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O but (quoth she) great griefe will not be tould, And can more easily be thought then said.

Right so (quoth he), but he that never would, Could never: will to might gives greatest aid.

360 But griefe (quoth she) does greater grow displaid, If then it find not helpe, and breedes despaire.

Despaire breedes not (quoth he) where faith is staid.

No faith so fast (quoth she) but flesh does paire.

Flesh may empaire (quoth he) but reason can repaire.

XLII

365 His goodly reason, and well guided speach, So deepe did settle in her gracious thought, That her perswaded to disclose the breach, Which love and fortune in her heart had wrought, And said; Faire Sir, I hope good hap hath brought 370 You to inquire the secrets of my griefe, Or that your wisedome will direct my thought, Or that your prowesse can me yield reliefe: Then heare the storie sad, which I shall tell you briefe.

XLIII

The forlorne Maiden, whom your eyes have seene 375 The laughing stocke of fortunes mockeries, Am th' only daughter of a King and Queene, Whose parents deare, whilest equal destinies Did runne about, and their felicities The favourable heavens did not envy, 380 Did spread their rule through all the territories, Which Phison and Euphrates floweth by, And Gehons golden waves doe wash continually.

XLIV

Till that their cruell cursed enemy, An huge great Dragon horrible in sight, 385 Bred in the loathly lakes of Tartary, With murdrous ravine, and devouring might Their kingdome spoild, and countrey wasted quight: Themselves, for feare into his jawes to fall, He forst to castle strong to take their flight, 390 Where fast embard in mighty brasen wall, He has them now foure yeres besiegd to make them thrall.

XLV

Full many knights adventurous and stout Have enterpriz'd that Monster to subdew; From every coast that heaven walks about, 395 Have thither come the n.o.ble Martiall crew, That famous hard atchievements still pursew; Yet never any could that girlond win, But all still shronke, and still he greater grew: All they for want of faith, or guilt of sin, 400 The pitteous pray of his fierce crueltie have bin.

XLVI

At last yledd with farre reported praise, Which flying fame throughout the world had spred, Of doughty knights, whom Faery land did raise, That n.o.ble order hight of Maidenhed, 405 Forthwith to court of Gloriane I sped Of Gloriane great Queene of glory bright, Whose Kingdomes seat Cleopolis is red, There to obtaine some such redoubted knight, The Parents deare from tyrants powre deliver might.

XLVII

410 It was my chance (my chance was faire and good) There for to find a fresh unproved knight, Whose manly hands imbrew'd in guiltie blood Had never bene, ne ever by his might Had throwne to ground the unregarded right: 415 Yet of his prowesse proofe he since hath made (I witnesse am) in many a cruell fight; The groning ghosts of many one dismaide Have felt the bitter dint of his avenging blade.

XLVIII

And ye the forlorne reliques of his powre, 420 His byting sword, and his devouring speare, Which have endured many a dreadfull stowre, Can speake his prowesse, that did earst you beare, And well could rule: now he hath left you heare To be the record of his ruefull losse, 425 And of my dolefull disaventurous deare: O heavie record of the good Redcrosse, Where have you left your Lord, that could so well you tosse?

XLIX

Well hoped I, and faire beginnings had, That he my captive languor should redeeme, 430 Till all unweeting, an Enchaunter bad His sence abusd, and made him to misdeeme My loyalty, not such as it did seeme; That rather death desire, then such despight.

Be judge ye heavens, that all things right esteeme, 435 How I him lov'd, and love with all my might, So thought I eke of him, and thinke I thought aright.

L

Thenceforth me desolate he quite forsooke, To wander, where wilde fortune would me lead, And other bywaies he himselfe betooke, 440 Where never foot of living wight did tread, That brought not backe the balefull body dead; In which him chaunced false Duessa meete, Mine onely foe, mine onely deadly dread, Who with her witchcraft, and misseeming sweete, 445 Inveigled him to follow her desires unmeete.

LI

At last by subtill sleights she him betraid Unto his foe, a Gyant huge and tall, Who him disarmed, dissolute, dismaid, Unwares surprised, and with mighty mall 450 The monster mercilesse him made to fall, Whose fall did never foe before behold; And now in darkesome dungeon, wretched thrall, Remedilesse, for aie he doth him hold; This is my cause of griefe, more great then may be told.

LII

455 Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint: But he her comforted and faire bespake, Certes, Madame, ye have great cause of plaint, The stoutest heart, I weene, could cause to quake.

But be of cheare, and comfort to you take: 460 For till I have acquit your captive knight, a.s.sure your selfe, I will you not forsake.

His chearefull wordes reviv'd her chearelesse spright, So forth they went, the Dwarfe them guiding ever right.

CANTO VIII Faire virgin, to redeeme her deare brings Arthur to the fight: Who slayes that Gyant, woundes the beast, and strips Duessa quight.

I

AY me, how many perils doe enfold The righteous man, to make him daily fall, Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold, And stedfast truth acquite him out of all.

5 Her love is firme, her care continuall, So oft as he through his owne foolish pride, Or weaknesse is to sinfull bands made thrall: Else should this Redcrosse knight in bands have dydd For whose deliverance she this Prince doth thither guide.

II

10 They sadly traveild thus, until they came Nigh to a castle builded strong and hie: Then cryde the Dwarfe, Lo yonder is the same, In which my Lord my liege doth lucklesse lie, Thrall to that Gyants hateful tyrannie: 15 Therefore, deare Sir, your mightie powres a.s.say.

The n.o.ble knight alighted by and by From loftie steede, and bad the Ladie stay, To see what end of fight should him befall that day.

III

So with the Squire, th' admirer of his might, 20 He marched forth towards that castle wall; Whose gates he found fast shut, ne living wight To ward the same, nor answere commers call.

Then tooke that Squire an horne of bugle small.

Which hong adowne his side in twisted gold 25 And ta.s.sels gay. Wyde wonders over all Of that same hornes great vertues weren told, Which had approved bene in uses manifold.

IV

Was never wight that heard that shrilling sownd, But trembling feare did feel in every vaine; 30 Three miles it might be easie heard around, And Ecchoes three answerd it selfe againe: No false enchauntment, nor deceiptfull traine, Might once abide the terror of that blast, But presently was voide and wholly vaine: 35 No gate so strong, no locke so firme and fast, But with that percing noise flew open quite, or brast.

V

The same before the Geants gate he blew, That all the castle quaked from the ground, And every dore of freewill open flew.

40 The Gyant selfe dismaied with that sownd, Where he with his Duessa dalliance fownd, In hast came rushing forth from inner bowre, With staring countenance sterne, as one astownd, And staggering steps, to weet, what suddein stowre, 45 Had wrought that horror strange, and dar'd his dreaded powre.

VI

And after him the proud Duessa came High mounted on her many-headed beast; And every head with fyrie tongue did flame, And every head was crowned on his creast, 50 And b.l.o.o.d.y mouthed with late cruell feast.

That when the knight beheld, his mightie shild Upon his manly arme he soone addrest, And at him fiercely flew, with courage fild, And eger greedinesse through every member thrild.

VII

55 Therewith the Gyant buckled him to fight, Inflam'd with scornefull wrath and high disdaine, And lifting up his dreadfull club on hight, All arm'd with ragged snubbes and knottie graine, Him thought at first encounter to have slaine.

60 But wise and wary was that n.o.ble Pere, And lightly leaping from so monstrous maine, Did faire avoide the violence him nere; It booted nought to thinke such thunderbolts to beare.

VIII

Ne shame he thought to shunne so hideous might: 65 The idle stroke, enforcing furious way, Missing the marke of his misaymed sight Did fall to ground, and with his heavie sway So deepely dinted in the driven clay, That three yardes deepe a furrow up did throw: 70 The sad earth wounded with so sore a.s.say, Did grone full grievous underneath the blow, And trembling with strange feare, did like an earthquake show.

IX

As when almightie Jove, in wrathfull mood, To wreake the guilt of mortall sins is bent, 75 Hurles forth his thundring dart with deadly food, Enrold in flames, and smouldring dreriment, Through riven cloudes and molten firmament; The fierce threeforked engin making way Both loftie towres and highest trees hath rent, 80 And all that might his angry pa.s.sage stay, And shooting in the earth, casts up a mount of clay.

X

His boystrous club, so buried in the ground, He could not rearen up againe so light, But that the knight him at avantage found, 85 And whiles he strove his combred clubbe to quight Out of the earth, with blade all burning bright He smote off his left arme, which like a blocke Did fall to ground, depriv'd of native might; Large streames of bloud out of the truncked stocke 90 Forth gushed, like fresh water streame from riven rocke.

XI

Dismayed with so desperate deadly wound, And eke impatient of unwonted paine, He lowdly brayd with beastly yelling sound, That all the fields rebellowed againe; 95 As great a noyse, as when in Cymbrian plaine An heard of Bulles, whom kindly rage doth sting, Do for the milkie mothers want complaine, And fill the fields with troublous bellowing, The neighbour woods around with hollow murmur ring.

XII

100 That when his deare Duessa heard, and saw The evil stownd, that daungerd her estate, Unto his aide she hastily did draw Her dreadfull beast, who swolne with blood of late Came ramping forth with proud presumpteous gate, 105 And threatned all his heads like flaming brands.

But him the Squire made quickly to retrate, Encountring fierce with single sword in hand, And twixt him and his Lord did like a bulwarke stand.

XIII

The proud Duessa, full of wrathfull spight, 110 And fierce disdaine, to be affronted so, Enforst her purple beast with all her might That stop out of the way to overthroe, Scorning the let of so unequall foe: But nathemore would that courageous swayne 115 To her yeeld pa.s.sage, gainst his Lord to goe, But with outrageous strokes did him restraine, And with his bodie bard the way atwixt them twaine.

XIV

Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup, Which still she bore, replete with magick artes; 120 Death and despeyre did many thereof sup, And secret poyson through their inner parts, Th' eternall bale of heavie wounded harts; Which after charmes and some enchauntments said She lightly sprinkled on his weaker parts; 125 Therewith his st.u.r.die courage soone was quayd, And all his senses were with suddeine dread dismayd.

XV

So downe he fell before the cruell beast, Who on his neck his b.l.o.o.d.y clawes did seize, That life nigh crusht out of his panting brest: 130 No powre he had to stirre, nor will to rize.

That when the carefull knight gan well avise, He lightly left the foe, with whom he fought, And to the beast gan turne his enterprise; For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought, 135 To see his loved Squire into such thraldome brought.

XVI