THE n.o.ble hart, that harbours vertuous thought, And is with child of glorious great intent, Can never rest, untill it forth have brought Th' eternall brood of glorie excellent.

5 Such restlesse pa.s.sion did all night torment The flaming corage of that Faery knight, Devizing, how that doughtie turnament With greatest honour he atchieven might; Still did he wake, and still did watch for dawning light.

II

10 At last the golden Orientall gate, Of greatest heaven gan to open faire, And Phoebus fresh, as bridegrome to his mate, Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie haire: And hurls his glistring beams through gloomy aire.

15 Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiv'd, streightway He started up, and did him selfe prepaire, In sunbright armes, and battailous array: For with that Pagan proud he combat will that day.

III

And forth he comes into the commune hall, 20 Where earely waite him many a gazing eye, To weet what end to straunger knights may fall.

There many Minstrales maken melody, To drive away the dull melancholy, And many Bardes, that to the trembling chord 25 Can tune their timely voyces cunningly, And many Chroniclers that can record Old loves, and warres for Ladies doen by many a Lord.

IV

Soone after comes the cruell Sarazin, In woven maile all armed warily, 30 And sternly lookes at him, who not a pin Does care for looke of living creatures eye.

They bring them wines of Greece and Araby, And daintie spices fetcht from furthest Ynd, To kindle heat of corage privily: 35 And in the wine a solemne oth they bynd T' observe the sacred lawes of armes, that are a.s.synd.

V

At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene, With royall pomp and Princely majestie; She is ybrought unto a paled greene, 40 And placed under stately canapee, The warlike feates of both those knights to see.

On th' other side in all mens open vew Duessa placed is, and on a tree Sans-foy his shield is hangd with b.l.o.o.d.y hew: 45 Both those the lawrell girlonds to the victor dew.

VI

A shrilling trompet sownded from on hye, And unto battaill bad them selves addresse: Their shining shieldes about their wrestes they tye, And burning blades about their heads do blesse, 50 The instruments of wrath and heavinesse: With greedy force each other doth a.s.sayle, And strike so fiercely, that they do impresse Deepe dinted furrowes in the battred mayle; The yron walles to ward their blowes are weak and fraile.

VII

55 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 fiers, and full of youthly heat, And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders threat: 60 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 helmets hewen deepe show marks of eithers might.

VIII

So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right; 65 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 ravine rend away; With hideous horror both together smight, 70 And souce so sore that they the heavens affray: The wise Soothsayer seeing so sad sight, Th' amazed vulgar tels of warres and mortall fight.

IX

So th' one for wrong, the other strives for right, And each to deadly shame would drive his foe: 75 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, 80 Seeing the gored woundes to gape so wyde, That victory they dare not wish to either side.

X

At last the Paynim chaunst to cast his eye, His suddein eye, flaming with wrathful fyre, Upon his brothers shield, which hong thereby: 85 Therewith redoubled was his raging yre, And said, Ah wretched sonne of wofull syre, Doest thou sit wayling by blacke Stygian lake, Whilest here thy shield is hangd for victors hyre, And sluggish german doest thy forces slake 90 To after-send his foe, that him may overtake?

XI

Goe caytive Elfe, him quickly overtake, And soone redeeme from his long wandring woe; Goe guiltie ghost, to him my message make, That I his shield have quit from dying foe.

95 Therewith upon 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.

XII

100 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 mov'd with wrath, and shame, and Ladies sake, 105 Of all attonce he cast avengd to bee, And with so' exceeding furie at him strake, That forced him to stoupe upon his knee; Had he not stouped so, he should have cloven bee.

XIII

And to him said, Goe now proud Miscreant, 110 Thy selfe thy message do to german deare; Alone he wandring thee too long doth want: Goe say, his foe thy shield with his doth beare.

Therewith his heavie hand he high gan reare, Him to have slaine; when loe a darkesome clowd 115 Upon him fell: he no where doth appeare, But vanisht is. The Elfe him calls alowd, But answer none receives: the darkness him does shrowd.

XIV

In haste Duessa from her place arose, And to him running said, O prowest knight, 120 That ever Ladie to her love did chose, Let now abate the terror of your might, And quench the flame of furious despight, And bloudie vengeance; lo th' infernall powres, Covering your foe with cloud of deadly night, 125 Have borne him hence to Plutoes balefull bowres.

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

XV

Not all so satisfide, with greedie eye He sought all round about, his thristie blade To bath in bloud of faithlesse enemy; 130 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, 135 And to him brought the shield, the cause of enmitie.

XVI

Wherewith he goeth to that soveraine Queene, And falling her before on lowly knee, To her makes present of his service seene: Which she accepts, with thankes, and goodly gree, 140 Greatly advauncing his gay chevalree.

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 heaven bright.

XVII

145 Home is he brought, and laid in sumptuous bed: Where many skilfull leaches him abide, To salve his hurts, that yet still freshly bled.

In wine and oyle they wash his woundes wide, And softly can embalme on every side.

150 And all the while, most heavenly melody About the bed sweet musicke did divide, Him to beguile of griefe and agony: And all the while Duessa wept full bitterly.

XVIII

As when a wearie traveller that strayes 155 By muddy sh.o.r.e of broad seven-mouthed Nile, Unweeting of the perillous wandring wayes, Doth meete a cruell craftie Crocodile, Which in false griefe hyding his harmefull guile, Doth weepe full sore, and sheddeth tender teares: 160 The foolish man, that pitties all this while His mournefull plight, is swallowed up unawares, Forgetfull of his owne, that mindes anothers cares.

XIX

So wept Duessa untill eventide, That shyning lampes in Joves high house were light: 165 Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide, But comes unto the place, where th' Hethen knight In s...o...b..ing swownd nigh voyd of vitall spright, Lay cover'd with inchaunted cloud all day: Whom when she found, as she him left in plight, 170 To wayle his woefull case she would not stay, But to the easterne coast of heaven makes speedy way.

XX

Where griesly Night, with visage deadly sad, That Phbus chearefull face durst never vew, And in a foule blacke pitchie mantle clad, 175 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 journey new; And coleblacke steedes yborne of h.e.l.lish brood, 180 That on their rustie bits did champ, as they were wood.

XXI

Who when she saw Duessa sunny bright, Adornd with gold and jewels shining cleare, She greatly grew amazed at the sight, And th' unacquainted light began to feare: 185 For never did such brightnesse there appeare, And would have backe retyred to her cave, Until the witches speech she gan to heare, Saying, Yet, O thou dreaded Dame, I crave Abide, till I have told the message which I have.

XXII

190 She stayd, and foorth Duessa gan proceede O thou most auncient Grandmother of all, More old then Jove, whom thou at first didst breede, Or that great house of G.o.ds caelestiall, Which wast begot in Daemogorgons hall, 195 And sawst the secrets of the world unmade, Why suffredst thou thy Nephewes deare to fall With Elfin sword, most shamefully betrade?

Lo where the stout Sansjoy doth sleepe in deadly shade.

XXIII

And him before, I saw with bitter eyes 200 The bold Sansfoy shrinke underneath his speare; And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes, Nor wayld of friends, nor layd on groning beare, That whylome was to me too dearely deare.

O what of G.o.ds then boots it to be borne, 205 If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare?

Or who shall not great Nightes children scorne, When two of three her Nephews are so fowle forlorne?

XXIV

Up then, up dreary Dame, of darknesse Queene, Go gather up the reliques of thy race, 210 Or else goe them avenge, and let be seene, That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place, And can the children of faire light deface.

Her feeling speeches some compa.s.sion moved In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face: 215 Yet pittie in her hart was never proved Till then: for evermore she hated, never loved.

XXV

And said, Deare daughter rightly may I rew The fall of famous children borne of mee, And good successes, which their foes ensew: 220 But who can turne the streame of destinee, Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee, Which fast is tyde to Joves eternall seat?

The sonnes of Day he favoureth, I see, And by my ruines thinkes to make them great: 225 To make one great by others losse, is bad excheat.

XXVI

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 has spilt.

230 But what art thou, that telst of Nephews kilt?

I that do seeme not I, Duessa am, (Quoth she) how ever now in garments gilt, And gorgeous gold arrayd I to thee came; Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame.

XXVII