Fresh memory in me of that great Queene,

Great and most glorious Virgin Queene alive,
That with her soveraine power, and scepter shene,1
All Faery lond does peaceably sustene.

In widest ocean she her throne does reare,

That over all the earth it may be seene;

As morning sunne her beames dispredden cleare; And in her face faire peace and mercy doth appeare.

XLI.

"In her the richesse of all heavenly grace
In chiefe degree are heaped up on hye:
And all, that els this worlds enclosure bace
Hath great or glorious in mortall eye,
Adornes the person of her Maiestye;
That men, beholding so great excellence
And rare perfection in mortalitye,

Doe her adore with sacred reverence,

As th' Idole of her Makers great magnificence.

XLII.

"To her I homage and my service owe,
In number of the noblest Knightes on ground,
Mongst whom on me she deigned to bestowe
Order of Maydenhead, the most renownd,
That may this day in all the world be found.
An yearely solemne feast she wontes to make,
The day that first doth lead the yeare around,
To which all Knights of worth and courage bold
Resort, to heare of straunge adventures to be told.

1 Shene, bright.

2 Idole, image.

XLII. 6. To make.] So in all the editions. The rhyme requires the substitution of a word so readily suggesting itself, hold, that it seems hardly possible that Spenser did not use it.

XLIII.

"There this old Palmer shewd himselfe that day, And to that mighty Princesse did complaine Of grievous mischiefes, which a wicked Fay Had wrought, and many whelmd in deadly paine, Whereof he crav'd redresse. My Soveraine, Whose glory is in gracious deeds, and ioyes Throughout the world her mercy to maintaine, Eftsoones1 devisd redresse for such annoyes: Me, all unfitt for so great purpose, she employes.

XLIV.

"Now hath faire Phebe with her silver face Thrise seene the shadowes of the neather world, Sith 2 last I left that honorable place,

In which her roiall presence is entrold 3;
Ne ever shall I rest in house nor hold,

Till I that false Acrasia have wonne;

Of whose fowle deedes, too hideous to bee told, I witnesse am, and this their wretched sonne Whose wofull parents she hath wickedly fordonne.4"

XLV.

"Tell on, fayre Sir," said she, "that dolefull tale, From which sad ruth 5 does seeme you to restraine,

That we may pitty such unhappie bale,6

And learne from Pleasures poyson to abstaine:
Ill, by ensample, good doth often gayne."
Then forward he his purpose gan pursew,
And told the story of the mortall payne,
Which Mordant and Amavia did rew;

As, with lamenting eyes, himselfe did lately vew.

Eftsoones, immediately.

2 Sith, since.

3 Entrold, encircled.

4 Fordonne, ruined.

5 Ruth, pity.

6 Bale, sorrow.

XLVI.

Night was far spent; and now in ocean deep
Orion, flying fast from hissing Snake,
His flaming head did hasten for to steep,
When of his pitteous tale he end did make:
Whilst with delight of that he wisely spake
Those guestes beguyled did beguyle their eyes
Of kindly sleepe, that did them overtake.

At last, when they had markt the chaunged skyes,

They wist their houre was spent; then each to rest him

hyes.*

XLVI. 2.- Orion, &c.]

that of the Scorpion arises."

"The constellation of Orion sets when CHURCH.

XLVI. 2.- From hissing Snake.] The constellation of the Scorpion.

* Spenser, in his letter to Sir Walter Raleigh, states that a palmer appeared at the court of the Faerie Queene, bearing a babe with bloody hands, whose parents had fallen victims to Acrasia, and that the adventure of subduing her was consequently assigned to Sir Guyon; but from Sir Guyon's own account, it seems that the palmer came alone to the court of the Faerie Queene, and complained of Acrasia, and that he fell in with the babe and its parents after he had set forth upon the adventure.

CANTO III.

Vaine Braggadocchio, getting Guy-
ons horse, is made the scorne
Of knighthood trew; and is of fayre
Belphœbe fowle forlorne.

I.

SOONE as the morrow fayre with purple beames Disperst the shadowes of the misty night, And Titan, playing on the eastern streames, Gan cleare the deawy ayre with springing light; Sir Guyon, mindfull of his vow yplight,' Uprose from drowsie couch, and him addrest Unto the iourney which he had behight 2: His puissant armes about his noble brest, And many-folded shield he bound about his wrest.

II.

Then, taking congé 3 of that Virgin pure,
The bloody-handed Babe unto her truth
Did earnestly committ, and her coniure
In vertuous lore to traine his tender youth,
And all that gentle noriture insu'th 5;
And that, so soone as ryper yeares he raught,6

1 Yplight, plighted.

2 Behight, promised.

3 Congé, farewell.

4 Noriture, nurture.

5 Ensu'th, follows, belongs to. 6 Raught, reached.

Arg. 4.-Fowle forlorne.] Is left in disgrace by Belphœbe.

He might, for memory of that dayes ruth,1

Be called Ruddymane; and thereby taught T'avenge his parents death on them that had it wrought.

So forth he far'd, as now befell, on foot,
Sith his good steed is lately from him gone;
Patience perforce: helplesse what may it boot
To frett for anger, or for griefe to mone?
His Palmer now shall foot no more alone.
So fortune wrought, as under greene woodes syde
He lately heard that dying Lady grone,
He left his steed without, and speare besyde,
And rushed in on foot to ayd her ere she dyde.

IV.

The whyles a Lossell 3 wandring by the way,
One that to bountie never cast his mynd,
Ne thought of honour ever did assay
His baser brest, but in his kestrell kynd 5

A pleasing vaine of glory he did fynd,

6

To which his flowing toung and troublous spright

Gave him great ayd, and made him more inclynd;

He, that brave steed their finding ready dight,

Purloynd both steed and speare, and ran away full light.

V.

Now gan his hart all swell in iollity,

And of himselfe great hope and help conceiv'd,

1 Ruth, sorrow.

Sith, since.

3 Lossell, loose person.

▲ Bountie, goodness.

5 Kestrell kynd, base nature.
Troublous, restless.

II. 8.- Ruddymane.] Ruddymane means bloody-handed.

III. 2.-Sith his good steed.] See canto II. stanza XI.

IV. 5.—A pleasing raine, &c.] He felt a pleasing glow of selfcomplacency.