Should have mine onely Daughter to his Dame,
And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee:
Therefore since now to thee perteynes the same,
By dew desert of noble chevalree,
Both Daughter and eke Kingdome lo! I yield to thee."
Then forth he called that his Daughter fayre,
The fairest Un', his onely Daughter deare,
His onely Daughter and his onely hayre;
Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare,
As bright as doth the morning starre appeare
Out of the east, with flaming lockes bedight,
To tell that dawning day is drawing neare,
And to the world does bring long-wished light:
So faire and fresh that Lady shewd herselfe in sight:
So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May;
For she had layd her mournefull stole aside,
And widow-like sad wimple throwne away,
Wherewith her heavenly beautie she did hide,
Whiles on her wearie iourney she did ride ;
And on her now a garment she did weare
All lilly white, withoutten spot or pride,
That seemd like silke and silver woven neare;
But neither silke nor silver therein did appeare.
The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame,
And glorious light of her sunshyny face,
To tell, were as to strive against the streame :
My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace
XXII. 3.- Wimple.] This word is generally used to denote a plaited linen cloth worn by nuns about the neck; it also means a hood.
Her heavenly lineaments for to enchace.
Ne wonder; for her own deare loved Knight,
All' were she daily with himselfe in place,
Did wonder much at her celestial sight:
Oft had he seene her faire, but never so faire dight.
XXIV.
So fairely dight when she in presence came, She to her Syre made humble reverence, And bowed low, that her right well became, And added grace unto her excellence : Who with great wisedome and grave eloquence Thus gan to say — But, eare he thus had sayd, With flying speede, and seeming great pretence, Came running in, much like a man dismayd, A Messenger with letters, which his message sayd.
All in the open hall amazed stood
At suddeinnesse of that unwary 2 sight,
And wondred at his breathlesse hasty mood:
But he for nought would stay his passage right,
Till fast before the King he did alight;
Where falling flat great humblesse 3 he did make, And kist the ground whereon his foot was pight 4; Then to his handes that writt 5 he did betake, Which he disclosing, read thus, as the paper spake;
"To thee, most mighty King of Eden fayre,
Her greeting sends in these sad lines addrest
The wofull Daughter and forsaken Heyre
Of that great Emperour of all the West;
1 All, although.
2 Unwary, unexpected.
3 Humblesse, reverence.
4 Pight, placed.
5 Writt, written paper.
And bids thee be advized for the best,
Ere thou thy Daughter linck, in holy band
Of wedlocke, to that new unknowen Guest:
For he already plighted his right hand
Unto another love, and to another land.
"To me, sad Mayd, or rather Widow sad,
He was affyaunced long time before,
And sacred pledges he both gave, and had,
False erraunt Knight, infamous, and forswore!
Witnesse the burning altars, which he swore,
And guilty heavens of his bold periury;
Which though he hath polluted oft of yore,
Yet I to them for iudgement iust doe fly,
And them coniure t' avenge this shamefull iniury!
"Therefore since mine he is, or free or bond, Or false or trew, or living or else dead, Withhold, O soverayne Prince, your hasty hond From knitting league with him, I you aread1; Ne weene my right with strength adowne to tread, Through weaknesse of my widowhed or woe: For Truth is strong her rightfull cause to plead, And shall finde friends, if need requireth soe. So bids thee well to fare,2 thy neither friend nor foe, "FIDESSA."
When he these bitter byting wordes had red,
The tydings straunge did him abashed make,
That still he sate long time astonished,
2 Well to fare, farewell.
XXVII. 5. — Which, &c.] By which.
As in great muse, ne word to creature spake.
At last his solemn silence thus he brake,
With doubtfull eyes fast fixed on his Guest;
"Redoubted Knight, that for myne only sake
Thy life and honor late adventurest;
Let nought be hid from me, that ought to be exprest.
"What meane these bloody vows and idle threats,
Throwne out from womanish impatient mynd?
What hevens? what altars? what enraged heates,
Here heaped up with termes of love unkynd,
My conscience cleare with guilty bands would bynd?
High God be witnesse, that I guiltlesse ame
But if yourselfe, Sir Knight, ye faulty fynd,
Or wrapped be in loves of former Dame,
With cryme doe not it cover, but disclose the same."
To whom the Redcrosse Knight this answere sent ;
"My Lord, my King; be nought hereat dismayd,
Till well ye wote by grave intendiment,*
What Woman, and wherefore, doth me upbrayd
With breach of love and loialty betrayd.
It was in my mishaps, as hitherward
I lately traveild, that unwares I strayd
Out of my way, through perils straunge and hard; That day should faile me ere I had them all declard.
"There did I find, or rather I was fownd
Of this false Woman that Fidessa hight,3
Fidessa hight the falsest Dame on grownd,
Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,
Intendiment, understanding.
That easy was t' inveigle weaker sight:
Who by her wicked arts and wiely skill,
Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,
Unwares me wrought unto her wicked will,
And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill."
Then stepped forth the goodly royall Mayd,
And, on the ground herselfe prostrating low,
With sober countenance thus to him sayd;
"O pardon me, my soveraine Lord, to show
The secret treasons, which of late I know
To have bene wrought by that false Sorceresse:
Shee, onely she, it is, that earst1 did throw
This gentle Knight into so great distresse,
That death him did awaite in daily wretchednesse.
"And now it seemes, that she suborned hath
This crafty Messenger with letters vaine,2
To worke new woe and unprovided scath,3
By breaking of the band betwixt us twaine;
Wherein she used hath the practicke paine
Of this false Footman, clokt with simplenesse,
Whome if ye please for to discover plaine,
Ye shall him Archimago find, I ghesse,
The falsest man alive; who tries, shall find no lesse."
XXXV.
The King was greatly moved at her speach;
And, all with suddein indignation fraight,5
Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach.
3 Unprovided scath, unforeseen mischief.
▲ Practicke paine, practice and endeavor. 5 Fraight, filled.
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