And through great age had lost their kindly sight,
Yet wondrous quick and persaunt1 was his spright,
As eagles eie, that can behold the sunne.

That Hill they scale with all their powre and might,
That his fraile thighes, nigh weary and fordonne,2
Gan faile; but, by her helpe, the top at last he wonne.

XLVIII.

There they doe finde that godly aged Sire,
With snowy lockes adowne his shoulders shed;
As hoary frost with spangles doth attire
The mossy braunches of an oke halfe ded.
Each bone might through his body well be red,3
And every sinew seene, through his long fast:
For nought he car'd his carcas long unfed;
His mind was full of spirituall repast,

And pyn'd his flesh to keep his body low and chast.

XLIX.

Who, when these two approching he aspide,
At their first presence grew agrieved sore,
That forst him lay his hevenly thoughts aside;
And had he not that Dame respected more,5
Whom highly he did reverence and adore,
He would not once have moved for the Knight.
They him saluted, standing far afore;

Who, well them greeting, humbly did requight,

And asked, to what end they clomb that tedious hight.

L.

"What end," quoth she, "should cause us take such paine, But that same end, which every living wight

1 Persaunt, piercing. 2 Fordonne, exhausted. 3 Red, discerned. 4 Pym'd, wasted.

5 More, greatly.

XLVII. 9. By her helpe.] By Mercy's help.

Should make his marke, high heaven to attaine?
Is not from hence the way, that leadeth right
To that most glorious House, that glistreth bright
With burning starres and everliving fire,
Whereof the keies are to thy hand behight1
By wise Fidelia? She doth thee require,

To shew it to this Knight, according 2 his desire."

LI.

"Thrise happy man," said then the Father grave,
"Whose staggering steps thy steady hand doth lead,
And shewes the way his sinfull soule to save!

Who better can the way to heaven aread3

4

Then thou thyselfe, that was both borne and bred
In hevenly throne, where thousand angels shine?
Thou doest the praiers of the righteous sead 5
Present before the Maiesty Divine,

And His avenging wrath to clemency incline.

LII.

"Yet, since thou bidst, thy pleasure shal be donne.
Then come, Thou man of earth, and see the way,

That never yet was seene of Faries sonne;
That never leads the traveiler astray,
But, after labors long and sad delay,

Brings them to ioyous rest and endlesse blis.
But first thou must a season fast and pray,
Till from her bands the spright assoiled 6 is,

And have her strength recur'd from fraile infirmitis."

1 Behight, intrusted.

2 According, granting.

3 Aread, show.

▲ Then, than.

Sead, seed, race.

6 Assoiled, absolved.

7 Recur'd, recovered.

LII. 6.- Them.] This should be him, or else traveiler, in the fourth line, should be travellers.

LIII.

That done, he leads him to the highest Mount;
Such one as that same mighty Man of God,
That blood-red billowes like a walled front
On either side disparted with his rod,

Till that his army dry-foot through them yod,1
Dwelt forty daies upon; where, writt in stone
With bloody letters by the hand of God,

The bitter doome of death and balefull mone
He did receive, whiles flashing fire about him shone:

LIV.

Or like that sacred Hill, whose head full hie,
Adornd with fruitfull olives all arownd,

Is, as it were for endlesse memory

Of that deare Lord who oft thereon was fownd,
For ever with a flowring girlond crownd:
Or like that pleasaunt Mount, that is for ay
Through famous poets verse each where 2 renownd,
On which the thrise three learned Ladies play
Their hevenly notes, and make full many a lovely lay.

LV.

From thence, far off he unto him did shew

A little path, that was both steepe and long,

Which to a goodly Citty led his vew ;

Whose wals and towres were builded high and strong
Of perle and precious stone, that earthly tong

Cannot describe, nor wit of man can tell;

LIII. 2.

1 Yod, passed.

2 Each where, every where.

-Such one, &c.] A mount like Mount Sinai, on which Moses passed forty days. Ex. xxiv. 18.

LIII. 3.

LIV. 1..

Blood-red billores.] The waves of the Red Sea.
That sacred Hill.] The Mount of Olives.

LIV. 6. — Or like that pleasaunt Mount.] Mount Parnassus.

Too high a ditty for my simple song!

The Citty of the Greate King hight1 it well, Wherein eternall peace and happinesse doth dwell.

LVI.

As he thereon stood gazing, he might see
The blessed Angels to and fro descend
From highest heven in gladsome coinpanee,
And with great ioy into that Citty wend,

2

As commonly as frend does with his frend.
Whereat he wondred much, and gan enquere,
What stately building durst so high extend
Her lofty towres unto the starry sphere,

And what unknowen nation there empeopled were.3

LVII.

"Faire Knight," quoth he, "Hierusalem that is,
The New Hierusalem, that God has built

For those to dwell in, that are chosen his,
His chosen people purg'd from sinful guilt
With pretious blood, which cruelly was spilt
On cursed tree, of that unspotted Lam,
That for the sinnes of al the world was kilt:
Now are they Saints all in that Citty sam,1

More dear unto their God then 5 younglings to their dam.”

LVIII.

"Till now," said then the Knight, "I weened well,

That great Cicopolis where I have beene,

In which that fairest Fary Queene doth dwell,
The fairest citty was that might be seene;
And that bright towre, all built of christall clene,&
Panthea, seemd the brightest thing that was:

1 Hight, was called.
2 Commonly, lovingly.

3 Empeopled were, dwelt.
4 Sum, same.

5 Then, than. 6 Clene, pure.

LV. 7. — Too high a ditty.] Too lofty a theme or subject.

But now by proofe all otherwise I weene;
For this great Citty that does far surpas,

And this bright Angels towre quite dims that towre of glas

LIX.

"Most trew," then said the holy aged man;

"Yet is Cleopolis, for earthly frame,

The fairest peece1 that eie beholden can ;
And well beseemes all Knights of noble name,
That covett in th' immortall booke of fame
To be etérnized, that same to haunt,

And doen their service to that soveraigne Dame,
That glory does to them for guerdon graunt:

For she is hevenly borne, and heaven may iustly vaunt.

LX.

"And thou, fayre ymp,2 sprong out from English race, How ever now accompted Elfins sonne,

Well worthy doest thy service for her grace,

To aide a Virgin desolate fordonne.3

But when thou famous victory hast wonne,

And high emongst all Knights hast hong thy shield, Thenceforth the suitt of earthly conquest shonne, And wash thy hands from guilt of bloody field: For blood can nought but sin, and wars but sorrows, yield'.

LXI.

"Then seek this path that I to thee presage,5
Which after all to heaven shall thee send;
Then peaceably thy painefull pilgrimage
To yonder same Hierusalem doe bend,

1 Peece, structure.

2 Ymp, youth.

4 Suitt, pursuit.

3 Fordonne, distressed. 5 Presage, point out.

LIX. 9. And heaven may iustly vaunt.] May justly boast of her heavenly origin.

LX. 3.- Her grace,] i. e. the Faerie Queene's.

VOL. I.

19