Yett wist no creature whence that hevenly sweet Proceeded, yet each one felt secretly,

Himselfe thereby refte of his sences meet, And ravished with rare impression in his sprite.

40 Great ioy was made that day of young and old,
And solemne feast proclaymd throughout the land,
That their exceeding merth may not be told:
Suffice it heare by signes to understand
The usuall ioyes at knitting of loves band.
Thrise happy man the Knight himselfe did hold,
Possessed of his Ladies hart and hand;

And ever, when his eie did her behold,
His heart did seeme to melt in pleasures manifold.

41 Her ioyous presence, and sweet company,
In full content he there did long enioy;
Ne wicked envy, ne vile gealosy,
His deare delights were hable to annoy :

Yet swimming in that sea of blisfull ioy,
He nought forgott how he whilome had sworne,
In case he could that monstrous Beast destroy,
Unto his Faery Queene backe to retourne;
The which he shortly did; and Una left to mourne.

42 Now, strike your sailes, yee iolly mariners,

For we be come unto a quiet rode,

Where we must land some of our passengers,
And light this weary vessell of her lode.

the first are seraphim, cherubim, and thrones; in the second, dominions, mights, and powers; in the third, principalities, archangels, and angels. H.

Here she a while may make her safe abode,
Till she repaired have her tackles spent,
And wants supplide; and then againe abroad
On the long voiage whereto she is bent:

Well may she speede, and fairely finish her intent!

* We do not learn the particular enterprises in which the Redcross Knight engaged after his inarriage with Una. He appears occasionally in the subsequent books, but only incidentally, and not to take any part in the main action H.

1...

THE SECOND BOOKE

tis

OF

THE FAERIE QUEENE,

CONTAYNING

THE LEGEND OF SIR GUYON, OR OF TEMPERAUNCE.

RIGHT well I wote, most mighty Soveraine,
That all this famous ántique history

Of some th' aboundance of an ydle braine
Will iudged be, and painted forgery,
Rather then matter of iust memory;

Sith none that breatheth living aire does know
Where is that happy land of Faëry,

Which I so much doe vaunt, yet no where show; But vouch antiquities, which no body can know.

2 But let that man with better sence advize1
That of the world least part to us is red2;
And daily how through hardy enterprize
Many great regions are discovered,
Which to late age were never mentioned.
Who ever heard of th' Indian Peru?

1 Adrize, bear in mind.

2 Red, made known.

Or who in venturous vessell measured

The Amazon huge river, now found trew? Or fruitfullest Virginia who did ever vew?

3 Yet all these were, when no man did them know, Yet have from wisest ages hidden beene;

And later times thinges more unknowne shall show. Why then should witlesse man so much misweene,1 That nothing is, but that which he hath seene? What, if within the moones fayre shining spheare, What, if in every other starre unseene

Of other worldes he happily 2 should heare? He wonder would much more; yet such to some appeare.

Of Faery lond yet if he more inquyre, By certein signes, here sett in sondrie place, He may it fynd; ne let him then admyre, But yield his sence to bee too blunt and bace, That no'te without an hound fine footing trace. And thou, O fayrest Princesse under sky, In this fayre mirrhour maist behold thy face, And thine owne realmes in lond of Faëry, And in this antique ymage thy great auncestry.

5 The which, O, pardon me thus to enfold
In covert vele, and wrap in shadowes light,

1 Misweene, misjudge.

2 Happily, haply.

3 No'te, knows not, contracted from ne wote.

IV. 6. — Fayrest Princesse.] Queen Elizabeth.

That feeble eyes your glory may behold,
Which ells could not endure those beamës bright,
But would bee dazled with exceeding light.
O pardon! and vouchsafe with patient eare
The brave adventures of this Faery Knight,
The good Sir Guyon, gratiously to heare;

In whom great rule of Temp'raunce goodly doth appeare.