The Faerie Queene: Book One

Canto One

The Patrone of true Holinesse,

Foule Errour doth defeate:

Hypocrisie him to entrappe,

Doth to his home entreate.

1A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,

Ycladd¹ in mightie armes and silver shielde,

Wherein old dints of deepe woundes did remaine,

The cruell markes of many a bloody fielde;

Yet armes till that time did he never wield:

His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,

As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:

Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,

As one for knightly giusts² and fierce encounters fitt.

2And on his brest a bloodie Crosse he bore,

The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,

For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,

And dead as living ever him ador’d:

Upon his shield the like was also scor’d,

For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had:

Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,

But of his cheere³ did seeme too solemne sad;

Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.⁴

3Upon a great adventure he was bond,

That greatest Gloriana to him gave,

That greatest Glorious Queene of Faery lond,

To winne him worshippe, and her grace to have,

Which of all earthly thinges he most did crave;

And ever as he rode his hart did earne,¹

To prove his puissance in battell brave

Upon his foe, and his new force to learne;

Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.

4A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,

Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,

Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide

Under a vele, that wimpled² was full low,

And over all a blacke stole shee did throw,

As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,

And heavie sate upon her palfrey slow:

Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,

And by her in a line³ a milkewhite lambe she lad.

5So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,

She was in life and every vertuous lore,⁴

And by descent from Royall lynage came

Of ancient Kinges and Queenes, that had of yore

Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,

And all the world in their subjection held,

Till that infernall feend with foule uprore

Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:

Whom to avenge, she had this knight from far compeld.

6Behind her farre away a Dwarfe ⁵ did lag,

That lasie seemd in being ever last,

Or wearied with bearing of her bag

Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,

The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,

And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine

Did poure into his Lemans¹ lap so fast,

That everie wight² to shrowd it did constrain,

And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.³

7Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,

A shadie grove not farr away they spide,

That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:

Whose loftie trees yclad⁴ with sommers pride,

Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,

Not perceable with power of any starr:

And all within were pathes and alleies wide,

With footing worne, and leading inward farr:

Fair harbour that them seemes,⁵ so in they entred ar.

8And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led,

Joying to heare the birdes sweete harmony,

Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred,

Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky.

Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy,⁶

The sayling Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,

The vine-propp Elme, the Poplar never dry,

The builder Oake, sole king of forrests all,

The Aspine good for staves, the Cypress funerall.

9The Laurell, meed ⁷ of mightie Conquerours

And Poets sage, the Firre that weepeth still,

The Willow worne of forlorne Paramours,

The Eugh obedient to the benders will

The Birch for shaftes, the Sallow for the mill,

The Mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound,

The warlike Beech, the Ash for nothing ill,

The fruitfull Olive, and the Platane round,

The carver Holme, the Maple seeldom inward sound.

10 Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,

Untill the blustring storme is overblowne;

When weening to returne,¹ whence they did stray,

They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,

But wander too and fro in waies unknowne,

Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene,

That makes them doubt, their wits be not their owne:

So many pathes, so many turnings seene,

That which of them to take, in diverse doubt they been.²

11 At last resolving forward still to fare,

Till that some end they finde or in or out,

That path they take, that beaten seemd most bare,

And like to lead the labyrinth about;

Which when by tract³ they hunted had throughout,

At length it brought them to a hollowe cave,

Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout

Eftsoones⁴ dismounted from his courser brave,

And to the Dwarfe a while his needlesse spere he gave.

12 Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde,

"Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash provoke:

The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde,

Breedes dreadfull doubts: Oft fire is without smoke,

And perill without show: therefore your hardy stroke

Sir knight with-hold, till further tryall made."

Ah Ladie (sayd he) "shame were to revoke,

The forward footing for an hidden shade:⁵

Vertue gives her selfe light, through darkenesse for to wade."⁶

13 Yea but (quoth she) "the perill of this place

I better wot⁷ then you, though nowe too late,

To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace,

Yet wisedome warnes, whilest foot is in the gate,

To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate.

This is the wandring wood, this Errours den,

A monster vile, whom God and man does hate:

Therefore I read¹ beware. Fly fly" (quoth then

The fearefull Dwarfe:) this is no place for living men.

14 But full of fire and greedy hardiment,

The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,

But forth unto the darksom hole he went,

And looked in: his glistring armor made

A litle glooming light, much like a shade,

By which he saw the ugly monster plaine,

Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,

But th’other halfe did womans shape retaine,

Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.

15 And as she lay upon the durtie ground,

Her huge long taile her den all overspred,

Yet was in knots and many boughtes² upwound,

Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred,

A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,

Sucking upon her poisnous dugs, eachone

Of sundrie shapes, yet all ill favored:

Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone,

Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone.

16 Their dam upstart, out of her den effraide,

And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile

About her cursed head, whose folds displaid

Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile.³

She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle

Armed to point,⁴ sought backe to turne againe;

For light she hated as the deadly bale,⁵

Ay wont⁶ in desert darknes to remaine,

Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.

17 Which when the valiant Elfe ¹ perceiv’d, he lept

As Lyon fierce upon the flying pray,

And with his trenchand² blade her boldly kept

From turning backe, and forced her to stay:

Therewith enrag’d, she loudly gan to bray,

And turning fierce, her speckled taile advaunst,

Threatning her angrie sting, him to dismay:

Who nought aghast, his mightie hand enhaunst:³

The stroke down from her head unto her shoulder glaunst.

18 Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,

Yet kindling rage her selfe she gathered round,

And all attonce her beastly bodie raizd

With doubled forces high above the ground:

Tho⁴ wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd,

Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine⁵

All suddenly about his body wound,

That hand or foot to stirr he strove in vaine:

God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.

19 His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,

Cride out, "Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee

Add faith unto your force,⁶ and be not faint:

Strangle her, els she sure will strangle thee."

That when he heard, in great perplexitie,

His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine,

And knitting all his force⁷ got one hand free,

Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine,

That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.

20 Therewith she spewd out of her filthie maw

A floud of poyson horrible and blacke,

Full of great lumps of flesh and gobbets raw,

Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slacke,

His grasping hold, and from her turne him backe:

Her vomit full of bookes and papers was,¹

With loathly frogs² and toades, which eyes did lacke,

And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:

Her filthie parbreake³ all the place defiled has.

21 As when old father Nilus ⁴ gins to swell

With timely pride above the Aegyptian vale,

His fattie waves doe fertile slime outwell,

And overflow each plaine and lowly dale:

But when his later ebbe gins t’avale,⁵

Huge heapes of mudd he leaves, wherein there breed

Ten thousand kindes of creatures partly male

And partly femall of his fruitful seed;

Such ugly monstrous shapes elswher may no man reed.⁶

22 The same so sore annoyed has the knight,

That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke,

His forces faile, ne can no longer fight.

Whose corage when the feend perceivd to shrinke,

She poured forth out of her hellish sinke

Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small,

Deformed monsters, fowle, and blacke as inke,

Which swarming all about his legs did crall,

And him encombred sore, but could not hurt at all.

23 As gentle Shepheard in sweete eventide,

When ruddy Phebus gins to welke⁷ in west,

High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide,

Markes which doe byte their hasty supper best,

A cloud of cumbrous gnattes doe him molest,

All striving to infixe their feeble stinges,

That from their noyance he no where can rest,

But with his clownish¹ hands their tender wings,

He brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings.²

24 Thus ill bestedd, ³ and fearefull more of shame,

Then of the certeine perill he stood in,

Halfe furious unto his foe he came,

Resolvd in minde all suddenly to win,

Or soone to lose, before he once would lin;⁴

And stroke at her with more then manly force,⁵

That from her body full of filthie sin

He raft her hatefull heade without remorse;

A streame of cole black blood forth gushed from her corse.

25 Her scattred brood, soone as their Parent deare

They saw so rudely falling to the ground,

Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare,

Gathred themselves about her body round,

Weening their wonted⁶ entrance to have found

At her wide mouth: but being there withstood

They flocked all about her bleeding wound,

And sucked up their dying mothers bloud,

Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good.

26 That detestable sight him much amazde,

To see th’unkindly Impes⁷ of heaven accurst,

Devoure their dam; on whom while so he gazd,

Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst,

Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst,

And bowels gushing forth: well worthy end

Of such as drunke her life, the which them nurst;

Now needeth him no lenger labour spend,

His foes have slaine themselves, with whom he should contend.

27 His Lady seeing all, that chaunst, from farre

Approcht in hast to greet his victorie,

And saide, "Faire knight, borne under happie starre,

Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye:

Well worthie be you of that Armory,¹

Wherein ye have great glory wonne this day,

And proov’d your strength on a strong enimie,

Your first adventure: many such I pray,

And henceforth ever wish, that like succeed it may."

28 Then mounted he upon his Steede againe,

And with the Lady backward sought to wend;

That path he kept, which beaten was most plaine,

Ne ever would to any byway bend,

But still did follow one unto the end,

The which at last out of the wood them brought.

So forward on his way (with God to frend)²

He passed forth, and new adventure sought,

Long way he traveiled, before he heard of ought.

29 At length they chaunst to meet upon the way

An aged Sire, in long blacke weedes³ yclad,

His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie gray,

And by his belt his booke he hanging had;

Sober he seemde, and very sagely sad,

And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,

Simple in shew, and voide of malice bad,

And all the way he prayed as he went,

And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.

30 He faire the knight saluted, louting low, ⁴

Who faire him quited,⁵ as that courteous was:

And after asked him, if he did know

Of straunge adventures, which abroad did pas.

Ah my deare Sonne (quoth he) "how should, alas,

Silly¹ old man, that lives in hidden cell,

Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,²

Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?

With holy father sits not with such thinges to mell.³

31 But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell,

And homebredd evil ye desire to heare,

Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,

That wasteth all this countrie farre and neare."

Of such (saide he) "I chiefly doe inquere,

And shall thee well rewarde to shew the place,

In which that wicked wight⁴ his dayes doth weare:

For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace,

That such a cursed creature lives so long a space."

32 Far hence (quoth he) "in wastfull ⁵ wildernesse

His dwelling is, by which no living wight⁶

May ever passe, but thorough great distresse."⁷

Now (saide the Ladie) "draweth toward night,

And well I wote, that of your later⁸ fight

Ye all forwearied⁹ be: for what so strong,

But wanting rest will also want of might?

The Sunne that measures heaven all day long,

At night doth baite¹⁰ his steedes the Ocean waves emong.

33 "Then with the Sunne take Sir, your timely rest,

And with new day new worke at once begin:

Untroubled night they say gives counsell best."

Right well Sir knight ye have advised bin,

Quoth then that aged man; "the way to win

Is wisely to advise: now day is spent;

Therefore with me ye may take up your In¹

For this same night." The knight was well content:

So with that godly father to his home they went.

34 A litle lowly Hermitage it was,

Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side,

Far from resort of people, that did pas

In traveill to and froe: a litle wyde²

There was an holy chappell edifyde,³

Wherein the Hermite dewly wont⁴ to say

His holy thinges⁵ each morne and eventyde:

Thereby a christall streame did gently play,

Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.

35 Arrived there the litle house they fill,

Ne looke for entertainement, where none was:

Rest is their feast, and all thinges at their will;⁶

The noblest mind the best contentment has.

With faire discourse the evening so they pas:

For that olde man of pleasing wordes had store,

And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas,⁷

He told of Saintes and Popes, and evermore

He strowd⁸ an Ave-Mary after and before.

36 The drouping Night thus creepeth on them fast,

And the sad humor⁹ loading their eye liddes,

As messenger of Morpheus¹⁰ on them cast

Sweet slombring deaw, the which to sleep them biddes:

Unto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes:¹¹

Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes,

He to his studie goes, and there amiddes

His magick bookes and artes of sundrie kindes,

He seekes out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy minds.

37 Then choosing out few words most horrible,

(Let none them read) thereof did verses frame,

With which and other spelles like terrible,

He bad awake blacke Plutoes griesly Dame,¹

And cursed heven, and spake reprochful shame

Of highest God, the Lord of life and light,

A bold bad man, that dar’d to call by name

Great Gorgon,² prince of darknes and dead night,

At which Cocytus quakes and Styx is put to flight.

38 And forth he cald out of deepe darknes dredd

Legions of Sprights,³ the which like litle flyes

Fluttring about his everdamned hedd,

A waite whereto their service he applyes,

To aide his friendes, or fray⁴ his enemies:

Of those he chose out two, the falsest twoo,

And fittest for to forge true-seeming lyes;

The one of them he gave a message too,

The other by him self staide other worke to doo.

39 He making speedy way through spersed ayre, ⁵

And through the world of waters wide and deepe,

To Morpheus⁶ house doth hastily repaire.

Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,

And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,

His dwelling is; there Tethys⁷ his wet bed

Doth ever wash,¹ and Cynthia still doth steepe

In silver deaw his ever-drouping bed,²

Whiles sad Night over him her mantle black doth spred.

40 Whose double gates he findeth locked fast,

The one faire fram’d of burnisht Yvory,

The other all with silver overcast;³

And wakeful dogges before them farre doe lye,

Watching to banish Care their enimy,

Who oft is wont to trouble gentle Sleepe.

By them the Sprite doth passe in quietly,

And unto Morpheus comes, whom drowned deepe

In drowsie fit he findes: of nothing he takes keepe.⁴

41 And more, to Iulle him in his slumber soft,

A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe

And ever drizling raine upon the loft,⁵

Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne⁶

Of swarming Bees, did cast him in a swowne:

No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes,

As still are wont t’annoy the walled towne,

Might there be heard: but carelesse Quiet lyes,

Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enimyes.⁷

42 The Messenger approching to him spake,

But his waste wordes retournd to him in vaine:

So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.

Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine,

Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe

Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.

As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine¹

Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,

He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.

43 The Sprite ² then gan more boldly him to wake,

And threatned unto him the dreaded name

Of Hecate.³ whereat he gan to quake,

And lifting up his lompish head, with blame

Halfe angrie asked him, for what he came.

Hether (quoth he) "me Archimago⁴ sent,

He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,

He bids thee to him send for his intent

A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent."⁵

44 The God obayde, and calling forth straight way

A diverse dreame out of his prison darke,

Delivered it to him, and downe did lay

His heavie head, devoide of careful carke,⁶

Whose sences all were straight benumbd and starke.

He backe returning by the Yvorie dore,

Remounted up as light as chearefull Larke,

And on his litle winges the dreame he bore,

In hast unto his Lord, where he him left afore.

45 Who all this while with charmes and hidden artes,

Had made a Lady of that other Spright,

And fram’d of liquid ayre her tender partes

So lively and so like in all mens sight,

That weaker sence it could have ravisht quight:

The maker selfe for all his wondrous witt,

Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight:

Her all in white he clad, and over it

Cast a black stole, most like to seeme for Una fit.¹

46 Now when that ydle ² dreame was to him brought,

Unto that Elfin knight he bad him fly,

Where he slept soundly void of evil thought,

And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,

In sort as he him schooled privily:

And that new creature borne without her dew,³

Full of the makers guyle with usage sly

He taught to imitate that Lady trew,

Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew.⁴

47 Thus well instructed, to their worke they haste,

And comming where the knight in slomber lay,

The one upon his hardie head him plaste,

And made him dreame of loves and lustfull play,

That nigh his manly hart did melt away,

Bathed in wanton blis and wicked joy:

Then seemed him⁵ his Lady by him lay,

And to him playnd, how that false winged boy,⁶

Her chaste hart had subdewd, to learn Dame pleasures toy.⁷

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