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Prince Arthur is, that wonnes1 in Faerie lond;
He hath a sword, that flames like burning brond:
The same, by my device, I undertake

Shall by to morrow by thy side be fond.”

At which bold word that Boaster gan to quake,

And wondred in his minde what mote that monster make.

XIX.

He stayd not for more bidding, but away

Was suddein vanished out of his sight:

The northerne winde his wings did broad display

At his commaund, and reared him up light

From off the earth to take his aerie flight.

They lookt about, but no where could espye
Tract of his foot: then dead through great affright
They both nigh were, and each bad other flye:
Both fled attonce, ne ever backe retourned eye;

XX.

Till that they come unto a forrest greene,

In which they shrowd themselves from causeles feare:
Yet feare them followes still, where so they beene:
Each trembling leafe and whistling wind they heare,
As ghastly bug, does greatly them affeare:

Yet both doe strive their fearefulnesse to faine.
At last they heard a horne that shrilled cleare
Throughout the wood that ecchoed againe,

And made the forrest ring, as 2 it would rive in twaine.

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XVIII. 9.- What mote that monster make.] What that strange person meant, or, perhaps, what he might do.

XIX. 1.- He, &c.] Archimago.

XX. 5.-As ghastly bug.] Bug was formerly used for any monstrous or frightful appearance. Shakspeare says, (K. Henry VI. Part I.) "For Warwick was a bug that feared us all;"

that is, was a formidable being, that frightened us all.

XXI.

Eft through the thicke2 they heard one rudely rush;
With noyse
whereof he from his loftie steed
Downe fell to ground, and crept into a bush,
To hide his coward head from dying dreed.
But Trompart stoutly stayd to taken heed

Of what might hap. Eftsoone3 there stepped foorth
A goodly Ladie clad in hunters weed,

That seemd to be a woman of great worth,
And by her stately portance 4 borne of heavenly birth.

XXII.

Her face so faire, as flesh it seemed not,
But hevenly pourtraict of bright angels hew,
Cleare as the skye, withouten blame or blot,
Through goodly mixture of complexions dew;
And in her cheekes the vermeill red did shew
Like roses in a bed of lillies shed,
The which ambrosiall odours from them threw,
And gazers sence with double pleasure fed,
Hable to heale the sicke and to revive the ded.

XXIII.

In her faire eyes two living lamps did flame,
Kindled above at th' Hevenly Makers light,
And darted fyrie beames out of the same,
So passing persant,5 and so wondrous bright,
That quite bereav'd the rash beholders sight:
In them the blinded god his lustfull fyre

1 Eft, afterwards.

Thicke, thickets.

3 Eftsoone, immediately.

4 Portance, demeanor.
5 Persant, piercing.

XXI. 7.-A goodly Ladie, &c.] In the beautiful and elaborate portrait of Belphœbe, Spenser has drawn a flattered likeness of Queen Elizabeth.

To kindle oft assayd, but had no might;

For, with dredd maiestie and awfull yre,

She broke his wanton darts, and quenched bace desyre.

XXIV.

Her yvorie forhead, full of bountie brave, Like a broad table did itselfe dispred, For Love his loftie triumphes to engrave, And write the battailes of his great godhed: All good and honour might therein be red; For there their dwelling was. And, when she spake, Sweete wordes, like dropping honny, she did shed; And twixt the perles and rubins1 softly brake A silver sound, that heavenly musicke seemd to make.

XXV.

Upon her eyelids many Graces sate,
Under the shadow of her even browes,
Working belgardes 2 and amorous retrate 3;
And everie one her with a grace endowes,
And everie one with meekenesse to her bowes:
So glorious mirrhour of celestiall grace,

And soveraine moniment of mortall vowes,

How shall frayle pen descrive her heavenly face,

For feare, through want of skill, her beauty to disgrace!

XXVI.

So faire, and thousand thousand times more faire,

She seemd, when she presented was to sight;

And was yclad, for heat of scorching aire,
All in a silken camus lilly whight,

4

Purfled 5 upon with many a folded plight,

6

Which all above besprinckled was throughout

1 Rubins, rubies.

2 Belgardes, sweet looks.
3 Retrate, picture.

4 Camus, thin dress.

5 Purfled, embroidered. • Plight, plait.

With golden aygulets,' that glistred bright

Like twinckling starres; and all the skirt about Was hemd with golden fringe.

XXVII.

Below her ham her weed 2 did somewhat trayne,
And her streight legs most bravely were embayld 3
In gilden buskins of costly cordwayne,

All bard with golden bendes, which were entayld 5
With curious antickes, and full fayre aumayld 6:
Before, they fastned were under her knee
In a rich iewell, and therein entrayld7

The ends of all the knots, that none might see
How they within their fouldings close enwrapped bee:

XXVIII.

Like two faire marble pillours they were seene,
Which doe the temple of the gods support,
Whom all the people decke with girlands greene,
And honour in their festivall resort;

Those same with stately grace and princely port
She taught to tread, when she herselfe would grace;
But with the woody nymphes when she did play.
Or when the flying libbard she did chace,
She could them nimbly move, and after fly apace.

XXIX.

And in her hand a sharpe bore-speare she held,
And at her backe a bow and quiver gay,

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XXVII. 4. — Bard with golden bendes.] Marked with golden orna

ments.

Stuft with steel-headed dartes wherewith she queld
The salvage beastes in her victorious play,
Knit with a golden bauldricke which forelay
Athwart her snowy brest, and did divide

Her daintie paps; which, like young fruit in May,
Now little gan to swell, and being tide

Through her thin weed their places only signifide.

XXX.

Her yellow lockes, crisped like golden wyre,
About her shoulders weren loosely shed,
And, when the winde emongst them did inspyre,1
They waved like a penon wyde dispred,
And low behinde her backe were scattered:
And, whether art it were or heedlesse hap,
As through the flouring forrest rash she fled,

In her rude heares sweet flowres themselves did lap,2
And flourishing fresh leaves and blossomes did enwrap.

XXXI.

Such as Diana by the sandy shore

Of swift Eurotas, or on Cynthus greene,

Where all the nymphes have her unwares forlore,3
Wandreth alone with bow and arrowes keene,
To seeke her game: Or as that famous queene
Of Amazons, whom Pyrrhus did destroy,
The day that first of Priame she was seene,
Did shew herselfe in great triumphant ioy,

To succour the weake state of sad afflicted Troy.

1 Inspyre, breathe. 2 Lap, entwine themselves. 3 Forlore, left.

XXX. 1.- Her yellow lockes, &c.] The yellow locks of Queen Elizabeth enter largely into the descriptions of beauty by the poets of her reign.

XXXI. 5.- That famous queene.] Penthesilea, who, according to the received accounts, was slain by Achilles.

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