-; slack,

rende

fraught

: pleasure

With sugred words and gentle blandishment, And with the tide drove forward carelessly;
Which as a fountain from her sweet lips went, For, th' air was mild, and cleared was the sky,
And welled goodly forth, that in short space And all his winds Dan Eolus did keep
She was well pleas'd, and forth her damsels sent, From stirring up their stormy enmity,
Through all the woods, to search from place to place, As pitying to see her wail and weep;
If any track of him or tidings they might trace. But all the while the fisher did securely sleep.
To search the god of love, her nymphs she sent At last, when drunk with drowsiness, he woke,
Throughout the wandering forest every where: And saw his drover drive along the stream,
And after them herself eke with her went

He was dismay'd, and thrice his breast he stroke,
To seek the fugitive, both far and near.

For marvel of that accident extreme;
So long they sought, till they arrived were

But when he saw that blazing beauties beam,
In that same shady covert, whereas lay

Which with rare light his boat did beautify,
Fair Chrysogone in slumbry trance whylere: He marvell’d more, and thought he yet did dream
Who in her sleep (a wondrous thing to say) [day. Not well awak'd, or that some extacy
Unwares had borne two babes, as fair as springing Besotted had his sense, or dazzled was his eye.
Unwares she them conceiv'd, unwares she bore: But when her well avising, he perceived
She bore withouten pain, that she conceived To be no vision, nor fantastic sight,
Withouten pleasure: nor her need implore

Great comfort of her presence he conceived,
Lucina's aid: which when they both perceived, And felt in his old courage new delight
They were through wonder nigh of sense bereaved, To gin awake, and stir his frozen spright:
And gazing each on other, nought bespake:

Then rudely asked her, “ How she thither came?"
At last, they both agreed, her (seeming grieved) “ Ah,” (said she) “ father! I n'ote read aright,
Out of her heavy swoon not to awake,

What hard misfortune brought me to the same;
But from her loving side the tender babes to take. Yet am I glad that here I now in safety am.

Up they them took; each one a babe uptook,
And with them carried, to be fostered.
Dame Phebe to a nymph her babe betook,
To be brought up in perfect maidenhead,
And of herself, her name Belphebe read:
But Venus her's hence far away convey'd,
To be upbrought in goodly womanhead,
And in her little love's stead, which was stray'd,
Her Amoretta call'd, to comfort her dismay’d.

“ But thou, good man, since far in sea we be,
And the great waters gin apace to swell,
That now no more we can the main land see,
Have care, I pray, to guide the cock-boat well,
Least worse on sea than us on land befell.”
Thereat th' old man did nought but fondly grin,
And said, “ His boat the way could wisely tell.”
But his deceitful eyes did never lin
To look on her fair face, and mark her snowy skin.
The sight whereof, in his congealed flesh,
Infix'd such secret sting of greedy lust,
That the dry withered stock it gan refresh,
And kindled heat that soon in flame forth brust;
The driest wood is soonest burnt to dust,
Rudely to her he leapt, and his rough hand
Where ill became him, rashly would have thrust:
But she with angry scorn him did withstand,
And shamefully reproved for his rudeness fond,

THE STORY OF FLORIMELL.
But Florimell herself was far away,
Driven to great distress by fortune strange,
And taught the careful mariner to play,
Since late mischance had her compell’d to change
The land for sea, at random there to range:
Yet there that cruel queen avengeress,
Not satisfied so far her to estrange
From courtly bliss and wonted happiness,
Did heap on her new waves of weary wretchedness.
For, being fled into the fisher's boat,
For refuge from the monster's cruelty,
Long so she on the mighty main did float,

But, he that never good nor manners knew,
Her sharp rebuke full little did esteem;
Hard is to teach an old horse amble true.
The inward smoke, that did before but steam,
Broke into open fire and rage extreme,
And now he strength gan add unto his will,
Forcing to do that did him foul misseem:
Beastly he threw her down, nor car'd to spill (fill.
Her garments gay with scales of fish, that all did

7."

The silly virgin strove him to withstand,
All that she might, and him in vain revil'd:
She struggled strongly both with foot and hand,
To save her honour from that villain vild,
And cried to heaven, from human help exil'a.
Oye brave knights, that boast this lady's love,

Where be ye now, when she is nigh defil'd

But he endeavoured with speeches mild,
Of filthy wretch ? well may she you reprove Her to recomfort, and accourage bold,
Of falshood, or of sloth, when most it may behove. Bidding her fear no more her foeman vild,

Nor doubt himself; and who he was, her told.
But if that thou, Sir Satyrane, didst weet,

Yet all that could not from affright her hold, Or thou, Sir Peridure, her sorry state,

Nor to recomfort her at all prevail'd; How soon would ye assemble many a fleet

For, her faint heart was with the frozen cold To fetch from sea, that ye at land lost late ?

Benumb'd so inly, that her wits nigh fail'd, Towers, cities, kingdoms, ye would ruinate,

And all her senses with abashment quite were In your avengement and dispiteous rage,

[quail'd. Nor ought your burning fury might abate ;

Her up betwixt his rugged hands he rear'd,
But if Sir Calidore could it presage,

And with his frory lips full softly kiss'd,
No living creature could his cruelty assuage. While the cold isicles from his rough beard

Dropped adown upon her ivory breast:
But since that none of all her knights is nigh,

Yet he himself so busily addressid, See how the heavens of voluntary grace,

That her out of astonishment he wrought, And sovereign favour towards chastity,

And out of that same fisher's filthy nest Do succour send to her distressed case:

Removing her, into his chariot brought,
So much high God doth innocence embrace.

And there with many gentle terms her fair besought.
It fortuned, while thus she stiffly strove,
And the wide sea importuned long space

But that old lecher, which with bold assault
With shrilling shrieks, Proteus abroad did rove, That beauty durst presume to violate,
Along the foaming waves driving his finny drove. He cast to punish for his heinous fault;

Then took he him yet trembling since of late
Proteus is shepherd of the seas of yore,

And tied behind his chariot, to aggrate And hath the charge of Neptune's mighty herd; The virgin, whom he had abus'd so sore: An aged sire with head all frory hoar,

So dragg’d him through the waves in scornful state. And sprinkled frost upon his dewy beard:

And after cast him up upon the shore;
Who when those pitiful outcries he heard

But Florimell with him unto his bower he bore.
Through all the seas so ruefully resound,
His chariot swift in haste he thither steer'd,

His bower is in the bottom of the main,
Which with a team of scaly Phocas bound

Under a mighty rock, gainst which do rave Was drawn upon the waves, that foamed him around. The roaring billows in their proud disdain;

That with the angry roaring of the wave, And coming to that fisher's wandring boat

Therein is eaten out an hollow cave,
That went at will, withouten card or sail

That seems rough mason's hand with engines keen,
He therein saw that irksome sight, which smote Had long while laboured it to engrave:
Deep indignation and compassion frail

There was his wonne, nor living wight was seen,
Into his heart at once: strait did he hail

Save one old nymph, hight Panope, to keep it clean.
The greedy villain from his hoped prey;
Of which he now did very little fail,

Thither he brought the sorry Florimell,
And with his staff that drives his herd astray, And entertained her the best he might;
Him beat so sore, that life and sense did much dis-

And Panope her entertain'd eke well,

[may. As an immortal might a mortal wight, The while the piteous lady up did rise,

To win her liking unto his delight: Ruffled and foully rayd with filthy soil,

With flattering words he sweetly wooed her, And blubbered face with tears of her fair

eyes: And offered fair gifts t'allure her sight: Her heart nigh broken was with weary toil

But she both offers and the offerer
To save herself from that outrageous spoil:

Despis'd, and all the fawning of the flatterer.
But when she looked up, to weet what wight
Had her from so infamous fact assoil'd,

Daily he tempted her with this or that,
For shame, but more for fear of his grim sight, And never suffered her to be at rest:
Down in her lap she hid her face, and loudly shright. But evermore she him refused flat,

And all his feigned kindness did detest; Herself not saved yet from danger dread

So firmly she had sealed up her breast. She thought, but chang'd from one to other fear;

Sometimes he boasted, that a god he hight:
Like as a fearful partridge, that is fled

But she a mortal creature loved best:
From the sharp hawk, which her attacked near, Then he would make himself a mortal wight;
And falls to ground, to seek for succour there, But then she said she lov'd none but a fairy knight.
Whereas the hungry spaniel she does spy,
With greedy jaws her ready for to tear;

Then like a fairy knight himself he dressid ;
In such distress and sad perplexity

For, every shape on him he could endew: Was Florimell, when Proteus she did see thereby. Then like a king he was to her expressid,

SPENSER

And offered kingdoms unto her in view,

Which done, he back retired soft away: To be his leman and his lady true :

And passing by, his name discovered,
But when all this he nothing saw prevail,

Ease, on his robe, in golden letters cyphered.
With harder means he cast her to subdue,
And with sharp threats her often did assail, The noble maid, still standing, all this view'd,
So thinking for to make her stubborn courage quail.

And marvell’d at his strange intendiment;

With that a joyous fellowship issued
To dreadful shapes he did himself transform, Of minstrels, making goodly merriment,
Now like a giant, now like to a fiend,

With wanton bards and rhymers impudent;
Then like a centaur, then like to a storm,

All which together sung full chearfully
Raging within the waves: thereby he ween’d A lay of love's delight, with sweet content:
Her will to win unto his wished end;

After whom march'd a jolly company,
But when with fear, nor favour, nor with all In manner of a mask, enranged orderly.
He else could do, he saw himself esteemid,
Down in a dungeon deep he let her fall,

The while a most delicious harmony,
And threatened there to make her his eternal thrall. In full strange notes was sweetly heard to sound,

That the rare sweetness of the melody
Eternal thraldom was to her more lief,

The feeble senses wholly did confound,
Than loss of chastity, or change of love:

And the frail soul in deep delight nigh drown'd:
Die had she rather in tormenting grief,

And when it ceas'd shrill trumpets loud did bray,
Than any should of falseness her reprove,

That their report did far away rebound,
Or looseness, that she lightly did remove.

And when they ceas'd, it gan again to play,
Most virtuous virgin, glory be thy meed,

The while the maskers marched forth in trim array.
And crown of heavenly praise with saints above,
Where most sweet hymns of this thy famous deed

The first was Fancy, like a lovely boy,
Are still amongst them sung, that far my rhimes Of rare aspect, and beauty without peer;

[exceed.

Matchable either to that imp of Troy,
Fit song of angels carrolled to be ;

Whom Jove did love, and chose his cup to bear,
But yet what so my feeble muse can frame,

Or that same dainty lad, which was so dear
Shall be t’advance thy goodly chastity,

To great Alcides, that when as he died,
And to enroll thy memorable name

He wailed womanlike with many a tear,
In th’ heart of every honourable dame,

And every wood and every valley wide (cried.
That they thy virtuous deeds may imitate,

He fill’d with Hylas' name; the nymphs eke Hylas And be partakers of thy endless fame.

His garment neither was of silk nor say,

But painted plumes, in goodly order dight,
THE MASK OF CUPID.

Like as the sun-burnt Indians do array
Then when as chearless night ycovered had

Their tawny bodies, in their proudest plight;
Fair heaven with an universal cloud,

As those same plumes, so seem'd he vain and light,
That every wight, dismay'd with darkness sad,

That by his gait might easily appear;
In silence and in sleep themselves did shroud,

For, still he far'd as dancing in delight,
She heard a shrilling trumpet sound aloud,

And in his hand a windy fan did bear,
Sign of nigh battle, or got victory;

That in the idle air he mov'd still here and there.
Nought therewith daunted was her courage proud,
But rather stirr'd to cruel enmity,

And him beside march'd amorous Desire,

Who seem'd of riper years, than th' other swain;
Expecting ever when some foe she might descry.

Yet was that other swain this elder's sire,
All suddenly a stormy whirlwind blew

And

gave him being, common to them twain:
Throughout the house, that clapped every door: His garment was disguised very vain,
With which that iron wicket open flew,

And his embroidered bonnet sat awry;
As it with mighty levers had been tore:

Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did strain,
And forth issued, as on the ready floor

Which still he blew, and kindled busily, [did fly. Of some theatre, a grave personage,

That soon they life conceiv'd, and forth in flames
That in his hand a branch of laurel bore,

Next after him went Doubt, who was y clad
With comely haviour and count'nance sage,

In a discolour'd coat, of strange disguise,
Yclad in costly garments fit for tragic stage.

That at his back a broad capuccio had,
Proceeding to the midst, he still did stand,

And sleeves dependent Albanese-wise :
As if in mind he somewhat had to say ;

He look'd askew with his mistrustful eyes,
And to the vulgar beck’ning with his hand, And nicely trod, as thorns lay in his way,
In sign of silence, as to hear a play,

Or that the floor to shrink he did avise,
And on

broken reed he still did stay [he lay. By lively actions he gan bewray

His feeble steps, which shrunk, when hard thereon Some argument of matter passioned ;

1

With him went Danger, cloth'd in rugged weed, For, from her back her garments she did tear,
Made of bear's skin, that him more dreadful made: And from her head oft rent her snarled hair:
Yet his own face was dreadful, nor did need

In her right hand a firebrand she did toss
Strange horror to deform his grisly shade ;

About her head, still roaming here and there;
A net in th' one hand, and a rusty blade

As a dismayed deer in chace embost,
In th' other was: this mischief, that mishap; Forgetful of his safety, hath his right way lost.
With th' one his foes he threatened to invade,
With th' other he his friends meant to enwrap;

After them, went Displeasure and Pleasance;
For, whom he could not kill, he practis'd to entrap.

He looking lumpish and full sullen sad,

And hanging down his heavy countenance;
Next him was Fear, all arm'd from top to toe, She chearful, fresh, and full of joyance glad,
Yet thought himself not safe enough thereby, As if no sorrow she nor felt, nor dread;
But fear'd each shadow moving to and fro:

That evil matched pair they seemed to be :
And his own arms when glittering he did spy, An angry wasp th' one in a vial had:
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,

Th’ other in her's a honey-lady bee ;
As ashes pale of hue, and wingy-heeld;

Thus marched these six couples forth in fair degree,
And evermore on Danger fix'd his eye,
Gainst whom he always bent a brazen shield,

After all these there march'd a most fair dame,
Which his right hand unarmed fearfully did wield. Led of two grizly villains, th' one Despight,

The other cleped Cruelty by name : With him went Hope in rank, a handsome maid, She doleful lady, like a dreary spright, Of chearful look and lovely to behold;

Call’d by strong charms out of eternal night, In silken samite she was light array'd,

Had death's own image figur'd in her face, And her fair locks were woven up in gold;

Full of sad signs, fearful to living sight;
She always smil'd, and in her hand did hold Yet in that Horror shew'd a seemly grace,
An holy water sprinkle, dipp'd in dew,

And with her feeble feet did move a comely pace.
With which she sprinkled favours manifold,
On whom she list, and did great liking shew;

Her breast all naked, as neat ivory,
Great liking unto many, but true love to few. Without adorn of gold or silver bright,

Wherewith the craftsman wonts it beautify, And after them Dissemblance and Suspect

Of her due honour was despoiled quite, March'd in one rank, yet an unequal pair;

And a wide wound therein (O rueful sight!) For, she was gentle, and of mild aspect,

Entrenched deep with knife accursed keen, Courteous to all, and seeming debonnair,

Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting sprite
Goodly adorned, and exceeding fair:

(The work of cruel hand) was to be seen,
Yet was that all but painted, and purloined, (hair, That dyed in sanguine red her skin all snowy clean.
And her bright brows were deck'd with borrowed
Her deeds were forged, and her words false coined, At that wide orifice, her trembling heart
And always in her hand two clues of silk she twined.

Was drawn forth, and in silver bason laid,

Quite through transfixed with a deadly dart, But he was foul, ill-favoured, and grim,

And in her blood yet steaming fresh embay'd ; Under his eyebrows looking still askance;

And those two villains, which her steps upstaid, And ever as Dissemblance laugh'd on him,

When her weak feet could scarcely her sustain, He lour'd on her with dangerous eye-glance;

And fading vital powers gan to fade, Shewing his nature in his countenance;

Her forward still with torture did constrain,
His rolling eyes did never rest in place,

And evermore increased her consuming pain.
But walk'd each where, for fear of hid mischance,
Holding a lattice still before his face, (pass.

Next after her, the winged God himself
Through which he still did peep, as forward he did Came riding on a lion ravenous,

Taught to obey the manage of that elf,
Next him went Grief and Fury match'd yfere; That man and beast with power imperious
Grief, all in sable sorrowfully clad,

Subdueth to his kingdom tyrannous:
Down hanging his dull head, with heavy cheer, His blindfold eyes he bade awhile unbind,
Yet inly being more, than seeming sad:

That his proud spoil of that same dolorous
A pair of pincers in his hand he had,

Fair dame, he might behold in perfect kind;
With which he pinched people to the heart, Which seen, he much rejoiced in bis cruel mind.
That from thenceforth a wretched life they lad,
In wilful languor and consuming smart,

Of which full proud, himself uprearing high,
Dying each day with inward wounds of dolour's dart. He looked round about with stern disdain ;

And did survey his goodly company : But Fury was full ill appareled

And marshalling the evil ordered train, In rags, that naked nigh she did appear,

With that the darts which his right hand did strain, With ghastful looks and dreadful drearihead; Full dreadfully he shook that all did quake,

SPENSER

And clapp'd on high his coloured winges twain, With dear compassion deeply did emmove,
That all his many it afraid did make :

That she gan moan his undeserved smart,
Then, blinding him again, his way he forth did take. And with her doleful accent, bear with him a part.
Behind him was Reproach, Repentance, Shame; She, sitting by him, as on ground he lay,
Reproach the first, Shame next, Repent behind: Her mournful notes full piteously did frame,
Repentance feeble, sorrowful and lame:

And thereof made a lamentable lay,
Reproach despiteful, careless, and unkind;

So sensibly compil'd, that in the same
Shame most ill-favour'd, bestial, and blind; [scold; Him seemed oft he heard his own right name.
Shame lour'd, Repentance sigh’d, Reproach did With that, he forth would pour so plenteous tears,
Reproach sharp stings, Repentance whips entwin'd, And beat his breast unworthy of such blame,
Shame burning brand-irons in her hand did hold; And knock his head, and rend bis rugged hairs,
All three to each unlike, yet all made in one mould. That could have pierc'd the hearts of tigers and of

[bears, And after them, a rude confused rout

Thus long this gentle bird to him did use,
Of persons flock’d, whose names is hard to read : Withouten dread of peril to repair
Amongst them was stern Strife, and Anger stout, Unto his wonne; and with her mournful muse
Unquiet Care, and fond Unthriftihead,

Him to recomfort in his greatest care,
Lewd Loss of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead, That much did ease his mourning and misfare :
Inconstant Change, and false Disloyalty,

And every day, for guerdon of her song,
Consuming Riotise, and guilty Dread

He part of his small feast to her would share;
Of heavenly vengeance, faint Infirmity,

That, at the last, of all his woe and wrong,
Vile Poverty, and lastly Death with Infamy. Companion she became, and so continued long.
There were full many more like maladies,

Upon a day, as she him sate beside,
Whose names and natures I not readen well; By chance he certain moniments forth drew,
So many more as there be phantasies

Which yet with him as relicks did abide
In wandering women's wit, that none can tell ; Of all the bounty, which Belphebe threw
Or pains in love, or punishments in hell:

On him, while goodly grace she did him shew:
And, which disguised, march’d, in masking wise, Amongst the rest, a jewel rich he found,
About the chamber with that Damosel,

That was a ruby of right perfect hue,
And then returned (having marched thrice)

Shap'd like a heart, yet bleeding of the wound,
Into the inner room, from whence they first did rise. And with a little golden chain about it bound.

The same he took, and with a ribbon new

(In which his lady's colours were) did bind
THE SQUIRE AND THE DOVE.

About the turtle's neck, that with the view
Well said the wise man, now prov'd true by this, Did greatly solace his engrieved mind.
Which to this gentle squire did happen late;

All unawares the bird, when she did find
That the displeasure of the mighty is

Herself so deck’d, her nimble wings display'd,
Than death itself more dread and desperate: And flew away, as lightly as the wind:
For, nought the same may calm, nor mitigate,

Which sudden accident him much dismay'd,
Till time the tempest do thereof allay

And looking after long, did mark which way she
With sufferance soft, which rigour can abate,

(stray'd.
And have the stern remembrance wip'd away But, when as long he looked had in vain,
Of bitter thoughts, which deep therein infixed lay. Yet saw her forward still to make her flight,

His weary eye return’d to him again,
Like as it fell to this unhappy boy,

Full of discomfort and disquiet plight,
Whose tender heart the fair Belphebe had

That both his jewel he had lost so light,
With one stern look so daunted, that no joy

And eke his dear companion of his care.
In all his life, which afterwards he lad,

But that sweet bird departing, flew forth right
He ever tasted; but with penance sad,

Through the wide region of the wasteful air,
And pensive sorrow, pin’d and wore away, [glad;

Until she came where wonned his Belphebe fair.
Nor ever laugh’d, nor once shew'd countenance

There found she her (as then it did betide)
But always wept and wailed night and day, [decay;

Sitting in covert shade of arbors sweet,
As blasted blossom, through heat, doth languish and

After late weary toil, which she had tried
Till on a day (as in his wonted wise

In savage chace, to rest as seem'd her meet.
His dole he made) there chanc'd a turtle dove There she alighting, fell before her feet,
To come, where he his dolours did devise,

And gan to her, her mournful plaint to make,
That likewise late had lost her dearest love; As was her wont: thinking to let her weet
Which loss her made like passion also prove. The great tormenting grief, that for her sake (take.
Who seeing his sad plight, her tender heart Her gentle squire through her displeasure did par-