"And evermore upon the Goddesse face "She often prayd, and often me besought, 56 57 Sometime with tender teares to let her goe, "No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread, 58 CANTO XI. Marinells former wound is heald; Where Thames doth the Medway wedd, UT ah for pittie! that I have thus long 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. 2 3 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, 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, 5 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, That of a fishes shell was wrought with rare delight. 7 So well that Leach did hearke to her request, 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 8 To all the Sea-gods and their fruitfull seede, 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; In order as they came could I recount them well. Helpe, therefore, O! thou sacred imp of Jove, To which no wit of man may comen neare; 9 10 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, 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, That made the rockes to roare as they were rent. 12 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; 13 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, 14 15 And warlike people which the Britaine Islands hold: |