Where is for thee ordaind a blessed end:

For thou emongst those Saints, whom thou doest see,
Shalt be a Saint, and thine owne Nations Frend

And Patrone: Thou Saint George shalt called bee,
Saint George of mery England, the signe of victoree."

LXII.

"Unworthy wretch," quoth he, " of so great grace, How dare I thinke such glory to attaine!" "These, that have it attaynd, were in like cace," Quoth he, "as wretched, and liv'd in like paine." "But deeds of armes must I at last be faine 1 And Ladies love to leave, so dearely bought?" "What need of armes, where peace doth ay remaine," Said he," and battailes none are to be fought?

As for loose loves, they are vaine, and vanish into nought."

LXIII.

"O let me not," quoth he, "then turne againe
Backe to the world, whose ioys so fruitlesse are;
But let me here for aie in peace remaine,

Or streightway on that last long voiage fare,
That nothing may my present hope empare."
"That may not be," said he, " ne maist thou yitt
Forgoe that royal Maides bequeathed care,
Who did her cause into thy hand committ,

Till from her cursed foe thou have her freely quitt." 2

1 Faine, compelled.

2

Quitt, delivered.

LXI. 8.- Saint George.] The Saint George of history was a native of Cilicia, who flourished in the time of the Emperor Julian, and was adopted as the patron saint of England, on account of the supernatural aid he was supposed to have rendered the crusaders. The St. George of romance was a native of England, of royal lineage, conveyed away by an enchantress, soon after his birth; and when grown up, he slew a dragon, in Lybia.

LXIV.

"Then shall I soone," quoth he, "so God me grace,
Abett that Virgins cause disconsolate,

And shortly back returne unto this place,
To walke this way in Pilgrims poore estate.
But now aread,' old Father, why of late

Didst thou behight 2 me borne of English blood,
Whom all a Faeries sonne doen nominate?"
"That word shall I," said he, "avouchen good,
Sith to thee is unknowne the cradle of thy brood.

LXV.

"For well I wote thou springst from ancient race
Of Saxon kinges, that have with mightie hand,
And many bloody battailes fought in place,
High reard their royall throne in Britane land,
And vanquisht them, unable to withstand:
From thence a Faery thee unweeting reft,
There as thou slepst in tender swadling band,
And her base Elfin brood there for thee left:

Such, men do chaungelings call, so chaung'd by Faeries theft.

LXVI.

"Thence she thee brought into this Faery lond,

And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde;
Where thee a ploughman all unweeting1 fond,
As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde,
And brought thee up in ploughman's state to byde,
Whereof Georgos he thee gave to name;

1 Aread, declare.

2 Behight, call.

3 Sith, since.

4 Unweeting, unknowing.

LXIV. 9.- The cradle of thy brood.] The source or race from which you spring.

LXVI. 6. Georgos.] This is a Greek word, signifying a farmer. Spenser has here introduced the story of Tages, who was found by a

Till prickt with courage, and thy forces pryde,
To Fary court thou cam'st to seek for fame,

[came."

And prove thy puissant armes, as seemes thee best be

LXVII.

"O holy Sire," quoth he, "how shall I quight1

The many favours I with thee have fownd,

That hast my Name and Nation redd aright,

And taught the way that does to heaven bownd 3!"
This saide, adowne he looked to the grownd

To have returnd, but dazed were his eyne

Through passing brightnes, which did quite confound
His feeble sence, and too exceeding shyne.*

So darke are earthly thinges compard to things divine!

LXVIII.

At last, whenas himselfe he gan to fynd,
To Una back he cast him 5 to retyre ;

Who him awaited still with pensive mynd.
Great thankes, and goodly meed, to that good Syre
He thens departing gave for his paynes hyre.
So came to Una, who him ioyd to see;
And, after little rest, gan him desyre
Of her Adventure myndfull for to bee.

So leave they take of Cælia and her Daughters three.

1

Quight, repay.

2 Redd, declared.

4 Shyne, light.

3 Borond, lead. 5 Cast him, purposed.

farmer in Etruria, under a clod which his plough had turned up. The rustic education of the Red-cross Knight accounts for Spenser's calling him a "clownish young man” in his letter to Sir W. Raleigh, prefixed to the poem.

LXVII. 5.

looked to the ground

To have returnd.] He looked down to the ground with the purpose of returning.

LXVIII. 5. For his paynes hyre.] Recompense for his services.

CANTO XI.

The Knight with that old Dragon fights
Two dayes incessantly:

The third, him overthrowes; and gayns
Most glorious victory.

1.

HIGH time now gan it wex for Una fayre
To thinke of those her captive Parents deare,
And their forwasted1 kingdom to repayre:
Whereto whenas they now approched neare,
With hartie wordes her Knight she gan to cheare,
And in her modest manner thus bespake;

"Deare Knight, as deare as ever Knight was deare,
That all these sorrowes suffer for
my sake,

High heven behold the tedious toyle, ye for me take!

II.

"Now are we come unto my native soyle,

And to the place where all our perilles dwell;
Here hauntes that Feend, and does his daily spoyle;
Therefore henceforth bee at your keeping well,

And ever ready for your foeman fell:

The sparke of noble corage now awake, And strive your excellent selfe to excell: That shall ye evermore renowmed make Above all Knights on earth, that batteill undertake."

1 Forwasted, much wasted.

III.

And pointing forth, "Lo! yonder is,” said she,
"The brasen towre, in which my Parents deare
For dread of that huge Feend emprisond be;
Whom I from far see on the walles appeare,
Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare:
And on the top of all I do espye

The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare;
That, O my Parents, might I happily

Unto you bring, to ease you of your misery!”

IV.

With that they heard a roaring hideous sownd,
That all the ayre with terror filled wyde,
And seemed uneath1 to shake the stedfast ground.
Eftsoones that dreadful Dragon they espyde,
Where stretcht he lay upon the sunny side
Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill:
But, all so soone as he from far descryde

Those glistring armes that heven with light did fill,
He rousd himselfe full blyth, and hastned them untill.3

V.

Then badd the Knight his Lady yede aloof,
And to an hill herselfe withdraw asyde;

From whence she might behold that battailles proof.
And eke be safe from daunger far descryde:

She him obayd, and turnd a little wyde.

Now, O thou sacred Muse, most learned dame,
Fayre ympe of Phoebus and his aged bryde,