To native crowne and kingdom late ygoe1; Where she enioyes sure peace for evermore, As wetherbeaten ship arryv'd on happie shore.

III.

Him therefore now the obiect of his spight
And deadly food2 he makes: him to offend
By forged treason, or by open fight,
He seekes, of all his drifte the aymed end:
Thereto his subtile engins he does bend,
His practick witt and his fayre fyled tonge,
With thousand other sleightes; for well he kend 3
His credit now in doubtfull ballaunce hong:
For hardly could bee hurt, who was already stong.

IV.

4

Still, as he went, he craftie stales did lay,
With cunning traynes him to entrap unwares,
And privy spyals 5 plast in all his way,

To weete what course he takes, and how he fares;

To ketch him at a vauntage in his snares,
But now so wise and wary was the Knight

By tryall of his former harmes and cares,
That he descryde, and shonned still, his slight:

The fish, that once was caught, new bayt wil hardly byte.

V.

Nath'lesse th' Enchaunter would not spare his payne, In hope to win occasion to his will;

Which when he long awaited had in vayne,

1 Late ygoe, lately.

2 Food, feud.

3 Kend, knew.

4 Stales, baits, devices.

5 Spyals, spies.

6 Weete, know.

—

III. 9. For hardly could, &c.] As the knight had been already injured by him, he would be on his guard, and make it more difficult to do him any hurt a second time.

He chaungd his mynd from one to other ill:
For to all good he enimy was still.
Upon the way him fortuned to meete,
Fayre marching underneath a shady hill,
A goodly Knight, all armd in harnesse meete,
That from his head no place appeared to his feete.

VI.

His carriage was full comely and upright;
His countenance demure and temperate;
But yett so sterne and terrible in sight,

That cheard his friendes, and did his foes amate1:
He was an Elfin borne, of noble state

And mickle worship in his native land;
Well could he tourney, and in lists debate,

And knighthood tooke of good Sir Huons hand,
When with king Oberon he came to Fary land.

VII.

Him als 2 accompanyd upon the way

A comely Palmer, clad in black attyre,

Of rypest yeares, and heares all hoarie gray,
That with a staffe his feeble steps did stire,3

2

1 Amate, daunt.

3 Stire, support.

VI. 8.- Sir Huons hand.] This is Sir Huon of Bourdeaux, the hero of one of the romances of chivalry, bearing his name. He is represented as having been a great favorite of Oberon, the Fairy King. See the abstract of this romance in Dunlop's History of Fiction. The adventures of Sir Huon form the subject of Wieland's beautiful poem of Oberon, known to the English reader by Mr. Sotheby's translation.

VII. 2.—A comely Palmer.] Upton conjectures that Sir Guyon represents the Earl of Essex, and the "comely Palmer," Dr. Whitgift, Spenser's tutor. As to the latter, it is as difficult to disprove as to prove; but the "demure and temperate" Guyon can hardly find his prototype in the fervid and impetuous Essex. The Palmer is a type of reason or reflection.

Als, also.

Least his long way his aged limbes should tire:
And, if by lookes one may the mind aread,
He seemd to be a sage and sober syre;

And ever with slow pace the Knight did lead, Who taught his trampling steed with equall steps to tread.

VIII.

Such whenas Archimago them did view,

He weened1 well to worke some uncouth wyle:
Eftsoones, untwisting his deceiptfull clew,
He gan to weave a web of wicked guyle;
And, with faire countenance and flattring style
To them approching, thus the Knight bespake;
"Fayre sonne of Mars, that seeke with warlike spoyle,
And great atchiev'ments, great yourselfe to make,
Vouchsafe to stay your steed for humble misers 3 sake.”

263

IX.

He stayd his steed for humble misers 3 sake, And badd tell on the tenor of his playnt: Who feigning then in every limb to quake Through inward feare, and seeming pale and faynt, With piteous mone his percing speach gan paynt; "Deare Lady! how shall I declare thy cace, Whom late I left in languorous constraynt? Would God! thyselfe now present were in place To tell this ruefull tale: Thy sight could win thee grace:

X.

"Or rather would, O! would it so had chaunst,
That you, most noble Sir, had present beene

1 Weened, determined.
2 Eftsoones, immediately.

3 Miser,

4 Languorous, sad.

wretched person.

VIII. 3.- Eftsoones, untwisting, &c.] Abandoning his former plan of treachery, he began to form a new one against Sir Guyon.

When that lewd rybauld, with vyle lust advaunst,1
Laid first his filthie hands on Virgin cleene,2

To spoyle her dainty corps,3 so faire and sheene *
As on the earth, great mother of us all,

With living eye more fayre was never seene
Of Chastity and honour virginall:

Witnes, ye heavens, whom she in vaine to helpe did call!

XI.

"How may it be," sayd then the Knight halfe wroth, "That Knight should knighthood ever so have shent 5?" "None but that saw," quoth he, "would weene for troth, How shamefully that Mayd he did torment: Her looser golden lockes he rudely rent,

And drew her on the ground; and his sharpe sword
Against her snowy brest he fiercely bent,

And threatned death with many a bloodie word;
Tounge hates to tell the rest that eye to see abhord."

XII.
Therewith amoved from his sober mood,

"And lives he yet," said he," that wrought this act?
And doen the heavens afford him vitall food?"

"He lives," quoth he, "and boasteth of the fact, Ne yet hath any Knight his courage crackt." "Where may that treachour then," sayd he, " be found, Or by what meanes may I his footing tract?"

CC as sure as hound

"That shall I shew," said he, The stricken deare doth chaleng

8

by the bleeding wound."

XIII.

He stayd not lenger talke, but with fierce yre

1 Adraunst, impelled.

2 Cleene, pure.

3 Corps, body.

4 Sheene, bright.

5 Shent, disgraced.

6 Weene for troth, take for truth.

7 Treachour, traitor.

8 Chaleng, distinguish.

And zealous haste away is quickly gone

To seeke that Knight, where him that crafty Squyre
Supposd to be. They do arrive anone
Where sate a gentle Lady all alone,
With garments rent, and heare discheveled,
Wringing her handes, and making piteous mone:
Her swollen eyes were much disfigured,

And her faire face with teares was fowly blubbered.

XIV.

The Knight, approching nigh, thus to her said;
"Faire Lady, through fowle sorrow ill bedight,1
Great pitty is to see you thus dismayd,
And marre the blossom of your beauty bright:
Forthy 2 appease your griefe and heavy plight,
And tell the cause of your conceived payne;
For, if he live that hath you doen despight,
He shall you doe dew recompence agayne,
Or els his wrong with greater puissaunce maintaine."

XV.

Which when she heard, as 3 in despightfull wise
She wilfully her sorrow did augment,

And offred hope of comfort did despise;

Her golden lockes most cruelly she rent,
And scratcht her face with ghastly dreriment 5;
Ne would she speake, ne see, ne yet be seene,
But hid her visage, and her head downe bent,
Either for grievous shame, or for great teene,6
As if her hart with sorrow had transfixed beene:

1 Bedight, dressed or adorned.
Forthy, therefore.

3 As, as if.

4 Despightfull, angry.
5 Dreriment, sorrow.
Teene, grief.

XIII. 5.-A gentle Lady, &c.] This is Duessa, who reappears from book I. canto VIII.

VOL. I.

23