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LX.

"And thou, faire Ymp, sprong out from English race,

"How ever now accompted Elfin's sonne,
"Well worthy doest thy service for her grace,
"To aide a virgin desolate fordonne:

"But when thou famous victory hast wonne,
"And highemongst all knights hasthong thy shield,
"Thenceforth the suitt of earthly conquest shonne,
"And wash thy hands from guilt of bloody field,
"For blood can nought but sin, and wars but sorrows,
[yield.

LXI.

"Then seek this path that I to thee presage, "Which after all to heaven shall thee send; " Then peaceably thy painefull pilgrimage "To yonder same Hierusalem doe bend, " Where is for thee ordaind a blessed end; "For thouemongst those saints, whom thou doest see, "Shalt be a saint, and thine owne nation's frend "And patrone: thou Saint George shalt called bee, "Saint George of mery England, the signe of vic[toree."

LXII.

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"Unworthy wretch," quoth he, "of so great grace, "How dare I thinke such glory to attaine?" "These that have it attaynd were in like cace, Quoth he, "as wretched, and liv'd in like paine." "But deeds of armes must I at last be faine, "And ladies love, to leave, so dearely bought?" "What need of armes where peace doth ay remaine," Said he, "and battailes none are to be fought? "As for loose loves they are vaine, and vanish into

nought."

4

LXIII.

"O let me not," quoth he, " then turne againe "Backe to the world, whose ioyes so fruitlesse are, "But let me here fore aie in peace remaine, "Or streightway on that last long voiage fare, "That nothing may my present hope empare. "That may not be," said he; "ne maist thou yitt " Forgoe that royal maides bequeathed care, " Who did her cause into thy hand committ, "Till from her cursed foe thou have her freely quitt."

LXIV.

"Then shall I soone," quoth he, "so God me grace, "Abett that virgin's cause disconsolate, "And shortly back returne unto this place, "To walke this way in pilgrim's poore estate. " But now aread, old Father, why of late "Didst thou behight me borne of English blood, "Whom all a Faeries sonne doen nominate?" "That word shall I," said he, "avouchen good, "Sith to thee is unknowne the cradle of thy brood. LXV.

" For well I wote thou springst from ancient race " Of Saxon kinges, that have with mightie hand, "And many bloody battailes fought in place, "High reard their royall throne in Britane land, " And vanquisht them, unable to withstand : "From thence a Faery thee unweeting reft, "There as thou slepst in tender swadling band, "And her base Elfin brood there for thee left : " Such men do chaungelings call, so chaung'd by Faeries theft.

LXVI.

"Thence she thee brought into this Faery Lond, " And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde, "Where thee a ploughman all unweeting fond, "As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde, "And brought thee up in ploughman's state to byde, “Whereof Georgos he thee gave to name; "Till prickt with courage, and thy forces pryde, "To Fary Court thou cam'st to seek for fame, "And prove thy pussiant armes, as seems thee best [became."

LXVII.

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"O holy Sire!" quoth he, “ how shall I quight "The many favours I with thee have fownd, "That hast my name and nation redd aright, "And taught the way that does to heaven bownd?" This saide, adowne he looked to the grownd, To have returnd, but dazed were his eyne, Throughpassing brightnes, whichdidquiteconfonnd His feeble sence, and too exceeding shyne: So darke are earthlythinges compard to things divine.

LXVIII.

At last, whenas himselfe he gan to fynd,
To Una back he cast him to retyre,

Who him awaited still with pensive mynd.
Great thankes and goodly meede to that good syre
He thens departing gave, for his paynes hyre;
So came to Una, who him ioyd to see,

And after litle rest gan him desyre
Of her adventure myndfull for to bee :

So leave they take of Cælia and her daughters three.

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THE FAERY QUEENE.

BOOK I. CANTO ΧΙ.

The Knight with that old Dragon fights
Two dayes incessantly;

The third him overthrowes, and gaynes
Most glorious victory.

I.

HIGH time now gan it wex for Una fayre, To thinke of those her captive parents deare, And their forwasted kingdom to repayre: Whereto whenas they now approched neare, With hartie wordes her knight she gan to cheare, And in her modest manner thus bespake; "Deare Knight! as deare as ever knight was deare, "That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake, "High heven behold the tedious toyle ye for me take!

II.

" Now are we come unto my native soyle, "And to the place where all our perilles dwell; " Here hauntes that feend, and does his daily spoyle; "Therefore henceforth bee at your keeping well, " And ever ready for your foeman fell: "The sparke of noble corage now awake, "And strive your excellent selfe to excell : "That shall ye evermore renowmed makeu "Aboveall knights on earth that batteill undertake."

III.

And pointing forth, "Lo yonder is," said she, "The brasen towre, in which my parents deare " For dread of that huge feend emprisond be, " Whom I from far see on the walles appeare, "Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly che are; "And on the top of all I do espye "The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare ; "That, O my Parents! might I happily "Unto you bring, to ease you of your misery!"

IV.

With that the heard a roaring hideous sownd,
That all the ayre with terror filled wyde,
And seemd uneath to shake the stedfast ground.
Eftsoones that dreadfull dragon they espyde,
Where stretcht he lay upon the sunny side
Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill;
But all so soone as he from far descryde
Those glistringarmes, that heven with light did fill,
He rousd himselfe full blyth, and hastned them
[untill.

V.

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Then badd the knight his lady yede aloof,
And to an hill herselfe withdraw asyde,
From whence she might behold that battailles proof,
And eke be safe from daunger far descryde:
She him obayd, and turnd a little wyde.
Now, O thou sacred Muse! most learned dame,
Fayre ympe of Phœbus and his aged bryde,

The nourse of Time and everlasting Fame,
That warlike handes ennoblest with immortall name;

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