Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland: Vols. XIV–XV. 1876–79. | | | | Introductory to Belgium | | Belgium | | Edmund Spenser (1552?–1599) |
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AMONGST the rest, which in that space befell, | |
| There came two Springals of full tender yeares, | |
| Farre thence from forrein land where they did dwell, | |
| To seeke for succour of her and her Peares, | |
| With humble prayers and intreatfull teares; | 5 |
| Sent by their Mother who, a Widow, was | |
| Wrapt in great dolours and in deadly feares | |
| By a strong Tyrant, who invaded has | |
| Her land, and slaine her children ruefully, alas! | |
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| Her name was Belgè; who in former age | 10 |
| A Lady of great worth and wealth had beene, | |
| And Mother of a frutefull heritage, | |
| Even seventeene goodly Sonnes; which who had seene | |
| In their first flowre, before this fatall teene | |
| Them overtooke and their faire blossomes blasted, | 15 |
| More happie Mother would her surely weene | |
| Then famous Niobe, before she tasted | |
| Latonaes childrens wrath that all her issue wasted. | |
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| But this fell Tyrant, through his tortious powre, | |
| Had left her now but five of all that brood: | 20 |
| For twelve of them he did by times devoure, | |
| And to his Idols sacrifice their blood, | |
| Whilest he of none was stopped nor withstood: | |
| For soothly he was one of matchlesse might, | |
| Of horrible aspéct and dreadfull mood, | 25 |
| And had three bodies in one wast empight, | |
| And th’ armes and legs of three to succour him in fight. | | | | |
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