her content to please their feeble eyes, And long time with that salvage people staid, To gather breath in many miseries. During which time her gentle wit she plyes, To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vainC'

And made her th' image of idolatryes :

But when their bootlesse zeale she did restraine From her own worship, they her asse would worship fayn.

- 20 It fortuned a noble warlike knight By just occasion to that forrest came To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right. From whence he tooke his well deserved name : He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame And fild far lands with glorie of his might; Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame. And ever lov'd to fight for ladies right: But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight.

21 A satyres sonne yborne in forrest M^ld, By straunge adventure 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 unruly swayne. Who had more joy to raunge the forrest wyde, And chase the salvage beast with busie payne,

Then serve his ladies love, and wast in pleasures vayne.

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 Upon the lyon and the rugged beare ; And from the she beares teats her whelps to teare : And eke wyld roaring buls he would him make To tame, and ryde their backes not made to beare • And the robuckes in flight to overtake :

That every beast for feare of him did fly and quake.

CANTO VI. 69

.'5 Thereby so fearlesse, 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 advise The angry beastes not rashly to despise, Nor too much to provoke; for he would learnw The lyon stoup to him in lowly wise, (A lesson hard,) and make the libbard sterne

Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did earne.

26 And for to make his powre approved more, Wyld beasts in yron yokes he would compell ; The spotted panther, and the tusked bore, The pardale swift, and the tigre cruell,

'I'he antelope and wolfe, both fierce and fell ; And them constraine in equall teme to draw. Such joy he had their stubborne harts to quell, And sturdie courage tame with dreadfull aw, That his beheast they feared, as a tyrans law.

27 His loving mother came upon a day Unto the woods, to see her little sonne ;

And chaunst unwares to meet him in the \\a\, After his sportes, and cruell pastime donne ; When after him a lyonesse did runne, 1^

That roaring all with rage, did lowd requere 1

Her children deare, whom he away had wonne : j 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, Untill with love revokt from vaine affright, She hardly yet perswaded was to stay,

And then to him these womanish words gan say: Ah Satyrane, my dearling, and my joy, For love of me leave off this dreadfull play; To dally thus with death, is no fit toy : Go find some other play-fellowes, mine own swe&t boy.

;0 THE FAERY QUEENE.

29 In these and like delights of bloudy game He trayned was, till ryper years he raught; And there abode, whilst any beast of name Walkt in that forest, whom he had not taught To feare his force: and then his courage haught Desird of forreine foemen to be knowne.

And far abroad for strarmge adventures sought ; In which his might was never overthrowne ; But through all Faery lond his famous worth was blown

30 Yet evermore it was his manner faire. After long labours and adventures spent, Unto those native woods for to repaire, To see his syre and offspring auncient.

. And now he thither came for like intent; I Where he unwares the fairest Una found, Straunge lady, in so straunge habiliment. Teaching the satyres, which her sat around, Trew sacred lore, which from her sweet lips did redound

31 He wondred at her wisedome heavenly rare, Whose like in woinens wit he never 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 joyd to make proofe of her cruelty

On gentle dame, so hurtlesse, and so trew. Thenceforth he kept her goodly company, And learnd her discipline of faith and verity.

32 But she, all vowd unto 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 privy wise To Satyrane she shewed her intent ; Who, glad to gain such favour, gan devise, How with that pensive maid he best might thence arise.

CANTO VI. *Jl

33 So on a day, when satyres all were gone To do their service to Sylvanus 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 ever hope recover her againe: In vaine he seekes that having cannot hold. So fast he carried her with carefuU paine, That they the woods are past, and come now to the plaine.

34 The better part now of the lingring day They traveild had, whenas they far espide A weary wight forwandring by the way, And towards him they gan in hast to ride, To weete of newes, that did abroad betide,

Or tidings of her knight of the Redcrosse : ^"^ But he them spying, gan to turne aside For feare as seemd, or for some feigned lossc : More greedy they of newes, fast towards him do crosse.

35 A silly man, in simple weedes forworne, And solid with dust of the long dried way ; His sandales were with toilsome travell torne, And face all tand with scorching sunny ray. As he had traveild many a sommers day Through boyling sands of Arable and Ynde ; And in his hand a Jacobs stafFe, to stay

His weary limbs upon : and eke behind His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind.

36 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

Or heard abroad of that her champion trew. That in his armour bare a croslet red. Ay 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.

r^

72 THE FAERY QUEENE.

37 That cruell word her tender hart so thrild, That suddein cold did runne through every vaine, And stony horrour all her sences tild

With dying fit, that downe she fell for paine. The knight her lightly reared up againe, ! And comforted \vith 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 chief.

38 Then gan the pilgrim thus; I chaunst this day, 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 wrathfuU hew ; INIy fearefull flesh did tremble at their strife, To see their blades so greedily imbrew, That drunke with blood, yet thristed after life: [knife. What more? the Redcrosse knight was slaine with Payniiti

39 Ah dearest lord (quoth she) how might that bee, And he the stoutest knight, that ever v.'onne ? 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. Foreby a fountaine, where I late him left [cleft.

Washing his bloody wounds, that through the Steele were

40 Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast, Whiles Una with huge heavinesse 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 :

Even he it was, that earst would have supi)rest Faire Una: whom when Satyrane espide, With foulc reprochfull words he boldly him dcfidc;

CANTO VI. 73

4 r And said, Arise, thou cursed miscreaunt,

'I'hat hast with knightlcsse guile and trcchcrous train

Kaire knighthood tbwiy shamed, and doest vaunt

That good knight of the Redcrosse to have slain :

Arise, and with like treason now maintain

Thy guilty wrong, or els thee guilty yield.

'ihe Sarazin this hearing, rose amain.

And catching up in hast his three-square shield.

And shining helmet, scone him bucked to the field.

42 And, drawing nigh him, said. Ah misborne elfe, In evill houre thy foes thee hither sent, Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thy selfc : ^'et ill thou blamest me, for having blent My name with guile and traiterous intent: x^^ That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I never slew: > But had he beene, where earst his arms were le.U, Th' enchaunter vaine his en-our should not rew :

But thou his errour shalt, I hope, now proven trew.

•43 Therewith they gan, both furious and fell, ,

To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile [

Each other bent his enimy to (}uell ;

That with their force they perst both plate and maile,

And made wide furrowes in their fieshes fraile,

That it would pitty any living eie.

Large floods of blood adowne their sides did raile ;

But floods of blood could not them satisfie : Both hongred after death ; both chose to win, or die.

44 So long they fight, and full revenge pursue, That fainting each, themselves 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 selves aside retire, Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whet. And trample th' earth, the whiles they may respire ;

Then backe to fi^-ht againe, new breathed and entire.

74 THE FAERY QUEENE.

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 then before ; That with their drery woundes and bloody gore, They both deformed, scarsely could be known. By this, sad Una fraught with anguish sore.

Led with their noise which througli the aire was thrown, Arriv'd, wher they in erth their fruitles blood had sown.

46 Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin Si.9i,yi)LcA Espide, he lefte the battell hastily, '

* * * * *

To catch her, newly oftVed 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 : AVherewith he all enrag'd these bitter speaches said,

47 O foolish faeries sonne, what fury mad Hath thee incenst to hast thy doleful! 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 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 afraytl.

48 But that false pilgrim, which that leasing told. Being in deed old Archiniage, did stay

In secret shadow, all this to behold; And much rejoiced in their bloody 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 cacc. And eke this battels end, will need another place.

75

CANTO VII.

The Redcrosse knight is captive made by gyanrit proud opprest :

Prince Arthur meets with Una great- ly with those newes distrest.

1 What man so wise, what earthly wit so ware, As to discry the crafty cunning traine.

By which deceipt doth niaske in visour faire, And cast her colours dyed deep in graine. 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.

2 Who when, returning from the drery Night, She fownd not in that perilous house of Pryde, Where she had left the noble Redcrosse knight, Her hoped pray ; she would no lenger bide.

But forth she went to seeke him far and wide, y 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 grassy forage ate.

3 He feedes upon the cooling shade, and bayes His sweatie forehead in the breathing wind,

Which through the trembling leaves full gently playes, Wherein the chearefuU birds of sundry kind Do chaunt sweet musick, to delight his mind : The witch approching gan him fairely greet. And with reproch of carelesnesse unkind Upbrayd, for leaving her in place unmeet, [sweet.

With fowle words tempring faire, soure gall with hony

{■

76 THE FAERY QUEENE.

4 Unkindnesse past, they gan of solace treat, And bathe in pleasaunce of the joyous shade, Which shielded them against the boyling heat. And, with greene boughes decking a gloomy shade, About the fountaine like a girlond made ; Whose bubbling wave did ever freshly well, \e ever would through fervent sommer fade : The sacred nymph, which therein wont to dwell,

Was out of Dianes favor, as it then befell.

.. 5 The cause was this: One day, when Phoebe fayre With all her band was following the chace, This nymph, quite tyr'd with heat of scorching ayrc. Sat downe to rest in middest of the race : The goddesse 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 ;

.. And all that drinke thereof do faint and feeble gro\\-\

6 Hereof this gentle knight unwceting was ; And lying downe upon the sandie graile, Drunke of the streame, as cleare as cristall glas : Eftsoones his manly forces gan to faile.

And mightie strong was turnd to feeble fraile. -' His chaunged powres at first themselves not felt. Till crudled cold his corage gan assaile. And cheareful bloud in faintnesse chill did melt. Which like a fever fit through all his body swelt.

7 Yet goodly court he made still to his dame, Pourd out in loosnesse on the grassy 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, That all the earth for terror seemd to shake, And trees did tremble. Th' Elfc, therewith astownd, Upstarted lightly from his looser make, And his unready weapons gan in hand to take.

CAXTO VII. 77

8 But ere he could his armour on him dight, /j, (O,,,.,,,^^*^ Or get his shield, his monstrous enimy With sturdie 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; His living like saw never living eye, Ne durst behold; his stature did exceed The hight of three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed. * ^t * * * *

10 So growen great through arrogant delight Of th' high descent, \\hcreof he was yborne,

And through presumption of his matchlesse might, ' 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 His mortall mace, wherewith his foemen he dismaydc.

11 That when the knight he spide, he gan advance With huge force and insupportable mayne. And towardes him with dreadfull fury praunce; Who haplesse, and eke hopelesse, all in vaine Did to him pace, sad battaile to darrayne, Disarmd, disgrast, and inwardly dlsmayde;

And eke so faint in every joynt and vaine, Through that fraile fountaine, which him feeble made, That scarsely could he weeld his bootlesse single blade.

12 The geaunt strooke so maynly mercilesse, That could have overthrowne a stony towre; And were not heavenly grace, that did him blesse, He had beene pouldred all, as thin as flowre : But he was wary of that deadly stowre.

And lightly lept from underneath the blow: Yet so exceeding was the villeins powre That with the wind it did him overthrow. And all his sences stound, that still he lay full low. '

78 THE FAERY QUEENE.

13 As when that divelish yron engin wrought In deepest hell, and framd by Furies skill, With windy nitre and quick sulphur fraught, And ramd with bullet i-ound, ordaind to kill, Conceiveth fire, the heavens it doth fill

With thundring noyse, and all the ayre doth choke. That none can breath, nor see, nor heare at will, Through smouldry cloud of duskish stincking smoke ; That th' only breath him daunts, who hath escapt the stroke.

14 So daunted when the geaunt saw the knight. His heavie hand he heaved up on hye,

And him to dust thought to have battred quight, . . . ^1 Untill Duessa loud to him gan crye; *^\ J I / O great Orgoglio, greatest under skye,

O hold thy mortall hand for ladies sake, Hold for my sake, and do him not to dye, But vanquisht thine eternall bondslave make, ] And me, thy worthy meed, unto thy leman take.

15 He hearkned, and did stay from further harmes, To gayne so goodly guerdon, as she spake :

So willingly she came into his amies, Who her as willingly to grace did take. And was possessed of his new found make. Then up he tooke the slombred sencelesse corse. And ere he could out of his swowne awake, Him to his castle brought with hastie forse, And in a dongeon deepe him threw without remorse.

16 From that day forth Duessa was his deare. And highly honoui'd in his haughtie eye. He gave her gold and purple pall to weare, And triple crowne set on her head full hye, And her endowd with royall majestye : Then tor to make her dreaded more of men. And peoples liarts with awfuil terror tye,

i A monstrous beast ybred in filthy fen

1 He chose, which he had kept long time in darksome ilen.

CANTO VII. 79

17 Such one it was, as that renowmed snake Which great Alcides in Stremona slew, Long fostred in the filth ot Lerna lake ; Whose many heads out budding ever new Did breed him endlesse labour to subdew: But this same monster much more ugly was ;

For seven great heads out of his body grew : ^„-.--^ An yron brest, and back of scaly bras, And alJ embrewd in bloud his eyes did shine as glas.

18 His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length, That to the house of heavenly gods it raught, And with extorted powre, and borrow'd strength,

, The ever-burning lamps from thence it braught. And prowdly threw to ground, as things of naught; And underneath his filthy feet did tread The sacred things, and holy heasts foretaught. Upon this dreadfull beast with sevenfold head^ He sett the false Duessa, for more aw and dread.

(Pv^

19 The wofull dwarfe, which saw his maisters fall, Whiles he had keeping of his grasing steed, And valiant knight become a caytive thrall. When all was past, tooke up his forlorne weed. His mightie armour, missing most at need;

His silver shield, now idle maisterlesse ; His poynant speare, that many made to bleed, The rueful moniments of heavinesse. And with them all departes, to tell his great distresse.

20 He had not travaild long, when on the way He wofull lady, wofull Una met Fast flying from that paynims greedy pray, Whilest Satyrane l^m from pursuit did let : Who when her eyes she on the dwarfe had set, And saw the signes, that deadly tydings spake. She fell to ground for sorrowfull regret, And lively breath her sad brest did forsake,

Yet might her pittcous hart be scene to pant and quake.

8o THE FAERY QUEEXE.

21 The messenger of so imhappie newes

Would faine have dyde : dead was his hart within,

Yet outwardly some little comfort shewes :

At last recovering hart, he does begin

To rub her temples, and to chaufe her chin,

And everie tender part does tosse and turne :

So hardly he the flitted life does win

Unto her native prison to retourne:

Then gins her grieved ghost thus to lament and mourne.

2 2 Ye dreary instruments of dolefull sight. That doe this deadly spectacle behold. Why do ye lenger feed on loathed light. Or liking find to gaze on earthly mould, Sith cruell fates the carefull threds unfould, The which my life and love together tyde ? Now let the stony dart or senselesse cold Perce to my hart, and pas through every side:

And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hide.

23 O lightsome day, the lampe of highest Jove,

First made by him mens wandring wayes to guyde, When darkenesse he in deepest dongeon drove ; Henceforth thy hated face for ever hyde, And shut up heavens windowes shyning wyde : For earthly sight can nought but sorrow breed, And late repentance, which shall long abyde. Mine eyes no more on vanitie shall feed, But seeled up with death, shall have tJieir deadly meed.

24 Then downe againe she fell unto the ground ; But he her quickly reared up againe :

Thrise did she sinke adowne in deadly swownd, And thrise he her reviv'd with l^sie paine, At last when life recoverd had the raine. And over-wrestled his strong enemie, With foltring tong, and trembling every vaine, Tell on (quoth she) the wofull tragedie. The which these reliques sad present unto mine eye.

CANTO VII. 81

25 Tempestuous fortune hatli spent all her spight, And thrilling sorrow throwne his utmost dart ; Thy sad tongue cannot tell more heavy plight Then that I feele, and harbour in mine hart : Who hath endur'd the whole, can beare each part. If death it be, it is not the first wound, That launched hath my brest with bleeding smart. Begin, and end the bitter balefull stound ;

If lesse then that I feare, more favour I have found.

26 Then gan the dwarfe the whole discourse declare ; The subtile traines of Archimago old ;

The wanton loves of false Fidessa faire. Bought with the blood of vanquisht paynim bold ; The wretched payre transformed to treen mould ; The house of Pride, and perils round about ; The combat, which he with Sans joy did hould ; The lucklesse conflict with the gyant stout, Wherein captiv'd, of life or death he stood in doubt.

27 She heard with patience all unto the end; And strove to maister sorrowfull assay, Which greater grew, the more she did contend. And almost rent her tender hart in tway ;

And love fresh coles unto her fire did lay : For greater love, the greater is the losse. Was never lady loved dearer day Then she did love the knight of the Redcrosse ; For whose deare sake so many troubles her did tosse.

28 At last when fervent sorrow slaked was. She up arose, resolving him to find

Alive or dead: and forward forth doth pas, All as the dwarfe the way to her assynd: And evermore, in constant careful! mind. She fed her wound with fresh renewed bale : Long tost with stormes, and bet with bitter wind. High over hills, and low adowne the dale, She wandred many a wood, and measurd many a vale. G

K

82 THE FAERY QUEENS.

29 At last she chaunced by good hap to meet

I /~- A goodly knight, faire marching by the way,

y^ Together with his squire, arayed meet :

His glitterand armour shined far away, Likeglauncing light of Phoebus brightest ray ; From top to toe no place appeared bare, That deadly dint of Steele endanger may: Athwart his brest a bauldrick brave he ware, [rare: That shind, like twinkling stars, with stones most pretious

"cKbo And, in the midst thereof, one pretious_stang ;. Qv Of wondrous worth, and eke of wondrous mights,

ShapTlike a ladies head, exceeding shone, Like Hesperus emongst the lesser lights. And strove for to amaze the weaker sights: Thereby his mortall blade full comely hong In yvory sheath, ycarv'd with curious slights; Whose hilts were burnisht gold, and handle strong Of mother pearle, and buckled with a golden tong.

51 His haughtie helmet, horrid all with gold.

Both glorious brightnesse and great terrour bred ;

. For all the crest a dragon did enfold

With greedie pawes, and over all did spred His golden wings: his dreadfuU hideous hed Close couched on the bever, seemd to throw From flaming mouth bright sparkles fiery red, That suddeine horrour to fainte hartes did show,

And scaly tayle was stretcht adowne his back full low.

32 Upon the top of all his loftie crest, A bunch of haires discolourd diversly, With sprincled pearle, and gold full richly drest, Did shake, and seemd to daunce for jollity ; Like to an almond tree ymounted hye On top of greene Selinis all alone. With blossoms brave bedecked daintily; Whose tender locks do tremble every one

At every little breath, that under heaven is blownc.

CANTO VII. 83

33 His warlike shield all closely cover'd was, Ne might of mortall eye be ever seene ; Not made of Steele, nor of enduring bras. Such earthly mettals soon consumed beene ; But all of diamond perfect pure and cleene It framed was, one* massy entire mould, Hewen out of adamant rocke with engines keene, That point of speare it never percen could,

Ne dint of direfull sword divide the substance would.

34 The same to wight he never wont disclose. But when as monsters huge he would dismay, Or daunt unequall armies of his foes.

Or when the flying heavens he would affray: For so exceeding shone his glistring ray. That Phoebus golden face it did attaint, As when a cloud his beames doth over-lay; And silver Cynthia wexed pale and faint. As when her face is staynd with magicke arts constraint.

35 No magicke arts hereof had any might. Nor bloody wordes of bold enchaunters call ; But all that was not such, as seemd in sight, Before that shield did fade, and suddeine fall: And, when him list the raskall routes appall, ' Men into stones therewith he could transmew, And stones to dust, and dust to nought at all: ' And when him list the prouder lookes subdew.

He would them gazing blind, or turne to other hew.

36 Ne let it seeme, that credence this exceeds;

For he that made the same was knowne right well To have done much more admirable deedes:

• It Merlin was, which whylome did excell

All Hving wightes in might of magicke spell: Both shield, and sword, and armour all he wrought For this young prince, when first to armes he fell ; But, when he dyde, the Faerie Queene it brought To Faerie lond, where yet it may be seene, if sought. G 2

84 THE FAERY QITEENE.

37 A gentle youth, his dearely loved squire, His speare of heben wood behind him bare, Whose harmeful head, thrice heated in the fire, Had riven many a brest with pikehead square: A goodly person, and could menage faire

His stubborne steed with curbed canon bit, Who under him did trample as the aire, And chauft, that any on his backe should sit The yron rowels into frothy fome he bit.

38 Whenas this knight nigh to the lady drew, With lovely court he gan her entertaine ;

But when he heard her answers loth, he knew Some secret sorrow did her heart distraine : Which to allay, and calme her storming paine, Faire feeling words he wisely gan display, And for her humor fitting purpose faine, To tempt the cause it selfe for to bewray : Wherewith enmov'd, these bleeding words she gan to say^

39 What worlds delight, or joy of living speach Can hart, so plung'd in sea of sorrowes deep And heaped with so huge misfortunes, reach ? The carefull cold beginneth for to creep, And in my heart his yron arrow steep, Soone as I thinke upon my bitter bale : Such helplesse harmes yts better hidden keep, Then rip up griefe, where it may not availe.

My last left comfort is my woes to weepe and waile.

40 Ah lady deare, quoth then the gentle knight, Well may I ween your griefe is wondrous great ; For wondrous great griefe groneth in my spright, Whiles thus I heare you of your sorrowes treat. But woefull lady, let me you intrete

For to unfold the anguish of your hart : Mishaps are maistred by advice discrete, And counsell mitigates the greatest smart; Found never help, who never would his hurts impart.

\

CANTO VII. 85

41 O but (quoth she) great griefe will not be tould, And can more easily be thought then said. Right so ; (quoth he) but he, that never would, C^ould never: will to might gives greatest aid. But griefe (quoth she) does greater grow displaid. If then it find not helpe, and breeds dcspaire. Despair breeds not (quoth he) where faith is staid. No faith so fast (quoth she) but flesh does pairo.

Flesh may empaire (quoth he) but reason can repaire.

42 His goodly reason, and well guided speach, So deepe did settle in her gracious thought. That her perswaded to disclose the breach. Which love and fortune in her heart had wrought ; And said ; Faire Sir, I hope good hap hath brought You to inquire the secrets of my griefe,

Or that your wisedome will direct my thought. Or that your prowesse can me yield reliefe : Then heare the story sad, which I shall tell you briefe.

43 The forlorne maiden, whom your eyes have scene The laughing stocke of fortunes mockeries.

Am th' onely daughter of a king and queene, Whose parents deare, whilest equal destinies Did runne about, and their felicities The favourable heavens did not envy, ~)

Did spred their rule through all the territories -^ Which Phison and Euphrates floweth by, And Gehons golden waves doe wash continually

44 Till that their cruell cursed enemy, An huge great dragon, horrible in sight, Bred in the loathly lakes of Tartary, With murdrous ravine, and devouring might, Their kingdome spoild, and countrey wasted quight, v Themselves, for feare into his jawes to fall. He forst to castle strong to take their flight ; Where fast embard in mighty brasen wall.

He has them now foure years besiegd to make them thrall.

86 THE FAERY QUEENE.

45 Full many knights, adventurous and stout, Have enterpriz'd that monster to subdew : ' From every coast that heaven walks about, Have thither come the noble martial crew, That famous hard atchievements still pursew; Yet never any could that girlond win,

But all still shronke, and still he greater grew: All they for want of feith, or guilt of sin, The pitteous pray of his fierce cruelty have bin.

46 At last yled with far reported praise,

Which flying fame throughout the world had spred. Of doughty knights, whom Faery land did raise, That noble order hight of maidenhed, !• Forthwith to court of Gloriane I sped, I Of Gloriane, great queene of glory bright, Whose kingdomes seat Cleopolis is red. There to obtaine some such redoubted knight That parents deare from tyrants powre deliver might.

47 It was my chance (my chance was fairc and good) \ There for to find a fresh unproved knight ; ;

Whose manly hands imbrew'd in guilty blood Had never beene, ne ever by his might Had throwne to ground the unregarded right: Yet of his prowesse proofe he since hath m.ade (I witnesse am) in many a cruell fight ; The groning ghosts of many one dismaide Have felt the bitter dint of his avenging blade.

48 And ye the forlorne reliques of his powre, His biting sword, and his devouring speare, Which have endured many a dreadfull stowre. Can speake his prowesse, that did earst you beare, And well could rule: now he hath left you heare To be the record of his ruefull losse.

And of my dolefuU disaventurous deare : O heavie record of the good Redcrosse, Wliere have vou left vour lord, that could so well vou tosse?

CANTO VTI. 87

49 Well hoped I, and faire beginnings had, That he my captive languor should redeeme, Till all unweeting an enchaunter bad

His sence abusd, and made him to misdeemc

My loyalty, not such as it did seeme,

That rather death desire, then such despight.

Be judge ye heavens, that all things right esteeme,

How I him lov'd, and love with all my might,

50 thought I eke of him, and think I thought aright.

50 Thenceforth me desolate he quite forsooke,

To wander, where wilde fortune would mc lead, And other bywaies he himselfe betooke, \\'here never foot of living wight did tread, — — That brought not backe the balefull body dead; In which him chaunced false Duessa meete, / Mine onely foe, mine onely deadly dread. Who with her witchcraft, and misseeming sweete. Inveigled him to follow her desires unmeete.

51 At last by subtill sleights she him betraid Unto his foe, a gyaunt huge and tall. Who him disarmed, dissolute, dismaid, Unwares surprised, and with mighty mall The monster mercilesse him made to fall, Whose fall did never foe before behold;

And now in darkesome dungeon, wretched thrall, Remedilesse, for aie he doth him hold ; This is my cause of griefe, more great then may be told.

52 Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint: But he her comforted, and faire bespake ; Certes, madame, ye have great cause of plaint. The stoutest heart, I weene, could cause to quake. But be of cheare, and comfort to you take ;

For till I have acquit your captive knight, t Assure your selfe, I will you not forsake. ' His chearefull words reviv'd her chearlesse spright. So forth they went, the dwarfe them guiding ever right.

88 THE FAERY QJJEENE.

CANTO VIII.

Faire virgin, to redeeme her Jenre,

brings A rlhnr to the fight : Who slayes that Gyant. wounds the beast,

and strips Dnessa quight.

1 Ay me, how many perils doe enfold

The righteous man, to make him daily fall, Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold, And stedfast truth acquite him out of all. Her love is firme, her care continuall, So oft as he through his own foolish pride Or weaknesse is to sinfull bands made thrall : Els should this Redcrosse knight in bands have dyde, For whose deliverance she this prince doth thither guide.

2 They sadly traveild thus, untill they came Nigh to a castle builded strong and hie : Then cryde the dwarfe, Lo yonder is the same. In which my lord, my liege, doth lucklesse lie, Thrall to that gyants hatefull tyranny : Therefore, deare sir, your mightie powres assay.

. The noble knight alighted by and by

From loftie steede, and bad the ladie stay. To see what end of fight should him befall that day.

3 So with his squire, th' admirer of his might, He marched forth towards that castle wall; Whose gates he found fast shut, ne living wight To ward the same, nor answere commers call. Then tooke that squire an home of bugle small. Which hong adowne his side in twisted gold And tassels gay. Wyde wonders over all

Of that same homes great vertues weren told Which had approved bene in uses manifold.

CANTO VIII. 89

4 Was never wight, that heard that shrilling sownd, But trembling t'eare did feel in every vaine ; Three miles it might be easy heard arownd, And ecchoes three answerd it selfe againe :

No false enchauntment, nor deceiptfiill traine, Might once abide the terror of that blast, But presently was voide and wholly vaine : No gate so strong, no locke so firme and fast, But with that percing noise flew open quite, or brast.

5 The same before the geants gate he blew, That all the castle quaked from the ground. And every dore of free will open flew.

The gyant selfe dismaied with that sownd, Where he with his Duessa dalliance fownd. In hast came rushing forth from inner bowre. With staring countenance sterne, as one astownd, And staggering steps, to weet what suddein stowre Had wrought that horror strange, and dar'd his dreaded

[powre.

6 And after him the proud Duessa came, High mounted on her many-headed beast ; And every head with fyrie tongue did flame. And every head was crowned on his creast,

__ And bloody mouthed with late cruell feast. That when the knight beheld, his mightie shild Upon his manly arme he soone addrest, And at him fiersly flew, with courage fild.

And eger greedinesse through every member thrild.

7 Therewith the gyant buckled him to fight, Inflam'd with scornefull wrath and high disdaine, And lifting up his dreadfuU club on hight.

All arm'd with ragged snubbes and knottie graine, Him thought at first encounter to have slaine. But wise and wary was that noble pere; And, lightly leaping from so monstrous maine. Did faire avoide the violence him nere ; It booted nought to thinke such thunderbolts to beare.

go THE FAERY QUEENE,

8 Ne shame he thought to shunne so hideous might : The idle stroke, enforcing furious way,

Missing the marke of his misaymed sight Did fall to ground, and with his heavie sway So deepely dinted in the driven clay, That three yardes deepe a furrow up did throw : The sad earth wounded with so sore assay, Did grone full grievous underneath the blow, [show. And, trembling with strange feare, did like an earthquake

9 As when almightie Jove, in wrathfull mood, To wreake the guilt of mortall sins is bent, Hurles forth his thundring dart with deadly food, Enrold in flames, and smouldring dreriment. Through riven cloudes and molten firmament ; The fierce threeforked engin making way

Both loftie to\\Tes and highest trees hath rent, And all that might his angry passage stay. And shooting in the earth, casts up a mount of clay.

10 His boystrous club, so buried in the ground, He could not rearen up againe so light,

But that the knight him at advantage found ; And, whiles he strove his combred clubbe to quight Out of the earth, with blade all burning bright He smote off his left arme, which like a blocke Did fall to ground depriv'd of native might ; Large streames of bloud out of the truncked stocke Forth gushed, like fresh water streame from riven rockc

1 1 Dismayed with so desperate deadly wound, And eke impatient of unwonted paine,

He lowdly brayd with beastly yelling sownd. That all the fields rebellowed againe : As great a noyse, as when in Cymbrian plaine An herd of bulles, whom kindly rage doth sting, Do for the milky mothers want complaine. And fill the fields with troublous bellowing: The neighbour woods around with iiollow nun"mur ring.

CANTO VIII. 91

12 That when his deare Duessa heard, and saw The evil stownd, that daungerd her estate, Unto his aide she hastily did draw

Her dreadfuU beast, who, swolne with blood of late, Came ramping forth with proud presumpteous gate, And threatned all his heades like flaming brands. But him the squire made quickly to retrate, Encountring fierce with single sword in hand ; And twixt him and his lord did like a bulwarke stand.

13 The proud Duessa, full of wrathfull spight, And fierce disdaine, to be aff'ronted so, Enforst her purple beast with all her might

, That stop out of the way to overthroe,

Scorning the let of so unequall foe ;

But nathemore would that courageous swayne

To her yeeld passage, gainst his lord to goe ;

But with outrageous strokes did him restraine, And with his body bard the way atwixt them twaine.

14 Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup, Which still she bore, replete with magick artes ; Death and despeyre did many thereof sup. And secret poyson through their inner parts, Th' eternall bale of heavie wounded harts : Which after charmes and some enchauntments said, She lightly sprinkled on his weaker parts; '["herewith his sturdie courage soone was quayd,

And all his sences were with suddein dread dismayd.

15 So downe he fell before the cruell beast, Who on his neck his bloody clawes did seize, That life nigh crusht out of his panting brest : No powre he had to stirre, nor will to rize. That when the careful! knight gan well avise. He lightly left the foe, with whom he fought, And to the beast gan turne his enterprise ; For wondroiis anguish in his hart it wrought.

To see his loved squire into such thraldom brought,

92 THE FAERY QUEENE.

1 6 And, high advauncing his blood-thirstie blade, Stroke one of those deformed heades so sore, That of his puissance proud ensample made; His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore, And. that misformed shape misshaped more :

A sea of blood gusht from the gaping wound. That her gay garments staynd with filthy gore, And overflowed all the field around ; That over shoes in blood he waded on the ground.

17 Thereat he roared for exceeding paine.

That to have heard great horror would have bred; And scourging th' emptie ayre with his long traine, Through great impatience of his grieved hed, His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted Would have cast downe, and trod in durty myre, Had not the gyant soone her succoured; Who all enrag'd with smart and franticke yre. Came hurtling in full fierce, and forst the knight retyre.

18 The force, which wont in two to be disperst. In one alone left hand he now unites,

Which is through rage more strong then both were erst ; With which his hideous club aloft he dites, And at his foe with furious rigour smites, That strongest oake might seeme to overthrow : The stroke upon his shield so heavie lites. That to the ground it doubleth him full low: What mortall wight could ever beare so monstrous blow ?

19 And in his fall his shield, that covered was, Did loose his vele by chaunce, and open flew ; The lightjvhereof. that heavens light did pas, Such blazing brightnesse through the aier threw. That eye mote not the same endure to vev.'. Which when the gyaunt spyde with staring eye, He downe let fall his arme, and soft withdrew His weapon huge, that heaved was on hye

For to have slain the man, that on the ground did lye.

CANTO VIII. 93

20 And eke the fruitfuU-headed beast, amazd At flashing beames of that sunshiny shield, Became starke bhnd, and all his sences dazd, That downe he tumbled on the durtie field, And seemd himselfe as conquered to yield. Whom when his maistresse proud perceiv'd to fall, Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld, Unto the gyant loudly she gan call ;

O helpe, Orgoglio, helpe, or else we perish all.

21 At her so pitteous cry was much amoov'd Her champion stout, and for to ayde his frend, Againe his wonted angry weapon proov'd :

But all in vaine : for he has read his end In that bright shield, and all their forces spend Themselves in vaine : for, since that glauncing sight, He hath no powre to hurt, nor to defend ; As where th' Almighties lightning brond does light. It dimmes the dazed eyen, and daunts the senses quight.

22 Whom when the prince, to battell new addrest And threatning high his dreadfull stroke, did see. His sparkling blade about his head he blest, And smote off quite his right leg by the knee, That downe he tombled ; as an aged tree. High growing on the top of rocky clift.

Whose hart strings with keene Steele nigh hewen be, The mightie trunck halfe rent, with ragged rift Doth roll adowne the rocks, and fall with fearefull drift.

23 Or as a castle reared high and round, By subtile engins and malitious slight Is undermined from the lowest ground.

And her foundation forst, and feebled quight, At last downe falles; and with her heaped hight Her hastie ruine does more heavie make, And yields it selfe unto the victours might : Such was this gyants fall, that seemd to shake The stedfast globe of earth, as it for feare did quake.

94 THE FAERY QUEENE.

24 The knight then lightly leaping to the pray, With mortall Steele him smot againe so sore, That headlesse his unweldy bodie lay,

All wallowd in his ovvne fowle bloody gore, Which flowed from his wounds in wondrous store. But soone as breath out of his breast did pas, . That huge great body, which the gyant bore, Was vanisht quite, and of that monstrous mas Was nothing left, but like an emptie bladder was.

25 Whose grievous fall when false Duessa spide, Her golden cup she cast unto the ground, And crowned mitre rudely threw aside :

Such percing griefe her stubborne hart did wound, That she could not endure that dolefull stound ; But leaving all behind her, fled away : The light-foot squire her quickly turnd around, And by hard meanes enforcing her to stay, So brought unto his lord, as his deserved pray.

26 The royall virgin which beheld from farre. In pensive plight and sad perplexitie,

The whole atchievement of this doubtfull warre, Came running fast to greet his victorie. With sober gladnesse, and myld modestie ; And with sweet joyous cheare him thus bespake : F'aire braunch of noblesse, flowre of chevalrie, That with your worth the world amazed make, How shall I quite the paines ye suffer for my sake ?

27 And you fresh budd of vertue springing fast, Whom these sad eyes saw nigh unto deaths dorc. What hath poore virgin for such perill past Wherewith you to reward? Accept therefore My simple selfe, and service evermore ;

And he that high does sit, and all things see With equall eyes their merites to restore, Behold what ye this day have done for mee, And, what I cannot quite, requite with usuree.

CANTO VIIT. 95

28 But sith the heavens, and your faire handeling, Have made you master of the field this day, Your fortune maister eke with governing, And well begun end all so well, I pray. Ne let that wicked woman scape away ; For she it is, that did my lord bethrall. My dearest lord, and deepe in dongeon lay ; Where he his better dayes hath wasted all.

O heare, how piteous he to you for ayd does call.

39 Forthwith he gave in charge unto his squire,

That scarlot witch to keepen carefully ;

Whiles he himselfe with greedie great desire < Into the castle entred forcibly,

Where living creature none he did espye ;

Then gan he lowdly through the house to call :

But no man car'd to answere to his crye.

There raignd a solenme silence over all, Nor voice was heard, nor wight was seene in bowre or hall.

30 At last, with creeping crooked pace forth came An old old man, with beard as white as snow, That on a staffe his feeble steps did frame. And guide his wearie gate both too and fro ; For his eye sight him failed long ygo :

And on his arme a bounch of keyes he bore, The which unused rust did overgrow : Those were the keyes of every inner dore ; But he could not them use, but kept them still in store.

31 But very uncouth sight was to behold, How he did fashion his untoward pace ; For as he forward moo^'d his footing old.

So backward still was turnd his wTincled face: Unlike to men, who ever as they trace, Both feet and face one way are wont to lead. This was the auncient keeper of that place. And foster father of the gyant dead ; His name Ignaro did his nature right aread.

9*5 THE FAERY QUEENE.

12 His reverend haires and holy gravitie

The knight much honord, as beseemed well, And gently askt, where all the people bee, Which in that stately building wont to dwell. Who answerd him full soft, he could not tell. Again he askt, where that same knight was layd. Whom great Orgoglio with his puissaunce fell Had made his caytive thrall ; againc he sayde.

He could not tell: ne ever other answere made.

33 Then asked he, which way he in might pas: He could not tell, againe he answered. Thereat the curteous knight displeased was. And said. Old sire, it seemes thou hast not red How ill it sits with that same silver hed,

In vaine to mocke, or mockt in vaine to bee: But if thou be, as thou art pourtrahed With natures pen, in ages grave degree, Aread in graver wise what I demaund of thee.

34 His answere likewise was, he could not tell. Whose sencelesse speach, and doted ignorance, Whenas the noble prince had marked well. He ghest his nature by his countenance.

And calm'd his wrath with goodly temperance. Then to him stepping, from his arme did reach Those keyes, and made himselfe free enterance. Each dore he opened without any breach; There was no barre to stop, nor foe him to empeach.

35 There all within full rich arayd he found. With royall arras and resplendent gold. And did with store of every thing abound, That greatest princes presence might behold. But all the floore (too filthy to be told)

With blood of guiltlesse babes, and innocents trew, Which there were slaine, as sheepe out of the fold, Defiled was, that dreadfull was to vew ; And sacred ashes over it was strowed new.

CANTO VIII. 97

36 And there beside a marble stone was built An altare, carv'd with cunning imagery ;

On which true Christians bloud was often spilt, And holy martyrs often doen to dye, With cruell malice and strong tyranny : Whose blessed sprites, from underneath the stone, To God for vengeance cryde continually, And with great griefe were often heard to grone ; That hardest heart would bleede to hear their piteous mone.

37 Through every rowme he sought, and every bowr, But no where could he find that woful thrall :

At last he came unto an yron doore, That fast was lockt, but key found not at all Emongst that bounch to open it withall ; But in the same a little grate was pight, Through which he sent his voyce, and lowd did call With all his powre, to weet if living wight Were housed therewithin, whom he enlargen might.

38 Therewith an hollow, dreary, murmuring voyce These pitteous plaints and dolours did resound ; O who is that, which brings me happy choyce Of death, that here lye dying every stound, Yet live perforce in balefull darkenesse bound ?

For now three moones have changed thrice their hew, And have been thrice hid underneath the ground. Since I the heavens chearfuU face did vew : O welcome thou, that doest of death bring tydings trew.

39 Which when that champion heard, with percing point Of pitty deare his hart was thrilled sore,

And trembling horrour ran through every joynt For ruth of gentle knight so fowle forlore : Which shaking off, he rent that yron dore With furious force, and indignation fell ; Where entred in, his foot could find no flore, But all a deepe descent, as darke as hell, That breathed ever forth a filthie banefuU smell.

H

^8 THE FAERY QUEENE.

40 But neither darkenesse fowle, nor filthy bands, Nor noyous smell, his purpose could withhold, (Entire affection hateth nicer hands)

But that with constant zeale, and courage bold, After long paines and labours manifold, He found the meanes that prisoner up to reare; Whose feeble thighes, unhable to uphold His pined corse, him scarse to light could beare; A ruefuU spectacle of death and ghastly drere.

41 His sad dull eyes deepe sunck in hollow pits, Could not endure th' unwonted sunne to view; His bare thin cheekes for want of better bits, And empty sides deceived of their dew, Could make a stony hart his hap to rew;

His rawbone armes, whose mighty brawned bowTS Were wont to rive Steele plates, and helmets hew, Were cleane consum'd, and all his vitall powres Decayd, and all his flesh shronk up like withered flowres.

42 Whom when his lady saw, to him she ran With hasty joy : to see him made her glad, And sad to view his visage pale and wan,

Who earst in flowres of freshest youth was clad. Tho when her well of teares she wasted had. She said. Ah dearest lord, what evill starre On you hath frownd, and pourd his influence bad. That of your selfe ye thus berobbed arre. And this misseeming hew your manly looks doth marre ?

43 But welcome now my lord, in wele or woe, Whose presence I have lackt too long a day ; And fie on fortune mine avowed foe,

Whose wrathful wreakes them selves doe now alay ; And for these wrongs shall treble penaunce pay Of treble good : good growes of evils priefe. The chearelesse man, whom sorrow did dismay. Had no delight to treaten of his griefe ; His long endured famine needed more reliefe.

CANTO VTII. qq

44 Faire lady, then said that victorious knight, The things, that grievous were to do, or beare, Them to renew, I wote, breeds no delight ; Best musicke breeds delight in loathing eare : But th' only good, that growes of passed feare, Is to be wise, and ware of like agein.

This dayes ensample hath this lesson deare Deepe written in my heart with yron pen. That blisse may not abide in state of mortall men.

45 Henceforth sir knight, take to you wonted strength, And maister these mishaps with patient might ;

Loe where your foe lies stretcht in monstrous length, And loe that wicked woman in your sight, The roote of all your care and wretched plight, Now in your powre, to let her live, or die. To do her die (quoth Una) were despight. And shame t'avenge so weake an enimy ; But spoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly.

46 So as she bad, that witch they disaraid. And robd of royall robes, and purple pall. And ornaments that richly were displaid ; Ne spared they to strip her naked all.

. Then when they had despoiled her tire and call,

Such as she was, their eyes might her behold, That her misshaped parts did them appall ; A loathy, wrinckled hag, ill favoured, old,

Whose secret filth good manners biddeth not be told. ******

49 Which when the knights beheld, amazd they were, And wondred at so fowle deformed wight. Such then (said Una) as she seemeth here, Such is the face of falsehood, such the sight Of fowle Duessa, when her borrowed light Is laid away, and counterfesaunce knowne. Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight, And all her filthy feature open showne.

They let her goe at will, and wander wayes unknowne.

H 2

TOO THE FAERY QUEENE.

50 She flying fast from heavens hated face,

And from the world that her discovered wide, Fled to the wastfull wildernesse apace, From living eyes her open shame to hide, And lurkt in rocks and caves long unespide. But that faire crew of knights, and Una faire, Did in that castle afterwards abide, To rest them selves, and weary powres repaire,

Where store they found of all that dainty was and rare.

lOI

CANTO IX.

His loves and lignage Arthur telk :

the knights knit friendly bands : Sir Trevisan flies from Despayre,

whom Redcrosse knight withstands.

1 O GOODLY golden chaine, wherewith ytere The vertues Hnked are in lovely wize ; And noble mindes of yore allyed were,

In brave poursiiit of chevalrous emprize, That none did others safety despize, Nor aid envy to him, in need that stands, But friendly each did others praise devize, How to advaunce with favourable hands, [bands.

As this good prince redeemd the Redcrosse knight from

2 Who when their powres, empaird through labour long, With dew repast they had recured well,

And that weake captive wight now wexed strong ; Them list no lenger there at leasure dwell. But forward fare, as their adventures fell : But ere they parted, Una faire besought That straunger knight his name and nation tell ; Least so great good, as he for her had wrought, Should die unknown, and buried be in thanklesse thought.

3 Faire virgin (said the Prince) ye me require A thing without the compas of my wit :

— For both the lignage and the certain sire,

From which I sprong, from me are hidden yit. For all so soone as life did me admit Into this world, and shewed heavens light. From mothers pap I taken was unfit. And streight delivcr'd to a Faery knight, To be upbrought in gentle thewes and martiall might.

I02 THE FAERY QUEENE.

4 Unto old Timon he me brought bylive;

Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath beene In warlike feates th' expertest man alive, And is the wisest now on earth I weene; His dwelling is low in a valley greene, Under the foot of Rauran mossy hore. From whence the river Dee as silver cleene, His tombling billowes roll with gentle rore ; There all my dayes he traind me up in vertuous lore.

5 Thither the great magicien Merlin came, As was his use, ofttimes to visit me :

For he had charge my discipline to frame, — , And tutors nouriture to oversee. Him oft and oft I askt in privity, Of what loines and what lignage I did spring, Whose aunswere bad me still assured bee. That I was sonne and heire unto a king, As time in her just term the truth to light should bring.

6 Well worthy impe, said then the lady gent, And pupill lit for such a tutors hand.

But what adventure, or what high intent. Hath brought you hither into Faery land, Aread, Prince Arthur, crowne of martiall band ? Full hard it is (quoth he) to read aright The course of heavenly cause, or understand The secret meaning of th' eternall might, [wight.

That rule3 mens wayes, and rules the thoughts of living

7 For whether he through fatall deepe foresight Me hither sent, for cause to me unghest.

Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and night Whilome doth rancle in my riven brest. With forced fury following his behest, Me hither brought by wayes yet never found ; You to have helpt I hold myself yet blest. Ah curteous knight (quoth she) what secret wound Could ever find to grieve the gentlest hart on ground?

CANTO IX. 103

8 Dcare dame (quoth he) you sleeping sparkcs awake, Which troubled once, into huge flames will grow; Ne ever will their fervent fury slake.

Till living moysture into smoke do flow, And wasted life do lye in ashes low. Yet sithens silence lesseneth not my fire, But told it flames, and hidden it does glow ; I will revele what ye so much desire : Ah love, lay down thy bow, the whiles I may respire.

9 It was in freshest flowre of youthly yeares, When courage first does creepe in manly chest. Then first the coale of kindly heat appeares To kindle love in every living brest ;

But me had warnd old Timons wise behest. Those creeping flames by reason to subdew, Before their rage grew to so great unrest, As miserable lovers used to rew, Which still wex old in woe, whiles v.oe still wcxeth new.

10 That idle name of love, and lovers life. As losse of time, and vertues enimy,

I ever scornd, and joyd to stirre up strife. In middest of their mournfuU tragedy, Ay wont to laugh, when them I heard to cry. And blow the fire, which them to ashes brent : Their god himselfe, griev'd at my libertie. Shot many a dart at me with fiers intent; But I them warded all with wary government.

1 1 But all in vaine : no fort can be so strong, Ne fleshly brest can armed be so sound. But will at last be wonne with battrie long, Or unawares at disadvantage found :

Nothing is sure, that growes on earthly ground : And who most trustes in arme of fleshly might, And boasts in beauties chaine not to be bound, Doth soonest fall in disaventrous fight, And yeeldes his caytive neck to victours most despight.

r04 THE FAERY QUEENE.

12 Ensample make of him your haplesse joy, And of my selfe now mated, as ye see ; Whose prouder vaunt that proud avenging boy Did soone pluck downe, and curbd my hbertie. For on a day, prickt forth with jollitie

Of looser life, and heat of hardiment, Raunging the forest wide on courser free, The fields, the floods, the heavens, ^ith one consent Did seeme to laugh on me, and favour mine intent.

13 For-wearied with my sports, I did alight

From, loftie steed, and downe to sleepe me layd : The verdant gras my couch did goodly dight, And pillow was my helmet faire displayd : Whiles every sence the humour sweet embayd, And slombring soft my hart did steale away, Ale seemed, by my side a royall mayd Her daintie limbes full softly down did lay : So fayre a creature yet saw never sunny day.

14 Most goodly glee and lovely blandishment

» She to me made, and bad me love her deare ; j<^ For dearely sure her love was to me bent, \r As when just time expired should appeare.

*_ But whether dreames delude, or true it were,

, Was never hart so ravisht with delight,

Ne living man like words did ever heare. As she to me delivered all that night ; \

{ And at her parting said, She Queene of Faeries hight.)

15 When I awoke, and found her place devoyd. And nought but pressed gras, where she had lyen, I sorrowed all so much as earst I joyd,

And washed all her place with watry eyen. From that day forth I lov'd that foce divine; From that day forth I cast in carefull mind To seek her out with labour and long tyne. And never vowd to rest till her I lind : Nine monethes I seek in vain, yet ni'll that vow unbind.

CANTO IX. 105

16 Thus as he spake, his visage wexed pale,

And chaunge of hew great passion did bewray ; Yet still he strove to cloke his inward bale, And hide the smoke that did his fire display; Till gentle Una thus to him gan say ; O happy Queene of Faeries, that hast found, Mongst many, one that with his prowesse may Defend thine honour, and thy foes confound : True loves are often sown, but seldom grow on ground.

17 Thine, O then, said the gentle Redcrossc knight, Next to that ladies love, shall be the place,

O fairest virgin, full of heavenly light,

— Whose wondrous faith exceeding earthly race, Was firmest fixt in mine extremest case. And you, my lord, the patrone of my life,

Of that great Queene may well gaine worthy grace ; For onely worthy you through prowes priefe, Yf living man mote worthie be, to be her liefe.

18 So diversly discoursing of their loves.

The golden sunne his glistring head gan shew, And sad remembraunce now the prince amoves With fresh desire his voyage to pursew : Als Una earnd her traveill to renew. Then those two knights, fast friendship for to bynd, And love establish each to other trew, Gave goodly gifts, the signes of gratefuU mynd, And eke as pledges firme, right hands together joynd.

19 Prince Arthur gave a boxe of diamond sure, Einbowd with gold and gorgeous ornament, Wherein were closd few drops of liquor pure, Of wondrous worth, and vertue excellent. That any wownd could heale incontinent. Which to requite, the Redcrosse knight him gave

— A booke, wherein his Saveours testament Was writ with golden letters rich and brave ;

A workc of wondrous grace, and able soulcs to save.

J06 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

20 Thus beene they parted, Arthur on his way To seeke his love, and th' other for to fight With Unaes foe, that al! her reahne did pray. But she now weighing the decayed phght And shrunken synewes of her chosen knight, Would not a while her forward course pursew, • Ne bring him forth in face of dreadfull fight, Till he recovered had his former hew :

For him to be yet weake and wearie well she knew.

21 So as they traveild, lo they gan espy

An armed knight towards them gallop fast. That seemed from some feared foe to fly, Or other griesly thing, that him aghast. Still as he fled, his eye was backward cast, As if his feare still followed him behind : Als flew his steed, as he his bands had brast, And with his winged heeles did tread the wind, - As he had beene a fole of Pegasus his kind.

22 Nigh as he drew, they might perceive his head To be unarmd, and curld uncombed heares Upstaring stiffe, dismayd with uncouth dread; Nor drop of blood in all his face appeares, Nor life in limbe : and to increase his feares, In fowle reproch of knighthoods faire degree, About his neck an hempen rope he weares, That with his glistring armes does ill agree;

But he of rope or armes has now no memoree.

23 The Redcrosse knight toward him crossed fast. To weet what mister wight was so dismayd : There him he finds all sencelesse and aghast, That of him selfe he seemd to be afrayd ; Whom hardly he from flying forward stayd, Till he these wordes to him deliver might ;

Sir knight, aread who hath ye thus arayd. And eke from whom make ye this hasty flight ? For never knight 1 saw in such misseeming plight.

CANTO IX 107

24 He answerd nought at all, but adding new Feare to his first amazment, staring wide With stony eyes, and hartlesse hollow hew, Astonisht stood, as one that had aspide Infernall furies with their chaines untide. Him yet againe, and yet againe, bespake

The gentle knight, who nought to him replide. But trembling every joint did inly quake, And foltring tongue at last these words seemd forth to shake.

25 For Gods deare love, sir knight, do me not stay; For loe he comes, he comes fast after mee.

Eft looking back would faine have runne away; But he him forst to stay, and tellen free The secrete cause of his perplexitie: Yet nathemore by his bold hartie speach Could his bloud-frosen heart emboldned bee, But through his boldnesse rather feare did reach; Yet, forst, at last he made through silence suddein breach.

26 And am I now in safetie sure (quoth he) From him, that would have forced me to dye? And is the point of death now turnd fro mee, That I may tell this haplesse history?

Fear nought (quoth he) no daunger now is nye. Then shall I you recount a ruefull cace, (Said he) the which with this unlucky eye I late beheld; and, had not greater grace Me reft from it, had bene partaker of the place.

27 I lately chaunst (would I had never chaunst) With a fayre knight to keepen companee, Sir Terwin hight, that well himselfe advaunst In all affaires, and was both bold and free, But not so happy as mote happy bee:

He lov'd, as was his lot, a lady gent. That him againe lov'd in the least degree: For she was proud, and of too high intent, And joyd to see her lover languish and lament.

lo8 THE FABRY QUEENE.

28 From whom retourning sad and comfortlesse, As on the way together we did fare,

We met that villen (God from him me biesse) That cursed wight, from whom, I scapt whyleare, A man of hell, that calls himselfe, Despaire:^ Who first us greets, and after faire areeHes Of tydings straunge, and of adventures rare : So creeping close, as snake in hidden weedes, Inquireth of our states, and of our knightly deedes.

29 Which when he knew, and felt our feeble harts Embost with bale, and bitter byting griefe, Which love had launched with his deadly darts ; With wounding words, and termes of foule repriefc, He pluckt from us all hope of due reliefe.

That earst us held in love of lingring life : Then hopelesse, hartlesse, gan the cunning thiefe Perswade us die, to stint all further strife: \ To me he lent this rope, to him a rusty knife. 1

30 With which sad instrument of hasty death, That wofull lover loathing lenger light,

A wide way made to let forth living breath. But I, more fearefull or more lucky wight, Dismayd with that deformed dismall sight. Fled fast away, halfe dead with dying feare ; Ne yet assur'd of life by you, sir knight. Whose like infirmity like chaunce may beare: But God you never let his charmed speeches heare.

51 How may a man (said he) with idle speach Be wonne to spoyle the castle of his health ? I wote (quoth he) whom triall late did teach, That like would not for all this worldes wealth. His subtill tongue like dropping honny, mealt'h Into the hart, and searcheth every vaine ; That ere one be aware, by secret stealth His powre is reft and weaknessc doth rcmaiiic.

O never, sir, desire to try his guilcfull trainc.

CANTO TX. ro9

32 Gertes (said he) hence shall I never rest,

Till I that treachours art have heard and tride ; And you, sir knight, whose name mote I request, Of grace do me unto his cabin guide. I that hight Trevisan (quoth_he) will ride, Against my liking backetodo you grace : But not for gold nor glee will I abide .

By you, when ye arrive in that same place ; For lever had I die, then see his deadly face.

33 Ere long they come, where that same wicked wight His dwelling has, low in an hollow cave.

Far underneath a craggy cliff ypight, Darke, dolefull. dreary, like a greedy grave, That still for carrion carcases doth crave : On top whereof aye dwelt the ghastly owle. Shrieking his baleful! note, which ever drave Far from that haunt all other chearefuU fowle ; And all about it wandring ghostes did waile and howle.

34 And all about old stockes and stubs of trees, Whereon nor fruit nor leafe was ever seene, Did hang upon the ragged rocky knees ;

On which had many wretches hanged beene. Whose carcases were scattered on the greene. And throwne about the cliffs. Arrived there. That bare-head knight, for dread and dolefull teene, Would faine have fled, ne durst approchen neare ; But th' other forst him stay, and comforted in feare.

35 That darkesome cave they enter, where they find That cursed man, low sitting on the ground. Musing full sadly in his sullein mind:

His griesie lockes, long growen and unbound, Disordred hong about his shoulders round. And hid his face ; through which his hollow eyne Lookt deadly dull, and stared as astound ; His raw-bone cheekes, through penurie and pine, Were shronke into his jawes, as he did never dine.

no THE FAERY QUEENE.

36 His garment, nought but many ragged clouts, With thornes together pind and patched was, The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts; And him beside there lay upon the gras v A dreary corse, whose life away did pas,

All wallowed in his own yet luke-warme blood, ' That from his wound yet welled fresh, alas ; In which a rusty knife fast fixed stood, And made an open passage for the gushing flood.

37 Which piteous spectacle, approving trew The wofull tale, that Trevisan had told, Whenas the gentle Redcrosse knight did vew, With firie zeale he burnt in courage bold Him to avenge, before his blood were cold ; And to the villein said. Thou damned wight, The author of this fact we here behold.

What justice can but judge against thee right, [sight. With thine owne blood to price his blood, here shed in

38 What franticke fit (quoth he) hath thus distraught Thee, foolish man, so rash a doome to give ? What justice ever other judgement taught,

But he should die, who merites not to live ? None else to death this man despayring drive But his owne guiltie mind, deserving death. Is then unjust to each his due to give ? Or let him die, that loatheth living breath ? Or let him die at ease, that liveth here uneath ?

39 Who travels by the wearie wandring way. To come unto his wished home in haste.

And meetes a flood, that doth his passage stay ; Is not great grace to helpe him over past. Or free his feet that in the myre sticke fast? Most envious man, that grieves at neighbours good, And fond, that joyest in the woe thou hast ; Why wilt not let him passe, that long hath stood Upon the banke, yet wilt thy selfe not passe the flood?

CANTO IX. Ill

40 He there does now enjoy eternall rest

And happy ease, which thou dost want and crave, And further from it daily wanderest : What if some Httle paine the passage have, That makes fraile flesh to feare the bitter wave ? Is not short paine well borne, that brings long ease, And layes the soule to sleepe in quiet grave? Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas, Ease after warre, death after life does greatly please

41 The knight much wondred at his suddeine wit. And sayd, The terme of life is limited,

Ne may a man prolong nor shorten it : The souldier may not move from watchful! sted, Nor leave his stand, untill his captaine bed. Who life did limit by almightie doome (Quoth he) knowes best the termes established ; And he, that points the centonell his roome, Doth license him depart at sound of morning droome,

42 Is not his deed, what ever thing is donne In heaven and earth? did not he all create To die againe? all ends that was begonne. Their times in his eternall booke of fate

Are written sure, and have their certaine date. Who then can strive with strong necessitie. That holds the world in his still chaunging state; Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie ? When houre of death is come, let none aske whence, nor why.

43 The lenger life, I wote the greater sin; The greater sin, the greater punishment :

All those great battels, which thou boasts to win Through strife, and blood-shed, and avengement. Now praysd, hereafter deare thou shalt repent : For life must life, and blood must blood repay. Is not enough thy evill life forespent ? For he that once hath missed the right way. The further he doth goe, the further he doth stray.

112 THE FAERV QUEENE.

44 Then do no further goe, no further stray ; But here lie downe, and to thy rest betake, Th' ill to prevent, that life ensewen may. For what hath life, that may it loved make, And gives not rather cause it to forsake ? Feare, sicknesse, age, losse, labour, sorrow, strife, Paine, hunger, cold that makes t?ie hart to quake ; And ever fickle fortune rageth rife;

All which, and thousands mo do make a loathsome life.

45 Thou, wretched man, of death hast greatest need. If in true ballance thou wilt weigh tliy state : For never knight, that dared warlike deed, More lucklesse disaventures did amate : Witnesse the dungeon deepe, wherein of late Thy life shut up for death so oft did call;

And though good lucke prolonged hath thy date, Yet death then would the like mishaps forestall, Into the which hereafter thou maiest happen fall.

46 Why then doest thou, O man of sin, desire To draw thy dayes forth to their last degree ? Is not the measure of thy sinfull hire

High heaped up with huge iniquitie, Against the day of wrath, to burden thee ? Is not enough, that to this lady mild Thou falsed hast thy faith with perjurie, And sold thy selfe to serve Duessa vild. With whom in all abuse thou hast thy self defild ?

47 Is not he just, that all this doth behold

From highest heaven, and beares an equall eye ? Shall he thy sins up in his knowledge fold, And guilty be of thine impietie ? Is not his law. Let every sinner die: Die shall all flesh? what then must needs be donne, Is it not better to doe willinglie. Then linger till the glas be all out ronne ? Death is the end of woes : die soone, O faeries sonne.

CANTO IX. 113

48 The knight was much enmoved with his speach, That as a swords poynt through his hart did perse, And in his conscience made a secret breach,

Well knowing true all that he did reherse, And to his fresh remembraunce did reverse The ugly vew of his deformed crimes ; That all his manly powres it did disperse, As he were charmed with inchaunted rimes; That oftentimes he quakt, and fainted oftentimes.

49 In which amazement when the miscreant Perceived him to waver weake and fraile, Whiles trembling horror did his conscience dant, And hellish anguish did his soule assaile ;

To drive him to despaire, and quite to quaile, — He shew'd him painted in a table plaine

The damned ghosts, that doe in torments waile, And thousand fecnds, that doe them endlesse paine With fire and brimstone, which for ever shall remaine.

50 The sight whereof so throughly him dismaid, That nought but death before his eyes he saw, And ever burning wrath before him laid, By righteous sentence of th' Almighties law. Then gan the villein him to overcraw. And brought unto him swords, ropes, poison, fire. And all that might him to perdition draw ; And bad him choose what death he would desire :

For death was due to him, that had provokt Gods ire.

51 But when as none of them he saw him take, He to him raught a dagger sharpe and keene, y And gave it him in hand: his hand did quake, And tremble like a leafe of aspin greene. And troubled blood through his pale face was scene To come and goe with tidings from the heart. As it a running messenger had beene. At last resolv'd to worke his finall smart,

He lifted up his hand, that backe againe did start. I

114 THE FAERY QUEENE.

52 Which whenas Una saw, through every vaine The crudled cold ran to her well of life,

As in a swoone : but soone reliv'd againe. Out of his hand; she snatcht the cursed knife, I And threw it to the ground, enraged rife,

And to him said ; Fie, fie, faint harted knight.

What meanest thou by this reprochfull strife ?

Is this the battell, which thou vauntst to fight

With that fire-mouthed dragon, horrible and bright?

53 Come, come away, fraile, feeble, fleshly wight, Ne let vaine words bewitch thy manly hart,

Ne divelish thoughts dismay thy constant spright. In heavenly mercies hast thou not a part? ~ Why shouldst thou then despeire, that chosen art ? Where justice growes, there grows eke greater grace. The which doth quench the brond of hellish smart, And that accurst hand-writing doth deface. Arise, sir knight, arise, and leave this cursed place.

54 So up he rose, and thence amounted streight. W^hich when the carle beheld, and saw his guest Would safe depart, for all his subtill sleight,

He chose an halter from among the rest, '' And with it hung him selfe, unbid, unblest. But death he could not worke himselfe thereby; For thousand times he so himselfe had drest, Yet nathelessc it could not doe him die. Till he should die his last, that is eternally, j. „

"5

CANTO X.

Her faithfull knight faire Una brings

to home of Holinesse, Where he is taught repentance, and

the way to heavenly blesse.

1 What man is he, that boasts of fleshly might And vaine assurance of mortality,

Which, all so soone as it doth come to fight Against spirituall foes, yields by and by, Or from the field most cowardly doth tly ? Ne let the man ascribe it to his skill. That thorough grace hath gained victory. If any strength we have, it is to ill. But all the good is Gods, both power and eke v.ill.

2 By that, which lately hapned, Una saw

That this her knight was feeble, and too faint ; - And all his sinews woxen weake and raw, Through long enprisonment, and hard constraint. Which he endured in his late restraint, That yet he was unfit for bloody fight : f^ Therefore to cherish him with diets daint, She cast to bring him, where he chearen might, Till he recovered had his late decayed plight,

3 There was an auncient house not far away, Renowmd throughout the world for sacred lore, And pure unspotted life : so well, they say

It governd was, and guided evermore, Through wisedome of a matronc grave and hore ; Whose onely joy was to relieve the needes ' Of wretched soules, and heipe the helpelesse pore :

All night she spent in bidding of her bedes, And all the day in doing good and godly deedes.

I 2

11 6 THE FAERY QUEENE.

— 4 Dame Caelia men did her call, as thought From heaven to come, or thither to arise ; The mother of three daughters, well upbrought In gogdly thewes, and godly exercise : The eldest two, most sober, chast, and wise, Fidelia and Speranza virgins were Though spousd, yet wanting wedlocks solemnize ; But faire Gharissa to a lovely fere Was lincked, and by him had many pledges dere.

5 Arrived there, the dore they find fast lockt; For it was warely watched night and day,

For feare of many foes: but when they knockt. The porter opened unto them streight way. He was an aged syre, all hory gray, With lookes full lowly cast, and gate full slow. Wont on a staffe his feeble steps to stay, Hight Humilta. They passe in, stouping low; For streight and narrow was the way which he did show.

6 Each goodly thing is hardest to begin ; But, entred in, a spacious court they see. Both plaine, and pleasaunt to be walked in ; Where them does meete a francklin faire and free. And entertaines with comely courteous glee;

— His name was Zele, that him right well became ; For in his speeches and behaviour hee Did labour lively to expresse the same. And gladly did them guide, till to the hall they came.

7 There fairely them receives a gentle squire. Of milde demeanure and rare courtesie, Right cleanly clad in comely sad attire ;

In word and deede that shew'd great niodestie. And knew his good to all of each degree,

N Hight Reverence. He them with speeches meet Does faire entreat; no courting nicetie. But simple true, and eke unfained sweet,

As might become a squire so great persons to greet.

CANTO X. 117

8 And afterwards them to his dame he leades, That aged dame, the lady of the place, Who all this while was busy at her beades : Which doen, she up arose with seemely grace. And toward them full matronely did pace. Where when that fairest Una she beheld.

Whom well she knew to spring from heavenly race, Her heart with joy unwonted inly sweld, As feeling wondrous comfort in her weaker eld.

9 And her embracing said, O happy earth. Whereon thy innocent feet doe ever tread, Most vertuous virgin borne of heavenly berth. That, to redeeme thy woefull parents head From tyrans rage and ever-dying dread.

Hast wandred through the world now long a day. Yet ceasest not thy weary soles to lead ; What grace hath thee now hither brought this way ? Or doen thy feeble feet unweeting hither stray ?

10 Strange thing it is an errant knight to see Here in this place, or any other wight.

That hither turnes his steps. So few there bee That chose the narrow path, or seeke the right : All keepe the broad high way, and take delight With many rather for to go astray, And be partakers of their evill plight. Then with a few to walke the rightest way ; O foolish men, why haste ye to your owne decay ?

1 1 Thy selfe to see, and tyred limbes to rest, O matrone sage (quoth she) 1 hither came ; And this good knight his way with me addrest, Led with thy prayses, and broad-blazed fame, That up to heaven is blowne. The auncient dame Him goodly greeted in her modest guise,

And entertaynd them both, as best became. With all the court'sies that she could devise, Ne wanted ought to shew her bounteous or wise.

it8 the faery queene.

1 2 Thus as they gan of sundry things devise, Loe two most goodly virgins came in place, Alinked arme in arme in lovely wise,

With countenance demure, and modest grace, They numbred even steps and equall pace : — Of which the eldest, that Fidelia hight,

Like sunny beames threw from her christall face That could have dazd the rash beholders sight, And round about her head did shine like heavens light.

13 She was araied all in lilly white,

And in her right hand bore a cup of gold, With wine and water fild up to the hight, In which a serpent did himself e enfold, That horrour made to all that did behold ; But she no whit did chaunge her constant mood: And in her other hand she fast did hold A booke, that was both signd and seald with blood : Wherein darke things were writ, hard to be understood,

14 Her younger sister, that Speranza hight, Was clad in blew, that her beseemed well; Not all so chearefull seemed she of sight. As was her sister ; whether dread did dwell. Or anguish in her hart, is hard to tell : Upon her arme a silver anchor lay. Whereon she leaned ever, as befell :

And ever up to heaven, as she did pray, Her stedfast eyes were bent, ne swarved other way.

15 They, seeing Una, towards her gan wend. Who them encounters with like courtesie; Many kind speeches they betweene them spend. And greatly joy each other well to see :

Then to the knight with shamefast modestie They turne themselves, at Unaes meeke request, And him salute with well beseeming glee; Who faire them quites, as him beseemed best. And goodly gan discourse of many a noble gest.

CANTO X. 119

16 Then Una thus; But she your sister deare, The deare Gharissa where is she become ? Or wants she health, or busie is elsewhere ? Ah no, said they, but forth she may not come; For she of late is lightned of her wombe.

And hath encreast the world with one sonne more, That her to see should be but troablesome. Indeed (quoth she) that should be trouble sore ; But thankt be God, and her encrease so evermore.

17 Then said the aged Caelia, Deare dame. And you good sir, I wote that of youre toyle And labours long, through which ye hither came. Ye both forwearied be : therefore a whyle

I read you rest, and to your bowres recoyle. Then called she a groome, that forth him led Into a goodly lodge, and gan despoile Of puissant amies, and laid in easie bed : His name was meeke Obedience rightfully ared.

18 Now when their wearie limbes with kindly rest, And bodies were refresht with due repast, Faire Una gan Fidelia faire request,

To have her knight into her schoolehouse plaste.

That of her heavenly learning he might taste, And heare the wisedom of her words divine. She graunted, and that knight so much agraste That she him taught celestiall discipline,

And opened his dull eyes, that light mote in them shine.

19 And that her sacred booke, with blood ywrit,

, That none could read, except she did them teach, She unto him disclosed every whit. And heavenly documents thereout did preach. That weaker w-it of man could never reach ;

^ Of God, of grace, of justice, of free will ;

That wonder was to heare her goodly speach : For she was able with her words to kill, And raise againe to life the hai-t that she ditl thrill.

I20 THE FAERY QUEENE.

20 And, when she list poure out her larger spright. She would commaund the hasty sunne to stay,

Or backward turne his course from heavens hight ; Sometimes great hostes of men she could dismay ; [Dry-shod to passe she parts the flouds in tway;] And eke huge mountaines from their native seat She would commaund themselves to beare away. And throw in raging sea with roaring threat. Almightie God her gave such powre, and puissaunce great.

21 The faithfull knight now grew in little space, By hearing her, and by her sisters lore,

To such perfection of all heavenly grace, That wretched world he gan for to abhore, And mortall life gan loath, as thing forlore,/

, Greevd with remembrance of his wicked wayes, And prickt with anguish of his sinnes so sore, That he desirde to end his wretched dayes :

' So much the dart of sinfull guilt the soule dismayes.

2 2 But wise Speranza gave him comfort sweet,

And taught him how to take assured hold

Upon her silver anchor, as was meet ;

Else had his sinnes so great and manifold

Made him forget all that Fidelia told.

In this distressed doubtfuU agony.

When him his dearest Una did behold

Disdeining life, desiring leave to die. She found her selfe assayld with great perplexity ;

2 3 And came to Caelia to declare her smart ;

Who well acquainted with that commune plight, Which sinfull horror workes in wounded hart, Her wisely comforted all that she might. With goodly counsell and advisement right : And streightway sent with carefuU diligence, -^ To fetch a leach, the which had great insight In that disease of grieved conscience,

And well could cure the same; his name was Patience.

^

CANTO X. 121

24 Who, comming to that soule-diseased knight, Could hardly him intreat to tell his grief:

Which knowne, and all that noyd his heavie spright Well searcht, eftsoones he gan apply relief Of salves and med'cines, which had passing prief; And thereto added wordes of wondrous might: By which to ease he him recured brief. And much aswag'd the passion of his plight, That he his paine endur'd, as seeming now more light.

25 But yet the cause and root of all his ill, Inward corruption and infected sin, Not purg'd nor heald, behind remained still And festring sore did rankle yet within. Close creeping twixt the marrow and the skin. Which to extirpe, he laid him privily Downe in a darkesome lowly place far in, Whereas he meant his corrosives to apply.

And with streight diet tame his stubborne malady.

26 In ashes and sackcloth he did array

His daintie corse, proud humors to abate; And dieted with fasting every day, The swelling of his wounds to mitigate; And made him pray both earely and eke late: And ever as superfluous flesh did rot Amendment readie still at hand did wayt To pluck it out with pincers firie whot, That soone in him was left no one corrupted jot.

27 And bitter Penance, with an yron whip, \\'as wont him once to disple every day:

And sharpe Remorse his hart did prick and nip. That drops of blood thence like a well did play ; And sad Repentance used to embay His bodie in salt water smarting sore, The filthy blots of sin to wash away. So in short space they did to health restore The man that would not live, but erst lay at deathes dore.

122 THE FAERY QUEENE.

28 In which his torment often was so great, That like a lyon he would cry and rore, And rend his flesh, and his own synewes eat. His owne deare Una hearing evermore

His ruefull shriekes and gronings, often tore Her guiltlesse garments, and her golden heare, For pitty of his paine and anguish sore ; Yet all with patience wisely she did beare; For well she wist his crime could else be never cleare.

29 Whom thus recover'd by wise Patience

; And trew Repentaunce they to Una brought :

' Who joyous of his cured conscience, Him dearely kist, and fairely eke besought, Himselfe to chearish, and consuming thought To put away out of his carefull brest. By this Charissa, late in child-bed brought, Was woxen strong, and left her fruitfull nest; To her faire Una brought this unacquainted guest.

30 She was a woman in her freshest age, Of wondrous beauty, and of bounty rare. With goodly grace and comely personage. That was on earth not easie to compare ; Full of great love, but Cupids wanton snare As hell she hated, chaste in worke and will ; Her necke and breasts were ever open bare, That ay thereof her babes might sucke their fill ;

The rest was all in yellow robes arayed still.

31 A multitude of babes about her hong. Playing their sports, that joyd her to behold.

Whom still she fed, whiles they were weake and young, But thrust them forth still as they wexed old : And on her head she wore a tyre of gold, Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous faire, Whose passing price uneath was to be told : And by her side there sate a gentle paire Of turtle doves, she sitting in an yvory chaire.

CANTO X. f23

32 The knight and Una entring faire her greet, And bid her joy of that her happy brood ; W^ho them requites with court'sies seeming meet, And entertaines with friendly chearefuil mood. Then Una her besought, to be so good As in her vertuous rules to schoole her knight, Now after all his torment well withstood In that sad house of Penaunce, where his spright

Had past the paines of hell, and long enduring night.

3 3 She was right joyous of her just request ; And taking by the hand that Faeries sonne, Gan him instruct in everie good behest, Of love, and righteousnesse, and well to donne, And wrath, and hatred warely to shonne. That drew on men Gods hatred, and his wrath, And many soules in dolours had fordonne : In which when him she well instructed hath,

From thence to heaven she teacheth him the ready path.

34 Wherein his weaker wandring steps to guide. An auncient matrone she to her does call. Whose sober lookes her wisedome well descride:- Her name was Mercy, well knowne over all

To be both gratious, and eke liberall: To whom the carefull charge of him she gave, To leade aright, that he should never fall In all his wayes through this wide worldes wave; That Mercy in the end his righteous soule might save.

35 The godly matrone by the hand him beares Forth from her presence, by a narrow way, Scattred with bushy thornes and ragged breares, Which still before him she remov'd away, That nothing might his ready passage stay: And ever when his feet encombred were,

Or gan to shrinke, or from the right to stray. She held him fast, and firmely did upbeare ; As carefull nourse her chikl from falling oft does reare.

124 ^-^^ FA ERF QUEENE.

36 Eftsoones unto an holy hospital!,

That was fore by the way, she did him bring ; In which seven bead-men, that had vowed all Their life to service of high heavens king, Did spend their dayes in doing godly thing: Their gates to all were open evermore. That by the wearie way were travelling; And one sate wayting ever them before, To call in commers by, that needy were and pore.

37 The first of them, that eldest was, and best. Of all the house had charge and governement. As guardian and steward of the rest:

His office was to give entertainement And lodging unto all that came and went ; Not unto such, as could him feast againe. And double quite for that he on them spent, But such, as want of harbour did constraine : Those for Gods sake his dewty was to entertaine.

38 The second was as almner of the place. His office was the hungry for to feed,

And thristy give to drinke, a worke of grace: He feard not once himselfe to be in need, Ne car'd to hoord for those whom he did breede: The grace of God he layd up still in store, Which as a stocke he left unto his seede; He had enough, what need him care for more ? And had he lesse, yet some he would give to the pore.

39 The third had of their wardrobe custody.

In which were not rich tyres, nor garments gay. The plumes of pride, and winges of vanity. But clothes meet to keep keene cold away. And naked nature seemely to aray ; With which bare wretched wights he dayly clad, The images of God in earthly clay ; And if that no spare clothes to give he had, - His owne coate he would cut, and it distribute glad.

CANTO X. 125

40 The fourth appointed by his office was Poore prisoners to relieve with gratious ayd, And captives to redeeme with price of bras From Turkes and Sarazins, which them had stayd ; And though they faulty were, yet well he wayd, That God to us forgiveth every howre

Much more then that, why they in bands were layd ; And he that harrowd hell with heavie stowre, The faulty soules from thence brought to his heavenly bowre.

41 The fift had charge sick persons to attend,

And comfort those, in point of death which lay ; For them most needeth comfort in the end, When sin, and hell, and death do most dismay The feeble soule departing hence away. All is but lost, that living we bestow, If not well ended at our dying day. O man have mind of that last bitter throw; For as the tree does fall, so lyes it ever low.

42 The sixt had charge of them now being dead, In seemely sort their corses to engrave,

And deck with dainty flowres their bridall bed. That to their heavenly spouse both sweet and brave They might appeare, when he their soules shall save. The wondrous workmanship of Gods owne mould. Whose face he made all beastes to feare, and gave All in his hand, even dead we honour should. Ah, dearest God me graunt, I dead be not defould.

43 The seventh, now after death and buriall done. Had charge the tender orphans of the dead And widowes ayd, least they should be undone : In face of judgement he their right would plead, Ne ought the powre of mighty men did dread In their defence, nor would for gold or fee

Be wonne their rightfuU causes downe to tread And, when they stood in most necessitee. He did supply their want, and gave them ever free.

126 THE FAERY QUEENE.

^4 There when the elfin knight arrived was,

The first and chietest of the seven, whose care Was guests to welcome, towardes him did pas : Where seeing Mercie, that his steps upbare And alwayes led, to her with reverence rare He hmnbly louted in meeke lowlinesse, And seemely welcome for her did prepare : F'or of their order she was patronesse,

Albe Charissa were their chiefest founderesse.

45 There she awhile him stayes, him selfe to rest, That to the rest more able he might bee : During which time, in every good behest. And godly worke of almes and charitee,

She him instructed with great industree. Shortly therein so perfect he became. That from the first unto the last degree, His mortal] life he learned had to frame In holy righteousnesse, without rebuke or blame.

46 Thence forward by that painfull way they pas Forth to an hill, that was both steepe and hy; On top whereof a sacred chappell was,

And eke a little hermitage thereby, Wherein an aged holy man did lie. That day and night said his devotion, Ne other worldly busines did apply ; His name was heavenly Contemplation ; Of God and goodnesse was his meditation.

47 Cireat grace that old man to him given had; For God he often saw from heavens hight : All were his earthly eyen both blunt and bad, And through great age had lost their kindly sight, Yet wondrous quick and persant was his spright, As eagles eye, that can behold the sunne :

That hill they scale with all their powre and might, That his frailc thighcs nigh wcitry and fordonnc Gan faile, but by her helpc the toj) at last he wonne.

CANTO X. 127

48 There they do findc that godly aged sire, With snowy lockes adowne his shoulders shed; As hoary frost with spangles doth attire

The mossy braunches of an oke halfc ded. Each bone might tlirough his body well be red, And every sinew seene through his long last: For nought he car'd his carcas long unfed; His mind was full of spirituall repast, And pyn'd his flesh, to keepe his body low and chast.

49 Who when these two approching he aspide, At their first presence grew agrieved sore. That forst him lay his heavenly thoughts aside; And had he not that dame respected more, Whom highly he did reverence and adore,

He would not once have moved for the knight. They him saluted, standing far afore; Who well them greeting, humbly did requight. And asked, to what end they clomb that tedious heiglit.

50 What end (quoth she) should cause us take such painc, But that same end, which every living wight

Should make his marke, high heaven to attaine ? ^.^ Is not from hence the way, that leadeth right To that most glorious house, that glistreth bright With burning starres and everliving fire. Whereof the keyes are to thy hand behight By wise Fidelia? She doth thee require. To shew it to this knight, according his desire.

51 Thrise happy man, said then the father grave, Whose staggering steps thy steady hand doth lead, And shewes the way his sinfull soule to save. Who better can the way to heaven aread.

Then thou thy selfe, that was both borne and bred In heavenly throne, where thousand angels shine? Thou doest the praiers of the righteous sead Present before the majesty divine, And his avenging wrath to clemency incline.

128 THE FAERY QUEENE.

52 Yet, since thou bidst, thy pleasure shalbe donne. Then come thou man of earth, and see the way. That never yet was seene of Faeries sonne, That never leads the traveller astray,

But after labors long, and sad delay, Brings them to joyous rest and endlesse blis. But first thou must a season fast and pray, Till from her bands the spright assoiled is, And have her strength recur'd from fraile infirmitis.

53 That done, he leads him to the highest mount; Such one, as that same mighty man of God, That blood-red billowes like a walled front

On either side disparted with his rod, Till that his army dry-foot through them yod. Dwelt forty dayes upon ; where, writ in stone With bloody letters by the hand of God, The bitter doome of death and balefuU mone He did receive, whiles flashing fire about him shone.

54 Or like that sacred hill, whose head full hie, Adornd with fruitfull olives all arownd,

Is, as it were for endlesse memory Of that deare Lord who oft thereon was fownd. For ever with a flowring girlond crownd : Or like that pleasaunt mount, that is for ay Through famous poets verse each where renownd. On which the thrise three learned ladies play Their heavenly notes, and make full many a lovely lay.

55 From thence, far oft" he unto him did shew A litle path, that was both steepe and long. Which to a goodly citie led his vew ;

: Whose wals and to\vres were builded high and strong Of perle and precious stone, that earthly tong Cannot describe, nor wit of man can tell ; Too high a ditty for my simple song : The citie of the great king hight it well. Wherein eternall peace and happinesse doth dwell.

CANTO X. 129

56 As he thereon stood gazing, he might see The blessed angels to and fro descend Kroni highest heaven in gladsome compancc, And M'ith great joy into that citie wend, As commonly as friend does with his frend. Whereat he wondred much, and gan enquerc, What stately building durst so high extend Her lofty towres unto the starry sphere,

And what imknowen nation there empeopled were.

57^ Kaire knight (quoth h^) Hierusalem that is, V The new Hierusalem, that God has built For those to dwell in, that are chosen his, His chosen people purg'd from sinful! guilt With pretious blood, which cruelly was spilt On cursed tree, of that unspotted lam. That for the sinnes of al the world was kilt : Now are they saints all in that citie sam.

More dear unto their God than younglings to their dam.

58 Till now, said then the knight, I weened well. That great Cleopolis where I have beene.

In which that fairest Faerie Queene doth dwell. The fairest citie was, that might be scene ; And that bright towre all built of christall clene, Panthea, seemd the brightest thing that was: But now by proofe all otherwise I weene ; For this great citie that does far surpas. And this bright angels towre quite dims that tow re of glas.

59 Most trew, then said the holy aged man ; Yet is Cleopolis, for earthly frame.

The fairest peece that eye beholden can ; And well beseemes all knights of noble name. That covett in th' immortall booke of fame To be eternized, that same to haunt, And doen their service to that soveraigne dame, That glory does to them for guerdon graunt : For she is heavenly borne, and heaven may justly vaunt.

K

130 THE FAERV QUEENE.

60 And thou, faire ymp, sprong out from English race, How ever now accompted elfins sonne,

Well worthy doest thy service for her grace, To aide a virgin desolate fordonne. But when thou famous victory hast wonne, And high emongst all knights hast hong thy shield, Thenceforth the suit of earthly conquest shonne, And wash thy hands from guilt of bloody field : For blood can nought but sin, and wars but sorrows yield.

61 Then seek this path, that I to thee presage, Which after all to heaven shall thee send ;

j Then peaceably thy painefuU pilgriinage

To yonder same Hierusalem do bend, i Where is for thee ordaind a blessed end:

For thou emongst those saints, whom thou doest see - Shall be a saint, and thine owne nations fi-end And patrone : thou Saint George shalt called bee. Saint George of mery England, the signe of victoree.

62 Unworthy wretch (quoth he) of so great grace. How dare I thinke such glory to attaine ? These that have it attaind, were in like cace, (Quoth he) as wretched, and liv'd in like paine. But deeds of amies must I at last be faine And ladies love to leave, so dearely bought ? What need of armes, where peace doth ay remaine, (Said he,) and battailes none are to be fought ?

As for loose loves, they'are vaine, and vanish into nought.

63 O let me not (quoth he) then turne againe Backe to the world, whose joyes so fruitlesse are ; But let me here for aye in peace remaine,

Or streight Avay on that last long voyage fare. That nothing may my present hope empare. That may not be, (said he) ne maist thou yit Forgo that royall maides bequeathed care, Who did her cause into thy hand commit, Till from her cursed foe thou have her freely quit. ,

CANTO X. 131

64 Then shall I soone (quoth he) so God me grace, Abet that virgins cause disconsolate, And shortly back returne unto this place, To walke this way in pilgrims poore estate. But now aread, old father, why of late Didst thou behight me borne of English blood, Whom all a Faeries sonne doen nominate ? That word shall I (said he) avouchen good,

Sith to thee is unknowne the cradle of thy brood.

^5 For well I wote thou springst from ancient race Of Saxon kings, that have with mightie hand, And many bloody battailes fought in place. High reard their royall 'throne in Britane land. And vanquisht them, unable to withstand : From thence a Faerie thee unweeting reft. There as thou slepst in tender swadling band. And her base elfin brood there for thee left.

Such men do chaungelings call, so chaung'd by Faeries theft.

66 Thence she thee brought into this Faerie lond. And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde, Where thee a ploughman all unweeting fond, As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde,

■ And brought thee up in ploughmans state to byde. Whereof Georgos he gave thee to name ; Till prickt with courage, and thy forces pryde. To Faerie court thou cam'st to seek for fame, And prove thy puissaunt armes, as seemes thee best became.

67 O holy Sire (quoth he) how shall I quight The many favours I with thee have found, That hast my name and nation red aright.

And taught the way that does to heaven bound? y' This said, adowne he looked to the ground To have returnd, but dazed were his eyne Through passing brightnesse, which did quite confound His feeble sence, and too exceeding shyne. So darke are earthly things compard to things divine. K 2

132 THE FAERY QUEENE.

68 At last whenas himselfe he gan to find, To Una back he cast him to retire ; Who him awaited still with pensive mind. Great thankes and goodly meed to that good syrc He thens departing gave for his paines hyre. So came to Una, who him joyd to see. And after little rest, gan him desyre Of her adventure mindfull for to bee. So leave they take of Caelia, and her daughters three.

133

CANTO XI.

The hiighl with that old Dragon Jigbts

two dayes irice^santly . The third him overthrowes, and gayns most glorious victory

1 High time now gan it wex for Una faire

To thinke of those her captive parents deare, ^^ And their forwasted kingdome to repaire : Whereto whenas they now approched neare, With hartie wordes her knight she gan to cheare, And in her modest manner thus bespake ; Deare knight, as deare as ever knight was deare, That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake, High heaven behold the tedious toyle ye for me take.

2 Now are we come unto my native soyle, And to the place where all our perils dwell ; Here haunts that feend, and does his dayly spoyle ; Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well, And ever ready for your foeman fell.

The sparke of noble courage now awake, And strive your excellent selfe to excell : That shall ye evermore renowmed make Above all knights on earth, that batteill undertake.

3 [And pointing forth, Lo, yonder is (said she) The brasen towre, in which my parents deare For dread of that huge feend emprisond be ; Whom I from far see on the walles appeare, Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare : And on the top of all I do espye

The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare, That O my parents might I happily Unto you bring, to ease you of your misery.]

I<54 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

4 With that they heard a roaring hideous sound, That all the ayre with terror filled wide,

And seemd uneath to shake the stedfast ground. Eftsoones that dreadful dragon they espyde, Where stretcht he lay upon the sunny side Of a great hill, himself e like a great hill. But all so soone as he from far descride Those glistring armes that heaven with light did fill, He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them untill.

5 Then bad the knight his lady yede aloof, And to an hill her selfe withdraw aside:

From whence she might behold that battailles proof, And eke be safe from daunger far descryde : She him obayd, and turnd a little wyde. Now O thou sacred muse, most learned dame, Faire ympe of Phoebus and his aged bride. The nourse of time and everlasting fame, That warlike hands ennoblest with immortall name ;

6 O gently come into my feeble brest,

Come gently, but not with that mighty rage, Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doest infest, And harts of great heroes doest enrage, That nought their kindled courage may aswage : Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to sownd, The god of warre with his fiers equipage Thou doest awake, sleepe never he so sownd ; And scared nations doest with horrour sterne astownd.

7 Faire Goddesse, lay that furious fit aside, Till I of warres and bloody Mars do sing. And Briton fields with Sarazin bloud bedyde, Twixt that great Faery Queene, and Paynim king. That with their horror heaven and earth did ring; A worke of labour long and endlesse prayse:

But now a while let downe that haughtie string And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse, That I this man of God his godly armcs may blaze.

CANTO XI.

^Z5

8 By this, the dreadfull beast drew nigh to hand, Haife flying, and halfe footing in his haste. That with his largenesse measured much hind, And made wide shadow under his huge wast, As mountaine doth the valley overcast. Approching nigh, he reared high afore

His body monstrous, horrible, and vast; Which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more, Was swoln with wrath, and poyson, and with bloody gore ;

9 And over, all with brasen scales was armd. Like plated coate of Steele, so couched neare

That nought mote perce, ne might his corse be harmd With dint of sword, nor push of pointed speare ; Which, as an eagle, seeing pray appeare. His aery plumes doth rouze full rudely dight; So shaked he, that horrour was to heare : For, as the clashing of an armour bright. Such noyse his rouzed scales did send unto the knight,

10 His flaggy wings when forth he did display, Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd Is gathered full, and worketh speedy \\ay :

And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd, Were like mayne-yards with flying canvas lynd ; With which whenas him list the ayre to beat. And there by force unwonted passage find, The cloudes before him fled for terror great, And all the heavens stood still amazed with his threat.

11 His huge long tayle wound up in hundred foldes. Does overspred his long bras-scaly back. Whose wreathed boughts when ever he unfoldes. And thicke entangled knots adown does slack, Bespotted as with shields of red and blacke.

It sweepeth all the land behind him farre. And of three furlongs does but litle lacke ; And at the point two stings in-fixed arre. Both deadly sharp, that sharpest Steele exceeden farre.

T 3<^ THE FAERV QUEEN E.

1 2 But stings and sharpest Steele did far exceed The sharpnesse of his cruell rending clawes ; Dead was it sure, as sure as death in deed, What ever thing does touch his ravenous pawes, Or what within his reach he ever drawes.

But his most hideous head my tongue to tell Does tremble: for his deepe devouring jawes ^1 %.,JCIx Wide gaped, like the grieslymouth_ofJiell, _/ , y

Through which into his darke abysseall ravin fell.

1 3 And, that more wondrous was, in either jaw Three ranckes of yron teeth cnraunged \vere, Tn which yet trickling blood, and gobbets raw, Ot late devoured bodies did appeare.

That sight thereof bred cold congealed feare : Which to increase, and all atonce to kill, A cloud of smoothering smoke and sulphure scare, Out of his stinking gorge forth steemed still. That all the ayre about with smoke and stench did till.

14 His blazing eyes, like two bright shining shields, Did burne with wrath, and sparkled living fyre : As two broad beacons, set in open fields, Send forth their flames far off to every shyre, And warning give, that enemies conspyre With fire and sword the region to invade ;

So flam'd his eyne with rage and rancoi'ous yre : But far within, as in a hollow glade, Those glaring lampes were set, that made- a dreadfull shade.

15 So dreadfully he towards him ifid pas, Forelifting up aloft his speckled brest, And often bounding on the brused gras.

As for great joyance of his newcomc guest. Eftsoones he gan advance his haughty crest. As chaufFed bore his bristles doth upreare, And shoke his scales to battell ready drest ; That made the Redcrosse knight nigh quake for fearc. As bidding bold defiance to his foenian ncarc.

CANTO XT. 137

16 The knight gan fairely couch his steady speare, And fiercely ran at him with rigorous might : The pointed Steele, arriving rudely theare,

His harder hide would neither perce, nor bight, But glauncing by forth passed forward right ; Yet sore amoved with so puissaunt push. The wrathfuU beast about him turned light, And him so rudely, passing by, did brush With his long tayle, that horse and man to ground did rush.

17 Both horse and man up lightly rose againe, And fresh encounter towardes him addrest: But th' idle stroke yet backe recoyld in vaine. And found no place his deadly point to rest. Exceeding rage enflam'd the furious beast,

To be avenged of so great despight ; For never felt his imperceable brest So wondrous force from hand of living wight : Yet had he prov'd the powre of many a puissant knight.

18 Then with his waving wings displayed wyde, Himselfe up high he lifted from the ground, And with strong flight did forcibly divide The yielding aire, which nigh too feeble found Her flitting parts, and element unsound.

To beare so great a weight: he cutting way With his broad sayles, about him soared round: At last low stouping with unweldy sway, Snatcht up both horse and man, to beare them quite away-

19 Long he them bore above the subject plaine. So far as ewghen bow a shaft may send;

Till struggling strong did him at last constraine To let them downe before his flightes end: As hagard hauke, presuming to contend AMth hardy fowle above his hable might. His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend To trusse the pray too heavy for his flight; Which connning down to ground, does free itselfe by fight.

138 THE FAERY QUEENE,

20 He so disseized of his gryping grosse,

The knight his thrillant speare again assayd In his bras-plated body to embosse, And three mens strength unto the stroke he layd ; Wherewith the stifte beame quaked, as aftVayd, And glauncing from his scaly necke did glyde Close under his left wing, then broad displayd: The percing Steele there wrought a wound full wyde, That with the uncouth smart the monster lowdly cryde.

21 He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,

When wintry storme his wrathfull wreck does threat ; The rolling billowes beat the ragged shore, As they the earth would shoulder from her seat, And greedy gulfe does gape, as he would eat His neighbour element in his revenge: Then gin the blustring brethren boldly threat To move the world from off his stedfast henge, And boystrous battell make, each other to avenge.

22 The steely head stuck fast still in his flesh, Till with his cniell clawes he snatcht the wood. And quite a sunder broke. Forth flowed fresh

A gushing river of blacke gory blood, j

That drowned all the land, whereon he stood ; The streame thereof would drive a water-mill : Trebly augmented was his furious mood With bitter sence of his deepe-rooted ill, That flames of fire he threw forth from his large nosethrill

23 His hideous tayle then hurled he about, And therewith all en wrapt the nimble thyes Of his froth-fomy steed, whose courage stout Striving to loose the knot that fast him tyes, Himselfe in streighter bandes too rash implyes, That to the ground he is perforce constraynd To throw his rider: who can quickly ryse From off" the earth, with durty blood distaynd,

For that reprochfull fall right fowly he disd;u nd :

CANTO XI. 139

24 And fiercely tooke his trenchand blade in hand, With which he stroke so furious and so fell,

That nothing seemd the puissaunce could withstand: Upon his crest the hardned yron fell. But his more hardned crest was armd so well, That deeper dint therein it would not make; Yet so extremely did the buffe him quell, That from thenceforth he shund the like to take, But, when he saw them come, he did them still forsake.

25 The knight was wroth to see his stroke beguyld. And smote againe with more outrageous might; But backe againe the sparckling Steele recoyld. And left not any marke, where it did light,

As if in adamant rocke it had beene pight. The beast impatient of his smarting wound. And of so fierce and forcible despight. Thought with his wings to stye above the ground; But his late wounded wing unserviceable found.

26 Then full of griefe and anguish vehement. He lowdly brayd, that like was never heard, And from his wide devouring oven sent

A flake of fire, that, flashing in his beard. Him all amazd, and almost made afeard: The scorching flame sore swinged all his face, (T'jJLC And through his armour all his body seard. That he could not endure so cruell cace. But thought his armes to leave, and helmet to unlace.

27 Not that great champion of the antique world. Whom famous poetes verse so much doth vaunt. And hath for twelve huge labours high extold, So many furies and sharpe fits did haunt. When him the poysond garment did enchaunt, With Centaures blood and bloody verses charm'd; As did this knight twelve thousand dolours daunt, Whom fyrie Steele now burnt, that erst him arm'd;

That erst him goodly arm'd, now most of all him harm'd.

140 THE FAERY QUEENE.

28 Faint, wearie, sore, emboyled, grieved, brent

With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, smart, and inward fire, That never man such mischiefes did torment ; Death better were, death did he oft desire. But death will never come, when needes require. ,. Whom so dismayd when that his foe beheld, He cast to suffer him no more respire, But gan his sturdy sterne about to weld, And him so strongly stroke, that to the ground him feld.

29 It fortuned, (as faire it then befell,)

^J? Behind his backe unweeting, where he stood,

>^ ^ J(^ Of auncient time there was a springing well,

jA>^ . From which fast trickled forth a silver flood,

5 tAl Full of great vertues, and for med'cine good.

'^ W'hylome, before that cursed dragon got

That happy land, and all with innocent blood Defyld those sacred waves, it rightly hot The well of life, ne yet his vertues had forgot.

30 For unto life the dead it could restore. And guilt of sinfull crimes cleane wash away ; Those that with sicknesse were infected sore It could recure, and aged long decay Renew, as one were borne that very day. Both Silo this, and Jordan, did excell, And th' English Bath, and eke the German Span; Ne can Cephise, nor Hebrus, match this well:

Into the same the knight back overthrowen fell.

31 Now gan the golden Phoebus for to steepe His fierie face in billowes of the west, And his faint steedes watred in ocean deepe. Whiles from their journall labours they did rest, W^hen that infernall monster, having kest His wearie foe into that living well, Can high advance his broad discoloured brest Above his wonted pitch, with countenance fell.

And clapt his yron wings, as victor he did dwell.

CANTO XT. 141

32 Which when his pensive lady saw from farrc, Great woe and sorrow did her soule assay, ' As weening that the sad end of the warrc, And gan to highest God entirely pray That feared chance from her to turnc a\\ay ; With folded hands, and knees full lowly bent, All night she watcht, ne once adowne would lay Her dainty limbs in her sad dreriment.

But praying still did wake, and waking did lament.

33 The morrow next gan early to appeare, That Titan rose to runne his daily race ; But early, ere the morrow next gan rcarc Out of the sea faire Titans deawy face, Up rose the gentle virgin from her place, And looked all about, if she might spy Her loved knight to move his manly pace : For she had great doubt of his safety.

Since late she saw him fall before his enemy.

34 At last she saw, where he upstarted brave Out of the well, wherein he drenched lay : As eagle fresh out of the ocean wave. Where he hath left his plumes all hoary gray. And deckt himselfe with feathers youthly gay. Like eyas hauke up mounts unto the skies, His newly budded pineons to assay,

And marveiles at himselfe, still as he flies : So new this new-borne knight to battell new did rise.

35 Whom when the damned feend so fresh did spy, .

No wonder if he wondred at the sight, >^

And doubted whether his late enemy It were, or other new^ supplied knight. He, now to prove his late renewed might, High brandishing his bright deaw-burning blade, Upon his crested scalp so sore did smite. That to the scull a yawning wound it made : The deadly dint his dulled sences all dismaid.

w--^

142 THE FAERY QUEENE,

36 I wote not, whether the revenging Steele ' Were hardned with that holy water dew

Wherein he fell, or sharper edge did feele, Or his baptized hands now greater grew ; Or other secret vertue did ensew : Else never could the force of fleshly arme, Ne molten mettall in his blood embrew : For till that sto\\Tid could never wight him harme By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty charme.

37 The cruell wound enraged him so sore. That loud he yelded for exceeding paine ; As hundred ramping lions seem'd to rore. Whom ravenous hunger did thereto constraine : Then gan he tosse aloft his stretched traine. And therewith scourge the buxome aire so sore, That to his force to yielden it was faine :

Ne ought his sturdy strokes might stand afore. That high trees overthrew, and rocks in peeces tore.

38 The same advauncing high above his head, With sharpe intended sting so rude him smot, That to the earth him drove, as stricken dead;

^ Ne living wight would have him life behot :

The mortall sting his angry needle shot Quite through his shield, and in his shoulder seasd, Where fast it stucke, ne M^ould there out be got : The griefe thereof him wondrous sore diseasd, Ne might his ranckling paine with patience be appeasd.

39 But yet, more mindfull of his honour dcarc Then of the grievous smart, which him did wring, From loathed soile he can him lightly reare,

And strove to loose the far infixed sting : Which when in vaine he tryde with struggeling, Inflam'd with wrath, his raging blade he heft, And strooke so strongly, that the knotty string Of his huge taile he quite a sunder cleft ; Five joints thereof he hewd, and but the stump him left.

CANTO XI. 143

40 Hart cannot thinke, what outrage, and what cries, With foule enfouldred smoake and flashing fire, The hell-bred beast threw forth unto the skies. That all was covered with darkenesse dire: Then fraught with rancoxir, and engorged ire,

He cast at once him to avenge for all, And gathering up himselfe out of the mire With his uneven wings, did fiercely fall Upon his sunne-bright shield, and gript it fast withall.

41 Much was the man encombred with his hold, In feare to lose his weapon in his paw,

Ne wist yet, how his talants to unfold ; ?"or harder was from Cerberus greedy jaw To plucke a bone, then from his cruell claw To reave by strength the griped gage away : Thrise he assayd it from his foot to draw, And thrise in vaine to draw it did assay, It booted nought to thinke to robbe him of his pray.

42 Tho when he saw no power might prevaile, His trusty sword he cald to his last aid. Wherewith he fiercely did his foe assaile, And double blowes about him stoutly laid, That glauncing fire out of the yron plaid ; As sparckles from the andvile used to fly. When heavy hammers on the wedge are swaid ; Therewith at last he forst him to imty

One of his grasping feete, him to defend thereby.

43 The other foot, fast fixed on his shield,

Whenas no strength nor stroks mote him constraine To loose, ne yet the warlike pledge to yield, He smot thereat with all his might and maine, That nought so wondrous puissaunce might sustaine ; Upon the joint the lucky Steele did light, And made such way, that hewd it quite in twaine; The paw yett missed not his minisht might. But hong still on the shield, as it at first was pight.

144 THE FAERY QUEENE.

44 For griefe thereof and divelish de?pight. From his infernall fournace forth he threw Htige flames, that dimmed all the heavens light, Enrold in duskish smoke and brimstone blew ; As burning Aetna from his boyling stew

Doth belch out flames, and rockes in peeces broke, And ragged ribs of mountaines molten new, Enwrapt in coleblacke clouds and filthy smoke, That all the land with stench, and heaven with horror choke.

45 The heate whereof, and harmefull pestilence. So sore him noyd, that forst him to retire

A little backward for his best defence, To save his body from the scorching fire, Which he from hellish entrailes did expire. It chaunst (eternall God that chaunce did guide,) As he recoiled backward, in the mire His nigh forwearied feeble feet did slide, And downe he fell, with dread of shame sore terrifide.

1 46 There grew a goodly tree him faire beside, ^ Loaden with fruit and apples rosy red,

/^ As they in pure vermilion had beene dide, AjL Whereof great vertues over all were red :

^ ^ For happy life to all which thereon fed.

And life eke everlasting did befall : Great God it planted in that blessed sted With his Almighty hand, and did it call The tree of life, the crime of our first fathers tall.

47 In all the world like was not to be found,

Save in that soile, where all good things did grow, And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground, As incorrupted nature did them sow. Till that dread dragon all did overthrow. Another like faire tree eke grew thereby, Whereof whoso did eat, eftsoones did know Both good and ill : O mournfuU memory ;

That tree through one mans fault hath doen us all to dy.

/^

CANTO XI.

H5

48 From that first tree forth flowd, as from a well, A trickling streame of balme, most soveraine And dainty deare, which on the ground still fell, And overflowed all the fertile plaine,

As it had deawed bene with timely raine ; Life and long health that gracious ointment gave, And deadly wounds could heale, and reare againe The senselesse c(jrse appointed for the grave. Into that same he fell : which did from death him save,

49 For nigh thereto the ever damned beast Durst not approch, for he was deadly made, And all that life preserved did detest :

"Yet he it oft adventur'd to invade. By this the drouping day-light gan to fade, And yield his roome to sad succeeding night, Who with her sable mantle gan to shade The face of earth, and wayes of living wight, And high her burning torch set up in heaven bright.

50 When gentle Una saw the second fall

Of her deare knight, who weary of long fight, And faint through losse of blood, mov'd not at all, But lay, as in a dreame of deepe delight, Besmeard with pretious balme, whose vertuous might Did heale his wounds, and scorching heat alay ; Againe she stricken was with sore affright, And for his safetie gan devoutly pray, And watch the noyous night, and wait for joyous day.

5 1 The joyous day gan early to appeare ; And faire Aurora from the deaw^ bed Of aged Tithone gan herselfe to reare

With rosy cheekes, for shame as blushing red; Her golden locks for haste were loosely shedi About her eares, when Una her did marke Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred. From heaven high to chace the chearelesse darke ; With merry note her loud salutes the mounting larke. h

146 THE FAERY QUEENE.

52 Then freshly up arose the doughty knight, All healed of his hurts and woundes wide, And did himselfe to battell ready dight; Whose early foe awaiting him beside To have devourd, so soone as day he spyde, When now he saw himselfe so freshly reare. As if late fight had nought him damnifyde. He woxe dismayd, and gan his fate to feare;

Nathlesse with wonted rage he him advaunced neare.

55 And in his first encounter, gaping wide,

He thought attonce him to have swallov/d quight,

And rusht upon him with outragious pride;

W^ho him r'encountring fierce, as hauke in flight, ,.,X^

Perforce rebutted backe. The weapon bright, w, f^ "j"

Taking advantage of his open jaw, ' " y J .

Ran through his mouth with so importune might, ^^

That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw,

And, back retyrd, his life blood forth with all did draw.

54 So downe he fell, and forth his life did breath, That vanisht into smoke and cloudes swift;

So downe he fell, that th' earth him underneath Did grone, as feeble so great load to lift; So downe he fell, as an huge rocky clift, Whose false foundation waves have washt away. With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift, And, rolling downe, great Neptune doth dismay ; So downe he fell, and like an heaped mountaine lay. j

55 The knight himselfe even trembled at his fall. So huge and horrible a masse it seem'd: And his deare lady, that beheld it all.

Durst not approch for dread, which she misdeem'd ; But (yet at last, whenas the direfull feend She saw not stirre, off"-shaking vaine affright She nigher drew, and saw that joyous end: i

Then God she praysd, and thankt her faithfull knight, That had atchievd so great a conquest by his might.

H7

CANTO XII.

Faire Una to the Redcrosse knigbt

betrouthed is with joy : Though false Duessa it to barre

her false sleights doe imploy.

1 Behold I see the haven nigh at hand,

To which I meane my wearie course to bend ; Vere the maine shete, and beare up with the land, The which afore is tairely to be kend, And seenieth safe from storms, that may offend : There this faire virgin wearie of her way Must landed be, now at her journeyes end : There eke my feeble barke a while may stay, Till merry wind and weather call her thence away.

2 Scarsely had Phoebus in the glooming east Yet harnessed his firie-footed teeme,

Ne reard above the earth his flaming crcast ; When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme Unto the watchman on the castle wall. Who thereby dead that balefull beast did deeme, And to his lord and lady lowd gan call, To tell how he had scene the dragons fatall fall.

3 Uprose with hasty joy, and feeble speed. That aged sire, the lord of all that land. And looked forth, to weet if true indeed Those tydings were, as he did understand ; Which whenas true by tryall he out found, He bad to open wyde his brazen gate.

Which long time had beene shut, and out of bond Proclaymed joy and peace through all his state ; For dead now was their foe, which them forrayed late.

L 2

148 THE FAERY QUEENE.

4 Then gan triumphant trompets sound on hie,

That sent to heaven the ecchoed report

Of their new joy, and happie victory

Gainst him, that had them long opprest with tort.

And fast imprisoned in sieged fort.

Then all the people, as in solemne feast,

To him assembled with one full consort,

Rejoycing at the fall of that great beast, From whose eternall bondage now they were releast.

5 Forth came that auncient lord, and aged queene, Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground, And sad habiliments right well beseene :

A noble crew about them waited round Of sage and sober peres, all gravely go\\Tid ; "Whom far before did march a goodly band Of tall young men, all hable armes to sownd, But now they laurell braunches bore in hand; Glad signe of victory and peace in all their land.

6 Unto that doughtie conquerour they came, And him before themselves prostrating low, Their lord and patrone loud did him proclame, And at his feet their laurell boughes did throw. Soone after them all dauncing on a row,

The comely virgins came, with girlands dight, As fresh as flowres in medow greene do grow. When morning deaw upon their leaves doth light; And in their hands sweet timbrels all upheld on hight.

7 And, them before, the fry of children, young Their wanton sportes and childish mirth did play, And to the maydens sounding tymbrels song.

In well attuned notes, a joyous lay. And made delightfull musick all the way, Until! they came, where that faire virgin stood : As faire Diana in fresh sommers day Beholdes her nympljes enraung'd in shady wood. Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood ;

'CANTO XII. 149

8 So she beheld those maydens meriment

With chearefuU vew ; who when to her they came, Themselves to ground with gracious humblesse bent, And her ador'd by honorable name. Lifting to heaven her everlasting fame : Then on her head they set a girland greene, And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game: Who, in her self-resemblance well beseene. Did seeme, such as she was, a goodly maiden queene.

9 And after, all the raskall many ran, Heaped together in rude rablement. To see the face of that victorious man ; Whom all admired as from heaven sent. And gaz'd upon with gaping wonderment.

But when they came where that dead dragon lay, Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent, The sight with idle feare did them dismay, Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay.

10 Some feard, and fled; some feard, and well it faynd; One, that would wiser seeme then all the rest, Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd Some lingring life within his hollow brest,

Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest Of many dragonets, his fruitfull seed; Another said, that in his eyes did rest Yet sparckling fire, and bad thereof take heed ; Another said, he saw him move his eyes indeed.

11 One mother, whenas her foolehardy chyld

Did come too neare, and with his talants play, Halfe dead through feare, her litle babe revyld, And to her gossips gan in counsell say; How can I tell, but that his talents may ^

Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand? So diversly themselves in vaine they fray; Whiles some, more bold, to measure him nigh stand, To prove how many acres he did spread of land.

]^0 THE FAERY QUEEN E.

12 Thus flocked all the folke him round about; The whiles that hoarie king, with all his traine, Being arrived where that champion stout After his foes defeasance did remaine,

Him goodly greetes, and faire does entertaine With princely gifts of yvory and gold, And thousand thankes him yeeldes for all his paine. Then when his daughter deare he does behold, He dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold.

13 And after to his pallace he them brings,

With shaumes, and trompets, and with clarions sweet ; And all the way the joyous people singes, And with their garments strowes the paved street; Whence mounting up, they find purveyaunce meet Of all, that royall princes court became ; And all the floore was underneath their feet Bespred with costly scarlot of great name. On which they lowly sit, and fitting purpose frame.

14 What needs me tell their feast and goodly guize, In which was nothing riotous nor vaine?

What needes of dainty dishes to devize,

Of comely services, or courtly trayne,

My narrow leaves cannot in them containe

The large discourse of royall princes state.

Yet was their manner then but bare and plaine ;

For th' antique world excesse and pride did hate:

Such proud luxurious pompe is swollen up but late.

15 Then when with meates and drinkes of every kinde Their fervent appetites they quenched had,

That auncient lord gan fit occasion finde, Of straunge adventures, and of perils sad Which in his travell him befallen had. For to demaund of his renowmed guest : Who then with utt'rance grave, and count'nancc sad, From point to point, as is before exprest, Discourst his voyage long, according his request.

CANTO XII. 151

16 Great pleasures, mixt with pittiful regard, That godly king and queene did passionate, Whiles they his pittifull adventures heard ; That oft they did lament his lucklesse state, And often blame the too importune fate

That heaped on him so many wrathfull wreakes: For never gentle knight, as he of late, So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes; And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks.

1 7 Then sayd that royall pere in sober wise ; Deare sonne, great beene the evils which ye bore From first to last in your late enterprise,

That I note, whether praise, or pitty more : For never living man, I weene, so sore In sea of deadly daungers was distrest ; But since now safe ye seised have the shore. And well arrived are (high God be blest) Let us devize of ease and everlasting rest.

18 Ah, dearest lord, said then that doughty knight. Of ease or rest I may not yet devize ;

For by the faith, which I to amies have plight, I bounden am streight after this emprize. As that your daughter can ye well advize, Backe to returne to that great Faerie Queene,

And her to serve sixe yeares in warlike wize, — ^

Gainst that proud paynim king that works her teene : Therefore I ought crave pardon, till I there have beene.

19 Unhappy falls that hard necessity,

(Quoth he) the troubler of my happy peace, And vowed foe of my felicity; Ne I against the same can justly preace : But since that band ye cannot now release, Nor doen undo ; (for vowes may not be vaine,) Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease, Ye then shall hither backe returne againe. The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twain :

153 THE FAERY QUEENE,

20 Which for my part I covet to performe,

In sort as through the world I did proclame, That whoso kild that monster most deforme, And him in hardy battaile overcame, Should have mine onely daughter to his dame, And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee : Therefore since now to thee perteines the same, By dew desert of noble chevalree, Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo I yield to thee.

21 Then forth he called that his daughter faire. The fairest Un' his onely daughter deare. His onely daughter, and his onely heyre ; "Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare. As bright as doth the morning starre appeare Out of the east, with flaming lockes bedight. To tell that dawning day is drawing neare, .And to the world does bring long wished light :

So faire and fresh that lady shewd her selfe in sight:

22 So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May; For she had layd her mournefull stole aside. And widow-like sad wimple throwne away. Wherewith her iieavenly beautie she did hide. Whiles on her wearie journey she did ride ; And on her now a garment she did weare All lilly Mhite, withoutten spot or pride. That seemd like silke and silver woven neare,

But neither silke nor silver therein did appeare.

23 The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame. And glorious light of her sunshyny face.

To tell, were as to strive against the streame: My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace Her heavenly lineaments for to enchace. Ne wonder; for her own deare loved knight, All were she dayly with himselfe in place. Did wonder much at her celestiall sight : Oft had he scene her faire, but never so faire dight.

CANTO XII. 153

24 So fairely dight, when she in presence came, She to her sire made humble reverence, And bowed low, that her right well became, And added grace unto her excellence :

Who with great wisedome and grave eloquence Thus gan to say. But eare he thus had said. With flying speede, and seeming great pretence, Cam'e running in, much like a man dismaid, A messenger with letters, which his message said.

25 All in the open hall amazed stood At suddeinnesse of that unwary sight,

And wondred at his breathlesse hasty mood: But he for nought would stay his passage right, Till fast before the king he did alight; Where falling flat, great humblesse he did make, And kist the ground, whereon his foot was pight; Then to his hands that writ he did betake. Which he disclosing, read thus, as the paper spake;

26 To thee, most mighty king of Eden faire. Her greeting sends in these sad lines addrest

The wqfuUdaughter, and forsaken heire - ^-i-i^yi^ - Of that great emperour of all the West ; And bids thee be advized for the best. Ere thou thy daughter linck in holy band Of wedlocke to that new unknowen guest: For he already plighted his right hand ^lnj>^ \«it.» '^

Unto another love, and to another land. '

27 To me sad mayd, or rather widow sad, He was affiaunced long time before,

And sacred pledges he both gave, and had. False erraunt knight, infamous, and forswore: Witnesse the burning altars, which he swore. And guilty heavens of his bold perjury, Which though he hath polluted oft of yore. Yet I to them for judgment just do fly. And them conjure t'avenge this shamefull injury.

154 TJI^ FAERY QUEENE.

28 Therefore since mine he is, or free or bond, Or false or trew, or Hving or else dead, Withhold, O soveraine prince, your hasty hond From knitting league with him, I you aread;

Ne weene my right with strength adowne to tread. Through weaknesse of my widowhed, or woe ; For truth is strong her rightfuU cause to plead. And shall finde friends, if need requireth soe. So bids thee well to fare. Thy neither friend nor foe,

Fidejsa. ^ \A^»»o*

29 When he these bitter by ting wordes had red, The tydings straunge did him abashed make, That still he sate long time astonished.

As in great muse, ne word to creature spake. At last his solemne silence thus he brake. With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his guest; Redoubted knight, that for mine onely sake Thy life and honour late adventurest, Let nought be hid from me, that ought to he exprest.

50 What meane these bloody vowes and idle threats, Throwne out from womanish impatient mind ? What heavens? ^hat altars? what enraged heates, Here heaped up with termes of love unkind, My conscience cleare with guilty bands would bind? High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame. But if yourselfe, sir knight, ye faulty find. Or wrapped be in loves of former dame,

With crime doe not it cover, but disclose the same.

3 1 To whom the Redcrosse knight this answere sent ;

My lord, my king, be nought hereat dismayd,

Till well ye wote by grave intendiment,

What woman, and wherefore doth me upbrayd

With breach of love and loyalty betrayd.

It was in my mishaps, as hitherward

I lately traveild, that unwares I strayd

Out of my way, through perils straunge and hard ; That day should faile me, ere I had them all declard.

CANTO XII. 155

52 There did 1 find, or rather 1 was found

Of this false woman, that Fidessa hight,

Fidessa hight the falsest dame on ground,

Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,

That easy was to inveigle weaker sight :

Who by her wicked arts and wylie skill,

Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,

Unwares me wrought unto her wicked will. And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill.

33 Then stepped forth the goodly royall mayd. And on the ground her selfe prostrating low, With sober countenaunce thus to him sayd; O pardon me, my soveraine lord, to show The secret treasons, which of late I know

To have bene wrought by that false sorceresse. She, onely she, it is, that earst did throw This gentle knight into so great distresse. That death him did awaite in dayly wretchednesse.

34 And now it seemes, that she suborned hath This crafty messenger with letters vaine, To worke new woe and unprovided scath, By breaking of the band betwixt us twaine ; Wherein she used hath the practicke paine Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse, Whom if ye please for to discover plaine. Ye shall him Archimago find, I ghesse,

The falsest man alive; who tries, shall find no lesse.

35 The King was greatly moved at her speach. And, all with suddein indignation fraight. Bad on that messenger rude hands to reach. Eftsoones the gard, which on his state did wait, . Attacht that faitor false, and bound him strait : IV'-'*'**^ Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,

As chained beare, whom cruell dogs do bait, With idle force did faine them to withstand: And often semblaunce made to scape out of their hand.

I5<5 THE FAERY QUEENE.

56 But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe, And bound him hand and foote with yron chains : And with continual watch did warely keepe. Who then would thinke, that by his subtile trains He could escape fowle death or deadly pains ? Thus when that princes wrath was pacifide, He gan renew the late forbidden bains, And to the knight his daughter dear he tyde

With sacred rites and vowes for ever to abyde.

37 His owne two hands the holy knots did knit, That none but death for ever can divide ;

His owne two hands, for such a turne most fit, The housling fire did kindle and provide. And holy water thereon sprinckled wide ; At which the bushy teade a groome did light. And sacred lamp in secret chamber hide, Where it should not be quenched day nor night. F"or feare of evill fates, but burnen ever bright.

38 Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine, And made great feast to solemnize that day ; They all perfumde with frankincense divine, And precious odours fetcht from far away. That all the house did sweat with great aray; And all the while sweete musicke did apply Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play. To drive away the dull melancholy ;

The whiles one sung a song of love and jollity.

39 During the which there was an heavenly noise Heard sound through all the pallace pleasantly, Like as it had bene many an angels voice Singing before th' eternall Majesty,

In their trinall triplicities on hye ; Yet wist no creature whence that heavenly sweet Proceeded, yet eachonc felt secretly Himselfe thereby reft of his scnces meet, And ravished with rare impression in his sprite.

CANTO XII. 157

40 Great joy was made that day of young and old, And solemne feast proclaimd throughout the land, That their exceeding merth may not be told : Suffice it heare by signes to understand

The usuall joyes at knitting of loves band. Thrise happy man the knight himselfe did hold, Possessed of his ladies hart and hand; And ever, when his eye did her behold. His heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.

41 Her joyous presence, and sweet company, In full content he there did long enjoy ; Ne wicked envy, ne vile gealosy.

His deare delights were able to annoy : Yet swimming in that sea of blissfull joy, He nought forgot how he whilome had sworne. In case he could that monstrous beast destroy, Unto his Faerie Queene backe to returne; The which he shortly did, and Una left to mourne.

42 Now strike your sailes ye jolly Mariners,

For we be come unto a quiet rode, . ij'yi

Where we must land some of our passengers, ^ ^ I'vW^ - And light this weary vessell of her lode. xa***^

Here she a while may make her safe abode, Till she repaired have her tackles spent. And wants supplide. And then againe abroad On the long voyage whereto she is bent: Well may she speede, and fairely finish her intent. 1^

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.

adj. adv.	= adjective. = adverb.
A.S.	= Anglo-Saxon.
c.	= canto.
Celt.	= Celtic.
ch.	= chapter.
cp.	= compare.
com p. Dan.	= comparative. = Danish.
dat.	= dative.
Diet, dimin.	= Dictionary. = diminutive.
Du.	= Dutch.
ed.	= edition.
edd.	= editions.
E. E. Eng. Fr.	= Early English. = English. = French.
Ger.	= German.
Gr.	= Greek.
Gloss.	= Glossary.
Gloss. 11	. = Glossary to Book II.
Gloss.M etI.Lat. Goth.	-] r Glossarium Mediae et r = ■{ Infimae Latinitatis '' L (Du Cange). = Gothic.
Icel.	= Icelandic.
It.	= Italian.

L. Gr. L. Lat. 1.

11.

lit.

n.

neg.

nom.

N. Eng.

N. Lat.

O. Du.

O. Eng.

O. Fr.

O. H. Ger.

O.N.

O. Norm. Fr.

P-

part, p.p. pi.

pret. pron. Scot.

St.

subst. superl. Teut.

= Late Greek.

= Late Latin.

= line.

= lines.

= literally.

= noun.

= negative.

= nominative.

= North English.

= North Latitude.

= 01d Dutch.

= 01d English.

= Old French.

= 01d High German.

= 01d Norse.

= Old Norman French.

= page.

= participle.

= past participle.

= plural.

= preterite.

= pronoun.

= Scottish.

= stanza.

= substantive.

= superlative.

= Teutonic.

= verb.

NOTES.

1, I. Lo I the man ; — imitated from the lines placed at the beginning of Virgil's Aeneid :

" lUe ego, qui quondam" &c. did maske in lowly Sbepheards weeds ; — alludes to the Shepheards Calender, first published by Spenser A.r. 1579

5. 0/ knights and ladies gentle deeds; — This is imitated from the opening lines of Ariosto's Orl. Fur. i. i :

" Le donne, i cavalier, I'arme, gli amori Le cortesie, I'audaci imprese io canto."

6. Whose praises having slept, 8cc. ; — a very involved construction. In the natural order it would run thus : ' And now that their praises have slept in long silence, the Muse areeds (commands) me, (though I be altogether too mean) to blazon [them] abroad amongst her learned throng (of poets, sages, &c.).' In this passage are still to be seen traces of the pedantic Latinisnis, and involved uneasy English hexameters, for which Spensei in early life had shewn no little liking.

2, I. O holy virgin, chiefe of nine ; — Clio, first of the nine Muses.

2 . Thy weaker novice ; — ' thy too-weak novice,' a Latinism not un- common in Spenser He uses the comp. where we should use ' too' before the positive : ' too weak for such a task.'

5. Tanaqitill ; — a British Princess, by whom Spenser means Queen Elizabeth, as appears from Bk. IT. x. 76 :

" He dying, left the fairest Tanaquill, ....

Therefore they Glorian call that glorious flowre : Long mayst thou, Glorian, live in glory and great powre."

6. Briton prince ; — Prince Arthur.

7. and suffered so much ill; — elliptical, for 'and [for whom he] suffered.'

3, I. impe of highest Jove; — Cupid, or Love; who in the mythologies is son of Jove and Venus. The appellative ' impe' simply means child, and has nothing grotesque in it. See Gloss. Impe,

7. Marl; — Mars, god of war. So Chaucer writes tbfijuajtd with a t, in Troilus and Cresside, 2. 98', " for the love of Marfe."

M ^

\6% NOTES.

4, 3. Great Lady, &c. ; — Queen Elizabeth; who in the year 1590, two years after the defeat of the Arip.ada, certainly had a right to this title ; though scarcely (at the age of 56) to that of " goddesse heavenly bright," &c,, save that such language was required by the degraded courtesy of the age. 5. eyne { — older pi. of 'eye.' Spenser also spells it ' eyen ;' (as in c. X. 47. 3,) in which case it answers exactly to the old pi. -e«, which still survives in brethren, children. (So Ger. Auge, pi. Aiigeii ; Dan. pi. oiene ; A.S. eage, pi. eagan.) In East Anglia the people still say nesen, housen, &c. as pi. of nest, house, &c.

7. type of thine; — Una, or Truth.

8. The argument 0/ mine afflicted stile; — ' the subject-matter of my lowly pen.'

9. O dearest dread; — Spenser uses the same phrase of Una, as Queen Elizabeth's type, in c. ii. 2, " Una, his dear dread." "Most dread Prince" was formerly a common salutation of royalty.

CANTO I.

The Red Cross Knight and Una on her milk-while ass are driven by storm into the wood of Error. There they discover Error's cave, and the Knight slays the monster. Escaped thence, false Archimago beguiles the7n. and persuades the Knight, by his magical arts, that Una is false to him.

1, I. .^ gentle Knight; — The Red Cross Knight, by whom is meant reformed England, (see c. x. 61, where he is called " St. George of merry England,") has just been equipped with the " armour which Una brought (that is, the armour of a Christian man, specified by St. Paul, V. [vi.] Ephes.)" as Spenser tells SirW. Raleigh in his Letter. The armour " wherein old dints &c.," though new to the Knight, is old as Christendom. Thus equipped, and guided by truth, he goes forth to fight against error and temptation, and above all to combat that spirit of falsehood, concernin.g vvhich the England of 1588 had learnt so much from Philip II of Spain and Alexander of Parma. The diplomatic lying which preceded the Armada contrasted with the simple truthfulness of the English and Dutch statesmen, and had taught Englishmen to couple the name of Spain with all that was false, as well as with all that was cruel.

2. silver shielde ; — Church quotes from Hardyng, very appositely: " A ^hilde of silver white, A crosse endlong and overthwart full perfecte ; These armes were used through all Britain For a common signe eche man to know his narion From enemies ; which now we call certain Sainct Georges armes." 5. Yet armes, Ike; — see Letter to Sir W. Raleigh. He had been hitherto but " a tall clownfshe young man."

2, 4. And dead, &c. ; — ' adored Him (who was) dead, as being ever living.' Some edd. punctuate ' and, dead as living, ever him adore.' Hut this misses the sense, and the obvious allusion to Rev. "i. 18.

CANTO I. 163

6. For soveraine hope, which, &c. ; — the shield was ' scored * with a cross, as a sign of the ' sovereign hope ' which he had in the help to be given him by our Lord's death for him.

7. Right faithfull true; — edd. 1590, 1596, have no commas, so making ' right' an adv., and giving the meaning ' right faithfull and true.' The reading ' right, faithfull, true,' is unlike Spenser ; he would scarcely use 'right' for 'righteous;' and 'right' as an adv. is common with him; as ' right courteous,' ' right jolly.' So he also uses ' full,' ' full soon,' &c. This form of the adverb (as in st. 4. 1. I, below) comes from the Old Engl, ad- verbial form which ends in e-, ' faire,' ' righte,' the -e being dropped in modern spelling. See Morris, E. E. Specimens, Grammat. Introd. p. Iv.

8. of his cbeere, &c. ; — ' in countenance and bearing seemed too solemnly grave.'

9. ydrad ; — p.p. of to dread, as yclad of to clothe, &c. Spenser has been blamed for coining forms to suit his rhymes. But this is not so. He uses old, not new forms.

<3, 2. greatest Gloriana ; — Queen Elizabeth. So in the Letter to Sir W. Raleigh we read, " In that Faery Qiieene I mean Glory in my generall in- tention, but in my particular I conceive the most excellent and glorious person of our soveraine the Qiieene." It was court fashion to address the Virgin Queen under siich names as Gloriana, Oriana, Diana, &c. Spenser also calls her Belphoebe, and Britomart; Raleigh styled her his Cynthia.

9. his foe, a dragon ; — first the Devil, father of lies ; then the powers of Spain and Rome, as the earthly exponents of falsehood.

4, I. A lovely ladie ; — Una, or Truth. " Truth is one, error manifold" must have been the thought in Spenser's mind when he fixed on this name. Church says, " Mr. Llwyd (in his Irish Diet.) says that Una is a Danish proper name of women; and that one of that name was daughter to a king of Denmark. He adds that Una is still a proper name in Ireland" — where probably Spenser first found it in use, and thence adopted it.

rode him faire beside ; — ' rode fairly beside him.' For this adver- bial form ' faire,' see above, note on st. 2. I. 7.

3. Yet she much whiter ; — Hallam, Lit. of Eur. II. v. § 88, objects to this as strained. The " asse more white than snow" is extravagant ; but there is an excuse for Una's whiteness, because Spenser wished to give the impression of the surpassing purity and spotlessness of Truth.

4. Under a vele, that wimpled, &c. ; — ' Her veil was plaited in folds, falling so as to cover her face.' See Gloss. Wimple.

6. so was she sad ; — ' so grave she was.'

8. Seemed ; — impers. for ' it seemed.' Spenser very commonly omits the pronoun before impers. verbs.

9. lad; — ' led.' An old form.

5, 3. /row royall lynage;~M\ allusion to Isaiah 49. 23. Spenser's meaning is that Una, Truth, or the Reformed Church, derives her lineage from the Church Universal, not from the Papacy.

6, I. a dwarf e ; — the dwarf is probably intended to represent common sense, or common prudence of humble life. " Such an one as might be attendant on Truth— cautious, nay timid, yet not afraid — feeble, but faithful,

M 2

164

NOTES.

and in all his dangers devoted to his Lady and his Lord." (Blackwood's Mag., Nov. 1834.)

7, 2. A shadie grove; — the wood of Error, which is at first enchanting, but soon leads those astray who wander in it. By it Spenser shadows forth the dangers surrounding the mind that escapes from the bondage of Roman authority, and thinks for itself; and also the ultimate tiiumph of the man who, with help of God's armour, tracks Error to its den, and slays it there.

5. that heavens light did hide; — So Ariosto, Orl. Fur. I 37:

" E la foglia co'rami in modo e mista Che'l Sol non v'entra, non che minor vista."

6. Not perceahle with power of any starre ; — Warton notices here that stars were supposed to have a malign influence on trees. But Spenser only wishes to convey an impression of great closeness and gloom in the grove. Cp. Statins, 10. 85 :

" Nulli penetrabilis astro Lucus iners."

8, 5. Much can they praise ;—' niuch they began to praise.' Spenser sometimes writes 'can' for ' gan.' So Church quotes Chaucer:

" Yet half for drede I can my visage hide," Or perhaps 'can' is used as an auxiliary verb = do; then 'can praise* will = do praise.

This description of trees is expanded from Chaucer's Assembly of Fouler; 1 76. It has been objected to with some justice as not true to nature, and laboured, as so many different kinds of trees could not have grown together in a thick wood. But the passage suits well the general conceptfon, as it causes a feeling of bewilderment of details, leading us on to the ' cave of Error.'

6. The sayling pine ; — ' the pine whence sailing ships are made.' Chaucer, Assembly, 1 79, " the saylynge firre.' The Latin poets use pinus 'per synecdochen' for ship, as —

" Non hue Argoo contendit remige /)/«z/s." — Hor. Epod. 16. 57.

the cedar proud and tall; — Ezekiel 31. 3: "Behold the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon ... of a high stature." ver. 10: 'Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height . . . and his heart is lifted up in his height," &c. ; and Isaiah 2. 13: "Upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up." Chaucer, Complaynte of a Loveres Lyfe, 67 : " the cedres high."

7. The vine-prop elme ; — the elm in ancient Italy was largel}' used to train up the vine :

" Amictae vitibus ulmi." — Ovid. Met. 10. lOO. So Chaucer, Assembly, 177, has "the peler elme."

the poplar never dry ; — from its flourishing in damp spots, on river banks, &c.

8. The builder oalte ; — Chaucer, Assembly, 176, has the same epithet.

9. the cypresse funerall ; — Pliny, Nat. Hist. 16. 33(60), says, " Cy- pressus — funebri signo ad domos posita." Chaucer, Assembly, 179, "The cipresse deth to pleyne." Sir P. Sidney in his Arcadia has " Cypress branches, wherewith in old time they were wont to dress graves." There was n tradition that the Cross was made of cypress-wood. See the Squyre of Lowe Degree (quoted by Warton on Spenser ; 1 . 1 39) :

" Cypresse the first tre that Jesu chase (chose)." For the classical legend see notes on c. vi. 14 and 17.

CANTOI. 1 65

9, 2. thejirre that weepeth still ; — distils resin.

3. The imlloiv, wortie of forlorn e paramours ; — the badge of deserted lovers. See Percy's Reliques, i. 156, and John Heywood's Song of the Green Willow :

" All a green willow, willow, All a green willow is my garland. Alas ! by what means may I make ye to know The unkindness for kindness that to me doth grow ? That one who most kind love on me should bestow. Most unkind unkindness to me she doth show. For all a green willow is my garland." So too Shakespeare, in Othello, puts this refrain into Desdemona's song. Beaumont and Fletcher, The Night Walker, Act i. : " Here comes poor Frank ; — We see your willow, and are sorry for 't."

4. The eugh obedient to the benders will; — referring to the bows made of yew. Chaucer has it " the sheter (shooter) ewe."

5. the sallow for the mill ; — Ovid, Met. 10. 96, has

" Onmicolaeque simul salices."

6. The mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound ; — the myrrh has a bitter taste, but the exudation from its bark is sweet of smell. Chaucer, Complaynte of a Loveres Lyfe, 66 :

" The myrre also that wepeth ever of kynde."

7. The warlike beech; — suitable for warlike arms, or because the war- chariots of the ancients were made of it.

9. The carver holme; — good for carving. Chaucer, Assembly, 178, has " holme to whippes lasshe."

10, 7- doubl their wits be not their owne ; — ' doubt' here = fear. See Gloss. Doubt.

11, 2. or in or out; — ' either on the inside or the outside of the masie.'

4. like to lead the labyrinth about ; — ' likely to lead them out of the labyrinth.'

12, 7, 8. shaine were to revoke

The forward footing for an hidden shade ; — ' it would be shame (shameful) to recall our forward movement for (fear of) a concealed shadow of evil.' Here again Spenser uses the impersonal verb without the neut. pron ; — shame were = ' it were shame.'

13, 6. wandring wood; — 'the wood of wandering.'

8. Therefore I read beware ; — ' therefore I advise you to be cautious.'

14, 2. for ought ; — ' by any arguments,' or ' for any reasons.'

4. his glistring armor, &c. ; — a passage worthy of Rembrandt's most gloomy pencil. The image of Error should be compared with Milton's delineation of Sin, P. L. 2. 650.

9. full of vile disdaine ; — ' full of vileness breeding disdain.' She is Falsehood, half human, half bestial, half true and half untrue; parent of a countless brood of lies. Her shape is taken partly from Hesiod's Fkhidna, Theog. 301 ; and partly from the locusts in Rev. 9. 7.

15,4. Of her there bred; — 'there sprung from her as a mother;' 'she had a brood of.'

l66 NOTES.

7. 0/ sundry shapes; — i. e. each of a shape different from all the rest : or each one able to vary its shape — lies and rumours being many- formed.

16, I. upstart, out of her deu effraide ; — pret. of to upstart, to start up. Ed. 1590 puts a comma after 'upstart,' so connecting 'out of her den' with ' effraide,' — ' she started up, frightened out of her den.' Later edd. seem to have preferred the meaning ' started up (and rushed) out of her den, quite frightened.'

4. without entraile ; — ' untwisted.'

6. Armed to point ; — ' armed cap-a-pie,' at every point. Bailey in his Diet, says " to point, completely ; — as armed to point, Spenser." The Fr. phrase a poitit = to a nicety, is probably the real origin of the phrase.

17, I. the valiant Elfe; — the Knight is described as coming from Faerie Land, c. x. 60, 61. The word 'elfe' is A. S. alf, an elf. The A. S. had Dun-celfen = mountain (or down) fairy ; wceter- adfen = water-baby ; whence the word usually is taken to signify a small sprite, like the Teut. Kohold, &c. E. K., the ingenious commentator on the Shepheards Calender, declares that elfs and goblins were originally Guelfs and Ghibelines : the coincidence is curious, but the derivation absurd.

he lept As ly on fierce ; — cp. Hom. II. 5. 297.

3. trenchand ; — the older participial form; so glitteraiid. It is used in the Northumbrian dialect of early English. See Morris, E. E. Specimens, Grammat. Introd. p. xiv. It may be a relic of Spenser's life in the Northern Counties rather than of French origin (as if from trenchant. Sic).

7. Threatning her angry sting ; — a Latin phrase; ' threatening ' being used as ' brandishing.'

18,6. traine ; — used in 1. 6 as= long trailing tail, and in 1. 9 as = snare. Spenser (like Chaucer) often allows words exactly alike in form to rhyme together, so long as their meaning differs.

19,6. His gall did grate; — the gall was supposed to be the seat of anger (so Greek x^^-os and X"^'? ^"'^ Latin bilis, used for both), and the sense is ' his anger began to be stirred within him.'

20, I. Therexuith, &c. ; — this passage is far too coarsely drawn to please the classical critics, who condemn it with averted faces.

6. Her vomit full of boohes and papers was ; — the latter end of the sixteenth century was a time of great activity in polemical pamphleteering ; and Spenser hints at the writings which sprang from the Roman Catholic reaction. He probably had in mind Cardinal Allen's book on Queen Elizabeth, and the famous Bull of Sixtus V, both of which had but just appeared, in the year 1588 ;• — if he alludes at all to particular works. At any rate, he refers to the scurrilous attacks on the Queen, which had of late been published in great numbers by the English Jesuit refugees.

21, 5. when his later spring gins to avale ; — ' when the inundation, towards the end, begins to abate.' In ed. 1590 the passage runs 'his later ebbe ; ' but Spenser himself corrected it, in the Errata, to ' spring.' See Gloss. Avale.

7. Ten thousand kindes of creatures ; — a poetical figure, not a fact ; though it was generally believed and related in Spenser's day by both historians and poets.

CANTOI. 167

23, I. As gentle shepheard ; — here Spenser follows Homer: cp. Iliad 2. 469; 17.641.

4. their basty supper ; — So Milton, Comus, 541 :

" The chewing flocks Had ta'en their supper on the savoury herb."

26, 3. on whom, &c. ; — a cumbrous sentence = ' while he thus gazed on them, who had all satisfied their thirst for blood, he saw their bellies, swollen with fulness, burst,' &c.

7. her life, the which them nurst ; — ' the life of her who nursed them.' ' Which,' in Spenser's day, was used equivalently with ' who,' and the article was not unfrequently placed before it. In this place it is relative to ' her,' not to ' life.' The Fr. lequel answers exactly to this usage of ' the which.' In the Spectator, No. 78, there is a criticism on the Lord's Prayer, in which the writer is clearly unaware of this propriety of usage. " In the first and best prayer children are taught, they learn to misuse us {who and which) : * Our Father, which art in heaven,' should be ' Our Father, who,' &c."

9. with whom he should contend; — ' should* = ' should have had to;' — ' his foes, with whom he otherwise would have had to contend, have slain themselves.'

27, I. thai chaunst ; — ' that had happened.'

3. borne under happy starre ; — refers to the astrological belief in nativities : " O sidere dextro Edite." — Stat. Silv. 3. 4. 63.

5. that armory ; — " the armour of a Christian man." — Eph. 6. 13, 14. 9. And henceforth ever ivish that like succeed it tnay ; — 'and I wish

that like (similar) success may henceforth follow it ;' literally, ' that like may succeed it.' Another instance of infringement of the natural order of words.

28, 7- wiV/& God to frend; — ' with God for a friend.' An O. Eng idiom, corresponding to ' to have one to my friend, to my foe :' or ' frend' may be a verb and = ' to befriend.'

29, 2. An aged sire ; — Archimago, the chief enchanter; who is also called Hypocrisy. From his connection with Duessa he may be intended either for the Pope, or the Spanish King (Philip II), or for the general spirit of lying and false religion. The whole adventure is drawn from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 2. 12.

30, I, 2. louting low.

Who f (lire him quited, as that courteous was ; — ' bowing humbly' (as a rustic, in sign of deep humility) to the knight, ' who returned his salute fairly, as was courteous from a superior.' ' As that' is exactly equivalent to our present use of ' as.'

6. Silly old man ; — harmless, simple.

7. Bidding his beades ; — ' saying his prayers.' See Gloss. Bid.

9. sits not ; — ' it sits not' = ' it is not seemly.' Also in Chaucer. So the French ' il ne sied pas.' Some editors, following ed. 1609, read ' fits.'

31, 6. to sheiv the place ; — ' for shewing,' or ' if you will shew.' Like the Greek article with the inf. tov iroifiv, ' for doing,' ' for shewing.'

33, 3. night they say gives counsell best; — this is a proverb — 'Ei' vvktI PovKri. or ' La nuit donne conseil,' or ' La notte e madre di pensieri.' — Upton. Dryden refers to this passage when he writes,

l68 NOTES.

" Well might the ancient poets then confer On Night the honored iiame of Counseller."

34, 4. a little wyde ; — ' a little apart,' or ' at a little distance.'

5. edifyde; — ' built ;' a Latinism (aedificare) — shewing, loo, that in the sixteenth ceatury the terms ' edify,' ' edification,' had not caught their modern technical and exclusive signification ; and that in the time of the translators of the Bible the word conveyed St. Paul's meaning more exactly than it does now. Mr. Wright, in his Bible Word-Book, in referring to this passage s.iys that " Spenser affects archaisms ; " perhaps it would be more exact to say that he here affects Latinisms ; for ' to edify,' and ' edification,' are used by others of his age in their first sense.

6. wont to say ; — (v/as) wont.

35, 3. and all ibinges at their will; — ' rest is as good as the having all things as they might wish.'

36, 3. Morpheus ; — the god of sleep, who sprinkles the " slombring deaw " of sleep from his horn, or off his wings, or from the branch he carries, dipped in Lethean stream. He is the god of dreams, as his name indicates ; — the formative power in sleep.

37,3. like terrible; — Mike' is here used for 'alike,' 'likewise,' or ' equally.'

^. blacke Plutoes griesly dame; — Proserpine. According to Hesiod, and the later mythologists, Pluto (whom Spenser calls ' black' because of his ruling over the dark realms, as god of Hades) carried her off to be his wile. The epithet ' griesly ' well suits her whom the ancients regarded as the avenger of men, and infiicter of men's curses on the dead.

8. Great Gorgon, Prince of darknesse and dead night; — not the mythological Gorgon (or Medusa), who was female ; but the medixval Demogorgon, a mysterious and essentially evil divinity, whom some regarded as the author of creation, and others as a great magician who commanded the spirits of the lower world ; which is the view taken by Spenser. He is regarded as a great power in incantations. Milton mentions him, P. L. 2. 964 :

" Orcus and Ades, and the dreaded name Of Demogorgon." (). At which ; — that is, ' at which name of Gorgon.' Cocytus ; — the river of wailing, in the infernal regions ; from Gr. KOJKvros, lamentation.

Styx ; — the hateful river ; Gr. arv^. The other two rivers were Acheron, the river of grief, and Phlegethon, the river of burning. See canto V. St. 33. So Milton writes :

" Abhorred Styx, the flood of deadly hate ; Sad Acheron of sorrow, black and deep ; Cocytus, named of lamentation loud Heard on the rueful stream ; fierce Phlegethon, Whose waves of torrent fire inflame with rage."

Par. Lost. 2. 577. 38, 2. like little Jlyes ; — so Beelzebub is the " god of flies."

9. The other by himselfe staide ; — ' he stayed (or retained) the other by himself.'

CANTO I. 169

39, 6. Telhys ; — in the Greek mythology she was the daughter 01 Uranus (heaven) and Gaea (earth), and wife of Oceauus.

7. Cynthia; — one of the surnames of Artemis the moon-goddess, derived from mount Cynthus in Delos, her birthplace. (Similarly the pair- god to Artemis, Apollo the sun-god, is called Cynthius.)

40, I. Whose double gates, &c. ; — imitated from Hom. Od. 562; or from Virgil's Aen. 6. 894 :

" Sunt geminae somni portae ; quarum altera fertur Cornea," &c. 2. faire fratnd of bumiiht yvory ; — so Virgil has it : " Altera candenti perfecta nitens elephanto." ' The ivory gate was held to send up false dreams, the horn gate (which Spenser for more poetic effect overlays with silver), true visions.

4. before them farre do lye ; — ' lie at a distance in front of them.' 9. he takes Tteepe ; — ' he takes heed.'

41, I. And more; — the student ought to take notice of the perfect rhythm and musical sound of this stanza. Compare the opening stanza of Tennyson's Lotos Eaters. Chaucer, in describing the house of Morpheus, has a passage which Spenser probably had in mind :

" A fewe welles Came rennynge fro the clyffes adoun That made a dedely slepynge soun."

Boke of the Duchesse, 160.

8. carelesse Quiet; — Virgil's " secura quies." Notice Spenser's strong power of personification. Quiet is here introduced, just like Care and Sleep in St. 40, as a personage, not as a quality.

42, 3. So sound be slept; — for this descrip'ijoa of Morpheus cp. Ovid, Met. II. 617.

6. that forced him; — ' that it (or he) forced him.'

7. dryer braine ; — the ancients thought that those dreams were true which came from a dry brain ; but Spenser seems here to hold that a dry brain is the cause of " troubled sights and fancies weake."

9. all ; — probably here means ' altogether.'

43, 3. Hecate ; — a powerful and mysterious female divinity of classical days ; a mystic goddess, invoked with strange ceremonies. The mytholo- gies feigned that she accompanied Demeter to the infernal regions in her search for Persephone, and remained behind in the shades. Thence she came to be regarded as mistress of all demons and phantoms, and it was thought she was wont to send these forth upon earth. It is to this that Spenser here alludes.

9. the sleepers sent; — 'the sleeper's sensation:' 'scent' was originally spelt thus, ' sent' being the short form of ' sensation.'

44, 2. A diverse dreame ; — 'a dream which would divert or distract their minds.'

4(5,6. borne without her dew; — 'fashioned by him in an undue and unnatural niannei-'

^ 70 NOTES,

CANTO II.

The Red Cross Knight, deceived by Archimago, flees by night, leaving Una to her fate. ' On his way he meets the Paynim Sans/oy. and the false Duessa : hnn the Knight slays, and carries her of in triumph. Their adventure with Fradubio and Fraelissa, once human, now trees.

1, I. the northerne wagoner; — the constellation Bootes. Bootes was either wagoner to Charles' Wain, or keeper (arctophvlax) to the Great Bear, accord- ing to the name given to the chief northern group of fixed stars.

2 His sevenfold teme; — the constellation called Charles' Wain, i.e. the Churl's (countryman's) Wain or wagon : or it may come from Karl, Karl being the Teutonic name corresponding to Odin. In the north these seven stars were first called Odin's Wain ; and when they entered into German mythology their name was naturally changed to 'Karl's Wain.' Others agam connect the name with Karl the Great (Charlemagne). Also called the Great Bear, or Ursa Major.

2, 3. the stedfast starre That was. Sec. ;— the Pole star, which never sets m our latitude.

7. Phoebus fiery carre ;-the sun; alluding to the mythological belief that the sun-god drives his chariot daily across the sky.

7, I. The Red Cross Knight, beguiled by the phantoms of Archimago's magic, could not rest, but rose at earliest dawn and fled. Thus Spenser would indicate the struggle between truth and falsehood at the Refor- mation period ; and hov/ the wrong slandered the right. Nor is allusion wanting to the gross and cruel liljels on Queen Elizabeth, which were scattered abroad on the continent (and at home too in secret) by the Jesuit writers at this time. Their aim was, of course, to destroy the English belief in the Queen's truthfulness and fitness to be the leader of the nation, and to draw England back into allegiance to the Court of Rome (Spenser's false Duessa). The misfortunes undergone by the Knight in consequence of his faithlessness, his perils in the house of Pride, his bondage to Orgoglio (i. e. Antichrist), his risks in the cave of Despair, all spring from this first false step.

rosy-fingred morning faire ; — a Homeric phrase, /5o5o5a«Ti;Aos 'Hws.

2. aged Tithones saffron bed; — according to the mythologies he was beloved by Eos (Morning), who obtained for him immortality, but not eternal youth ; whence the constant epithet ' aged.'

4. Titan : — the sun.

5. drowsy-hed;— 'hed'= hood. There were two forms in Old Engl., • hede' and ' hod,' whose modern representatives, ' head' and ' hood,' are seen in God-head, man-hood.

8, 3. For him so far, ike. ; — ' because his steed had borne him, who was stung with wrath, &c., so far, that (it) was but fruitless pain to follow him.'

9. He so nngently ; — elliptical ; ' in that' must be supplied before ■ He.'

9, 6. doth make; — 'machinate,' devise, (tnacbinari). This seems to

CANTO II. 171

indicate a connection between the Gr. fxtjxavfi and the Teutonic make, A.S. ge-viacian, Ger. machen.

7. unto her; — 'her' is here the personal, and not the possessive pro- noun.

10, 3. in seeming wise ; — ' in appearance, not in reality.'

4. Proteus; — is described in the myths (Homer, Od. 4. 365, and Virg. Geor. 4. 392), as the prophetic old man of the sea, who tends the flocks of seals belonging to Poseidon. If seized by any one, he could change himself to any shape — lion, snake, fire, &c., in order to escape, if possible, from being compelled to prophesy.

9. 7night of magicke spell : — we must not forget that at the end of the sixteenth century the belief in magic was strong, and sufficient to give to Archimago a real, as distinct from a merely poetical or imaginative, interest, (such as we may feel for Tennyson's Merlin). The Magician was believed to be a real power, not a mere creation of the poet's brain. He was the link between man and what may be called ' the lower supernatural.' Nor should it be forgotten that the wiles and falsehoods of the Spanish court were often at that time believed to be coupled with supernatural agencies. It was thought that the Devil was working with them against the English and Hollanders ; and Philip was looked on as a kind of Magician in his Escuriaj laboratory. Sir T. Browne in his Religio Medici, written about 1635 (section 30, 31), holds that a disbelief in witchcraft is 'obliquely' a sort of atheism. See also Lecky, History of Rationalism, vol. i.

11, I. person to put on; — a Latinism, 'personam induere,' to wear the mask of, or, as we now say, to ' personate,' some one else.

9. Sai7it George himself; — the pattern and patron (the two words used to be the same) of all good knightly souls.

1'2, 2. The true Saint George; — the Red Cross Knight (see c. x. 61) is declared to be a changeling, sprung really not from elfin brood, but from an 'ancient race of Saxon kings;' and he shall be called

" Saint George of mery England, the signe of victorie," shewing that Spenser intended him to be not merely Lord Leicester, but knightly England doing battle for the truth.

4. Will was his guide; — 'he followed his own wilfulness, not the fixed purposes of truth,' as he had done while Una guided him towards her father's kingdom.

5. him chaunst ; — another impersonal verb without a pronoun. It will not be necessary again to point these out to the student.

6. A faithlesse Sarazin ; — the Saracen and Duessa, Pagan and Papal grouped together, (as half a century later we have them in the Pilgrim's Progress,) — the ' miscreant' and the ' false,' — were to men's minds in those days a proper couple. Though England herself was but little affected by the Turkish power, still she had a great interest (and since the defeat of the Armada had largely changed the balance of power at sea, a very real, though not yet realised, interest) in the progress of the Paynim supremacy in the East and on the Mediterranean. Perhaps, too, Spenser had in his mind the coquettings which had often taken place between Pope and Sultan. The three Paynim brethren Sansfoy, Sansjoy, Sansloy — faithless, joyless, lawless — indicate the point of view from which the age looked at the Saracen power

t'J'i NOTES.

That age, filled with its own struggles, could not do justice to what good there was in the Mohammedans — they were content with Spenser's sum- mary :

" Full large of limbe and every joint He was, and cared not for God or man a point." 13, 2. A goodly lady; — Duessa, or Fidessa — Falsehood, shadowing forth the false faith of Rome — " clad in scarlot red." Under her name is more especially signified Mary Queen of Scots, as the representative of Romish hostility to blizabeth. This is worked out at length in Bk. V. xxxviii.

4. a Persian mitre ; — a high mitre-like cap, a tire or tiara. Cp. Rev. 17. 4. We shall find her later on (c. vii. 16-19) riding on the seven-headed beast.

15. 3. and towards ride ; — ' ride towards (him).' 9. yeeldeth land ; — gives way, recoils.

16. 1. As when two rams, &c. ; — cp. Apol. Rhod. Argon. 2. 88; Virg. Aen. 12. 715.

6. hanging victory ; — doubtful, evenly balanced.

9. their former cruelty ;—' their former (or late) rage against each other ;' or it solely refers to their spears shattered — " the broken reliques" — in the onset.

17. 4. Each others equall puissaunce envies; — 'each grudge the equal valour of the other, and each seeks with cruell glances to pierce through the other's iron sides' — looks for a weak point in his aimour. Notice the 'their,' and cp. Matth. 18. 35: "If ye forgive not every one his brother their trespasses."

6. 7- yields No foote to foe. Sec. • — ' pedeni referre,' to give way before.

18. 2. the bitter Jit ; — the painful throes of death.

5. assi/red sitt ; — 'get into a place of safety,' or 'sit firm in your saddle,' as I am going to hit hard.

7. With rigor so outrageous ;■ — ' he smote him with so stiff a blow.'

8. it ; — the Paynim's sword. Spenser does not mention it before.

g. from blame him fairly blest; — Church says "acquitted him of having given but an indifferent blow." But surely Spenser connects this ' him' with the following 'who ;' so that it is the Red Cross Knight who is " blest from blame," whatever it may mean. Perhaps it means that the Paynim's sword fairly delivered the Red Cross Knight from blame, blemish, harm, — did not wound him at all. This sense of the verb 'to bless' occurs also in such phrases as ' God from him me bless.' See Gloss. Bless.

19. 3. at his haughtie helmet making mark; — we should now 'make a mark oy his helmet.' Spenser uses it in the sense of ' taking aim at.'

7. his grudging ghost did strive ; — ' his spirit grumbling (or unwilling to depart) strove with his flesh.'

'21, 7. And said ; — the subject of the sentence is here omitted: 'and htr said.'

8. Much ruelh me ; — ' your overthrow grieveth me much.' The verb 'to rue' is used in early writers impersonally as = to grieve. So Wicliffe, 2 Cor. 7. 8 : " It rewith me not, though it rewide."

22, 2. unhappy howre ; — Ft. malheur ; \t. malora. But Professor Max Miiller derives malheur from malum augurium : if so, Spenser's use of

CANTO II. T73

'hov/re' in this place is analogous to the Fr. phrase ' un mauvais quart d'heure,' and to our ' an evil hour,' rather than to malbeur.

4. before that angry heavens list to lowre ; — ' before it pleased the angry heavens to lower,' to look darkly on me. ' List' is here used as an impcrs. verb, with a dative of the person or thing ; as in c. vii. 35, ' when him list.' Some edd. read ' lift ;' but ' list' is the reading of edd. 1590, I5'j6.

7. the sole daughter of an Emperour ; — false Duessa thus represents the Papacy, sprung ia a sense from the Roman Emperors and wielding part of their power. The Popes at Rome looked on themselves (partially at least) as inheritors of the Imperial position.

23, 8. fone ; — old pi. o{ foe.

27, 4. is said; — ' is a saying.'

9. dainty maketh derth ; — what is dainty (fastidious or coy) makes desire for it. By holding back coyly Duessa hoped to allure the Knight on. The proverb rightly means that extravagance and daintiness in food bring the glutton to dearth : but it is here used in the sense that what is dainty (or exquisite) is dear (dearth signifying dearness) ; as in the Latin "quae rara cara."

28, 8. ne wont there sound ; — ' nor was accustomed to sound there.'

29, I. can spie ; — can = gan or began; ' directly he saw them.'

30, I. Faire seemely pleasaunce ; — polite courtesies.

2. With goodly purposes ; — pleasant and courteous conversation.

8. out of whose rift, &c. ; — this conceit of human beings changed into trees occurs in Virg. Aen. 3. 23, where the fortunes of Polydorus are narrated. But Spenser is here following Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 6. 27. The " piieous yelling voice" is " con mesta e flebil voce ;" " in this rough rynd," " sotto ruvida scorza." The passage in Ariosto is, on the whole, superior to this of Spenser. The falling leaves ; the first thin voice, like the noise of uudiied wood hissing on the fire; the address of Ruggiero to the myrtle, — are all fiiar than the corresponding passages of Spenser. The student is re- commended to compare the two descriptions. Dante also (in the Inferno) has men changed to trees ; where, however, the conception is quite diflerent.

31,2. spare to ^eare ;— a Latinism, imitated from Virgil's " parce pias scelerare manus," Aen. 3. 41, in the corresponding description of Polydorus.

32, 5. Limbo lake; — The ' Limbus patrum' was supposed by the School- men to be on the border (Lat. limbus, hem) of hell— a kind of circumfluent lake, corresponding to the Oceanus of the old mythologies which flowed round the earth. Here dwelt the souls of those who were awaiting the Resurrection. Spenser however seems to use the term of the abode of lost spirits ; as also does Shakespeare, All's Well that Ends Well, 5. 3. Hence it came to be used as a slang term for a prison. It was divided by the Schoolmen into three or four compartments: 1, the 'limbus puerorum,' of unbaptised children ; 2, the ' limbus patrum,' or the district in which the Fathers of the Church abide ; 3. ' Purgatorium,' the department filled with the souls of average good people, being cleansed and prepared for heaven ; and in some accounts, though not in all, 4, a ' limbus fatuorum ' or after-death abode of lunatics. To this last Milton alludes, P. L. 3. 49:; : " A litnbo large and broad, since call'd The paradise of fools."

174 NOTES.

8. speaches rare ; — thin-sounding voice from within the tree ; ' rare ' used in its Latin sense. See Orl. Fur. 6. 27.

33,3. Fradubio ; — the name indicating the character, as of one who halted between two opinions, the truly fair (his proper love), and the falsely fair (Duessa). Spenser wishes to point in his case to the fate of those who did not know their own minds on the great questions of the day, but went from side to side, wavering between the old faith and the new.

34, 5. double griefs afflict concealing harts, &c.;— the pain which is sup- pressed increases, is redoubled, just as the heat of raging fire increases, if one tries to smother it.

35,9. did foivle Dtiessa hyde ; — elliptical; 'but [the fair lady] did hide (cover) the person of foul Duessa.'

36, I. he did take in hand, &c. ; — ' he asserted (ready to fight for it) that her forged beauty far exceeded that of all other dames.' ' To take in hand' is to affirm in knightly fashion — a Latinised construction of the infinitive.

37, 4- Whether; — 'which of the two.'

38, 2. The drmbtfull ballmmce equally to sway; — ' the balance swayed equal distances on either side ;' there was no discernible difference between them.

3. What not by right; — elliptical; 'what (she could not win) by right,' &c.

9. in place ;^-eitheT ' in the place,' on the spot, or ' in place of her,' instead of her, as rival to her.

39, 9. treen mould; — form of trees ; adj. formed from subst. 'tree.'

40, 4. every prime ; — Prime here must mean spring-time ; it would scarcely suit Spenser's meaning to say that witches nmst bathe themselves daily. It rather signifies ' that day comes every spring.' Milton, P. L. 10. 572, applies this tradition to the Devils:

" Yeerly enjoyned, they say, to undergo This annual humbling certain number'd days." It was a popular belief that witches must undergo this yearly cleansing. See Gloss. Prime.

7. origane and thyme; — see Girard's Herball: " Organie healeth scabs, itchings, and scurvinesse, being used in bathes." Origane, Lat. origanum, Gr. opiyavov, an acrid herb like marjoram.

4'2, I. by chaunges of my cbeare ; — 'by the change of my countenance, or manner towards her.'

2. drownd in sleepie night; — governed by 'my body,' &c. in line ^ ; or a kind of nom. absolute, ' I being drowned,' &c.; or a dat. absolute, as in A.S.

4. My body all, through, &c.; — so edd. 1590 and 1596 punctuate it; shewing that Spenser meant that the witch anointed his whole body.

43. 4. a livi?ig well ; — in the allegory this must mean a renewed spiritual i life : in the story it does not appear what the interpretation is.

7. yojir wonted well ; — your accustomed weal or wellbeing.

8, 9. suffised fates to former kynd

Shall us restore ; — 'the fates, satisfied, shall restore us to our fornur human shape and condition.' 46, 2. As all unweeting of that well -./it knew : — ' as if she were altogether

CANTO III. 1 75

ignorant of that which she knew well;' i.e. she prctendeJ to be utterly frightened bv the strange portent, while she well knew what if meant.

6. ibe gan up lift ; — ' she began to uplift.' This is the tigure called Tmesis, by which the preposition is s .-parated from the verb to which it be- longs. It is common in English, ex ;ept that the prep, usually comes after the verb, as ' to rise up,' for ' to uprise'

CANTO III.

Una, still seeking her lost Knight, is guarded by a Lion, who serves her faith- fully : she seeks refuge in the bouse of blind Devotion, who unwillingly re- ceives her. There the Lion days Kirkrapine, the robber of churches. Next day, she is joined by Archimago, disguised as the Red Cross Knight. He is challenged and unhorsed by the Paynim Sansloy, tvho slays the faithful Lion, and drags atvay Una as his captive.

1, I. Nought, &c.; — these moral reflections placed as headings to the cantos, are fashioned upon the opening stanzas of the cantos of the Italians, Ariosto and Berni.

5. /, whether lately, &c. ; — this probably refers to his gracious reception at court. See Introduction, p. vii.

7. Which I do owe ; — in Spenser's case this " fealty to womankind " was no mere aifectation of romance, but the real sentiment of a gentle nature.

9. all; — altogether.

2, 5. true as touch; — true as touchstone, which discerns the genuine from the counterfeit ; or, true as the sense of touch — ' as true as if 1 touched,' — with, it may be, a bye-reference to St. Thomas.

4, 7. the great eye of heaven ; — thus the sun is described by Ovid, Met. 4. 228, and by Milton, P. L. 5. 171 :

" Thou sun, of this great world both eye and soul." In Icelandic poetry also the sun is called ' Dagsauga,' day's eye.

5, 2. a ramping lyon ; — the lion is the emblem of natural honour, paying the tribute of instinctive reverence to Truth. It is one of the beliefs of romance that no lion will ofter injury to a true virgin or to a royal personage, such as Una was. Cp. Sidney's Arcadia, " The unnatural beast, which contrary to his own kind, would have wronged Prince's blood." And Shakespeare, i. Hen. IV. 2. 4: "The lion will not touch the true prince iS:c." Hence the lion is found on royal coats of arms. So also in the Seven Champions two lions fawn on Sabra. Warton's Observ. 2. p. 128. In Sir Bevis of Hampton we have a similar scene.

9- forgat; — subject 'he' omitted; or it may depend on "his bloudy rage."

6, 3. As; — 'as though,' 'as if.'

6. Whose yielded pride, &c. ; — ' when she had long marked, though she still dreaded death, his pride that had yielded, and his noble submission.' ,

9. did shed; — again the subject 'she' omitted, or, rather, involved in ' her hart.'

1^6

NOTES.

7, 8, 9. her . . . my; — notice the chang; of pronoun from third person to first.

9, 5. both watch and ward ; — that is hoih waking and guarding, (or this is the distinction. ' Watch ' (A.S. wcBcce] is ' wake ' (and a watch is an instru- ment which is awake all night), and ' tb ward ' (A.S. weardian) is to guard, or look after anything carefully.

11, 9 heK cast in deadly hew; — 'n ade her seem like one dead:' 'hew' is appearance or shape, not colour, in Spenser.

12, 2. 1/pon the wager lay; — we now say 'was at stake.' Cp. Chaucer's "lith in wedde " (pledge), is in jeopardy.

3. hotne she came, &c.; — Una and the lion at the low door of 'blind Devotion ' indicate the horror and unwillingness with which Truth is met, if it tries to penetrate haunts of darkness. By the hut of Corceca, where superstition, church-robbery, and flagrant sin all meet under the shadow of Devotion, Spenser draws the condition of benighted country places (the Pagani of the age) and their dislike of the new light of Truth.

13, 3. 0/ his cruell rage; — is a genitive after 'fear.' And the whole sentence is ' she found them in a corner nearly dead with fear of his rage.*

4 14, 4. thrise three times; — that is, three days a-week, three meals a-day.

15, 9. All night she thinks too long; — 'all night she thinks (the night) too long.'

16, I. Aldeboran; — a star of first magnitude, called in England the 'Bull's Eye,' as being the eye of the constellation Taurus.

2. Casseiopeias chaire ; — a constellation in the northern hemisphere.

4. One knocked; — ' Kirkrapine,' bringing his load of robbery to Devotion, is an allusion to the Church rights of sanctuary, whereby religion sheltered and abetted crime.

9. purchase criminall ; — criminal chasing or catching, as of one who hunts by night for the property of others. See Gloss. Purchase.

17, 1. to weete ; — so we now say 'to be sure,' and (sometimes) 'to wit,' as in law phrases.

18, 4. Ahessa ; — It. ahietta (Lat. ahjecta), abject, castaway.

Corceca ; — It. cuore ceco, blind-hearted, dull old woman, symbol- izing fanatical and benighted Superstition. The lion is said to represent Henry VIII, overthrowing the monasteries, destroying church-robbers, dis- turbing the dark haunts of idleness, ignorance, and superstition.

6. fed her fat ; — possibly an allusion to I Sam. 2. 2 2, where a parallel corruption of the Church of God is described.

19, 4. him to advize; — 'to bethink himself,' s'aviser : 'him' here = ' himself,' as in such phrases as ' he got him into a boat.'

7. Encountring fierce ; — sc. 'him,' supplied from the other clause of the sentence.

20, I. Him hooteth not; — '(it) avails him not (to) resist.' In O. Eng. impersonals are used with a dat. of the personal pron. So ' him list,' = illi placuit. We still retain this usage in the words ' methinks,' ' methought.'

2. in the vengers hand; — so Dan. 6. 27, "delivered Daniel from the band of the lions."

5. left on the strand ; — ' (is) left,' elliptical.

21, 2. Up Una rose, &c.; — -imitated from Chaucer, Knighte.^ Tale, 1415:

" Up roos the sonne, and up roos Emelye."

C A N T O III 177

3. their former journey ; — they had deviated from their path into Devotion's cottage.

5. that long wandring Greeke ; — Ulysses (Odysseus) who wandered for ten years after the fall of Troy before he succeeded in reaching Ithaca, his home.

6. That for his love refused deitye ; — Ulysses refused to receive the boon of iinniortality from Calypso, preferring to return home to Penelope. Bacon is more contemptuous towards Ulysses, " qui vetulam praetulit immortalitati."

23, 6. she did pray ; — she = Corceca. It would have been more clear had Spenser written ' their rayling — they did pray.'

26, 4. turned wyde ; — ' gave them a wide berth,' as sailors say.

27, 4- Or ought have done ; — ' I feared that I had done something.'

5. unto my deare heart light; — 'that should settle like death upon my heart.' The epithet ' dear,' of the heart, is imitated from the Greek.

6. your joyous sight; — 'the joyous sight of you.'

28, 5. of meere goodwill ; — the Red Cross Knight had entered unknown and unarmed into the court of the Faery Queene, and had been accepted without proof by Una. See Letter to Sir W. Raleigh, p. xxvii.

7. her kindly skill; — that is, the skill which is naturally (according to hind) her own.

9. my liefe ; — my beloved one. See Gloss. Liefe.

29, 6. Good cause, &c.; — 'ye might (or may) well be pleased to accept that (the quest of the " felon strong ") as good cause why I should be excused.'

30, 7. true is ; — ' it is true,' ' e vero.' Spenser here follows either Latin or Italian models.

31, 3. Tethys saltish teare ; — salt water. Tethys, daughter of Heaven (Uranus) and Earth (Gaea), was held to be the wife of Oceanus.

d. fierce Orions bound; — Sirius, the dogstar. Orion was a mighty hunter (in the oldest Greek mythology), beloved of Morning (Eos), but slain by Artemis (the moon-goddess), and Sirius was his dog. Cp. Horn, II. 22. 29.

9. Nereus crownes with cups; — 'honours with bumpers.' The classical phrase, which Spenser imiiates, (Hom. II. i. 470, KpTjTTJpas fTTtaTt^avTo TTOToio, and Virgil's " vina coronant,") signified the filling the cups brimfull, the notion of fulness being the first meaning of the verb aT((pai ; as is plainly seen in Athenaeus, Deipn. I. 1 1 : (m(jT((povTat Se ttotoio oi Kpr)TT)pts, i]Toi iintpxei^fts oi KprjTTJpfs troiovvTai, were Std tou itotov i-niaTicpavovaOai. Nares says, " It was also a custom with the ancients literally to crown their cups with garlands." To this Virgil alludes (Aen. 3. 525), "magnum cratera corona Induit." See Nares' Gloss, v. Crcuined cup. Nereus was an ancient sea-god, who, under Poseidon, ruled the Mediterranean.

32, 3. from ground ; — 'from the shore.'

9. Who told her all that fell in journey ; — ' she told (him) all that befell her in the journey;' fell = befell, or as in 'it fell out,' 'it fell upon a day.'

34, 6. th' untryed dint; — 'untried," that is, hitherto unfelt by him.

N

178

NOTES.

9. spurd ; — so ed. 1590. Ed. 1596, 'spurnd.'

35, I. that proud Paynim, &c. ; — the Pope (Archiriiago) is encountered and overthrown by the Moslem (Sansloy). It must be remembered that this was a source of anxiety throughout the sixteenth century. The fear of it formed the chief bond of union between Pope and Emperor ; — the latter being the ' defensor fidei ' against the formidable attacks of the Sultan.

3. vainly crossed shield ; — the feigned red cross on his shield had in it no charm to defend him. The true red cross shield is charmed, and can- not be pierced through. Eph. 6. 16.

5. he should him beare; — for * he (Sansloy) would have borne him (made his way) through shield and body.'

36, I. Notice how Spenser mixes the Pagan with the Saracen. Lethe and the Furies are scarcely fit company for a Mussulman.

2. reave his life ; — an older construction, answering to the Latin 'vitam rapere;' our present use being ' bereave him of his life.' So Chaucer, Frankeleynes Tale, 289:

" For thorisonte had raft the Sonne his light."

6. Lethe lake; — Lucian, in his Dialogues of the Dead, speaks of the water (or lake) of Lethe, ArjOrjs vSwp. (Dial. Mort. 13. 6.) The word Lethe simply signifies oblivion or forgetfulness ; and the Lethean lake or river is a river in Hades which causes all who drink of it to forget their past lives. Milton speaks of

" The sleepy drench of that forgetful lake."

P. L. 2. 75 ; cp. 2. 582. Spenser makes it the pool (the Lethea stagna of the Latins) by the side of which the ghosts of those whose Manes are unappeased wander miserably.

7. When tnourning altars, &c. ; — he means, ' when altars of mourn- ing, which I will build, and purge with your blood, shall appease the dark Furies that dwell in shades below.' Ed. 1596 leads ' morning.'

8. black in/email Furies; — they were thought to dwell in Erebus, and the epithet ' black ' refers to their gloomy character and home. They are also drawn as robed in black. The notion of sacrificing a human life to the Furies for the sake of another life is not classically correct. The Gauls did this, but not the Latins ; the latter erected altars to the Manes of the dead, but not for human sacrifice : Spenser combines the two, substi- tuting, however, the Furies for the Manes.

9. Life from Sansfoy, &c. ; — in the natural order, ' Sansloy shall take from thee that life which thou tookest from Sansfoy ;' or it may be thus, * Thou tookest life from Sansfoy, — Sansloy shall take (thy life) from thee.'

37, 5- Mercy not withstand; — him not deprive; — the classical, not the natiual, order of words.

6. he is one the truest knight; — ' he is one (who is) the truest.' \ 7- h^ °" lowly land; — 'lie low upon the ground.' ' Land' is here used for 'ground' by poetic usage.

38, 9. Ne ever wont ; — ' nor was ever accustomed.'

round lists; — 'champ clos,' the lists of a tournament; here 'round' = ' surrounded' by an enclosure: 'in field,' is in open battle abroad. See Gloss. II. Lilts.

CANTO IV. 179

39, 4. Or thine, &c. ; — 'is the fault thine or mine?'

8. Which doen away : — ' when this swoon had passed away. Archi- iiiago afterwards recovered from this " cloude of death."

40, 3. has the guerdon of his guile ; — ' is repaid for his deceit.'

41, 5. did tveene the same Have reft away; — 'thought (to) have,' &c. The sign of the infinitive omitted.

43, 4. save or spill; — this is Chaucer's phrase, " ye may save or spille." — Clerkes Tale, 3. 55.

7. tvill or ttill ; — 'will he or ne-will he,' now shortened usually to "willy nilly." So noie ^ne-wofe. An A.S. contraction, as seen in the verb nabban = not to have {tie habban), ncEs = ne wees, was not, iS:c.

44, 9. in beastly kind; — in his natural place and condition as a beast. The word 'beast' used to have no bad sense. So it is used in the English Bible, for the 'living creatures' of the Apocalypse.

CANTO IV.

Diiessa guides the knight to the house of Pride, where he sees Lucifera, Queen of Pride, with her six hateful counsellors. Thither also comes Sansjoy, who, seeing his brother's shield in the possession of the Red Cross Knight, challenges him to do battle for it.

1, I. Notice the dignified opening of this canto.

2, 6. A goodly building ; — the house of Pride.

8. a broad high way; — cp. Matth. 7. 13.

9. All bare through peoples feet ; — this seems to shew, as is doubtless true, that in Spenser's day the English highroads were all grass-grown, not paved or gravelled.

3, 2. of each degree and place ; — ' of all orders and ranks of society.'

3. scaped hard ; — ' hardly escaped,' with difficulty and great loss.

6. Like loathsome lazars ; — leprosy was still common in England in the sixteenth centuiy.

7. bend his pace ; — ' bend his steps ;' ' pace' used like the Italian passo.

5, 1. a goodly he ape ; — ' a goodly pile.' See Gloss. Heape.

2,. full great pittie ; — 'very great pity (it was).' Spenser desires to point out the false bravery of Pride, its tinsel front, its shifting foundations, and squalid " hinder partes," in comparison with the solidity of true dignity and worth. The Red Cross Knight, falling from one error to another, having taken Duessa (falsehood) for Una (truth), now finds himself in a wrong position at the house of Pride : here, however, he bears himself nobly, and escapes at last with difficulty from it and from Duessa.

6, I. they passed in forth right; — ' forth right' ( = straight on) is formed like ' forthwith.'

4. Malvenii, ; — ' ill-come,' opposite to ' welcome.'

6. array .... arras; — Spenser delights in these ' half rhymes/ which are grateful to all the northern languages.

7, I. them . . . them; — first = the crowd, second = the Knight and Duessa.

N 2

1 8o NOTES.

8, 5. A maydeu Queene ; — this description is intended to set forth the rival to the Faery Queene, not without reference to Mary Queen of Scots.

as Titans my ; — ' like sunlight. '

9. As envying her sel/e, &c. ; — 'her beauty tried to dim the brightness of her glorious throne, which in its turn envied, or emulated her, who shone so exceeding brightly.'

9, 1. Phoebus fairest childe ; — Phaethon, who tried to drive the steeds of Helios : failing, and endangering the earth, he was killed by a flash of lightning, sent from the hand of Zeus.

7. the welkin way most beaten plaine ; — the established path of the sun through the heavens.

10, 4. ivas layne ; — p.p. of ' to lie;' we should have expected 'was laid.'

11, 1. Of griesly Pluto, Sec; — this mythological genealogy is a piece of Spenser's own imagery, and is not derived from classical sources.

5. thundritig Jove; — Jupiter Tonans, the lord of the thunderbolt.

12, I. proud Lucifer a ; — what is the connection between the classical Lucifer (Phosphorus) and the Lucifer of mediaeval theology? In the classics Lucifer is simply the Morning Star, and Lucifera an epithet or title of Artemis ; nor is there any trace of a bad sense attributed to these names. But early in Christian times a connection was established through Isaiah 14. 12, " How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the Morning !" (In the Vulgate, " Quomodo cecidisti de caelo, Lucifer.") Now the Hebrew word Hillel, here rendered ' Lucifer,' means (as also does Lucifer)

the Morning Star (from the verb ??n to shine, Pi. ^?n to give lustre).

But this verb also means ' to be haughty, proud, arrogant ;' and so the fall of Hillel was taken to refer to the fall of the proud Star of the Morning, the downfall of some proud angel. Again, Isaiah is speaking of the fall of Babylon, and as, throughout Scripture, Babylon stands for tyranny and the power of man set against God, it was natural that the fall of Babylon under the name of Lucifer should, from Jerome downwards, have been held to typify the fall of Satan and his kingdom : and thence the name Lucifer came to be applied to Satan or one of his chief angels. Spenser, however, takes only the attribute of pride, which we have shown to have come from the second sense of Hillel, and creates for himself a splendid mythological figure, with a genealogy con- nected with the infernal regions, in their classical, not their medixval form.

5. usurpe . . . upon; — here used as equivalent to 'seize.'

7. reahne ; — ed. 1596 reads ' realmes.'

pollicie ; — notice the strong English sense of the rule of law, as opposed to the rule of ' policy' or statescraft, as exemplified in Spain. > — 8. six wizards old; — who with her made up the seven deadly sins.

14, 7. Some frounce, &c, ; — compare the fashions of the court of Eliza- beth with those of the days of Victoria 1

9. each others, &c. ; — ' each spites the greater pride of the others.' 16, 4. As fair e Aurora; — she is named Lucifera, light of the morning; hence she is fitly likened to Aurora.

9. Her glorious glitterand light ; — so ed. l.Sgo: the ordinary reading is ' glitter and light,' the printers not recognising the old participial form (as again used, vii. 29, " His glitterand armour ;" so also he writes ' trenchand').

C A N T 0 IV. I Hi

17, 3- Flora in her prime ; — Flora (goddess of flowers "i in the spring-tide, her best time.

5. Greril Junoes golden chaire ; — described as golden by Homer (II. 5. 727). But in his description it is drawn not by peacocks but by horses. The peacock was considered sacred to Hera, and in representations of her stands by her side, but is not supposed to draw her chariot.

7. To Joves high house through heavens bras-paved way; — Homer uses the epithet 'brass-paved' (II. 14. 173) of the house of Jove.

9. Argus eyes; — the mythical Argus, surnamed Panoptes (the all- scer), had a hundred eyes, some or other of which were always awake. At his death Hera transplanted his eyes into the peacock's tail.

18, 4. With like conditions to their kinds applyde ; — the six beasts were taught to obey the " bestiall beheasts" of the six deadly sins, which behests were ' applied with like conditions' — i. e. were of a nature analogous to — their kinds (or proper natures). Spenser means to say that the Counsellors and the beasts they rode were of like character — Idleness and the ass, Gluttonj and the swine, &c.

19, 7. May seeine; — for 'it may seem;' so we say 'maybe' for 'it may be.'

20, 3. he chalenged essoyne ; — he claimed exemption. See Gloss. Essoyne.

7. through evill guise ; — ' through bad manner of living.'

21, 4. swollen were his eyrie; — cp. Ps. 73. 7, "their eyes swell with fatness."

5. like a crane his neck tvas long ; — Spenser has in mind the tale told by Aristotle of the glutton who wished his neck were as long as that of a crane, that he might the longer enjoy his food. (Eth N. 3. 10. 10.)

27, 2. Upoti a camell ; — Spenser may allude to the story given by He- rodotus about the quest for gold in India. It was with camels that the Indians succeeded in carrying oft' the gold from the "ants as big as foxes." (Hdt. 3. 102.)

9. And right and wrong, &c. ; — that is, he counted right and wrong to be exactly the same thing.

28, 9. 2mto him selfe unknowne ; — he knew not the wretchedness of his own life.

30, 2. still did chaw, &c. ; — So Ovid, Met. 2. 76, makes Envy eat the flesh of vipers.

7. death it was. ivhen any good ho saw: — ' it was death to him to see the prosperity of others.' This malignity, which pines at the well-being of the deserving, and rejoices at their misfortunes, is described by Aristotle, Kth. N. 2. 7. 15.

32, 2. And him no lesse ; — he hated not only good works themselves, but those also who did them.

4. His almes for want of faith he doth accuse; — 'he finds fault with that man's alms as being devoid of faith.' Perhaps a side stroke at the Antinomians.

g. Jifle ; — edd. 1590, 1596, read 'first:' but it is corrected in the Faults Escaped of 1 1;90 to ' fifte.'

33, 7. seeming ded; — so pale in face that he looked like a corpse.

l83 NOTES.

35, 3. untbrifiy scatb ; — mischief, damage which recks not what destruc- tion it works ; or ' unthrifty' may here mean ' wicked ;' or it may be simply ' mischief that never thrives.'

7. swelling splene ; — the physicians believed that a swollen spleen was a symptom and cause of anger. So we still use the word 'splenetic' of a hot-tempered' man.

8. Saint Fraiincesjire ; — St. Anthony's fire, or erysipelas.

38, 2. the breathing fields ; — either 'the fields full of fresh air,' or 'full of sweet-breathing odours.'

39, I, 2. Who. . .He; — one of these nominatives is superfluous. 'Who when' must be taken as equivalent to ' and when,' or ' but when.'

7. which ought that warlike wage ; — ' to whom tliat gage of warlike prowess belonged.' See Gloss. Ought.

41, 4. to see; — = at seeing; shewing that the Engl, infinitive is in reality a verbal substantive, as also in such phrases as ' for to go,' ' from to proceed.' See note to Bk. II. xii. 26. 5.

7. field did fight ; — ' fought in battle-field.'

9. renverst; — the reversed shield was the sign of disgrace.

42, 7. So be; — ' if so be.'

9. He never meant with words, &.C.; — following Ariosto, Orl. Fur.

9- 57-

44, 6. Morpheus had with leaden mace ; — Morpheus, the god of sleep, is represented as carrying a leaden wand, which weighs down the eyelids of men. So Shakespeare, Jul. Caes. iv. 3 :

" O murderous sleep ! Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy?"

46, 5. launcht with lovely dart ; — lanced (pricked) with the dart of love. 6. joyed howre ;— either = rejoiced for an hour, or to joy = to enjoy.

47, 4. who unworthy, &c. ; — 'who, being unworthy of it, wore the shield of him (Sansfoy) whom he slew, having entrapped him."

48, 9. wandring Stygian shores; — the shore of the infernal river Styx, on which the ghosts wander. The epithet 'wandering,' here applied to the shore, really refers to the ghosts thereon.

49, 4. did never vantage none; — 'did never advantage (profit) any one;' the double negative, still the common idiom of the people.

5. helplesse hap; — 'hick which cannot be helped (avoided or remedied).'

8. shall him pay his dewties last; — "shall perform his last obsequies;' i. e. shall slay the Red Cross Knight as a propitiatory sacrifice to his ghost.

50, 2. oddes of amies; — 'disparity of chances in war,' the probabilities of mishap in arms.

51, 5. Saris foyes dead dowry ; — 'the dowry of dead Sansfoy.*

i83

CANTO V.

The Red Cross Knight Jighfs with S(t?tsjoy, and subdues him ; but Duessa spreads a mist over his senseless form, so that the Knight may not fitid him to slay him. Afterwards she descends to Hell and brings back Night, who in her chariot conveys the stricken Paynim to Aesculapius, who, though unwillingly, undertakes to heal him. Duessa returning to the house of Pride, finds that the elfin Knight and his dwarf have fled.

In this canto the notable stanzas are those which describe the descent of Duessa to Hell, and her return thence with Night.

2, 3. fresh as bridegrome ; — an allusion to Ps. 19. 5, though Spenser has somewhat wrested the place.

4. Came dauncing forth ; — so Milton's May-Day Song:

" Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the East."

3, 4, 6. minstrales . . .bardes ; — the minstrels were musicians (jninistri, rather than minne-sdnger); the bards were singers, especially of songs of war; to the chroniclers fell the part of the troubadours — love and gentle deeds.

maken; — the old pi. in -en, which did not go out till Henry the Seventh's reign.

7. timely voices; — voices singing in time with their harps.

4, 2. woven made; — the coat of mail is rightly 'woven,' for mail (Ital. maglia, a mesh of a net) properly signifies chain-armour.

5. wines of Greece and Arahy ; — the Greek wines were always famous, but those of Araby are a poetic fiction ; while the " spices fetcht from furthest Ynd " would have suited Arabia better than India.

7. heat of corage privily; — this 'pocket-courage' was kindled 'privily,' that is, within their hearts.

5, 3. unto a paled greene ; — a green field surrounded with a paling — lists for tournament. See Gloss. Paled.

8. Sans foy his shield ; — this pedantic method of forming the genitive case clearly arose from a misapprehension of the older form of the English genitive which ended in -is, though it is possible that this later form in s may originally be connected with the possessive pronoun. Marsh, Lectures, p. 280, definitely calls it a ' misapprehension.' It occurs very early in the English language (as early as Lajamon's Brut). In the Auth. Vers, of the Bible, at the heading of Ruth 3, we have, " By Naomi her instruction Ruth lieth at Boaz his feet," which carries the misapprehension out to its fullest extent.

9. Both those, &c.;— Duessa and the shield are to be the two "lawrell girlonds," the prizes for the victor.

8, 2. As when a gryfon, &c.; — ' as when a gryfon that has seized on his prey, meets in his flight with a dragon making idle (? clear, or unencumbered) way, which (dragon) would snatch away the gryfon's rightful ravine, and they rush together .... so the one strives,' &c. Cp. Milton, P. L. 2. 943. A griffin is a vulture or eagle. Mediaeval mythology jnade it a chimaera with an eagle's head and fore part, and a lion's hind quarters and tail.

10, I. At last the Paynim, &c. ; — cp. Virg. Aen. 12. 940.

184 NQTES.

8. sluggish german ;— Sansjoy apostrophizes himself as ' sluggish brother.' ' German ' is an}' blood relation.

11, 2. redeeme from his longwandring woe ; — that is, by slaughtering the Red Cross Knight he proposes to relieve Sansfoy from his doom of wander- ing by the Stygian lake. (Cp. iv. 48.")

4. That I his shield have quit ; — that I have delivered his shield from his dying foe.

12, 8. That forced ;—' thit (he) (oTced:

13, 6. when lo a darkesome clowd, &c. ; — imitated from Homer, II. 5. 344.

16, 3. of his service seene ; — of his service, which had now been tried by battle in their sight.

4, 5. goodly gree. Greatly advauncing, 8cc.; — she accepts his service with much satisfaction, and highly praises and gives honour to his gay chivalry and prowess.

17, 4. tvine and oyle ; — Luke 10. 34.

5. gan enihalme on everie side; — 'they began to cover over the wounds, wherever he had been stricken.' Ed. 1596 reads ' can.*

7. sweet mnsiche did divide; — Church says "to divide in musick signifies to play divisions," which is an ' explanatio per idem.' ' To divide,' ' to play divisions,' in the old musical writers always signified to play ' bril- liant passages,' as they are now called. For example, instead of running straight up the scale (we will say) in minims, if a musician played his way up in triplets, ornamenting a plain theme, he would have been said to ' play divisions.' This usage is illustrated in Ford's Lover's Melancholy, act I. sc. 1, where the lover is supposed to vie with the nightingale upon his trilling flute :

" He could not run division with more art

Upon his quaking instrument, than she,

The nightingale, did with her various notes

Reply to." So too Herrick, speaking of a running accompaniment, says : " While the active finger

Runs division with the singer." (Christmas Carol.) The term may come from the Horatian ' carmina divides.'

18, 2. By muddy shore, &c.; — the crocodile rarely descends below -27° N. lat., where the river banks are not 'muddy' (as they are in the Delta), but sandy. So that there is a slight inaccuracy here.

4. a cruell crnftie crocodile; — this conceit of ' crocodiles' tears' was very common about Spenser's time. Richardson quotes, from the Uncertain Auctor's Lover dreadding to Mone, these lines:

" As cursed crocodile most cruelly can tole With truthlesse teares unto his death the silly pitieing soule." And again. Fuller, Worthies (Essex), " the crocodile's tears are nei>er true." The crocodile had a character for deceitfulness which was most undeserved. There was even an adj. 'crocodilian' formed, signifying deceitful, as in Quarles' Emblems :

" O what a crocodilian world is this. Composed of treach'ries and insnaring wiles."

19, 2. Phat thyiiing lamfes. Sec; — i. e. till the stars come out.

CANTO V. 185

20, I. griesly night; — she is sometimes described by the poets as passing forth from Erebus in a chariot, covered with a dark garment. It is in nnagery of this kind that Spenser excels.

9. their rusty bits; — Warton notices that " the word rusty seems to have conveyed the idea of somewhat very loathsome and horrible to our author." See Gloss. Rusty.

21, 4. th' unacquainted light; — 'the unwonted light;' light with which she was not acquainted.

22, 2. most anncient grandmother of all; — in the oldest cosmogonies Night is one of the very first of all created things, daughter of Chaos, sister of Erebus, mother of Aether (the sky) and Hemera (day). So in the Orphic hymn to Night — Ni/Kra diwv ytvfTfipav deiaofxai -fjdl teal dvSpuv.

3. Jove, vjhom thou at first didst breede ; — this is not in accordance with the cosmogonies, which made Zeus the son of Cronos and Rhea.

5. in Daetnogorgons hall; — again a confusion of mythologies. (See note on i. 37.)

6. the secrets of the world unmade; — the chaos of the poets, from which they fabled that Night was sprung.

23, 4. 071 groning beare ; — -'groning' here = sorrowful, or surrounded by weeping friends.

7. If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare; — ' if the son of old Aveugle be in so evil a case' (not, as Upton says, from the Latin male audiunt, 'are evil spoken of). Aveugle (the Blind) is the father of the three Paynims.

24, 9. for: — ed. 1596 reads 'and.'

25, 5. the chayne ofstrorig necessitee; — probably alludes to the golden rope which Zeus (Honi. II. 8. 19) proposes to fasten to Earth, to try his power by.

9. is bad excheat ; — 'it is a bad way of gaining, to grow great by another's loss.' ' Escheat ' is a law term signifying any lands or profits which fall to a lord by forfeiture within his manor. (Blackstone, Kerr's ed. 2. p. 71.) But Spenser does not seem to use the term in its strict legal sense. See Gloss. Excheat.

26, 4. Shall with his owne bloud price, &c.; — 'shall pay with his own blood the price of the blood he has spilt.'

27, 6, 7. though I the another bee Offalshood; — this agrees with the mytho- logies. So Hesiod, Theog. 224, has it : Ni<^ oXofj fxerd ttjvS' dnArTjv TtKt.

28, 8. foyning tarre ; — the foam of their mouths as black as tar. ^. fine element; — the subtle, thin air.

30, 6. The messenger of death, the ghastly owle; — Ovid, Metam. 10. 452 :

" Ter omen Funereus bubo letali carmine fecit." The Romans looked on the owl with horror as a messenger of death. To the Greeks she was, on the other hand, the bird of wisdom ; and at Athens went with Athene, patron-goddess of the city.

31, 3. deepe Avernus bole; — the Lacus Avernus in Campania was regarded by the Latins as the entrance to the shades below, in consequence of its gloomy cliffs (it lies in an ancient crater) and of its mephitic exhalations. Cp. Virg. Aen. 6. 237.

4. By that same hole ; — Avernus was a lake, not a cavern, as Spenser seems to make it.

1 86 NOTES.

8. dreadfull Furies ; — according to Homer these rest in Erebus till a curse pronounced on some criminal calls them up to earth. They are not usually described as having ' burst their chains.' They are clothed in black, with serpent-locks, and blood-dropping eyes.

33, I, 2. Acheron .. Availing woefully; — Acheron, river of lamentation •

(axos).

■>,. fiery flood of Phlegeton ; — Phlegeton is the river of fire (<p\fyfii>).

5. bootlesse cry; — ' bootlesse ' is an adj., not adv. It is an epithet of ' ghosts,' which are without hope of hoot or help. See Gloss. Booteth.

7. The house of endlesse paine ; — so Milton, P. L. i. 823, uses the same phrase: " From out this dark and dismal house of pain."

34, I. Cerberus; — the three-headed watch-dog of the infernal regions. This description is drawn from Virg. Aen. 6. 424.

6. And felly gnarre; — 'and to snarl at them horribly.' This descrip- tion follows Virg. Aen. 6. 417.

9. For i^he in hell, &c. ; — from Virg. Aen. 6. 247 :

" Hecaten, caeloque Ereboque potentem."

35, I. Ixion; — was kept ever rolling in the infernal air, chained to a fiery winged wheel, because he had aspired to the love of Hera.

3. Sisyphus ; — whose special crime has not come down to us, was condemned to push a huge stone for ever up a hill till it nearly reached the top, when it rolled down again of its own accord. Hom. Od. 1 1. 592.

5. Tantalus hong by the chin ; — the crime of Tantalus also is uncer- tain ; but his punishment was not to be " hong by the chin," but to stand up to the chin in water, and to suffer agonies of thirst, the water sinking as he tried to bend down to it. His condition and punishment form the subject of a fine stanza in Book \\. vii. 58. Cp. Hom. Od. 11. 581.

6. Tityus ; — he attacked Artemis, was killed by Zeus (or b}' Apollo), r.nd afterwards was stretched out over nine acres of ground, while two vul- tures devoured his liver. Cp. Hom. Od. 11. 575 ; Virg. Aen. 6. 595.

7. Typhoeus joynts, &c. ; — the mythologies bury him under iEtna, but say nothing of his being racked in a ' gin' (engine).

8. Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth ; — " sedet, aeternumque sedebit Infelix Theseus." Virg. Aen. 6. 617. The legend was that he was condemned to this punishment for trying to carry off Persephone.

9. fifty sisters; — the Danaides, who slew their fifty husbands, and were condemned to endless pouring of water into a vessel full of holes. (Ovid, Met. 4. 462.)

leake ; — ed. 1 590 reads ' lete.'

36, 1. worldly wights in place ; — Spenser uses 'in place' as equivalent to ' in this place' or ' in that place.' So Book VI. i. 28, he says " he should be soone in place," where the phrase means ' ioon here.' "Worldly wights," men still belonging to the upper world.

7. Aesculapius ; — this legend respecting the punishment of the god of medicine is not classical. On the contrary, Zeus first slew him for arresting death, and then raised him to the stars.

9. he did redresse ; — 'he remade,' ' restored.' 40, T,. fates expired could renew again; — could replace on the distaff of life the thread which the fates had already cut.

CANTO V. 187

41, 2. nigh weary walne ;— the horses' epithet attributed to the carriage.

4. Whom havitig softly, &c. ; — 'and when she had softly disarmed him (the knight) she then (tho) began to discover to him (Aesculapius) all his (the knight's) wounds.'

42, 7. But that redoubled crime, (ic. ; — ' thou biddest me lengthen out a doubled crime (or source of accusation) with fresh vengeance (by asking me to cure the knight).' Notice the curious construction of this sentence — ' Is not enough, that . . . but that thou biddest me &c.'

43, 9. both never to he donne ; — both eternal, never to be ended ; or, never to be surpassed.

44, 9. weary wagon did recure; — recovered (refreshed) his weary team.

45, 4. albe, his wounds. Sec. ; — the words " his wounds not throughly heald " are absolute. And so the whole passage is ' albe (although), his wounds being not quite healed, [he] were unready to ride.' Notice the archaic plur. ' woundes.'

9. caytive ivretched thralls ; — unhappy prisoners in low estate ; souls ruined by indulging in these seven deadly sins.

47, I. that great proud king of Babylon; — Nebuchadnezzar; cp. Daniel 4. 32, where we do not read that he was 'transformed into an o.x,' but that " he did eat grass as an ox ;" which is quite a different thing. " That would compell &c." refers doubtless to Dan. 6, and the proclamation that none should " ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of" the king : if so, there is another inaccuracy, as this king was Darius, not Nebu- chadnezzar. Spenser may however have thought that the golden image set up by Nebuchadnezzar in the plain of Dura was an image of himself.

5. king Croesus; — whose story is told at length by Herodotus, I. 26, where his vast wealth and conference thereon with Solon are fully described. He was the last King of Lydia, and reigned from 595 to 560 B.C.

7. richesse store; — notice the gen. richesse, both for the form of the word, and the use of the gen. We still employ some words which have this gen. incorporated with the subst. on which it depends — as housewife, bank-parlour, &c.

8. proud Antiochus ; — Antiochus Epiphanes (who also bore the name of Theos — 0(6s, God) was King of Syria, and reigned from 175 to 164 b.c. In the course of his wars he took Jerusalem twice, and in every way insulted the Jewish religion, and " on Gods altars daunst."

48,1. great Nimrod ; — cp. Genesis 10. S — the "mighty hunter" whose prey, as Spenser reads it, was man. He founded a great empire in Shinar, on the Tigris and Euphrates.

3. old Ninus; — the mythical founder of Nineveh.

5. that niightie monarch, &c. ; — Alexander the Great, born B.C. 356, became King of Macedon on the murder of Philip in 336, and died in 323. The allusion in "Amnions sonne" relates to his expedition to Egypt (b.c. 332, 331), in the course of which he reached the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, and was saluted " Son of Amnion" by the obsequious priests. His death in 323, of fever, had in it no special characteristics to call for Spenser's remark " scornd of God and man, a shameful! death he dide." Spenser doubtless refers to the opinion that he died of drinking.

l88 NOTES.

49, 5. Romiilns ; — mythical founder of the city of Rome B.C. 753 is the date most usually given for the foundation of the city.

6. Proud Tarquin; — Tarquinius Superbus, seventh and last of the Kings of Rome.

too lordly Lentulns; — the House of Lentulus was famous among the patrician gentes for its haughtiness. It does not appear to which Lentulus Spenser here alludes.

7. Stout Scipio ; — Scipio Africanus is meant, who was born in B.C. 237 or 234, and died in Spain about B.C. 183. His pride shewed itself in his struggles with the tribunes of the people. He rescued his brother from prison in defiance of their authority : when brought to trial, he refused to defend himself, set the laws at defiance, relying ou his great name, and presently left Rome of his own accord, never to return ; — a man too proud and too great to obey or to be made to obey the laws.

stuhborne Harmihall ; — his life lay between the years B.C. 247-181. Spenser hits the key to his character in the word ' stubbome.' His power of endurance, tenacity of purpose, resolution whether to act or to wait, and his skill in making much of small resources, are among his noblest characteristics. But it is not so clear why he is made a victim in the house of Pride.

8. Ambitious Sylla ; — born B.C. 138, died B.C. 78. Sulla (as it should be spelt), though of a distinguished patrician family, began his career a very poor man : his ambition carried him to absolute power.

Sterne Marius ; — born B.C. 157, died B.C. 86. The great rival of Sulla; he deserved the epithet 'ambitious' as well as that of ' stern.' His character was full of a sternness which readily degenerated into cruelty.

9. High Caesar ; — C. Julius Caesar, boni B.C. 100, murdered B.C. 44. great Pompey ; — Cn. Pompeius Magnus, born b. c. 106, murdered

B.C. 48.

fierce Antonius; — Mark Antony, born (probably) B.C. 83, slew himself B.C. 30.

50, 2. forgetfull of their yolte ; — ' of their due subordination as women." 3. The bold Setniramis ; — the mythical joint founder (with Ninus) of Nineveh.

5. Faire Sthenoboea; — Stheneboea (rightly spelt) for love of Bellerophon made away with herself by drinking hemlock, not by the cord, as Spenser has it. Cp. Aristoph. Ran. 1082.

7. High minded Cleopatra; — born b.c. 69, killed herself by the sting of an asp, or (as is also told) by the prick of a poisoned comb, B.C. 30. 53, 2. For many corses; — ' by reason of many corpses."

189

CANTO VI.

Ujia is rescued from thraldom to the Paynim Sansloy by the unexpected succour of a troop of Satyrs, who adore first her, and then her ass. Sir Satyrane finds her among them, and presently helps her to flee. As they go, they are led by Archimago to Sansloy ; with him Sir Satyrane fights, and during the contest Una escapes.

Notice in this Canto the spirited character of Sir Satyrane. It is not quite obvious whether Spenser is drawing a class of society, or whether he had some one in particular in his eye ; but the simple truthfulness and good faith of the knight, half-satyr, half-man, must strike every reader. Perhaps Spenser intended to represent the honest rough Englishman, fond of the country and of country-sports, open to truth, hating courtier life, and cour trasting favourably with those courtiers for whom Spenser had so deep a contempt. See Mother Hubberd's Tale, 797-914-

1, V ^er wrack for to bewaile ; — ' in order to accomplish, bring about, her wreck.' See Gloss. Bewaile.

6. his fool ha/'pie oversight ; — ' his happy though foolish ignorance.' The mariner had but just escaped " unwares."

2, 7. She wandred had from one to other Ynd; — ' she would have wan- dered from East to West Indies.'

7, 7. Fatmes and Satyres ; — the Fauns are described as monsters, half- goat, half-man, with horns on their heads, a human face and upper parts, a goat's tail and shaggy " backward-bent " legs, and horny hoofs. Faunus gradually became identified with Arcadian Pan, and Fauns (the Latin wood- gods) with the Satyrs (the Greek wood-gods) ; hence Spenser's phrase ; and Ovid. Met. 6. 392, has

" Ruricolae, sylvarum numina, Fauni, Et Satyri fratres." 9. Sylvanus ; — a Latin divinity of the fields and woods. He is described as a cheerful old man, fond of music, and of the company of the Fauns and Nymphs.

sownd; — 'to sleep sound or soundly' may be referred to the Old English ' soune ' = swoon, ' sweven.'

10, 6. A lyon spyes; — the objective case, ' he ' omitted; or perhaps ' who' is omitted after " a greedy Wolfe."

8. quitt from death; — 'saved from death.'

9. chaunge of feare ; — before, the Iamb feared the wolf, now, the lion.

11,6. rustick horror; — 'the roughness of their shaggy foreheads.' 7. a semblance glad ; — 'an appearance of joyfulness.' 9. Their backward bent knees, &c. ; — ' teach their knees (formed like the hinder legs of goats, and therefore bending backwards, not forwards) to obey her humbly.'

12,4. Late learnd ; — 'having been lately taught.'

1 90 NOTES.

hasty trust; — -she had too readily beliced Archimago to be the Red j Cross Knight. i

13, 4. wilhnnt suspect of crime ; — ' with no suspicion of possible accusation, j or reproach:' she fears no slander arising from going with the wood-gods. '

5. birdes of joyous prime; — either 'in the glad morning,' or ' in the ; glad spring-time.' See Gloss. Priine.

14, 3. horned feel ; — ' horny,' their hoofs of horny substance.

8. on cypresse stadle stout ; — on the firm foundation (or support) of . a cypress-wood staff. (See Gloss. Stadle.) The legend ran that Silvanus 1 (see below, on st. 1 7) carried a little cypress-tree in his hand, as a symbol ; so Virg. Geor. I. 20, has

" Teneram ab radice ferens, Silvane, cupressum." But Spenser has changed the character of the wood-god, who is never repre- sented by the ancients as infirm.

15, 2. Or Bacchus, &c. ; — whether they had discovered the cheerful grape, the ' fruit of Bacchus,' the wine-god.

3. Or Cyheles fraiitiche rites ; — Cybele, or Rhea, " the great mother of the gods," was worshipped in woods and mountains by her ' frantic' priests, ; the Corybantes, with drums, cymbals, horns, and wild dances. Her rites were supposed to be a matter of direct ' enthusiasm ' or inspiration.

6. that mirrhour rare; — the term 'mirrhour' is either used to denote her bright beauty, or, as it is used of " the mirror of chivalry," to denote the perfection and pattern' of chivalry.

8. Dryope ; — a daughter of King Dryops, whom the Hamadryads stole and carried into the forest, where she became a nymph.

16, 5. In doubt to deeme ; — ' in doubt whether to deem.'

9. misseth how, &c. ; — Diana is always described as the huntress- goddess, with bow and quiver, and buskins to the knee.

17, 2. dearest Cyparisse ; — the legend ran that Silvanus, who was attached to Cyparissus, one day by chance killed a hind belonging to the youth ; whereon the boy died of grief, and was turned into a cypress, which after- wards became the symbol of Silvanus, who is represented as carrying one i in his hand. Cp. note to st. 14. j

4. not f aire to this; — 'not fair (if compared) to this.' J

8. iiould after joy ; — 'would not {ne-would) afterwards be cheerful.' '

9. selfe-wild annoy; — self-willed, or self-imposed ennui, or distress.

18, I. Hamadryades ; — -these were the nymphs of trees ; abiding in trees, and dying with them. But Spenser, with poetical licence, disengages them from their trees, and sends them running to see Una.

3. Naiades; — these were the n)'mphs of fresh waters, whether rivers, lakes, or springs.

8. their woody kind ; — ' their wood-born nature.'

19, 1. luckelesse lucky maid; — a Greek phraseology; it means 'lucky (in her deliverance, and in the worship of the Fauns), though unlucky (in the loss of her knight, and in her wanderings).'

7. ttiade her th' image of idolatryes ; — Spenser wishes to shew th.it half-instructed minds will worship the outward symbol or declaration of truth, while they are ignorant of its substance ; and that if they are forbidden to do this, that then they will descend to worship even the grotesque acci-

CANTO VI. 191

dents connected with truth : so the Satyrs fall to adoring the white ass on which Una rode. Todd thinks that there is an allusion here to the pagan notion that the Christians worshipped the ass. It clearly refers to the ■ Festival of the Ass,' celebrated by the mediaeval Church in honour of the ass on which our Lord rode when He entered into Jerusalem.

20, 1. a noble warlike knight ;— Sir Satyrane. He indicates the point of combination between the savage and the civilized — courteous cliivalry and untaught woodland life. His father is a Satyr, his mother a noble lady ; and he himself, brought up in the woods, has a hunter's tastes, a certain love of the brutal and animal life, together with a capacity for refinement and a desire of truth. Upton says that by Sir Satyrane was shadowed forth " Sir John Perrot, whose behaviour, though honest, was too coarse and rude for a court. 'Twas well known that he was a son of Henry VIII."

24, I. he taught the tender ymp ; — imitated from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 5. 57.

25, 2. maister of his guise ; — who had taught him his way of life. 3. his horrid vew ; — ' the roughness of his appearance.'

26, 4. the tigre cniell ; — the accent is thrown on to the last syllables. both fierce and fell ; — ed. 1590 reads ' swifte and cruell :' but it is

corrected in the Faults Escaped. In the Malone copy the word " fierse and fell" are on a slip of paper, pasted over the older reading, probably cut from a copy of the i,=;96 ed. [Rev. W. H. Bliss.]

29, 9. worth was blown ; — as by Fame's trumpet.

30, 4. offspring anncient ; — 'his ancient descent' — whence he sprung. Upton renders it " to see his ancient sire, and his sire's offspring," so escaping from the strangeness of the epithet. Though 'auncient' does probably refer to 'sire,' it certainly also relates to ' offspring.' Spenser uses the word 'ofspring' in the sense of (not descendants, but) parents in Bk. II. ix. 60. See Gloss. II.

9. Trew sacred lore ; — does not this refer to the Reformation making its way in country places, teaching the dull rustics ?

31, 3. compare; — is this 'gather together,' or 'learn,' or 'compare with her misfortunes V The first usage would be most after Spenser's manner.

5. Blaming of fortune ; — we now say 'blaming Fortune' — though the older idiom remains in use among the people.

33, 3. The gentle virgin; — is objective to ' he led away.'

5. to satyres, 8cc. ; — that is, ' for satyrs,' &c. ; or, ' for it to be told to the satyrs.'

34, 5. iiewes, that did abroad betide ; — ' new things which happened in the world.'

35, 7. a Jacobs staffe ; — St. James is usually represented with a pilgrim's hat and staff. The staff was used in pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James of Compostella. Or the Jacob may be the patriarch, who " worshipped, leaning on the top of his staff." Heb. 11. 21 ; Gen. 32, lO. Cp. also Shakespeare, Merch. of Venice, 2. 5.

37, 4. With dying Jit ; — ' with a seizure like that of death.'

8. The further processe, &c. ; — ' the details, yet unknown, of her sorrow.'

9. can beare ; — a Latin construction: the verb in the principal sen- tence following a subject (nom. case) 'he' involved in the relative 'who' of the dependent sentence.

192 NOTES.

.38, 7- so greedily imbrcw. Sec. ; — ' imbrue themselves so greedily in blood, that, though drunk with it, yet each thirsted after the life of his foe.' ' Thristed' by metathesis for ' thirsted' ; as ' crudled' for 'curdled.'

39, 2. that ever wonne ; — 'that ever won the vicory.' In line 7 of this canto, the word 'wonne' signifies 'wone,' 'dwell.' As has been before re- marked, two- words of the same sound and spelling may rhyme together, if their senses differ.

41, 5. with like treason; — 'endeavour to light me with the same "guile and trecherous train" with which you have slain the Red Cross Knight.*

8. three-square ; — of three equal sides; so 'four-square' is of four equal sides. In Book II. vii. 5, he speaks of 'wedges square.' 'Square' (Ital. squadro, from Latin qiiadrare) is rightly ijsed only of four-sided figures.

42, 4. blent; — blended, mixed up, my name, &c.

7. where earst his arms were lent ; — refers to Archimago's counterfeit suit of armour, in which he personated the Red Cross Knight.

8. TV enchaunter vaine ; — ' vain' is here either ' foolish,' or ' in vain ;' 'the foolish magician would not have rued.' 'Should rue' ^'should have rued,' as is not uncommon in Spenser.

43, 3. Each other bent his enimy to quell; — 'each, bent on killing his enemy, assails the other.' Ed. 1590 inserts a comma after 'other;' ed. 1596 omits it.

4. plate and tnaile ; — armour of whole sheets of steel, and woven armour.

6. Tfjat it would pitty. Sec. ; — ' that any eye would feel pity for it.'

44, l.ftdl; — ed. 1596 reads 'fell.'

2. fainting each, themselves, &c. ; — 'that each of them fainting, they let (permit) themselves to breathe ;' or, ' they let (restrain) themselves so as to get back their breath.'

4. As luhen two bores ; — imitated from the fight between Palamon and Arcite in Chaucer's Knightes Tale, 1 160.

5. gory sides; — pierced, or wounded. So we speak of a bull goring a person.

7. foming tvrath ; — a construction corresponding to that of the 'cognate accusative' in Latin. Spenser (v. 28) has "foming tarre," of the horses of Night.

8. the whiles ; — shews the passage of this word from substantive to conjunction of time: 'the whiles' is 'the times,' 'the moments' when; thence ' while,' ' whilst,' is ' during the time that.*

45> I. had breathed once ; — ' when once they had recovered breath.'

47, 7- lovers token on thy pate; — a lover's token was the lady's glove, kerchief, or the like, worn by her lover on his helmet. The Saracen here speaks disdainfully — ' take my hard knock on thy helmet, instead of a lover's token.'

8. So they two Jight ;—io ed. 1596; but ed. 1 590 has 'so they to fight' = ' so they fall to fight,' like the ordinary phrase, 'so they to dinner.'

48, I. which that leasing told ; — 'who told that lie,' or 'which that' is equivalent to ' who.'

7. to her last decay ; — ' to utter ruin.'

C .4 N T O VTI. 193

9. will need another place; — place for the "'battels end" never was tound. The thread would doubtless have been picked up in one of the later Books, had the work ever been finished.

CANTO VII.

The Red Cross Knight is pursued and found by Duessa. She beguiles him into doffing hi-^ armour, and drinking of an enchanted spring ; whence his strength fails him, and he is made captive by Orgoglio. The dwarf escapes, meets with Una, and tells her of his sad fall. Una in her trouble is foxtnd by Prince Arthur, to whom she opens her grief. He promises to help her.

Notice especially in this canto the grand personage of Prince Arthur, who is the centre of the whole Poem. Spenser puts forth all his strength in describing him.

1, 4. dyed deep in graine ; — 'deeply ingrained.' See Gloss. Grain.

2, 3. Where she had left ; — ellipsis of ' him.'

.'), I. Phoebe: — one of the names of Artemis, answering as a fern, to Phoebus, as Diana to Dianus, Janus.

9. all that drinke thereof, &c. ; — the fountain of Salmacis, described by Ovid, Met. 15. 17. Tasso, Gier. Lib. 14. 74, has a fountain of like powers.

6, 6. at Jirsi themselves not felt ; — ' at first did not feel themselves to be changed.'

7, 9. his unready iceapons ; — the Knight, dallying with Deceit (or Rome in the 'reaction' of the latter half of the sixteenth century), lays aside his Scriptural armour, and is taken by Orgoglio (Antichrist) at a disadvantage.

8, 4. An hideous geant ; — Orgoglio, or Pride, a fine piece of Spenserian mythology, born of Earth and Wind, that is, of base matter and false puffing-up spirit ; his foster-father, Ignorance. Brutality, falsehood and brag- ging, ignorance, here are the three chief elements of giant character, as drawn in Gothic romance. Compare the two forms of Pride drawn by Spenser, Lucifera, the pride of luxury and worldliness, and Orgoglio, the pride of brutality.

5. That with his tallnesse, &c. ; — so Horace, Od. I. I. 36, " Sublimi feriam sidera vertice."

6. The ground eke groned, &c. ; — So Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 7. 5. 6 :

" E fa tremir nel suo venir la terra."

10, 6. left to losse ; — abandoned by his better mind and heavenly armour, and given up to disgrace.

11, I. That when ; — ' so that ;' or ' that' may refer to his mace. 2. insupportable ; — the accent must lie on the second syllable.

12, 2. That could; — 'that (it, the stroke) could;' so too ' were not* = ' were (it) not.'

4. pouldred all; — ' altogether beaten to dust.' O

1 94 NOTES.

13, I. As ivhe?i that, &c. ; — this conception comes from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. c). C) : —

" Che fabbricato nel Tartareo I'ondo Fosti per man di Belzebii maligno." It is also finely carried out by Milton, P. L. 6. 482, &c.

8. smonldry cloud of duskisb stincking smoke; — notice the sense of disgust given by the very words. Cp. the fop's disgust at gunpowder in Shake- speare, i. Henry IV. i. 3. Spenser draws the expression " divelish yron engin" from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 9. 23, "la machina infernal."

9. tF only h-eath ; — ' the breath alone.'

14, I. So daunted, Sec. ; — ' when the giant saw the knight so daunted.' 5. Orgoglio; — that is, Pride. It. orgoglio. Fr. orgueil. Spenser

evidently derives the name from Gr. opyaco, to be swollen out with wind ; for (viii. 24) he makes him collapse " like an emptie blader.'

6. thy mortall hand ; — manus letifera, death-dealing hand.

7. do him not to dye; — Yx.le faire mourir ; h.. far olio tnorire ; a very common phrase in earl}' English writers. Chaucer, Romaunt of the Rose, 1063 : " An hundred have they do to dye."

15, 2. as she spake; — 'guerdon, reward, so goodly as she declared it ;' that is, herself.

5. possessed of his newfound tnake ; — ' took possession of his newly- found companion. See Gloss. Make.

16, 8. A inonstrous beast ; — cp. Rev. 17. 3.

17, I. that renoiumed snake; — the Lernean hydra, ofl'spring of Typhon and Echidna, ravaged the country about Lernae, near Argos, dwelling in a swamp thereby. " Great Alcides," that is, Heracles (Hercules), attacked and vanquished it there, The swamp was near the well Am)mone. which is probably what is meant b}' Spenser's Stremona, a name of the poet's own coinage. Possibly he meant Strymon.

18, 2. house of heavenly gods it ravght; — ' raught,' old pret. of ' to reach. A Homeric phrase.

7. holy beasts foretaught ; — 'untaught people their holy behests,' or duties. Or ' foretaught ' may be ' before-taught ;' ' he trod under foot sacred duties which had been before-taught.'

19, 4. his forlorne weed ; — his clothing, which he had abandoned.

5. missing most at need; — most wanting in the time of greatest need.

20, 8. lively breath; — life-giving, just as 'mortal' is used for death- bearing.

22, 5. Sith cruell fates, Sec. ; — ' since the Fates unfasten the sorrowful threads which tied together my life and my love.'

23, 3. in deepest dongeon ; — ' in.' here used as ' into;' perhaps following the Latin idiom.

9. their deadly meed ; — ' their due reward of death.' 25, 8. the hitter balefnll stound ; — 'the bitter destructive moment;' the moment of telling me of my knight's death. Or ' stound ' = blow, as some- times in O. Eng.

9. more favour I have found ; — sc. than I expected. 27, 2. to maister sorroivfidl assay; — i.e. the attack of sorrow on her heart.

CANTO VII. 1 9/3

7. Was never lady loved dearer day ; — ' no ladv was there ever who more dearly loved the light of day than,' &c.

29, 1. A goodly knight; — Prince Arthur, who, as Spenser tells us in the Letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, is introduced into each Book. He is Mag- nificence, savs Spenser, the perfection of all virtues, containing them all. By Magnificence then is meant that virtue which Aristotle calls Magna- nimity. Whether Prince Arthur shadows forth Lord Leicester or not, he certainly intended to pourtray the pattern English gentleman, by birth, manners, and education ; the ideal which Spenser always had before his eyes.

4. His glilterand armour ; — made for him by Merhn

30, 4. Like Hesperus ; — as the evening star exceeds other stars in bright- ness. This stone, " shapt like a ladies head," is an effigy of the Faery Queene, Queen Elizabeth.

5. the weaker sights; — ' the eyesight of men too weak to endure it.' This use of the comparative is not rare with Spenser.

31, 3. For all the crest, &c. ; — Uther, father of Prince Arthur, wore on his helm a dragon, and was siirnamed the Pen-dragon (Celt, pen, the head). The description is from Tasso, 9. 25, where he paints the Sultan's helmet :

" Porta il Soldan su I'elmo horrido e grande

Serpe, che si dilunga, e '1 collo snoda,

Sii le zampe s'inalza, e I'ali spande,

E piega in arco la forcuta coda.

Par che tre lingue vibri, e che fuor mande

Livida spuma," ivc. (See Todd's edition.) Notice the beauty of this similitude. It was closely imitated bv Marlowe in his Tamburlane, 4. 4 (acted in 1591).

32, 6. On top of greene Selinis ; — probably Selinus in Sicilj'.

33, I. His ivarlike shield; — this is imitated closely from the shield of Atlanta, in Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 2. 55 :

" D'un bel drappo di seta avea coperto Lo scudo in braccio il cavalier celeste. Come avesse non so tanto sofFerto Di tenerlo nascosto in quella veste ; Ch' immantinente che lo mostra aperto, Forza e chi '1 mira abbarbagliato reste. E cada, come corpo niorto cade, E venga al negromante in potestade.

Splende lo scudo a guisa di piropo ; E luce altra non e tanto lucente. Cadere in terra alio splendore fu d' uopo Con gli occhi abbacinati e senza mente."

8. it never percen could; — ' could never pierce it.'

34, 1. wont: — used by Spenser as a perf. act.; we now say 'he was wont.' 2. But when as, &c. ; — elliptical ; ' but (he would display it) when as,'

Sec: or it may be = ' save when.'

8. silver Cynthia ; — the moon, which witches were supposed to blur and veil by their enchantments.

O 2

1 96 NOTES.

9. Af when her face. &c.; — so Milton, P. L. 2. 664:

" To dance With Lapland witches, while the laboring Moon Eclipses at their charms."

35, 1. hereof; — ' over it.'

3. s^ich as seetnd in sis;ht ; — all false appearances; whatever wore a better face than it had a right to.

8. when him list; — = 'when it pleased him.' The verb 'list' is usually impersonal, and Spenser uses impersonals with a dat. of the pers. pron. before them.

9. them gazing blind ; — ' blind them as they gazed.'

36, 4. Merlin; — the British enchanter, told of in the Romances of the Round Table. See Tenn3'son's Vivian, in the Idylls of the King.

7. to armes he fell: — 'he took to arms,' became knight-erratit.

8. when he dyde ; — Lord Leicester died A.D. 1588.

37, 7. trample; — ed. 1590 reads ' amble.'

38, 7. fitting purpose ; — ' seemly conversation.'

39, 7. Such helplesse hartnes, Sec; — 'such evils as cannot be helped are better kept hidden.'

40, 9. Found never help, who, Sec; — this is a Latin construction, the rela- tive ' who ' carrying with it the nom. to the verb ' found.'

41, I. great grief e will not be toiild ; — fashioned on Seneca's saying, Hippol. 604, " Curae leves loquuntur, ingentes stupent," ' slight troubles chatter, but great griefs are still.'

8. but flesh does paire ; — 'no faith is so firm that flesh may not im- pair, weaken, it.'

42, 3. That her perswaded ; — ' that (he) persuaded her.'

43, 3. th' otiely daughter, &c.; Truth, daughter of Eden, which is in- vaded by the Dragon, the devil.

4. whilest equal destinies, &c. ; — ' while their Fates revolved in their even, undisturbed orbits.'

8. Which Phison, &c.; — the three rivers of Paradise, Gen. 2. 11, 13. 14. The human race loses Eden through that great Dragon ; and Truth is com- pelled to wander through the world.

44, 3. Tartary ; — a mistake for Tartarus, the place of torment in the in- fernal regions.

45, 3. that heaven walks about ; — cp. the more grandiloquent phrase ' the circumambient air.'

46, 4. That ?ioble order, &c.; — this is probably an allusion to the Order of the Garter, as an Order pledged to the maiden Queen : or it may simply mean the heroic spirits gathered round her at court.

5. Gloriane ; — see canto i. 3.

7. Cleopolis is red; — 'is called Cleopolis,' that is, 'the city of glory,' or London. See canto x. 58.

47, 8. of 7nany one ; — we now say 'many an one ;' but Spenser follows the older style. So Gower, Conf. Am. I : " For nowe a dale is rnany one which speaketh," &c.

48, 7- "y dolefull disaventurous deare ; — 'my sad unlucky harm" or woe. See Gloss. Deare.

CANTO VIII. 197

Uf, 2. my caplive languor; — 'my evil condition of languor or faintness ;' •captive' being used like Ital. catlivo, or Eng. 'caitiff;' or perhaps 'captive languor' refers to the dull captivity of her parent in the brazen tower.

6. That rather death, &c.; — ' that' here depends, by a Latin construc- tion, on ' me,' implied in the ' my ' of the previous line — ' the loyalty of me that desire,' &c.

50, 5. That brought not backe, &c.; — an allusion fo the wandering of the soul from Truth into byways, which end in spiritual death. The phrase, taken literally, is difficult ; for how can the ' foot of living wight bring back the baleful body dead.' Spenser means, doubtless, ' whoever treads these paths, his body full of bale (evil) is brought back dead.'

7. Mine onely foe ; — must mean 'especial foe;' Truth being specially opposed to Falsehood (in the person of Duessa). So Bk. II. i. 2 :

■■ His onely hart sore, and his onely foe."

51, 4. with mighty mall; — this Todd renders by 'blow' — surely crro- ncouslv. It is his club, "his mortall mace," as Spenser calls it, vii. 10.

CAN 10 \'FII.

Una leads Prince Arthur to the Giant's castle; whence the monster comes forth, accompanied by Duessa riding on the seven-headed beast. But Arthur slays the Giant, wounds the beast, captures Duessa, enters the castle, and draws the Red Cross Knight, in sad estate, out of a dark dungeon. They strip Duessa of her finery, and let her flee.

1. In this stanza lies the ' moral ' of the whole tale.

3, 5. an borne of bugle small; — -'a small bugle's horn,' that is, 'a small horn of a young ox.' See Gloss. Bugle.

6. in twisted gold ; — ' gay in (with) twisted gold and tassels.'

4, I, 2. Was never. . did feel ; — notice again the omission of the nom., which Spenser probably imitates from the Ital.

8. No gate so strong. Sec; — Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 15. 15; and indeed it is one of the ' properties ' of the ancient romances. Cervantes does not miss it; see Don Quixote, 7- 2.

5, 3. of free will ; — ' of its own accord.'

6, 5. bloody 7nouthed with late cruell feast ; — a clear allusion to the mas- sacre of St. Bartholomew's Day, a.d. 1572 ; it may also refer to the atro- cities of the Spaniards in the Low Countries.

9. eger greedinesse ; — 'eagerness for battle.'

7, I. buckled him to fight ; — ' came to close terms.' Two armies are said by L'dal to " buckle together." The O. Engl, word was ' buske,' to get ready to come to close terms.

4. ragged snubbes and hiottie graine ; — rough ends of branches broken or cut off. and knotty fibre o'i the club itself.

S. 6. up did throiu ;-' \\' omitted, as so often in Spenser. So in tlie next stanza " hurles forth " for • he hurls forth.'

198

N 0 T E S.

9, 2. mortall sins ; — ' the sins of mortals ;' a Latinisni, ' niortalia pectora.' This stanza is imitated from Homer, II. 14. 414. Pope notices this parallel, and holds to it in his translation :

" As when the bolt, red-hissing from above, Darts on the consecrated plant of Jove, ' The mountain oak in flaming ruin lies. Black from the blow, and smokes of sulphur rise." 3. deadly food ;^' ieud ;' spe\i feood in Bk. IV. i. 26.

10, 8. Large streames ;—a. Latinism, ' flumina larga,' plenteous stream.^. The allusion in 1. 9 is to the smitten rock in the wilderness, Ex. 17. 6.

11, 5. in Cymbrian plaine; — this plain may be the ' Cimbric Chersonese,' now Jutland, famous for its cattle ; or more probably the steppei" of the Cimmerians in S. Russia and the Crimea.

6. An herd of bulles ; — no necessity to call this a ' catachresis for calves.' Spenser meant bulls when he wrote it.

kindly rage ; — ' the tierceness of their natural passion.'

12, 6. like flaming brands; — the rhyme demands • brand :' but there i:- no authority for altering it. " Threatening his heades " is a Latinism, as has before been noticed.

13, 2. to be affronted so; — 'to be so met face to face.' See Gloss. Affront.

14, I. her golden cup; — cp. Rev. 17. 4.

15, 2. did seize ; — ' did fix.'

5. That ivhen, &c.;— 'that' is the objective pron. — "when the Knight observed, that.'

18, 2. In one alone left hand; — 'in one hand alone remaining to him." Some have corrected the text to 'right hand,' to avoid the apparent contra- diction : for in stanza 10 he says, "he smott otf his left arme." But 'left' in the text clearly means ' remaining.'

19, I. And in his fall, &c.; — from Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 22. 85, where Ruggiero displays the enchanted shield :

" Ruppe il velo, e squarcio, che gli copria Lo spaventoso ed incantato lampo Al cui splendor cader si convenia Con gli occhi ciechi, e non vi s'ha alcuu scampo." 2. his vele;—''ns covering.' Spenser uses 'its' only to signify 'it is,' not as a neut. pron. He uses, however, 'it selfe' (see st. 23"). 'Its' occurs in the English Bible of 161 1. See Wright's Bible Word-Booli.

20, I. frill fidl-headed ; — 'many-headed.'

21, 5. their forces ;^so all edd. It probably should be 'his forces:' unless ' their ' refers to the Giant, Duessa with her cup, and the beast.

23, 4, 5, 7. her foundation., her heaped hight..it selfe; — Spenser here changes the gender of the pron. Why is a castle feminine ? We still speak of 'virgin fortresses;' but it is probably from the Latin turris, as- in the passage whence Spenser seems to take these lines — Statins, Theb.

9- 554-

25, 3. crowned mitre ; - the high (ap surrounded with .1 coronet : the papal tiara.

y. So brought unto his lord; — 'her' understood from previous line.

CANTO VI 11. 1 99

26, 8. make ; — either for ' niakest ' or ' dost make.'

27, I- And you; — "to the Squire," says Church: but Una, without a break, goes on to speak of the same person as " master of the field,'' &c. Probably 'and you' must be taken as equivalent to 'and oh 1 thou,' &c., or absolutely, = ' and as to you .... what hath poor virgin for you ? '

.30, 2. An old old man; — Ignorance, foster-father and servant of Pride, ever looking behind him, without foresight or knowledge.

7. unused rust ; — a Latinism, 'the rust arising from disuse.'

38, 8. in ages grave degree ; — ' in the grave period of thy age, or life.'

35, 4. That grea'est princes presence might behold; — 'that might see the presence of greatest princes ;' were fit for their habitation.

8. that dreadfidl was ; — ' so that it was dreadful.'

<-). sacred ashes over it was strowed new; — accursed ashes; notice ' was ' after ' ashes .'

36, I. And /here beside, i<:c.:— Rev. 6. 9, 10: " I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain," &c.

SS, 6. changed thrice their hew ; — i. e. their shape, not their colour.

40, 3. nicer hands; — a Latinism not unusual with Spenser, for 'too nice.'

41, 3. for leant of better hits; — ' for want of good food.'

6. whose mighty hrawned bowrs ; — 'mighty brawny muscles.' See Ciloss. Brawned Bowrs.

42, 6. what evill starre, &c. ;— the ■ influence ' of good and bad stars still formed a large part of the faith of mankind in Spenser's day. So Bk. II. ii. 2, ■■ Ah lucklesse babe, borne under cruell starre," and see Note on that place.

43, 3. fortune mine avowed foe ; — an allusion (as also Bk. II. ix. 8, " Fortune, the foe of famous chevisaunce") to the old ballad "Fortune, my io^." See note on Bk. II. ix. 8.

5. shall treble penaunce pay; — 'your good, which will be penance and grief to Fortune my foe, shall be threetbld as great as vour wrongs have been.'

6. good growes of evils priefe ; — "good springs out of the proof (or endurance) of evils.'

44, 4. breeds delight; — this (the reading of all edd.) can scarcely be correct. Jortin suggests 'dislike;' Church proposes " Musicke breeds no delight," &c. ; possibly 'despight' is the right word. The meaning must be ' it breeds no delight to tell tales of suffering ; indeed, even best music breeds no delight in an unwilling ear, how much less these jarring sounds.'

8. with yron pen ; — cp. Job 19. 24.

45, 7. To do her die, &c. ; — let us hope that this is a protest against the persecution of Romanists.

46, 5. her tire and call ; — ' head-dress and cap.' This stripping of Duessa is probably an allusion to the overthrow of images, rich dresses, &c., at the Reformation.

49, 8. her filthy feature ; — 'her foul person;' the foulness ot her fashion- ing. All this description of Duessa. first as falsely fair, then as truly foul, is drawn to the letter from Arioslo, Orl. Fur. 7. 73 : for Duessa is modelled upon Ariosto's Alcina, who. after long fascinating Rogero by her false youth and beauty, is at last, by virtue of the ring, displayed in her real senility and ugliness :

200 NOTES.

" Pallido, crespo, e macileute avea Alcina il viso, il crin raro e canuto : Ogni dente di bocca era caduto." See Warton's note on this passage.

50,7,. the wa'itfull wildernesse ; — 'the wilderness all waste, or desolate' Has Spenser mixed up the description of the scarlet woman with that of the "woman clothed with the sun," who "fled into the wilderness" V — Rev. 12. 6.

CANTO IX.

Prince Arthur tells to Una his story and his love. After friendly gifts the two Knights part. The Red Cross Knight soon after meets Sir Trevisan fleeitig from the cave of Despair; into which the Knight goes down. and. after being sore te?npted, scarcely escapes by Una's help.

1,1. O goodly golden chaine ; — chivalry, or honour. The character of Prince Arthur, or ' Magnificence,' the character in which, according to Spenser, all virtues meet, is here intended.

2,4. Them list ; — ' it pleased them.' See Gloss. L/s/.

5. fell;—' befell (them),' or ' fell out.' So Gower, Conf. Am. I : " As it falleth in aventure."

9. b7iried be in thanklesse thought;—' would not be forgotten, but would be buried in her mind ; thankless, because unknowing whom to thank.'

3, 3. the lignage /—Prince Arthur is the son of Uther, the Pendragon, but is taken from his mother at his birth, and is kept in ignorance of his parentage.

9. in gentle thewes ; — • in the manners of one gently born.' See Gloss. Thewes.

4, 6. Rauran mossy hore ;— hoary, white with moss. Selden tells us that Rauran-vaur is a hill in Merionethshire. The Dee rises in Merionethshire, passing through Bala lake. According to the legends, Arthur is Cornish : but Spenser prefers to place him in the home of the British race, in Wales.

5,1. Merlin; — the great magician of the romances of Prince Arthur's time.

4. tutors nouritttre ; — the bringing up by his guardian, Timon. 9. m her just term; — ' time in its proper limit,' or, 'in its due cour.se.' Spenser perhaps makes ' time' fern, after A.S. tid.

6, I. Well worthy impe ;—' right worthy scion.' See Gloss. Impe.

7, 5. forced fiiry ;—' with furious compulsion.' Prince Arthur refers to the power of love, which drives him with forced (forcible) fury onwards.

folloiuing his behest ;—' foWomng' is either (1) governed (most pro- bably) by ' wound' in line 3; in which case the sense runs thus: 'or that wound, which rankles in my breast, following his (its) bidding with force and fury, brought me hither;' or (2) it is governed by ' me' in line 6. and the comma after 'behest' must go out; in "this ca.se it will be 'the wound. &c., brought hither me, following his (its) bidding with furv of compulsion.' P, ?,. the ;— ed. 1590 reads 'that.'

r.. Tunons:~ci\. J590 reads 'Cleons,' but corrected in Faults Ki^capcd.

CANTO IX. 20 1

\M, },. joyd to stirre up strife; — 'delighted to make disturbance in the midst of their mourning.'

11. 9. most despight ; — 'greatest contempt,' or ' contemptuous handling.*

12,1. him your haplesse joy ; — the Red Cross Knight, ' haplesse' because of the sad plight to which Orgoglio had reduced him.

2. now mated; — 'now stupefied' or perhaps ' now matched ' — 'who have now found my match or mate.' See Gloss. Amate.

y. favour mine intent ; — ' be propitious to my purpose.'

Kri, 5. the humour sweet emhayd ; — 'the sweet moisture and coolness of the shade lulled all my senses to rest.'

15, 8. ?iever vowd to rest ; — ' vowed never to rest,' — the negative mis- placed.

17,4. Whose wondrous faith, tkc; — 'whose wonderful fidelity (or trust^ was strongest when my case seemed at its worst,' i. c. when the Giant had him in thrall. Truth will not desert man, though man may flee from her.

7. Of that great Queene, &c. ; — Lord Leicester's death, in l.sSS, does not hinder Spenser from this allusion, which may have seemed to him even nobler, in that it must now tell of heavenly, not of earthly, art'ectinn.

18. 1. So diversly discoursing, &c. ; — used absolutely ; ' so while they were diversely discoursing,' &c.

19.2. Embowd with gold; — "having a vaulted (or bowed) cover ot gold," says Warton. Or perhaps embowed = embossed.

7. A booke ; — the Bible, fit gift from the champion of Protestantism, the companion of Truth.

20, 3. did pray ; — ' did prey on' or ravage. 21,6. his feare ; — 'the object of his fear.'

9. a fole of Pegasus his kind ; — of the breed of Pegasus, the famous winged horse of Greek mythology.

23, 2. what mister wight ; — 'what manner of person.' See Gloss. Mister.

24, I. He answerd, &c. ; — Pope, writing on Odyssey 10, highly praises this description of despair and fear : " The description sets the figure full before our eyes ; he speaks short, and in broken and interrupted periods, which excellently represent the agony of his thoughts ... he breaks out into interrogations, which, as Longinus observes, give great motion, strength, and action to discourse," &c,

26, 9. had bene partaker of the place ; — ' had not greater grace (than was granted to my companion") delivered me thence, I should have shared with him the miseries of the place.'

27, 7. lovd in the least degree; — i.e. did not love at all, 'did not love in the least' (where in the ordinary phrase the word 'degree' is understood).

8. too high intent ; — her mind was fixed on too high aims.

28, .^. God from him me blesse ; — ' God deliver (preserve) me from him.' Said with the sign of the cross. See Gloss. Bless.

5. A man of hell ; — Scriptural usage, based on Hebrew. So 'man of God,' ' son of man.'

6. after faire areedes ; — ' afterwards inl'ornis us fairly,' pleasantly.

8. as snake in hidden weedes ; — ' in weeds that hide him from view.' The ■' snake in the g''ass" is .1 common proverb — " latet anguis in herba." 2f', 2. Evibost with bale; — "overwhelmed with evil.' See Gloss. Emboss

202 NOTES.

31, I. How may a man, &c. ; — 'how can a man be prevailed on (gained over) by idle talk to destroy himself?'

2. the castle of his health; — the phrase is to be found in the title of a book, Eliot's Castle of Helthe, published 1534.

3. I luote, &c. ; — ' I, whom trial has just taught (replied the escaped Knight); I, who would not go through the like again for all this world's wealth, know how his subtle tongue,' &c. Notice the old dissyllabic gen. ' worldes.'

32, 7. not for gold nor glee; — Church suggests 'fee,' as in x 43. If 'glee,* the reading of all edd., be right, it will be nearly equivalent in meaning to our " for love or money."

33, 6. the ghastly oivle ; — from Virgil. Aen. 4. 462 ;

'■ Solaque culmnibus ferali carmine bubo Saepe queri," &c.

34, 3. the ragged rocky kfiees ; — the projections of the rock ; imitated from the Greek a.yKa\T]. Aeschylus, Prom. 5. 1019, Trerpaia ayKaXrj.

35, 2. That cursed man. ^c. ; — Despair seizes on the heart which either is suffering (.Hke Sir Terwin) from disappointment, or (as in the case of the Red Cross Knight) on those who are unnerved by sutfering. or by remembrance of past ill-doings. The Red Cross Knight is here meant to provide a picture of spiritual unfaithfulness. He distrusts Truth, he falls into sin, he becomes its captive; then he is aroused out of it, and escapes, hi.s spiritual life being much weakened and shaken. Then he becomes aware of its horrors, deems himself fallen and reprobate, can find no peace, condemns himself, and is in danger of perishing by the hand of despair.

6, 7. his hollow eyne Looht deadly dull ; — so Chaucer has " He on her cast his hevy dedely eyne."

36,6. All wallowed; — 'wallowing.' Spenser sometimes uses the p.p. (as old English writers do) where we now take the pres. p. ; so ' doted' for ' doting,' and (probabl}') ' hidden' for ' concealing.'

37, 7. The author, &.C. ; — ' we here behold (thee) the author of this act.' 8. What justice, &c. : — ' what kind of justice is there that can do

anything but give judgment against thee ; that thou, cause of this murder (referring to the dying wretch described in st. 36), must pay the price of his blood with thine?'

38, I. qjioth he; — sc. Despair.

5. drive; — ?= drove (or subj. pret. = could drive). This reply ot Despair is as follows : — ' What madness has led you to pass such a rash judg- ment on me? What justice is there that can give any doom (judgment") save this, that he who does not deserve to live must die ? Nothing drove this man to die in despair, save his own guilty mind, which deserved death. What is the injustice in giving to each man his due? What wrong in letting him die, who, &c. ?'

8. Or let him die ; — ' or [is it then unjust] to let him die, who?' &c. 39,1. Who travels; — 'is it not great kindness to help out of the diffi- culty of life (by suicide) the man who yearns to die?'

8. Why wilt not. &c. ; - ' why do you. because you do not yourscll wish to cross the ferry, hinder from crossing the man wlio desires to go .■'

11. 2. The lerme of life. &c. : — this argument Spenser draws from Plato's I'haedo, the dialogic on the immortalitv of the soul.

CANTO IX, 203

5. bed ; — one of the words said to be misspelt by Spenser tor the sake of the rhyme. But with Chaucer's bede before him, he may fairly be allowed this spelling.

7. Quoth he ;—sc. Despair.

8. And he, that points, &c. ; — ' he who appoints to the sentinel his place, gives him leave to go at daybreak.' The argument is not worth much beyond the beauty of the poetry. To make the parallel good he should have said ' licenses him to depart from his post, when he is weary,' not ' when his time is out.'

42,1. Is not his deed, &c. ; — nor is the argument from destiny and necessity of much avail, except to a necessitarian ; and he (if true to himself) should object to the independence involved in being the cause of his own death.

4. Their times; — so Ps. 31. 15 : " My times are in thy hand." 43,1. The lens^er life. Sec. ; — the argument of one who will not let the

troubled soul think of anything save its own sinfulness. The answer is beautifully given by the clear voice of Truth in st. 53. 3. thoxi boasts ; — for ' boastest.'

7. Is not enough, &c. ; — ' is not thy evil life here utterly misspent far (or long) enough?' The longer you live the farther you will go astray.

44, 3. Th' ill, Sec. ; — ' to prevent the evil which life may follow after and attain unto.' So 1 Pet. 3. it : "seek peace and ensue it." See G\oss. Emue.

45,3. For never knight. Sec; — 'for never did more luckless mishap stupefy, daunt, knight that dared deed,' &c. ' Knight * is the objective case alter • amate.' See Gloss. Amate.

7. prolonged hath thy date; — ' hath lengthened out thy allowed measure of life.' 'Date' is datum, the granted or allotted measure. See Gloss. Date.

8. Yet death then would. Sec; — 'would forestall' = ' would have fore- stalled.' ' Death would have secured you against future ills.'

9. happen fall ;—' h-dppcn to fall.'

46, 2. to their last degree; — ' to the utmost measure.' 3. thy sinfull hire ; — ' thy service to sin.'

7. filsed; — 'made false,' betrayed. Ed. 1590 reads ' falsest.'

47, 6. what then must needs, &c. ; — ' it is better to do willingly what must be done, than wait till it becomes a necessity.' But then death is a thing not to be done, but to be sufiered.

48, 8. charmed ; — under a charm or spell.

4ft, 6. painted in a table ; — in a picture ; an allusion to those terrible pictures of the Last Judgment with which the gloomier views of religion were fed before the Reformation.

52, I. saw; — ed. 1590 reads 'heard.'

2. rati to her zoell of life; — 'the blood ran back cold to her heart.'

6. And to him said ; — so Truth makes its voice heard by the despair- ing conscience, and the man is saved.

Fi'S. I. feeble ; — so ed. 1590, but ed. 1596 reads ' seely.'

5. that chosen art; — perhaps an allusion to the then popular Calvinistic \iews as to election.

S. accurst hand-ivriting ; — refers to Col. 2. 14, •' Bluttiug out llic hiuuhuriting of ordinances that was against us," &c.

204 NOTES.

54, 5. unhid, nnhlest ; — v/ithout prayer or blessing. See Gloss. Bid.

7. he so himselfe had drest ; — ' he had set himself so to do.'

8. Vet nathelesse, tkc. ; — that is, despair will not cease to exist, while man's present manner of life continues.

CANTO X.

Una brings the Red Cross Knight to the house 0/ Holiness, where he is courteously received by Faith, Hope, and Charity, the daughters of Dame Caelia. Schooled by Faith and Hope, and exhorted by Caelia. he goes through due penance for his sins ; is taken by Mercy to the hospital of Good Works, and thence to the hill of Contemplation, where he learns his own history, his parentage, and his hopes for hereafter.

1, I. This is the most beautiful canto in the Book. The house of Holi- ness ; the sisters Faith. Hope, and Charity ; Mercy and her seven beadsmen : the hill of Contemplation ; the heavenward movement of the chastened spirit of the Knight ; — all these are drawn in the most simple and elevated manner, and form a striking picture of the best side of Protestant theology and piet)' in the sixteenth century,

9. But all the good; — cp. Phil. 2.13.

2, 3. raw; — unpractised, (as we say 'a raw recruit').

8. where he chearen might; — 'where he might refresh himself,' and recover his natural cheerfulness.

4, I. Caelia; — 'heavenly;' Fidelia, Faith; Speranza, Hope; Charissa. Charity. The descriptions of the three are taken from the well-known representations of them by painters : Faith with a book and serpent in a goblet ; Hope leaning on a silver anchor ; Charity surrounded by children.

5, 8. Humilta, ; — Humility.

9. streight and narrow ; — refers to Matth. 7. 14.

6, 6. Zele ; — a Franklin: that is. Christian energy and liberty of the Gospel of Christ. Cp. Gal. 5. i. See Gloss. Francklin.

7, 5- ^"-ew his good, &c. ; — 'knew how to conduct himself towards all in each degree or class of society.' An indication of the aristocratic feeling in Spenser's mind.

9, 5. ever-dying dread; — 'ever-impending dread of death.' Dread here personified.

6. long a day ; — so ' many a day.'

7. thy weary soles to lead; — ' to guide thy feet.'

10, 5. the broad high way, &c. ; — cp. Matth. 7. 13. rightest ; — a superlative : or perhaps for ' righteous.'

12, 6. eldest; — probably Spenser was thinking of the three sisters; other- wise, as between Fidelia and Speranza, it should be ' elder.'

Fidelia ; — Faith is drawn from Scriptural sources. The cup indicale> sacramental blessings — wine and water mixed therein according to tlie ancient custom of the Church ; the simny beams, the halo of divine presence with her; the serpent, either the type of healing, or the wisdom of the Gospel:

n A N T 0 X. 205

her constant mood, the quality of the faithful — " Let us liold fast the pro- fession of our faith without wavering" (Hebr. 10. 23); her book, the Holy Scriptures, the guide of life and belief.

9. And round about, &c. ;- ' and a light like that of heaven shone round her head.'

13, I. lilly white; — So Ariosto, Orl. Fur. 21. i, clothes Faith in white:

" La santa Fe ves ita in altro niodo Che d'un vel bianco che la copra tutta."

8. A hoohe ; — the Scriptures, sealed by the blood of Christ and of the martyrs.

9. Wherein darke things, &c. ; — cp. 2 Pet. 3. 16.

14, 2. clad in hleiv ; — colour of persistence. Hope is "less cheerful' than Faith ; for Hope has also fear.

3. of sight ; — 'to look on.'

7. as befell ; — ' as it fell out," happened.

9. iivarved ; — pret. of ' to swerve,' turn aside.

15, 9. of many a noble gest ; — ' many noble actions.'

16, 2. where is she become ; — ' where is she gone to ?' ' what has become of her?' 'whither has she betaken herself?'

6. And bath encreast. Sec; — Charity is ever doing works of kindness, filling the world with her good deeds.

17, 5. / read you rest, Sec: — 'I advise you to rest, and retire to your chamber.'

6. a groo7ne; — a. valet; so 'groom of the chamber.' Bridegroom is one who waits on the bride. See Gloss. H. Groome.

18, 4. into her schoolehouse ; — the Knight must be taught by Faith: he must go through the dogmatic training characteristic of the sixteenth century.

7. so 7nuch agraste ; — ' treated with so much favour.'

19, 2. That none could read, &c. ; — Faith alone gives the clue to the right understanding of the revelation of God.

4. heavenly documents ; — ' heavenly teaching.'

6. of grace, &c. ; — notice the tone of the sixteenth-century theology. The relations of God to man, Grace, or His favour, Justice, Freewill — the Augustinian questions — became the chief points of Protestant doctrine. They are all matters connected with the dealings of God with man in Christ.

20, I. list poiire out; — 'pleased (to) pour out.' Spenser often adds the dependent verb without the infin. sign ' to.'

2. She woidd commaujid, &c. ; — cp. Josh. lo. 12.

3. Or bachuard turne, &c. ; — cp. 2 Kings 20. 10.

4. Sometimes great hostes, &c. ; — cp. Judges 7-

5. Dry-shod, &c. ; — cp. Exod. 14. 22, Sec; Josh. 3. 17. This line is wanting in the edd. 1590, 1596, and is first supplied in ed. 1609.

6. And elie huge monntaines, Sec. ; — cp. Matth. 21. 21.

23, I. And came to Caelia ; — confession to God of difficulty.

7. To fetch a leach, &c. ; — alluding to the office of the clergy as healers of weak and distressed consciences.

24, 2. Cotdd hardly him intreat ; — ' could scarcely persuade him.' 5, passing prief;—' surpassing proof,' extraordinary excellence.

206 NOTES.

6. wordes o/uwidrom might : — '• thr bt-iiefit of absolution" is perhaps here hinted at.

'IT}, 2. infected sin; — 'sin engrained.' So in Article IX. we have the phrase, " And this infection of Nature doth remain," &c.

26, I. In ashes, Sic. ; — the theology of the Queen and Court inculcated, in theory at least, discipline and self-humiliation by fasting, &c. ; though probably Spenser here refers to spiritual rather than corporeal disciphne.

27, 3. Remorse ; — here used in the good sense of sorrow for past ill-doing : Repentance properly includes the intention of amendment of life ; penance is the active punishment inflicted for ill-doing.

6. His bodie in salt water smarting sore ; — so ed. 1596, but ed. T590 reads, ' His blamefull body in salt water sore.'

28, 9. his crime, &c. ; — ' he never could be clear from the accusation of his sin ;' after the Latin crimen.

30, 2. bounty rare ; — ' uncommon goodness.' ' Bounty,' like ' charity,' has now shrunk into mere giving. Spenser uses both in their larger sense ; as caritas, bonitas, carita, bonta, &c., are used.

4. to compare ; — ' to find an equal to.' Comparare is ' to get to- gether,' and thence the sense of comparison, by placing things side by side.

9. in yellow ro6fs ;— supposed to be the fitting garb of a matron. Faith (like Truth) is dressed in pure white ; Hope in blue, cerulean colour, indicative of a soul that soars beyond this world, also of one stedfast under trial ; Charity, the matron, wears a yellow robe.

31, 2. Playing their sports; — a Latinism, the cognate accusative. joyd her ; — ' delighted her," gave her joy.

7. patsing price uneath, &c. ; — ' whose surpassing value was scarcely calculable.' See Gloss. Uneath.

32, 4. A?td e/itertaines ; — ' receives.' So on old signs "good entertainment," &c. Entretenir, to hold or receive within one's walls. See Gloss. H. Enter- tainment.

33, I. xvas right joyovs of ; — 'rejoiced at.' A construction answering to ' glad of.'

3. Gan him instruct, &c. ; — Faith had taught him the relations of man to God ; now Charity unfolds the duties of Christian man to man — love, righteousness, "well to donne" (or welldoing).

34, 3. zvell descride ; — ' declared clearly,' or ' expressed.'

4. Mercy ; — is set over against proud Liicifera.

5. this wide worldes wave ;—" may so pass the waves of this trouble- some world, &c." — Baptismal Service.

36, 3. seven bead-men; — 'seven men of prayer.' These are the ■^even distinctions of good works given by the Schoolmen: — i. entertainment ol travellers; 2. food to the needy; 3, clothing to the naked; 4. relief to prisoners ; 5. comfort to the sick and dying ; 6. burial of the dead ; 7. care of widows and orphans.

6. Their; — edd. 1590, 1596, read ' there.'

37, I. and best ; — that is, first in precedence; see St. 44. 6. Not unto such, &c. ;- cp. Luke I4. 14.

38, 8. what need him care; — so too in st. 41, "them most needeth conjforl." The A.S. verb nydan, geneadian signifies to compel, urge (and our

CANTO X 207

substantive 'need' is akin to Germ. nolh. necessity, compulsion). So tlie sense will be • what compels him to care?' and in st. 41 the sen«e will be 'com- fort most chiefly urges them :' — as the thing they arc specially in want ot". We should say "I need money;" they, " money needcth me," urges me as a great want.

39, 9. His owtie coate, &c.; — probably an allusion to St. Martin of Tours and the beggar.

40, 4. Frotn Tiirkes, &c. ; — the ransoming of Christian captives from the Turk was a common work of charity, much needed in the sixteenth century. When Charles V, in 1535, besieged and took Tunis, he found there 10,000 Christian slaves, whom Barbarossa or his brother had captured from time to time on the Mediterranean.

8. And he that bar rowd hdl, &c.; — the medieval tradition as to our Lord's "descent into hell," was that He went down thither, contended against the powers of darkness, overcame them, and then returned, leading with Him the ransomed souls of men " with heavy stowre," ' with great labour and struggle.' The phrase ' to harrow hell,' is common in early English writers. St. Margharete (circ. 1200) in Early English Text Society, p. 10 (fol. 44): " pu herehedest belle ant overcome af kempe J^ene acursede gast." Chaucer has " Now helpe, Thomas, for him that harewed hell." — Sompnours Tale. Cp. I Pet. 3. 19. See Gloss. Harrow.

41, 3. ihem most needeth, &c. ; — so in the Burial Service: "Suffer us not, at our last hour, through any pains of death, to fall from Thee."

9. as the tree does fall ; — cp. Eccles. 11. 3.

42, I. Notice the great beauty of this stanza.

5. when he their sonles, &c. ; — at the resurrection.

6. of Gods owne mould : — ' in the image of God,' Gen. i 27.

7. Whose face, &c.; — cp. Ps. S. 6.

9. me graunt, I dead, &c. ; — ' grant me, O God, that I when dead may not be defiled.' This prayer was more than heard when the poet's remains were lowered into the grave in Westminster Abbey.

43, 3. And widowes ayd ; — ' to aid,' the sign of infin. again omitted.

46, 6. said bis devotion ; — we now use the word in this sense only in pi., as ' at his devotions."

47, I. to hint given had ; — ' had had given him.'

3. All were, &c.; — ' although.'

48, 7. be car'd bis carcas; — like the Latin curare cutem, 'he took no care of his body,' did not think of food, though he had been long unfed.

49, 4. more: — either = ' greatly.' or, 'more than he respected the knight.'

50, 7. Whereof the keyes. See; — Faith can unlock heaven's gates to Con- templation.

9. according his desire; — 'granting it.' See Gloss. Accord.

51, 7. the righteous sead ; — so St. Paul, Gal. 3. 16.

.'iS, 3. That blood-red billowes ; — Spenser boldly attributes the redness of the Red Sea to its waves.

4. disparted with his rod; — cp. Ex. 14. 21. Moses is always repre- sented with the rod ; but in the Bible he is only said to stretch out his hand over the sea.

2o8 NOTES.

6. Dwelt forty dayes upon; — cp. Ex. 24. iS.

7. With bloody letters ; — the narrative does not say so : perhaps Spenser was thinking of St. Paul's reference to them, 2 Cor. 3. 7, " the ministration of death, written and engraved on stones," &c.

8. The hitter dootne, &c.; — the terrors and penahies of the Law. " Balefull nione" is ' that which causes evil moaning and wailing.'

9. whiles flashing fire , isc; — cp. Deut. 4 11.

54, I. The critics attack Spenser for this stanza. They say that after having first described the Mountain of the Law, and then the Mount of Olives, so closely connected with the Gospel, he should not have used, in the same comparison, the classical hill of Parnassus.

that sacred hill ; — the Mount of Olives.

6. that pleasaurit mount ; — Parnassus : the " thrise three ladies "' are the nine Muses.

55, I. Both Spenser and Bunyan drew their inspiration, in describing the heavenly city, from the description in Rev. 21. 10.

56, 5. As commonly as friend; — 'in as friendlj' and sociable a manner as friend with friend.' See Gloss. Commonly.

57, 2. The new Hierusalem ; — cp. Heb. 12. 22, 23.

5. pretious ; — edd. 1590, 1596 read 'piteous,' but it is corrected in the Faults Escaped of 1590 to 'pretious.'

8. in that citie sam : — " in that same city." Church. More probably ' sam ' is ' together.' See Gloss. Sam.

58, 2. great Cleopolis ; — London; cp. vii. 46.

5. that bright towre, &c.; — Panthea. This crystal tower is by some thought to be Windsor Castle ; but this seems very doubtful. Queen Eliza- beth, when in town, usually lav at the Palace at Greenwich. The conception comes from Chaucer's " temple y-made of glas," the House of Fame.

8. that does far snrpas ; — 'that' is the objective case — 'quite surpasses that city.'

59, 2. for earthly frame ; — 'considering that it is of earthly framing (building), it is the fairest piece of work, the finest city.'

4. Atid well beseemes, &c.; — a well-turned compliment to the Queen's court.

tU, I. I to thee presage ; — ' I point out to thee with the hand.'

7. Shall be a saint, &c.; — the Red Cross Knight becomes St. George. St. George did not become the patron saint of England till the reign of Edward IIL He may be in some way connected with the Crusades, and is perhaps distinct from the St. George of romance. The struggle between ihe patron saint and the dragon, common to so many lands, is older than St. George. In Saxon days Beowulf slays this enemy of man. Siegfried, in the German lays, is also of higher antiquity than St. George.

9. mery England; — Church says that in this phrase 'merry' signifies pleasant, delightful ; attributing it to the pleasantness of the country, not to the cheerfulness of the inhabitants. ' Merry ' in Pearly English writers bears the sense of lively, joyous. So Chaucer, Tr. and Cr. iii. 1514, has "this tnurye morwe." He also speaks of "mery we.ither."

G2, 3. These that, &c.; — spoken by Contemplation. 4. Ed. 1590 reads ' As wretched men.'

CANTO XI.

209

5. But deeds, &c.; — by the Knight.

7. What need, &c. ; — again by Coiitemplatioji.

8. Ed. 1590 reads 'better battailes all are fought.'

9. ihey'are; — ed. 1596 omits 'they.'

^'6, 1. bequeathed care ; — • the charge entrusted to you by that royal maid.' •35, ^.fought in place ; — 'fought on the spot, in that land.' Ed. 1590 reads ' face.'

9. chauiigelings ; — the superstition about the power of fairies to sub- stitute an elf-child for a human baby was almost universal in the time of Spenser. He seems to have drawn it from the Seven Champions, 1. i, where St. George, after his birth at Coventry, is " stole from the careful nurses " by the fell enchantress Kalyb. Sir T. Browne, in his Religio Medici, published forty years after Spenser, seems to believe in changelings. Rel. Med. § 30. Cp. Shakespeare, Mids. Night's Dr. ii. i : '• A lovely boy, stolen from an Indian king."

6ti, 6. Whereof Georges, &c.; — 'wherefore (from whence) he gave thee Gebrgos to thy name;' named thee Georgos, from the Greek -yeupyos, a hus- bandman, ploughman. So in the Letter to Sir W. Raleigh he is described as "a tall clownishe younge man." This is the tale told (Ovid, Met. 15. Fi^Z) uf Tages, son of Earth, whom a husbandman found under the furrow, as he was ploughing. (Upton.)

9. as seemes thee best became ; — ' as (it) seems (it) became thee best.' tJ7, 5. This said, &c.; — 'when he had thus spoken, he looked downwards, thinking to have returned to the ground ;' or, ' he looked, expected, to have returned down to the ground, but his eyes were dazzled through sur- passing brightness, and too exceeding shining, which quite confounded his feeble sense.' See Gloss. Shyne. The Knight could not see his way to return to earth from this high hill of contemplation of heavenly things, so dazzled %\ere his eyes.

(iS, I. At last, &c.; — ' when he came to himseli".'

5. for his paines hyre ; — ' as return for the trouble he had taken.'

8. Of her adventure; — of the coming light with the dragon.

CANTO XI.

The Knight fights for two days with the Dragon, and after divers adventures and feats of arms, on the third day slays him.

1, 1. This canto is, on the whole, the "least pleasing in the Book. The struggle between Knight and Dragon is so uneven, that the two scarcely seem to fight in reality ; and the supernatural aid granted to the Knight, however desirable allegorically, mars the effect of the tale.

2. her captive parents deare ; — the King and Queen are types of all mankind ; formerly lords of Eden, but cast out through the Dragon's power ; through sin and the devil. They are restored to their first estate only by Christ and His Gospel (.represented by the Red Cross Knight, who over-

V

2 ] O NOTES.

comes the great enemy b}' means of the sword of the Spirit"). This is the meaning of these two cantos.

2, 4. he at your keeping well; — ' keep good care and watch over yourseh", and be ever on your guard.'

3. This stanza is entirely omitted from ed. 1590: and it may be a question whether it is Spenser's.

1, 3. seemd uneath to shake ; — " I suppose it means beneath, and is a con- traction for underneath." Church. But can it not mean, according to its proper sense, 'uneasily'? — "the Dragon's roar shook the ground uneasily. so as to make it rock.' Its more usual sense is ' without ease,' not in the sense of restlessness, but of facility. It may possibly mean ' almost,' ' seemed almost to shake the stedfast ground.' See Gloss. Uneath.

5. Where stretcht he lay, ike; — this fine description of the Dragon, lying at length on the side of a sunny hill, will remind the reader of Turner's grand guardian-dragon of the Hesperides, in the Vernon Collection. He there lies like the ridge and sky-line of a hill-side.

5, I. yede aloof; — 'go aside.' See Gloss. Yede.

5. turnd a little ivyde ; — ' went a little on one side.'

6. O thou sacred muse, &c.; — Clio, Muse of History. Spenser makes the Muses the daughters of Phoebus and Mnemosyne, which is the common faith on the subject, though there are other mythological parentages for them. (Hesiod makes them the daughters of Zeus.) The gods of Light and Memory are naturally the most fitting parents for the Muses.

7. his aged bride ; — Mnemosyne, or Memory. The poets feigned that Memory was a most ancient goddess. So Aesch. Prom. 461, (xvqfirjv 6' aTTCLvroJv fiovaofirjTop' (pyariv : — the mother of all Muses.

8. The nourse of time; — Clio, as "nourse of time," records things done, and preserves them from being forgotten ; she is also " nourse of everlasting fame," she registers great acts, whose fame shall never die.

9. warlike /!ia??c?i ;—' hands ' for ' persons,' part for whole ; a common poetic and rhetorical figure.

6, 4. heroes; — a trisyllable in this place, keeping the Latin inflexion.

7. The god of warre, &c.; — Ares (Mars), with his fierce train, as de- scribed by Homer, II. 4. 439-441, Fear, Terror, and Strife.

7, 2. Till I of ivarres, &c. ; — either Spenser meditated an epic poem on the glories of Queen Elizabeth's reign, and her struggle with the ' Paynim King,' Philip II of Spain ; or he looked forward to more heroic descriptions &c. in the later Books of the Faery Queene. His sonnet to Lord Esse.x looks as if he was projecting a new poem : —

" But when my Muse .... With bolder wing shall dare alofte to sty

To the last praises of this P'aery Queene ; Then shall it make most famous memory Of thine heroicke parts, such as they beene." 3. And Briton fields, &c.; — Spenser doubtless here refers to the late struggle between the Spanish power and England: though the "Briton fields" must either refer to the sea-fights in the Channel, or to the battles in ilu- Netherlands, and the " Sarazin jjloud" must be the blood of Spaniards. 1- there any allusion to the Spanish Mahomedaus ?

CANTO XI. 211

7. let downe that haughtie string; — ' let us not tune our ]vtc so high;' let \is not sing so high a strain.

8. thy second tenor; — 'a lower tone;' second treble or counter-tenor. The popularity and practice of part singing at this period must have rendered Spenser's phrase proper and intelligible.

S, 2. Half e flying, and halfe footing ; — followed by Milton, P. L, 2. 940: " Treading the crude consistence, half on foot, Half flying." 7. vast; — ed. 1596 reads ' wast.' !•, I. And over, all &c.; — this is the punctuation of 1590 and 159(5. It bears a good sense. 'And, over his body, all — his whole form — was armed,' &c.

5. Which, as an eagle, &c.; — 'which scales (as an eagle stirs his plumes when a quarry comes in sight) he so shook that it was horror, a thing horrible, to hear.'

6. fidl rudely dight ; — ' dressed, arrayed in bristling roughness.'

9. rouzed scales ; — ' his scales roused, set up,' as birds ruft" up their plumage.

11, 5. as; — edd. 1590, 1596 read 'all;' but it is corrected in Faults Escaped of 1 590 to ' as.'

12, I. But stings, &c.; — construction inverted: the subject (or nom. case) is " the sharpnesse," &c.

3. Dead was it sure. Sec; — ' that thing was dead, as sure as death can he, which touches his paws, or which his paws touch :' for the use of ' does ' after a pi. would not be unparalleled in Spenser.

13, I. And, that ; — ' that which ' (we now say ' what ').

2. Th7-ee ranches of yroti teeth; — from Ovid, Met. 3. 34, '• triplici stant ordine dentes."

14, I. His blazing eyes, &c.; — cp. Milton, P. L. i. 193.

3. As two broad beacons. Sec; — is a reminiscence of the beacon-tires of the glorious 29th of July, 1588, on which day the Armada was first sighted off the Cornish shore. Possibly also, the two beacons on the Malvern hills (Worcestershire and Herefordshire) were in Spenser's mind.

16, 2. rigorous might ; — ' with stiff strength ;' rigorous is our rigid.

18, 5. Her flitting parts; — the element of air that readily fell asunder. ' Her ' where we now should use ' its.'

8. lotv stouping ; — a term in falconry: it expresses the ' stoup ' or swoop of the hawk to strike its quarry.

19, I. the subject plaine ; — ' the plain lying below them ;' Latin phrase. 3. Till struggling strong did hiin. See; — 'till they struggling

mightily,' &c.

5. bagard hauke ; — ' wild hawk.' See Gloss. Hagard.

6. above his hable might; — 'beyond the extent of his ability,' beyond his powers.

8. To trttsse the pray; — to pack up, make into a bundle; a fowl is trussed when it is thrust together with a skewer. So the hawk, in • trussing his prey,' pierces it with his talons, and gets it well together. Somerville, in his Field Sports, speaks of the '"vigorous hawk truss'd in mid air ;" where he means that the hawk holds himself together ready to strike^

P 2

212 NOTES.

20, I. He so disseized, &c.; — 'he (the dragon) being thus dispossessed of his rough grip,' having thus lost his heavy hold. ' He ' is here used absolutely.

9. the uncouth smart ; — ' the unwonted pain.'

21, 4. would shoulder ; — ' would push oft'.'

5. And greedy gulfe, &c. ; — the great waves as they recoil (or as they gather up before breaking on the shore) seem as if they would devour in their revenge the neighbour element, the land.

7. the blustring brethren ; — the winds.

8. his stedfast henge ; — 'move the earth oft" his hinge,' out of its orbit. The whole of this description is too monstrous ; so is the water-mill of next stanza, and, indeed, the whole description of the dragon.

22, 8. deepe-rooted ill; — the spear-head deeply li.xed in his body.

23, 7. can quicMy ryse ; — ' can ' = gan.

24, 3. That nothing, &c. ; — ' that (it) seemed (that) nothing,' &c.

6. deeper ; — here used almost as a positive ; perhaps = * very deep,' and a Latinism.

y. did them still forsake ; — ' ever avoided the strokes.'

25, I. his stroke beguyld ; — ' that his sword's blow was foiled.' 26) 3. his luide devouring oven ; — his maw.

27, I. that great champion, &c. ; — Heracles (Hercules) and his twelve labours.

4. So many furies, &c. ; — ' furies ' and 'tits' are the subject to this inverted sentence. By ' furies ' Spenser does not mean the personified goddesses, but fearful pains and agonies. Hercules put on, according to the legend, a robe smeared with the poisonous blood of the Centaur Nessus, whom he had slain ; the poison burnt into his flesh and caused him most horrible pains, and he at last threw himself in a paroxysm of suffering on a funeral pyre, and perished. The mythologies say nothing of " bloudy verses." Deianira smears the garment in good faith, in the story, thinking it a love-charm. Spenser here follows Ovid, Met. y. 153.

9. That erst him arm'd ; — the second ' that ' = ' that which.'

28, I. Notice the trick of the construction here. Each adjective in line 1 answers to a substantive in line 2 ; and the whole is elliptical. We have to supply (He was so) faint with heat, weary with toil, sore with wounds, &c.

29, 2. his hacke tmweeting. See; — 'behind the back of him who knew not,' &c.

3. a springing well. Sec: — this whole description comes from tl. old romance of Sir Bevis of Southampton, in which this well of healing saves Sir Bevis in his tight with the dragon.

8. it rightly hot ; — ' it was rightly named.' See Gloss. Hight.

9. The well of life ;— these points, the well, the trees of life, and of the knowledge of good and ill, are intended to indicate the allegorical meaning of the struggle, as between Holiness and the Devil'; and to shew that (in accordance with the Anglican views on grace) man by himself can- not prevail against evil. 'The well of life ' is taken from Rev. 22. I, z, whence also comes the reference to th? tree of life.

30, 6. Silo; — the Pool of Siloam. Cp. John i), 7; and lor Jvrd.ni's w aleis, J Kings 5. 14.

n A N TO XI. 213

7. tV Eiigli^b Bath; — a town in Somersetshire, which has been famous for the healing power of its waters from British times. The Romans founded a town there, built baths, and called the place Aquae Solis.

the German Span ; — a town in Belgium, not far from Li^ge, famous for the efficacy and variety of its waters. Church quotes from G. Boate's Nat. Hist, of Ireland as follows: "Fountains &c. are commonly called Spaes, a name borrowed of a certain village in the country of Liege, in which there is a spring of that sort, absolutely the principallest and the most effectual of all those of the same kind."

8. Cephise; — no healing virtue is attributed to any of the rivers of the name of Cephisus.

Hehrits;—x\\e. principal river of Thrace, not famous for medicinal virtues, but for the purity of its waters. Hor. Epist. I. 16. 3.

33, 2. That Titan rose; — 'that' here is 'in that,' and so almost = ' when." 6, 7. spy her loved knight to move, &c.; — 'could spy her knight

movhig,' &c. The infinitive is here used in a participial sense ; the con- struction follows the Latin.

34, 3. As eagle, &c.:— Spenser refers to the belief that once in ten years the eagle soars up into the region of fire (the outermost circle round earth, the lightest of the four elements), and thence swoops down into the sea, thereby clearing away all his feathers, and obtaining a fresh plumage.

5. youthly gay ; — ' gay, bright in colours of youth '

36, '2. The hardened sword signifies the 'sword of the Spirit,' strengthened by being dipped in the well of life, the fountain of all spiritual strength.

that holy ivater dew; — 'that fitting and true holy water;' alluding probably to the strength of spiritual privileges : the sword was, in fact, the sword of the Spirit ; "and the battle the battle of man, spiritually helped, against the powers of darkness. This ' holy water ' from the well of life is, then, simply allegorical of spiritual comfort and help in the struggle.

4. his baptized hands ; — hands dipped in the well of life. There can be no reference here to the tenets of the Anabaptists.

6. Else never. Sec. ; yet in stanza 20 we read that the knight wounded him.

7. in his blood embretv : — ' imbrue (itself) in his blood.'

37, 6. the bnxome aire; — 'the yielding, bending air.' Cp. Milton, P. L. 2. 842. See Gloss. Buxome.

38, 2. iharpe intended sting ; — ' sharp sting, stretched out to smite."

4. Ne living wight, &c. ; — ' nor would any one living have promised him his life,' would have believed he could have survived.

39, 3. can; — = gan. began ; or = did.

41, 4. Cerberus; — the surly three-headed dog of the infernal gods.

6. the griped gage ;— the pledge (i, e. the knight's shield) griped or held by the dragon.

42, 8. to nnty ; — 'to loosen."

43, 7. that hewd; — ' that (it) hewed.' So in stanza 4.:; ' that forst.'

8. The paw yett missed not, &c. : — ' the claw, though sundered from the dragon's body, still held fast hold on the shield ;' it did not discover its ' minished might."

214 NOTES.

44, 5. As burning Aetna: — Tasso, Gier. Lib. 4. S:, likens Satan to Aetna; and both he and Spenser probably had Virg. Aea. ^. 571 in mind.

46, I. a goodly free; — the tree of life. Cp. Gen. 2. 9 and Rev. 22. 2.

4. over all were red ; — ' were told of everywhere.'

9. the crime, &c.; — the cause, or accusation, which brought about our first father's fall. Not the eating of it, but the fear lest man should eat thereof and' live for ever. " The tree of life (of which our first father, had he continued innocent, might have eaten and lived) was a reproach to him, i. e. might be said to reproach him, for eating of the forbidden tree of know- ledge." Church. ' Crime ' in this place, as often in Spenser, is used in its Latin and more proper sense — crimen, accusation. This disposes of Warton's criticism on this passage, vol. ii. 17.

47, 6. Another like faire tree; — that of the knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2. 7.

45, 2. bnhne, &c. ; — cp. Rev. 22. 2: "The leaves of the tree for the healing of the nations."

49, 2. he was deadly made; — he was a child of death, not of life.

5. and wayes of living wight ; — imitated from Homer's (tkiSwvto Se ■Ka.iTa.1 ayviai.

.')3, 2. to have swallozvd qiiight ; — so the winged serpent in the Black Castle offers to swallow up St. George; Seven Champions, 2. 6.

9. And, hack retyrd ; — when it was drawn back (out) again it drew with it his life-blood.

;j4, I. Notice the poetic iteration. Fletcher seems (says Church) to have admired and copied it. Purple Island, c. xii. 59:

•'So up he rose upon his stretched sails, Fearlesse expecting his approaching death : So up he rose that th' aver," &c. Milton also seems to have had it in mhid when he wrote.

" Down their arms, Down fell both spear and shield, down they as fast." 55, 4. /or dread, which she misdeem'd ; — 'through fear which she mis- conceived,' lest the dragon were not really dead ; or lest in his downfall he had crushed her knight.

CANTO XII.

The wa/chvian on the walls tells to the waking city the tidings of the dragon's death; the people all come forth to see, and lead the Knight with joy to the palace. There, in spite of Duessa's false letter, and Archimago, her mes- seiiger, the Red Cross Knight and Una are solemnly betrothed with mighty rejoicitigs. Lastly, the Knight departs to fulfil his six years' service to the Faery Queene, leaving Una to await his return.

1, 3. Vere the mahie shete ; — alter the direction o( the mainsail, so as to alter the ship's conrse. Notice that Spenser, the friend of Raleigh and other seafaring heroes, who had himself been at sea, has a fresh English delij^lit in sailors' phrases,

CANTO XTI. 2 r 5

4. afore: — ahead. ", I. hnsfyjoy, and feeble ipeeJ : — eager of heart, but feeble with old age. 7. ottt of bond : — without consultation, at once.

5, 3. A7id aad habiliments, &c. ; — 'in sober-coloured clothes (as in davs of trouble) which became them well '

6, 7. a goodly band Of tall young men ; — alluding to the Queen's band of pensioners ; " Some of the handsomest and tallest voung men, of the best families and fortunes, that could be found.^' Warton.

7. all hable armes to souind; — ' all proper to bear arms ;' to clash them together ?

6, 2. hitn before themselves prostrating low ;- inverted order ; ' prostrating themselves low before him.'

7, 3- And to the maydens, &c.; — 'and sang a joyous lay in notes well in tune with the sounding timbrels of the maidens.'

8, 8. in her self-resemblance well heseene ; — ' who looking well in her resemblance to her proper self;' that is, she was a king's daughter, and so in wearing their sportive coronet, she seemed like herself — seemed, as she indeed was, a queen.

n, I. the raskall many: — Spenser was in sympathies, lineage, and asso- ciates, a ' gentleman,' and to him the shopmen and labourers of his day were but racaille, the rascal rout. ' Manv' = rout, troop; subst., not adj.

9. Ne durst, &c. : — ' they' understood from ' them ' in the line before.

10, 11. Notice the poetic relief given by these lighter stanzas, between the heavy fighting of the previous canto, and the noble gravity of the conclusion.

10, 3. Warnd him not touch ; — ' warned his comrades not to touch him. the dragon.'

11, 9. he did spread of land ; — 'over how many acres of land his body lay extended.' So the ' novem jugera ' which Enceladus covered in the shades.

13, S. of great name : — ' ot great value.'

9. fitting purpose frame : — made suitable discourse.

14. This stanza is probablv a glancing compliment to the frugality of Queen Elizabeth's court.

If), I. Then ivhen with vieates. Sec: — this from Homer's frequent avrap end noaios Kal (Sjjtvos f^ 'ipov evTO.

3. That aiincient lord. Sec; — 'the king began to find fit occasion to ask the Red Cross Knight of his adventures,' &c.

S. as is before exprest : — as has been related throughout the book.

16, 2. did passionate : — 'did express in a feeling manner; they shewed in their faces the mixed feelings of pleasure and pity. Church. See Gloss. Passionate.

17, I. that royall pere; — 'pere' is used here as a term of honour, ' a peer (or equal) of kings.'

4. That I note : — ' that 1 wot not,' know not.

praise, or pitty ; — these are verbs; the sign 'to' being omitted, as is common in Spenser.

9. devize of ease ; — 'plan rest." This verb is not usually followed bv 'of,'

!2 1 6 NOTES.

18, S. Gainst Ihnt proud paynim king: — after long chastening of the heart, and complete reception of Truth, the champion of reformation is to go on, without resting, to attack the great power of Spain.

fbat works her teene ; — ' who is plotting the harm of the English Queen.' See Gloss. Teene.

19, 7. the terme, &c.; — 'as soon as this period of six years shall end.'

20, 2. In sort as ; — ' in such sort as,' ' even as.'

5. to his dame; — 'to be his wife;' 'had her to wife' is the same construction. ' Dame ' in the sixteenth centur}- signified a married lady.

21, 5. the 77iorning slarre ; — cp. Solomon's Song 6. lO.

22, 7. tvithoutten spot or pride ; — without colour of any kind or pride of ornament or embroidery. Drawn from the Church of Christ, Rev. 19. 7- '

8. woven 7ieare ; — ' closely woven.'

23, 7. All were she; — 'although she had been.'

24, 5. Who ; — her sire, the king.

9. A messenger, &c. ; — thus the consequences of sin follow him who has given way to it, and may reappear to his confusion at an}- moment. But the knight meets them with pure truthfulness, frankly confesses his past ill-doing, and by boldly facing the evil escapes from it. The allegory pro- bably also alludes to the attempts made to call back England into obedience to the Roman See. Sixtus V, at this time Pope, was known to be very eager for the recovery of this country, and had made more than one overture to Queen Elizabeth before he blessed the Armada.

25, 1. All in the open hall, is;c. : — cp. Chaucer's Squiers Tale, v. 96.

3. his breathlesse hasty mood ; — Sidney, in his Arcadia, has a similar passage — " there came a fellow, who, being out of breath, or seeming so to be, for haste, with humble hastiness told Basilius &c."

4. his passage right ; — his way straight forward.

5. Till fast. &c.; — till he halted right before the king.

6. great himiblesse he did make; — ' he made great show of humility.'

7. whereon his foot, Sec; — the ground on which the king's fo<jt was fixed.

8. did betake; — delivered into his (the king's) hands. See Gloss. Betake.

9. he disclosing; — ' the king unfastening the letter.'

26,4. that great Empero7ir of all the West; — Duessa regards herself as heir of the Carlovingian Empire. Or Spenser by this phrase may mean only to indicate Rome.

27, 5. Witnesse the b7irni7ig altars, &c. ; — she calls to witness the altars on which sacrifices were burning (as ratification of the marriage ritesV bv which al;ars he had sworn (a Latinism, as in ' jurare Deos,' for ' jurare per Deos') ; and witness also the heavens 'guilty of his perjury, i.e. charged with the guilt of it, charged to avenge it. The Greeks swore by the altar, touching the slib {altare) as they pronounced the words of their oath. Hannibal is related, in the well-known storv, to have sworn in this manner.

7. Which though; — a Latin construction = ' n«i7 though he has often polluted them' (the heavens and the altars'). The more natural form of argu- ment would be, ' And as he has polluted them, I will all tin- more appeal to them.'

CANTO XTL 2 1

28,9. well Icj fare ; — tlie right usage of tlie infinitive. ronnerteJ witli ' farewell,' the imperative.

29, 7. mins onely sake ; — ' the .sake of me alone.'

8. aclventnrest ; — ' didst adventure,' for ' adventuredst.'

30, 3. What heavens, &c. ; — ' what (mean these) heavens V &.C., or ' what are these heavens, these altars, &c. which she invokes ?'

9. With cri7!ie doe not it cover ; — ' do not conceal it in a criminal manner.'

31.3. by grave inte?idiment ; — 'by grave attention to my words,' ' animi intentio.' The older glossaries give ' knowledge, meaning,' &c., as the sense of the word.

32, 4. royall richly dight ; — ' dressed with the richness of royalty.'

5. That easy was, &c. ; — ' that it was easy for her to dazzle,' &c.

8. Unwares me wrought; — 'turned me without my knowledge,' ' made me subject to her will.'

33, 4. pardon me. . to show; — 'give me leave to shew.' This construction with ' to pardon ' is not now used.

34, 3. unprovided scath ; — 'unforeseen hurt.' Ed. 1590 reads ' improvided.' 5. the practicke paine ; — ' the artful, well-skilled pains.'

o."!, 3. r>ad on that messenger, &c. ; — ' ordered (the retainers) to lay violent hands on the messenger.'

5. Attacht that faitor false ; — 'seized on that false vagabond.' See Gloss. Faytor.

7. As chained beare, &c. ; — bear-baiting was the favourite sport of Englishmen at this period, and down to the Commonwealth.

36, 7. the late forbidden bains; — the banns of marriage. Spenser seems to consider that tl;e word is equivalent to 'bands' or 'bonds,' as he says, iust after,

'• his daughter dear he tyde With sacred vowes," &c. Abp. Cranmer speaks of banns of marriage as being customary in 1548.- and the)' are of much higher antiquity. They are mentioned in the Sarum Manuale. Ed. 1596 spells the word 'banes.' See Gloss. Bains.

37.4. The honsling Jire ; — in Roman marriages the husband received his bride home with fire and water (types of purification, or symbols of domestic life and welcome). Perhaps the house! or hiisel, which is generally used of the Eucharist, is regarded by Spenser as derived from house, and the " hous- ling fire" as 'the sacred hearth fire.' Spenser seems here to be describing old Roman rather than Christian marriage rites.

6. the bushy teade ; — the nuptial torch, which preceded the bride on her way to the bridegroom's house (the SaSes vvfjKpiicai of Aristoph. Pax. 1 318). Bushy, perhaps because made of pinewood (?).

7. sacred lamp ; — this custom seems to be invented by Spenser in this connection. The ever-burning lamp was usually lighted before some sacred shrine, not in the bridal chamber.

9. Inirnen ; — notice again the old form of the inf. verb.

38,1. spritichle all the posts with wine; — ' postes aspergere vino.' So Claud., de Nupt. Honorii et Maiiac. ioy, has " pars nectariis adspergerc tecta Kontibus," &c.

2 I 8 NOTES.

3. They all per/iimile ;—' they (being) all perfumed.' taken absolutely. \. did sweat ivith great aray ; — ' the whole house was hot and busy wuh much preparation.' Or ' sweat' refers to rich odours.

39,5. their trinall triplicities ; — the angels, according to the scholastic conceptions, were arranged in triads and nines. These conceptions are drawn from the pseudo-Dionysius, whose book on the Celestial Hierarchy furnished St. Thomas Aquinas with this arrangement.

I. 2. .3-

1. Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones,

2. Dominations, Virtues, Powers.

3. Principalities. Archangels. Angels.

These threefold three orders corresponded also to the nine spheres of the universe, each sphere being moved by one order. Dante often alludes to this, e.specially in the Paradiso, c. 28. So Tasso. Gier. Lib. 18. 96; and Milton. P. L.'5. 748:

"Seraphim and Potentates and Thrones In their triple degrees." 6. heavenly sweet; — 'sweetness.' 'Sweet' is here used as the Latin and Greek neut. adj. is used.

41, 9. Una left to monrne ;— type of the Church militant here below.

42, 6. tackles spent ;—' her worn-out tackling or rigging."

GLOSSARY.

List of Books cited, with explanation of references.

AS. Diet. : A Concise Anylo-Saxon Diet., by J. R. Clark Hall. 1894. Bible Gloss. : A Select Glossary of Bible Words, by A. L. Mayhew.

i8qo. Chanson de Roland : ed. Gautier. 18S1.

Chaucer: Student's Chaucer, ed. Skeat. Clarendon Press, 1895. Chron.: Two Saxon Chronicles, ed. Earle. 1S65. Cotgrave: French and English Diet. 161 1. Diez : Etym. Worterbuch. 1878. Dueange: Glossarium, ed. Henschel. 1883 flf. Florio : Italian and English Diet. 161 1. Gloss. II : Glossary toFaery Queene, Book II. 1895. Halliwell: Diet, of Archaic and Provincial Words. 1874. HD. : Etym. French Diet, by Hatzfeld and Darmesteter. 1891 ff. Heliand : ed. Heyne. 1873.

Icel. Diet. : Icelandic Diet, by G. Vigfusson. Clarendon Press, 1S74. Jamieson : Abridged Scottish Diet. 1867. Johnson: English Diet. i75.s. Kluge : Etym. German Diet. 1894. Mayhew : Old English Phonology. 1893.

ME. Diet.: Concise Diet, of Middle linglish. Clarendon Press, 1SS8. Minsheu: Spanish and English Diet. 1623. More's Utopia : translated by Robynson, ed. Lumby. 1879. Nares: Glossary, ed. Halliwell and Wright. 1876. NED. : New English Dictionary, ed. Murray and Bradley. 1884 ff Palsgrave : L'Esclaircissement de la Langue fran9aise. 1530. P. Plowman: ed. Skeat. Clarendon Press, 1886. Prompt. : Promptorium Parvulorum, ed. Mayhew. E.E.T.S. 1895. Richardson : English Diet. 1867. Schmidt: Shakespeare Lexicon. iS74' Skeat: Etym. Diet, of the English Language. 1884. Spenser: Complete Works, ed. Morris. 1879. Stratmann: Middle English Diet. ed. Bradley. 1891. Trench: Select CHossary, ed. Mayhew. 1895. Upton : Spenser's Faerie Queene, with notes. 1 758. Wvclvffe N. T. : New Testament ? 1 ci ^ Wyclyffe O. T. : Old Testament \ ^"- ^^''^^-

220

GLOSSAR Y.

Abbreviations (Languages).

Dan. = Danish. Du. = Dutch.

E. = English;

ME. = Middle English. 0E. = Old English.

F. = French.

AF. = Anglo-French. OF. = Old French.

G. = German.

MHG. = Middle High German. OHG. = 01d High German. Go. = Gothic.

Gr. = Greek. Icel. = Icelandic. It. = Italian. Lat. = Latin.

MLat. = Medieval Latin.

PLat. = Popular Latin. S. = Saxon.

C'S. =■ Old Saxon (Heliand). Scol. = Lowland Scottish (Jamie

son). Sp. —Spanish. Sw. = Swedish.

Note. — The semicolon stop ' ; ' between forms of words cited is to be read: 'precisely equivalent to.' The abbreviation 'cp.' is used to introduce cognate forms, i.e. forms derived from the same root as the word under discussion.

A.

Abide, v. 17, to attend on, as a

physician his patient. About, i. 1 1 , out of ; OE. dbiitan

for onbi'dan = on-be-iitan, on by

the outside. Abouts, ix. 36,

around. Accord, X. 50; xii. 15, to grant;

OF. acot'der, to agree ; MLat.

accordare, to bring to terms

(Ducange), from Lat. ad +

cord-, stem of cor, the heart. A.cquite, viii. i, to release; F.

acquit er (Cotgrave) ; MLat.

acquietare, which is from quietus,

discharged free. Acquit, vii.

52, released. Address, ii. 1 1, to prepare, clothe,

arm; x. 11, to direct; OF.

adresser, adrecier ; PLat. ad- drictiare from drictus, Lat. directus, straight, just.

Afflicted, Introd. 4, low, humble ; the verb to afflict is from Lat. afflictus, dashed to the ground ;

. pp. oi affligcre.

Affronted, to be, viii. 13, to be confronted, encountered, op- posed; OF. af ranter; MLat. affrontare, from Lat. ad -ir front-, stem oifrons, the forehead.

Afore, x. 49, in front; OE. on- foran.

Aghast, ix. 21, struck with horror Rightly spelt agast, which is the common form of the pp. of the ME. agasten, to terrify. Agas- ten is from OE. intensive prefix i ( = G. erA, and gxstan, to terrify, torment.

GLOSSARY.

221

Agraste, x. i8, shewed grace and favour ; pret. of the verb aggrace (Gloss. 11) ; It. aggrazidre.

Albe, V. 45, although ; al bio, (qnamvis) occurs in the Aiicreii Riwle (a. u. 1220) ; the a/ pre- fixed shews the completeness of the concession made ; we have still albeit.

Alight, is, iii. 20, is lighted upon ; OE. dlihtan to spring lightly down from a horse (NED.). In xii. 25 the verb alight occurs in the sense of halting in a hasty course.

All, X. 47 ; xii. 23, although; see albe.

Aloof, xi. .5, away, at a distance; the prefix a- stands for on- ; aloof, (for on loof ) had orig. the same sense as the equivalent Du. phrase te loef, i. e. to wind- ward. Hence to hold aloof is literally to keep the ship to windward, to prevent it from drifting on to the leeward object, by keeping the head of the ship away. The Du. loef is cognate with our luff. See NED. (s. v. aloof).

Als, ix. 18, also ; one of the spell- ings of OE. ea/jwa, which means both 'just so' and 'just as,' and is represented in mod. Eng. both by also and as.

Amate, ix. 45, to daunt, subdue; OF. amatir, from fiiat, weak, dull. The OF. mat was orig. a chess term, like our mate in chcck-tnate, which represents the Pers. shdh mat, ' the King is dead.' yl/rf/ is of Semitic origin, from the Arab, mdta, he died.

Amis, iv. 18, amice, a priestly vestment ; OF. amis. In Cot- grave we find ¥. ' amict, an amict, or amice ; part of a massing priest's habit ' ; Lat. amict us.

Amount, ix. 54, to amount up, ascend ; OF", amontcr, from amont, ' uphill ' ; Lat. adtnonteni, to a mountain.

Amove, iv. 45 ; viii. 21 ; ix. iS, to move; OF. amovcr, amouvoir; Lat. admovere, to move to; apparently confounded to some extent with OF. esmovtr; Lat. exmovere.

Andvile, xi. 42, anvil; OE. an filti.

Annoy, i. 22, 41, to vex, trouble ; vi. 17, subst. annoyance, vexa- tion, chagrin : annoy is the OF. and, ettui (mod. ennui\ Sp. enojo. Old It. inodio, from Lat. in odio, lit. in hatred, which was used in the phrase est mihi in odio, lit. it is to me in hatred, i.e. 1 am sick and tired of (Diez) ; see NED. (s. v.).

Appease, iii. 29, pacify, quiet ; OF. apaisier, from OF. a pais — Lat. ad -vpacem, to peace.

Apply, X. 46, attend to. ' Ne otherworldly busines did apply' may mean 'nor did apply him- self to other business.' But per- haps in this passage apply, like the Lat. applicare, may mean ' to add, join ' ; ' nor did he add any other business.'

Arber, vi. 7, a bower made of branches of trees ; ME. herber {erber), a garden of herbs, an orchard, a bower; OF. herbier {erbier) ; Lat. herbarium, a col- lection of herbs. This word is not connected with harbour. The Lat. arbor, a tree, has possibly exercised an influence on the present form of the word — arbour.

Aread, viii. 31, 33; ix. 6, 23; x. 51, 64, to interpret, explain, tell ; xii. 28, to advise : ared, pp. x. 1 7 ; ME. aredeut to explain ; OE. drxdan. Cp. read.

222

GLOSSARY.

Arise, vi, 32, to rise out of; OE. drtsan.

Arras, iv. 6, viii. 35, tapestry ; so named from Arras, in Artois.

Aslake, iii. 36, to abate the fury of ; lit. to slacken, to make slow ; ME. aslaken ; OE. aslacian, from sitae, slack, slow.

Assay, ii. 13, proved value; OF. assai, a trial, from Lat. exagium, a weighing, a trial of exact weight; Gr. hia-^iov, a weighing; see Diez ^s. v. saggio). Hence to assay, ii. 24; iv. 8; viii. 2 ; xi. 32, to try, attempt.

Assoiled, x. 52, absolved. The form assoile is due to AF. assoiler, also assoldre. Chanson de Roland, 1 133, " asoldrai vus,' I will give you absolution ; Lat. absolvere.

Astond, ii. 31 (astonied, vi. 9 ; astound, ix. 35), astonished, amazed; ME. astonien ; OF. esioner ; PLat. extonare, to stupefy as with a thunderbolt.

Aswaged, iii. 5, grew mild (neut.); OF. asuager, to soften ; Prov. asuaviar ; Lat. ad+suavis.

Atchieve, v. i, to accomplish; OF. achever, achiever, formed from the phrase vetttr a chef {chief), Lat. ad caput venire, to come to an end.

Attach, xii. 35, to seize, arrest; ME. attachen, to arrest, much in use as a law term. To attach is lit. to fasten with a tack or small nail. See Diez i^s. v. tacco).

Attaint, vii. 34, to obscure, dis- colour; Cp. F. teindre, Lat, iingere.

Avale, i. 21, to fall, sink; OF. avaler, to descend, from aval, Lat. ad vallem. Hence the Alpine word avalanche, a de- scent of snow into the valley.

Bains, xii. 36, banns (of marriage), usually spelt banes to 1661 ; see NED. (s. V.) ; OF. ban, OE. ge- bann, a proclamation. Hence Bandit (It. banditd), a robber, lit. a proclaimed (outlaw .

Baite, i. 32, to feed, refresh ; lit. to make to bite ; Icel. heita, to make to bite, the causal of bifa, to bite. To bait a bear (a phrase occurring in Havelok, A. D. 1 280) is to make the dogs bite him. To bait a horse is to make him eat.

Bale, viii. 14, mischief, trouble; vii. 28, 39; ix. 16, 29, grief, sorrow ; ME. bale (Chaucer) ; OE. bealu, disaster, destruction.

Bard, v. 3, a poet. A Celtic word. Wei. Bardd, It. Bard.

Bastard, vi. 24, mean, lowborn ; OF. bastard. ' Wyllam bast- ard,'' a nickname of William the Conqueror. For origin of word, see NED. (s. v.). For suffix -ara' see hagard.

Battailous, v. 2, tit for liattle.

Gloss, n.

Bauldrick, vii. 29, baldric, belt ; ME. bawdrik, baudric i^Chaucer) came to us through the French baldric (haud7-e) from the OHG. balderich. Cp. also MLat. baldringus (Ducange). Bal- derich is a deriv. of OHG. bah {palz) ; cp. Icel. belli.

Baye, vii, 3, to bathe ; see em- bay e.

Bead, i. 30, a prayer ; this is the original sense of ' bead' ; a per- forated ball was afterwards called ' a bead,' because used for count- ing prayers. OE. bed {gebed, cp. G. gebel^. a prayer, is con- nected with the verb biddati, to pray; see bid.

Become, x. i(>, gone to, arrived.

GLOSSARY.

223

OE. hecuman. Became, x. 66,

suited; a later developed mean- ing of the same becuman.

Bed, ix. 41, bid.

Bedight, xii. 21, dressed, adorned; see dight.

Beheast, iv. 18, behest com- mand ; de- prefix, and hest. Hest with final t excrescent, as in agains-t, amongs-t, is OE. hxs, a command, which is from hdtan, to command; see May- hew's Old English Phonology,

§469-

Behight, x. 64, name, pronounce ; X. 50, pp. entrusted ; behot, xi. 38, pp. promised ; ME. bihdten, to promise ; OE. behatan. See Stratmann (s. v. bihateti). See hight (2\

Beseem, viii. 32, to be becoming; ' Becemyn, decet.' (Prompt.).

Beseene, xii. 5, ' well beseene^ well to look at ; • I am besene, I am well or y veil apareylled ' (Palsgrave) ; cp. OE. {ge)sine. (ge)sie>te.

Bespeak, ii. 32, speak; ME. bi- spcken ; OE. btsprecaii. Used in this sense five times in Milton's Poems ; see Concordance.

Bestedd, i. 24, situated, circum- stanced; generally 'ill bestead.' Apparently of Scandinavian origin. Cp. Dan. vare ilde bestedt, to be ill bestead, to be badly off. ON. sta^r, a place; AS. stxti ; Eng. stead (as in home- stead) ; see sted.

Bet, iii. 19, did beat.

Betake, xii. 25, entrust, deliver, hand over to ; this is the ordinary meaning in ME. Cp. ' Ich bi- take min soule God' =1 commit my soul to God. Rob. of Glouc. p. 475 (NED.). In v. 28 ; ix. 44 the word stands for ■ to betake (oneself).' It is from ME. prefix be- or bi-, and ME.

taken, which is a Scandinavian word from Icel. taka, to take, deliver.

Bethinks, vi. 16, to think on, consider ; ME. bithinken, OE. bithencan.

Bethrall, viii. 28, to take captive, imprison ; see thrall.

Bever, vii. 31, beaver, the part of the helmet which, when let down, covered the face ; F. baviere. Cp. Cotgrave i^s. v.), ' Baviere d'un arviet, the beaver of a helmet ' . . . ' Baviire, a bib,' from 'Save, slaver, drivell at the mouth.'

Bewaile, vi. i. 'Very singularly used by Spenser ; apparently for to cause, or compass ' (Nares, s. v.). See NED.

Bewray, iv. 39, to disclose ; prop, to accuse ; in A. V. Matt. xxvi. 73, ' thy speech be'wrayeth thee ' (so Tyndale, a.d. 1526). From OE. zvregati ; ' agunnon hine wj-dgan,' they began to accuse him, Luke xxiii. 2. Cp. OHG. rtiagen (Otfrid).

Bid, i. 30, to pray ; OE. biddav, to pray; cp. G. bitten. This word is nearly obsolete, but we still speak of ' a bidding prayer.' See bead.

Bilive, V. 32 ; bylive, ix. 4, also written blive, forthwith, quick- ly; ME. bilive, quickly; AS. bi life, with life. See NED. (s. v. be live).

Blame, ii. 18, injury, hurt; so in Book III. i. 9. The Eng. verb blame is from OF. blasmer ; Lat. blasphemare, used in the sense ' to blame ' by Gregory of Tours, from Gr. PKaacpij/xeiv, to speak ill of any one.

Blaze, xi. 7, to spread far and wide, to proclaim; so Mark 1. 45 (A.V.\' Began to />/(7.r^ abroad the matter ' ; see Bible Gloss.

224

GLOSSARY.

ME. blasen is used by Chancer, House of Fame, iii. 711, to ex- press the loud sounding of a trumpet. Cp. Icel. blasa, to blow (a trumpet).

Bless, vii. 12 ; ix. 28, to preserve, deliver; v. 6 ; viii. 22, to bran- dish. Dr. Johnson thought this latter sense was derived from the action used in benediction. See Nares' Glossary (s. v.). OE. Hitsian is a derivation from Hood, representing a primitive form blodisSn, to redden (the altar) with blood. See NED.

Blot, X. 27, a blemish ; ME. blot.

Blubbred, vi. 9, swollen with weeping ; ME. blub} en. Pals- grave has : ' I blober, I wepe, je pleure.' Cp. Fuller, Church Hist. I. V. 22, ' the face of the Church was so blubbered with teares, that she may seem almost to have wept her eyes out.'

Blunt, X, 47, dim, used of eye- sight, ' eyen both blunt and bad ; ' ME. blunt, dull, stupid, obtuse.

Booteth. iii. 20, 40, ' him booteth^ ' her booteth^ it profits, avails him (,her). The verb is used as an impersonal. ME. boten, to profit, is from bote, boote, AS. bit, advantage, remedy.

Bootlesse, v. 33, without avail ; Der. from boot, AS. bSt.

Best, iii. 24, vain-glory ; ME. bost, boost, a boast (Chaucer).

Boiightes, i. 15; xi. 11, bends, folds (of a serpent's coils) ; a form related to bight; Dan. bugt, ' a bend, turn, also a gulf, bay, bight (hence the Bight of Benin) ; cp. Icel. bugda, a ser- pent's coil ; bugr, a bowing, bend, bight.

Bounch, ii. 11, a bunch, cluster; ' bounches of the camels,' Isa. XXX. 6 in the Geneva version; see Bible Gloss. ; ME. bunche.

Bound, X. 67, to lead (of a way or path). To bound is probably equivalent to the Scottish boun, bown used in the sense of to go, to direct one's course to a certain place. (See Jamieson.) Cp. also Skeat (s. v. bctind 3).

Bouzingcan, iv. 22, a drinking vessel ; the word to boitze, to drink deeply, is Dutch, cp. Middle Dutch busen ; see NED.

Bowre, viii. 5, 29, a chamber, a lady's apartment, as opposed to ' hall ' where all assemble. From OE. biir, a chamber, which is from btian, to dwell. The Low- land Scottish byre, a cow-house, is related.

Bowrs, viii. 41, muscles (of the shoulder) ; bower means here ' that which causes to bead,' and so— a muscle ; from the verb 'to bow ' + -cr; so NED.

Boystrous, viii. 10, rough, nide (as applied to a club) ; ME. boistous (Chaucer) ; buystous. Matt. ix. 16 (Wyclyffe) 'a clout of buystous clothe,' i.e. cloth raw, unwrought, not smoothed. The form with r first appears in Caxton's Chesse, III. i. i

Brand, iii. 42, a sword ; ME. | brand (ME. Diet.) ; OE. brand, \ a sword, fire-brand ; cp. OF. 1 brant, a sword-blade. Chanson de Roland, 1067. The word is derived from the base which gives OE. brinnan, to burn. See Skeat i,s.v.j.

Bras, X. 40, money; cp. Lat. ac% which means both brass and money.

Brast, viii. 4, burst (pret.) ; v. 31 ; ix. 21 (pp). Cp. Icel. bresta, burst.

Brave, x. 42, fair, beautiful ; the derivation of brave' is not quite certain. The word brave does not appear in I'^reiich, Gorm.Tn,

GLOSSARY.

225

or English literature befoie the latter part of the i6th cent., and seems to be borrowed from the Italian bi-avo. In Olt. bravo occurs in the sense of violent, untamed, uncultivated, as uiide brave, stormy waves, bue brado (= bravo), a young, untamed ox (so LLat. braviis bos) ; so in Port, uva brava, a wild grape. Hence the meaning brave in battle, and lastly, smart, dapper, showy. See Diez, p. 64. The word has been identified by Cornu, Romania, xiii. no, with Lat. harbarus \ so HD.

Brawned, viii. 41, brawny, mus- cular; MPl braun. muscle (Chaucer\ From OF. braon, the calf of the leg ; Prov. bradon, words connected with OHG. brdto (ace. brdtoji), a piece of flesh (for roasting). Cp. G. braten, to roast, broil.

Bray, iii. 23; vi. 7; viii. 11 ; xi. 26, to cry out suddenly ; OF. braire; cp. Diez (s.v.), where it is shewn that the word to bray could be used of the note of the nightingale, ' lo rossinhols brai.'

Breares, x. 35, briars; ME. b/ae (Chaucer), 0\\. brxr, br^r.

Brent, ix. 10 ; xi. 28, burnt. See brand.

Erode, iv. 16, abroad, far and wide; OE. brad, broad.

Brond, iv. 33 ; viii 21, brand, a burning piece of wood. See brand.

Buffe, ii. 17; xi. 24, a blow ; OF. btife ; see NED.

Bugle, viii. 3, a wild ox ; so in Sir John Maundeville (NED.) ; see ME. Diet.; OF. bugle; Lat. buculus, a young ox, a dimin. of I.at. bos. At Fareham in Hamp- shire and at Newport in the Isle of Wight there is a ' Bugle Inn,' exhibiting the sign of an Ox.

Bugle in the sense of ' horn ' is an abbreviation of bugle-horn (Chaucer).

Bulwarke, viii. 12, a rampart ; cp. G. bollwerk ; MHG. boleweic, whence OF. bollciuerqtie, now boulevard \ see HD.

Buxome, xi. 37, yielding (of tlie air). This is the original sense, which is retained by Milton in his ' winnowing the buxom air,' P.L. ii. 842. Ancren Kiwle, p. 356, buhsum, obedient; the stem is btig-, Cp. OE. biigan, to bow, bend (^see boughtes) ; with the suffix -sum, same, like, as in winsome.

Call, viii. 46, a caul, net, covering, especially for the head ; ME. calle (Chaucer); F. ' cale, akinde of little cap' (Cotgra- e). Cp. Is. iii. 18 (A. v.), ' their ^aw/y and their round tires like the moon ; ' see Bible Gloss.

Can, iv. 46, gan , began ; for exx. see Halliwell, andlNED. Gloss. II.

Canapee, v. 5, a covering over- head ; Spenser's spelling is due to the F. canape which is from the It. canopi. But an older F. form is conopde (Cotgrave), from Lat. conopeum, used in the Vul- gate ; Gr. KCtivaineiov, an Egyp- tian couch with mosquito-cur- tains (Septuagint) — from k6jvoj\(/, a gnat, mosquito ; see NED.

Canon, vii. 37, 'canon bitt,' a smooth round bit (for horses) ; cp. F. canon, 'a canon bitt for a horse ' (Cotgrave) ; also Sp. cafiones, bits of a horse's bridle. Lat. canon, Gr.ieavwv, a straiglit, hollow rod ; cp. Gr. Kavvq, a cane, a reed.

Careless, i. 41 ; ii. 45 : free from care ; like Lat. sectirtis.

226

GLOSSARY.

Carke, i. 44, care, sorrow, grief; ca)'ke is also used as a verb, so in More's Utopia, p. 107, ' nature doth carke and care for hym onlye.' In Lowl. Scottish occurs cark, a load, a burden (Jamie- son), a word used by the author of the Cursor Mundi, who was a Yorkshireman and wrote AD. 1290, to render the foreign ' charge ' ; see ME. Diet, and NED. The fact is cark and charge are two forms of the same word. See Diez, p. 89, and notice that Prov. carc^^Y. charge.

Carle, ix. 54, churl ; the North- country word instead of churl ( = A.S. ceorl), representing Icel. karl. Karl means (i) a man, opposed to a woman ; (2) in a political sense, the common folk, opposed to great folk, to jarl, as A.S. ceorl to eorl, churl to earl ; (3) a servant ; (4) a term of contempt or familiarity, like our ' fellow ' ; (5) an old man ; see Icel. Diet. (s.v.). In the Lowl. Scottish all these senses of the word are to be found, see Jamieson (s.v. carl). From this carl in sense of ' agri- cola ' we get the name of the constellation oiCharless Wain, carles-wain = Septemtrio in the Manual of Astronomy A.D. 1000; see the Boswoilh-Toller Diet.

Cast, X. 2 ; xi. 28, to intend, re- solve, purpose, plan ; so in Tre- visa's Higden, Rolls Ser. No. 41 , iii. 43. Cast is a Scandinavian word. See Icel. Diet. [%.\. kasta) and NED.; see kest.

Caytivo, v. 45; viii. 32 ; ix. 11 ; captive ; this is the original sense of the word, the OF. cait if being the same word as the Lat. cap- tivuSyS. prisoner, which in PLat. was used in the sense of ' mean,

poor-looking.' See NED. (s.v. caitif).

Centonell, ix. 41, sentinel ; F. seiitinelle ; It. sentitiella (FIo- rio).

Champion, vi. 36 ; xii. 12, a war- rior in behalf of any one ; from the MLat. campionem, a com- batant in a duel, from campus, combat, a duel, a peculiar use of Lat. campus, a field, especially a field of battle. In very early use in the Romance and Teutonic languages; OF. catnpiiin (Chan- son de Roland, 2.!44) ; cp. OE. cetnpa; OHG. champhio; Icel. kappi.

Chappell, X. 46, a sanctuary; OF. chapele, capele (Chanson de Roland, 2917); MLat. ca- pella, said to have been originally the name of the sanctuary in which was preserved the cappa or cope of St Martin ; see Ducange (s.v.)

Chaufe, Chauflfed, iii. 33, 42 ; vii. 21, to chafe, warm by fric- tion, vex ; OF. chatifer to warm. Gloss. II.

Chaunticlere, ii. i, the cock. ' Chauntecler ' is the name of the cock in the famous romance, The History of Reynard the Fox.

Chaw, iv. 30, jaw ; cp. chazve in chaivebone, 'niachouere' (Pals- grave). ' I wyll put an hooke in thy chawes,' Fzek. xxix. 4 (Bible 1 551). See Nares {s.\.), and Bible Gloss.

Chsare, ii. 27, 42, face. OF. chere, chiere (Chanson de Ro- land, 3645), PLat. cara, a face; probably from Gr. Kapa., a head.

Cleene, ix. 4, clear, pure, bright ; so OE. clsene.

Corabrous, i. 23, troublesome, hindering (of gnats') ; from the verb to cumber; OF. combrer.

GLOSS A FY.

227

to hinder, from MLat. combrus, a heap (I)ucange).

Commonly, x. 56, mutually.

Compare, iv. 28, to collect, pro- cure, get ; a common meaning of the Lat. comparare.

Compel, i. 5, to call to aid ; Lat. compdla7-e.

Convaid, ii. 24, carried away ; OF. conveier, C07ivoier, from PLat. conviare, to accompany on the way (fon + vid) ; see NED. (s.v. convey).

Corage, ii. 35, courage ; OF. corage, formed with the suffix -age (answering to the Lat. ati- cuni) from cor, cuer ( = Lat. cor) , the heart.

Corse, iii. 42; iv. 22 ; v. 31 ; vii. 15, body; corse (OF. cars), a variant of corpse (OF. corps, Lat. corpus).

Couch, ii. 15, to set, to lay (the spear in the rest) ; so Milton, P.L. ii. 536. Couched, xi. 9, laid in place (of armour plates). The word frequen tly applied to artists' work (Halliwell, s.v.) ; OF. colcher, to place ; Lat. collocare, to place together.

Counterfesaunce, viii. 49, a counterfeiting; from F. contre- faire.

Courser, ii. 14, a swift or spirited horse ; a French word : ' Cour- sier, a Tilting-horse, or horse for the careere ' (Cotgrave) ; cogn. with course, Lat. cursus, currere.

Court, vii. 38, courteous attention; a French word. ' C^i<rA the court- ing or wooing of a wench ' (Cot- grave).

Covetise, iv. 29, covetousness ; OF. covoitise; PLat. cupidi- titia ; see NED.

Coy, ii. 27, quiet, reserved, shy; a French word. Cp. Cotgrave : ' Coy, quiet, still, peaceable,

Q

husht,' and ' Quoy, quiet, calm, &c. ;' OY.coi; FLat. i^ueiu- ; Lat. quietus.

Crew, iv. 15 ; viii. 50, a company of people ; a dignified word in Spenser, 'that fair crew of knights ; ' often found in Milton, but always (with one exception, L'Al. 38) of an evil assembly, mostly of the ' damned crew,' the devil and his angels. The word is of French origin ; cp. OF. acreue, growth, increase.

Croslet, vi. 36, a little cross ; dimin. of ME. cros, Icel. kross; see NED. (s.v. cross).

Cruddy, v. 29, curdled; 'a fewe cruddes (curds) and creem ;' P. Plowman. The word is perhaps Celtic, cp. Ir. cruth, curds; so Malzner.

Crudled (cold), vii. 6; ix. 52, curdled, frozen ; see cruddy.

Cuff, ii. 17, a blow ; from the verb to cuff, which properly means ' to strike ' with the open hand. Cp. Swed. kuffa, to thrust ; see NED.

Cure, V. 44, charge ; cp. the phrase ' a cure of souls.' OF. cure, from Lat. cura.

D.

Daint, x. 2, Dainty, ii. 27; iii. 4; iv. 44, dainty, fine, valuable ; used as an adj. but properly a sb. ; OF. daintie, agreeableness, from Lat. dignitatem. In the Chanson de Roland, 45 , deintiet means dignity, honour. See NED.

Dalliaunce, ii. 14, trifling, idle talk; ME. ^i7/za««<r« (Prompt.) ; AF. daliaunce, from dalier (glossary to Bozon).

Damnify, xi. 52, to damage, in- jure ; OF. dainnijier; LLat. dam- nificare (in the Itala version).

228

GLOSS AR Y.

Damsell, vi. 48, maiden ; OF. damoisele ; PLat. dominicella, a double dimin. of Lat. domina, fem. of dominus, a lord.

Darrayne, iv. 40; vii. 11, to pre- pare, get ready (battle) ; so in Shakespeare, 3 Hen. VI, ii. 2, ' darraign your battle.' In Chau- cer CT., 1 63 1, to 'darrayne the batayle ' is used in the sense of fighting out the battle, bringing it to a decisive issue. It is really a law term, representing AF. darreiner, dereiner, OF. desresnier. MLat. disrationare (Ducange), to answer to an ac- cusation, to exculpate oneself. One mode of doing this was by combat, hence the frequent con- nexion of darrayne with battle.

Date, ix. 45, assigned term of life ; PLat. data, a date, from Lat. data, neut. pi. of datus, given. In Latin datutn was used to mark the time and place of writing, as in datum RomcE, given (i.e. writ- ten) at Rome.

Daunger, viii. 12, to endanger; from OF. dangier, dongier = PLat. dominiariu/n (from domi- nium), the absolute authority of a feudal lord; so NED. A 'fief de danger^ was a fief held under strict and severe feudal conditions, and therefore in fl'a;/- ^i?>- of being forfeited (juri stricto atque adeo confiscationi obnox- ium ; Ducange).

Deare, vii. 48, hurt, injury ; OE. daru; see ME. Diet. (s.v. det-e).

Deaw-burning, xi. 35, glittering with dew ; the blade was bright with the holy dew in which it had been dipped (so Upton).

Debonaire, ii. 23, gracious, cour- teous ; OF. de ban aire, so in the Chanson de Roland, 2252 ; ' E ! gentilzhum, chevaliers de ton aire.' See HD.

Defeasaunce, xii. 12, defeat; AF. defesannce \ F. desfaire (Cot- grave).

Defray, v. 42, to pay the costs (exacted by the wrath of Jove) ; F. defrayer (Cotgrave% from frais, expense ; PLat. fredtan ; OWG.fridu, peace; see HD.

Derive, iii. 2, to drav/ away, trans- fer, from the right to the wrong channel ; the proper meaning of Lat. derivare.

Derth, ii. 27, high value; Derthe is the ME. form of dearth, and is from OE. diore, dear, expen- sive.

Despight, viii. 45 ; ix. 11 ; xi, 17, spite, malice ; F. despit (Cot- grave) ; Lat. despectus, con- tempt.

Devoyd, ix. 15, quite void, empty ; ME. devoid'va. Rom. of the Rose, 4312; AF. voide; see Bible Gloss.

Diamond, ix. 19, adamant, the hardest metal, probably steel, which is the ordinary meaning of the Lat. adamas, Gr. dSa^ias (lit. the unconquerable). Diamond, F. diamant, is a popular form of adamant. See Trench (s.v, diamond) .

Die, ix. 38, to lose life; ME, deyen ; OE. dlegan (not found), cp. Icel. doyja. from a primitive daujaii ; see Napier, Holy Rood- tree, p. 38 (EE.T.S. No. 103).

Dight, iv. 14; vii. 8; ix. 13; xi, 52, to arrange, dress, deck, xi. 9; xii. 6, 23, 32, pp. adorned ; OE. dihtan, to set in order, from Lat. dictare, to prescribe.

Disaventurous, vii. 48, unfortu- nate.

Disclose, xii, 25, to unfold (a letter) ; \\ie.vtxb disclose is formed from pp. desclos of the OF. des- clorre. to unclose ; -clorre is from Lat. claudere, to shut.

GLOSSARY.

229

Disease, xi. 38, to deprive of ease, to distress ; from the sb. disease, OF. desaise.

D Ismail, ix. 30, gloomy, sad. Origin of word unknown ; but see Skeat's note on line 1 206 of The Book of the Duchesse (Chaucer). See Gloss. II.

Dismay, iv. 4, to terrify ; cp. Ital. smagare, formerly dismagare, to lose courage. Florio gives dis- magare, and assigns to it also the active sense ' to quell,' i.e. to dis- may. Both dismay and disma- gare are hybrid words, formed, with Lat. prefix dis-, from the OHG. magan, to have might. Cp. OF. csmaier (^=ex ^ magan) to terrify. Chanson de Roland, 2213 ; see Diez (s.v. smagare).

Dispence, iii. 30, to pay for, make up for; OF. dcspenser; Lat. dispensare, intens. form of dis- petidere, to weigh out.

Dispiteous, ii. 15, cruel; see des- pight.

Disple, X. 27, to discipline ; Disple is a contraction ol disciple, in the folio (16 1 6) ^xxaXt^ disc pie \ see Nares (s.v.). The word is used here with reference to penitential scourgings. So in monastic Latin disciplina = (i) a penitential whipping, (2) the instrument of punishment itself; see Ducange (s.v.). In the Chanson de Ro- land, 1929, discipline is used in the pregnant sense of severe chastisement (in battle).

Disport, ii. 14, sport; Chaucer, CT. 775. The verb to disport is from OF. se desporter, to amuse oneself, lit. to carry (Lat. por- tar') oneself from one's work, to give over work, and seek amuse- ment.

Disseized, xi. 20, dispossessed of; F. ' se dessaisir de, to disseise, dispossesse himselfe of (Cot-

grave). This is a compound from saisir (,Eng. seize), a word found frequently in the Chanson de Roland, and derived from PLat. sacire, which is the OHG. sazjan, to set, place, G. setzen (cp. besetzen, to possess) ; cp. It. saglre, to put into possession (Florio) ; see Diez, p. 279.

Dissolute, vii. 51, weak, with nerves unstiung ; Lat. dissolutus.

Dite, viii. 18, 'club aloft he d^zV^J,' i.e. prepares, so as to smite. One of the spellings of Dight (q-v.).

Ditty, X. 55, a subject for song; OF. ditie : Lat. dictatum.

Divide, v. 17, a musical technical term : to run a simple strain into a great variety of shorter notes to the same modulation ; see Nares (s.v.). Cp. Shakespeare's use of division : ' some say the lark makes sweet division,' R. and J. iii. 5 (Schmidt).

Divorced, iii. 2, separated by force ; the sb. divorce is F., from Lat. divortium, from divortere (divertere).

Do, vii. 14, 'to </i3 to dye;' viii. 45, ' to do her die,' to make to die ; see Nares (s.v.\ In x. 33, ' well to donned This is an interesting instance of the OE gerund in -nne. The OE. infinitive was don, not donne.

Doted, viii. 34, foolish; ME. dotien (Stratmann) ; an Old Low German word, cp. ODu. doten, to dote. Cp. OF. {re)doter, found in the Chanson de Ro- land, 905 ; F. radoter. For this use of the pp. doted, cp. Piers the Plowman, Clar. Pr. ed. p. 13, ' Thow doted daffe.'

Doubt, vi. I, fear; ME. douten is used commonly in the sense of 'to fear'; OF, douter; Lat. dubitare, to be of two minds, MLat.to fear, see Ducange (s.v.)

230

GLOSSARY.

Doughty, xi. 5 2 , xii. 6, able, strong, valiant; M.E.dujti; O'E.dyhtig; from dugan, to be strong.

Dreed, vi. 2, 'Una his deare dreed, ^ his precious object of reverence ; from ME. dreden; OIL. dr sedan.

Drere, viii. 40, sorrow, dreadful force ; drery, v. 30, gloomy ; vi. 45, dripping with blood ; dreri- mentjii. 44; xi. 32, sorrow. OE. driorig, bloody, gory, then, sad, from dreor, gore, blood.

Dress, ix. 54, to arrange ; see ad- dress.

Drift, viii. 22, impetus; from the verb to drive.

Droome, ix. 41, drum.

Dry dropsie, iv. 23, ' a dry dropsie through his flesh did Jlotv ; ' a dropsy causing thirst, dryness ? ; or perhaps a misprint for hy- dropsie. Upton suggests that Spenser wrote ' a dire dropsie ' (cp. dirus hydrops, Hor. Od. 2.

2- 13)-

Dungeon, ix. 45, prison in the keep-tower ; OF. donjon, from PLat. doi7inionei7i, a donjon- tower, so dungeon is the same word as dominion ; see Diez.

Dwarfe, i. 6, a small deformed man ; Icel. dvergr, G. zwerg.

Dwell, xi. 31, to remain, abide; dwell has this meaning from the Scandinavian. Cp. Icel. dvelja, to dwell, abide.

Dye, ii. 36, a die, a small cube used for gaming ; OY . di, det. Prov. dat, from Lat. datum, lit. a thing thrown or given.

E.

Earne, i. 3; vi. 25; ix. 18, to yearn; ME. jeornen, from OE. geornian.

Eeke, v. 42, to increase; ME. eken ; OE. ican.

EfPraide, i. 16, scared; from OF.

effreier, to frighten, which is from PLat. exfredare, to put out of peace (PLat. ft'edum = OHG. (fridu), to disturb.

Eft, ix. 25, again ; OE. efl, again.

Eftsoones, x. 24, 36 ; xi. 4. 47 ; xii. 35, scon after, forthwith. In ME. eft-sone means generally 'again.' See ME. Diet.

Eke, iii. 21 ; ix. 18, also ; OE. iac, connected with the verb ican ; see eeke.

Eld, X. 8, old age; ME. elde; OE. eldo, yldo (=(i) setas, (2) SKCulum, an age, (3") senectus) ; cp. Go, aids, sseculum, Icel. old. sjeculum.

Elfe, i. 17, 'the valiant Elfe^ i.e. The Red Cross Knight, St. George of England ; see note. Elf is from OE. xlf; cp. Icel. dlfr.1 G. alp. Two famous names, one in history, and one in poetry, are connected with the word elf, namely, Alfred, i.e. an elf in council ; and Shakes- peare's Oberon, F. Auberon, a form (with different suffix) of the Ger. Albertch, i.e. Elfin-king.

Elfin, >:. 60, sb., e^f, iv. 42, adj. '<f//f« knight.- See NED.

Els, V. 43, otherwise, elsewhere; OE. elles, an adverb formed with the genitival inflection -es.

Embar, ii. 31, to confine, enclose.

Embaye, ix. 13; x. 27, to bathe; cp. baye. See Nares (s. v.).

Embosse (i), xi. 20, to embosse a spear in a body, i. e. lo enclose ; iii. 24, 'a knight lier met in mighty armes etnbost,' i. e. in- closed. For exx. see NED. (s. v. emboss, 3).

Embost (2), ix. 3Q, ' our feeble harts embost with bale;' em- bossed, a hunting term ; a stag was said to be embossed when blown and fatigued with being chased, foaming, panting, unable

GLOSSARY.

231

to hold out any longer ; see Nares, and NED. (s. v. em- boss, 2).

Embowd, ix. 19, arched over.

Emboyled, xi. 28, in a state of boiling rage.

Empaire, vii. 41 ; empare, x. 63 ; to impair, diminish, hurt. OF. empeirer ; PLat. impeiorare, to make worse, from Lat. peior, worse.

Empeach, viii. 34, to hinder ; so in Holland's Livy, p. 308, ' the victorie was much hindered and impeached;^ F. '■ enipescher, to hinder, impeach ' (Cotgrave).

Emprize, ix. i, an undertaking; ME. ei?iprise (ME. Diet.) ; OF. emprise. Cp. Chanson de Roland, 210, ' Faites la guere cum vus I'avez enprise ' ( =» Lat. in +pre- hensam).'

Enchace, xii. 23, to adorn, em- bellish, to honour with befitting terms ; lit. to incase, or enclose in a border or rim. F. chdsse, from Lat. capsa, a box.

Endow, iv. 51, to endow; OF. endoer — Lat. in + dotare ; see NED. (s. V. endue).

Enfouldred, xi. 40, hurled out like thunder and lightning ; OF. foiildre,foldre = 'L^X. fulgurem, lightning.

Engorged, xi. 40, swallowed with eagerness; F. engorger. See gorge.

Engrave, x. 42, to entomb, bury ; from grave, lit. that which is dug out, from ME. graven, to cut, dig, bury; OK. grafan. See Trench (s. v.).

Enhaunse, pret. enhatinst, i. 17; V. 47, to raise, lift up ; AF. enhaiincer for OF. enhancer; see NED. (s. v. enhance).

Enlargen, viii. 37, to set at large, to deliver ; so in the Bible (A.V.) cp. Ps. iv. I. 'Thou hast en-

larged me when I was in dis- tress,' also 2 Sam. xxii. 37 ; Ps. xviii. 36 ; see Bible Gloss. ; from F. large, Lat. largus.

Enmoved, vii. 38 ; ix. 48, agi- tated ; cp. emmove, F. Q. iv. 8. 3 ; Lat. e-movere. Hence emo- tion.

Ensue, iv. 34, to follow after ; ensewen, ix. 44, to pursue, per- secute; OF. ensuir [ensevre) ; PLat. insevere, inseqvere for Lat. insequi.

Entertaine, iii. 43, to treat ; x. 32, to receive ; OF. entretenir.

Entraile, i. 16, entanglement, fold or twist ; cp. Spenser's Prothala- mion, 25 : — 'And each one had a little wicker

basket Made of fine twigs, entrailed

curiously.' The word may be connected with F. treillis, trellis ; Lat. trilicium, trilix ; see Diez, p. 324, and NED.

Equipage, xi. 6, array, equip- ment ; F. ' equiper, to equip, arm ' (Cotgrave). Originally a Scandinavian word, from Icel. skipa, to arrange, set in order, to fit up a vessel ; closely related to skip, a ship.

Errant, iv. 38; x. 10, 'an errant knight ; ' Errant p. pres. from OF. errer (Prov. edrar), to travel, to march ; cp. Chanson de Roland, 3340 : ' ki errer voelt,' qui veut marcher. Edrar represents PLat. iterare for Late Lat. itinerare, from Lat. iter; see Diez, p. 573.

Erst, viii. 18, previously; erst in Chaucer; OE. serest, adv. soon- est, adj. first ; the superl. form of eer, soon, hence kr-lic, mod. Eng. early, and the adj. compar. xrra, former.

Esloyne, iv. 20, to remove to a

232

GLOSSARY.

distance; OF. esloinier, eslonger, from loyn, lone, long, far, from Lat. longe.

Essoyne, iv. 20, excuse; ME. es- soyne (Chaucer), excuse from a public duty (a law term) ; OF. essoigne, essoine \ cp. MLat. sunnis in the Salic Law, in the sense of legal hindrance, repre- senting a Frankish word = Icel. syn, a denial, a protest (a law term ; with this word syn is connected the Eng. '■ sin^ prop, what was denied on oath ; cp. Go. simjon, to justify. See Diez (s. V. sogna).

Eternize, x. 59, to make eternal ; so Milton, P. L. vi. 374 ; xi. 60.

Eugh, i. 9, yew ; eiighen, xi. iq ; made of yew fsee treen) ; OE. hv. Cp. OHG. iwa (whence F. if), G. eibe.

Fixcheat, v. 25, escheat, gain, profit ; prop, a forfeiture of property to the lord of the fee ; OF. eschaette, that which is fallen to one; a pp. form from cscheoir [ichoir) ; PLat. ex- cadere.

Expire, xi. 45, to breathe out; Lat. exspbare.

Extirpe, x. 25, to extirpate; Lat. ex + stiifs, the stem of a tree.

Extorted, vii. iS, wrung out by violence ; Lat. extortus.

Eyas, xi. 34, '■eyas hauke;' cp. Hamlet, ii. 2. 331, ' little eyases' Eyas is a nestling ; usually an unfledged hawk, from F. niais, ' Niez : a Nias hawke ' (Cot- grave). Niais is a nestling ; Lat. nidacem, from nidus, a nest ; cp. It. nididce, taken out of the nest, a simpleton (Florio). In eyas the initial n is dropped as in adder, apron, auger, orange, owch, umpire.

Eyne, iv. 21, eyes; ME. eycn; OE. cagan, eyes.

Fact, iv. 34 ; ix. 37, feat ; an evil deed. Cp. Bacon's Essays, 3. 150; the church should 'damn and send to hell for ever facts and opinions,' &c.

Faire-forged, ii. 2, fashioned with a false beauty; 0¥. forge; Lat. fabrica.

Falsed, ii. 30, deceived ; from Lat. falsus, pp. oifallere, to deceive.

Fare, i. 11 ; iii. 16; x. 63, to go, travel, speed; OE.y«;'a«. Hence farewell, may you speed well. /

Fatal, ix. 7, ordained by fate ; the I proper meaning of 'L.^X.fatalis. 1

Fayne, iv. 10 ; vi. 12, glad. Cp.

Ps. Ixxi. 21 (P. B. v.), ' my lips ^

will be fain when I sing unto thee;' OY-fegen, glad.

Faytor, iv. 47 ; xii. 35, ' false fay tor,' cheat, deceiver, vaga- bond, villain; in the 15th cen- tury fay lour, lazy scoundrel, was the special name of the professional shamming beggar ; see Skeat's Notes to Piers ihe Plowman, p. 166, and ME. Diet. The word means a sham, a maker up of a character ; OF. faitour, faitedr (Godefroy) ; VL^t.factitorcm.

Fearefull, i. ] 3, full of fear, alarmed.

Feature, viii. 49, form, personal appearance; OY. failure; Lat. faclura, formation (Aulus Gel- lius).

Fee, X. 43, payment; Vi-Y^.fce, fe, a grant of land, payment ; AF. fee, 0¥. fie, fief ; see NED.

Felly, V. 34, fiercely; with ME. fel, fierce, cp. OF. fels, cruel, a cruel man ; in oblique case felon ; see Chanson de Roland, glossary.

Felon, iii. 29, a fierce, cruel per- son ; see felly.

GLOSS AB Y.

•^33

Fere, x. 4, companion; here, hus- band ; ME. /ere, a companion, from OE. \ge)fira, one who fares with one, a travelling com- panion, cognate with 0)L.faran ; see Mayhew's Old English Pho- nology, § 253. File, i. 35, to polish, smoothe (the tongueX See Kluge (s. v. fcile). Fillet, iii. 4, a little band (round the head); OY . filet, dimin. of fil, a thread, l^a.\..filu>ii. Fit (i), ii. 18, a bout of fighting, a struggle, a blow ; so OE.fitt. In iv. 34 ' furious yS'/'= a fit of fury. Fit (2), xi. 7, a musical strain ;

OE. fid, 'cantilena, carmen.' Flaggy, xi. 10, soft and yielding; Cotgrave explains Y . flaccide by ' weak, flaggie, limber, hanging loose;' cp. Shakespeare, 2 Hen. VI, iv. i. 5 : ' slow and flagging wings.' Flit, iv. 6, to crumble away ; a Scandinavian word ; cp. Icel. flytja (reflex.), to flit, move away. Foile, iv. 4, leaf of metal, as in mod. Eng. \\\\-foil; OF. foille {mod. feuilk) ; EiiX. folia, pi. of foliuvi, a leaf. Poltring, vii. 24, stammering; ME. falteren is in form a fre- quentative (cp. the -er in stamm- er, stutt-er), and means lit. to be constantly at fault. Its base is OF. falte (mod. faute), fault. Fond, ix. 39, foolish ; Wyclyffe, fonned. Job i. 22, pp. oi fonnen, to be foolisli, ixorafon (Chaucer fonne), a fool ; a Scandinavian word ; cp. Swed. fane, a fool ; see Skeat (s. v.). Fone, ii. 23, foes; 0E./r7«, pi. of

fdh {fa). Food, viii. 9, feud ; a Northern

form; perhaps =y^<?-^wa?; see H. Bradley in Academy, No. 1141, and NED.

Foolhappie, vi. i, lucky without prudence; cp. foolehardy, xii. II ; foolhardise, Y. Q. II. ii. 17 ; fole-large, foolishly liberal (Chaucer) ; fool-hasty .Holland's Livy, cited in Richardson).

For-, OE. prefix, generally has the sense of ' loss ' or ' destruc- tion.' Often it is merely inten- sitive, though generally in a bad sense. It has nothing to do with the prep._/^r,

Fordonne, v. 41 ; x. 33, 47, 60, utterly undone ; VLE.fordon, pp. oi for don; 0\i. forduii, to for- do, destroy, ruin ; see for-.

Foreby, vi. 39 ; vii. 2 ; x. 36, close by; so in More's Utopia, p. 73 : 'the river rv\r\n^\h foreby the citie.' Forby is still in use in Scotland (Jamieson).

Forespent, ix. 43, squandered, wasted ; OE. forspendan ; see for-.

Foretaught, vii. 18, previously taught.

Forlorne, V. 23; forlore, x. 21, utterly lost; OE.forloren, pp. of forldosan, to destroy ; cp. G. verloren, pp. of vcrlieren ; see for-.

Forray, xii. 3, to ravage, prey on; a Lowl. Scottish form ; c^. forage = OF. fourage, forage, pillage, homfoj-re {mod feurre), fodder, straw ; PLat. fodrian, a form of Icel./o5r {—fodder), cognate \i\\}nfood\ see Skeat {s.y. forage), and Jamieson.

Forsake, xi. 24, to avoid ; OE. forsacan, to contend against ; sacii, contention ; see sake.

Forthright, iv. 6, straightway ; ME.forrJ>rihht common in Or- min ; OE.fortSriht. In Shake- speare's Tempest, iii. 3, forth-

234

GLOSSARY.

rights = straight paths, see Clar. Press ed. p. 1 28.

Forwandring, vi. 34, wandering astray ; see for-.

Forwa'sted, i. 5 ; xi. i, utterly wasted.

Forweary, i. 32 ; x. 17 ; xi. 45 ; forwearied, ix. 13, utterly weary.

For'worne, vi. 35, much worn.

Fraight, xii. 35, fraught, laden ; ME. fraught, pp. occurs in Chaucer.

Frame, viii. 30, to support, steady ; this is one of the meanings of OE. fremian.

Francklin, x. 6, a freeholder : frankekin in Chaucer; MLat. 'franchilanus, " libere tenens," cui opponitur " tenens in ville- nagium " seu " villanus " ' ^Du- cange) . homfrattchius, francus, (= OHG. franco, free) + -laniis = OHG. -line (= Eng. -ling). For an account of this suffix, see Skeat (s. v. chamberlain'^.

Frauncea fire (Saint", iv. 35, a disorder, query erysipelas ? which disease in England bore the popular name of St. Anthony's fire, and in France was called * Feu S. Anthoine,' and ' Feu S. Marcel, feu Martial' (Cot- grave). Fray, ii. 14; vi. 48, an affray; short for affray 'effray) of which an older sense was ' terror ; ' see efCraide. In i. 38 ; iii. 19 ; xii. 11 fray = to frighten. Cp. Jer. vii. 33 (A. v.); see Bible Gloss. Freak, iii. i ; iv. 50, a whim, caprice (of fortune). This use as a sb. is unknown in ME. in the same sense. It is the ME. freh or frik, adj. vigorous, live- ly ; see Skeat (s. v.), and ME. Diet. Frounce, iv. 14, to wrinkle, curl, friz (the hair): cp. Milton, II

Pens. 123; OF. froncer, to wrinkle (the forehead), from Lat. frontem, the forehead ; see Skeat s. v. flounce), and ME. Diet. (s. v. frounce]. Fry, xii. 7, swarms (of young children) ; properly the spawn of fish. ME. fri (Stratmann) ; K¥.frie ; \zt\.frj6.

Or.

Gage, xi. 41, pledge. OF. gage, from gager, to pledge ; PLat. wadicare, from wadium, a pledge ; Go. wadi; cognate with 'ved. wager ; see wage.

Gall, i. 19, bile ; OE. geaila, Matt, x.wii. 34 ; it means probably ' the yellowish ; ' cp. OE. geo/o = yellow. So G. galle is allied to gelb.

Gate, i. 13, ' in the gate ' — in the way; ■s'iii. 12, gait, manner of walking ; a Scandinavian word, from Icel. gata, a way, path, road ; cp. Go. gat-wo, a street. The word is not to be confused with Eng. gate, an opening, a door; OE. geat ; Icel. gat; see Stratmann ij;-ate and jeat).

Geaunt, vii. 12, giant; so in Chaucer; OF. geant, jaiant. gigant ; Lat. gigantem (uom. gigas) ; Gr. yiya^.

Gent, ix. 6, 27, 'a lady gent," gentle, gracious ; OF. gent, beautiful, kind ; often in the Chanson de Roland: lit. 'well- born,' from Lat. genitum.

German, v. 10, brother; Lat. germaniis, fully akin, said of brothers and sisters having the same father and mother.

Gest, x. 15, exploit, deed of arms; OF. ge\te ; Lat. gesta {= res gesta), a thing performed. OF. geste also means a chronicle of exploits, romance, tale ; so in

GLOSS AR V.

235

Chanson de Roland; hence our word jest, a joke.

Ghesse, vi. 13, to guess; ME. gessen ; cp. Swed. gissa.

Gin, V. 35, an engine (of torture) ; gynnes = machinamenta,' engines of war,' in Trevisa's Higdeii, iv. 429 ; from F. engin = Lat. in- genium, a contrivance. It may be noted that the word ^ gun ' is used by the Harleian trans- lator of Higden, iv. 429, in- stead of Trevisa's gynne.

Girlond, ii. 30, garland, wreath ; cp. It. ghirlanda.

Giust, i. I, a tilt, encounter on horseback ; OF. jouste, joste, a tilt, from joster, to draw near, to tilt, from joste = Lat. juxta, near. Cp. glossary of Chanson de Roland (s. \.justei).

Glistring, i. 14; iv. 8, glistering, shining ; so in Bible (A. V.) I Chron. xxix. 2 ; Luke ix. 29. Cp. ODu. glisteren ; see Bible Gloss.

Glitterand, vii. 9, glittering ; -and the present participle form in the Northern dialect of early English.

Gnarre, v. 34, to gnarl, snarl, growl ; the word is imitative ; see ME. Diet.

Gobbet, i. 20; xi. 13, a mouth- ful, a little lump; ME. gobette (Prompt.) ; OF. gobet, see Diez,

P- 599-

Gorge, i. 19 ; iv. 21 ; xi. 13, throat: OF. gorge, from I'Lat. g07-ga, for Lat. gurgitan (ace), a whirlpool, the gullet.

Gossib, xii. 11, neighbour; lit. godsib, i. e. god-relative sponsor in baptism ; OE. godsibb, spon- sor. Sibb is an impoitant word in OE., being very common, and used in various senses; it means: (i) peace, (2) friendship, rela- tionship, (3) friendliness, love.

Grace, x. 64, to grant favour to ; from OF. grace ; Lat. gratia.

Graile, vii. 6, gravel; a Spenserian form of gravel; OF. gravele, dimin. oi grave {greve) ; said to be of Celtic origin ; cp. Wei. graian. See Diez, p. 604.

Grains, vii. i, 'deep in grained 'The phrase "to dye in grain" meant to dye of a fast colour, by means of cochineal, &c. ; whence grained, deeply dyed, Hamlet, iii. 4. 90;' see Skeat (s. v.). F. '■ graine, the seed of herbs; also graine wherewith cloth is dyed in graine ; scarlet dye ' i^Cotgrave). Graine is from PLat. grana, the cochineal insect, which has the appear- ance of a berry (coccum^, or small seed {granufn). Grain is used by the poets of other dye besides that of the coccus insect. Milton, P. L. xi. 242, speaks of ' the grain of Sarra,' i. e. the dye of Tyre, a purple produced by a shell-fish iinurex).

Graine, viii. 7, fibre of wood ; cp. F. '^ grain des pierres,' the grain of stones ; see Skeat (s. v. grain\

Gree, v. 16, 'goodly ^;r^,' satis- faction ; OF. gri {gred, gret, greit) = Lat. gratum.

Gren, vi. 11, to grin ; OE. gren- nian.

Griesie, ix. 35, hideous, horrible. Gloss. II. See below.

Griesly, ix. 21, grisly, hideous, horrible; OY.. gryslic.

Grieved, viii. 17, hurt ; OF. gre- ver ; Lat. gravare, to burden.

Griple, iv. 31, greedy, grasping; gripple is used in Sir W. Scott's Waverley (Jamieson), from OE. gripan, to seize. The suffix is -el (= AS. -ol , used to form adjectives descriptive of an agent. So nimble, active, means

236

GLOSSARY.

lit. ' one who seizes ; ' ME. nimel, OE. nuniol, from niman, to take.

Grosse, xi. 20, heavy ; very com- mon in Shakespeare; O^. gros (fem. grosse) ; Late Lat. grossus.

Grudging, ii. 19, 'his grudging ghost,' i. e. murmuring ; ME, gruggen, grucchen, grochen ; F. gruger (Cotgrave) ; OF. grou- cJier, grOHcer, grocer ; cp, grocie, a complaint. See Trench.

Gryfon, v. 8, griffin (a fabulous animal), perhaps used for vulture or eagle ; F. griffon ; cp. Lat. gryphus ; Gr. "ipvip.

Guerdon, iii. 40, a reward ; OF. gueredun, in the Chanson de Roland ; It. giiidardone ; MLat.2viderdof!U»i (Uucange\ a hybrid formation ; from OHG. widar + Lat. donum, a gift ; see Diez (s. v.).

Guise, vi. 25 ; xii. 14, guize, mode (of life) ; OF. guise ; OHG. wisa ; cp. G. weise ; see wizs.

H.

Habiliment, xii. 5, clothing ; F. habillement (Cotgrave), from ha- biller, to get ready, to dress ; Lat. habilis.

Hable, xi. 19, skilful; ha.i. habilis; see Skeat (s. v. able).

Hagard, xi. 19, ' hagard hauke,' wild, untrained ; lit. ' living in a hedge;' F. hagard, faukon hagard (Cotgrave) ; cp. MHG. hag, a hedge ; see HD.

Hanging, ii. 16, doubtful, in sus- pense.

Harbour, i. 7 ; x. 37, shelter. A Scandinavian word, from Icel. herbergi, lit. a host-shelter {herr, an army + hj'atga, to protect) ; see Icel. Diet.

Harrow, x. 40, ' He that har- rowed hell.' * The Hanvwiiig

of Hell' is a common phrase for ' the despoiling of hell by Christ.' ME. harwen, herwen ; OE. hergian, to act as an army, to ravage ; see Skeat (s. v. harry).

Haught, vi. 29, high, haughty ; a form used by Shakespeare. The usual spelling with gk is a mistake, as the word is not Eng. ; OF. hault (mod. haut); L.nt. altits ; for addition of h see HD. (S.V.).

Heape, iv. 5, 'a goodly heaped a pile of buildings ; OE. hiap, a crowd. Cp. G. haitfe.

Heare, v. 23, * Aveugles sonnes so evill heare,' i.e. pass for being so unlucky, are in such evil case ; cp. Lat. male audire, and Gr. KaKui-i aKoviiv

Heast, vii. 18, command ; see be- heast.

Heben, vii. 37, of ebony wood ; cp. Cotgrave, ' eoene, the black wood called heben or ibonie ; ' J^at. hebenutii, hebenus (the tree) ; Gr. e^tvos ; Heb. holmim, billets of ebony, Ezek. x.xvii. 15. Prob. not orig. a Semitic word.

•hed, suffix, ii. 7 ; iv. 38 ; cp. OE. had, state, quality ; OHG. heit { = personal, in Tatian's transl. of Matt. xxii. 16. [In mod. Eng. -head, -hood].

Heft, xi. 39, heaved ; OE. hebban, to lift.

Herald, v. 15, an officer who makes proclamations ; OF. hi- rait (mod. heraut). Cp. It. J araldo (Florio), MLat. heral- \ dtis \ Ducange) ; etymology un- known ; supposed by some to mean ' an army-official ' (OHG. heri, army + wald); see Kluge (s.v. herold), Mackel's Germ. Element, p. 62.

Hermits, i. 34, one who lives in solitude ; F. hermite. Eccles. j

GLOSSAR y.

237

Lat. hhcmita ; Gr. iptfiirT)s, from (prjfxia. a solitude, desert.

Hew, i. 46; ii.40; iii. 11; vi. 38; viii. 38, form, aspect, appear- ance ; Hewe in Chaucer ; OE. hiw, appearance [Eng. hue\.

Hight (i), ix. 14; X. 55, was called ; ' hight^ the sole instance of an Eni,^ passive verb ; ME. hight (Chaucer), pt. s. of hoten, to be called, OE. hdtan (pt. s. hatte), cp. Go. haitada, I am called : see M E. Diet. (s.v. haien, 2). Cp, G. heisse, I am called.

Hight (2), iv. 6, entrusted; ME. hyght i OE. hiht, pt. s. of hdtan to promise ; see behight. See ME. Diet. s.v. haten, i).

Hond (out of), xii. 3, at once ; so in Cotgrave (s.v. champ): ' snr le champ, immediately, out of hand.'

Horrid, vii. 31, ' horrid \\\i\\. gold,' rough in the Lat. sense of horri' dus.

Hot, xi. 29, was called ; an incor- rect form ; see hight (i).

Houaling, xii. 37, 'the housling fire,' i.e. the sacramental fire. The Roman marriage was solem- nized Sacramento ignis et aquae ; see Smith's Diet. Gr. and Rom. Antiq. {%.\ . Alatrimonium) . ME. houselen, to administer the Sac- rament (Halliwell), from ME. hoiisel ; OE. htisel, the Eucharist ; Go. hunsl, a sacrifice, Matt. ix.

Hove, ii. 31, ' his heare did hove^ his hair rose, stood on end ; Hove an incorrect form of heave, see heft. Cp. Halliwell (s.v. hove, 2).

Humblesse, ii. 21 ; iii. 26 ; xii. 8, humility ; OF. humblesse.

Humor, i. 36, moisture. Lat. humor.

Hurtle, iv. 16, 40; viii. 17, to jostle against, to rush confusedly;

ME. hu7-tlen, common in Wyc- lyffe's writings, see glossary to Wyclyffe's New Test. ; cp. Skeat (s.v. hurl). Husher, iv. 13, an usher; OF. huissier {uissier), from hiiis (uis), a door; Lat. ostium.

Imbrew, vii. 47, to imLrue, drench ; vi. 38, to drench them- selves ; Cotgrave gives ' jVw- bruer, to imbrue or bedable him- self with.' F. -bruer=-b>ever, = -bevrer, to give to drink; PLat. biberare, from Lat. bibere ; see HD. (s.v. abreuver).

Impe, Introd. 3 ; ix. 6 ; x. 60 ; xi. 5, a child, offspring ; properly a graft, scion, or young shoot ; em- ployed in the above citations in a noble sense ; but in i. 26 we have ' Errour's unkindly impes, of heaven accurst.' Shakespeare uses the word in jocular passages, see Schmidt ; cp. Trench. The word imp is remarkable, as coming into English (OE. impe) straight from the MLat. impo- ius, a graft, a word occurring in the Lex Salica, the F. form being ente ; Gr. efupvTos, engrafted (in New Test. Jas. i. 21) ; see Skeat (s.v.^.

Imperceable, xi. 17, that cannot be pierced ; OF. percicr, to pierce.

Imply, vi. 6 ; xi. 23, to enfold, involve ; Lat. implicare.

Improvided, xii. 34, unlocked for.

In, i. 33, lodging ; as in Gen. xlii. 27. Such terms as Lincoln's /««, Gray's Inn, attest the old mean- ing of inn, namely, a place to which one turns iti ; see Trench; OE. inn, a lodging.

Incontinent, ix. 19, forthwith;

238

GLOSSARY.

- F. ' incontinent (adverb), incon- tinently, instantly, out of hand ' (Cotgrave) ; Lat. incontinens means 'not holding (oneself) in.'

Infest, xi. 6, to make fierce or hostile; this is apparently the meaning, judging by the parallel ' enrage ' of the next line ; Lat. infestare means ' to attack, mo- lest.'

Influence, viii. 42, the power of the stars ; properly a term in astrology; cp. Bacon's Essays, ix. 9.

Inly, ix. 24 ; x. 8, inwardly ; OE. inlici.

Intend, xi. 38, to stretch or shoot out (of the dragon's sting); Lat. intendere.

Intendiment, xii. 31, attention, careful consideration ; F. enten- de77ient (Cotgrave); Lat. inten- dere, to direct, apply (the mind).

Intermedle (Letter, p. xxix), to mix, mingle; OF. entremedler (for entreynesler) ; for intrusive d in French, see pouldred. Mes- ler—'h\\^2X. misculare.

J.

Jolly, i. I ; ii. 11, ' full y^/Zy knight he seemd ; ' handsome ; F. joli, jolif, ' gay, fine, gallant ' (.Cotgrave) ; MLat. jolivtts (jolivitas, Ducange), derived from Icel. j6l. Yule, the great midwinter feast in the heathen time.

Jott, X. 26, speck, small piece ; of Hebrew origin ; Englished from the iota of the Vulgate, Matt. V. 18 ; Or. icura, the name of the Gr. letter «, which repre- sents the Wch. yiid, the smallest letter of the Heb. alphabet.

Journall, xi. 31, diurnal, daily; F.y^wrwii/ (Cotgrave) ; Lat. diitr- nalis, daily.

Joy, vi. 1 7, to be cheerful ; so in 2 Cor. vii. 13 (A.V.) ; joy, sb. is OF. joie, earlier goie {goir = gaudere) ; Lat. gaudia, neut. pi.

Joyaunce, iv. 37, gladness; for other instances of use see Nares ; QY.joiance.

Keepe (take), i. 40, to take heed, care ; this phrase is common in Chaucer; the older phrase was nimen kepe, see Stratmann ; but nimen was gradually displaced in nearly all its uses by the Scan- dinavian taka, to take. Kepen, to care for, esteem, Ancren Riwle, p. 386 ; OE. cepan is from a primitive kopjan ; see ME. Diet. (s.v. kepen, p. 271).

Keeping, xi. 3, 'be at your keep- ing;' in Wyclyffe's Psalms kep- ing, ' a watch ' often occurs vsee glossary).

Ken, xii. i, to know ; Icel. kenna.

Kest, xi. 31, pp. cast; so in Wyclyffe, keste. Matt. xiii. 48 ; Icel. kasta ; see cast.

Kindly, iii. 28; viii. 11 {kindly rage) ; ix. 9 ; x. 47, natural ; ME. kyndeli, natural (OE. cynd, gecynd, nature), and so used in the Litany in the phr. 'kindly fruits.' So Milton always in Poems, see Concordance (s.v.).

Kirtle, iv. 31, a tunic, gown; OE. cyrtel, which is prob. borrowed from Icel. kyrtill; whence Dan. kjortel.

Knee, ix. 34, a projection (of rocks) ; OE. cn^o, the knee.

Knife, vi. 38, sword ; ix. 52, dag- ger; ME. knif in the Ancren Riwle, p. 282 ; cp. Icel. knife, a knife or dirk.

Knight, i. i = F. chevalier, in its cliivalric sense ; the word ' kniiiht ' was thus ennobled ab.

'■<)'Ci

GLOSS AR Y.

239

1060 A.D., through contact with Norman ideas of chivalry. The original meaning of the OE. cniht was ' puer, juvenis,' then, ' servus." So in Tatian's East P'rankish Harmony, 9th cent., /^«e/4/='puer' (Vulgate). Skeat suggests that cnihi may = ("j«- iht, belonging to the ' kin ' or tribe. For suffix -iht, cp. Kluge (s.v. knecht).

Ii.

Lad, i. 4, led ; see ME. Diet.

Lady, i. 4, a woman of rank ; a term in chivalry, correlative with ' knight.' OE. hlxfdige, in the Chronicle, A.D. 104S a term ap- plied to Eadward's queen. ' Lady,' like ' knight,' is an in- stance of a promoted word, hlxf- dige being a derivative from hldf, bread, as is hldford; see lord.

Laughing stocke, vii. 43. Cp. Tennyson, Princess, iv. 496, wo- men ' laughing-stocks of Time.'

Launch, iii. 42 ; iv. 46, to pierce ; OF. lanchier, lancer ; see Chan- son de Roland, 2074 ; from OF. latice, Lat. lancea ; cp. Gr.

Lay-stall, v. 53, a place for the

deposit of tilth ; see Nares. The

form laysiole is cited in Pegge's

Kenticisms. Lazar, iv. 3, a leper ; F. S. Lazare

(also .5". Ladre) ; Lat. Lazarus;

in N.T. Ad(,*apos, Luke xvi. 20,

from the Heb. name £rdzd?-{ =

God helpeth). Leach, v. 17, 44 ; x. 23, a healer,

physician; OE. Ikce ; cp. Go.

leikeis. Leasing, vi. 48, falsehood ; so in

Ps. iv. 2 ; V. 6 f A.V.) ; see Bible

Gloss. OE. leastmg. Leke, v. 35, leaky ; from the

Scandinavian ; OE. hltce, see Skeat (s.v. leak, p. 815), cp. Icel. leka = \.o leak as a ship.

Leman, i. 6 ; vii. 14, a sweet- heart; ME. lemnian (ME. Diet.) ; OE. Uofmon ; Uof, dear, + mann, a person. Gloss. IL

Let, viii. 13, hindrance; OE. let- ian, lit. ' to make slow (Jat),' to hinder.

Lever, ix. 32, ' lever)x2.d I die,' i e. I should hold it a more plcasmg thing io die; lever (OE. l^ofra), comp. oilief, lef\0^. Uof), dear, beloved. See leman.

Libbard, vi. 25, leopard ; libardes (Ilampole), see ME. Diet. (s.v. leopart) ; OF. leopard; Lat. leopardus, the lion-pard.

Liefe, iii. 28; ix. 17, beloved one, darling ; OE. Uof. See le- man.

Lignage, ix. 3 ; lynage, i. 5, race, family, descent ; F. lignage from ligne ; Lat. linta., a line.

Lill, V. 34, 'lilled forth his tong;' ' To pant and bee out of breath, or //// out the tongue, as a dog that is weary ' (Florio, s.v. , nare). See Halliwell (s.v.).

Limbo, ii. 32, 'Liniio lake,' in this passage the aboc^e of the lost; but properly the litnbus (border) was the place bordering on hell, where dwell the souls of those who are awaiting the Resur- rection ; see note.

Lin, i. 24; v. 3?, to cease; ME. linnen ; OE. linnan. Cp. ME. blittnen = bi - linnen ; Lowl. Scottish/;//;;; see Jamieson (s.v.).

List, ii. 22; X. 20, to choose, to desire; vii. 35 ; xi. 10, used as an impers. verb with a dat. of the pron. ; OE. lystan, to de.'^ire, used impersonally, from lust, pleasure.

Lively, ii. 24 ; vii. 20 ; ' lively breath,' living.

240

GLOSS AR y.

Loathly, 1. 20, loathsome ; OE. /dd/zc, from IdS, hateful.

Loft, i. 41, 'raine u/)0)i the loft^ rain in the air ; in F. Plowman, A. i. 88 we find 'on grounde and on lofie; oti lo/te here means 'in the air,' i. e. on high. In a later text (B) of the same poem this 'oil lofte ' becomes aloft. On lofte is an English adaptation of a Scandinavian phrase, viz. Icel. a lopt, in the air. Icel. lopt (sounded loft\ = OE. lyft, the air ; cp. G. b<ft.

Long, iv. 4'^, to belong ; cp. Prompt. ' longyn or belongyn to a thynge, Pertiiieo.'

Lord, i. 37, a title of the Deity ; OE. hldford = hldfwea>d, loaf- ward, i. e. the master of the house, father of the family.

Lome, iv. 2, pp. lost ; old pp. of the verb to lose.

Loute, i. 30 ; x. 44, to stoop, to bow ; OE. hitan ; cp. Icel. Itita.

Lowre, ii. 22, to frown, look dark (of the angry heavens' ; cp. Prompt. ' lowiyh, or scowlyn, oboculo,'

Luke-warme, ix. 36, tepid ; so Cotgrave, ' Tiede : luke-warme, neither hot nor cold ' ; Prompt. ' letvke, not fully bote, tepidus.' See ME. Diet. (s.v. lewke).

Lumpish, i. 43, heavy, dull ; so in Shakespeare, Two Gent. iii. 2. 62, from lump ; ME. lompe (P. Plowman).

Lustlesse, iv. 20, feeble, listless ; so conversely in Gower, C. A. ii. Ill, listless = lust less.

M.

Mace, iv. 44, a kind of club ; OF.

f/tace ; It. mazza ; PLat. mattia ;

l.at. matea. Madrigale (Lines to Sir W.

Raleigh, 3), a pastoral song. An Italian word. It. 7nadrigale (Flnrio), for older form 7nan- dridle (Florio), from mandria, a sheepfold ; Lat. maiidra, a stall (in Martial) ; Gr. nav5pa, a fold for cattle, — also, a monastery in Eccl. Gr. (cp. (archimandrite, head of a monas- tery). See Diez. Make, vii. 7, 15, companion ; ME. make ; OE. gemara (or maca), a mate; cp. Icel. maki. Mall, vii. 51, a club, or large wooden hammer ; OF. mal, also in nom. maus ; Lat. tnalleus. The word fnall is spelt fnaul in Prov. XXV. iS ;A. v.); see Bible Gloss. ; hence the verb to maul, to beat grievously (formerly spelt mall).

Many, xii. 9, a troop, crowd ; ME. tnainee; OF. tnesniee, mais- nie, maisniede, a household, from PLat. ma7tsionata {mans- nada, IJucange) ; Lat. mansio.

Many (followed by a), vi. 35, ' many a summer's day.' To use 'many' with a sing, noun is an old Teutonic idiom ; cp. OE. geong manig (Beowulf, 854^ ; OS. manag gest (Heliand, 1015). The indef. article is found after 'many' in Layamon, as, tnony entie thing (many a thing) ; cp. G. ' ein manches Glas.' In x. 9, occurs ' long a day.'

Mart, Poet. Introd. 3, Mars.

Maske, vii. i, to conceal one's face as at an entertainment ; mask, sb. (more correctly tnask- er ; see Skeat) , a disguise for the face ; OF. masque {inasquere') ; Sp. mascara (Minsheu) ; It. mas- chera i^Florio).

Mated, ix. 12, overcome; see amate.

Maw, i. 20, the stomach ; OF. viaira.

GLOSSARY.

241

Mayne, vii. 11; viii. 7, might; OE. msegen.

Maynly, vii. i _>, violently.

Meed, .x. 68, reward ; OE. nu'd ^also meord). Cp. Go. tnizdo.

Mell, i. 30, to meddle; OF. mel- Icr, incs'er \ MLat. misctilare, fioni Lat. miscere ; see inter- medle.

Menage, vii. 37, to manage, guide (a iiorse) ; menage badly spelt for manage shoidd not be con- fused with ME. menage, F. manage, a household. The sb. manage means lit. ' a handling.' Cp. It. maneggio, from Lat. manus. Gloss. II.

Alercy, ii. 21, grace, clemency; OF. mercit (Chanson de Roland, 3721); mercid; l^ai. mercedem, pay, reward, hence in PLr.t. mercy.

Mew, V. 20, place of confinement ; properly a cage for hawks when mewing or moulting; OF. mue, a coop, but the orig. sense of mice is ' a change,' hence the moulting of a hawk, a hawk's cage, from OF. muer; I. at. mutare, to change. Mews a range of stabling is so called from the Mewse by Charing Cross, a place for the king's horses, orig. a place for the king's falcons and the royal falconer.

Middest, iv. 15, midmost ; vii. 5, the midst, '?'« middest' the older form of the phrase ' in the midst' stands for ME. in middes, the t being excrescent, as in whilst. Here the s gives the phrase an adverLial force, and is due to the habit of forming adverbs from the OE. gen. case in -es. Cp. OE. dftes (semel\ wintres (in the winter).

Mtnstral, v. 3, a musical per- former; OF. menestrel, a ser-

vant; MLat. ministralis,minis- terialis (Ducange) ; Lat. min- ister, a servant.

Mirkesome, v. 28, murky, dark ; so Fairfax, Tasso, xiii. 5. OE. myrce, dark ; cp. Icel. myrkr (a very common word, with many compounds). See Icel. Diet.

Miscreant, v. 1 3 ; ix. 49, an un- believer, infidel, a vile fellow ; OF. mescreant. The prefix mes- answers to Lat. minus, used in a bad sense. Cp. It. fniscredente, heathen (Florio).

Misdiet, iv. 23, bad feeding, see above for mis-.

Mishappen, iii. 20, to happen amiss. The prefix mis- is here not of Lat. origin, but Teutonic, — cp. OE. mis in misdsed (mis- deed), and Icel. mis- in misfall, a mishap ; see Icel. Diet. (s. v. niis'). Hap is a Scandinavian word ; cp. Icel. happ.

Misseeming, ix. 23, unseemly; Icel. scemr, becoming, fit. Gloss. IL

Mister, ix. 23, ' what mister wight,' what sort of, manner of being; cp. Chaucer, CT. 1710, ' telleth me what mister men ye been.' In Spenser's Shepheards Cal. September we find, 'such myster saying me seemeth to mirke.' Mester is a very com- mon word in ME, meaning office, employment, business, trade; see ME. Diet. It is the OF. mestier (niftier), also mis- tier, menestier, from Lat. minis- terium, service, employment ; see minstral.

Moe, iv. 35 ; v. 50 ; ix. 44, more ; ME. mo (\xi Chaucer) ; OE. md.. Gloss. II.

Mortality, x. i, the condition of mortal man.

Mortall, i. 15, deadly ; cp. Milton,

H^

GLOSSARY.

P. L. i. 2, 'tree whose mortal taste brought death.' Lat. mor- talis, liable to die, human ; 7Wt deadly. Mote, iii. 29; ix. 27, might. In Chaucer we find frequently moot: ' He moot reherse ' = he is bound to relate ; the pt. t. of this moot is f?ioste, miiste (our t?iHst). Mote (}?ioot), is the OE. ic mSt, I am able, I may (a defective verb). The word is not quite obsolete ; it is still, it is said, used in the Freemason's formula, ' so tnote it be.'

Mother pearls, vii. 30, mother of pearl ; cp. Cotgrave (s. v. nacre) ' nacre de perles. Mother of Pcarle.' So It. madre perla (Florio) ; Du. parelinoer (i. e. pearl-mother) ; Dan. pcrlemor {perlevioder).

Mought, i. 42, might; see ME. Diet. (s. V. mahte) ; so in Bacon's Essays often (see index) ; OE. meahte, pt. s. of mitgan, to be able ; see ME. Diet. (s. v. niow). '■Aloiight ' is not to be confused with mote (see above).

Mould, ii. 39 ; iv. 5 ; vii. 26, shape, form; ME. tnolde ; OF. inodle (later molle, iiio!e, motile) ; Lat. modulus, a. measure, stan- dard.

Muchell, iv. 46 ; vi. 20, much, great; Chaucer, CT. 25 8, wwi-^^/; also in ME. mochel, mikel \ OE. mycel, niicel. Cp. Icel. mi kill.

Muse, xii. 29, dreaming vacancy; ME. musen ^Chaucer) ; OF. muser, to gape idly about like a fool, from OF. *mHse, only preserved in niusel {^mu- seaii), a muzzle, snout. Cp. Florio : '/i/nsare, to muse, to muzzle, to gape, to hould ones muzle or snout in the aire.' There are not many words which

have risen from such a humble origin to such religious dignity as the word to muse. The dis- tance is great indeed between the sense of holding one's ' snout ' in the air, and the meaning of to muse in Psalm cxliii. 5 (A. V.) ; see Bible Gloss. For the etj'- mology oi muse, see ME. Diet.

N.

Nathemore, ix. 25, none the more; ME. nathemo; see ME. Diet.

Nephewes, v. 22, grandchildren, descendants ; so in i Tim. v. 4 (A.V.) ncpheivs — iKyova, grand- children ; see Trench, and Bible Gloss. ; OF. neveu ; Lat. tupo- iem, a grandson, nephew,

Nicetee, x. 7, fastidiousness, daintiness (of words) ; cp. the use of nyse in More's Utopia (glossary), and of uicetiess in Bacon's Essays (index). In Chaucer, G. 463, «_;r^/t'^ = folly, so in P. Plowman nyce — fool- ish ; OF. nice, foolish ; Lat. nescius, ignorant ; cp. Port, nes- cio. Sp. nescio, foolish (Min- sheu).

Ni'll, ix. 15, will not ; in Chaucer nil, and often in Wyclyffe's N.T. {nyk, nil) ; OE. nyllan = nt willan.

Noblesse, viii. 26, nobleness ; often in Chaucer; OF. noblesse, no- blece ; PLat. nohilitia, from Lat. nohilis.

Nosethrill, xi. 22, nostril ; in Chaucer, noselhi)-les ; OE. nos- dyrl, lit. nose-perforation ; see thrill.

Note, xii. 17, wot not, know not ; ^ ne + wot ; noot, Chaucer, 2 84 ; see wot.

N'ould, vi. 17, would not; Chau- cer, CT. 550, nolde = m + rvolde ; so in OE.

GLOSSAR Y.

243

KToyance, i. 23, annoyance ; see annoy.

Noye, X. 24 ; xi. 45, to hurt, harm. Wyclyfie nearly always uses the verb to noye to render Lat. noceo, keeping aiioie to translate txdere ; see Wyclyffe's N. T. (glossary).

Noyes, noyce, vi. 8, noise ; OF. noise, cp. Chanson de Roland, 2T51 ; Lat. nausia, {nausea) ; Gr. vdvaia.

Noyous, V. 45 ; xi. 50, ' noyous night,' i.e. tedious; ME. noyous (Chaucer).

Ofspring,vi. 30, the source whence one springs (of one's father). See Nares.

Origane, ii. 40, wild marjoram ; Lat. origanum (Pliny) ; Gr. hpi- yavov, i. e. ' mountain-pride.'

Ought, iv. 39, possessed ; ought (OE. dAfe) is the pret. of owe {(igan), to possess. 'To owe' in the sense of 'to possess' is common in Shakespeare ; see Schmidt.

Outrage, xi. 40, excessive abuse, insult ; Chaucer, CT. 201 2 ; OF. otitrage, oltrage ; in Chanson de Roland, 1106, 'ne dites tel ult- rage^ i. e. say not such folly ; from OF. oltre [tdtre) = Lat. ultra, beyond.

Overcraw, ix. 50, to crow over; OE. crdwan, to crow.

Oversight, vi. i, want of pru- dence.

Owch, ii. 13 ; x. 31, an ornament ; spelt ouches, Exod. xxviii. 11 ( A.V.) ; see Bible Gloss. ; nowche in Chaucer, E. 382 ; OF. nouche, nosche ; nusche (Chanson de Roland, 637), from OHG. nusca, nuscha, a buckle or brooch. For loss of «, cp. eyas.

P.

Pace, iv. 3, step; WY.. pas , paas \ Y .pas ; Y,7\\..passus, lit. a stretch, from pandere.

Paine, xii. 34, ' the practicke paine,' the treacherous skill ; see Trench (s. v. painful); iv. 15, to paine (oneself), to take pains. ME./«'«^; ¥. peine; 'LaX. poena, penalty.

Paire, vii. 41 , to impair ; so in Bacon's Essays, xxiv, ' (what is new) mends some and pairs others.' See empaire.

Paled, v. 5, enclosed with pale; pale in Luke xix. 43 (Wyclyffe) ; Lat. pdlus.

Palfrey, i. 4; iii. 40, prop, a saddle horse, esp. a lady's horse, here of Una's ass ; palfrei in Chaucer, 2497 ; OF. palefried (in ace.) in Chanson de Roland, 479 ; PLat. paraveredus = ■napa, extra + veredus, a post- horse. From paraveredus comes G. pferd, a horse; see Kluge

(S.V.).

Paramour, i. 9, a lover ; in Chaucer, D. 454. In OF. pera- mour an adj., so Palsgrave (Eiig.) '■paramour, dafne pera- mour ; ' orig. an adv. phrase, so in Froissart : ' il aima adonc par amours, et depuis espousa Madame Ysabelle de Juillers,' — an idiom found in Chaucer, CT. 1 155, 'par amotir I loved hir.'

Parbreake, i. 20, a vomiting; so in Prompt. ; and Cotgrave (s. v. vofuir^.

Pardale, vi. 26, a leopard (Halli- well) ; Lat. pardalis ; Gr. wap- SaAij, the female pard.

Pas, xi. 15, to step. See pace.

Passionate, xii. 16, to express feelingly (see Nares'.

Pate, vi. 47, the crown of the head; the word occurs Ps. vii.

R 2

244

GLOSSARY.

17 (P. B. V.) ; cp. Bible Gloss.,

and Levin's Manip.; OY.fate,z. plate (Cotgrave). Paynim, iv. 41 ; vi. 38, a pagan ; ' paynim ' prop, means ' pagan- ism, heathenism ' as opposed to 'Christendom,' and is correctly used in King Horn, 803, ' a geaunt fram paynyme ' = a giant from heathendom, pagan lands. (The F. paienisme is incorrectly used for paten, pagan, adj., in the Chanson de Roland, 1921) Paynim is from OF. paienisme, which is from MLat. paganis- mus, paganism. Pagan (Lat. paganus) meant orig. a villager, a peasant ; see Gibbon, D. & F. xxi ^interesting note). Peece, x. 59, something con- structed—Cleopolis; in II. xi. 14, a castle so called ; OF. piece. Penne, xi. 10, a quill; OY.penne;

Lat. pentta, a feather. Perceable, i. 7, that can be

pierced ; see imperceable. Perdie, vi. 42, a common oath ; in Chaucer parde, pardee ; AF. par Di = P". par Dieii. Pere, viii. 7 ; xii. 17, a nobleman, champion ; lit. an equal ; OF. per = Lat. parent (ace. of par). The word peer has its dignified and chivalrous meaning very early, cp. its use in the romantic legend of Charlemagne, in wliich ' li duze Per,^ the twelve peers or equals in rani:, take a prominent place ; see Chanson de Roland (glossary). In ME. the term ' duze Per ' was borrowed from the ¥., and is found in many forms ; cp. Sege of Melayne (E. E. T. S.), 808, 'Erles, Dukes, and the xij duchepers^ Doiue- pere occurs in Spenser. Persaunt, x. 47, piercing. Person, ii. 11, personal appear-

ance ; Lat. persona, a mask used by an actor, a character, part played by an actor ; see Trench. Pight, ii. 42 (pret.) ; viii. 37; xi. 25, 43 ; xii. 25, pp., fixed, placed. 'iAE. picchen (^Wyclyffe, Nurnb. ii. 3). Of this verb the old pret.v/as pikU (J>ijte,pigh(e), pp. piki {pig/ii . The word to piUA was particularly used of forcibly plunging a sharp peg into the ground ; hence the phrase 'to piU/i a camp, i.e. to fasten the poles, tent-pegs ; and hence the general sense of fixing, fastening. Gloss. II. Pilgrim, vi. 48, a wanderer, one away from home ; OF. pelerim (pi. Chanson de Roland, 3687); It. pellegrino, peregrino; Lat. peregrinus, a stranger, lit. one passing through {per) a foreign country {agrum).

Pin, v. 4, 'not a. pin;'' i.e. a thing of small value. Chaucer has several equivalent expressions, as ' he sette nat a kers ' (i. e. a plant of cress), CT. 3756; also 'ne sette I nat the mountaunce (amount, value) of a tare,^ CT. 1570 ; see Skeat, Notes to Piers the Plowman, p. 234 ; see point.

Pine, ix. 35, sb. wasting away, pain of hunger ; pin ; PLat. pcna; hat. poena.

Pined, viii. 40, ' his pined corse,' body wasted away through tor- ment.

Plains, vi. 20, honest, artless ; so Gen. XXV. 37 (A.V. 'Jacob was a plain man '= simplex (Vulg.), dTTAacrros (Septuag.).

Platane, i. 9, plane-tree ; Lat. plataniis ; Gr. TrXdravos from TrXarus, broad.

Point, ix. 41, to appoint; so in Bacon's Essays, xlv vsee index).

Point, ii. I 2, ' cared not for God

GLOSSARY.

245

or man a point,' i. e. not a whit, not a jot. Cp. the use of F. point with a negative. See Cot- grave (s. V. poind). Lat. punc- /?<w, a prick, a small mark. See pin.

Point (to), i. 16; ii. 12, 'armed to point •^' see Nares. Cp. Cot- grave (s. V. poinct) : ' A poinct,' aptly, fitly, to purpose.

Pollicie, iv. 12, statecraft; see Bacon's Essays, vi (note ii. i.^oj. In the word 'policy' in Eliza- bethan times there is a sub- audition of cunning craftiness, of Simulation and Dissimula-

' tion,

Portesse, iv. 19, a breviary, a small book of prayers; ME. portesse in Levins' Manip. ; por- toHS in P. Plowman ; also por- thors ; OF. portehors, i. e. that which one carries abroad, a word compounded as the F. equivalent of Lat. portiforittm, a breviary (Ducange). On F. kors {fors) = hat/oris, abroad, see HU. (s. v.).

Posterne, v. 52, a small private gate behind ; OF. posterne, pos- tcrle ; Lat. posteriila.

Pouldred, vii. 12, reduced to poivder; 0¥. puldre (iox pulre), powder, with intrusive d see intermedle) ; Lat. puluerem, ace. oiptduis, dust.

Pounces, xi. 19, a hawk's claws (a term in hawking).

Poynant, vii. 19, sharp, prick- ing ; F. poignant, pres. pt. of poittdre, to prick ; Lat. piingere.

Poyse, xi. 54, weight, hence crashing fall of a heavy object. In Sir T. Elyot, Castel of Helth, ii. 33 poise = weight ; see ME. Diet. ' s. V. peis) ; OF. pois,peis, a weight ; Lat. pensum ; cp. foiser, peiser ; Lat. pensare.

Practicke, xii. 34, deceitful,

treacherous ; see Nares. In Bacon's Essays xxii and xlvii, practice is found in the sense of plotting, tricky negotiation.

Prancke,iv. 14, to display gaudily; ME. pranken, Prompt.

Praiince, vii. ii, to strut proudly (of a giant) ; ME. prancen (Gower).

Pray, ix. 20, to make a prey of; cp. OF. preder, to pillage, in Chanson de Roland, 385 ; MLat. praedare; l^zX. praeda.

Preace, iii. 3, press, a throng. In Cotgrave (s. v. presse) there occms prease as an Eng. equiva- lent; see Bible Gloss, (s. v. prease). xii. 19, vb., to press.

Presage, x. 61, to point out ; Lat. praesagiiim.

Presume, iv. 9, to assume; so Lat. praesumere.

Price, ix. 37, to pay the price of, atone for.

Prick, i. I, to spur on quickly; see Nares.

Priefe, viii. 43; ix. 17; x. 24, proof; so in Wyclyffe, Luke xii. 56, preve, to prove. Priefe = Y .preiive [^!^spcople pronounced peeple) = F, peiiple] ; PLat. proha, a proof.

Prime, ii. 40; iv. 17; vi. 13, spring-time ; cp. OF. primtcns (printemps^ ; MLat. priinum tempus (Ducange).

Prowesse, vii. 42, bravery, valour; ME. prowes, prtiesse (Strat- mann) ; OP", proece.

Prowest, iv. 41; v. 14, bravest: prozv = OF. proit ; see above.

Purchas, iii. 16, robbery (see Nares'i ; Chaucer, CT. 256 ; OF. purchacer, to pursue, obtain, from ptir {pour) + chacier, to chase; PLat. captiare for Lat. captare.

Purfled, ii. 13, embroidered on the edge; Chaucer, CT. 193,

246

GLOSSARY.

pur filed; F. "■ pourfihr d^cr, to ]nirt1e, tinsell, or overcast with gold thread ' (Cotgrave).

Purposes, ii. 30, discourse. This %h. purpose = 0¥ . pitipos , pottr- pos {mod.- propos, talk) = Lat. pi'opositum , is distinct in origin from the verb io ptirpose — C3F. purposer (mod. proposer) = Lai. pro + MLat. pausare (used in the sense of Lat. ponere, see Ducange).

Purveyaunee, xii. 13, provision; piirveiat7ce,Cha.\:iQ.ev, B. 247; OF. porv'eance, from OF. porvoir; Lat. providere.

Q.

Quaile, ix. 49, to crush the spirit ; cp. Shakespeare, Ant. & C. V. 2, 85, 'to quail and shake the orb.' A causal use of quail, to cower, fail in spirit. This quail is prob. the same word as quail = OF. cailler ^Lat. coagu- lore), cp. ' le sang se caille.^

Quayd, viii. 14, subdued ; pp. of quail; see above.

Quell, xi. 24, to disconcert, daunt ; OE. cwellan.

Quight, viii. 10; Quit, vi. 6, to free ; Quitt, vi. 10, freed. Quite, i. 30; viii. 26, 27; x. 15. 37; Quight, X. 67, to re- pay. From OF. ' quite, dis- charged, freed, released' (Cot- grave) ; Lat. quietunt, ace. of quietus, at rest ; hence, free.

Quoth, i. 12 (and passim), he said ; a pret. of queath (used in bequeath) ; ME. quoth, quath ; OE. cweSan, to say ; pret. civxd ; cp. Icel. kvad, he said.

R.

Rablement, vi. 8 ; xii. 9 (a fa- vourite word with Spenser\ a rabble ; Levins' Manip., ' rahle-

ment : series rerum.' Gloss.

n.

Kaile, vi. 43, to flow, pour down ; Richardson cites from Fairfax : ' The purple drops down railed purple red ; ' see Nares.

Rain. v. 40, to reign ; OF. regner ; Lat. regnare.

R:imping, iii. 5 ; viii. 12 ; xi. 37, leaping or bounding, Ps. xxii. 13 (P. B. V. also in Matthew's Bible) ; ME. rampen, to be furious (Chaucer, 13910); F. ' Tamper, to run, crawl, climb,' (Cotgrave). Cp. Bavarian rampfeti, to snatch.

Rapt, iv. 9, carried away; prob. = Lat. rapltis from rapio, to seize, but see Skeat (s. v.).

RaskaU, vii. 35 ; xii. 9, low, base, worthless; prop, a sb. ; ME. raskaille, used collectively, ' the common herd,' see Prompt, (s.v. rascalye). Cp. F. ' racaille, the rascality or base and rascall sort' (Cotgrave).

Raught, vi. 29; vii. 18; ix. 51, reached ; raught in Shakespeare (see Schmidt) ; ME. raughte (Chaucer) ; OE. rshte, pret. of rxcan.

Ravine, v. S; xi. 12, prey; ' foules of ravitte ' - birds of prey (Chaucer) ; OF. ravine = Lat. rapina.

Read, i. 13 ; x. 17, to advise. See aread.

Reave, iii. 36, xi. 41 ; raft, pp., i. 24 ; reft, pret. and pp., vi. 39; ix. 31; x. 65; xii. 39, to J rob, to take away by violence ; OE. riajian, to despoil, from r^o/J spoil, clothing, cognate with rdofan, to deprive. With vc'ajiaii cp. Icel. raufa, to rob ; Ci. 7-auben.

Rebut, ii. 15, to recoil; prop, in a transit, sense, to thrust back ; Y. rehouter i_Cotgrave\

GLOSSARY.

247

Recoyle, x. 17, to retreat; ME. recoihn, used transitively, to drive back, Ancren Riwle, p. 294 ; OF. reciUer = r^ + c.il^ the hinder part.

Hecreaunt, iv. 41, base, coward- ly; P. Plowman, 'yelt him re- creawtl,' gives up as beaten, see Skeat's Notes, p. 291 ; OF. ie- creant (Chanson de Roland, 2663, 393) =Lat. serecredentem, i. e. the champion who, in a judicial combat, owns himself beaten, and yields {se reoedit) to his opponent. In consequence of this surrender, the recreant knight is held to acknowledge his guilt.

Recure, v. 44; ix. 2; x. 24, 52; xi. 30, to restore to health and vigour ; M E. recoueren (recover) ; OF. recovrer; Lat. recuperare, to regain. Gloss. II. discure.

Red, vii. 46 ; xi. 46, pp. declared ; from verb to read.

Redoubted, iv. 40, dread, terri- ble ; OF. redouter, to fear ; Lat. re -1- dubitare.

Redound, vi. 30; redounding, iii. 8, to overflow ; OF. redon- der ; Lat. rcdiindare.

Redresse, v. 36, to re-arrange ; see address.

Read, i. 21, to notice, perceive; = verb to read.

Reele, v. 35, to roll ; ME. relyn, to wind on a reel (Prompt.) ; OE. hreol, a reel, cognate with hring, a ring ; see Kluge (s. v. ring).

Reft, see reave.

Reherce, iv. 50 ; ix. 48, to relate ; ME. rchercyn (Prompt.) ; OF. rehercier.

Renowmed, v. 5, renowned, fa- mous; F". ' renotnmi: renowmed, of great name ' (Cotgrave).

Renverst, iv. 41, turned upside down ; F. renverst.

Repaire, vi. 30, to return home ;

F. repairer (Cotgrave", OF. re- padrer ; MLat. repatriare (in Isidore of Seville'.

Repining (courage), ii. I7> angry; 'virtus indignata; illi indignantes ' (Upton).

Repriefe, ix. 29, reproof; see priefe.

Retrate, i. 13, to retreat: cp. F. ' rctraicte : a retrait ' (Cotgrave), from retraire = Lat. retrahere.

Reverse, ix. 4S, to cause to re- turn; OF. reverser.

Revoke, vi. 28, to call back ; Lat. revocare.

Richesse, iv. 7, riches; Chaucer, CT. 1257 ; OV. richesse, power, wealth, from adj. riche, powerful (Chnnson de Roland, 718); OHG. richi, mighty; cp. Go. reiks, mighty. The Eng. word riches is prop, a singular, being the equivalent of the F. richesse.

Ridde, i. 36, to remove, despatch ; see Bible Gloss. ME. ridde (Stratmann) ; OF. hreddan.

Rife, iv. 35; ix. 52, abundantly, much ; ME. rife (Stratmann) ; Icel. rifr; cp. ODu. rif.

Rift. ii. 30, gap, fissure; from verb to rive ; Icel. rifa, to tear, to rend.

Rime, ix. 48, verse, incantation (cp. meanings of Lat. carmen" ; ME. rime (Stratmann) ; the orig. sense of the OE. word rim was ' number, numerus,' so in OHG.. but it was afterwards applied to verses, so in Icel. rim, rima; MHG. rim. Cp. Lat. numerus (i) a number, (2) musi- cal measure ; hence Pope's 'As )et a child, nor yet a

fool to fame, I lisp'd in numbers, for the numbers came.'

Prol. Sat. 127. The meaning, and later spelling of the word {rhyme'), have been

248

GLOSSARY.

influenced by Lat. rhyihmus, Gr. pv6ix6s.

Kiotise, iv. 20, riotous conduct ; see Nares.

Rode, xii. 42, an open anchorage for shipping ; OE. rdi/, a road, a riding; ODn. rede, Du. reede, whence G. r/iede ; F. ' rade, a road, an open harbour' (Cot- grave).

Hove, Introd. 3, to shoot an anow for distance, with an elevation, not point blank ; see Halliwell.

Rowel, vii. 37, the ring of a bit; F. ' rou'elle, any small hoope, circle, ring, or round thing that's moveable in the place which it holds ' (Cotgrave). Rouelle dim. of roue ; Lat. rota.

Ruffln, iv. 34, disordered.

Rusty, V. 32, ' rusty blood,' i. e. rust-coloured ; so in Chaucer, CT. 620, the Reeve has ' a rusty blade,' the epithet reminding one of war and bloodshed, and not conveying any idea of dis- use or neglect. OE. 7iist, G. rest ; cp. Wei. rhwd, from root rudh, to be red ; see Kluge.

Ruth, V. 9. pity, sorrow ; Chaucer, rewihe, formed from the ME. to rewe, to pity, to suffer for ; OE. hriowan impers.) to grieve.

S.

Sacred, viii. 35, accursed (ashes), i.e. ashes devoted to impious uses, namely to receive the blood of the slain (so Upton).

Sad, iii. 10, firm, steady (for caiTV- ing a weight) ; i. 2 ; x. 7 ; xii. 5, 21, grave, sober i^in face or attire); v. 20; xii. 22, tristis, sorrowful. For the meaning ' firm, steady ' cp. Wyclyffe's version of Luke vi. 48, ' it was loundid on a j-^f/ stoon,' (super

peiram, Vulg.). OE. s^d, sated ; cp. G. satt. Gloss. II.

Sake, V. 12, cause; cp. 'for my sake,' for my cause; so in the Cursor Mundi (a. D. 1320), 'for Herod's sak ' ; an older meaning was ' crime, guilt,' so in the Homilies, ' penanz for his sinful sac;' OE. sacu, strife, war; sacan, to fight, contend.

Sallow, i. 9, a kind of willow ; salew (=salix), Wyclyffe, Ps. cxxxvi. a ; OE. seal'h (stem salg-) ; cp. OHG. salaha.

Salvage, iii. 5 ; vi. 11, adj. wood- land : OF. salvage ; MLat. silvaticus (Pliny). Gloss. II.

Sam, x. 57, together; ME. same, satnen, conjunction (Stratmann) ; Icel. saman, together.

Sathan, iv. 36, Satan ; Sathanas, Wyclyffe, Luke xxii. 3, = Sata- nas (Vulgate) ; Gr. 1.a.ravo.s ; Heb. Sdt&n, adversary.

Satyres, vi. 30, satyrs; Gr. aarv- pos, a sylvan being with pointed ears and goat's legs. In Lycidas, 54, Milton introduces the dance of ' rough Satyrs ' amongst the other charms of rural life en- joyed by himself and friend.

Say, iv. 31, a stuff (woollen) to make cloaks (see Halliwell) ; ME. say, cloth (Prompt.) ; F. sate, Sp. saya ; Lat. saga, in Ennius, usually sagum, a military cloak ; Diez, p. 2S0. Note that F. saie (=^ saga) is not to be confused with F. sot'e ( - PLat. seta).

Scarlot, ii. 13 ; ' scarlot red ;' xii. 13, scarlet ; OF. escarlate.

Scath, iv. 35 ; xii. 34, hurt, harm ; ME. scathe (Chaucer). Cp. Icel. skadi, harm ; G. schade.

Scowre, ii. 20, to run fast ; see Nares,

Scryne, Introd. 2, case or chest fcr keeping books ; Lat. scriinum.

GLOSSARY.

249

Sead, X. 51, seed, posterity.

Sease, xi. 38, to fasten ; = seize, see disseized.

Seel, vii. 23 ' (eyes) seeled up,' de- prived of sight ; cp. Cotgrave : ' siller les yeux : to sesle, or sow up, the eyelids,' also, ciller, cillier, in same sense, whence dessiller, to unseele, open the eyelids of ; from cil, Lat. dltum, an eyelid (Pliny). See Nares, and HD. (s.v. ciller).

Seely, vi. 10, innocent, harmless; silly, i. 30; ii. 21; Chaucer, sely, simple, good (frequently) ; OK. {ge)sielig, happy, blessed. So G. selig = happy, blessed, in heaven ; hence of deceased per- sons, e.g. mein seliger Vater, my late father ; see 'i'rench.

Semblaunt, ii. 12, semblance, appearance; F. semblant (Cot- grave).

Sent, i. 43, perception ; sent is the old spelling of scent, so in Cotgrave ; ' odeur : an odor, sent, smell ; ' F. sentir.

Shamefast, x. 15, modest; the word now misspelt shame^acr^t/, see good note in Trench, Eng. Past and Pres. (s. v.) ; shamfast (Chaucer) ; OE. scamfsest ; for termination -fivst cp. dr/xst, honourable, sodfxst, truthful.

Shaume, xii. 1 3, a musical instru- ment said to resemble the clarionet, a wind instrument of the reed kind. The word occurs in the forms shalm, shalmie (cp. MUG. schalmie) ; from OF. chalemie, chalcmel, calainel, a reed-pipe ; from Lat. calamus, a reed. In Ps. xcviii. 7 (P.li.V.) ' shawms ' is a mistranslation of Ileb. shopMr, cow's horn or ram's horn.

Shew, iii. 10, mark, track.

Shroud, i. 6, to get cover, take shelter ; ME. schruden, ' vestire'

(Stratmann) ; OE. scrydan, cp. Icel. skryda.

Shyne, x. 67, bright light ; so Ps. xcvii. 4 (P.P. v.), 'His light- nings gave shine unto the world.'

Signe, X. 61, watchword; so Lat signum.

Silly, see seely.

Sinke, i. 22, receptacle of every- thing foul ; see Stratmann.

Sit, i. 30, impers. 'with holy father sits not with such things to mell,' i. e. it does not become, suit a holy father, &c. So in Chaucer often. It is a French idiom; cp. the rises of seoir (i) to sit, (2) to suit, to be becoming ; hence bienscance, becoming manners, propriety. Cp. MLat. sedere (Ducange).

Sith, vii. 22 ; x. 64 ; sithens, iv. 51 ; ix. 8, since ; ME. sith ; OE. sio, since; sithens (^whence since) arose from ME. sithen (OE. siSSan) + -es, common as an adverbial ending, as in needs, twi-es ; see middest.

Slight, vii. 30, device, contri- vance; 5/£/]fA/'<?, Chaucer, CT. 604. This is a Scandinavian word, from Icel. sl^g5, slyness, see Stratmann. Cp. Eph. iv. 14 (A.V.) 'by the sleight of men' = kv rri Kvfffia k.t.K. Gloss. II.

Snaggy, vii. 10, having snags, i.e. lumps on a tree where a branch had been cut off (Halliwell). Sftag a north -country word, prob. of Scandinavian origin. Cp. Icel. snagi.

Snubbe, viii. 7, a bough ctit short, hence a snag, see snaggy. A .Scandinavian word, cp. Icel. smibba, to cut short, to snub, snubbottr, with top cut off. Hence our ' snub-nose.'

Solemnize, x. 4, verbal sb. solem- nizing ; Lat. sollennis, estab-

250

GLOSS A R Y.

lished, appointed by state authority, festive, solemn.

Sooth, iii. 29, truth; soothsayer, V. 8 ; OE. soti (for santh) : cp. Icel. sajinr (for san/k-r), Lat. sotiticiis, genuine, '^V.i.sa/ya, true; see Mayhew, Old English Pho- nology, § 255.

Sorceresse, ii. 34, an enchantress; so in Cotgrave (s.v. sorciere ; F. ■j<?/r/tV' = MLat. sortiarius, one who casts lots {sortes).

Souee, V. 8, to beat, drub. A north-country word, see Jamie- son. Cp. Johnson, ' To souse, To strike with sudden violence, as a bird strikes his prey.' See Shakespeare, K. John v. 2. 150. Gloss. II.

Soust, iii. 31, pp. plunged into water, drenched.

Sowne, i. 41, sound; ME. scun (Chaucer) ; Fr. son ; Lat. soniis.

Sperst, i. 39 ; iv. 48. pp. dispersed ; the verb to disperse is from Lat. dispersHS, pp. of dispergere.

Spill, iii. 43, to destroy ; cp. Chau- cer, E. 50.^, ' ye mowe saue or spille ; ' OE. spillan, to destroy ; cp. Icel. spilla.

Spousd, X. 4, betrothed ; OF. es- pouser\ Lat. sponsa}-e. Cp. Wyclyffe, Matt. i. iS, 'Marie. . spousid {desponsata, Vulg.) to Joseph.'

Spies, ii. 17, ' speculatores, i.e. oculiquibus speculatur' (Upton). ME. spie (Stratmann) ; OF. espie ; the verb espier in Chanson de Roland, from OHG. spehon.

Spright, i. 38, an evil spirit ; spright for sprite ; F. esprit ; Lat. spiritiis.

Squire, vii. 29; viii. 3, an attendant on a knight; properly one who bore the knight's shield; Chau- cer, CT. 79. sqityer; OF. escu'ier, from escu, escnt ; Lat. sciituin, a shield. Hence the modern Eng-

lish country 'squire,'' and the title ' Esquire,^ ' Esq.''

Stadle, vi. 14, staff, properly a foundation, support ; see Nares. OE. stadol.

Starke, i. 44, stiff; so OE. stearc, ' validus, rigidus.'

Sted, viii. 17 ; ix. 41 ; xi. 46, place ; iv. 2, ' in her sted^ cp. mod. instead; OE. stede. The word occurs very often as a ter- mination in English local names, e.g. Bansted, Binsted, Elstead, Felstead, Stanstead ; see be- stedd.

Steede, ii. 45, a spirited horse, for war; ME. stede (Stratmann); OE. steda, a stallion, from siod, a stud.

Stew, xi. 44, a warm place; con- nected with OF. estiive (mod. ^tuve) ; Prov. estuba ; Cp. G. stube ; OE. .and Icel. stofa, stove.

Steward, x. 37, one who has charge of a household ; OE. ^//w^ar^in the Chron. A.D. 11 20, an officer of the court of Henry I. Stlweard-stigii + zveard, a keeper, warden of the sty or cattle-pen. Hence the royal name of Stuart.

Stole, i. 4; iii. 4; xii. 22, the black hood of Una ; cp. Milton, 11 Pens. 35, 'sable stole of Cyprus lawn ; ' Gr. aroK-q.

Stound, vii. 25; viii. 12, 25, 38; xi. 36, a time of trouble, peril, alarm ; properly a short space of time (OE. sluud) ; cp. G. stund, an hour.

Stowre, ii. 7; iii. 30; iv. 46; v. 51 ; vii. 12 ; viii. 5; x. 40, battle, disturbance, peril : Chaucer, stoiire ; OF. estur, estor, in Chanson de Roland, the tumult ot battle. Gloss. II.

Stub, ix. 34, an old stump of a tree ; Icel. stiibbi.

Stye, xi. 25, to ascend, mount ;

GLOSSARY.

2.5'

OE. stlgan ; cp. Icel. stiga ; Gr.

Sufflsed, ii. 43, satisfied, appeas- ed ; cp. Deut. iii. 26, ' let it suf- fice thee' \A.\'.) = suff!cit tibi (Vulg.) ; see Bible Gloss.

Sullein, ix. 35, qloomy, sullen ; Wyclyffe, Job iii. 14, ' soleyn places,' =-- solitudines (Vulg.) ; from Lat. solus, alone.

Sup, iv. 22, to drink down; ME. stipen (Stratmann) ; OK. siipan.

Suspect, vi. 1 3, suspicion ; so Milton, Vacation Ex., 27 ; MLat. siispectus = ' suspicio ' (Ducange).

Swayne, viii. 13, youth; ME. swayn (Chaucer) ; Icel. sveinn, a boy, lad ; a servant, attendant ; cp. Dan. svend, an apprentice, and E. swain in ho^t-srvain, co.k- swain. Gloss. II.

Swelt, vii. 6, burned ; pret. of ME. swekfi, ' urere ' (Strat- mann) ; OE. swxlan.

Swinge, xi. 26, to singe : so in various dialects (Halliwell ; ME. jengen (Chaucer); OE. sengan; (). sengen, cp. Icel. sangr, burnt (of porridge).

Swyne, iv. 21, a i^\%, porcus ; OE. swill, a hog, a boar. Swine is now generally used as a plur. form. In Chaucer it is sin-];, and pi. like sheep, deer.

Syre, vi. 30, sire, father; OF. sire (domine) in the Chanson de Roland, frequently in addressing Charlemagne ; sire is derived from Lat. senior, elder, whereas seigneur, sietir=^seniorem. The stages were senior, *scior, sire ; cp. pir'e = Lat. peior.

T. Table, ix. 49, a picture ; properly the panel or surface on which a picture was painted ; cp. Shake-

speare, K. John, ii. i. 502, ' I be- held myself, Drawn in the flatter- ing table of her eye ; ' OF. lahle ; Lat. tabula, a painted panel, a picture, from the PLat. diminu- tive of which tabulelhtm comes F. tableau, a picture.

Talaunts, xi. 41 , talons : F. talon, a heel ; PLat. talonein, from Lat. talus.

Teade, xii. 37, a torch; La.t. taeda.

Teene, ix. 34 ; xii. 18, grief, hurt ; Chaucer, 3108 ; OE. tiona, in- jury, insult.

Tell, iv. 27, to count ; ME. tellen (Stratmann) ; OE. tellan.

Teme, ii. i, 'his sevenfold teine,' i. e. the Great Bear, the seven bright stars, Septemtriones. teme, v. 28, a line of draught animals = OE. t^am, a line of descendants ; Icel. taumr, a rein, bridle, from Germanic root teuh, to draw ; see Mayhew, Old Eng- lish Phonology, § 237.

Then, x. 10, than : so in More's Utopia (passim), see gloss.

Thewes,ix. 3; x. 4, manners, good qualities; so in ME. constantly, see Stratmann ; OE. piaw, cus- tom, habit; in plur. morality. Shakespeare uses the word thcwes in the sense of nerves, muscular vigour; see Trench ai.d Skeat With OE. p^aw cp. OS. thatt, custom (Heliand).

Tho, i. 18 ; V. 11; xi. 42, then ; so in Chaucer; OE. bd.

Thorough, i. 32 ; x. i, through ; so now in various dialects (Halli- well) ; yi^. poru in Havelok = OE. pnrh ; in the Chron. A.D. 998, this preposition ap- pears as (iiiriih. Note, the prep. through and the adj. thorough are one and the same word.

Thrall, ii. 22 ; vii. 44 ; viii. i, sub- ject; V. 45, 51 ; viii. 32, 37, prisoner ; vi. 6. one in distress ;

252

GLOSSAR Y.

in Chaucer thral, a servant, serf; OE. Jirxl, a serf; cp. Icel. frsell.

Thrill, iii. 42; x. 19, to pierce; thrillant, xi. 20, piercing; OE. pyrlian. See nosethrill.

Thrist, vi. 38, to thirst ; so Wy- clyffe, Matt. v. 6.

Threw, X. 41, throe, pang; ME. thioiue, 'aerumna' (Prompt.); OE.j3;'/a (base/r/flTfa-), misery, calamity ; cp. Icel. prd.

Tide, ii. 29, a duration of time ; OE. tid, ' tempus ' ; cp. G. zeit.

Timely, i. 21 ; iv. 4, in due season, according to a set time ; OE. timlic, temporal.

Tinsell, ii. 13, 'a silver texture, less dense and stout than cloth of silver,' Keightley ; see Trench. But ' tinsel ' does not always re- fer to silver ; cp. Cotgrave, ' brocatel : iiiisell ; or thin cloth of gold, or silver.' F. elincelh; OF. estcncele ; PLat. sdncilla ; Lat. scintilla, see HD.

Tire, iv. 35, ' a tier, row, or rank' (Halliwell); Dryden, H. P. iii. 317 ; Milton, P. L. vi. 605.

Tire, viii. 46; x. 31, a head-dress: so in the Bible (A.V.), Is. iii. 18; Ezek. xxiv. 17, 23 ; see Bible Gloss.

Tort, xii. 4, wrong ; a French word used in English law; F. tort = Lat. tortus, properly twisted, wrung awry, then, wrong, dam- age, injustice.

Touch, iii. 2, 'true as touch,' i.e. touchstone ; so in Shakespeare, Timon, iv. 3, 'O thou touch of hearts ' (namely, gold) ; for F. toucher.

Toy, vi. 28, pastime, sport; pro- perly like its cognate G. zeug used of implements, utensils, gear, then used for the compound play-toy (spielzeug), plaything.

Cp. Du. tuig, implement; Icel. iy^, gear.

Trace, viii. 31, to walk; still in use (Halliwell). F. tracer.

Traine (trayne), i. 18; viii. 17; xi. 37, a tail ; F. train, see Cot- grave ; OF. train, a tail.

Traine, i. 18 ; iii. 24; ix. 31, a snare, a draw-net ; F. ' traine, a draw-net' (Cotgrave). From traire, Lat. trahere.

Transmew, vii. 35, to transmute ; F. transmuer (Cotgrave) ; see mew.

Treachour, iv. 41 ; ix. 32, traitor ; ME. trechour; OF. t^-echeor, from tree her {trickier'), to trick. Gloss. II.

Treen, ii. 39, adj. of trees.

Trenchand, i. 17; xi. 24, ^ t:en- ^//a«(/ blade,' sharp-cutting; OF. trenchant, cp. Chanson de Ro- land, 949, 'noz espees sunt bones e trencha7tz,' our blades are good and cutting.

Trespas, i. 30, trespass, transgres- sion ; for ME. exx. see Strat- mann ; F. trespas, gen. a depar- ture out of this world, a decease (Cotgrave , from OY. trespasser, to pass beyoi;d, to die ; Lat. trans, beyond +passare, a PLat. verb formed from Lat. passus, a step ; see pace.

Trinall, xii. 30, threefold; as if from a Lat. trinalis ; cp. Milton, Od. Nativ., II, 'the midst of Trinal Unity.'

Truncked, viii. 10, having limbs lopped off ; T, at. /'/mw^mj, maim- ed, deprived of limbs.

Trusse, xi. 19, to take fast hold of; OF. trosser (mod. trousser), to pack close, so in Chanson de Roland, 701.

Turnameiit, v. i, tournament, knightly combat in the lists ; ME. tourneyinent (Chaucer) ; OK. tornoieinent, from /ornoier.

GLOSS AR Y.

'^53

to joust, to tnmey, lit. to wheel

round. Tway, vii. 27, 'in tway^ in twain;

ME. twey (_Chaucer), Gloss. 11. Twyfold, V. 28, twofold; ME.

twifeald ^.Stratmann). Twyne, vi. 14, a convolution ; cp.

Milton, Comus, 105, ' Braid your

locks with rosy twined Tyne, ix. 15, toil, anxiety; see

teene. Gloss. II. tine. Tyrannesse, v. 46, female tyrant.

F. tyran ; Lat. tyrannus ; Gr.

Ugly, ix. 48, horrible ; ME. ug- gely, (Prompt.) ; Icel. uggligr.

Unacquainted, v. 21, 'unac- quainted light,' the light she was not accustomed to ; cp. Milton, Comus, 180; OF. acointier; PLat. adcognitare 1 to make know, from cognitus, known, see HD. (s.v. accointer"^.

Unbid, ix. 54, without a prayer ; formed from ME. bidden, to pray; OE. biddan, cp. {ge)bed, prayer.

Uncouth, i. 15 ; viii. 31 ; xi. 20, unusual, strange ; prop, tm- known ; often in Chaucer ; OE. uncuS, unknown, from cilti, known, relating to cunnan, to know,

Undight, iii. 4, pret. unfastened ; see dight.

Uneasy, v. 36, uncomfortable.

Uneath, ix. 38; x. 31 ; xi. 4, adv. with difficulty; ME. unnethe (Chaucer) ; OE. un-iate ; iahe, easily ; cp. Icel. autS- (prefix), = easy, easily, see Icel. Diet. (s.v.).

Unghest, ix. 7, unguessed ; see ghesse.

Unhable, iv. 33, unable ; see hable.

Unkindly, i. 26, unnatural ; see kindly.

Unlich, V. 28, unlike.

Untill, xi. 4, unto ; see ME. Diet.

Unwary, xii. 25, unexpected; the usual ME. form was unwar ; see ME. Diet.

Unweeting, ii. 45 ; vii. 6 ; x. 9, 95 ; xi. 29, not knowing, uncon- scious ; Chaucer, G. 1320, umvil- ing; see weet. Gloss II.

Upbrayd, vii. 3, to reproach; ME. upbreiden (Stratmann) ; OE. bregdan, bridan, to draw, brand- ish (a sword) ; Icel. bregSa, to move swiftly, to brandish ; also, to throw about words, upbraid, blame ; see Icel. Diet. (s.v. bregda). Gloss, II. upbray.

Upstart, i. 16, pret. leapt up; cp. Chaucer, CT. 1080, pret. up- sterte ; see ME. Diet. (s. v. upsterteti).

V.

Venger, iii. 20, avenger; cp. F. vengeur, from OF. vengier, to take vengeance ; Lat. vindicare, to lay claim to, to revenge.

Vere, xii. i, to veer, to direct to a different course; F. virer (Cotgrave) ; MLat. virare.

Vild, ix. 46, vile ; a very common form in early writers (Halli- well) ; for the d after /, see yeld.

Villen, ix. 28, villain ; see Trench, OF. vilain, bad, villainous, orig. a countryman, farm labourer ; MLat. villaniis, a serf, ' glebse ascriptus,' from villa, a country district (Du- cange).

Visour, vii. i, F. 'visiere: the viser, or sight of an helmet' (Cotgrave), from viser, to look.

Vitall, iv. 49, connected with bodily life ; Lat. vitalis.

Voyage, ix. 18, journey; F. voy- age ; cp. It. viaggio ; PLat. viaticum, a journey; in Latin, money or food for the way.

254

GLOSS A R V.

MV.

Wade, i. 12, to go, to pass; OE.

wadan, to go, advance ; also, to

wade, cp. Icel. vaSa, G. waicn;

also Lat. vadere, and vadiim ;

see Kkige. Wage, iv. 39, meed, reward;

Prompt. ^ wage, stipendium,

salarium': OF. wage, guage,

gage, a pledge ; see gage.

Gloss. II. Warray, v. 48, to harass with

war; ME. werreyen to make

war (.ME. Diet.) ; OV.guerroier,

to make war ; from OF. gue/re

= PLat. giierra ; OHG. werra,

discord. Wast, i. 42, wasted ; OF. waster,

guaster, gasfer (mod. gdler);

MHG. wasien. Wastfull, i. 32 ; iii. 3; viii. 50,

uncultivated, wild (of a desert). Wastries, iii. 3, a wilderness ; see

above. Wax, iv. 34, to grow ; pp. woxen ;

OE. weaxan, pret. w£ox, pp.

weaxan ; cp. Icel. vaxa. Wayne, iv. 9, chariot ; OE. waepi,

a wain; cp. Icel. vagn. Wayte, x. 36, to watch ; ME.

way ten (Chaucer) ; OF. gaitier,

guatier (mod. guetter) ; OHG.

wahtan. Weare, i. jr, to spend, pass (of

time) ; so in Lat. tere7-e tempus ;

OE. werian, to wear ; cp. Icel.

verja ; Go. wasjan, akin to Lat.

vestis. Weedes, ii. 21, clothes ; OE. ge-

wkde, dress, clothes ; wxd, a

robe. This word is not to be

confused with the perfectly

distinct weedes, ix.28 = herba;

OE. weod. Weeue, i. 10; iii. 41, to intend ;

X. 58, to think ; OE. whiaiu lo

expect, from wen (for 7cwii-),

hope, expectation; Go. wens, hope.

Weet, iii. 6 ; vi. 14 ; viii. 37 ; xii. 3, to know; OE. %vitan\ cp. Icel. vita ; see wot.

Welke, i. 23, to fade, grow dim (of the sun in the west!; see ME. Diet.; cp. OHG. welken, to become slack, weak (Otfrid).

Welkin, iv. 9, the sky, the heaven; so Milton, P. L. ii. 538 ; Comus, loi-;; ME. welken (Chaucer) ; OE. woken, a cloud; cp. G. wolke, a cloud.

Well, ii. 43, well-being.

Well, i. 26 ; ix. 6, ' well worthy,' = valde; see ME. Diet.

Well, vii. 4, to bubble up from a spring; OE. ivellan.

Wend, i. 28; x. 15, 56, to go; OE. wendan, to turn, to go. Hence our pret. went.

Wex, xi. I, to grow ; see wax.

Whenas, ii. 32 (and often), as soon as; see below.

Whereas, vi. 40, where ; cp. Skeat, s. v. as (2).

While, Introd. 4, a space of time ; OE. hwil, cp. Icel. hvila, which has the notion of ' rest,' and the special meaning of 'bed'; Go. hweila means ' a while, a sea- son.'

Whot, X. 26, hot ; ' still in use ' (Halliwelll ; cp. whole from OE. Ml, hale.

W^hyleare, ix. 28, a while before ; OE. hwil + xr (formerly) ; see erst.

W^hylome, iv. 15 ; v. 23 ; \\\. 36; xi. 29, for a while, in time p.Tst; ix. 7, continuously ; xii. 41, for- merly (of a single action) ; OE. hwllum, sometimes, prop. dat. pi. of hwil (see while \ and so meaning ' at whiles,' ' at times.'

Wight, ix. 23, 33, a being, crea- ture ; OE. wiht, a being ; also, a thing, a whit (as in ' not a

GLOSS A K y.

255

whiV)^ aliquid. Cp. Go. waihts, a whit, a thing ; Icel. vxttr, a supernatural being.

Wimple, xii. 22, a veil, prop, linen cloth for the neck ; Is. iii. 22 (A. v.), zvintplcs = %<:\\\t\tr (Luther) ; Ancren Riwle, p. 420 ; Prompt. ' wyvipyl, pep- lum'; OF. guiniple, a veil, also in Cotgrave '■ gtiiviple, the crepine of a French-hood ' ; OHG. witnpal ; see Diez, p. 608.

Wimpled, i. 4, provided with a wimple ; . Chaucer, CT. 470, ywyiiiplid.

Wist, V. 27, pret. knew; OE. zviste, pret. of witan ; see weet.

Wize {wise), iii. 19; x. 12; xii. 17, 18, manner ; OE. wise ; cp. G. weise ; see guise.

Wonue, vi. 39, pret. fought, con- quered ; Chaucer, CT. 51 (pp.) ; OF. winnan, to hght, j'ret. ivann, pp. wunnen.

Wonne, vi. 39, to dwell ; OE. wunian ; cp. G. wohnen.

Wont, ii. 40, to be accustomed to ; Bk. III. xii. 20 ' the craftes- man wonts it beautify;' a verb formed from the pp. wotied {wont) of the verb to wane (OE, wunian).

Wood, iv. 34 ; v. 20, mad, furious; frequent in Chaucer ; OE. wud ; cp. Icel. 66r.

Worshippe, i. 3, honour, respect ; see Bible Gloss. ; ME. worschip (Wyclyffe) ; OE. wcorOscipe, i.e. zvorth-ship, honour.

Wot, i. 13; wote, ii. iS ; ix. 31, know ; OE. wdt, pret.-pres. sing. I and 3 of witan ; see weet.

Woxen, see wax.

Wreakes, viii. 43 ; xii. 16, 'wrath- ful wreakes^ acts of vengeance ; Prompt. ' zvreke, vindicta, ulcio ; ' OE. wrecu, misery, cp. wrecan, to avenge, punish.

Wreck, xi. 21. 'wrathful! wreck, destruction, mischief.

Y.

T-. This prefix in Spenser repre- sents two particles : —

(1) Y- stands for the OE. ge-, which is the Go. ga-, OHG. ka-, ga-, G. ge-. This particle answers functionally to Lat. co-, con-, i.e. cum, and to Gr. ^vv {avv), with, and as a prefix has often the meaning of partnership, companionship, e.g. OE. gcfdra, companion, from firan, to go ; Go. ga-hlaiba. sharer in a loaf, companion (which is from OF. compain = Lat. cufn + pants) ; G. geselle, sharer of the same sal {saal), house; companion. OE. ge- was often prefixed to palls of the verb, esp. to the pp., If. g, gebifod from lufian, to love. Hence the Spenserian ycladd, i. 1 ; ycled, iv. 38, clad ; ydrad, i. 2, dreaded ; ypight, ix. 33, fixed (see pight) ; yplast, placed, where the Teutonic prefix is even put before a French verb ; so in Milton, Ode N.ativ., 155, ychain'd, chained.

Ygoe, ii. 18, ago, agone, gone past; ME. ygo, ygon, gone; OE. gegdn, pp. of gdn, to go. But see Gloss. II.

Ylike, iv. 27, alike; ME. iliche (for various forms see NF:D.); OV.. gelice.

(2) Y-= OE. in; so yfere, ix. I , in company, together ; ME. i fere, hi fei'e (Stratmann); see fere.

Ydle, V. S, purposeless, without an object; OE. (del; cp. OHG. ital, empty, useless ; G. eitel.

Yede, xi. 5, to go ; so in Bk. II. iv. 2 'forced for Xoyeed;'' prop.

256

GLOSSAJ?y.

a pret., cp. Chancer, G. 1141 ;

OE. ^ode, I went ; Go. iddja ;

from this yede comes yod, x.

53. Gloss. II. yeed. Yeld, xi. 37, to yell; for the d

after / cp; vild. Ymp, vi. 24 ; x. 60 ; see impe. Ynd, vi. 3, India ; Chaucer, E.

1230 Vnde. Yod, see yede.

Yoimelings, x. 57, the young of

an animal ; Wyclyffe, Mark xvi.

5, yonglyng, a young man =

juvenis (Vulg.. Touthly, vi. 34, youthful ; so in

Bk. II. iii. 38, ' my youthly

days.' Gloss. II. Yrkesome, iii. 4, tiring, tedious ;

ME. irkesum (Prompt.) Yts, vii. 39, it is.

THE END.

Hrrv X o ivJirw

PR Spenser, i^drauiid

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1901

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