Of these a mighty people shortly grew,
And puissant kinges which all the world warrayd,
And to themselves all Nations did subdew :
The first and eldest, which that scepter swayd,
Was Elfin; him all India obayd,
And all that now America men call:
Next him was noble Elfinan, who laid
Cleopolis foundation first of all:
But Elfiline enclosd it with a golden wall.
His sonne was Elfinell, who overcame
The wicked Gobbelines in bloody field:
But Elfant was of most renowmed fame,
Who all of christall did Panthea build:
Then Elfar, who two brethren gyauntes kild,
The one of which had two heades, th' other three:
Then Elfinor, who was in Magick skild;
He built by art upon the glassy See
A bridge of bras, whose sound hevens thunder seem'd to be.
He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,
And all their Ofspring, in their dew descents;
Even seven hundred Princes, which maintaynd
With mightie deedes their sondry governments;
That were too long their infinite contents
Here to record, ne much materiall:
Yet should they be most famous moniments,
And brave ensample, both of Martiall
And civil rule, to Kinges and States imperiall.
After all these Elficleos did rayne,
The wise Elficleos in great Majestie,
Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,
And with rich spoyles and famous victorie
Did high advaunce the crowne of Faery:
He left two sonnes, of which faire Elferon,
The eldest brother, did untimely dy;
Whose emptie place the mightie Oberon
Doubly supplide, in spousall and dominion.
Great was his power and glorie over all
Which, him before, that sacred seate did fill,
That yet remaines his wide memoriall:
He dying left the fairest Tanaquill,
Him to succeede therein, by his last will
Fairer and nobler liveth none this howre,
Ne like in grace, ne like in learned skill; Therefore they Glorian call that glorious flowre: Long mayst thou, Glorian, live in glory and great powre!
Beguyld thus with delight of novelties,
And naturall desire of Countreyes state,
So long they redd in those antiquities,
That how the time was fled they quite forgate;
Till gentle Alma, seeing it so late,
Perforce their studies broke, and them besought
To thinke how supper did them long awaite :
So halfe unwilling from their bookes them brought,
And fayrely feasted as so noble Knightes she ought.
HAT warre so cruel, or what siege so sore,
As that, which strong Affections doe apply
Against the forte of Reason evermore,
To bring the sowle into captivity!
Their force is fiercer through infirmity
Of the fraile flesh, relenting to their rage;
And exercise most bitter tyranny
Upon the partes, brought into their bondage:
No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage.
But in a body which doth freely yeeld
His partes to Reasons rule obedient,
And letteth Her that ought the scepter weeld,
All happy peace and goodly government
Is setled there in sure establishment.
There Alma, like a Virgin Queene most bright,
Doth florish in all beautie excellent;
And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight,
Attempred goodly well for health and for delight.
Early, before the Morne with cremosin ray
The windowes of bright heaven opened had,
Through which into the world the dawning Day
Might looke, that maketh every creature glad,
Uprose Sir Guyon in bright armour clad,
And to his purposd journey him prepar'd :
With him the Palmer eke in habit sad
Himselfe addrest to that adventure hard :
So to the rivers syde they both together far'd:
Where them awaited ready at the ford
The Ferriman, as Alma had behight,
With his well-rigged bote: They goe abord,
And he eftsoones gan launch his barke forthright.
Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight,
And fast the land behynd them fled away.
But let them pas, whiles winde and wether right
Doe serve their turnes : here I a while must stay,
To see a cruell fight doen by the Prince this day.
For, all so soone as Guyon thence was gon
Upon his voyage with his trustie Guyde,
That wicked band of Villeins fresh begon
That Castle to assaile on every side,
And lay strong siege about it far and wyde.
So huge and infinite their numbers were,
That all the land they under them did hyde;
So fowle and ugly, that exceeding feare
Their visages imprest, when they approched neare.
Them in twelve Troupes their Captein did dispart,
And round about in fittest steades did place,
Where each might best offend his proper part,
And his contrary object most deface,
As every one seem'd meetest in that cace.
Seven of the same against the Castle-Gate
In strong entrenchments he did closely place,
Which with incessaunt force and endlesse hate
They battred day and night, and entraunce did awate.
The other Five five sondry wayes he sett
Against the five great Bulwarkes of that pyle,
And unto each a Bulwarke did arrett,
T' assayle with open force or hidden guyle,
In hope thereof to win victorious spoile.
They all that charge did fervently apply
With greedie malice and importune toyle,
And planted there their huge artillery,
With which they dayly made most dreadfull battery.
The first Troupe was a monstrous rablement
Of fowle misshapen wightes, of which some were
Headed like Owles, with beckes uncomely bent:
Others like Dogs; others like Gryphons dreare;
And some had wings, and some had clawes to teare:
And every one of them had Lynces eyes;
And every one did bow and arrowes beare:
All those were lawlesse Lustes, corrupt Envyes,
And covetous Aspécts, all cruel enimyes.
Those same against the Bulwarke of the Sight
Did lay strong siege and battailous assault,
Ne once did yield it respitt day nor night;
But soone as Titan gan his head exault,
And soone againe as he his light withhault,
Their wicked engins they against it bent;
That is, each thing by which the eyes may fault:
But two then all more huge and violent,
Beautie and Money, they that Bulwarke sorely rent.
The second Bulwarke was the Hearing Sence,
Gainst which the second Troupe dessignment makes ;
Deformed creatures, in straunge difference:
Some having heads like Harts, some like to Snakes,
Some like wild Bores late rouzd out of the brakes:
Slaunderous Reproches, and fowle Infamies,
Leasinges, Backbytinges, and vain-glorious Crakes,
Bad Counsels, Prayses, and false Flatteries:
All those against that Fort did bend their batteries.
Likewise that same third Fort, that is the Smell,
Of that third Troupe was cruelly assayd;
Whose hideous shapes were like to feendes of hell,
Some like to Houndes, some like to Apes, dismayd;
Some, like to Puttockes, all in plumes arayd;
All shap't according their conditions:
For, by those ugly formes, weren pourtrayd
Foolish Delights, and fond Abusions,
Which doe that Sence besiege with light illusions.
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