| |
| | Merlin bewrayes to Britomart |
| The state of Arthegall: |
| And shews the famous progeny, |
| Which from them springen shall. |
I MOST sacred fyre, that burnest mightily | |
| In living brests, ykindled first above, | |
| Emongst th eternall spheres and lamping sky, | |
| And thence pourd into men, which men call Love; | |
| Not that same which doth base affections move | 5 |
| In brutish mindes, and filthy lust inflame, | |
| But that sweete fit that doth true beautie love, | |
| And choseth Vertue for his dearest dame, | |
| Whence spring all noble deedes and never dying fame: | |
| |
II Well did antiquity a god thee deeme, | 10 |
| That over mortall mindes hast so great might, | |
| To order them as best to thee doth seeme, | |
| And all their actions to direct aright: | |
| The fatall purpose of divine foresight | |
| Thou doest effect in destined descents, | 15 |
| Through deepe impression of thy secret might, | |
| And stirredst up th heroes high intents, | |
| Which the late world admyres for wondrous moniments. | |
| |
III But thy dredd dartes in none doe triumph more, | |
| Ne braver proofe, in any, of thy powre | 20 |
| Shewdst thou, then in this royall maid of yore, | |
| Making her seeke an unknowne paramoure, | |
| From the worlds end, through many a bitter stowre: | |
| From whose two loynes thou afterwardes did rayse | |
| Most famous fruites of matrimoniall bowre, | 25 |
| Which through the earth have spredd their living prayse, | |
| That Fame in tromp of gold eternally displayes. | |
| |
IV Begin then, O my dearest sacred dame, | |
| Daughter of Phbus and of Memorye, | |
| That doest ennoble with immortall name | 30 |
| The warlike worthies, from antiquitye, | |
| In thy great volume of eternitye: | |
| Begin, O Clio, and recount from hence | |
| My glorious Soveraines goodly auncestrye, | |
| Till that by dew degrees and long protense, | 35 |
| Thou have it lastly brought unto her Excellence. | |
| |
V Full many wayes within her troubled mind | |
| Old Glauce east, to cure this ladies griefe: | |
| Full many waies she sought, but none could find, | |
| Nor herbes, nor charmes, nor counsel, that is chiefe | 40 |
| And choisest medcine for sick harts reliefe: | |
| Forthy great care she tooke, and greater feare, | |
| Least that it should her turne to fowle repriefe | |
| And sore reproch, when so her father deare | |
| Should of his dearest daughters hard misfortune heare. | 45 |
| |
VI At last she her avisde, that he which made | |
| That mirrhour, wherein the sicke damosell | |
| So straungely vewed her straunge lovers shade, | |
| To weet, the learned Merlin, well could tell, | |
| Under what coast of heaven the man did dwell, | 50 |
| And by what means his love might best be wrought: | |
| For though beyond the Africk Ismael | |
| Or th Indian Peru he were, she thought | |
| Him forth through infinite endevour to have sought. | |
| |
VII Forthwith them selves disguising both in straunge | 55 |
| And base atyre, that none might them bewray, | |
| To Maridunum, that is now by chaunge | |
| Of name Cayr-Merdin cald, they tooke their way: | |
| There the wise Merlin whylome wont (they say) | |
| To make his wonne, low underneath the ground, | 60 |
| In a deepe delve, farre from the vew of day, | |
| That of no living wight he mote be found, | |
| When so he counseld with his sprights encompast round. | |
| |
VIII And if thou ever happen that same way | |
| To traveill, go to see that dreadfull place: | 65 |
| It is an hideous hollow cave (they say) | |
| Under a rock, that lyes a litle space | |
| From the swift Barry, tombling downe apace | |
| Emongst the woody hilles of Dynevowre: | |
| But dare thou not, I charge, in any cace, | 70 |
| To enter into that same balefull bowre, | |
| For feare the cruell feendes should thee unwares devowre. | |
| |
IX But standing high aloft, low lay thine eare, | |
| And there such ghastly noyse of yron chaines | |
| And brasen caudrons thou shalt rombling heare, | 75 |
| Which thousand sprights with long enduring paines | |
| Doe tosse, that it will stonn thy feeble braines; | |
| And oftentimes great grones, and grievous stownds, | |
| When too huge toile and labour them constraines, | |
| And oftentimes loud strokes, and ringing sowndes, | 80 |
| From under that deepe rock most horribly rebowndes. | |
| |
X The cause, some say, is this: A litle whyle | |
| Before that Merlin dyde, he did intend | |
| A brasen wall in compas to compyle | |
| About Cairmardin, and did it commend | 85 |
| Unto these sprights, to bring to perfect end. | |
| During which worke the Lady of the Lake, | |
| Whom long he lovd, for him in hast did send; | |
| Who, thereby forst his workemen to forsake, | |
| Them bownd, till his retourne, their labour not to slake. | 90 |
| |
XI In the meane time, through that false ladies traine, | |
| He was surprisd, and buried under beare, | |
| Ne ever to his worke returnd againe: | |
| Nathlesse those feends may not their work forbeare, | |
| So greatly his commandement they feare, | 95 |
| But there doe toyle and traveile day and night, | |
| Untill that brasen wall they up doe reare: | |
| For Merlin had in magick more insight | |
| Then ever him before or after living wight. | |
| |
XII For he by wordes could call out of the sky | 100 |
| Both sunne and moone, and make them him obay: | |
| The land to sea, and sea to maineland dry, | |
| And darksom night he eke could turne to day: | |
| Huge hostes of men he could alone dismay, | |
| And hostes of men of meanest thinges could frame, | 105 |
| When so him list his enimies to fray: | |
| That to this day, for terror of his fame, | |
| The feends do quake, when any him to them does name. | |
| |
XIII And sooth, men say that he was not the sonne | |
| Of mortall syre or other living wight, | 110 |
| But wondrously begotten, and begonne | |
| By false illusion of a guilefull spright | |
| On a faire lady nonne, that whilome hight | |
| Matilda, daughter to Pubidius, | |
| Who was the lord of Mathraval by right, | 115 |
| And coosen unto King Ambrosius: | |
| Whence he indued was with skill so merveilous. | |
| |
XIV They, here ariving, staid a while without, | |
| Ne durst adventure rashly in to wend, | |
| But of their first intent gan make new dout, | 120 |
| For dread of daunger, which it might portend: | |
| Untill the hardy mayd (with love to frend) | |
| First entering, the dreadfull mage there fownd | |
| Deepe busied bout worke of wondrous end, | |
| And writing straunge characters in the grownd, | 125 |
| With which the stubborne feendes he to his service bownd. | |
| |
XV He nought was moved at their entraunce bold, | |
| For of their comming well he wist afore; | |
| Yet list them bid their businesse to unfold, | |
| As if ought in this world in secrete store | 130 |
| Were from him hidden, or unknowne of yore. | |
| Then Glauce thus: Let not it thee offend, | |
| That we thus rashly through thy darksom dore | |
| Unwares have prest: for either fatall end, | |
| Or other mightie cause, us two did hether send. | 135 |
| |
XVI He bad tell on; and then she thus began: | |
| Now have three moones with borrowd brothers light | |
| Thrise shined faire, and thrise seemd dim and wan, | |
| Sith a sore evill, which this virgin bright | |
| Tormenteth, and doth plonge in dolefull plight, | 140 |
| First rooting tooke; but what thing it mote bee, | |
| Or whence it sprong, I can not read aright; | |
| But this I read, that, but if remedee | |
| Thou her afford, full shortly I her dead shall see. | |
| |
XVII Therewith th enchaunter softly gan to smyle | 145 |
| At her smooth speeches, weeting inly well | |
| That she to him dissembled womanish guyle, | |
| And to her said: Beldame, by that ye tell, | |
| More neede of leach-crafte hath your damozell, | |
| Then of my skill: who helpe may have elswhere, | 150 |
| In vaine seekes wonders out of magick spell. | |
| Th old woman wox half blanck those wordes to heare; | |
| And yet was loth to let her purpose plaine appeare; | |
| |
XVIII And to him said: Yf any leaches skill, | |
| Or other learned meanes, could have redrest | 155 |
| This my deare daughters deepe engraffed ill, | |
| Certes I should be loth thee to molest: | |
| But this sad evill, which doth her infest, | |
| Doth course of naturall cause farre exceed, | |
| And housed is within her hollow brest, | 160 |
| That either seemes some cursed witches deed, | |
| Or evill spright, that in her doth such torment breed. | |
| |
XIX The wisard could no lenger beare her bord, | |
| But brusting forth in laughter, to her sayd: | |
| Glauce, what needes this colourable word, | 165 |
| To cloke the cause that hath it selfe bewrayd? | |
| Ne ye, fayre Britomartis, thus arayd, | |
| More hidden are then sunne in cloudy vele; | |
| Whom thy good fortune, having fate obayd, | |
| Hath hether brought, for succour to appele: | 170 |
| The which the Powres to thee are pleased to revele. | |
| |
XX The doubtfull mayd, seeing her selfe descryde, | |
| Was all abasht, and her pure yvory | |
| Into a cleare carnation suddeine dyde; | |
| As fayre Aurora, rysing hastily, | 175 |
| Doth by her blushing tell that she did lye | |
| All night in old Tithonus frosen bed, | |
| Whereof she seemes ashamed inwardly. | |
| But her olde nourse was nought dishartened, | |
| But vauntage made of that which Merlin had ared; | 180 |
| |
XXI And sayd: Sith then thou knowest all our griefe, | |
| (For what doest not thou knowe?) of grace, I pray, | |
| Pitty our playnt, and yield us meet reliefe. | |
| With that the prophet still awhile did stay, | |
| And then his spirite thus gan foorth display: | 185 |
| Most noble virgin, that by fatall lore | |
| Hast learnd to love, let no whit thee dismay | |
| The hard beginne that meetes thee in the dore, | |
| And with sharpe fits thy tender hart oppresseth sore. | |
| |
XXII For so must all things excellent begin, | 190 |
| And eke enrooted deepe must be that tree, | |
| Whose big embodied braunches shall not lin, | |
| Till they to hevens hight forth stretched bee. | |
| For from thy wombe a famous progenee | |
| Shall spring, out of the auncient Trojan blood, | 195 |
| Which shall revive the sleeping memoree | |
| Of those same antique peres, the hevens brood, | |
| Which Greeke and Asian rivers stayned with their blood. | |
| |
XXIII Renowmed kings and sacred emperours, | |
| Thy fruitfull ofspring, shall from thee descend; | 200 |
| Brave captaines and most mighty warriours, | |
| That shall their conquests through all lands extend, | |
| And their decayed kingdomes shall amend: | |
| The feeble Britons, broken with long warre, | |
| They shall upreare, and mightily defend | 205 |
| Against their forren foe, that commes from farre, | |
| Till universall peace compound all civill jarre. | |
| |
XXIV It was not, Britomart, thy wandring eye, | |
| Glauncing unwares in charmed looking glas, | |
| But the streight course of hevenly destiny, | 210 |
| Led with Eternall Providence, that has | |
| Guyded thy glaunce, to bring His will to pas: | |
| Ne is thy fate, ne is thy fortune ill, | |
| To love the prowest knight that ever was: | |
| Therefore submit thy wayes unto His will, | 215 |
| And doe, by all dew meanes, thy destiny fulfill. | |
| |
XXV But read, saide Glauce, thou magitian, | |
| What meanes shall she out seeke, or what waies take? | |
| How shall she know, how shall she finde the man? | |
| Or what needes her to toyle, sith Fates can make | 220 |
| Way for themselves, their purpose to pertake? | |
| Then Merlin thus: Indeede the Fates are firme, | |
| And may not shrinck, though all the world do shake: | |
| Yet ought mens good endevours them confirme, | |
| And guyde the heavenly causes to their constant terme. | 225 |
| |
XXVI The man, whom heavens have ordaynd to bee | |
| The spouse of Britomart, is Arthegall: | |
| He wonneth in the land of Fayeree, | |
| Yet is no Fary borne, ne sib at all | |
| To Elfes, but sprong of seed terrestriall, | 230 |
| And whylome by false Faries stolne away, | |
| Whyles yet in infant cradle he did crall; | |
| Ne other to himselfe is knowne this day, | |
| But that he by an Elfe was gotten of a Fay. | |
| |
XXVII But sooth he is the sonne of Gorlois, | 235 |
| And brother unto Cador, Cornish king, | |
| And for his warlike feates renowmed is, | |
| From where the day out of the sea doth spring | |
| Untill the closure of the evening. | |
| From thence him, firmely bound with faithfull band, | 240 |
| To this his native soyle thou backe shalt bring, | |
| Strongly to ayde his countrey to withstand | |
| The powre of forreine Paynims, which invade thy land. | |
| |
XXVIII Great ayd thereto his mighty puissaunce | |
| And dreaded name shall give in that sad day: | 245 |
| Where also proofe of thy prow valiaunce | |
| Thou then shalt make, t increase thy lovers pray. | |
| Long time ye both in armes shall beare great sway, | |
| Till thy wombes burden thee from them do call, | |
| And his last fate him from thee take away, | 250 |
| Too rathe cut off by practise criminall | |
| Of secrete foes, that him shall make in mischiefe fall. | |
| |
XXIX With thee yet shall he leave, for memory | |
| Of his late puissaunce, his ymage dead, | |
| That living him in all activity | 255 |
| To thee shall represent. He from the head | |
| Of his coosen Constantius, without dread, | |
| Shall take the crowne, that was his fathers right, | |
| And therewith crowne himselfe in th others stead: | |
| Then shall he issew forth with dreadfull might, | 260 |
| Against his Saxon foes in bloody field to fight. | |
| |
XXX Like as a lyon, that in drowsie cave | |
| Hath long time slept, himselfe so shall he shake, | |
| And comming forth, shall spred his banner brave | |
| Over the troubled South, that it shall make | 265 |
| The warlike Mertians for feare to quake: | |
| Thrise shall he fight with them, and twise shall win, | |
| But the third time shall fayre accordaunce make: | |
| And if he then with victorie can lin, | |
| He shall his dayes with peace bring to his earthly in. | 270 |
| |
XXXI His sonne, hight Vortipore, shall him succeede | |
| In kingdome, but not in felicity; | |
| Yet shall he long time warre with happy speed, | |
| And with great honour many batteills try: | |
| But at the last to th importunity | 275 |
| Of froward fortune shall be forst to yield. | |
| But his sonne Malgo shall full mightily | |
| Avenge his fathers losse, with speare and shield, | |
| And his proud foes discomfit in victorious field. | |
| |
XXXII Behold the man! and tell me, Britomart, | 280 |
| If ay more goodly creature thou didst see: | |
| How like a gyaunt in each manly part | |
| Beares he himselfe with portly majestee, | |
| That one of th old heroes seemes to bee! | |
| He the six islands, comprovinciall | 285 |
| In auncient times unto Great Britainee, | |
| Shall to the same reduce, and to him call | |
| Their sondry kings to doe their homage severall. | |
| |
XXXIII All which his sonne Careticus awhile | |
| Shall well defend, and Saxons powre suppresse, | 290 |
| Untill a straunger king, from unknowne soyle | |
| Arriving, him with multitude oppresse; | |
| Great Gormond, having with huge mightinesse | |
| Ireland subdewd, and therein fixt his throne, | |
| Like a swift otter, fell through emptinesse, | 295 |
| Shall overswim the sea with many one | |
| Of his Norveyses, to assist the Britons fone. | |
| |
XXXIV He in his furie all shall overronne, | |
| And holy church with faithlesse handes deface, | |
| That thy sad people, utterly fordonne, | 300 |
| Shall to the utmost mountaines fly apace: | |
| Was never so great waste in any place, | |
| Nor so fowle outrage doen by living men: | |
| For all thy citties they shall sacke and race, | |
| And the greene grasse that groweth they shall bren, | 305 |
| That even the wilde beast shall dy in starved den. | |
| |
XXXV Whiles thus thy Britons doe in languour pine, | |
| Proud Etheldred shall from the North arise, | |
| Serving th ambitious will of Augustine, | |
| And passing Dee with hardy enterprise, | 310 |
| Shall backe repulse the valiaunt Brockwell twise, | |
| And Bangor with massacred martyrs fill; | |
| But the third time shall rew his foolhardise: | |
| For Cadwan, pittying his peoples ill, | |
| Shall stoutly him defeat, and thousand Saxons kill. | 315 |
| |
XXXVI But after him, Cadwallin mightily | |
| On his sonne Edwin all those wrongs shall wreake; | |
| Ne shall availe the wicked sorcery | |
| Of false Pellite, his purposes to breake, | |
| But him shall slay, and on a gallowes bleak | 320 |
| Shall give th enchaunter his unhappy hire: | |
| Then shall the Britons, late dismayd and weake, | |
| From their long vassallage gin to respire, | |
| And on their Paynim foes avenge their ranckled ire. | |
| |
XXXVII Ne shall he yet his wrath so mitigate, | 325 |
| Till both the sonnes of Edwin he have slayne, | |
| Offricke and Osricke, twinnes unfortunate, | |
| Both slaine in battaile upon Layburne playne, | |
| Together with the king of Louthiane, | |
| Hight Adin, and the king of Orkeny, | 330 |
| Both joynt partakers of their fatall payne: | |
| But Penda, fearefull of like desteny, | |
| Shall yield him selfe his liegeman, and sweare fealty. | |
| |
XXXVIII Him shall he make his fatall instrument, | |
| T afflict the other Saxons unsubdewd; | 335 |
| He marching forth with fury insolent | |
| Against the good King Oswald, who, indewd | |
| With heavenly powre, and by angels reskewd, | |
| Al holding crosses in their hands on hye, | |
| Shall him defeate withouten blood imbrewd: | 340 |
| Of which that field for endlesse memory | |
| Shall Hevenfield be cald to all posterity. | |
| |
XXXIX Whereat Cadwallin wroth, shall forth issew, | |
| And an huge hoste into Northumber lead, | |
| With which he godly Oswald shall subdew, | 345 |
| And crowne with martiredome his sacred head. | |
| Whose brother Oswin, daunted with like dread, | |
| With price of silver shall his kingdome buy, | |
| And Penda, seeking him adowne to tread, | |
| Shall tread adowne, and doe him fowly dye, | 350 |
| But shall with guifts his lord Cadwallin pacify. | |
| |
XL Then shall Cadwallin die, and then the raine | |
| Of Britons eke with him attonce shall dye; | |
| Ne shall the good Cadwallader, with paine | |
| Or powre, be hable it to remedy, | 355 |
| When the full time, prefixt by destiny, | |
| Shalbe expird of Britons regiment: | |
| For Heven it selfe shall their successe envy, | |
| And them with plagues and murrins pestilent | |
| Consume, till all their warlike puissaunce be spent. | 360 |
| |
XLI Yet after all these sorrowes, and huge hills | |
| Of dying people, during eight yeares space, | |
| Cadwallader, not yielding to his ills, | |
| From Armoricke, where long in wretched cace | |
| He livd, retourning to his native place, | 365 |
| Shalbe by vision staide from his intent: | |
| For th Heavens have decreed to displace | |
| The Britons for their sinnes dew punishment, | |
| And to the Saxons over-give their government. | |
| |
XLII Then woe, and woe, and everlasting woe, | 370 |
| Be to the Briton babe, that shalbe borne | |
| To live in thraldome of his fathers foe! | |
| Late king, now captive, late lord, now forlorne, | |
| The worlds reproch, the cruell victors scorne, | |
| Banisht from princely bowre to wasteful wood! | 375 |
| O! who shal helpe me to lament and mourne | |
| The royall seed, the antique Trojan blood, | |
| Whose empire lenger here then ever any stood? | |
| |
XLIII The damzell was full deepe empassioned, | |
| Both for his griefe, and for her peoples sake, | 380 |
| Whose future woes so plaine he fashioned, | |
| And sighing sore, at length him thus bespake: | |
| Ah! but will Hevens fury never slake, | |
| Nor vengeaunce huge relent it selfe at last? | |
| Will not long misery late mercy make, | 385 |
| But shall their name for ever be defaste, | |
| And quite from of the earth their memory be raste? | |
| |
XLIV Nay, but the terme, sayd he, is limited, | |
| That in this thraldome Britons shall abide, | |
| And the just revolution measured, | 390 |
| That they as straungers shalbe notifide: | |
| For twise fowre hundreth yeares shalbe supplide, | |
| Ere they to former rule restord shalbee, | |
| And their importune fates all satisfide: | |
| Yet during this their most obscuritee, | 395 |
| Their beames shall ofte breake forth, that men them faire may see. | |
| |
XLV For Rhodoricke, whose surname shalbe Great, | |
| Shall of him selfe a brave ensample shew, | |
| That Saxon kings his frendship shall intreat; | |
| And Howell Dha shall goodly well indew | 400 |
| The salvage minds with skill of just and trew; | |
| Then Griffyth Conan also shall up reare | |
| His dreaded head, and the old sparkes renew | |
| Of native corage, that his foes shall feare | |
| Least back againe the kingdom he from them should beare. | 405 |
| |
XLVI Ne shall the Saxons selves all peaceably | |
| Enjoy the crowne, which they from Britons wonne | |
| First ill, and after ruled wickedly: | |
| For ere two hundred yeares be full outronne, | |
| There shall a Raven, far from rising sunne, | 410 |
| With his wide wings upon them fiercely fly, | |
| And bid his faithlesse chickens overonne | |
| The fruitfull plaines, and with fell cruelty, | |
| In their avenge, tread downe the victors surquedry. | |
| |
XLVII Yet shall a third both these and thine subdew: | 415 |
| There shall a Lion from the sea-bord wood | |
| Of Neustria come roring, with a crew | |
| Of hungry whelpes, his battailous bold brood, | |
| Whose clawes were newly dipt in cruddy blood, | |
| That from the Daniske tyrants head shall rend | 420 |
| Th usurped crowne, as if that he were wood, | |
| And the spoile of the countrey conquered | |
| Emongst his young ones shall divide with bountyhed. | |
| |
XLVIII Tho, when the terme is full accomplishid, | |
| There shall a sparke of fire, which hath long-while | 425 |
| Bene in his ashes raked up and hid, | |
| Bee freshly kindled in the fruitfull ile | |
| Of Mona, where it lurked in exile; | |
| Which shall breake forth into bright burning flame, | |
| And reach into the house that beares the stile | 430 |
| Of roiall majesty and soveraine name: | |
| So shall the Briton blood their crowne agayn reclame. | |
| |
XLIX Thenceforth eternall union shall be made | |
| Betweene the nations different afore, | |
| And sacred Peace shall lovingly persuade | 435 |
| The warlike minds to learne her goodly lore, | |
| And civile armes to exercise no more: | |
| Then shall a royall Virgin raine, which shall | |
| Stretch her white rod over the Belgicke shore, | |
| And the great Castle smite so sore with all, | 440 |
| That it shall make him shake, and shortly learn to fall. | |
| |
L But yet the end is not. There Merlin stayd, | |
| As overcomen of the spirites powre, | |
| Or other ghastly spectacle dismayd, | |
| That secretly he saw, yet note discoure: | 445 |
| Which suddein fitt and halfe extatick stoure | |
| When the two fearefull wemen saw, they grew | |
| Greatly confused in behaveoure: | |
| At last the fury past, to former hew | |
| Hee turnd againe, and chearfull looks as earst did shew. | 450 |
| |
LI Then, when them selves they well instructed had | |
| Of all that needed them to be inquird, | |
| They both, conceiving hope of comfort glad, | |
| With lighter hearts unto their home retird; | |
| Where they in secret counsell close conspird, | 455 |
| How to effect so hard an enterprize, | |
| And to possesse the purpose they desird: | |
| Now this, now that twixt them they did devize, | |
| And diverse plots did frame, to maske in strange disguise. | |
| |
LII At last the nourse in her foolhardy wit | 460 |
| Conceivd a bold devise, and thus bespake: | |
| Daughter, I deeme that counsel aye most fit, | |
| That of the time doth dew advauntage take: | |
| Ye see that good King Uther now doth make | |
| Strong warre upon the Paynim brethren, hight | 465 |
| Octa and Oza, whome hee lately brake | |
| Beside Cayr Verolame in victorious fight, | |
| That now all Britany doth burne in armes bright. | |
| |
LIII That therefore nought our passage may empeach, | |
| Let us in feigned armes our selves disguize, | 470 |
| And our weake hands (whom need new strength shall teach) | |
| The dreadful speare and shield to exercize: | |
| Ne certes, daughter, that same warlike wize, | |
| I weene, would you misseeme; for ye beene tall | |
| And large of limbe t atchieve an hard emprize, | 475 |
| Ne ought ye want, but skil, which practize small | |
| Wil bring, and shortly make you a mayd martiall. | |
| |
LIV And sooth, it ought your corage much inflame, | |
| To heare so often, in that royall hous, | |
| From whence to none inferior ye came, | 480 |
| Bards tell of many wemen valorous, | |
| Which have full many feats adventurous | |
| Performd, in paragone of proudest men: | |
| The bold Bunduca, whose victorious | |
| Exployts made Rome to quake, stout Guendolen, | 485 |
| Renowmed Martia, and redoubted Emmilen; | |
| |
LV And that which more then all the rest may sway, | |
| Late dayes ensample, which these eyes beheld: | |
| In the last field before Menevia, | |
| Which Uther with those forrein pagans held, | 490 |
| I saw a Saxon virgin, the which feld | |
| Great Ulfin thrise upon the bloody playne, | |
| And had not Carados her hand withheld | |
| From rash revenge, she had him surely slayne, | |
| Yet Carados himselfe from her escapt with payne. | 495 |
| |
LVI Ah! read, quoth Britomart, how is she hight? | |
| Fayre Angela, quoth she, men do her call, | |
| No whit lesse fayre then terrible in fight: | |
| She hath the leading of a martiall | |
| And mightie people, dreaded more then all | 500 |
| The other Saxons, which doe, for her sake | |
| And love, themselves of her name Angles call. | |
| Therefore, faire infant, her ensample make | |
| Unto thy selfe, and equall corage to thee take. | |
| |
LVII Her harty wordes so deepe into the mynd | 505 |
| Of the yong damzell sunke, that great desire | |
| Of warlike armes in her forthwith they tynd, | |
| And generous stout courage did inspyre, | |
| That she resolvd, unweeting to her syre, | |
| Adventrous knighthood on her selfe to don, | 510 |
| And counseld with her nourse, her maides attyre | |
| To turne into a massy habergeon, | |
| And bad her all things put in readinesse anon. | |
| |
LVIII Th old woman nought that needed did omit; | |
| But all thinges did conveniently purvay. | 515 |
| It fortuned (so time their turne did fitt) | |
| A band of Britons, ryding on forray | |
| Few dayes before, had gotten a great pray | |
| Of Saxon goods, emongst the which was seene | |
| A goodly armour, and full rich aray, | 520 |
| Which longd to Angela, the Saxon queene, | |
| All fretted round with gold, and goodly wel beseene. | |
| |
LIX The same, with all the other ornaments, | |
| King Ryence caused to be hanged hy | |
| In his chiefe church, for endlesse moniments | 525 |
| Of his successe and gladfull victory: | |
| Of which her selfe avising readily, | |
| In th evening late old Glauce thether led | |
| Faire Britomart, and that same armory | |
| Downe taking, her therein appareled, | 530 |
| Well as she might, and with brave bauldrick garnished. | |
| |
LX Beside those armes there stood a mightie speare, | |
| Which Bladud made by magick art of yore, | |
| And usd the same in batteill aye to beare; | |
| Sith which it had beene here preservd in store, | 535 |
| For his great vertues proved long afore: | |
| For never wight so fast in sell could sit, | |
| But him perforce unto the ground it bore: | |
| Both speare she tooke and shield, which hong by it; | |
| Both speare and shield of great powre, for her purpose fit. | 540 |
| |
LXI Thus when she had the virgin all arayd, | |
| Another harnesse, which did hang thereby, | |
| About her selfe she dight, that the yong mayd | |
| She might in equall armes accompany, | |
| And as her squyre attend her carefully: | 545 |
| Tho to their ready steedes they clombe full light, | |
| And through back waies, that none might them espy, | |
| Covered with secret cloud of silent night, | |
| Themselves they forth convaid, and passed forward right. | |
| |
LXII Ne rested they, till that to Faery Lond | 550 |
| They came, as Merlin them directed late: | |
| Where meeting with this Redcrosse Knight, she fond | |
| Of diverse thinges discourses to dilate, | |
| But most of Arthegall and his estate. | |
| At last their wayes so fell, that they mote part: | 555 |
| Then each to other well affectionate, | |
| Frendship professed with unfained hart: | |
| The Redcrosse Knight diverst, but forth rode Britomart. | |
| |