Not made of steel, nor of enduring brass.
(Such earthly metals soon consuméd been)
But all of diamond perfect, pure, and clean
It framed was, one massy éntire mould,
Hewn out of adamant rock with engines keen,
That point of spear it never piercen could,

Ne dint of direful sword divide the substance would.

No magic arts hereof had any might,
Nor bloody words of bold enchanter's call;
But all that was not such as seemed in sight
Before that shield did fade, and sudden fall;
And, when him list1 the rascal routs appal,
Men into stones therewith he could transmew,
And stones to dust, and dust to nought at all;
And, when him list the prouder looks subdue,

He would them, gazing, blind, or turn to other hue.

HER face so fair, as flesh it seemed not,
But heavenly portrait of bright angel's hue,
Clear as the sky, without blame or blot,
Through goodly mixture of complexions due;
And in her cheeks the vermeill red did shew
Like roses in a bed of lilies shed,

The which ambrosial odours from them threw,
And gazers sense with double pleasure fed,
Able to heal the sick and to revive the dead.

In her fair eyes two living lamps did flame,
Kindled above at th' heavenly Maker's light,
And darted fire-beams out of the same,
So passing persant and so wondrous bright,
That quite bereav'd the rash beholder's sight;

In them the blinded god his lustful fire

To kindle oft assayed, but had no might;

For, with dread majesty and awful ire

She broke his wanton darts, and quenchéd base desire.3

Her ivory forehead, full of bounty brave,
Like a broad table did itself dispread,
For Love his lofty triumphs to engrave,
And write the battles of his great godhead:
All good and honour might therein be read;

1 See Note 15, p. 6.

2 Piercing.

Compare Shakespeare's compliment to Elizabeth in Oberon's Vision, Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II. Sc. 2. Belphoebe is Chastity.

For there their dwelling was. And when she spake,
Sweet words, like dropping honey, she did shed;
And twixt the pearls and rubins1 softly brake

A silver sound, that heavenly music seemed to make.

Upon her eyelids many Graces sat,
Under the shadow of her even brows,
Working belgardes and amorous retrate;3
And every one her with a grace endows,
And every one with meekness to her bows:
So glorious mirror of celestial grace,
And sovereign monument of mortal vows,
How shall frail pen describe her heavenly face,

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

So fair, and thousand thousand times more fair,

She seemed, when she presented was to sight;
And was yclad, for heat of scorching air,
All in a silken camus3 lily white,

Purfled upon with many a folded plight,*
Which all above besprinkled was throughout
With golden aygulets," that glittered bright,
Like twinkling stars; and all the skirt about
Was hemmed with golden fringe.

Her yellow locks, crispéd like golden wire,
About her shoulders weren loosely shed,
And, when the wind amongst them did inspire,
They wavéd like a penon wide despread,
And low behind her back were scattered:
And, whether art it were or heedless hap,

As through the flow'ring forest rash she fled,

In her rude hairs sweet flowers themselves did lap,

And flourishing fresh leaves and blossoms did enwrap:

Such as Diana by the sandy shore

Of swift Eurotas, or on Cynthus green,

7

8

Where all the nymphs have her unawares forlore, s
Wandreth alone with bow and arrows keen,

To seek her game: or as that famous queen'
Of Amazons, whom Pyrrhus did destroy,
The day that first of Priam she was seen,
Did shew herself in great triumphant joy,

To succour the weak state of sad afflicted Troy.

1 Teeth and lips.

* Fair looks and amorous aspect. Fr. belle and regarder to look at; retraite has many applications. See Gattel's Dictionary

4 Plait.

A thin cloak. Camisa Camisia pro subucula vel muliebri quodam ornamento." Du Cange. Hence Chemise (Fr.) 5 Sparkling points. French. 6 Elizabeth loved to be flattered on the colour of her hair.-See Melville's interview with her. Hume, Chap. xxxix. 7 Comp. Virg. Æn. I. 498. 8 Left. "Penthesilea; some say she was slain by Achilles.-Æn. I. 491.

THE HOUSE OF RICHES.

BOOK II. CANTO VII.

THAT house's form within was rude and strong,
Like an huge cave hewn out of rocky clift,
From whose rough vault the ragged breaches hung
Embossed with massy gold of glorious gift,
And with rich metal loaded every rift,

That heavy ruin they did seem to threat;
And over them Arachne1 high did lift

Her cunning web, and spread her subtle net,

Enwrapped in foul smoke and clouds more black than jet

Both roof, and floor, and walls, were all of gold,

But overgrown with dust and old decay,

And hid in darkness, that none could behold
The hue thereof: for view of cheerful day
Did never in that house itself display,
But a faint shadow of uncertain light;
Such as a lamp, whose life does fade away;
Or as the Moon, clothed with cloudy night,

Does show to him that walks in fear and sad affright.

In all that room was nothing to be seen

But huge great iron chests, and coffers strong,

All barred with double bends, that none could ween
Them to enforce by violence or wrong;

On every side they placéd were along.

But all the ground with skulls was scattered

And dead men's bones, which round about were flung;
Whose lives, it seeméd, whilome there were shed,
And their vile carcases now left unburiéd.

THE MINISTRY OF ANGELS.

BOOK II. CANTO VIII.

AND is there care in Heaven? And is there love
In heavenly spirits to these creatures base,
That may compassion of their evils move?
There is:-else much more wretched were the case
Of men than beasts: But O! th' exceeding grace
Of highest God, that loves his creatures so,
And all his works with mercy doth embrace,
That blessed angels he sends to and fro,

To serve to wicked man, to serve his wicked foe!

How oft do they their silver bowers leave
To come to succour us that succour want!

1 The spider.-See Ovid, Met. vi. 5–145.

How oft do they with golden pinions cleave
The flitting skies, like flying pursuivant,
Against foul fiends to aid us militant!

They for us fight, they watch and duly ward,
And their bright squadrons round about us plant;

And all for love and nothing for reward:

O, why should heavenly God to men have such regard?

THE CHAMBER OF MEMORY IN THE CASTLE OF ALMA.

BOOK II. CANTO IX.

THAT chamber seeméd ruinous and old,

And therefore was removéd far behind,

Yet were the walls, that did the same uphold,

Right firm and strong, though somewhat they declined;
And therein sat an old old man, half blind,

And all decrepit in his feeble corse,

Yet lively vigour rested in his mind,

And recompensed them1 with a better scorse :2

Weak body well is chang'd for mind's redoubled force.

This man of infinite remembrance was,

And things foregone through many ages held,
Which he recorded still as they did pass,
Ne suffered them to perish through long eld,

As all things else the which this world doth wield;
But laid them up in his immortal scrine,3
Where they for ever incorrupted dwell'd:
The wars he well remembered of king Nine,
Of old Assaracus, and Inachus divine.5

The years of Nestor nothing were to his,
Nor yet Methusalem, though longest liv'd;
For he remembered both their infancies:
Ne wonder then if that he were depriv'd
Of native strength, now that he them surviv'd.
His chamber all was hanged about with rolls
And old records, from ancient times derived,

Some made in books, some in long parchment scrolls,
That were all worm-eaten and full of canker holes.

Amidst them all he in a chair was set,
Tossing and turning them without an end;
But for he was unable them to fett,"

A little boy did on him still attend

To reach, whenever he for ought did send;

And oft when things were lost, or laid amiss,

The visitors of the chamber.
Ninus of Assyria.

3 Lat. scrinium, a casket. Fetch.

2 Exchange.
Trojan and Greek ancestors.

That boy them sought and unto him did lend:
Therefore he Anamnestes1 cleped is,

And that old man, Eumnestes, by their properties.

CONCLUSION OF MERLIN'S PROPHECY.

BOOK III. CANTO IV.

"NOR shall the Saxons' selves all peaceably
Enjoy the crown, which they from Britons won
First ill, and after ruléd wickedly :

3

For, ere two hundred years be full outrun,
There shall a Raven, far from rising sun,
With his wide wings upon them fiercely fly,
And bid his faithless chickens overrun
The fruitful plains, and with fell cruelty,

In their avenge, tread down the victor's surquedry."

"Yet shall a third both these and thine subdue:
There shall a lion from the sea-bord wood

Of Neustria come roaring, with a crew

Of hungry whelps, his bataillous bold brood,
Whose claws were newly dipt in curdled blood,
That from the Daniske tyrant's head shall rend
Th' usurped crown, as if that he were wood,
And the spoil of the country conqueréd

Amongst his young ones shall divide with bounty head.

"Tho, when the term is full accomplished,
There shall a spark of fire, which hath longwhile
Been in his ashes rakéd up and hid,

Be freshly kindled in the fruitful isle

8

Of Mona, where it lurkéd in exile;

Which shall break forth into bright burning flame,
And reach into the house that bears the style
Of royal majesty and sovereign name :

So shall the Briton blood their crown again reclaim.

"Thenceforth eternal union shall be made
Between the nations different afore,
And sacred Peace shall lovingly persuade
The warlike minds to learn her goodly lore,
And civil arms to exercise no more:

Then shall the royal virgin reign, which shall
Stretch her white rod over the Belgic shore,"

1 Recollection.

2 Memory.

3 The "Reafen" (raven) was the enchanted standard of the Danes. See Hume's Eng

land, Chap. ii.

Unchristianized. 5 Presumption; cuider (old Fr.), to think,

to imagine; outrecuidance is used in the same sense as surquedry.

6 The Frankish name of Normandy.

7 Then.

The Mortimers and the Tudors were Welsh families or of Welsh alliance.

Elizabeth assisted the Netherland Provinces in their revolt against Spain. The "Great Castle" is the Castilian power. A glance along any English history will sufficien ly explain the allusions in these stanzas.