The Faerie Queene (9 page)

He led a wretched life vnto himselfe vnknowne.

29
Most wretched wight, whom nothing might suffise,

Whose greedy lust did lacke in greatest store,

Whose need had end, but no end couetise,

Whose wealth was want, whose plenty made him pore,

Who had enough, yet wished euer more;

A vile disease, and eke in foote and hand

A grieuous gout tormented him full sore,

That well he could not touch, nor go, nor stand:

Such one was
Auarice,
the fourth of this faire band.

30
And next to him malicious
Enuie
rode,

Vpon a rauenous wolfe, and still did chaw

Betweene his cankred teeth a venemous tode,

That all the poison ran about his chaw;

But inwardly he chawed his owne maw

At neighbours wealth, that made him euer sad;

For death it was, when any good he saw,

And wept, that cause of weeping none he had,

But when he heard of harme, he wexed wondrous glad.

31
All in a kirtle of discolourd say

He clothed was, ypainted full of eyes;

And in his bosome secretly there lay

An hatefull Snake, the which his taile vptyes

In many folds, and mortall sting implyes.

Still as he rode, he gnasht his teeth, to see

Those heapes of gold with griple Couetyse,

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 vse,

And who with gracious bread the hungry feeds,

His alines for want of faith he doth accuse;

So euery good to bad he doth abuse:

And eke the verse of famous Poets witt

He does backebite, and spightfull poison spues

From leprous mouth on all, that euer writt:

Such one vile
Enuie
was, that fifte in row did sitt,

33
And him beside rides fierce reuenging
Wrath,

Vpon 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,

Trembling 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 vnaduized rashnesse woxen wood;

For of his hands he had no gouernement,

Ne car'd for bloud in his auengement:

But when the furious fit was ouerpast,

His cruell facts he often would repent;

Yet wilfull man he neuer would forecast,

How many mischieues should ensue his heedlesse hast.

35
Full many mischiefes follow cruell
Wrath;

Abhorred bloudshed, and tumultuous strife,

Vnmanly murder, and vnthrifty scath,

Bitter despight, with rancours rusty knife,

And fretting griefe the enemy of life;

All these, and many euils moe haunt ire,

The swelling Splene, and Frenzy raging rife,

The shaking Palsey, and Saint
Frounces
fire:

Such one was
Wrath,
the last of this vngodly tire.

36
And after all, vpon the wagon beame

Rode
Sathan,
with a smarting whip in hand,

With which he forward lasht the laesie teme,

So oft as
Slowth
still in the mire did stand.

Huge routs of people did about them band,

Showting for ioy, and still before their way

A foggy mist had couered all the land;

And vnderneath their feet, all scattered lay

Dead sculs & 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 themselues to sport;

Emongst the rest rode that false Lady faire,

The fowle
Duessa,
next vnto the chaire

Of proud
Lucifera,
as one of the traine:

But that good knight would not so nigh repaire,

Him selfe estraunging from their ioyaunce vaine,

Whose fellowship seemd far vnfit for warlike swaine.

38
So hauing solaced themselues a space

With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed,

They backe returned to the Princely Place;

Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled,

And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red

Was writ
Sans ioy,
they new arriued find:

Enflam'd with fury and fiers hardy-hed,

He seemd in hart to harbour thoughts vnkind,

And nourish bloudy vengeaunce in his bitter mind.

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 enuious 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 hurden greedily,

Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne,

And dash their shields, and shake their swords on hy,

That with their sturre they troubled all the traine;

Till that great Queene vpon 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 errour 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 euer field did fight,

Euen stout
Sans fay
(O who can then refrayn?)

Whose shield he beares renuerst, the more to heape disdayn.

42
And to augment the glorie of his guile,

His dearest loue the faire
Fidessa
loe

Is there possessed of the traytour vile,

Who reapes the haruest sowen by his foe,

Sowen in bloudy field, and bought with woe:

That brothers hand shall dearely well requight

So be, ô Queene, you equall fauour showe.

Him litle answerd th'angry Elfin knight;

He neuer meant with words, but swords to plead his right

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 aueng'd each on his enimy.

That night they pas in ioy and iollity,

Feasting and courting both in bowre and hall;

For Steward was excessiue
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 ouer 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,

Vp-rose
Duessa
from her resting place,

And to the Paynims lodging comes with silent pace.

45
Whom broad awake she finds, in troublous fit,

Forecasting, how his foe he might annoy,

And him amoues with speaches seeming fit:

Ah deare
Sans toy,
next dearest to
Sans foy,

Cause of my new griefe, cause of my new ioy,

Ioyous, to see his ymage in mine eye,

And greeu'd, to thinke how foe did him destroy,

That was the flowre of grace and cheualrye;

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 litle sweet

Oft tempred is (quoth she) with muchell smart:

For since my brest was launcht with louely dart

Of deare
Sansfoy,
I neuer ioyed howre,

But in eternall woes my weaker hart

Haue wasted, louing him with all my powre,

And for his sake haue felt full many an heauie stowre.

47
At last when perils all I weened past,

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

Into new woes vnweeting I was cast,

By this false faytor, who vnworthy ware

His worthy shield, whom he with guilefull snare

Entrapped slew, and brought to shamefull graue.

Me silly maid away with him he bare,

And euer since hath kept in darksome caue,

For that I would not yeeld, that to
Sans-foy
I gaue.

48
But since faire Sunne hath sperst that lowring clowd,

And to my loathed life now shewes some light,

Vnder your beanies I will me safely shrowd,

From dreaded storme of his disdainfull spight:

To you th'inheritance belongs by right

Of brothers prayse, to you eke longs his loue.

Let not his loue, let not his restlesse spright

Be vnreueng'd, that calles to you aboue

From wandring
Stygian
shores, where it doth endlesse moue.

49
Thereto said he, faire Dame be nought dismaid

For sorrowes past; their griefe is with them gone:

Ne yet of present perill be affraid,

For needlesse feare did neuer vantage none,

And helplesse hap it booteth not to mone.

Dead is
Sans foy,
his vitall paines are past,

Though greeued ghost for vengeance deepe do grone:

He liues, that shall him pay his dewties last,

And guiltie Elfin bloud shall sacrifice in hast.

50
O but I feare the fickle freakes (quoth shee)

Of fortune false, and oddes of armes in field.

Why dame (quoth he) what oddes can euer 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.

51
But faire
Fidessa,
sithens fortunes guile,

Or enimies powre hath now captiued 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 euer yet I be, my secret aid

Shall follow you. So passing forth she him obaid.

The faithfull knight in equall field
   subdewes his faithlesse foe.
Whom false Duessa saues, and for
   his cure to hell does goe
.

1
The noble hart, that harbours vertuous thought,

And is with child of glorious great intent,

Can neuer rest, vntill it forth haue brought

Th'eternall brood of glorie excellent:

Such restlesse passion did all night torment

The flaming corage of that Faery knight,

Deuizing, how that doughtie turnament

With greatest honour he atchieuen might;

Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light

2
At last the golden Orientall gate

Of greatest heauen gan to open faire,

And
Phoebus
fresh, as bridegrome to his mate,

Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie haire:

And hurld his glistring beanies through gloomy aire

Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiu'd, streight way

He started vp, and did himself prepaire,

In sun-bright armes, 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 eye,

To weet what end to straunger knights may fall.

There many Minstrales maken melody,

To driue away the dull melancholy,

And many Bardes, that to the trembling chord

Can tune their timely voyces cunningly,

And many Chroniclers, that can record

Old loues, and warres for Ladies doen by many a Lord.

4
Soone after conies the cruell Sarazin,

In wouen maile all armed warily,

And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin

Does care for looke of liuing creatures eye.

They bring them wines of
Greece
and
Araby,

And daintie spices fetcht from furthest
Ynd,

To kindle heat of corage priuily:

And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd

T'obserue the sacred lawes of armes, that are assynd.

5
At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene,

With royall pomp and Princely maiestie;

She is ybrought vnto a paled greene,

And placed vnder stately canapee,

The warlike feates of both those knights to see.

On th'other side in all mens open vew

Dnessa
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 vnto battaill bad them selues addresser

Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye,

And burning blades about their heads do blesse,

The instruments of wrath and heauinesse:

With greedy force each other doth assayle,

And strike so fiercely, that they do impresse

Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle;

The yron walles to ward their bowes are weake & fraile.

7
The Sarazin was stout, and wondrous strong,

And heaped blowes like yron hammers great:

For after bloud and vengeance he did long.

The knight was tiers, and full of youthly heat:

And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders threat:

For all for prayse and honour he did fight.

Both stricken strike, and beaten both do beat,

That from their shields forth flyeth firie light,

And hehnets hewen deepe, shew marks of eithers might

8
So th'one for wrong, the other striues for right:

As when a Gryfon seized of his pray,

A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,

Through widest ayre making his ydle way,

That would his rightfull rauine rend away:

With hideous horrour both together smight,

And souce so sore, that they the heauens affray:

The wise Southsayer seeing so sad sight,

Th'amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight.

9
So th'one for wrong, the other striues for right,

And each to deadly shame would driue his foe:

The cruell steele so greedily doth bight

In 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 wrathfiill fyre,

Vpon 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 black
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 ouertake?

11
Goe caytiue Elfe, him quickly ouertake,

And soone redeeme from his long wandring woe;

Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make,

That I his shield haue quit from dying foe.

Therewith vpon his crest he stroke him so,

That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall;

End of the doubtfull battell deemed tho

The lookers on, and lowd to him gan call

The false
Duessa,
Thine the shield, and I, and all.

12
Soone as the Faerie heard his Ladie speake,

Out of his swowning dreame he gan awake,

And quickning faith, that earst was woxen weake,

The creeping deadly cold away did shake:

Tho mou'd with wrath, and shame, and Ladies sake,

Of all attonce he cast auengd to bee,

And with so'exceeding furie at him strake,

That forced him to stoupe vpon his knee;

Had he not stouped so, he should have douen bee.

13
And to him said, Goe now proud Miscreant,

Thy selfe thy message doe to german deare,

Alone he wandring thee too long doth want:

Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare.

Therewith his heauie hand he high gan reare,

Him to haue slaine; when loe a darkesome dowd

Vpon him fell: he no where doth appeare,

But vanisht is. The Elfe him cals alowd,

But answer none receiues: the darknes him does shrowd.

14
In haste
Duessa
from her place arose,

And to him running said, O prowest knight,

That euer Ladie to her loue did chose,

Let now abate the terror of your might,

And quench the flame of furious despight,

And bloudie vengeance; lo th'infernall powres

Couering your foe with cloud of deadly night,

Haue borne him hence to
Plutoes
balefull bowres.

The conquest yours, I yours, the shield, and glory yours.

15
Not all so satisfide, with greedie eye

He sought all round about, his thirstie blade

To bath 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 of enmitie.

16
Wherewith he goeth to that soueraine Queene,

And falling her before on lowly knee,

To her makes present of his seruice seene:

Which she accepts, with thankes, and goodly gree,

Greatly aduauncing his gay cheualree.

So marcheth home, and by her takes the knight,

Whom all the people follow with great glee,

Shouting, and clapping all their hands on hight,

That all the aire it fils, and flyes to heauen bright.

17
Home is he brought, and laid in sumptuous bed:

Where many skilfull leaches him abide,

To salue his hurts, that yet still freshly bled.

In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide,

And softly can embalme on euery side.

And all the while, most heauenly melody

About the bed sweet musicke did diuide,

Him to beguile of griefe and agony:

And all the while
Duessa
wept full bitterly.

18
As when a wearie traueller that strayes

By muddy shore of broad seuen-mouthed
Nile,

Vnweeting of the perillous wandring wayes,

Doth meet 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 swallowd vp vnwares,

Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

19
So wept
Duessa
vntill euentide,

That shyning lampes in
Ioues
high house were light:

Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide,

But comes vnto the place, where th'Hethen knight

In slombring swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright,

Lay couer'd with inchaunted cloud all day:

Whom when she found, as she him left in plight,

To wayle his woefull case she would not stay,

But to the easteme coast of heauen makes speedy way.

20
Where griesly
Night,
with visage deadly sad,

That
Phoebus
chearefull face durst neuer vew,

And in a foule blacke pitchie mantle clad,

She findes forth comming from, her darkesome mew,

Where she all day did hide her hated hew.

Before the dore her yron charet stood,

Alreadie harnessed for iourney new;

And coleblacke steedes yborne of hellish brood,

That on their rustie bits did champ, as they were wood.

21
Who when she saw
Duessa
sunny bright,

Adornd with gold and iewels shining cleare,

She greatly grew amazed at the sight,

And th'vnacquainted light began to feare:

For neuer did such brightnesse there appeare,

And would haue backe retyred to her caue,

Vntill the witches speech she gan to heare,

Saying, yet ô thou dreaded Dame, I craue

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

22
She stayd, and foorth
Duessa
gan proceede,

O thou most auncient Grandmother of all,

More old then
Ioue,
whom thou at first didst breede,

Or that great house of Gods cælestiall,

Which wast begot in
D
æ
mogorgons
hall,

And sawst the secrets of the world vnmade,

Why sunredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall

With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade?

Lo where the stout
Sansioy
doth sleepe in deadly shade.

23
And him before, I saw with bitter eyes

The bold
Sansfoy
shrinke vnderneath his speare;

And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes,

Nor wayld of friends, nor laid 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 euill heare?

Or who shall not great
Nightes
children scorne,

When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne?

24
Vp then, vp dreary Dame, of darknesse Queene,

Go gather vp the reliques of thy race,

Or else goe them auenge, and let be seenc,

That dreaded
Nigh
in brightest day hath place,

And can the children of faire light deface.

Her feeling speeches some compassion moued

In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face:

Yet pittie in her hart was neuer proued

Till then: for euermore she hated, neuer loued.

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,

Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee,

Which fast is tyde to
Ioues
eternall seat?

The sonnes of Day he fauoureth, 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
Sansfoy
to fall,

Shall with his owne bloud price that he hath spilt

But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt?

I that do seeme not I,
Duessa
am,

(Quoth she) how euer now in garments gilt,

And gorgeous gold arayd I to thee came;

Duessa
I, 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 root of
Duessaes
race.

O welcome child, whom I haue longd to see,

And now haue seene vnwares. Lo now I go with thee.

28
Then to her yron wagon she betakes,

And with her beares the fowle welfauourd witch:

Through mirkesome aire her readie way she makes.

Her twyfold Teme, of which two blacke as pitch,

And two were browne, yet each to each vnlich,