Laurel · Edmund Spenser · The Faerie Queene, Book I

Canto I

Edmund Spenser (c. 1552–1599) · 1590

iambic pentameter · ABABBCBCC · 499 lines · from The Faerie Queene, Book I

The Patron of true Holinessefoule Errour doth defeate;Hypocrisie him to entrappedoth to his home entreate.

A GENTLE Knight was pricking on the plaine,Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,The cruel markes of many'a bloudy 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 giusts and fierce encounters fitt.

And on his brest a bloudie 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 cheere did seeme too solemne sad;Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.

Upon a great adventure he was bond,That greatest Gloriana to him gave,That greatest Glorious Queene of Faerie lond,To winne him worship, and her grace to have,Which of all earthly things he most did crave;And ever as he rode, his hart did earneTo prove his puissance in battell braveUpon his foe, and his new force to learne;Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.

A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,Yet she much whiter, but the same did hideUnder a vele, that wimpled was full low,And over all a blacke stole she did throw,As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow;Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.

So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,She was in life and every vertuous lore,And by descent from Royall lynage cameOf ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yoreTheir scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,And all the world in their subjection held;Till that infernall feend with foule uproreForwasted all their land, and them expeld:Whom to avenge, she had this Knight from far compeld.

Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,That lasie seemd in being ever last,Or wearied with bearing of her bagOf needments at his backe. Thus as they past,The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,And angry Jove an hideous storme of raineDid poure into his Lemans lap so fast,That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain,And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.

Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,A shadie grove not far away they spide,That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers prideDid spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,Not perceable with power of any starre:And all within were pathes and alleies wide,With footing worne, and leading inward farre:Faire harbour that them seemes; so in they entred arre.

And 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 prayse the trees so straight and hy,The sayling Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,The vine-prop Elme, the Poplar never dry,The builder Oake, sole king of forrests all,The Aspine good for staves, the Cypresse funerall.

The Laurell, meed of mightie ConqueroursAnd 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.

Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,Untill the blustring storme is overblowne;When weening to returne, whence they did stray,They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,But wander too and fro in wayes 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.

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 tract they hunted had throughout,At length it brought them to a hollow caveAmid the thickest woods. The Champion stoutEftsoones dismounted from his courser brave,And to the Dwarfe awhile his needlesse spere he gave.

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 stroke,Sir Knight, with-hold, till further triall made.Ah Ladie, (said he) shame were to revokeThe forward footing for an hidden shade:Vertue gives her selfe light, through darkenesse for to wade.

Yea but (quoth she) the perill of this placeI better wot then you, though now too lateTo 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 read beware. Fly fly (quoth thenThe fearefull Dwarfe) this is no place for living men.

But full of fire and greedy hardiment,The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,But forth unto the darksome hole he went,And looked in: his glistring armor madeA 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.

And as she lay upon the durtie ground,Her huge long taile her den all overspred,Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound,Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bredA thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,Sucking upon her poisnous dugs, eachoneOf sundry shapes, yet all ill favored:Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone,Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone.

Their dam upstart, out of her den effraide,And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taileAbout her cursed head, whose folds displaidWere stretcht now forth at length without entraile.She lookt about, and seeing one in mayleArmed to point, sought backe to turne againe;For light she hated as the deadly bale,Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine,Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.

Which when the valiant Elfe perceiv'd, he leptAs Lyon fierce upon the flying pray,And with his trenchand blade her boldly keptFrom turning backe, and forced her to stay:Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray,And turning fierce, her speckled taile advaunst,Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay:Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst:The stroke down from her head unto her shoulder glaunst.

Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round,And all attonce her beastly body raizdWith doubled forces high above the ground:Tho wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd,Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traineAll suddenly about his body wound,That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine:God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.

His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,Add faith unto your force, and be not faint:Strangle her, else 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 force got one hand free,Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine,That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.

Therewith she spewd out of her filthy mawA floud of poyson horrible and blacke,Full of great lumpes of flesh and gobbets raw,Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slackeHis grasping hold, and from her turne him backe:Her vomit full of bookes and papers was,With loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke,And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has.

As when old father Nilus gins to swellWith timely pride above the Aegyptian vale,His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell,And overflow each plaine and lowly dale:But when his later spring gins to avale,Huge heapes of mudd he leaves, wherein there breedTen thousand kindes of creatures, partly maleAnd partly female of his fruitful seed;Such ugly monstrous shapes elswhere may no man reed.

The same so sore annoyed has the knight,That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke,His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.Whose corage when the feend perceiv'd to shrinke,She poured forth out of her hellish sinkeHer fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small,Deformed monsters, fowle, and blacke as inke,With swarming all about his legs did crall,And him encombred sore, but could not hurt at all.

As gentle Shepheard in sweete even-tide,When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west,High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide,Markes which do byte their hasty supper best,A cloud of combrous gnattes do him molest,All striving to infixe their feeble stings,That from their noyance he no where can rest,But with his clownish hands their tender wingsHe brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings.

Thus ill bestedd, and fearefull more of shame,Then of the certeine perill he stood in,Halfe furious unto his foe he came,Resolv'd in minde all suddenly to win,Or soone to lose, before he once would linAnd strooke at her with more then manly force,That from her body full of filthie sinHe raft her hatefull head without remorse;A streame of cole black bloud forth gushed from her corse.

Her scattred brood, soone as their Parent deareThey saw so rudely falling to the ground,Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare,Gathred themselves about her body round,Weening their wonted entrance to have foundAt her wide mouth: but being there withstoodThey flocked all about her bleeding wound,And sucked up their dying mothers blood,Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good.

That detestable sight him much amazde,To see th' unkindly Impes, 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 endOf 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.

His Ladie seeing all that chaunst, from farreApprocht in hast to greet his victorie,And said, Faire knight, borne under happy starre,Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye:Well worthie be you of that Armorie,Wherin 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.

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 by-way 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)He passed forth, and new adventure sought;Long way he travelled, before he heard of ought.

At length they chaunst to meet upon the wayAn aged Sire, in long blacke weedes yclad,His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie grayAnd 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 voyde of malice bad,And all the way he prayed, as he went,And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.

He faire the knight saluted, louting low,Who faire him quited, as that courteous was:And after asked him, if he did knowOf straunge adventures, which abroad did pas.Ah my deare Sonne (quoth he) how should, alas,Silly old man, that lives in hidden cell,Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?With holy father sits not with such things to mell.

But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell,And homebred evil ye desire to heare,Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,That wasteth all this countrey farre and neare.Of such (said he) I chiefly do inquere,And shall you well reward to shew the place,In which that wicked wight his dayes doth weare:For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace,That such a cursed creature lives so long a space.

Far hence (quoth he) in wastfull wildernesseHis dwelling is, by which no living wightMay ever passe, but thorough great distresse.Now (sayd the Lady) draweth toward night,And well I wote, that of your later fightYe all forwearied be: for what so strong,But wanting rest will also want of might?The Sunne that measures heaven all day long,At night doth baite his steedes the Ocean waves emong.

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 winIs wisely to advise: now day is spent;Therefore with me ye may take up your InFor this same night. The knight was well content:So with that godly father to his home they went.

A little lowly Hermitage it was,Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side,Far from resort of people, that did pasIn travell to and froe: a little wydeThere was an holy Chappell edifyde,Wherein the Hermite dewly wont to sayHis holy things each morne and eventyde:Thereby a Christall streame did gently play,Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.

Arrived there, the little house they fill,Ne looke for entertainement, where none was:Rest is their feast, and all things at their will:The noblest mind the best contentment has.With faire discourse the evening so they pas:For that old man of pleasing wordes had store,And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas,He told of Saintes and Popes, and evermoreHe strowd an Ave-Mary after and before.

The drouping Night thus creepeth on them fast,And the sad humour loading their eye liddes,As messenger of Morpheus on them castSweet slombring deaw, the which to sleepe them biddes.Unto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes:Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes,He to this study goes, and there amiddesHis Magick bookes and artes of sundry kindes,He seekes out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy mindes.

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,And cursed heaven and spake reprochfull shameOf highest God, the Lord of life and light;A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by nameGreat Gorgon, Prince of darknesse and dead night,At which Cocytus quakes, and Styx is put to flight.

And forth he cald out of deepe darknesse dredLegions of Sprights, the which like little flyesFluttring about his ever damned hed,Awaite whereto their service he applyes,To aide his friends, or fray his enimies: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 selfe staide other worke to doo.

He making speedy way through spersed ayre,And through the world of waters wide and deepe,To Morpheus house doth hastily repaire.Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,His dwelling is; there Tethys his wet bedDoth ever wash, and Cynthia still doth steepeIn silver deaw his ever-drouping hed,Whiles sad Night over him her mantle black doth spred.

Whose double gates he findeth locked fast,The one faire fram'd of burnisht Yvory,The other all with silver overcast;And wakeful dogges before them farre do 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 deepeIn drowsie fit he findes: of nothing he takes keepe.

And more, to lulle him in his slumber soft,A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe,And ever-drizling raine upon the loft,Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowneOf 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 enemyes.

The messenger approching to him spake,But his wast wordes returnd to him in vaine:So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paineWhereat he gan to stretch: but he againeShooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braineIs tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.

The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,And threatned unto him the dreaded nameOf Hecate: whereat he gan to quake,And lifting up his lumpish head, with blameHalfe angry asked him, for what he came.Hither (quoth he) me Archimago sent,He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,He bids thee to him send for his intentA fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.

The God obayde, and, calling forth straightwayA diverse dreame out of his prison darke,Delivered it to him, and downe did layHis heavie head, devoide of carefull carke,Whose sences all were straight benumbed and starke.He backe returning by the Yvorie dore,Remounted up as light as chearefull Larke,And on his litle winges the dreame he boreIn hast unto his Lord, where he him left afore.

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 partesSo 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 itCast a black stole, most like to seeme for Una fit.

Now when that ydle dreame was to him brought,Unto that Elfin knight he bad him fly,Where he slept soundly void of evill thought,And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,In sort as he him schooled privily:And that new creature, borne without her dew,Full of the makers guile, with usage slyHe taught to imitate that Lady trew,Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew.

Thus well instructed, to their worke they hast,And coming where the knight in slomber lay,The one upon his hardy head him plastAnd 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 him his Lady by him lay,And to him playnd, how that false winged boy,Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame Pleasures toy.

And she herselfe of beautie soveraigne Queene,Fayre Venus seemde unto his bed to bringHer, whom he waking evermore did weene,To bee the chastest flowre, that ay did springOn earthly braunch, the daughter of a king,Now a loose Leman to vile service bound:And eke the Graces seemed all to sing,Hymen Io Hymen dauncing all around,Whilst freshest Flora her with Yvie girlond crownd.

In this great passion of unwonted lust,Or wonted feare of doing ought amis,He started up, as seeming to mistrustSome secret ill, or hidden foe of his:Lo there before his face his Lady is,Under blake stole hyding her bayted hooke;And as halfe blushing offred him to kis,With gentle blandishment and lovely looke,Most like that virgin true, which for her knight him took.

All cleane dismayd to see so uncouth sight,And half enraged at her shamelesse guise,He thought have slaine her in his fierce despight:But hasty heat tempring with suffrance wise,He stayde his hand, and gan himselfe adviseTo prove his sense, and tempt her faigned truth.Wringing her hands in womans pitteous wise,Tho can she weepe, to stirre up gentle ruth,Both for her noble bloud, and for her tender youth.

And said, Ah Sir, my liege Lord and my love,Shall I accuse the hidden cruell fate,And mightie causes wrought in heaven above,Or the blind God, that doth me thus amate,For hoped love to winne me certaine hate?Yet thus perforce he bids me do, or die.Die is my dew; yet rew my wretched stateYou, whom my hard avenging destinieHath made judge of my life or death indifferently.

Your owne deare sake forst me at first to leaveMy Fathers kingdome--There she stopt with teares;Her swollen hart her speech seemd to bereave,And then againe begun; My weaker yearesCaptiv'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares,Fly to your fayth for succour and sure ayde:Let me not dye in languor and long teares.Why Dame (quoth he) what hath ye thus dismayd?What frayes ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayd?

Love of your selfe, she saide, and deare constraint,Lets me not sleepe, but wast the wearie nightIn secret anguish and unpittied plaint,Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned quight.Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knightSuspect her truth: yet since no' untruth he knew,Her fawning love with foule disdainefull spightHe would not shend; but said, Deare dame I rew,That for my sake unknowne such griefe unto you grew.

Assure your selfe, it fell not all to ground;For all so deare as life is to my hart,I deeme your love, and hold me to you bound:Ne let vaine feares procure your needlesse smart,Where cause is none, but to your rest depart.Not all content, yet seemd she to appeaseHer mournefull plaintes, beguiled of her art,And fed with words that could not chuse but please,So slyding softly forth, she turned as to her ease.

Long after lay he musing at her mood,Much griev'd to thinke that gentle Dame so light,For whose defence he was to shed his blood.At last, dull wearinesse of former fightHaving yrockt asleepe his irkesome spright,That troublous dreame gan freshly tosse his braine,With bowres, and beds, and Ladies deare delight:But when he saw his labour all was vaine,With that misformed spright he backe returnd againe.

Words in this poem 156

errour n.: A wandering; a roving or irregular course. [OF. error, errur, F. erreur, L. error, fr. errare to err. See Err.]
wield v. t.: To govern; to rule; to keep, or have in charge; also, to possess. [OE. welden to govern, to have power over, to possess, AS. geweldan, gewyldan, from wealdan; akin to OS. waldan, OFries. walda, G. walten, OHG. waltan, Icel. val]
angry a.: Troublesome; vexatious; rigorous. [See Anger.]
bitt v. t.: To put round the bitts; as, to bitt the cable, in order to fasten it or to slacken it gradually, which is called veering away. [See Bitts.]
sitt: obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Sit, for sitteth.
knightly a.: Of or pertaining to a knight; becoming a knight; chivalrous; as, a knightly combat; a knightly spirit. [AS. cnihtlic boyish.]
crosse n.: The implement with which the ball is thrown and caught in the game of lacrosse.
deare: variant of Dere, v. t. & n.
glorious a.: Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory; noble; praiseworthy; excellent; splendid; illustrious; inspiring admiration; as, glorious deeds. [OF. glorios, glorious, F. glorieux, fr. L. gloriosus. See Glory, n.]
faithfull a.: Full of faith, or having faith; disposed to believe, especially in the declarations and promises of God.
winne v. t.: To gain by superiority in competition or contest; to obtain by victory over competitors or rivals; as, to win the prize in a gate; to win money; to win a battle, or to win a country. [OE. winnen, AS. winnan to strive, labor, fight, endure; akin to OFries. winna, OS. winnan, D. winnen to win, gain, G. gewinnen, OHG. winnan to strive, struggle,]
crave v. t.: To ask with earnestness or importunity; to ask with submission or humility; to beg; to entreat; to beseech; to implore. [AS. crafian; akin to Icel. krefia, Sw. kr, Dan. kr.]
rode n.: Redness; complexion. [See Rud.]
puissance n.: Power; strength; might; force; potency. [F., fr.puissant. See Puissant, and cf. Potency, Potance, Potence.]
battell n.: A single combat; as, trial by battel. See Wager of battel, under Wager. [Obs. form. of Battle.]
asse n.: A small foxlike animal (Vulpes cama) of South Africa, valued for its fur.
stole n.: A long, loose garment reaching to the feet. [AS. stole, L. stola, Gr. stall. See Stall.]
inly a.: Internal; interior; secret. [OE. inlich, AS. inlic. See In.]
palfrey n.: A saddle horse for the road, or for state occasions, as distinguished from a war horse. [OE. palefrai, OF. palefrei, F. palefroi, LL. palafredus, parafredus, from L. paraveredus a horse for extraordinary occasions, an extra post horse; Gr. veredus a]
vertuous a.: Virtuous; powerful.
royall a.: Kingly; pertaining to the crown or the sovereign; suitable for a king or queen; regal; as, royal power or prerogative; royal domains; the royal family; royal state. [OE. roial, riall, real, OF. roial. reial, F. royal, fr. L. regalis, fr. rex, regis, king. See Rich, and cf. regal, real a coin, Rial.]
yore adv.: In time long past; in old time; long since. [OE. , yare, , AS. geára;akin to geár a year, E. year. Year.]
infernall a.: Of or pertaining to or suitable for the lower regions, inhabited, according to the ancients, by the dead; pertaining to Pluto's realm of the dead, the Tartarus of the ancients. [F. infernal, L. infernalis, fr. infernus that which lies beneath, the lower. See Inferior.]
farre n.: A young pig, or a litter of pigs. [See Farrow.]
overcast v. t.: To cast or cover over; hence, to cloud; to darken.
jove n.: The chief divinity of the ancient Romans; Jupiter. [L. Jupiter, gen. Jovis, OL. Jovis, nom. & gen. for Djovis; akin to E. Tuesday. See Tuesday, and cf. Jupiter.]
wight n.: A whit; a bit; a jot. [OE. wight, wiht, a wight, a whit, AS. wiht, wuht, a creature, a thing; skin to D. wicht a child, OS. & OHG. wiht a creature, thing, G. wicht a creature, Icel. v]
fain v. t.: To be glad ; to wish or desire.
starre n.: One of the innumerable luminous bodies seen in the heavens; any heavenly body other than the sun, moon, comets, and nebulæ. [OE. sterre, AS. steorra; akin to OFries. stera, OS. sterro, D. ster, OHG. sterno, sterro, G. stern, Icel. stjarna, Sw. stjerna, Dan. stierne, Goth. staírno, Arm]
harbour n.: A station for rest and entertainment; a place of security and comfort; a refuge; a shelter. [OE herbor, herberwe, herberge, Icel. herbergi (cf. OHG. heriberga), orig., a shelter for soldiers; herr army + bjarga to save, help, defend; akin to AS. here ar]
passe a.: Past; gone by; hence, past one's prime; worn; faded; as, a passée belle. Ld. Lytton. [F.]
cruell a.: Disposed to give pain to others; willing or pleased to hurt, torment, or afflict; destitute of sympathetic kindness and pity; savage; inhuman; hard-hearted; merciless. [F. cruel, fr. L. crudelis, fr. crudus. See Crude.]
cypresse n.: A rule for construing written instruments so as to conform as nearly to the intention of the parties as is consistent with law. [OF., nearly.]
laurell n.: An evergreen shrub, of the genus Laurus (L. nobilis), having aromatic leaves of a lanceolate shape, with clusters of small, yellowish white flowers in their axils; -- called also sweet bay. [OE. lorel, laurer, lorer, OF. lorier, laurier, F. laurier, (assumed) LL. Laurarius, fr. L. laurus.]
meed v. t.: To reward; to repay. Waytt.
paramours adv.: By or with love, esp. the love of the sexes; -- sometimes written as two words.
fruitfull a.: Full of fruit; producing fruit abundantly; bearing results; prolific; fertile; liberal; bountiful; as, a fruitful tree, or season, or soil; a fruitful wife.
carver n.: One who carves; one who shapes or fashions by carving, or as by carving; esp. one who carves decorative forms, architectural adornments, etc.
untill prep.: To; unto; towards; -- used of material objects. [OE. until, ontil; un- (as in unto) + til till; cf. Dan. indtil, Sw. intill. See Unto, and Till, prep.]
amid prep.: In the midst or middle of; surrounded or encompassed by; among. [OE. amidde, amiddes, on midden, AS. on middan, in the middle, fr. midde the middle. The s is an adverbial ending, originally marking the genitive; the t is a la]
courser n.: One who courses or hunts. [F. coursier.]
awhile adv.: For a while; for some time; for a short time. [Adj. a + while time, interval.]
spere v. i.: To search; to pry; to ask; to inquire. [AS. spyrian to inquire, properly, to follow the track; akin to D. speuren, G. spüren, Icel. spyrja. sq. root171. See Spoor.]
quoth v. t.: Said; spoke; uttered; -- used only in the first and third persons in the past tenses, and always followed by its nominative, the word or words said being the object; as, quoth I. quoth he. [AS.cweedhan, imp cwæedh, pl. cwædon; akin to OS. queedhan, OHG. quethan, quedan, Icel. kveedha, Goth. qiþan. sq. root22. Cf. Bequeath.]
dreadfull a.: Full of dread or terror; fearful.
perill v. i.: To be in danger.
triall n.: The act of trying or testing in any manner. Specifically: -- (a) Any effort or exertion of strength for the purpose of ascertaining what can be done or effected. [From Try.]
wade n.: Woad. Mortimer.
steppe n.: One of the vast plains in Southeastern Europe and in Asia, generally elevated, and free from wood, analogous to many of the prairies in Western North America. See Savanna. Steppe murrain. [From Russ. stepe, through G. or F. steppe.]
beware v. t.: To avoid; to take care of; to have a care for.
hardiment n.: Hardihood; boldness; courage; energetic action. [OF. hardement. See Hardy.]
youthfull a.: Not yet mature or aged; young.
ought p. p.: Was or were under obligation to pay; owed. [Orig. the preterit of the verb to owe. OE. oughte, aughte, ahte, AS. ahte. sq. root110. See Owe.]
darksome a.: Dark; gloomy; obscure; shaded; cheerless.
went n.: Course; way; path; journey; direction.
glooming n.: Twilight (of morning or evening); the gloaming. [Cf. Gloaming.]
horribly adv.: In a manner to excite horror; dreadfully; terribly.
mortall a.: Subject to death; destined to die; as, man is mortal. [F. mortel, L. mortalis, from mors, mortis, death, fr. moriri 8die; akin to E. murder. See Murder, and cf. Filemot, Mere a lake, Mortgage.]
sundry a.: Several; divers; more than one or two; various. [OE. sundry, sondry, AS. syndrig, fr. sundor asunder. See Sunder, v. t.]
rushed a.: Abounding or covered with rushes.
cursed a.: Deserving a curse; execrable; hateful; detestable; abominable.
valiant a.: Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, ]
boldly adv.: In a bold manner. [AS. bealdlice.]
therewith adv.: With that or this.
bray v. t.: To pound, beat, rub, or grind small or fine. [OE. brayen, OF. breier, F. broyer to pound, grind, fr. OHG. brehhan to break. See Break.]
dint n.: A blow; a stroke. [OE. dint, dent, dunt, a blow, AS. dynt; akin to Icel. dyntr a dint, dynta to dint, and perh. to L. fendere (in composition). Cf. 1st Dent, Defend.]
attonce adv.: At once; together. [At + once.]
beastly a.: Pertaining to, or having the form, nature, or habits of, a beast.
stirre v. t.: To change the place of in any manner; to move. [OE. stiren, steren, sturen, AS. styrian; probably akin to D. storen to disturb, G. stören, OHG. storen to scatter, destroy. *166.]
shew n.: Show. [Obs. except in shewbread.]
wherewith adv.: With which; -- used relatively.
loathly adv.: Unwillingly; reluctantly.
weedy a.: Of or pertaining to weeds; consisting of weeds.
vale n.: A tract of low ground, or of land between hills; a valley. [OE. val, F. val, L. vallis; perhaps akin to Gr. Avalanche, Vail to lower, Valley.]
outwell v. i.: To issue forth. Thomson.
avale v. t.: To cause to descend; to lower; to let fall; to doff. [F. avaler to descend, to let down. See Avalanche.]
mudd n.: Earth and water mixed so as to be soft and adhesive. Mud bass (Zoöl.), a fresh-water fish (Acantharchum pomotis) of the Eastern United States. It produces a deep grunting note. [Akin to LG. mudde, D. modder, G. moder mold, OSw. modd mud, Sw. modder mother, Dan. mudder mud. Cf. Mother a scum on liquors.]
lenger a.: Longer; longest; -- obsolete compar. and superl. of long.
phoebus n.: Apollo; the sun god.
molest v. t.: To trouble; to disturb; to render uneasy; to interfere with; to vex. [F. molester, L. molestare, fr. molestus troublesome, fr. moles a heavy mass, load, burden. See 3d Mole.]
hatefull a.: Manifesting hate or hatred; malignant; malevolent.
cole n.: A plant of the Brassica or Cabbage genus; esp. that form of B. [OE. col, caul, AS. cawl, cawel, fr. L. caulis, the stalk or stem of a plant, esp. a cabbage stalk, cabbage, akin to Gr. Cauliflower, Kale.]
corse n.: A living body or its bulk. [OF. cors, F. corps. See Corpse.]
troublous a.: Full of trouble; causing trouble.
wonted a.: Accustomed; customary; usual.
unkindly a.: Not kindly; unkind; ungracious.
accurst p. p.: Doomed to destruction or misery; cursed; hence, bad enough to be under the curse; execrable; detestable; exceedingly hateful; -- as, an accursed deed.
thurst n.: The ruins of the fallen roof resulting from the removal of the pillars and stalls. Raymond.
hast: , 2d pers. sing. pres. of. Fave, contr. of havest.
wonne v. i.: To dwell or abide. [See 1st Wone.]
henceforth adv.: From this time forward; henceforward.
wend n.: A large extent of ground; a perambulation; a circuit.
sire n.: A lord, master, or other person in authority. See Sir. [F. sire, originally, an older person. See Sir.]
sagely adv.: In a sage manner; wisely.
repent a.: Prostrate and rooting; -- said of stems. Gray. [L. repens, -entis, creeping, p. pr. of repere to creep.]
sonne n.: A male child; the male issue, or offspring, of a parent, father or mother. [OE. sone, sune, AS. sunu; akin to D. zoon, OS., OFries., & OHG. sunu, G. sohn, Icel. sonr, Sw. son, Dan. sön, Goth. sunus, Lith. sunus, Russ. suin', Skr. sunu (]
mell v. i.: To mix; to meddle. [F. mêler, OF. meller, mester. See Meddle.]
hereby adv.: By means of this.
dwell v. i.: To delay; to linger. [OE. dwellen, dwelien, to err, linger, AS. dwellan to deceive, hinder, delay, dwelian to err; akin to Icel. dvelja to delay, tarry, Sw. dväljas to dwell, Dan. dv]
shall v. i.: To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
emong: , (prep. Among.
counsell n.: Interchange of opinions; mutual advising; consultation. [OE. conc, F. conseil, fr. L. consilium, fr. the root of consulere to consult, of uncertain origin. Cf. Consult, Consul.]
hermitage n.: The habitation of a hermit; a secluded residence. [OE. hermitage, ermitage, F. hermitage, ermitage. See Hermit.]
travell v. i.: To labor; to travail. Hooker. [Properly, to labor, and the same word as travail.]
froe n.: A dirty woman; a slattern; a frow. [See Frow.]
morne a.: Of or pertaining to the morn; morning.
evermore adv.: During eternity; always; forever; for an indefinite period; at all times; -- often used substantively with for.
humour n.: Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. [OE. humour, OF. humor, umor, F. humeur, L. humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. humere, umere, to be moist. See Humid.]
morpheus n.: The god of dreams.
dame n.: A mistress of a family, who is a lady; a womam in authority; especially, a lady. [F. dame, LL. domna, fr. L. domina mistress, lady, fem. of dominus master, ruler, lord; akin to domare to tame, subdue. See Tame, and cf. Dam mother, Dan, Danger]
styx n.: The principal river of the lower world, which had to be crossed in passing to the regions of the dead.
damned a.: Sentenced to punishment in a future state; condemned; consigned to perdition.
whereto adv.: To which; -- used relatively.
tethys n.: A genus of a large naked mollusks having a very large, broad, fringed cephalic disk, and branched dorsal gills. Some of the species become a foot long and are brilliantly colored.
whiles conj.: During the time that; while. Chaucer. Fuller.
wakeful a.: Not sleeping; indisposed to sleep; watchful; vigilant.
sprite n.: A spirit; a soul; a shade; also, an apparition. See Spright. [OE. sprit, F. esprit, fr. L. spiritus. See Spirit, and cf. Sprightly.]
eternall a.: Without beginning or end of existence; always existing. [F. éternel, L. aeternalis, fr. aeternus. See Etern.]
wast: The second person singular of the verb be, in the indicative mood, imperfect tense; -- now used only in solemn or poetical style.
whereat adv.: At which; upon which; whereupon; -- used relatively.
lumpish a.: Like a lump; inert; gross; heavy; dull; spiritless.
straightway adv.: Immediately; without loss of time; without delay.
carefull a.: Full of care; anxious; solicitous [AS. cearful.]
dore v. t.: One who does; one performs or executes; one who is wont and ready to act; an actor; an agent. [From Do, v. t. & i.]
afore prep.: Before (in all its senses).
spright n.: Spirit; mind; soul; state of mind; mood. [See Sprite.]
wondrous adv.: In a wonderful or surprising manner or degree; wonderfully. [OE. wonders, adv. (later also adj.). See Wonder, n., and cf. -wards.]
witt v. t.: To know; to learn. [OE. witen, pres. ich wot, wat, I know (wot), imp. wiste, AS. witan, pres. wat, imp. wiste, wisse; akin to OFries. wita, OS. witan, D. weten, G. wissen, OHG. wiz]
goodly a.: Pleasant; agreeable; desirable. [OE. godlich, AS. g. See Good, and Like.]
clad v.: To clothe. Holland.
elfin a.: Relating to elves.
fantasy n.: Fancy; imagination; especially, a whimsical or fanciful conception; a vagary of the imagination; whim; caprice; humor. [See Fancy.]
privily adv.: In a privy manner; privately; secretly. Chaucer. 2 Pet. ii. 1.
lustfull a.: Full of lust; excited by lust Spenser. Tillotson.
flowre n.: In the popular sense, the bloom or blossom of a plant; the showy portion, usually of a different color, shape, and texture from the foliage. [OE. flour, OF. flour, flur, flor, F. fleur, fr. L. flos, floris. Cf. Blossom, Effloresce, Floret, Florid, Florin, Flour, Flourish.]
leman n.: A sweetheart, of either sex; a gallant, or a mistress; -- usually in a bad sense. Chaucer. Spenser. [OE. lemman, legman; AS.leóf dear + mann man. See Lief, and Man.]
hymen n.: A fold of muscous membrane often found at the orifice of the vagina; the vaginal membrane.
flora n.: The goddess of flowers and spring. [L., the goddess of flowers, from flos, floris, flower. See Flower.]
girlond n.: A garland; a prize. Chapman. [See Garland, n.]
unwonted a.: Not wonted; unaccustomed; unused; not made familiar by practice; as, a child unwonted to strangers.
lust v. i.: To list; to like. [AS. lystan. See Lust, n., and cf. List to choose.]
blandishment n.: The act of blandishing; a word or act expressive of affection or kindness, and tending to win the heart; soft words and artful caresses; cajolery; allurement. [Cf. OF. blandissement.]
wringing: a. & n. from Wring, v. Wringing machine, a wringer. See Wringer, 2.
ruth n.: Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [From Rue, v.: cf. Icel. hryggedh, hrygedh.]
liege a.: Sovereign; independent; having authority or right to allegiance; as, a liege lord. [OE. lige, lege, F. lige, LL. ligius, legius, liege, unlimited, complete, prob. of German origin; cf. G. ledig free from bonds and obstacles, MHG. ledec, ledic, ]
amate v. t.: To dismay; to dishearten; to daunt. [OF. amater, amatir.]
perforce v. t.: To force; to compel.
indifferently adv.: In an indifferent manner; without distinction or preference; impartially; without concern, wish, affection, or aversion; tolerably; passably.
succour v. t.: tiono run to, or run to support; hence, to help or relieve when in difficulty, want, or distress; to assist and deliver from suffering; to relieve; as, to succor a besieged city. [OE. socouren, OF. sucurre, soucourre, secorre, F. secourir, L. succurrere, succursum, to run under, run to the aid of, help, succor; sub under + currere to run.]
plaint n.: Audible expression of sorrow; lamentation; complaint; hence, a mournful song; a lament. Chaucer."The Psalmist's mournful plaint." [OE. plainte, pleynte, F. plainte, fr. L. plangere, planctum (plancta, fem. p.p.), to beat, beat the breast, lament. Cf. Complain, Plague, Plangent.]
redoubted a.: Formidable; dread.
untruth n.: The quality of being untrue; contrariety to truth; want of veracity; also, treachery; faithlessness; disloyalty.
spight n.: A woodpecker. See Speight.
shend v. t.: To injure, mar, spoil, or harm. [AS. scendan to disgrace, bring to shame, from sceand, sceond, disgrace, dishonor, shame; akin to G. schande, Goth. skanda. See Shame, n.]
depart v. i.: To part; to divide; to separate. [OE. departen to divide, part, depart, F. départir to divide, distribute, se départir to separate one's self, depart; pref. dé- (L. de) + partir to part, depart,]
defence n.: The act of defending, or the state of being defended; protection, as from violence or danger. [F. défense, OF. defense, fem., defens, masc., fr. L. defensa (cf. Fence.]

Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.

About this text

Canto I is in the public domain. This text is taken from The Faerie Queene, Book I, Project Gutenberg ebook #15272; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.

Cite as: Edmund Spenser, Canto I, in The Faerie Queene, Book I (1590), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #15272, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/faerie-queene/canto-i.html, id L15816.

Form and metre

Canto I is 499 lines in 56 stanzas. The rhyme scheme is ABABBCBCC, complete in 55 of its 56 stanzas. The metre is iambic pentameter, measured from the stress the words themselves fix (confidence 90%). 96% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.2 syllables. 18 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 18% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.

See other poems in iambic pentameter.

Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.

Rhyme words, stanza by stanza

The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.

1 -A-A holinesse · defeate^A · entrappe · entreate^A
2 ABABBCBCC plaine^A · shielde^B · remaine^A · fielde^B · wield^B · bitt^C · yield^B · sitt^C · fitt^C
3 ABABBCBCC bore^A · lord^B · wore^A · ador'd^B · scor'd^B · had^C · word^B · sad^C · ydrad^C
4 ABABBCBCC bond^A · gave^B · lond^A · have^B · crave^B · earne^C · brave^B · learne^C · stearne^C
5 ABABBCBCC beside^A · snow^B · hide^A · low^B · throw^B · sad^C · slow^B · had^C · lad^C
6 ABABBCBCC lambe^A · lore^B · came^A · yore^B · shore^B · held^C · uprore^B · expeld^C · compeld^C
7 ABABBCBCC lag^A · last^B · bag^A · past^B · overcast^B · raine^C · fast^B · constrain^C · fain^C
8 ABABBCBCC hand^A · spide^B · withstand^A · pride^B · hide^B · starre^C · wide^B · farre^C · arre^C
9 ABABBCBCC led^A · harmony^B · dred^A · sky^B · hy^B · tall^C · dry^B · all^C · funerall^C
10 ABABBCBCC conquerours^A · still^B · paramours^A · will^B · mill^B · wound^C · ill^B · round^C · sound^C
11 ABABBCBCC way^A · overblowne^B · stray^A · showne^B · unknowne^B · weene^C · owne^B · seene^C · been^C
12 ABABBCBCC fare^A · out^B · bare^A · about^B · throughout^B · cave^C · stout^B · brave^C · gave^C
13 ABABBCBCC milde^A · provoke^B · wilde^A · smoke^B · stroke^B · made^C · revoke^B · shade^C · wade^C
14 ABABBCBCC place^A · late^B · disgrace^A · gate^B · retrate^B · den^C · hate^B · then^C · men^C
15 ABABBCBCC hardiment^A · staide^B · went^A · made^B · shade^B · plaine^C · displaide^B · retaine^C · disdaine^C
16 ABABBCBCC ground^A · overspred^B · upwound^A · bred^B · fed^B · eachone^C · favored^B · shone^C · gone^C
17 ABABBCBCC effraide^A · taile^B · displaid^A · entraile^B · mayle^B · againe^C · bale^B · remaine^C · plaine^C
18 ABABBCBCC lept^A · pray^B · kept^A · stay^B · bray^B · advaunst^C · dismay^B · enhaunst^C · glaunst^C
19 ABABBCBCC dazd^A · round^B · raizd^A · ground^B · arownd^B · traine^C · wound^B · vaine^C · traine^C
20 ABABBCBCC constraint^A · bee^B · faint^A · thee^B · perplexitie^B · disdaine^C · free^B · paine^C · constraine^C
21 ABABBCBCC maw^A · blacke^B · raw^A · slacke^B · backe^B · was^C · lacke^B · gras^C · has^C
22 ABABBCBCC swell^A · vale^B · outwell^A · dale^B · avale^B · breed^C · male^B · seed^C · reed^C
23 ABABBCBCC knight^A · stinke^B · fight^A · shrinke^B · sinke^B · small^C · inke^B · crall^C · all^C
24 ABABBCBCC tide^A · west^B · wide^A · best^B · molest^B · stings^C · rest^B · wings^C · murmurings^C
25 ABABBCBCC shame^A · in^B · came^A · win^B · lin^B · force^C · sin^B · remorse^C · corse^C
26 ABABBCBCC deare^A · ground^B · feare^A · round^B · found^B · withstood^C · wound^B · blood^C · good^C
27 ABABBCBCC amazde^A · accurst^B · gazd^A · thurst^B · burst^B · end^C · nurst^B · spend^C · contend^C
28 ABABBCBCC farre^A · victorie^B · starre^A · lye^B · armorie^B · day^C · enimie^B · pray^C · may^C
29 ABABBCBCC againe^A · wend^B · plaine^A · bend^B · end^B · brought^C · frend^B · sought^C · ought^C
30 ABABBCBCC way^A · yclad^B · gray^A · had^B · sad^B · bent^C · bad^B · went^C · repent^C
31 ABABBCBCC low^A · was^B · know^A · pas^B · alas^B · cell^C · trespas^B · tell^C · mell^C
32 ABABBCBCC dwell^A · heare^B · tell^A · neare^B · inquere^B · place^C · weare^B · disgrace^C · space^C
33 ABABBCBCC wildernesse^A · wight^B · distresse^A · night^B · fight^B · strong^C · might^B · long^C · emong^C
34 ABABBCBCC rest^A · begin^B · best^A · bin^B · win^B · spent^C · in^B · content^C · went^C
35 ABABBCBCC was^A · side^B · pas^A · wyde^B · edifyde^B · say^C · eventyde^B · play^C · alway^C
36 ABABBCBCC fill^A · was^B · will^A · has^B · pas^B · store^C · glas^B · evermore^C · before^C
37 ABABBCBCC fast^A · liddes^B · cast^A · biddes^B · riddes^B · findes^C · amiddes^B · kindes^C · mindes^C
38 ABABBCBCC horrible^A · frame^B · terrible^A · dame^B · shame^B · light^C · name^B · night^C · flight^C
39 ABABBCBCC dred^A · flyes^B · hed^A · applyes^B · enimies^B · twoo^C · lyes^B · too^C · doo^C
40 ABABBCBCC ayre^A · deepe^B · repaire^A · steepe^B · peepe^B · bed^C · steepe^B · hed^C · spred^C
41 ABABBCBCC fast^A · yvory^B · overcast^A · lye^B · enimy^B · sleepe^C · quietly^B · deepe^C · keepe^C
42 ABABBCBCC soft^A · downe^B · loft^A · sowne^B · swowne^B · cryes^C · towne^B · lyes^C · enemyes^C
43 ABABBCBCC spake^A · vaine^B · awake^A · paine^B · againe^B · speake^C · braine^B · weake^C · breake^C
44 ABABBCBCC wake^A · name^B · quake^A · blame^B · came^B · sent^C · tame^B · intent^C · sent^C
45 ABABBCBCC straightway^A · darke^B · lay^A · carke^B · starke^B · dore^C · larke^B · bore^C · afore^C
46 ABABBCBCC artes^A · spright^B · partes^A · sight^B · quight^B · witt^C · sight^B · it^C · fit^C
47 ABABBCBCC brought^A · fly^B · thought^A · fantasy^B · privily^B · dew^C · sly^B · trew^C · hew^C
48 ABABBCBCC hast^A · lay^B · plast^A · play^B · away^B · joy^C · lay^B · boy^C · toy^C
49 ABABBCBCC queene^A · bring^B · weene^A · spring^B · king^B · bound^C · sing^B · around^C · crownd^C
50 ABABBCBCC lust^A · amis^B · mistrust^A · his^B · is^B · hooke^C · kis^B · looke^C · took^C
51 ABABBCBCC sight^A · guise^B · despight^A · wise^B · advise^B · truth^C · wise^B · ruth^C · youth^C
52 ABABBCBCC love^A · fate^B · above^A · amate^B · hate^B · die^C · state^B · destinie^C · indifferently^C
53 ABABBCBCC leave^A · teares^B · bereave^A · yeares^B · feares^B · ayde^C · teares^B · dismayd^C · affrayd^C
54 ABABBCBCC constraint^A · night^B · plaint^A · quight^B · knight^B · knew^C · spight^B · rew^C · grew^C
55 ABABBCBCC ground^A · hart^B · bound^A · smart^B · depart^B · appease^C · art^B · please^C · ease^C
56 ABABBCBCC mood^A · light^B · blood^A · fight^B · spright^B · braine^C · delight^B · vaine^C · againe^C

Scansion, line by line

Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.

Line	Syl.	Stress
The Patron of true Holinesse	8	·/˘·····
foule Errour doth defeate;	7	/˘/˘···
Hypocrisie him to entrappe	8	······˘/
doth to his home entreate.	6	······
A GENTLE Knight was pricking on the plaine,	10	·/˘··/˘···
Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,	10	·······/˘·
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,	10	··········
The cruel markes of many'a bloudy fielde;	10	·/˘·······
Yet armes till that time did he never wield:	10	·······/˘·
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,	10	·/˘·······
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:	10	··········
Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,	10	·/˘·······
As one for knightly giusts and fierce encounters fitt.	11	···/˘···˘/·
And on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,	10	··········
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,	10	··˘/˘··/˘·
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,	10	·····/˘···
And dead as living ever him ador'd:	10	···/˘/˘·˘/
Upon his shield the like was also scor'd,	10	·······/˘·
For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had:	11	···········
Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,	10	·/˘·······
But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad;	10	··········
Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad.	11	·/˘····/·˘/
Upon a great adventure he was bond,	10	····˘/˘···
That greatest Gloriana to him gave,	10	·/˘·˘/˘···
That greatest Glorious Queene of Faerie lond,	10	·/˘/˘·····
To winne him worship, and her grace to have,	10	···/˘·····
Which of all earthly things he most did crave;	10	···/˘·····
And ever as he rode, his hart did earne	10	·/˘·······
To prove his puissance in battell brave	10	···/˘˘····
Upon his foe, and his new force to learne;	10	··········
Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.	11	·····/˘/˘··
A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,	10	·/˘·····˘/
Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,	10	···/˘·····
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide	10	···/˘·····
Under a vele, that wimpled was full low,	10	··········
And over all a blacke stole she did throw,	10	··········
As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,	10	···/˘·····
And heavie sat upon her palfrey slow;	10	·······/˘·
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,	10	·˘···/˘···
And by her in a line a milke white lambe she lad.	12	············
So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,	10	···/˘˘····
She was in life and every vertuous lore,	11	·····/˘/˘˘·
And by descent from Royall lynage came	10	··˘/·/˘···
Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore	10	·/˘·······
Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,	10	··········
And all the world in their subjection held;	10	······˘/˘·
Till that infernall feend with foule uprore	11	··˘/˘··/˘··
Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:	10	··········
Whom to avenge, she had this Knight from far compeld.	12	··˘/········
Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,	10	····˘/····
That lasie seemd in being ever last,	10	·····/˘/˘·
Or wearied with bearing of her bag	9	·/˘·/˘···
Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,	10	··········
The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,	10	·······/˘·
And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine	10	·/˘··/˘···
Did poure into his Lemans lap so fast,	10	·····/˘···
That everie wight to shrowd it did constrain,	11	·········˘/
And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.	12	···/˘···˘/··
Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,	10	·····/˘···
A shadie grove not far away they spide,	10	······˘/··
That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:	10	·····/˘·˘/
Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride	10	·······/˘·
Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,	10	·····/˘···
Not perceable with power of any starre:	10	·····/·/˘·
And all within were pathes and alleies wide,	10	·······/˘·
With footing worne, and leading inward farre:	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
Faire harbour that them seemes; so in they entred arre.	12	·/˘······/˘·
And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led,	11	····/·/˘/˘·
Joying to heare the birdes sweete harmony,	10	/˘·····/˘˘
Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky.	10	·······/˘·
Much can they prayse the trees so straight and hy,	10	··········
The sayling Pine, the Cedar proud and tall,	10	·/˘··/˘···
The vine-prop Elme, the Poplar never dry,	10	·····/˘/˘·
The builder Oake, sole king of forrests all,	10	·/˘····/˘·
The Aspine good for staves, the Cypresse funerall.	11	·········/˘
The Laurell, meed of mightie Conquerours	10	·/˘····/˘˘
And Poets sage, the firre that weepeth still,	10	·/˘····/˘·
The Willow worne of forlorne Paramours,	10	·/········
The Eugh obedient to the benders will,	10	··˘/˘··/˘·
The Birch for shaftes, the Sallow for the mill,	10	·····/˘···
The Mirrhe sweete bleeding in the bitter wound,	10	···/˘··/˘·
The warlike Beech, the Ash for nothing ill,	10	·/·····/˘·
The fruitfull Olive, and the Platane round,	10	·/˘/˘·····
The carver Holme, the Maple seeldom inward sound.	12	·/˘··/˘··/˘·
Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,	10	··˘/··˘/··
Untill the blustring storme is overblowne;	10	˘/·/˘·····
When weening to returne, whence they did stray,	10	··········
They cannot finde that path, which first was showne,	10	·/˘·······
But wander too and fro in wayes unknowne,	10	·/˘·······
Furthest from end then, when they neerest weene,	10	/˘·····/˘·
That makes them doubt their wits be not their owne:	10	··········
So many pathes, so many turnings seene,	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
That which of them to take, in diverse doubt they been.	11	·······/···
At last resolving forward still to fare,	10	··˘/˘/˘···
Till that some end they finde or in or out,	10	··········
That path they take, that beaten seemd most bare,	10	·····/˘···
And like to lead the labyrinth about;	10	·····/˘···
Which when by tract they hunted had throughout,	10	·····/˘···
At length it brought them to a hollow cave	10	·······/˘·
Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout	10	˘/·/˘··/˘·
Eftsoones dismounted from his courser brave,	10	·······/˘·
And to the Dwarfe awhile his needlesse spere he gave.	12	····˘/·/˘···
Be well aware, quoth then that Ladie milde,	10	··˘/······
Least suddaine mischiefe ye too rash provoke:	10	········˘/
The danger hid, the place unknowne and wilde,	10	·/˘·······
Breedes dreadfull doubts: Oft fire is without smoke,	10	·/˘··/····
And perill without show: therefore your stroke,	10	·/˘·······
Sir Knight, with-hold, till further triall made.	10	·····/˘/˘·
Ah Ladie, (said he) shame were to revoke	10	········˘/
The forward footing for an hidden shade:	10	·/˘/˘··/˘·
Vertue gives her selfe light, through darkenesse for to wade.	12	············
Yea but (quoth she) the perill of this place	10	·····/˘···
I better wot then you, though now too late	10	·/˘·······
To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace,	11	·······/˘˘/
Yet wisedome warnes, whilest foot is in the gate,	12	·····/˘·····
To stay the steppe, ere forced to retrate.	10	······˘···
This is the wandring wood, this Errours den,	10	···/˘··/˘·
A monster vile, whom God and man does hate:	10	·/˘·······
Therefore I read beware. Fly fly (quoth then	10	····˘/····
The fearefull Dwarfe) this is no place for living men.	13	··········/˘·
But full of fire and greedy hardiment,	11	···/˘·/˘/˘˘
The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide,	10	·/˘·······
But forth unto the darksome hole he went,	10	·····/˘···
And looked in: his glistring armor made	10	··˘····/˘·
A litle glooming light, much like a shade,	10	·/˘/˘·····
By which he saw the ugly monster plaine,	10	·····/˘/˘·
Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide,	10	···/˘/˘˘··
But th'other halfe did womans shape retaine,	10	·····/˘···
Most lothsom, filthie, foule, and full of vile disdaine.	13	·····/˘······
And as she lay upon the durtie ground,	10	··········
Her huge long taile her den all overspred,	10	··········
Yet was in knots and many boughtes upwound,	10	·····/˘···
Pointed with mortall sting. Of her there bred	10	/˘·/˘·····
A thousand yong ones, which she dayly fed,	10	·/˘·······
Sucking upon her poisnous dugs, eachone	10	/˘········
Of sundry shapes, yet all ill favored:	10	·/˘····/˘˘
Soone as that uncouth light upon them shone,	10	···//·····
Into her mouth they crept, and suddain all were gone.	12	············
Their dam upstart, out of her den effraide,	10	··/·······
And rushed forth, hurling her hideous taile	10	···/˘·/˘··
About her cursed head, whose folds displaid	10	····˘·····
Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile.	11	···········
She lookt about, and seeing one in mayle	10	·····/˘···
Armed to point, sought backe to turne againe;	10	·˘········
For light she hated as the deadly bale,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Ay wont in desert darknesse to remaine,	10	···/˘·····
Where plain none might her see, nor she see any plaine.	12	·········/˘·
Which when the valiant Elfe perceiv'd, he lept	10	···/˘·˘/··
As Lyon fierce upon the flying pray,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept	10	···/˘··/˘·
From turning backe, and forced her to stay:	10	·/˘···˘···
Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray,	10	˘/˘/·/˘···
And turning fierce, her speckled taile advaunst,	11	·/˘··/˘····
Threatning her angry sting, him to dismay:	10	···/˘···˘/
Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst:	10	··˘/······
The stroke down from her head unto her shoulder glaunst.	12	·········/˘·
Much daunted with that dint, her sence was dazd,	10	·/˘·······
Yet kindling rage, her selfe she gathered round,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And all attonce her beastly body raizd	10	··˘/·/˘/˘·
With doubled forces high above the ground:	10	·/˘/˘·····
Tho wrapping up her wrethed sterne arownd,	10	·/˘···˘···
Lept fierce upon his shield, and her huge traine	10	··········
All suddenly about his body wound,	10	·/˘˘···/˘·
That hand or foot to stirre he strove in vaine:	10	··········
God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine.	12	·······/˘···
His Lady sad to see his sore constraint,	10	·/˘·····˘/
Cride out, Now now Sir knight, shew what ye bee,	10	··········
Add faith unto your force, and be not faint:	10	··········
Strangle her, else she sure will strangle thee.	10	/˘·····/˘·
That when he heard, in great perplexitie,	10	··········
His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine,	10	··········
And knitting all his force got one hand free,	10	·/˘·······
Wherewith he grypt her gorge with so great paine,	10	˘/········
That soone to loose her wicked bands did her constraine.	12	·····/˘·····
Therewith she spewd out of her filthy maw	10	˘/·····/˘·
A floud of poyson horrible and blacke,	10	·····/˘˘··
Full of great lumpes of flesh and gobbets raw,	10	··········
Which stunck so vildly, that it forst him slacke	10	··········
His grasping hold, and from her turne him backe:	10	·/˘·······
Her vomit full of bookes and papers was,	10	·/˘····/˘·
With loathly frogs and toades, which eyes did lacke,	10	·/˘·······
And creeping sought way in the weedy gras:	10	·/˘····/˘·
Her filthy parbreake all the place defiled has.	11	·/˘········
As when old father Nilus gins to swell	10	···/˘·····
With timely pride above the Aegyptian vale,	11	·/˘········
His fattie waves do fertile slime outwell,	10	·····/˘·˘/
And overflow each plaine and lowly dale:	10	·/˘····/˘·
But when his later spring gins to avale,	10	···/˘···˘/
Huge heapes of mudd he leaves, wherein there breed	10	··········
Ten thousand kindes of creatures, partly male	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
And partly female of his fruitful seed;	10	·/˘/···/˘·
Such ugly monstrous shapes elswhere may no man reed.	12	·/˘/˘·······
The same so sore annoyed has the knight,	10	····˘/˘···
That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke,	10	····˘··/˘·
His forces faile, ne can no lenger fight.	10	·/˘····/˘·
Whose corage when the feend perceiv'd to shrinke,	10	·/˘···˘/··
She poured forth out of her hellish sinke	10	··˘····/˘·
Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small,	10	·/˘·˘··/˘·
Deformed monsters, fowle, and blacke as inke,	10	˘//˘/˘····
With swarming all about his legs did crall,	10	·/˘·······
And him encombred sore, but could not hurt at all.	11	···········
As gentle Shepheard in sweete even-tide,	10	·/˘/˘··/˘·
When ruddy Phoebus gins to welke in west,	10	·/˘/˘·····
High on an hill, his flocke to vewen wide,	10	··········
Markes which do byte their hasty supper best,	10	·····/˘/˘·
A cloud of combrous gnattes do him molest,	10	········˘/
All striving to infixe their feeble stings,	10	·/˘····/˘·
That from their noyance he no where can rest,	10	···/˘·····
But with his clownish hands their tender wings	10	···/˘··/˘·
He brusheth oft, and oft doth mar their murmurings.	11	·/˘······/˘
Thus ill bestedd, and fearefull more of shame,	11	··/˘·······
Then of the certeine perill he stood in,	10	·····/˘···
Halfe furious unto his foe he came,	10	·/˘˘······
Resolv'd in minde all suddenly to win,	10	˘/···/˘˘··
Or soone to lose, before he once would lin	10	··········
And strooke at her with more then manly force,	10	·······/˘·
That from her body full of filthie sin	10	···/˘·····
He raft her hatefull head without remorse;	10	···/˘···˘/
A streame of cole black bloud forth gushed from her corse.	11	···········
Her scattred brood, soone as their Parent deare	10	·/˘····/˘·
They saw so rudely falling to the ground,	10	···/˘/˘···
Groning full deadly, all with troublous feare,	10	/˘·/˘··/˘·
Gathred themselves about her body round,	10	/˘˘/···/˘·
Weening their wonted entrance to have found	10	···/˘/˘···
At her wide mouth: but being there withstood	10	·····/˘·˘/
They flocked all about her bleeding wound,	10	··˘····/˘·
And sucked up their dying mothers blood,	10	··˘··/˘/˘·
Making her death their life, and eke her hurt their good.	12	/˘··········
That detestable sight him much amazde,	10	·˘/˘˘·····
To see th' unkindly Impes, of heaven accurst,	10	··˘/˘··/··
Devoure their dam; on whom while so he gazd,	10	··········
Having all satisfide their bloudy thurst,	10	/˘········
Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst,	10	·/˘·······
And bowels gushing forth: well worthy end	10	·/˘/˘··/˘·
Of such as drunke her life, the which them nurst;	10	··········
Now needeth him no lenger labour spend,	10	·/˘··/˘/··
His foes have slaine themselves, with whom he should contend.	12	····˘/····˘/
His Ladie seeing all that chaunst, from farre	10	···/˘·····
Approcht in hast to greet his victorie,	10	··········
And said, Faire knight, borne under happy starre,	10	·······/˘·
Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye:	10	··········
Well worthie be you of that Armorie,	10	··········
Wherin ye have great glory wonne this day,	10	·····/˘···
And proov'd your strength on a strong enimie,	10	··········
Your first adventure: many such I pray,	10	··˘/˘/˘···
And henceforth ever wish that like succeed it may.	11	·///···˘/··
Then mounted he upon his Steede againe,	10	·/˘·······
And with the Lady backward sought to wend;	10	···/˘/˘···
That path he kept which beaten was most plaine,	10	·····/˘···
Ne ever would to any by-way bend,	10	·/˘··/˘···
But still did follow one unto the end,	10	···/˘·····
The which at last out of the wood them brought.	10	··········
So forward on his way (with God to frend)	10	·/˘·······
He passed forth, and new adventure sought;	10	··˘···˘/˘·
Long way he travelled, before he heard of ought.	11	···/˘······
At length they chaunst to meet upon the way	10	··········
An aged Sire, in long blacke weedes yclad,	10	··/˘······
His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie gray	10	··········
And by his belt his booke he hanging had;	10	·······/˘·
Sober he seemde, and very sagely sad,	10	/˘···/˘/˘·
And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,	10	·······/˘·
Simple in shew, and voyde of malice bad,	10	/˘·····/˘·
And all the way he prayed, as he went,	10	······˘···
And often knockt his brest, as one that did repent.	12	·/˘·······˘/
He faire the knight saluted, louting low,	10	····˘/˘/˘·
Who faire him quited, as that courteous was:	10	···/˘··/˘·
And after asked him, if he did know	10	····˘·····
Of straunge adventures, which abroad did pas.	10	··˘/˘·˘/··
Ah my deare Sonne (quoth he) how should, alas,	10	········˘/
Silly old man, that lives in hidden cell,	10	/˘·····/˘·
Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,	10	/˘········
Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?	10	/˘···/˘/˘·
With holy father sits not with such things to mell.	12	·/˘/˘·······
But if of daunger which hereby doth dwell,	10	······˘/··
And homebred evil ye desire to heare,	10	·/˘/·˘/˘··
Of a straunge man I can you tidings tell,	10	·······/˘·
That wasteth all this countrey farre and neare.	10	·/˘·······
Of such (said he) I chiefly do inquere,	10	·····/˘···
And shall you well reward to shew the place,	10	····˘/····
In which that wicked wight his dayes doth weare:	10	···/˘·····
For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace,	11	···/···/˘˘/
That such a cursed creature lives so long a space.	11	····/˘·····
Far hence (quoth he) in wastfull wildernesse	10	··········
His dwelling is, by which no living wight	10	·/˘····/˘·
May ever passe, but thorough great distresse.	10	·/·/·/˘···
Now (sayd the Lady) draweth toward night,	10	···/˘/˘···
And well I wote, that of your later fight	10	·······/˘·
Ye all forwearied be: for what so strong,	9	·········
But wanting rest will also want of might?	10	·/˘··/˘···
The Sunne that measures heaven all day long,	10	···/˘/˘···
At night doth baite his steedes the Ocean waves emong.	11	·······/···
Then with the Sunne take Sir, your timely rest,	10	·······/˘·
And with new day new worke at once begin:	10	········˘/
Untroubled night they say gives counsell best.	10	˘/˘····/˘·
Right well Sir knight ye have advised bin,	10	······˘/˘·
(Quoth then that aged man;) the way to win	9	·········
Is wisely to advise: now day is spent;	10	·/˘·˘/····
Therefore with me ye may take up your In	10	··········
For this same night. The knight was well content:	10	········/˘
So with that godly father to his home they went.	12	···/˘/˘·····
A little lowly Hermitage it was,	10	·/˘/˘/˘˘··
Downe in a dale, hard by a forests side,	10	·······/˘·
Far from resort of people, that did pas	10	··˘/·/˘···
In travell to and froe: a little wyde	10	·/˘····/˘·
There was an holy Chappell edifyde,	10	···/˘/˘···
Wherein the Hermite dewly wont to say	10	··········
His holy things each morne and eventyde:	11	·/˘··/˘····
Thereby a Christall streame did gently play,	10	···/˘··/˘·
Which from a sacred fountaine welled forth alway.	11	···/˘˘/··/˘
Arrived there, the little house they fill,	10	˘/˘··/˘···
Ne looke for entertainement, where none was:	11	···········
Rest is their feast, and all things at their will:	10	··········
The noblest mind the best contentment has.	10	·/˘···˘/˘·
With faire discourse the evening so they pas:	10	··/˘·/˘···
For that old man of pleasing wordes had store,	10	·····/˘···
And well could file his tongue as smooth as glas,	10	··········
He told of Saintes and Popes, and evermore	10	·······/˘·
He strowd an Ave-Mary after and before.	12	···/˘/˘·····
The drouping Night thus creepeth on them fast,	10	·····/˘···
And the sad humour loading their eye liddes,	10	···/˘/˘···
As messenger of Morpheus on them cast	10	·/˘˘·/˘···
Sweet slombring deaw, the which to sleepe them biddes.	10	··········
Unto their lodgings then his guestes he riddes:	10	···/˘·····
Where when all drownd in deadly sleepe he findes,	10	·····/˘···
He to this study goes, and there amiddes	10	···/˘···˘/
His Magick bookes and artes of sundry kindes,	11	·····/˘·/˘·
He seekes out mighty charmes, to trouble sleepy mindes.	12	···/˘··/˘/˘·
Then choosing out few words most horrible,	10	·/˘····/˘˘
(Let none them read) thereof did verses frame,	10	·······/˘·
With which and other spelles like terrible,	10	···/˘··/˘˘
He bad awake blacke Plutoes griesly Dame,	10	··˘/·/˘···
And cursed heaven and spake reprochfull shame	10	··/˘······
Of highest God, the Lord of life and light;	10	·/˘·······
A bold bad man, that dar'd to call by name	10	··········
Great Gorgon, Prince of darknesse and dead night,	10	·/˘·······
At which Cocytus quakes, and Styx is put to flight.	12	············
And forth he cald out of deepe darknesse dred	10	··········
Legions of Sprights, the which like little flyes	10	/˘·····/˘·
Fluttring about his ever damned hed,	10	/˘˘···/˘··
Awaite whereto their service he applyes,	10	··˘/·/˘·˘/
To aide his friends, or fray his enimies:	9	·········
Of those he chose out two, the falsest twoo,	10	·······/˘·
And fittest for to forge true-seeming lyes;	10	·/˘····/˘·
The one of them he gave a message too,	10	·······/˘·
The other by him selfe staide other worke to doo.	12	·/˘····/˘···
He making speedy way through spersed ayre,	10	·/˘/˘···˘·
And through the world of waters wide and deepe,	10	·····/˘···
To Morpheus house doth hastily repaire.	10	·/˘··/˘˘··
Amid the bowels of the earth full steepe,	10	˘/·/˘·····
And low, where dawning day doth never peepe,	10	···/˘··/˘·
His dwelling is; there Tethys his wet bed	10	·/˘··/˘···
Doth ever wash, and Cynthia still doth steepe	10	·/··/˘˘···
In silver deaw his ever-drouping hed,	10	·/˘··/˘···
Whiles sad Night over him her mantle black doth spred.	11	······/˘···
Whose double gates he findeth locked fast,	10	·/˘··/˘·˘·
The one faire fram'd of burnisht Yvory,	10	··········
The other all with silver overcast;	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
And wakeful dogges before them farre do lye,	10	·/˘·······
Watching to banish Care their enimy,	10	/˘·/˘·····
Who oft is wont to trouble gentle Sleepe.	10	·····/˘/˘·
By them the Sprite doth passe in quietly,	11	······/·/˘˘
And unto Morpheus comes, whom drowned deepe	10	···/˘···˘·
In drowsie fit he findes: of nothing he takes keepe.	12	·······/˘···
And more, to lulle him in his slumber soft,	11	········/˘·
A trickling streame from high rock tumbling downe,	10	·/˘····/˘·
And ever-drizling raine upon the loft,	10	·/˘·······
Mixt with a murmuring winde, much like the sowne	10	···/˘·····
Of swarming Bees, did cast him in a swowne:	10	·/˘·······
No other noyse, nor peoples troublous cryes,	10	·/˘··/˘/˘·
As still are wont t'annoy the walled towne,	10	········˘·
Might there be heard: but carelesse Quiet lyes,	10	········/·
Wrapt in eternall silence farre from enemyes.	11	··˘/˘/˘··/˘
The messenger approching to him spake,	10	·/˘˘······
But his wast wordes returnd to him in vaine:	10	··········
So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.	10	········˘/
Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine	10	·/˘·······
Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe	10	˘/········
Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake.	10	······˘···
As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine	10	·······/˘·
Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake,	10	···/˘··/˘·
He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.	12	·/˘······/˘·
The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,	10	·····/˘···
And threatned unto him the dreaded name	10	··˘····/˘·
Of Hecate: whereat he gan to quake,	9	···˘/····
And lifting up his lumpish head, with blame	10	·/˘··/˘···
Halfe angry asked him, for what he came.	10	·/˘·˘·····
Hither (quoth he) me Archimago sent,	10	/˘········
He that the stubborne Sprites can wisely tame,	10	·······/˘·
He bids thee to him send for his intent	10	········˘/
A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent.	12	······˘/·/˘·
The God obayde, and, calling forth straightway	10	·····/˘·/˘
A diverse dreame out of his prison darke,	10	·˘/····/˘·
Delivered it to him, and downe did lay	10	˘/˘·······
His heavie head, devoide of carefull carke,	10	·······/˘·
Whose sences all were straight benumbed and starke.	10	······˘/··
He backe returning by the Yvorie dore,	11	··˘/˘······
Remounted up as light as chearefull Larke,	11	···········
And on his litle winges the dreame he bore	10	···/˘·····
In hast unto his Lord, where he him left afore.	12	··········˘/

The first 400 of 499 lines; the reader marks them all.

On this poem

I. The Plot: At the bidding of Gloriana, the Redcross Knight undertakes to deliver Una's parents from a dragon who holds them captive. He sets out upon his quest attended by a dwarf and guided by Una, mounted on an ass and leading a lamb. They are driven by a storm into a forest, where they discover the cave of Error, who is slain by the Knight. They are then beguiled into the house of Archimago, an old enchanter. By his magic he leads the Knight in a dream to believe that Una is false to him, and thus separates them. II. The Allegory: 1. Holiness, the love of God, united with Truth, the knowledge of God, is to deliver man from the thraldom of the Devil. Together they are able to overthrow Error; but Hypocrisy deceitfully alienates Holiness from Truth by making the latter appear unworthy of love.

Notes from the edition 73

Notes by Kate M. Warren to The Faerie Queene, Book I (1897; Project Gutenberg #15272).

Stanza 1, line 1 Tell in your own words the story of this canto. 2. Which muse does Spenser invoke? 3. Who were the nine muses? 4. What is the difference between pastoral and epic poetry? 5. Illustrate by The Shepheards Calender and the The Faerie Queene. 6. Point out imitations of Homer, Vergil, Lucan, Statius, Ariosto, Tasso, and Chaucer. 7. Explain the reference to the religious questions and politics of Queen Elizabeth's reign. 8. Where does Spenser use classical mythology--mediaeval legends? 9. What references to the Bible do you find? 10. Try to make a mental picture of the Knight--of Una--of Error--of Archimago. 11. Is Spenser's character drawing objective or subjective? 12. Is the description of the wood in vii true to nature? Could so many trees grow together in a thick wood? 13. Study the Rembrandt-like effects of light and shade in xiv. 14. What infernal deities are conjured up by Archimago?
Stanza 1, line 2 There is a hint of the intrigues of the false Roman church and the treacherous Spanish king, Philip II, to undermine the religious and political freedom of the English people. The English nation, following the Reformed church, overthrows the Catholic faith, but is deceived by the machinations of Spanish diplomacy.
Stanza 1, line 4 His shield bore "a cross gules upon a field argent," a red cross on a silver ground. See The Birth of St. George in Percy's Reliques, iii, 3, and Malory's Morte d'Arthur, iii, 65.
Stanza 2, line 1 A GENTLE KNIGHT, the Redcross Knight, representing the church militant, and Reformed England. He is the young, untried champion of the old cause whose struggles before the Reformation are referred to in ll. 3,
Stanza 2, line 3 She is half human, half serpent, because error is partly true and partly false. Dante's Fraud and Milton's Sin are similar monsters.
Stanza 3, line 2 Paraphrase in your own language ll. 88, 106-107, 116, 267-268.
Stanza 3, line 3 Explain use of of in l. 75. 17. What part of speech is wandering l. 114? to viewen l. 201? parse which l. 232; him and spend l. 233; you and shew l. 276. 18. Find examples of Euphuistic hyperbole in iv, of alliteration in xiv. 19. Explain the use and form of eyne, edified, afflicted, weeds, Hebean, impe, compeld, areeds, blazon, ycladd.
Stanza 3, line 6 FOR SOVERAINE HOPE, as a sign of the supreme hope.
Stanza 4, line 2 GREATEST GLORIANA, Queen Elizabeth. In other books of The Faerie Queene she is called Belphoebe, the patroness of chastity, and Britomart, the military genius of Britain.
Stanza 4, line 9 A DRAGON, "the great dragon, that old serpent, called the devil," Revelation, xii, 9, also Rome and Spain. Cf. legend of St. George and the dragon, and Fletcher's Purple Island, vii seq.
Stanza 5, line 1 A LOVELY LADIE, Una, the personification of truth and true religion. Her lamb symbolizes innocence.
Stanza 7, line 1 A DWARFE, representing prudence, or common sense; according to Morley, the flesh.
Stanza 8, line 2 A SHADIE GROVE, the wood of Error. "By it Spenser shadows forth the danger surrounding the mind that escapes from the bondage of Roman authority and thinks for itself."--Kitchin. The description of the wood is an imitation of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, i, 37, Chaucer's Assembly of Foules, 176, and Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, iii, 75. Morley sees in this grove an allegory of man's life, the trees symbolizing trade, pleasure, youth, etc.
Stanza 9, line 3 THE LOPLAR NEVER DRY, because it grows best in moist soil.
Stanza 9, line 6 THE SAYLING PINE. Ships were built of pine.
Stanza 9, line 8 THE BUILDER OAKE. In the Middle Ages most manor houses and churches were built of oak.
Stanza 9, line 9 THE CYPRESSE FUNERALL, an emblem of death among the ancients, and sacred to Pluto. Sidney says that they were wont to dress graves with cypress branches in old times.
Stanza 10, line 1 THE LAURELL. Victors at the Pythian games and triumphing Roman generals were crowned with laurel. It was also sacred to Apollo, the god of poetry, hence "meed of poets sage."
Stanza 10, line 2 THE FIRRE THAT WEEPETH STILL. The fir exudes resinous substance.
Stanza 10, line 3 THE WILLOW. "Willows: a sad tree, whereof such who have lost their love make their mourning garlands."--Fuller's Worthies, i, 153. Cf. Heywood's Song of the Green Willow, and Desdemona's song in Othello, IV, iii, 39.
Stanza 10, line 4 THE EUGH. Ascham in his Toxophilus tells us that the best bows were made of yew.
Stanza 10, line 6 THE MIRRHE, the Arabian myrtle, which exudes a bitter but fragrant gum. The allusion is to the wounding of Myrrha by her father and her metamorphosis into this tree.
Stanza 10, line 7 THE WARLIKE BEECH, because lances and other arms were made of it. THE ASH FOR NOTHING ILL. "The uses of the ash is one of the most universal: it serves the souldier, the carpenter, the wheelwright, cartwright, cooper, turner, and thatcher."--Evelyn's Sylva. The great tree Igdrasil in the northern mythology was an ash.
Stanza 10, line 9 THE CARVER HOLME, or evergreen oak, was good for carving.
Stanza 13, line 7 SHAME WERE TO REVOKE, etc., it would be cowardly not to go forward for fear of some suspected unseen danger.
Stanza 14, line 6 THE WANDRING WOOD, i.e. which causes men to go astray.
Stanza 15, line 6 MONSTER. The description of the monster Error, or Falsehood, is based on Hesiod's Echidna, Theog. 301, and the locusts in Revelation, ix,
Stanza 15, line 9 FULL OF VILE DISDAINE, full of vileness that bred disgust in the beholder.
Stanza 16, line 4 OF HER THERE BRED, etc., of her were born a thousand young ones. Her offspring are lies and rumors of many shapes.
Stanza 17, line 6 ARMED TO POINT, completely armed. Cf. Fr. a point, to a nicety.
Stanza 18, line 1 THE VALIANT ELFE, because he was the reputed son of an Elfin or Faerie, though really sprung from "an ancient race of Saxon kings." Three kinds of elves are mentioned in the Edda: the black dwarfs, and brownies, who both dwelt under ground, and the fair elves, who dwelt in Fairyland or Alfheim. "The difference between Spenser's elves and these Teutonic elves shows how he perverts Fairy mythology in the same way as he does Classical myths."--Percival.
Stanza 20, line 6 HIS GALL DID GRATE FOR GRIEFE, his anger was aroused on account of pain. In the old anatomy anger had its seat in the gallbladder. See Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, I, i, 2.
Stanza 21, line 6 HER VOMIT FULL OF BOOKES, etc. From 1570, when Pope Sixtus V issued his bull of deposition against Queen Elizabeth, to 1590, great numbers of scurrilous pamphlets attacking the Queen and the Reformed church had been disseminated by Jesuit refugees.
Stanza 22, line 1 NILUS. Pliny believed that the mud of the Nile had the power of breeding living creatures like mice. Hist. Nat. ix, 84. So Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, II, vii, 29.
Stanza 24, line 1 GENTLE SHEPHEARD. In this pastoral simile, Spenser imitates Homer's Iliad, ii, 469, and xvii, 641, and Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, xiv, 109.
Stanza 25, line 1 THUS ILL BESTEDD. There is a similar combat in the old romance Guy of Warwick, ix, between the hero and a man-eating dragon.
Stanza 26, line 1 HER SCATTRED BROOD. The poet here follows a belief as old as Pliny that the young of serpents fed on their mother's blood. In this entire passage the details are too revolting for modern taste.
Stanza 27, line 7 THE WHICH THEM NURST. The antecedent of which is her. In the sixteenth century the was frequently placed before which, which was also the equivalent of who. Cf. the Lord's Prayer.
Stanza 27, line 9 HE SHOULD CONTEND, he should have had to contend.
Stanza 28, line 3 BORNE UNDER HAPPY STARRE. Belief in astrology was once common, and Spenser being a Pythagorean would hold the doctrine of the influence of the stars on human destiny.
Stanza 28, line 5 THAT ARMORIE, the armor of the Christian warrior. Ephesians, vi, 13.
Stanza 28, line 9 THAT LIKE SUCCEED IT MAY, that like successful adventures may succeed it. The word order is inverted for the sake of the rhyme.
Stanza 29, line 7 TO FREND, as his friend.
Stanza 30, line 2 AN AGED SIRE, the false enchanter, Archimago, or Hypocrisy, who is supposed to represent Pope Sixtus V or King Philip II of Spain. In general he stands for false religion or the Church of Rome. The character and adventure are taken from Orlando Furioso, ii, 12, in which there is a hypocritical hermit. The Knight at first takes Archimago to be a palmer, and inquires for the foreign news.
Stanza 34, line 7 TAKE UP YOUR IN, take lodging.
Stanza 35, line 1 A LITTLE WYDE, a little way off.
Stanza 36, line 9 AN AVE-MARY, Hail Mary, a prayer to the Virgin. Cf. Luke, i, 28.
Stanza 37, line 2 THE SAD HUMOUR, the heavy moisture, or "slombring deaw."
Stanza 37, line 3 MORPHEUS, the son of Somnus and god of sleep and dreams, who sprinkled the dew of sleep on the brow of mortals from his horn or wings or from a bough dipped in Lethe.
Stanza 37, line 8 HIS MAGICK BOOKES AND ARTES. Monks engaged in scientific investigation, such as Friar Roger Bacon, were popularly supposed to use cabalistic books, and to make compacts with the Devil by means of necromancy, or the black art, as in st. xxxvii. Before the close of the century Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and Greene's Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay, both based on the popular belief in magic, were presented on the London stage.
Stanza 38, line 4 BLACKE PLUTOES GRIESLY DAME, Proserpine, the avenger of men, and inflicter of curses on the dead. She is identified with Shakespeare's Hecate, the goddess of sorcery, and with Milton's Cotytto, goddess of lust. To this latter sin the knight is tempted.
Stanza 38, line 8 GREAT GORGON, Demogorgon, whose name might not be uttered, a magician who had power over the spirits of the lower world. The poet is here imitating the Latin poets Lucan and Statius.
Stanza 38, line 9 COCYTUS, the river of wailing, and STYX, the river of hate, both in Hades. There were two others, Acheron, the river of sorrow, and Phlegethon, the river of fire.
Stanza 39, line 2 LEGIONS OF SPRIGHTS. In this stanza and the preceding Spenser follows Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, xiii, 6-11, where the magician Ismeno, guarding the Enchanted Wood, conjures "legions of devils" with the "mighty name" (l. 332).
Stanza 39, line 6 CHOSE. Imitation of Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, ii, 15, in which a false spirit is called up by a hypocritical hermit. The description of the House of Sleep in st. xxxix seq. is modelled on the same poet, Orlando Furioso, ii, 15 seq. The influence of Homer's Odyssey, xi, 16 is seen in st. xxxix, ll. 348 seq.
Stanza 40, line 6 TETHYS, the ocean. In classical mythology she is the daughter of Uranus (heaven) and Gaea (earth), and the wife of Oceanus.
Stanza 40, line 7 CYNTHIA, the moon. The allusion is to the story of Diana and Endymion. See Lyly's play Endymion.
Stanza 41, line 1 WHOSE DOUBLE GATES. Homer, Odyssey, xix, 562, and Vergil, Aeneid, vi, 893, give the House of Dreams a horn and an ivory gate. Spenser substitutes silver for horn, mirrors being overlaid with silver in his time. From the ivory gate issued false dreams; from the other, true ones.
Stanza 42, line 1 SLUMBER SOFT. This stanza shows Spenser's wonderful technique. His exquisite effects are produced, it will be noticed, partly by the choice of musical words and partly by the rhythmical cadence of the verse phrases. It is an example of perfect "keeping," or adaptation of sound to sense. Cf. Chaucer's description of the waterfalls in the Cave of Sleep in his Boke of the Duchesse, 162.
Stanza 43, line 7 WHOSE DRYER BRAINE, whose brain too dry. In the old physiology, a dry brain was the cause of slow and weak perception, and a moist brain of quickness.
Stanza 43, line 9 ALL, entirely, altogether.
Stanza 44, line 3 HECATE, queen of phantoms and demons in Hades, and mistress of witches on earth. See xxxvii.
Stanza 44, line 9 THE SLEEPERS SENT, the sleeper's sense.
Stanza 46, line 9 MOST LIKE TO SEEME, etc.. most likely fit to seem for (represent) Una. Like is an adv. A very awkward inversion.
Stanza 47, line 6 BORNE WITHOUT HER DEW, i.e. created by him in an unnatural manner.
Stanza 49, line 2 FAYRE VENUS, the daughter of Jupiter, or Zeus, and the sea-nymph Dione. She is the same as Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Stanza 49, line 7 THE GRACES, Euphrosyne, Aglaia, and Thalia, daughters of Zeus and Aphrodite.
Stanza 49, line 8 HYMEN IO HYMEN, refrain of an old Roman nuptial song. Hymen, the son of Apollo and the Muse Urania, was the god of marriage.
Stanza 49, line 9 FRESHEST FLORA, the goddess of flowers. She typified spring.
Stanza 51, line 6 TO PROVE HIS SENSE, etc. To test his perception and prove her feigned truth.
Stanza 51, line 8 THO CAN SHE WEEPE, then did she weep. Can here is the Northern dialect form for the middle English gan, past tense of ginnen, to begin, which was used as an auxiliary.
Stanza 52, line 4 THE BLIND GOD, Cupid, Eros, or Amor, the god of love.
Stanza 54, line 6 Like other knights of romance, e.g. Sir Galahad and Sir Gareth in Malory's Morte d'Arthur, iii, 65, etc., the Redcross Knight does not yield to the temptation of the flesh, but overcomes it. QUESTIONS AND TOPICS FOR STUDY (Canto I)

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