235 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 scarce in darkesome place 240 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 go with thee.

XXVIII

Then to her yron wagon she betakes, 245 And with her beares the fowle welfavourd 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 unlich, Did softly swim away, ne ever stampe, 250 Unlesse she chaunst their stubborne mouths to twitch; Then foming tarre, their bridles they would champe, And trampling the fine element would fiercely rampe.

XXIX

So well they sped, that they be come at length Unto the place, whereas the Paynim lay, 255 Devoid of outward sense, and native strength, Coverd 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, 260 And handle softly, till they can be healed: So lay him in her charet close in night concealed.

x.x.x

And all the while she stood upon the ground, The wakefull dogs did never cease to bay, As giving warning of th' unwonted sound, 265 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, 270 At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.

x.x.xI

Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole, And brought the heavie corse with easie pace To yawning gulfe of deepe Avernus hole.

By that same hole an entrance darke and bace 275 With smoake and sulphure hiding all the place, Descends to h.e.l.l: there creature never past, That backe returned without heavenly grace; But dreadfull Furies which their chaines have brast, And d.a.m.ned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

x.x.xII

280 By that same way the direfull dames doe drive Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood, And downe to Plutoes house are come bilive: Which pa.s.sing through, on every side them stood The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood, 285 Chattring their yron teeth, and staring wide With stonie eyes; and all the h.e.l.lish brood Of feends infernall flockt on every side, To gaze on earthly wight that with the Night durst ride.

x.x.xIII

They pas the bitter waves of Acheron, 290 Where many soules sit wailing woefully, And come to fiery flood of Phlegeton, Whereas the d.a.m.ned ghosts in torments fry, And with sharpe shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry, Cursing high Jove, the which them thither sent.

295 The house of endlesse paine is built thereby, In which ten thousand sorts of punishment The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.

x.x.xIV

Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus His three deformed heads did lay along, 300 Curled with thousand adders venemous, And lilled forth his bloudie flaming tong: At them he gan to reare his bristles strong, And felly gnarre, until Dayes enemy Did him appease; then downe his taile he hong 305 And suffred them to pa.s.sen quietly: For she in h.e.l.l and heaven had power equally.

x.x.xV

There was Ixion turned on a wheele, For daring tempt the Queene of heaven to sin; And Sisyphus an huge round stone did reele 310 Against an hill, ne might from labour lin; There thirsty Tantalus hong by the chin; And t.i.tyus fed a vulture on his maw; Typhus joynts were stretched on a gin, Theseus condemnd to endlesse slouth by law, 315 And fifty sisters water in leake vessels draw.

x.x.xVI

They all beholding worldly wights in place, Leave off their worke, unmindfull of their smart, To gaze on them; who forth by them doe pace, Till they be come unto the furthest part; 320 Where was a Cave ywrought by wondrous art, Deepe, darke, uneasie, dolefull, comfortlesse, In which sad Aesculapius farre apart Emprisond was in chaines remedilesse, For that Hippolytus rent corse he did redresse.

x.x.xVII

325 Hippolytus a jolly huntsman was That wont in charett chace the foming Bore: He all his Peeres in beauty did surpas, But Ladies love as losse of time forbore: His wanton stepdame loved him the more, 330 But when she saw her offred sweets refused, Her love she turnd to hate, and him before His father fierce of treason false accused, And with her gealous termes his open eares abused.

x.x.xVIII

Who all in rage his Sea-G.o.d syre besought, 335 Some cursed vengeaunce on his sonne to cast, From surging gulf two monsters straight were brought, With dread whereof his chasing steedes aghast, Both charet swift and huntsman overcast.

His goodly corps on ragged cliffs yrent, 340 Was quite dismembred, and his members chast Scattered on every mountaine, as he went, That of Hippolytus was left no moniment.

x.x.xIX

His cruell step-dame seeing what was donne, Her wicked dayes with wretched knife did end, 345 In death avowing th' innocence of her sonne, Which hearing, his rash Syre began to rend His haire, and hastie tongue that did offend.

Tho gathering up the relicks of his smart, By Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend, 350 Them brought to aesculape, that by his art Did heale them all againe, and joyned every part.

XL

Such wondrous science in mans wit to raine When Jove avizd, that could the dead revive, And fates expired could renew againe, 355 Of endlesse life he might him not deprive, But unto h.e.l.l 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, 360 And slake the heavenly fire, that raged evermore.

XLI

There auncient Night arriving, did alight From her nigh wearie waine, and in her armes To aesculapius brought the wounded knight: Whom having softly disarayd of armes, 365 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.

XLII

370 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 375 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?

XLIII

Not so (quoth she) but sith that heavens king 380 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 farre renowmed sonne 385 Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne Great paines, and greater praise, both never to be donne.

XLIV

Her words prevaild: And then the learned leach His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay, 390 And all things else, the which his art did teach: Which having seene, 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, 395 To runne her timely race, whilst Phbus pure, In westerne waves his weary wagon did recure.

XLV

The false Duessa leaving noyous Night, Returnd to stately pallace of Dame Pride; Where when she came, she found the Faery knight 400 Departed thence, albe his woundes wide Not throughly heald, unreadie were to ride.

Good cause he had to hasten thence away; For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spide Where in a dongeon deepe huge numbers lay 405 Of caytive wretched thrals, that wayled night and day.

XLVI

A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie; Of whom he learned had in secret wise The hidden cause of their captivitie, How mortgaging their lives to Covetise, 410 Through wastfull Pride and wanton Riotise, 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.

XLVII

415 There was that great proud king of Babylon, That would compell all nations to adore, And him as onely G.o.d to call upon, Till through celestiall doome throwne out of dore, Into an Oxe he was transform'd of yore: 420 There also was king Croesus, that enhaunst His hart too high through his great riches store; And proud Antiochus, the which advaunst His cursed hand gainst G.o.d and on his altars daunst.

XLVIII

And them long time before, great Nimrod was, 425 That first the world with sword and fire warrayd; And after him old Ninus farre did pas In princely pompe, of all the world obayd; There also was that mightie Monarch layd Low under all, yet above all in pride, 430 That name of native syre did fowle upbrayd, And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide, Till scornd of G.o.d and man a shamefull death he dide.

XLIX

All these together in one heape were throwne, Like carkases of beasts in butchers stall.

435 And in another corner wide were strowne The antique ruines of the Romaines fall: Great Romulus the Grandsyre of them all, Proud Tarquin, and too lordly Lentulus, Stout Scipio, and stubborne Hanniball, 440 Ambitious Sylla, and sterne Marius, High Caesar, great Pompey, and fierce Antonius.

L

Amongst these mightie men were wemen mixt, Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke: The bold Semiramis, whose sides transfixt 445 With sonnes own blade, her fowle reproches spoke; Faire Sthen.o.boea, 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: 450 And thousands moe the like, that did that dongeon fill; LI

Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles, Which thither were a.s.sembled day by day, From all the world after their wofull falles Through wicked pride, and wasted wealthes decay.

455 But most of all, which in the Dongeon lay, Fell from high Princes courts, or Ladies bowres; Where they in idle pompe, or wanton play, Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres, And lastly throwne themselves into these heavy stowres.

LII

460 Whose case when as the carefull Dwarfe had tould, And made ensample of their mournefull sight Unto his maister, he no lenger would There dwell in perill of like painefull plight, But early rose, and ere that dawning light 465 Discovered had the world to heaven wyde, He by a privie Posterne tooke his flight, That of no envious eyes he mote be spyde: For doubtlesse death ensewd, if any him descryde.

LIII

Sca.r.s.e could he footing find in that fowle way, 470 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 shamefull end. And them beside 475 Forth ryding underneath the castell wall, A donghill of dead carkases he spide, The dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of Pride.

CANTO VI From lawlesse l.u.s.t by wondrous grace fayre Una is releast: Whom salvage nation does adore, and learnes her wise beheast.

I

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 Marriner yet halfe amazed stares 5 At perill past, and yet in doubt ne dares To joy at his foole-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.

II

10 Yet sad he was that his too hastie speede The faire Duess' had forst him leave behind; And yet more sad, that Una his deare dreed Her truth had staind with treason so unkind; Yet crime in her could never creature find, 15 But for his love, and for her owne selfe sake, She wandred had from one to other Ynd, Him for to seeke, ne ever would forsake, Till her unwares the fiers Sansloy did overtake.

III

Who, after Archimagoes fowle defeat, 20 Led her away into a forest wilde, And turning wrathfull fyre to l.u.s.tfull heat, With beastly sin thought her to have defilde, And made the va.s.sal of his pleasures wilde.