Book III. The Legend of Britomartis. Canto I. The Faerie Queene. Edmund Spenser. 1908. The Complete Poetical Works

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Edmund Spenser (1552?–1599). The Complete Poetical Works. 1908.

The Faerie Queene

Book III. The Legend of Britomartis
Canto I

THE THIRDE BOOKE
OF THE FAERIE QUEENE
CONTAYNING
THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS
OR
OF CHASTITY

I

IT falls me here to write of Chastity,

That fayrest vertue, far above the rest;

For which what needes me fetch from Faery

Forreine ensamples, it to have exprest?

Sith it is shrined in my Soveraines brest,

And formd so lively in each perfect part,

That to all ladies, which have it profest,

Neede but behold the pourtraict of her hart,

If pourtrayd it might bee by any living art.

But living art may not least part expresse,

Nor life-resembling pencill it can paynt,

All were it Zeuxis or Praxiteles:

His dædale hand would faile, and greatly faynt,

And her perfections with his error taynt:

Ne poets witt, that passeth painter farre

In picturing the parts of beauty daynt,

So hard a workemanship adventure darre,

For fear through want of words her excellence to marre.

III

How then shall I, apprentice of the skill

That whilome in divinest wits did rayne,

Presume so high to stretch mine humble quill?

Yet now my luckelesse lott doth me constrayne

Hereto perforce. But, O dredd Soverayne,

Thus far forth pardon, sith that choicest witt

Cannot your glorious pourtraict figure playne,

That I in colourd showes may shadow itt,

And antique praises unto present persons fitt.

But if in living colours, and right hew,

Your selfe you covet to see pictured,

Who can it doe more lively, or more trew,

Then that sweete verse, with nectar sprinckeled,

In which a gracious servaunt pictured

His Cynthia, his heavens fayrest light?

That with his melting sweetnes ravished,

And with the wonder of her beames bright,

My sences lulled are in slomber of delight.

But let that same delitious poet lend

A little leave unto a rusticke Muse

To sing his mistresse prayse, and let him mend,

If ought amis her liking may abuse:

Ne let his fayrest Cynthia refuse,

In mirrours more then one her selfe to see,

But either Gloriana let her chuse,

Or in Belphœbe fashioned to bee:

In th’ one her rule, in th’ other her rare chastitee.

CANTO I

	Guyon encountreth Britomart:
	Fayre Florimell is chaced:
	Duessaes traines and Malecastaes
	champions are defaced.

THE FAMOUS Briton Prince and Faery knight,

After long wayes and perilous paines endur’d,

Having their weary limbes to perfect plight

Restord, and sory wounds right well recur’d,

Of the faire Alma greatly were procur’d

To make there lenger sojourne and abode;

But when thereto they might not be allur’d

From seeking praise and deeds of armes abrode,

They courteous conge tooke, and forth together yode.

But the captiv’d Acrasia he sent,

Because of traveill long, a nigher way,

With a strong gard, all reskew to prevent,

And her to Faery court safe to convay,

That her for witnes of his hard assay

Unto his Faery Queene he might present:

But he him selfe betooke another way,

To make more triall of his hardiment,

And seeke adventures, as he with Prince Arthure went.

III

Long so they traveiled through wastefull wayes,

Where daungers dwelt, and perils most did wonne,

To hunt for glory and renowmed prayse:

Full many countreyes they did overronne,

From the uprising to the setting sunne,

And many hard adventures did atchieve;

Of all the which they honour ever wonne,

Seeking the weake oppressed to relieve,

And to recover right for such as wrong did grieve.

At last, as through an open plaine they yode,

They spide a knight, that towards pricked fayre;

And him beside an aged squire there rode,

That seemd to couch under his shield three-square,

As if that age badd him that burden spare,

And yield it those that stouter could it wield:

He them espying, gan him selfe prepare,

And on his arme addresse his goodly shield,

That bore a lion passant in a golden field.

Which seeing good Sir Guyon, deare besought

The Prince, of grace, to let him ronne that turne.

He graunted: then the Faery quickly raught

His poynant speare, and sharply gan to spurne

His fomy steed, whose fiery feete did burne

The verdant gras, as he thereon did tread;

Ne did the other backe his foote returne,

But fiercely forward came withouten dread,

And bent his dreadful speare against the others head.

They beene ymett, and both theyr points arriv’d;

But Guyon drove so furious and fell,

That seemd both shield and plate it would have riv’d:

Nathelesse it bore his foe not from his sell,

But made him stagger, as he were not well:

But Guyon selfe, ere well he was aware,

Nigh a speares length behind his crouper fell;

Yet in his fall so well him selfe he bare,

That mischievous mischaunce his life and limbs did spare.

VII

Great shame and sorrow of that fall he tooke;

100

For never yet, sith warlike armes he bore,

And shivering speare in bloody field first shooke,

He fownd him selfe dishonored so sore.

Ah! gentlest knight that ever armor bore,

Let not thee grieve dismounted to have beene,

105

And brought to grownd, that never wast before;

For not thy fault, but secret powre unseene:

That speare enchaunted was, which layd thee on the greene.

VIII

But weenedst thou what wight thee overthrew,

Much greater griefe and shamefuller regrett

110

For thy hard fortune then thou wouldst renew,

That of a single damzell thou wert mett

On equall plaine, and there so hard besett:

Even the famous Britomart it was,

Whom straunge adventure did from Britayne fett,

115

To seeke her lover, (love far sought, alas!)

Whose image shee had seene in Venus looking glas.

Full of disdainefull wrath, he fierce uprose,

For to revenge that fowle reprochefull shame,

And snatching his bright sword, began to close

120

With her on foot, and stoutly forward came;

Dye rather would he then endure that same.

Which when his palmer saw, he gan to feare

His toward perill and untoward blame,

Which by that new rencounter he should reare:

125

For death sate on the point of that enchaunted speare.

And hasting towards him gan fayre perswade,

Not to provoke misfortune, nor to weene

His speares default to mend with cruell blade:

For by his mightie science he had seene

130

The secrete vertue of that weapon keene,

That mortall puissaunce mote not withstond:

Nothing on earth mote alwaies happy beene.

Great hazard were it, and adventure fond,

To loose long gotten honour with one evill hond.

135

By such good meanes he him discounselled

From prosecuting his revenging rage;

And eke the Prince like treaty handeled,

His wrathfull will with reason to aswage,

And laid the blame, not to his carriage,

140

But to his starting steed, that swarv’d asyde,

And to the ill purveyaunce of his page,

That had his furnitures not firmely tyde:

So is his angry corage fayrly pacifyde.

XII

Thus reconcilement was betweene them knitt,

145

Through goodly temperaunce and affection chaste;

And either vowd with all their power and witt,

To let not others honour be defaste

Of friend or foe, who ever it embaste,

Ne armes to beare against the others syde:

150

In which accord the Prince was also plaste,

And with that golden chaine of concord tyde.

So goodly all agreed, they forth yfere did ryde.

XIII

O goodly usage of those antique tymes,

In which the sword was servaunt unto right!

155

When not for malice and contentious crymes,

But all for prayse, and proofe of manly might,

The martiall brood accustomed to fight:

Then honour was the meed of victory,

And yet the vanquished had no despight:

160

Let later age that noble use envy,

Vyle rancor to avoid, and cruel surquedry.

XIV

Long they thus traveiled in friendly wise,

Through countreyes waste and eke well edifyde,

Seeking adventures hard, to exercise

165

Their puissaunce, whylome full dernly tryde:

At length they came into a forest wyde,

Whose hideous horror and sad trembling sownd

Full griesly seemd: therein they long did ryde,

Yet tract of living creature none they fownd,

170

Save beares, lyons, and buls, which romed them arownd.

All suddenly out of the thickest brush,

Upon a milkwhite palfrey all alone,

A goodly lady did foreby them rush,

Whose face did seeme as cleare as christall stone,

175

And eke through feare as white as whales bone:

Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold,

And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone,

Which fledd so fast that nothing mote him hold,

And scarse them leasure gave, her passing to behold.

180

XVI

Still as she fledd her eye she backward threw,

As fearing evill that poursewd her fast;

And her faire yellow locks behind her flew,

Loosely disperst with puff of every blast:

All as a blazing starre doth farre outcast

185

His hearie beames, and flaming lockes dispredd,

At sight whereof the people stand aghast:

But the sage wisard telles, as he has redd,

That it importunes death and dolefull dreryhedd.

XVII

So as they gazed after her a whyle,

190

Lo! where a griesly foster forth did rush,

Breathing out beastly lust her to defyle:

His tyreling jade he fiersly forth did push,

Through thicke and thin, both over banck and bush,

In hope her to attaine by hooke or crooke,

195

That from his gory sydes the blood did gush:

Large were his limbes, and terrible his looke,

And in his clownish hand a sharp bore speare he shooke.

XVIII

Which outrage when those gentle knights did see,

Full of great envy and fell gealosy,

200

They stayd not to avise who first should bee,

But all spurd after fast as they mote fly,

To reskew her from shamefull villany.

The Prince and Guyon equally bylive

Her selfe pursewd, in hope to win thereby

205

Most goodly meede, the fairest dame alive:

But after the foule foster Timias did strive.

XIX

The whiles faire Britomart, whose constant mind

Would not so lightly follow beauties chace,

Ne reckt of ladies love, did stay behynd,

210

And them awayted there a certaine space,

To weet if they would turne backe to that place:

But when she saw them gone, she forward went,

As lay her journey, through that perlous pace,

With stedfast corage and stout hardiment;

215

Ne evil thing she feard, ne evill thing she ment.

At last, as nigh out of the wood she came,

A stately castle far away she spyde,

To which her steps directly she did frame.

That castle was most goodly edifyde,

220

And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde:

But faire before the gate a spatious playne,

Mantled with greene, it selfe did spredden wyde,

On which she saw six knights, that did darrayne

Fiers battaill against one, with cruel might and mayne.

225

XXI

Mainely they all attonce upon him laid,

And sore beset on every side arownd,

That nigh he breathlesse grew, yet nought dismaid,

Ne ever to them yielded foot of grownd,

All had he lost much blood through many a wownd,

230

But stoutly dealt his blowes, and every way,

To which he turned in his wrathfull stownd,

Made them recoile, and fly from dredd decay,

That none of all the six before him durst assay.

XXII

Like dastard curres, that, having at a bay

235

The salvage beast embost in wearie chace,

Dare not adventure on the stubborne pray,

Ne byte before, but rome from place to place,

To get a snatch, when turned is his face.

In such distresse and doubtfull jeopardy

240

When Britomart him saw, she ran apace

Unto his reskew, and with earnest cry

Badd those same sixe forbeare that single enimy.

XXIII

But to her cry they list not lenden eare,

Ne ought the more their mightie strokes surceasse,

245

But gathering him rownd about more neare,

Their direfull rancour rather did encreasse;

Till that she, rushing through the thickest preasse,

Perforce disparted their compacted gyre,

And soone compeld to hearken unto peace:

250

Tho gan she myldly of them to inquyre

The cause of their dissention and outrageous yre.

XXIV

Whereto that single knight did answere frame:

‘These six would me enforce by oddes of might,

To chaunge my liefe, and love another dame,

255

That death me liefer were then such despight,

So unto wrong to yield my wrested right:

For I love one, the truest one on grownd,

Ne list me chaunge; she th’ Errant Damzell hight;

For whose deare sake full many a bitter stownd

260

I have endurd, and tasted many a bloody wownd.’

XXV

‘Certes,’ said she, ‘then beene ye sixe to blame,

To weene your wrong by force to justify:

For knight to leave his lady were great shame,

That faithfull is, and better were to dy.

265

All losse is lesse, and lesse the infamy,

Then losse of love to him that loves but one:

Ne may love be compeld by maistery;

For soone as maistery comes, sweet Love anone

Taketh his nimble winges, and soone away is gone.’

270

XXVI

Then spake one of those six: ‘There dwelleth here,

Within this castle wall, a lady fayre,

Whose soveraine beautie hath no living pere;

Thereto so bounteous and so debonayre,

That never any mote with her compayre.

275

She hath ordaind this law, which we approve,

That every knight, which doth this way repayre,

In case he have no lady nor no love,

Shall doe unto her service, never to remove.

XXVII

‘But if he have a lady or a love,

280

Then must he her forgoe with fowle defame,

Or els with us by dint of sword approve,

That she is fairer then our fairest dame;

As did this knight, before ye hether came.’

‘Perdy,’ said Britomart, ‘the choise is hard:

285

But what reward had he that overcame?’

‘He should advaunced bee to high regard,’

Said they, ‘and have our ladies love for his reward.

XXVIII

‘Therefore aread, sir, if thou have a love.’

‘Love have I sure,’ quoth she, ‘but lady none;

290

Yet will I not fro mine owne love remove,

Ne to your lady will I service done,

But wreake your wronges wrought to this knight alone,

And prove his cause.’ With that, her mortall speare

She mightily aventred towards one,

295

And downe him smot ere well aware he weare;

Then to the next she rode, and downe the next did beare.

XXIX

Ne did she stay, till three on ground she layd,

That none of them himselfe could reare againe;

The fourth was by that other knight dismayd,

300

All were he wearie of his former paine,

That now there do but two of six remaine;

Which two did yield before she did them smight.

‘Ah!’ sayd she then, ‘now may ye all see plaine,

That truth is strong, and trew love most of might,

305

That for his trusty servaunts doth so strongly fight.’

XXX

‘Too well we see,’ saide they, ‘and prove too well

Our faulty weakenes, and your matchlesse might:

Forthy, faire sir, yours be the damozell,

Which by her owne law to your lot doth light,

310

And we your liege men faith unto you plight.’

So underneath her feet their swords they mard,

And after, her besought, well as they might,

To enter in and reape the dew reward:

She graunted, and then in they all together far’d.

315

XXXI

Long were it to describe the goodly frame

And stately port of Castle Joyeous,

(For so that castle hight by commun name)

Where they were entertaynd with courteous

And comely glee of many gratious

320

Faire ladies, and of many a gentle knight,

Who through a chamber long and spacious,

Eftsoones them brought unto their ladies sight,

That of them cleeped was the Lady of Delight.

XXXII

But for to tell the sumptuous aray

325

Of that great chamber should be labour lost:

For living wit, I weene, cannot display

The roiall riches and exceeding cost

Of every pillous and of every post;

Which all of purest bullion framed were,

330

And with great perles and pretious stones embost,

That the bright glister of their beames cleare

Did sparckle forth great light, and glorious did appeare.

XXXIII

These stranger knights, through passing, forth were led

Into an inner rowme, whose royaltee

335

And rich purveyance might uneath be red;

Mote princes place beseeme so deckt to bee.

Which stately manner when as they did see,

The image of superfluous riotize,

Exceeding much the state of meane degree,

340

They greatly wondred whence so sumpteous guize

Might be maintaynd, and each gan diversely devize.

XXXIV

The wals were round about appareiled

With costly clothes of Arras and of Toure,

In which with cunning hand was pourtrahed

345

The love of Venus and her paramoure,

The fayre Adonis, turned to a flowre,

A worke of rare device and wondrous wit.

First did it shew the bitter balefull stowre,

Which her assayd with many a fervent fit,

350

When first her tender hart was with his beautie smit:

XXXV

Then with what sleights and sweet allurements she

Entyst the boy, as well that art she knew,

And wooed him her paramoure to bee;

Now making girlonds of each flowre that grew,

355

To crowne his golden lockes with honour dew;

Now leading him into a secret shade

From his beauperes, and from bright heavens vew,

Where him to sleepe she gently would perswade,

Or bathe him in a fountaine by some covert glade.

360

XXXVI

And whilst he slept, she over him would spred

Her mantle, colour’d like the starry skyes,

And her soft arme lay underneath his hed,

And with ambrosiall kisses bathe his eyes;

And whilst he bath’d, with her two crafty spyes

365

She secretly would search each daintie lim,

And throw into the well sweet rosemaryes,

And fragrant violets, and paunces trim,

And ever with sweet nectar she did sprinkle him.

XXXVII

So did she steale his heedelesse hart away,

370

And joyd his love in secret unespyde.

But for she saw him bent to cruell play,

To hunt the salvage beast in forrest wyde,

Dreadfull of daunger, that mote him betyde,

She oft and oft adviz’d him to refraine

375

From chase of greater beastes, whose brutish pryde

Mote breede him scath unwares: but all in vaine;

For who can shun the chance that dest’ny doth ordaine?

XXXVIII

Lo! where beyond he lyeth languishing,

Deadly engored of a great wilde bore,

380

And by his side the goddesse groveling

Makes for him endlesse mone, and evermore

With her soft garment wipes away the gore,

Which staynes his snowy skin with hatefull hew:

But when she saw no helpe might him restore,

385

Him to a dainty flowre she did transmew,

Which in that cloth was wrought, as if it lively grew.

XXXIX

So was that chamber clad in goodly wize:

And rownd about it many beds were dight,

As whylome was the antique worldes guize,

390

Some for untimely ease, some for delight,

As pleased them to use, that use it might:

And all was full of damzels and of squyres,

Dauncing and reveling both day and night,

And swimming deepe in sensuall desyres;

395

And Cupid still emongest them kindled lustfull fyres.

And all the while sweet musicke did divide

Her looser notes with Lydian harmony;

And all the while sweet birdes thereto applide

Their daintie layes and dulcet melody,

400

Ay caroling of love and jollity,

That wonder was to heare their trim consort.

Which when those knights beheld, with scornefull eye,

They sdeigned such lascivious disport,

And loath’d the loose demeanure of that wanton sort.

405

XLI

Thence they were brought to that great ladies vew,

Whom they found sitting on a sumptuous bed,

That glistred all with gold and glorious shew,

As the proud Persian queenes accustomed:

She seemed a woman of great bountihed

410

And of rare beautie, saving that askaunce

Her wanton eyes, ill signes of womanhed,

Did roll too lightly, and too often glaunce,

Without regard of grace or comely amenaunce.

XLII

Long worke it were, and needlesse, to devize

415

Their goodly entertainement and great glee:

She caused them be led in courteous wize

Into a bowre, disarmed for to be,

And cheared well with wine and spiceree:

The Redcrosse Knight was soone disarmed there,

420

But the brave mayd would not disarmed bee,

But onely vented up her umbriere.

And so did let her goodly visage to appere.

XLIII

As when fayre Cynthia, in darkesome night,

Is in a noyous cloud enveloped,

425

Where she may finde the substance thin and light

Breakes forth her silver beames, and her bright hed

Discovers to the world discomfited;

Of the poore traveiler, that went astray,

With thousand blessings she is heried;

430

Such was the beautie and the shining ray,

With which fayre Britomart gave light unto the day.

XLIV

And eke those six, which lately with her fought,

Now were disarmd, and did them selves present

Unto her vew, and company unsought;

435

For they all seemed courteous and gent,

And all sixe brethren, borne of one parent,

Which had them traynd in all civilitee,

And goodly taught to tilt and turnament;

Now were they liegmen to this ladie free,

440

And her knights service ought, to hold of her in fee.

XLV

The first of them by name Gardante hight,

A jolly person, and of comely vew;

The second was Parlante, a bold knight,

And next to him Jocante did ensew;

445

Basciante did him selfe most courteous shew;

But fierce Bacchante seemd too fell and keene;

And yett in armes Noctante greater grew:

All were faire knights, and goodly well beseene,

But to faire Britomart they all but shadowes beene.

450

XLVI

For shee was full of amiable grace,

And manly terror mixed therewithall,

That as the one stird up affections bace,

So th’ other did mens rash desires apall,

And hold them backe, that would in error fall;

455

As hee that hath espide a vermeill rose,

To which sharpe thornes and breres the way forstall,

Dare not for dread his hardy hand expose,

But wishing it far off, his ydle wish doth lose.

XLVII

Whom when the lady saw so faire a wight,

460

All ignorant of her contrary sex,

(For shee her weend a fresh and lusty knight)

Shee greatly gan enamoured to wex,

And with vaine thoughts her falsed fancy vex:

Her fickle hart conceived hasty fyre,

465

Like sparkes of fire which fall in sclender flex,

That shortly brent into extreme desyre,

And ransackt all her veines with passion entyre.

XLVIII

Eftsoones shee grew to great impatience,

And into termes of open outrage brust,

470

That plaine discovered her incontinence,

Ne reckt shee who her meaning did mistrust;

For she was given all to fleshly lust,

And poured forth in sensuall delight,

That all regard of shame she had discust,

475

And meet respect of honor putt to flight:

So shamelesse beauty soone becomes a loathly sight.

XLIX

Faire ladies, that to love captived arre,

And chaste desires doe nourish in your mind,

Let not her fault your sweete affections marre,

480

Ne blott the bounty of all womankind,

’Mongst thousands good one wanton dame to find:

Emongst the roses grow some wicked weeds:

For this was not to love, but lust, inclind;

For love does alwaies bring forth bounteous deeds,

485

And in each gentle hart desire of honor breeds.

Nought so of love this looser dame did skill,

But as a cole to kindle fleshly flame,

Giving the bridle to her wanton will,

And treading under foote her honest name:

490

Such love is hate, and such desire is shame.

Still did she rove at her with crafty glaunce

Of her false eies, that at her hart did ayme,

And told her meaning in her countenaunce;

But Britomart dissembled it with ignoraunce.

495

Supper was shortly dight, and downe they satt;

Where they were served with all sumptuous fare,

Whiles fruitfull Ceres and Lyæus fatt

Pourd out their plenty, without spight or spare:

Nought wanted there that dainty was and rare;

500

And aye the cups their bancks did overflow,

And aye, betweene the cups, she did prepare

Way to her love, and secret darts did throw;

But Britomart would not such guilfull message know.

LII

So when they slaked had the fervent heat

505

Of appetite with meates of every sort,

The lady did faire Britomart entreat,

Her to disarme, and with delightfull sport

To loose her warlike limbs and strong effort:

But when shee mote not thereunto be wonne,

510

(For shee her sexe under that straunge purport

Did use to hide, and plaine apparaunce shonne,)

In playner wise to tell her grievaunce she begonne.

LIII

And all attonce discovered her desire

With sighes, and sobs, and plaints, and piteous griefe,

515

The outward sparkes of her inburning fire;

Which spent in vaine, at last she told her briefe,

That, but if she did lend her short reliefe,

And doe her comfort, she mote algates dye.

But the chaste damzell, that had never priefe

520

Of such malengine and fine forgerye,

Did easely beleeve her strong extremitye.

LIV

Full easy was for her to have beliefe,

Who by self-feeling of her feeble sexe,

And by long triall of the inward griefe,

525

Wherewith imperious love her hart did vexe,

Could judge what paines doe loving harts perplexe.

Who meanes no guile, be guiled soonest shall,

And to faire semblaunce doth light faith annexe:

The bird, that knowes not the false fowlers call,

530

Into his hidden nett full easely doth fall.

Forthy she would not in discourteise wise

Scorne the faire offer of good will profest;

For great rebuke it is, love to despise,

Or rudely sdeigne a gentle harts request;

535

But with faire countenaunce, as beseemed best,

Her entertaynd; nath’lesse shee inly deemd

Her love too light, to wooe a wandring guest:

Which she misconstruing, thereby esteemd

That from like inward fire that outward smoke had steemd.

540

LVI

Therewith a while she her flit fancy fedd,

Till she mote winne fit time for her desire,

But yet her wound still inward freshly bledd,

And through her bones the false instilled fire

Did spred it selfe, and venime close inspire.

545

Tho were the tables taken all away,

And every knight, and every gentle squire

Gan choose his dame with basciomani gay,

With whom he ment to make his sport and courtly play.

LVII

Some fell to daunce, some fel to hazardry,

550

Some to make love, some to make meryment,

As diverse witts to diverse things apply;

And all the while faire Malecasta bent

Her crafty engins to her close intent.

By this th’ eternall lampes, wherewith high Jove

555

Doth light the lower world, were halfe yspent,

And the moist daughters of huge Atlas strove

Into the ocean deepe to drive their weary drove.

LVIII

High time it seemed then for everie wight

Them to betake unto their kindly rest:

560

Eftesoones long waxen torches weren light,

Unto their bowres to guyden every guest:

Tho, when the Britonesse saw all the rest

Avoided quite, she gan her selfe despoile,

And safe committ to her soft fethered nest,

565

Wher through long watch, and late daies weary toile,

She soundly slept, and carefull thoughts did quite assoile.

LIX

Now whenas all the world in silence deepe

Yshrowded was, and every mortall wight

Was drowned in the depth of deadly sleepe,

570

Faire Malecasta, whose engrieved spright

Could find no rest in such perplexed plight,

Lightly arose out of her wearie bed,

And, under the blacke vele of guilty night,

Her with a scarlott mantle covered,

575

That was with gold and ermines faire enveloped.

Then panting softe, and trembling every joynt,

Her fearfull feete towards the bowre she mov’d,

Where she for secret purpose did appoynt

To lodge the warlike maide, unwisely loov’d;

580

And to her bed approching, first she proov’d

Whether she slept or wakte; with her softe hand

She softely felt if any member moov’d,

And lent her wary eare to understand

If any puffe of breath or signe of sence shee fond.

585

LXI

Which whenas none she fond, with easy shifte,

For feare least her unwares she should abrayd,

Th’ embroderd quilt she lightly up did lifte,

And by her side her selfe she softly layd,

Of every finest fingers touch affrayd;

590

Ne any noise she made, ne word she spake,

But inly sigh’d. At last the royall mayd

Out of her quiet slomber did awake,

And chaungd her weary side, the better ease to take.

LXII

Where feeling one close couched by her side,

595

She lightly lept out of her filed bedd,

And to her weapon ran, in minde to gride

The loathed leachour. But the dame, halfe dedd

Through suddein feare and ghastly drerihedd,

Did shrieke alowd, that through the hous it rong,

600

And the whole family, therewith adredd,

Rashly out of their rouzed couches sprong,

And to the troubled chamber all in armes did throng.

LXIII

And those sixe knights, that ladies champions,

And eke the Redcrosse Knight ran to the stownd,

605

Halfe armd and halfe unarmd, with them attons:

Where when confusedly they came, they fownd

Their lady lying on the sencelesse grownd;

On thother side, they saw the warlike mayd

Al in her snow-white smocke, with locks unbownd,

610

Threatning the point of her avenging blaed;

That with so troublous terror they were all dismayd.

LXIV

About their ladye first they flockt arownd;

Whom having laid in comfortable couch,

Shortly they reard out of her frosen swownd;

615

And afterwardes they gan with fowle reproch

To stirre up strife, and troublous contecke broch:

But, by ensample of the last dayes losse,

None of them rashly durst to her approch,

Ne in so glorious spoile themselves embosse:

620

Her succourd eke the champion of the bloody crosse.

LXV

But one of those sixe knights, Gardante hight,

Drew out a deadly bow and arrow keene,

Which forth he sent with felonous despight,

And fell intent, against the virgin sheene:

625

The mortall steele stayd not till it was seene

To gore her side; yet was the wound not deepe,

But lightly rased her soft silken skin,

That drops of purple blood thereout did weepe,

Which did her lilly smock with staines of vermeil steep.

630

LXVI

Wherewith enrag’d, she fiercely at them flew,

And with her flaming sword about her layd,

That none of them foule mischiefe could eschew,

But with her dreadful strokes were all dismayd:

Here, there, and every where about her swayd

635

Her wrathfull steele, that none mote it abyde;

And eke the Redcrosse Knight gave her good ayd,

Ay joyning foot to foot, and syde to syde,

That in short space their foes they have quite terrifyde.

LXVII

Tho whenas all were put to shamefull flight,

640

The noble Britomartis her arayd,

And her bright armes about her body dight:

For nothing would she lenger there be stayd,

Where so loose life, and so ungentle trade,

Was usd of knights and ladies seeming gent:

645

So, earely, ere the grosse earthes gryesy shade

Was all disperst out of the firmament,

They tooke their steeds, and forth upon their journey went.

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

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