"And evermore upon the Goddesse face
Mine eye was fixt, for feare of her offence;
Whom when I saw with amiable grace
To laugh at me, and favour my pretence,
I was emboldned with more confidence ;
And nought for nicenesse nor for envy sparing,
In presence of them all forth led her thence,
All looking on, and like astonisht staring,
Yet to lay hand on her not one of all them daring.

"She often prayd, and often me besought,

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Sometime with tender teares to let her goe,
Sometime with witching smyles; but yet, for nought
That ever she to me could say or doe,
Could she her wished freedome fro me wooe:
But forth I led her through the Temple gate,
By which I hardly past with much adoe;
But that same Ladie, which me friended late
In entrance, did me also friend in my retrate.

"No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread, 58
Whenas he saw me, maugre all his powre,
That glorious spoyle of beautie with me lead,
Then Cerberus, when Orpheus did recoure
His Leman from the Stygian Princes boure:
But evermore my shield did me defend
Against the storme of every dreadfull stoure:
Thus safely with my Love I thence did wend."
So ended he his tale, where I this Canto end.

CANTO XI.

Marinells former wound is heald;
he comes to Proteus hall,

Where Thames doth the Medway wedd,
and feasts the Sea-gods all.

UT ah for pittie! that I have thus long
Left a fayre Ladie languishing in payne:
Now well away! that I have doen such
wrong,

To let faire Florimell in bands remayne,

In bands of love, and in sad thraldomes chayne; From which, unlesse some heavenly powre her free By miracle, not yet appearing playne,

She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee;

That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.
Here neede you to remember, how erewhile
Unlovely Proteus, missing to his mind
That Virgins love to win by wit or wile,
Her threw into a dongeon deepe and blind,
And there in chaynes her cruelly did bind,
In hope thereby her to his bent to draw:
For, when as neither gifts nor graces kind
Her constant mind could move at all he saw,
He thought her to compell by crueltie and awe.
Deepe in the bottome of an huge great rocke

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The dongeon was, in which her bound he left, That neither yron barres, nor brasen locke, Did neede to gard from force, or secret theft Of all her lovers which would her have reft: For wall'd it was with waves, which rag'd and ror'd As they the cliffe in peeces would have cleft; Besides, ten thousand monsters foule, abhor'd, Did waite about it, gaping, griesly, all begor'd.

And in the midst thereof did horror dwell,
And darkenesse dredd that never viewed day,
Like to the balefull house of lowest hell,
In which old Styx her aged bones alway,
Old Styx the Grandame of the Gods, doth lay.
There did this lucklesse mayd seven months abide,
Ne ever evening saw, ne mornings ray,

Ne ever from the day the night descride,

But thought it all one night that did no houres divide.

And all this was for love of Marinell,
Who her despysd (ah! who would her despyse?)
And wemens love did from his hart expell,
And all those joyes that weake mankind entyse.
Nathlesse his pride full dearely he did pryse;
For of a womans hand it was ywroke,
That of the wound he yet in languor lyes,

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Ne can be cured of that cruell stroke Which Britomart him gave, when he did her provoke.

Yet farre and neare the Nymph his mother sought, 6 And many salves did to his sore applie,

And many herbes did use.

But when as nought, She saw, could ease his rankling maladie,

At last to Tryphon she for helpe did hie,
(This Tryphon is the seagods surgeon hight,)
Whom she besought to find some remedie,
And for his paines a whistle him behight,

That of a fishes shell was wrought with rare delight.

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So well that Leach did hearke to her request,
And did so well employ his carefull paine,
That in short space his hurts he had redrest,
And him restor'd to healthfull state againe:
In which he long time after did remaine
There with the Nymph his mother, like her thrall;
Who sore against his will did him retaine,

For feare of perill which to him mote fall

Through his too ventrous prowesse proved over all.

It fortun'd then, a solemne feast was there

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To all the Sea-gods and their fruitfull seede,
In honour of the spousalls which then were
Detwixt the Medway and the Thames agreed.
Long had the Thames (as we in records reed)
Before that day her wooed to his bed,
But the proud Nymph would for no worldly meed,
Nor no entreatie, to his love be led;

Till now, at last relenting, she to him was wed.

So both agreed that this their bridale feast

Should for the Gods in Proteus house be made;
To which they all repayr'd, both most and least,
Aswell which in the mightie Ocean trade,
As that in rivers swim, or brookes doe wade :
All which, not if an hundred tongues to tell,
And hundred mouthes, and voice of brasse I had,
And endlesse memorie that mote excell,

In order as they came could I recount them well.

Helpe, therefore, O! thou sacred imp of Jove,
The noursling of Dame Memorie his deare,
To whom those rolles, layd up in heaven above,
And records of antiquitie appeare,

To which no wit of man may comen neare;
Helpe me to tell the names of all those floods

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And all those Nymphes, which then assembled were To that great banquet of the watry Gods, And all their sundry kinds, and all their hid abodes.

First came great Neptune, with his threeforkt mace, That rules the Seas and makes them rise or fall; His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace

Under his Diademe imperiall:

And by his side his Queene with coronall,
Faire Amphitrite, most divinely faire,
Whose yvorie shoulders weren covered all,

As with a robe, with her owne silver haire, [paire. And deckt with pearles which th' Indian seas for her pre

These marched farre afore the other crew:

And all the way before them, as they went,
Triton his trompet shrill before them blew,
For goodly triumph and great jollyment,

That made the rockes to roare as they were rent.
And after them the royall issue came,
Which of them sprung by lineall descent:

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First the Sea-gods, which to themselves doe clame The powre to rule the billowes, and the waves to tame. Phorcys, the father of that fatall brood,

By whom those old Heroes wonne such fame; And Glaucus, that wise southsayes understood; And tragicke Inoes sonne, the which became A God of seas through his mad mothers blame, Now hight Palemon, and is saylers frend; Great Brontes; and Astræus, that did shame Himselfe with incest of his kin unkend; And huge Orion, that doth tempests still portend;

The rich Cteatus; and Eurytus long;

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Neleus and Pelias, lovely brethren both; Mightie Chrysaor; and Caïcus strong; Eurypulus, that calmes the waters wroth; And faire Euphœmus, that upon them go'th As on the ground, without dismay or dread; Fierce Eryx; and Alebius, that know'th The waters depth, and doth their bottome tread; And sad Asopus, comely with his hoarie head.

There also some most famous founders were

Of puissant Nations which the world possest,
Yet sonnes of Neptune, now assembled here:
Ancient Ogyges, even th' auncientest;
And Inachus renowmd above the rest;
Phoenix; and Aon; and Pelasgus old;
Great Belus; Phoax; and Agenor best;
And mightie Albion, father of the bold

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And warlike people which the Britaine Islands hold: