Of Faerie knights, and fayrest Tanaquill,1

Whom that most noble Briton Prince 2 so long Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill, That I must rue his undeserved wrong:

O, helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong!

III

And thou, most dreaded impe 3 of highest Jove,
Faire Venus sonne, that with thy cruell dart
At that good knight so cunningly didst rove,
That glorious fire it kindled in his hart;
Lay now thy deadly Heben bowe apart,

And with thy mother mylde come to mine ayde;
Come, both; and with you bring triumphant Mart,
In loves and gentle jollities arraid,

After his murdrous spoyles and bloudie rage allayd.

IV

And with them eke, O Goddesse heavenly bright! Mirrour of grace and Majestie divine,

Great Ladie of the greatest Isle, whose light

Like Phœbus lampe throughout the world doth shine,
Shed thy faire beames into my feeble eyne,

And raise my thoughtes, too humble and too vile,
To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,

The argument of mine afflicted stile:

4

The which to heare vouchsafe, O dearest dread, a-while!

1 Tanaquill, Elizabeth.

2 Prince, Arthur.

3 impe, child.

4 afflicted stile, humble pen.

CANTO I

The Patrone of true Holinesse
Foule Errour doth defeate:
Hypocrisie, him to entrappe,
Doth to his home entreate.

I

A GENTLE Knight was pricking1 on the plaine, Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde, Wherein old dints of deepe woundes did remaine, The cruell markes of many' a bloody fielde; Yet armes till that time did he never wield. His angry steede did chide his foming bitt, As much disdayning to the curbe to yield: Full jolly 2 knight he seemd, and faire did sitt, As one for knightly giusts 3 and fierce encounters fitt.

II

And on his brest a bloodie Crosse he bore, The deare remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he

wore,

And dead, as living, ever him ador'd:

Upon his shield the like was also scor'd,

For soveraine hope which in his helpe he had.
Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
But of his cheere 4 did seeme too solemne sad;
Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.

1 pricking, riding fast with the spur.

2 jolly, handsome.

8 giusts. A joust was a mock combat between two knights. 4 cheere, countenance.

III

Upon a great adventure he was bond,
That greatest Gloriana to him gave,

(That greatest Glorious Queene of Faery lond)
To winne him worshippe, and her grace to have,
Which of all earthly thinges he most did crave:
And ever as he rode his hart did earne 1
To prove his puissance in battell brave
Upon his foe, and his new force to learne,
Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.

IV

A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside, Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow, Yet she much whiter; but the same did hide Under a vele, that wimpled 2 was full low; And over all a blacke stole 3 shee did throw: As one that inly mournd, so was she sad, And heavie sate upon her palfrey slow; Seemed in heart some hidden care she had, And by her, in a line, a milkewhite lambe she lad.

V

So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and every vertuous lore; And by descent from Royall lynage came Of ancient Kinges and Queenes, that had of yore Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore, And all the world in their subjection held;

Till that infernall feend with foule uprore

1 earne, yearn.

8 stole, a long robe.

2 wimpled, drawn into folds.

Forwasted all their land, and them expeld;

Whom to avenge she had this Knight from far compeld.

VI

Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag, That lasie seemd, in being ever last,

Or wearied with bearing of her bag

Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,
The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,
And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine
Did poure into his Lemans 1 lap so fast,

That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain;

And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.

VII

Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,
A shadie grove not farr away they spide,
That promist ayde the tempest to withstand;
Whose loftie trees, yclad with sommers pride,
Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,
Not perceable with power of any starr:
And all within were pathes and alleies wide,
With footing worne, and leading inward farr.

Faire harbour that them seems, so in they entred ar.

VIII

And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led, Joying to heare the birdes sweete harmony, Which, therein shrouded from the tempest dred, Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky. Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy, 1 Leman, lady-love, or, in some cases, lover.

The sayling Pine; the Cedar proud and tall;
The vine-propp Elme; the Poplar never dry;
The builder Oake, sole king of forrests all;
The Aspine good for staves; the Cypresse funerall;

IX

The Laurell, meed of mightie Conquerours And Poets sage; the Firre that weepeth still: The Willow, worne of forlorne Paramours; The Eugh, obedient to the benders will; The Birch for shaftes; the Sallow for the mill; The Mirrhe sweete-bleeding in the bitter wound; The warlike Beech; the Ash for nothing ill; The fruitfull Olive; and the Platane round ; The carver Holme; the Maple seeldom inward sound.

X

Led with delight, they thus beguile the way, Untill the blustring storme is overblowne; When, weening 1 to returne whence they did stray, They cannot finde that path, which first was showne, But wander too and fro in waies unknowne,

Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene, That makes them doubt their wits be not their owne: So many pathes, so many turnings seene,

That which of them to take in diverse doubt they been.

ΧΙ

At last resolving forward still to fare,

Till that some end they finde, or in or out,

That path they take that beaten seemd most bare,

And like to lead the labyrinth about;

1 weening, thinking, supposing.