THE MOST HIGH,
MIGHTIE And
MAGNIFICENT
EMPRESSE RENOVV. MED FOR PIETIE, VERTVE, AND ALL GRATIOVS GOVERNMENT ELIZABETH BY THE GRACE OF GOD QVEENE OF ENGLAND FRAVNCE AND IRELAND AND OF VIRGINIA, DEFENDOVR OF THE FAITH, &c. HER MOST HVMBLE SERVAVNT EDMVND SPENSER
DOTH IN ALL HV
MILITIE DEDI
CATE, PRE- SENT
AND CONSECRATE THESE
HIS LABOVRS TO LIVE
VVITH THE ETERNI
TIE OF HER
THE LEGENDE OF THE KNIGHT OF THE RED CROSSE,
Helpe then, O holy Virgin chiefe of nine, Thy weaker Nouice to performe thy will, Lay forth out of thine euerlasting scryne The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still, Of Faerie knights and fairest Tanaquill, Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,
That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:
And thou most dreaded impe of highest loue, Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart At that good knight so cunningly didst roue, That glorious fire it kindled in his hart, Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart, And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde: Come both, and with you bring triumphant Mart,
After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage In loues and gentle iollities arrayd, allayd.
And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenly bright,
Mirrour of grace and Maiestie diuine, Like Phoebus lampe throughout the world doth Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose light
Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne, And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile, To thinke of that true glorious type of thine, The argument of mine afflicted stile:
O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred
They cannot finde that path, which first was But wander too and fro in wayes vnknowne, Furthest from end then, when they neerest That makes them doubt, their wits be not [their owne: So many pathes, so many turnings seene, That which of them to take, in diuerse doubt they been.
At last resoluing forward still to fare,
Till that some end they finde or in or out, That path they take, that beaten seemd most And like to lead the labyrinth about; [bare, Which when by tract they hunted had throughout,
At length it brought them to a hollow caue, Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout Eftsoones dismounted from his courser braue, And to the Dwarfe a while his needlesse spere
Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde, Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash prouoke : The danger hid, the place vnknowne and wilde, Breedes dreadfull doubts: Oft fire is without smoke,
And perill without show: therefore yourstroke Sir knight with-hold, till further triall made. Ah Ladie (said he) shame were to reuoke The forward footing for an hidden shade:
And as she lay vpon the durtie ground, Her huge long taile her den all ouerspred, Yet was in knots and many boughtes vpwound, Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred Sucking vpon her poisonous dugs, eachone A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed, Of sundry shapes, yet all ill fauored : Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all Soone as that vncouth light vpon them shone, 16
Their dam vpstart, out of her den effraide, And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile About her cursed head, whose folds displaid Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile.
She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle Armed to point, sought backe to turne againe ; For light she hated as the deadly bale, Where plaine none might her see, nor she see Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine, Which when the valiant Elfe perceiu'd, he lept any plaine. As Lyon fierce vpon the flying pray,
And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept From turning backe, and forced her to stay: Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray, And turning fierce, her speckled taile aduaunst, Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay : Who nought aghast,his mightie hand enhaunst:
The stroke down from her head vnto her shoulder glaunst. 18
Vertue giues her selfe light, through darkenesse Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,
Yea but (quoth she) the perill of this place I better wot then you, though now too late To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace, Yet wisedome warnes,whilest foot is in the gate, To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate. This is the wandring wood, this Errours den, A monster vile, whom God and man does hate: Therefore I read beware. Fly fly (quoth then The fearefull Dwarfe :) this is no place for liuing
But full of fire and greedy hardiment, The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,
But forth vnto the darksome hole he went, And looked in: his glistring armor made A litle glooming light, much like a shade, By which he saw the vgly monster plaine, Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide, Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine. But th' other halfe did womans shape retaine,
Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round, And all attonce her beastly body raizd With doubled forces high aboue the ground: Lept fierce vpon his shield, and her huge traine Tho wrapping vp her wrethed sterne arownd, All suddenly about his body wound,
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours end
That hand or foot to stirre he stroue in vaine :
His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,
Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,
Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee. Add faith vnto your force, and be not faint : That when he heard, in great perplexitie, His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine, And knitting all his force got one hand free, Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine, That soone to loose her wicked bands did her
Her scattred brood, soone as their Parent deare They saw so rudely falling to the ground, Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare, Gathred themselues about her body round, Weening their wonted entrance to haue found At her wide mouth: but being there withstood They flocked all about her bleeding wound, And sucked vp their dying mothers blood, Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good. 26
That detestable sight him much amazde, To see th'vnkindly Impes of heauen accurst, Deuoure their dam; on whom while so he gazd, Hauing all satisfide their bloudy thurst, Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst, And bowels gushing forth: well worthy end Ofsuch as drunke her life, the which them nurst; Now needeth him no lenger labour spend, His foes haue slaine themselues, with whom he
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