At last she chancéd by good hap to meet A goodly knight,1 fair marching by the way, Together with his squire, arrayéd meet: His glittering armor shinéd far away, Like glancing light of Phoebus' brightest ray; From top to toe no place appeared bare, That deadly dint of steel endanger may : Athwart his breast a baldrick brave he ware, That shin'd, like twinkling stars, with stones most precious rare :

And, in the midst thereof, one precious stone Of wondrous worth, and eke of wondrous mights,

Shap'd like a lady's head,' exceeding shone, Like Hesperus amongst the lesser lights, And strove for to amaze the weaker sights: Thereby his mortal blade full comely hung In iv'ry sheath, ycarv'd with curious slights, Whose hilts were burnisht gold; and handle strong [tongue. Of mother pearl; and buckled with a golden

His haughty helmet, horrid all with gold,
Both glorious brightness and great terror bred:
For all the crest a dragon did infold
With greedy paws, and over all did spread
His golden wings; his dreadful hideous head,
Close couchéd on the beaver, seem'd to throw
From flaming mouth bright sparkles fiery

red,

That sudden horror to faint hearts did show; And scaley tail was stretcht adown his back full low.

Upon the top of all his lofty crest,
A bunch of hairs discolor'd diversly,
With sprinkled pearl and gold full richly drest,
Did shake, and seem'd to dance for jollity;
Like to an almond tree ymounted high
On top of green Selinis all alone,

With blossoms brave bedeckéd daintily;
Whose tender locks do tremble every one

At every little breath, that under heaven is blown.

His warlike shield all closely cover'd was, Ne might of mortal eye be ever seen; Not made of steel, nor of enduring brass, (Such earthly metals soon consuméd been,) But all of diamond perfect pure and clean It framéd 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.

The same to wight he never wont disclose, But whenas monsters huge he would dismay, Or daunt unequal armies of his foes, Or when the flying heavens he would affray : For so exceeding shone his glist'ring ray, That Phoebus' golden face it did attaint, As when a cloud his beams doth over-lay; And silver Cynthia waxéd pale and faint, As when her face is stain'd with magic arts' constraint.

1 Prince Arthur.

2 "Lady's head;" i. e., the Faery Queen's.

Whenas this knight nigh to the Lady drew,
With lovely court he gan her entertain;
But, when he heard her answers loth, he
knew

Some secret sorrow did her heart distrain:
Which to allay, and calm her storming pain,
Fair feeling words he wisely gan display,
And, for her humor fitting purpose fain,
To tempt the cause it self for to bewray;
Wherewith enmov'd, these bleeding words she
gan to say;

"What world's delight, or joy of living speech, Can heart, so plung'd in sea of sorrows deep, And heaped with so huge misfortunes, reach? The careful cold beginneth for to creep, And in my heart his iron arrow steep, Soon as I think upon my bitter bale. Such helpless harms it's better hidden keep, Than rip up grief, where it may not avail; My last-left comfort is my woes to weep and wail."

His goodly reason, and well-guided speech, So deep did settle in her gracious thought, That her persuaded to disclose the breach Which love and fortune in her heart had wrought; [brought And said; "Fair sir, I hope good hap hath You to inquire the secrets of my grief; Or that your wisdom will direct my thought; Or that your prowess can me yield relief; Then hear the story sad, which I shall tell you brief.

"The forlorn maiden, whom your eyes have seen The laughing stock of Fortune's mockeries, Am th' only daughter of a king and queen, Whose parents dear (whiles equal destinies Did run about, and their felicities The favorable heav'ns did not, envy,) Did spread their rule through all the territories, Which Pison and Euphrates floweth by, And Gihon's golden waves do wash continually :

"Till that their cruel curséd enemy, A huge great dragon, horrible in sight, Bred in the loathly lakes of Tartary,1 With murd'rous ravin, and devouring might, Their kingdom spoil'd, and country wasted Themselves, for fear into his jaws to fall, [quite: He forc'd to castle strong to take their flight; Where, fast embarr'd in mighty brazen wall, He has them now four years besieg'd to make them thrall.

"Full many knights, adventurous and stout, Have enterpriz'd that monster to subdue: From every coast, that heaven walks about," Have thither come the noble martial crew, That famous hard achievements still pursue; Yet never any could that garland win,

But all still shrunk; and still he greater grew: All they for want of faith, or guilt of sin, The piteous prey of his fierce cruelty have bin.

"At last, yled with far reported praise, Which flying fame throughout the world had spread,

Of doughty knights, whom Faery land did raise, That noble order hight of Maidenhed, Forthwith to court of Gloriane I sped, Of Gloriane, great queen of glory bright, Whose kingdom's seat Cleopolis is redde; 3 There to obtain some such redoubted knight, That parents dear from tyrant's pow'r deliver might.

"It was my chance (my chance was fair and good)

There for to find a fresh unprovéd Knight;
Whose manly hands imbru'd in guilty blood
Had never been, ne ever by his might
Had thrown to ground the unregarded right:
Yet of his prowess proof he since hath made
(I witness am) in many a cruel fight;

The groaning ghosts of many one dismay'd, Have felt the bitter dint of his avenging blade.

"And ye, the forlorn reliques of his pow'r, His biting sword, and his devouring spear, Which have enduréd many a dreadful stowre, Can speak his prowess, that did erst you bear, And well could rule; now he hath left you here

To be the record of his rueful loss, And of my doleful disavent'rous dear: 4 O heavy record of the good Redcross, Where have ye left your lord, that could so well you toss?

"Well hopéd I, and fair beginnings had,
That he my captive languor should redeem :
Till all unweeting an enchanter bad
His sense abus'd, and made him to misdeem
My loyalty, not such as it did seem,
That rather death desire than such despite.
Be judge, ye heav'ns, that all things right es-

teem,

How I him lov'd, and love with all my might! So thought I eke of him, and think I thought aright.

"Thenceforth, me desolate he quite forsook,
To wander where wild Fortune would me lead,
And other byways he himself betook,
Where never foot of living wight did tread,
That brought not back the baleful body dead;
In which him chancéd false Duessa meet,
Mine only foe, mine only deadly dread;
Who with her witchcraft, and misseeming

sweet,

Inveigled him to follow her desires unmeet.

"At last, by subtle sleights she him betray'd Unto his foe, a giant huge and tall; Who him, disarméd, dissolute, dismay'd, Unwares surpriséd, and with mighty mall The monster merciless him made to fall, Whose fall did never foe before behold: And now in darksome dungeon, wretched thrall, Remédiless, for aye he doth him hold: This is my cause of grief, more great than may be told."

Ere she had ended all, she gan to faint: But he her comforted, and fair bespake; "Certes, Madáme, ye have great cause of plaint, That stoutest heart, I ween, could cause to quake.

But be of cheer, and comfort to you take; For, till I have acquit your captive Knight, Assure yourself, I will you not forsake." His cheerful words reviv'd her cheerless sprite : So forth they went, the Dwarf them guiding ever right.

4 Unfortunate trouble.

CANTO VIII.

Fair Virgin, to redeem her dear,

Brings Arthur to the fight:

Who slays the giant, wounds the beast, And strips Duessa quite.

Ay me, how many perils do enfold
The righteous man, to make him daily fall,
Were not that heavenly grace doth him uphold,
And stedfast Truth acquit him out of all!
Her love is firm, her care continual,

So oft as he, through his own foolish pride Or weakness, is to sinful bands made thrall: Else should this Redcross Knight in bands have died, [guide. For whose deliverance she this prince doth thither

They sadly travell'd thus, until they came Nigh to a castle builded strong and high: Then cried the Dwarf, "Lo! yonder is the same, In which my lord, my liege, doth luckless lie Thrall to that giant's hateful tyranny: Therefore, dear sir, your mighty pow'rs assay." The noble knight alighted by and by From lofty steed, and bade the Lady stay, To see what end of fight should him befall that day.

So with his squire, th' admirer of his might, He marchéd forth towards that castle wall; Whose gates he found fast shut, ne living wight To ward the same, nor answer comer's call. Then took that squire an horn of bugle small, Which hung adown his side in twisted gold And tassells gay; wide wonders over all Of that same horn's great virtues weren told, Which had approvéd been in uses manifold.

Was never wight that heard that shrilling sound,

But trembling fear did feel in every vein : Three miles it might be easy heard around, And echoes three answer'd itself again: No false enchantment, nor deceitful train, Might once abide the terror of that blast, But presently was void and wholly vain: No gate so strong, no lock so firm and fast, But with that piercing noise flew open quite, or brast.1

The same before the giant's gate he blew,
That all the castle quakéd from the ground,
And every door of free-will open flew.
The giant self dismayéd with that sound,
Where he with his Duessa dalliance found,
In haste came rushing forth from inner bow'r,
With staring count'nance stern, as one astound,
And staggering steps, to weet what sudden

stowre

Had wrought that horror strange, and dar'd his dreaded power.

And after him the proud Duessa came,
High mounted on her many-headed beast;
And ev'ry head with fiery tongue did flame,
And ev'ry head was crownéd on his crest,

1 Burst.

The knight then, lightly leaping to the prey,
With mortal steel him smote again so sore,
That headless his unwieldy body lay,
All wallow'd in his own foul bloody gore, [store.
Which flowéd from his wounds in wondrous
But, soon as breath out of his breast did pass,
That huge great body, which the giant bore,
Was vanquisht quite, and of that monstrous

mass

Was nothing left, but like an empty bladder was.

Whose grievous fall when false Duessa spied,
Her golden cup she cast unto the ground,
And crownéd mitre rudely threw aside;
Such piercing grief her stubborn heart did
wound,

That she could not endure that doleful stound;
But, leaving all behind her, fled away:
The light-foot squire her quickly turn'd around,
And, by hard means enforcing her to stay,
So brought unto his lord, as his deserved prey.

The royal virgin which beheld from far,
In pensive plight and sad perplexity,
The whole achievement of this doubtful war,
Came running fast to greet his victory,
With sober gladness and mild modesty ;
And, with sweet joyous cheer, him thus be-
spake;

"Fair branch of noblesse, flow'r of chivalry, That with your worth the world amazed make, How shall I quite the pains, ye suffer for my sake?

"And you,' fresh bud of virtue springing fast, Whom these sad eyes saw nigh unto death's What hath poor virgin for such peril past [door, Wherewith you to reward? Accept therefore My simple self, and service evermore. And he that high does sit, and all things see With equal eye, their merits to restore, Behold what ye this day have done for me; And, what I cannot quite, requite with usury!

"But sith the heav'ns, and your fair handeling, Have made you master of the field this day; Your fortune maister eke with governing, And, well begun, end all so well, I pray! Ne let that wicked woman scape away; For she it is, that did my lord bethrall, My dearest lord, and deep in dungeon lay; Where he his better days hath wasted all: O hear, how piteous he to you for aid does call!"

Forthwith he gave in charge unto his squire, That scarlet whore to keepen carefully; Whiles he himself with greedy great desire Into the castle enter'd forcibly, Where living creature none he did espy: Then gan he loudly through the house to call; But no man car'd to answer to his cry: There reign'd a solemn silence over all; Nor voice was heard, nor wight was seen in bow'r or hall!

At last, with creeping crooked pace forth came An old, old man, with beard as white as snow; That on a staff his feeble steps did frame, And guide his weary gait both to and fro;

1 The squire.

For his eyesight him failéd long ago: And on his arm a bunch of keys he bore, The which unuséd, rust did overgrow: Those were the keys of every inner door; But he could not them use, but kept them still in

store.

But very uncouth sight was to behold,
How he did fashion his untoward pace;
For as he forward moved his footing old,
So backward still was turn'd his wrinkled face:
Unlike to men, who ever, as they trace,
Both feet and face one way are wont to lead.
This was the ancient keeper of that place,
And foster father of the giant dead;
His name Ignaro did his nature right aread.

His reverend hairs and holy gravity
The knight much honor'd, as beseeméd well;
And gently ask'd where all the people be,
Which in that stately building wont to dwell:
Who answer'd him full soft, He could not tell.
Again he ask'd where that same knight was
laid,

Whom great Orgoglio with his puissance fell, Had made his captive thrall: again he said, He could not tell; ne ever other answer made.

Then asked he, which way he in might pass: He could not tell, again he answeréd. Thereat the courteous knight displeased was, And said; "Old sire, it seems thou hast not red How ill it sits with that same silver head, In vain to mock, or mockt in vain to be: But if thou be, as thou art pourtrayed With Nature's pen, in age's grave degree, Aread in graver wise what I demand of thee."

His answer likewise was, He could not tell.
Whose senseless speech, and doted ignorance,
Whenas the noble prince had marked well,
He guess'd his nature by his countenance;
And calm'd his wrath with goodly temperance.
Then, to him stepping, from his arms did reach
Those keys, and made himself free enterance.
Each door he open'd without any breach:
There was no bar to stop, nor foe him to empeach.

There all within full rich array'd he found,
With royal arras, and resplendent gold,
And did with store of every thing abound,
That greatest prince's presence might behold.
But all the floor (too filthy to be told)
With blood of guiltless babes, and innocents

true,

Which there were slain, as sheep out of the fold, Defiléd was; that dreadful was to view; And sacred ashes over it was strewéd new.

And there beside of marble stone was built
An altar, carv'd with cunning imag'ry;
On which true Christians' blood was often spilt,
And holy martyrs often done to die,
With cruel malice and strong tyranny:
Whose blessed sprites, from underneath the
stone,

To God for vengeance cried continually;
And with great grief were often heard to groan;
That hardest heart would bleed to bear their
piteous moan.