Imatges de pàgina
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But Alma thence them led to th' hindmost room of

That chamber seemed ruinous and old,
And therefore was removed far behind;

Yet were the walls, that did the same uphold,

Till sadly sousing on the sandy shore,
He tumbled on an heap, and wallow'd in his gore.

Like as the sacred Ox that careless stands,
With gilded horns, and flow'ry garlands crown'd,
Proud of his dying honor and dear bands,
While th' altars fume with frankincense around,

Right firm and strong, though somewhat they de- All suddenly with mortal stroke astound

clin'd;

And therein sate an old old man, half blind,

And all decrepid in his feeble corse,

Yet lively vigor rested in his mind,

And recompenced him with a better scorce:

Doth grovelling fall, and with his streaming gore
Distains the pillars, and the holy ground,
And the fair flowers, that decked him before;
So fell proud Marinell upon the precious shore.

Weak body well is chang'd for mind's redoubled force. The martial maid staid not him to lament,

This man of infinite remembrance was,
And things foregone through many ages held,
Which he recorded still as they did pass,
Nor suffered them to perish through long eld,
As all things else, the which this world doth weld,
But laid them up in his immortal scrine,
Where they for ever uncorrupted dwell'd;
The wars he well remembered of king Nine,
Of old Assaracus, and Inachus divine.

The years of Nestor nothing were to his,
Nor yet Methusalem, though longest liv'd;
For, he remembered both their infancies:
Nor wonder then, if that he were depriv'd
Of native strength now, that he them surviv'd.
His chamber all was hung about with rolls,
And old records from ancient times deriv'd,
Some made in books, some in long parchment scrolls
That were all worm-eaten, and full of canker holes.

THE DEFEAT OF MARINELL.
EFTSOONS her goodly shield addressing fair,
That mortal spear she in her hand did take,
And unto battle did herself prepare.
The knight, approaching, sternly her bespake;
"Sir knight, that dost thy voyage rashly make
By this forbidden way in my despite,
Nor dost by others' death example take,
I read thee soon retire, while thou hast might,
Least afterwards it be too late to take thy flight."

Ythrill'd with deep disdain of his proud threat,
She shortly thus; "fly they, that need to fly;
Words fearen babes. I mean not thee intreat
To pass; but maugre thee will pass or die."
Nor longer staid for th' other to reply,
But with sharp spear the rest made dearly known.
Strongly the strange knight ran, and sturdily
Struck her full on the breast, that made her down
Decline her head.

But she against him in the shield did smite
With so fierce fury and great puissance, [quite,
That through his three square scutcheon piercing
And through his mailed hauberk, by mischance
The wicked steel through his left side did glance;
Him so transfixed she before her bore
Beyond his croup the length of all her lance,

But forward rode, and kept her ready way
Along the strond: which as she overwent,
She saw bestrewed all with rich array
Of pearls and precious stones of great assay,
And all the gravel mix'd with golden ore;
Whereat she wondered much, but would not stay
For gold, or pearls, or precious stones an hour,
But them despised all; for all was in her power.

While thus he lay in deadly 'stonishment,
Tidings hereof came to his mother's ear;
His mother was the black-brow'd Cymoent,
The daughter of great Nereus, which did bear
This warlike son unto an earthly peer,
The famous Dumarin; who on a day
Finding the nymph asleep in secret where
As he by chance did wander that same way,
Was taken with her love, and by her closely lay.

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The spoil of all the world, that it did pass

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The wealth of th' East, and pomp of Persian kings; Gay garlands, from the sun their foreheads fair to

Gold, amber, ivory, pearls, owches, rings,
And all that else was precious and dear,
The sea unto him voluntary brings;
That shortly he a great lord did appear,
As was in all the land of fairy, or elsewhere.

Thereto he was a doughty dreaded knight,
Tried often to the scathe of many dear,
That none in equal arms him matchen might:
The which his mother seeing, gan to fear
Least his too haughty hardiness might rear
Some hard mishap, in hazard of his life:
For this she oft him counsel'd to forbear
The bloody battle, and to stir up strife,
But after all his war, to rest his weary knife.

And for his more assurance, she enquir'd
One day of Proteus by his mighty spell
(For Proteus was with prophecy inspir'd)
Her dear son's destiny to her to tell,
And the sad end of her sweet Marinell.
Who, through foresight of his eternal skill,
Bade her from womankind to keep him well:
For of a woman he should have much ill;

Eftsoons both flowers and garlands far away
She flung, and her fair dewy locks yrent,
To sorrow huge she turn'd her former play,
And gamesome mirth to grievous dreriment:
She threw herself down on the continent,
Nor word did speak, but lay as in a swoune,
While all her sisters did for her lament,
With yelling outcries, and with shrieking sowne;
And every one did tear her garland from her crown.

Soon as she up out of her deadly fit
Arose, she bade her chariot to be brought,
And all her sisters, that with her did sit,
Bade eke at once their chariots to be sought;
Then, full of bitter grief and pensive thought,
She to her waggon clombe; clombe all the rest,
And forth together went, with sorrow fraught.
The waves, obedient to their behest,

Them yielded ready passage, and their rage surceas'd.

Great Neptune stood amazed at their sight,
While on his broad round back they softly slid,
And eke himself mourn'd at their mournful plight;

A virgin strange and stout him should dismay or Yet wist not what their wailing meant, yet did
kill.

For this she gave him warning every day,
The love of women not to entertain;
A lesson too too hard for living clay,
From love in course of nature to refrain:
Yet he his mother's love did well retain,
And ever from fair ladies' love did fly;
Yet many ladies fair did oft complain,
That they for love of him would algates die;
Die, whoso list for him, he was love's enemy.

But ah, who can deceive his destiny,
Or ween by warning to avoid his fate;
That when he sleeps in most security,
And safest seems, him soonest doth amate,
And findeth due effect or soon or late!
So feeble is the power of fleshly arm.
His mother bade him women's love to hate,
For she of women's force did fear no harm;

So weening to have arm'd him, she did quite disarm.

This was that woman, this that deadly wound,
That Proteus prophecied should him dismay,
The which his mother vainly did expound,
To be heart-wounding love, which should essay
To bring her son unto his last decay.
So tickle be the terms of mortal state,
And full of subtle sophisms, which do play
With double senses, and with false debate,
T'approve the unknown purpose of eternal fate.

Too true the famous Marinell it found,
Who through late trial on that wealthy strand
Inglorious now lies in senseless swound,
Through heavy stroke of Britomartis' hand,
Which when his mother dear did understand,
And heavy tidings heard, whereas she play'd
Amongst her watry sisters by a pond,

For great compassion of their sorrow bid
His mighty waters to them buxom be:
Eftsoons the roaring billows still abid,
And all the grizly monsters of the sça

Stood gaping at their gate, and wondered them to see.

A team of dolphins ranged in array,
Drew the smooth chariot of Cymoent;
They were all taught by Triton, to obey
To the long trains, at her commandement :
As swift as swallows on the waves they went,
That their broad flaggy fins no foam did rear,
Nor bubbling roundell they behind them sent;
The rest, of other fishes drawen were,

Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did shear.

Soon as they been arriv'd upon the brim
Of the rich strond, their chariots they forlore,
And let their teamed fishes softly swim
Along the margin of the foamy shore,

Least they their fins should bruise, and surbate sore
Their tender feet upon the stony ground;
And coming to the place, where all in gore
And cruddy blood enwallowed they found
The luckless Marinell lying in deadly swound;

His mother swooned thrice, and the third time
Could scarce recovered be out of her pain;
Had she not been devoid of mortal slime,
She should not then have been reliev'd again:
But soon as life recovered had the reign,
She made so piteous moan, and dear wayment,
That the hard rocks could scarce from tears refrain,
And all her sister nymphs with one consent
Supplied her sobbing breaches with sad compliment.

"Dear image of myself," she said, "that is
The wretched son of wretched mother born,
Is this thine high advancement? O, is this

Th' immortal name, with which thee yet unborn
Thy grandsire Nereus promised to adorn ?
Now liest thou of life and honour reft;
Now liest thou a lump of earth forlorn,
Nor of thy late life memory is left,

Nor can thy irrevocable destiny be weft.

“Fond Proteus, father of false prophecies, And they more fond that credit to thee give, Not this the work of woman's hand I wis,

His cruel deeds and wicked wiles did spot:
Ladies and lords she every where might hear
Complaining, how with his empoisoned shot
Their woful hearts he wounded had whylere,
And so had left them languishing twixt hope and
fear.

She then the cities sought, from gate to gate,
And every one did ask, "Did he him see ?"
And every one her answered, "that too late

That so deep wound through these dear members drive. He had him seen, and felt the cruelty

I feared love: but they that love do live;

But they that die, do neither love nor hate. Nath'less, to thee thy folly I forgive,

And to myself, and to accursed fate

Of his sharp darts, and hot artillery."
And every one threw forth reproaches rife
Of his mischievous deeds, and said, "that he
Was the disturber of all civil life,

The guilt I do ascribe: dear wisdom bought too late. The enemy of peace, and author of all strife."

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When she for ought him sharply did reprove, And wandered in the world in strange array,

Then in the country she abroad him sought,
And in the rural cottages enquired;
Where also, many plaints to her were brought,
How he their heedless hearts with love had fired,
And his false venom through their veins inspired;
And eke the gentle shepherd swains, which sat
Keeping their fleecy flocks, as they were hired,
She sweetly heard complain, both how and what
Her son had to them done; yet she did smile thereat.

But when in none of all these she him got,
She gan avise where else he might him hide :
At last, she her bethought, that she had not
Yet sought the savage woods and forests wide,
In which full many lovely nymphs abide,
Mongst whom might be, that he did closely lie,
Or that the love of some of them him tied;
Therefore she thither cast her course t' apply,
To search the secret haunts of Dian's company.

Shortly, unto the wasteful woods she came,
Whereas she found the goddess with her crew,
After late chace of their embrewed game,
Sitting beside a fountain in a rew,
Some of them washing with the liquid dew
From off their dainty limbs the dusty sweat
And soil, which did deform their lively hue;
Others lay shaded from the scorching heat;
The rest, upon her person, gave attendance great.

She, having hung upon a bough on high
Her bow and painted quiver, had unlac'd

Disguis'd in thousand shapes that none might him Her silver buskins from her nimble thigh,

betray.)

Him for to seek, she left her heavenly house
(The house of goodly forms and fair aspects,
Whence all the world derives the glorious
Features of beauties, and all shapes select,

With which high God his workmanship hath deck'd)
And searched every way, through which his wings
Had borne him, or his tract she might detect:
She promis'd kisses sweet and sweeter things
Unto the man, that of him tidings to her brings.

First she him sought in courts, where most he used
Whylome to haunt, but there she found him not;
But many there she found, which sore accused
His falsehood, and with foul infamous blot

And her lank loins ungirt, and breasts unbrac'd,
After her heat the breathing cold to taste;
Her golden locks, that late in tresses bright
Embraided were for hindering of her haste,
Now loose about her shoulders hung undight,
And were with sweet ambrosia all besprinkled light.

Soon as she Venus saw behind her back,
She was ashamed to be so loose surprised;
And wax half wroth against her damsels slack,
That had not her thereof before advised,
But suffered her so carelessly disguised
Be overtaken. Soon her garments loose
Upgath'ring, in her bosom she compris'd,
Well as she might, and to the goddess rose,
While all her nymphs did like a garland her enclose.

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Goodly she gan fair Cytherea greet;
And shortly asked her what cause her brought
Into that wilderness (for her unmeet)

From her sweet bowers and beds with pleasures fraught:
That sudden change she strange adventure thought.
To whom (half weeping) she thus answered,
That she her dearest son Cupido sought,
Who in his frowardness from her was fled;
That she repented sore, to have him angered.

Thereat Diana gan to smile, in scorn
Of her vain plaint, and to her, scoffing, said,
"Great pity sure, that ye be so forlorn
Of your gay son, that gives ye so good aid
To your disports: ill might ye be apaid."
But she was more engrieved, and replied;
"Fair sister, ill beseems it to upbraid
A doleful heart with so disdainful pride;
The like that mine, may be your pain another tide.

"As you in woods and wanton wilderness
Your glory set, to chace the savage beasts;
So my delight is all in joyfulness,

In beds, in bowers, in banquets, and in feasts:
And ill becomes you with your lofty crests,
To scorn the joy that Jove is glad to seek;
We both are bound to follow heaven's behests,
And tend our charges with obedience meek:
Spare (gentle sister) with reproach my pains to eke;

"And tell me, if that ye my son have heard,
To lurk amongst your nymphs in secret wise;
Or keep their cabins; much I am affeard,
Least he like one of them himself disguise,
And turn his arrows to their exercise:
So may he long himself full easy hide:
For, he is fair and fresh in face and guise,
As any nymph (let not it be envied).'

So saying, every nymph full narrowly she ey'd.

But Phebe therewith sore was angered,
And sharply said; "Go, dame, go seek your boy,
Where you him lately left, in Mars's bed;
He comes not here, we scorn his foolish joy,
Nor lend we leisure to his idle toy:
But if I catch him in this company,
By Stygian lake I vow, whose sad annoy
The Gods do dread, he dearly shall abie:

I'll clip his wanton wings, that he no more shall fly."

Whom when as Venus saw so sore displeased,
She inly sorry was, and gan relent

What she had said; so her she soon appeased,
With sugred words and gentle blandishment,
Which as a fountain from her sweet lips went,
And welled goodly forth, that in short space
She was well pleas'd, and forth her damsels sent,
Through all the woods, to search from place to place,
If any track of him or tidings they might trace.

To search the god of love, her nymphs she sent
Throughout the wandering forest every where:
And after them herself eke with her went
To seek the fugitive, both far and near.
So long they sought, till they arrived were
In that same shady covert, whereas lay

Fair Chrysogone in slumbry trance whylere:
Who in her sleep (a wondrous thing to say)
Unwares had borne two babes, as fair as springing day.

Unwares she them conceiv'd, unwares she bore:
She bore withouten pain, that she conceived
Withouten pleasure: nor her need implore
Lucina's aid: which when they both perceived,
They were through wonder nigh of sense bereaved,
And gazing each on other, nought bespake:
At last, they both agreed, her (seeming grieved)
Out of her heavy swoon not to awake,

But from her loving side the tender babes to take.

Up they them took; each one a babe uptook,
And with them carried, to be fostered.
Dame Phebe to a nymph her babe betook,
To be brought up in perfect maidenhead,
And of herself, her name Belphebe read:
But Venus her's hence far away convey'd,
To be upbrought in goodly womanhead,
And in her little love's stead, which was stray'd,
Her Amoretta call'd, to comfort her dismay'd.

She brought her to her joyous paradise,

Where most she wonnes, when she on earth does dwell.
So fair a place as nature can devise:
Whether in Paphos, or Cytheron hill,
Or it in Gnidus be, I wot not well;
But well I wot by trial, that this same
All other pleasant places doth excel,
And called is by her lost lover's name
The garden of Adonis, far renown'd by fame.

THE STORY OF FLORIMELL.

BUT Florimell herself was far away,
Driven to great distress by fortune strange,
And taught the careful mariner to play,

Since late mischance had her compell'd to change
The land for sea, at random there to range:
Yet there that cruel queen avengeress,
Not satisfied so far her to estrange
From courtly bliss and wonted happiness,

Did heap on her new waves of weary wretchedness.

For, being fled into the fisher's boat,
For refuge from the monster's cruelty,
Long so she on the mighty main did float,
And with the tide drove forward carelessly;
For, th' air was mild, and cleared was the sky,
And all his winds Dan Eolus did keep
From stirring up their stormy enmity,
As pitying to see her wail and weep;
But all the while the fisher did securely sleep.

At last, when drunk with drowsiness, he woke,
And saw his drover drive along the stream,
He was dismay'd, and thrice his breast he stroke,
For marvel of that accident extreme;
But when he saw that blazing beauties beam,
Which with rare light his boat did beautify,
He marvell'd more, and thought he yet did dream
Not well awak'd, or that some extacy
Besotted had his sense, or dazzled was his eye.

But when her well avising, he perceived
To be no vision, nor fantastic sight,
Great comfort of her presence he conceived,
And felt in his old courage new delight
To gin awake, and stir his frozen spright:
Then rudely asked her, "How she thither came ?"
"Ah," (said she) "father! I n'ote read aright,
What hard misfortune brought me to the same;
Yet am I glad that here I now in safety am.

"But thou, good man, since far in sea we be,
And the great waters gin apace to swell,
That now no more we can the main land see,
Have care, I pray, to guide the cock-boat well,
Least worse on sea than us on land befell."
Thereat th' old man did nought but fondly grin,
And said, "His boat the way could wisely tell."
But his deceitful eyes did never lin

To look on her fair face, and mark her snowy skin.

The sight whereof, in his congealed flesh,
Infix'd such secret sting of greedy lust,
That the dry withered stock it gan refresh,
And kindled heat that soon in flame forth brust:
The driest wood is soonest burnt to dust.
Rudely to her he leapt, and his rough hand
Where ill became him, rashly would have thrust:
But she with angry scorn him did withstand,
And shamefully reproved for his rudeness fond.

But, he that never good nor manners knew,
Her sharp rebuke full little did esteem;
Hard is to teach an old horse amble true.
The inward smoke, that did before but steam,
Broke into open fire and rage extreme,
And now he strength gan add unto his will,
Forcing to do that did him foul misseem:
Beastly he threw her down, nor car'd to spill

And the wide sea importuned long space

With shrilling shrieks, Proteus abroad did rove, Along the foaming waves driving his finny drove.

Proteus is shepherd of the seas of yore,
And hath the charge of Neptune's mighty herd;
An aged sire with head all frory hoar,
And sprinkled frost upon his dewy beard:
Who when those pitiful outcries he heard
Through all the seas so ruefully resound,
His chariot swift in haste he thither steer'd,
Which with a team of scaly Phocas bound
Was drawn upon the waves, that foamed him around.

And coming to that fisher's wandring boat
That went at will, withouten card or sail,
He therein saw that irksome sight, which smote
Deep indignation and compassion frail
Into his heart at once: strait did he hail •

The greedy villain from his hoped prey;
Of which he now did very little fail,

And with his staff that drives his herd astray,
Him beat so sore, that life and sense did much dismay.

The while the piteous lady up did rise,
Ruffled and foully rayd with filthy soil,
And blubbered face with tears of her fair eyes:
Her heart nigh broken was with weary toil
To save herself from that outrageous spoil:
But when she looked up, to weet what wight
Had her from so infamous fact assoil'd,
For shame, but more for fear of his grim sight,
Down in her lap she hid her face, and loudly shright.

Herself not saved yet from danger dread

She thought, but chang'd from one to other fear;
Like as a fearful partridge, that is fled
From the sharp hawk, which her attacked near,

Her garments gay with scales of fish, that all did fill. And falls to ground, to seek for succour there,

The silly virgin strove him to withstand,
All that she might, and him in vain revil'd:
She struggled strongly both with foot and hand,
To save her honour from that villain vild,
And cried to heaven, from human help exil'd.
O ye brave knights, that boast this lady's love,
Where be ye now, when she is nigh defil'd
Of filthy wretch? well may she you reprove
Of falshood, or of sloth, when most it may behove.

But if that thou, Sir Satyrane, didst weet,
Or thou, Sir Peridure, her sorry state,
How soon would ye assemble many a fleet
To fetch from sea, that ye at land lost late?
Towers, cities, kingdoms, ye would ruinate,
In your avengement and dispiteous rage,
Nor ought your burning fury might abate;
But if Sir Calidore could it presage,
No living creature could his cruelty assuage.
But since that none of all her knights is nigh,
See how the heavens of voluntary grace,
And sovereign favour towards chastity,
Do succour send to her distressed case:
So much high God doth innocence embrace.
It fortuned, while thus she stiffly strove,

Whereas the hungry spaniel she does spy,
With greedy jaws her ready for to tear;
In such distress and sad perplexity

Was Florimell, when Proteus she did see thereby.

But he endeavoured with speeches mild,
Her to recomfort, and accourage bold,
Bidding her fear no more her foeman vild,
Nor doubt himself; and who he was, her told.
Yet all that could not from affright her hold,
Nor to recomfort her at all prevail'd;
For, her faint heart was with the frozen cold
Benumb'd so inly, that her wits nigh fail'd,
And all her senses with abashment quite were quail'd.

Her up betwixt his rugged hands he rear'd,
And with his frory lips full softly kiss'd,
While the cold isicles from his rough beard
Dropped adown upon her ivory breast:
Yet he himself so busily address'd,
That her out of astonishment he wrought,
And out of that same fisher's filthy nest
Removing her, into his chariot brought,

And there with many gentle terms her fair besought.

But that old lecher, which with bold assault That beauty durst presume to violate,

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