LIII.

"That therefore nought our passage may empeach,1 Let us in feigned armes ourselves disguize,

And our weake hands (Need makes good schollers) teach

The dreadful speare and shield to exercize:

Ne certes,2 daughter, that same warlike wize,
I weene, would you misseeme; for ye beene tall
And large of limbe t'atchieve an hard emprize;
Ne ought ye want but skil, which practize small
Will bring, and shortly make you a Mayd martiall.

LIV.

"And, sooth, it ought your corage much inflame
To heare so often, in that royall hous,
From whence to none inferior ye came,
Bards tell of many wemen valorous,
Which have full many feats adventurous

4

Performd, in paragone of proudest men :

The bold Bunduca, whose victorious

Exployts made Rome to quake; stout Guendolen ; Renowmed Martia; and redoubted Emmilen;

LV.

And, that which more then all the rest may sway,
Late dayes ensample, which these eies beheld:
In the last field before Menevia,

Which Uther with those forrein Pagans held,

canto X. stanza LIV. Guendolen is mentioned in the same canto,

stanza XVII., and Martia in stanza XLII.

I saw a Saxon virgin, the which feld

Great Ulfin thrise upon the bloody playne;
And, had not Carados her hand withheld

From rash revenge, she had him surely slayne;
Yet Carados himselfe from her escapt with payne."

LVI.

"Ah! read,1" quoth Britomart, "how is she hight??” "Fayre Angela," quoth she, "men do her call,

No whit lesse fayre then 3 terrible in fight:

She hath the leading of a martiall

And mightie people, dreaded more then 3 all
The other Saxons, which doe, for her sake
And love, themselves of her name Angles call.
Therefore, faire Infant, her ensample make
Unto thyselfe, and equall corage to thee take."

LVII.

Her harty 4 wordes so deepe into the mynd
Of the young Damzell sunke, that great desire
Of warlike armes in her forthwith they tynd,5
And generous stout courage did inspyre,
That she resolv'd, unweeting to her syre,
Advent'rous knighthood on herselfe to don7;
And counseld with her nourse her maides attyre

1 Read, explain.

"Hight, called.

3 Then, than.

Harty, hearty, zealous.

6

5 Tynd, kindled.

6 Unweeting, unknown.
7 Don, do on, put on.

LV. 5.-A Saxon virgin.] "This Saxon virgin is, I believe, entirely of Spenser's own feigning."-UPTON.

LVI. 7.-Angles.] The Angles were a German tribe who aided the Saxons in subjugating Britain. Spenser's derivation of the name reminds us of that he gives of Germany, in book II. canto X. stanza XXII.

To turne into a massy habergeon1;

And bad her all things put in readiness anon.

LVIII.

Th' old woman nought that needed did omit;
But all thinges did conveniently purvay.

It fortuned (so time their turne did fitt)
A band of Britons, ryding on forray
Few dayes before, had gotten a great pray
Of Saxon goods; emongst the which was seene
A goodly armour, and full rich aray,

Which long'd to Angela, the Saxon queene,

All fretted 3 round with gold and goodly wel beseene.

LIX.

The same, with all the other ornaments,

King Ryence caused to be hanged hy

In his chiefe church, for endlesse moniments
Of his successe and gladfull victory :

4

Of which herselfe avizing readily,

In th' evening late old Glaucè thether led
Faire Britomart, and, that same armory

Downe taking, her therein appareled

Well as she might, and with brave bauldrick 5 garnished.

LX.

Beside those armes there stood a mightie speare,

Which Bladud made by magick art of yore,

And usd the same in batteill aye to beare;

6

Sith which it had beene here preserv'd in store,

1 Habergeon, sleeveless coat of mail; diminutive of hauberk.

2 Long'd, belonged.

4 Avising, bethinking.

3 Fretted, wrought with fret-work.
5 Bauldrick, belt. 6 Sith, since.

LX. 2.- Bladud.] Of Bladud, see book II. canto X. stanza XXV.

For his great virtues proved long afore:

For never wight so fast in sell1 could sit,
But him perforce unto the ground it bore:

Both speare she tooke and shield which hong by it; Both speare and shield of great powre, for her purpose fit.

LXI.

Thus when she had the Virgin all arayd,
Another harnesse which did hang thereby

About herselfe she dight, that the yong Mayd
She might in equall armes accompany,

And as her Squyre attend her carefully:

Tho3 to their ready steedes they clombe full light;

And through back waies, that none might them espy,

Covered with secret cloud of silent night,

Themselves they forth convaid, and passed forward right.

LXII.

Ne rested they, till that to Faery Lond

They came, as Merlin them directed late:

Where, meeting with this Redcrosse Knight, she fond Of diverse thinges discourses to dilate,1

But most of Arthegall and his estate.

At last their wayes so fell, that they mote part:
Then each to other, well 5 affectionate,

Frendship professed with unfained hart:

The Redcrosse Knight diverst; but forth rode Britomart.

1 Sell, saddle.

2 Dight, put, dispose.
3 Tho, then.

4 Dilate, enlarge upon.

Well, very, like the French bien. • Diverst, diverged, turned off.

CANTO IV.

Bold Marinell of Britomart

Is throwne on the Rich Strond:

Faire Florimell of Arthur is

Long followed, but not fond.

1.

WHERE is the antique glory now become,
That whylome wont in wemen to appeare?
Where be the brave atchievements doen by some?
Where be the batteilles, where the shield and speare,
And all the conquests which them high did reare,
That matter made for famous poets verse,

And boastfull men so oft abasht to heare?

Beene they all dead, and laide in dolefull herse?
Or doen they onely sleepe, and shall againe reverse??

II.

If they be dead, then woe is me therefore;

But if they sleepe, O let them soone awake!
For all too long I burne with envy sore
To heare the warlike feates which Homere spake
Of bold Penthesilee, which made a lake

Of Greekish blood so ofte in Trojan plaine;

1 Whylome, formerly.

2 Reverse, return.

II. 5.- Bold Penthesilee.] Penthesilea is not mentioned by Homer. She came to the assistance of Priam during the latter years of the Trojan war.