Nought sparing them, the more did tosse and teare, And ransacke all their dennes from most to least, Regarding nought religion nor their holy heast.1 25 From thence into the sacred church he broke, And robd the chancell, and the deskes downe threw, And altars fouled, and blasphémy spoke, And th' images, for all their goodly hew, Did cast to ground, whilest none was them to rew2; Knowing his fatall hand by former feare; 26 Him in a narrow place he overtooke, And, fierce assailing, forst him turne againe : 8 All set with yron teeth in raunges twaine, That terrifide his foes, and armed him, Appearing like the mouth of Orcus griesly grim: 27 And therein were a thousand tongs empight* Of sundry kindes and sundry quality; Some were of dogs, that barked day and night; 1 Heast, command. 2 Rew, pity, lament. 8 Utmost, outmost. 4 Empight, placed. XXV. 8.- Former feare.] See Canto III. 25. And some of cats, that wrawling1 still did cry; And some, of tygres, that did seeme to gren 4 But most of them were tongues of mortall men, Which spake reprochfully, not caring where nor when. 29 And them amongst were mingled here and there 6 Ne kesars spared he a whit, nor kings; But either blotted them with infamie, Or bit them with his banefull teeth of iniury. 29 But Calidore, thereof no whit afrayd, clawes: 1 Wrawling, wauling. 2 Groynd, grunted, growled. 8 Gren, grin. • Snar, snarl. 5 Gere, stuff. 6 Kesars, emperors. 7 Rampt, leaped. 30 But he right well aware, his rage to ward, Of butchers balefull hand to ground is feld, 81 Full cruelly the Beast did rage and rore To be downe held, and maystred so with might, That he gan fret and fome out bloudy gore, Striving in vaine to rere himselfe upright: For still, the more he strove, the more the Knight Did him suppresse, and forcibly subdew; That made him almost mad for fell despight: He grind, hee bit, he scratcht, he venim threw, And fared1 like a feend right horrible in hew: 32 Or like the hell-borne Hydra, which they faine After that he had labourd long in vaine But aye, the more he rag'd, the more his powre increast. 1 Fared, acted. 83 Tho, when the Beast saw he mote nought availe Whose like he never once did speake, nor hearc, Yet did he nought, for all that, him forbeare, But strained him so streightly 1 that he chokt him neare. 1 34 At last, when as he found his force to shrincke And thereunto a great long chaine he tight,* With which he drew him forth, even in his own despight. 85 Like as whylóme that strong Tirynthian swaine Brought forth with him the dreadfull dog of hell Against his will fast bound in yron chaine, . And roring horribly did him compell To see the hatefull sunne, that he might tell 1 Streightly, closely. 2 Mured, closed. 8 I. e. to prevent, &c. 4 Tight, tied. XXXV. 1. - Like as, &c.] The reference is of course to the legend of Hercules and Cerberus. To griesly Pluto what on earth was donne, And to the other damned ghosts which dwell For aye in darkenesse which day-light doth shonne: So led this knight his captyve with like conquest wonne. 36 Yet greatly did the Beast repine1 at those Straunge bands, whose like till then he never bore, Ne ever any durst till then impose; And chauffed inly, seeing now no more Him liberty was left aloud to rore : Yet durst he not draw backe, nor once withstand The proved powre of noble Calidore; But trembled underneath his mighty hand, And like a fearefull dog him followed through the land. 37 Him through all Faery Land he follow'd so, As if he learned had obedience long, That all the people, whereso he did go, Out of their townes did round about him throng, And much admyr'd' the Beast, but more admyr'd the 38 Thus was this monster, by the maystring3 might Of doughty Calidore, supprest and tamed, That never more he mote endammadge wight 1 Repine, fret. 2 Admyr'd, wondered at. VOL. IV. 14 8 Maystring, mastering. |