The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser

The messenger approching to him spake,
But his wast wordes returnd to him in vaine :
So sound he slept, that nought mought him
awake.
[paine,
Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with
Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe
Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.
As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine
Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,
He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence
breake.
43

The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,
And threatned vnto him the dreaded name
Of Hecate whereat he gan to quake,
And lifting vp his lumpish head, with blame
Halfe angry asked him, for what he came.
Hither (quoth he) me Archimago sent,
He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,
He bids thee to him send for his intent
A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers

And she her selfe of beautie soueraigne Queene, Faire Venus seemde vnto his bed to bring Her, whom he waking euermore did weene To be the chastest flowre, that ay did spring On earthly braunch, the daughter of a king, Now a loose Leman to vile seruice bound: And eke the Graces seemed all to sing, Hymen 5 Hymen, dauncing all around, Whilst freshest Flora her with Yuie girlond crownd.

In this great passion of vnwonted lust,
Or wonted feare of doing ought amis,
He started vp, as seeming to mistrust
Some secret ill, or hidden foe of his :
Lo there before his face his Lady is,
Vnder blake stole hyding her bayted hooke,
And as halfe blushing offred him to kis,
With gentle blandishment and louely looke,
Most like that virgin true, which for her knight
him took.

FAERIE QVEENE.

All cleane dismayd to see so vncouth sight,
And halfe enraged at her shamelesse guise,
He thought haueslaine her in his fierce despight:
But hasty heat tempring with sufferance wise,
He stayde his hand, and gan himselfe aduise
To proue his sense, and tempt her faigned truth.
Wringing her hands in wemens pitteous wise,
Tho can she weepe, to stirre vp gentle ruth,
Both for her noble bloud, and for her tender
youth.

And said, Ah Sir, my liege Lord and my loue,
Shall I accuse the hidden cruell fate,
And mightie causes wrought in heauen aboue,
Or the blind God, that doth me thus amate,
For hoped loue to winne me certaine hate?
Yet thus perforce he bids me do, or die.
Die is my dew: yet rew my wretched state
You, whom my hard auenging destinie
Hath made iudge of my life or death indiffer-
ently.

Your owne deare sake forst me at first to leaue
My Fathers kingdome, There she stopt with
teares;

Her swollen hart her speach seemd to bereaue,
And then againe begun, My weaker yeares
Captiu'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares,
Fly to your faith for succour and sure ayde:
Let me not dye in languor and long teares.
Why Dame (quoth he) what hath ye thus
dismayd?

What frayes ye, that were wont to comfort me
affrayd?

Loue of your selfe, she said, and deare constraint
Lets me not sleepe, but wast the wearie night
In secret anguish and vnpittied plaint,
Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned
quight.

Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knight
Suspect her truth: yet since no'vntruth he knew,
Her fawning loue with foule disdainefull spight
He would not shend, but said, Deare dame I rew,
That for my sake vnknowne such griefe vnto
you grew.
54

Assure your selfe, it fell not all to ground;
For all so deare as life is to my hart,

none,

I deeme your loue, and hold me to you bound ;
Nelet vaine feares procure your needlesse smart,
Where cause
Not all content, yet seemd she to appease
but to your rest depart.
Her mournefull plaintes, beguiled of her art,
And fed with words, that could not chuse but
please,

So slyding softly forth, she turnd as to her ease.

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By this the Northerne wagoner had set
His seuenfold teme behind the stedfast starre,
That was in Ocean waues yet neuer wet,
But firme is fixt, and sendeth light from farre
To all, that in the wide deepe wandring arre:
And chearefull Chaunticlere with his note shrill
Had warned once, that Phœbus fiery carre
Full enuious that night so long his roome did fill.
In hast was climbing vp the Easterne hill,

When those accursed messengers of hell,
That feigning dreame, and that faire-forged
Spright

Came to their wicked maister, and gan tell
Their bootelesse paines, and ill succeeding
night:

Who all in rage to see his skilfull might
Deluded so, gan threaten hellish paine
And sad Proserpines wrath, them to affright.
But when he saw his threatning was but vaine,
He cast about, and searcht his balefull bookes
againe.
Eftsoones he tooke that miscreated faire,
And that false other Spright, on whom he spred
A seeming body of the subtile aire,
Like a young Squire, in loues and lusty-hed
His wanton dayes that euer loosely led,
Without regard of armes and dreaded fight:
Those two he tooke, and in a secret bed,
Them both together laid, to ioy in vaine delight.
Couered with darknesse and misdeeming night,
B 3

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Forthwith he runnes with feigned faithfull hast Vnto his guest, who after troublous sights And dreames, gan now to take more sound repast,

Whom suddenly he wakes with fearefull frights, As one aghast with feends or damned sprights, And to him cals, Rise rise vnhappy Swaine, That here wex old in sleepe, whiles wicked wights [chaine; Haue knit themselues in Venus shamefull Come see, where your false Lady doth her honour staine. 5

All in amaze he suddenly vp start
With sword in hand,and with the old man went;
Who soone him brought into a secret part,
Where that false couple were full closely ment
In wanton lust and lewd embracement:
Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,
The eye of reason was with rage yblent,
And would haue slaine them in his furious ire,
But hardly was restreined of that aged sire.

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