His fearful Friends wear out the woful Night,
Ne dare to weep, nor feem to understand
The heavy Hap, which on them is alight,
Afraid, left to themselves the like mishappen might.
Now when broad Day the World difcovered has,
Up Una rofe, up rofe the Lion eke,
And on their former Journey forward pass,
In ways unknown, her wandring Knight to feek,
With Pains far palling that long wandring Greek,
That for his Love refufed Deity;,
Such were the Labours of this Lady meek,
Still feeking him, that from her ftill did fly,
Then furtheft from her hope, when moft fhe wee-
ned nigh.
Soon as the parted thence, the fearful Twain,
That blind old Woman and her Daughter dear,
Came forth,and finding Kirkrapine there flain,
For Anguish great they 'gan to rend their Hair,
And beat their Breafts, and naked Flefh to tear.
And when they both had wept and wail'd their
fill,
Then forth they ran like two amazed Deer,
Half mad through Malice, and revenging Will,
To follow her, that was the caufer of their Ill,
Whom overtaking, they 'gan loudly bray,
With hollow Howling, and lamenting Cry
Shamefully at her railing all the way,
And her accufing of Difhonefty,
That was the Flower of Faith and Chastity;
And ftill amidft her railing, fhe did pray,
That Plagues, and Mischiefs, and long Mifery
Might fall on her, and follow all the way,
And that in endless Error fhe might ever stray.
But when she saw her Prayers nought prevail,
She back returned with fome Labour loft;
And in the way, as fhe did weep and wail,
A Knight her met in mighty Arms emboss'd,
Yet Knight was not for all his bragging boast.
But fubtile Archimago, that Una fought
By Trains into new Troubles to have tofs'd:
Of that old Woman Tydings he befought,
If that of fuch a Lady fhe could tellen ought.
There with fhe 'gan her Paffion' to renew,
And cry, and curfe, and rail, and rend her Hair,
Saying, that Harlot fhe too lately knew,
That caus'd her fhed fo many a bitter Tear,
And fo forth told the Story of her Fear:
Much feemed he to moan her hapless Chaunce,
And after for that Lady did inquere:
Which being taught, he forward 'gan advaunce
His fair enchaunted Steed, and eke his charmed
Launce,
Ere long he came where Una travel'd flow,
And that wild Champion waiting her befide:
Whom feeing fuch, for dread he durft not fhow
Himfelf too nigh at hand, but turned wide
Unto an Hill; from whence when she him fpy'd,
By his like feeming Shield, her Knight by name
She ween'd it was, and towards him 'gan ride :
Approching nigh, fhe wift it was the fame,
And with fair fearful humbleffe towards him fhe
came,
And weeping faid, Al my long lacked Lord,
Where have you been thus long out of my
fight?
Much feared I, to have been quite abhor'd,
Or ought have done, that ye difpleafen might,
That fhould as death unto my dear Heart light:
For fince mine Eye your joyous fight did mifs,
My cheerful Day is turn'd to cheerless Night,
And eke my Night of Death the Shadow is;
But welcome now my Light, and fhining Lamp of
Blifs.
He thereto meeting, faid, my dearest Dame,
Far be it from your Thought, and from my
Will,
To think that Knighthood I so much should
fhame,
As you to leave, that have me loved ftill,
And thofe in Fairy Court of mere good-will,
Where nobleft Knights were to be found on
Earth.
The Earth fhall fooner leave her kindly Skill,
To bring forth Fruit, and make eternal Dearth,
Than I leave you, mi Liefe, yborn of heavenly
Birth.
And footh to fay, why I left you fo long,
Was for to feek Adventure in ftrange Place.
Where Archimago faid a Felon ftrong
To many Knights did daily work difgrace;
But Knight he now fhall never more deface:
Good caufe of mine, excufe; that more ye
please
Weil to accept, and evermore embrace
My faithful Service, that by Land and Seas Have vow'd you to defend, now then your Plaint - appeafe.
His lovely words her feem'd due Recompence
Of all her paffed Pains: one loving Hour
For many Years of Sorrow can dispense;
A Dram of Sweet is worth a Pound of Sour:
She has forgot, how many a woful ftower
For him the late endur'd; fhe fpeaks no
Of paft: true is, that true Love hath no Pow
To looken back; his Eyes be fix'd before: Before her ftands her Knight, for whom fhe toil'd fo fore.
Much like, as when the beaten Marinery
That long hath wandred in the Ocean wide,
Of fouft in fwelling Tethys' faltish Tear,
And long time having tann'd his tawney
Hide,
With bluftring Breath of Heaven, that none can
bide,
And fcorching Flames of fierce Orion's hound;
Soon as the Port from far he has efpy'd,
His cheerful Whistle merrily doth found,
And Nereus crowns with Cups, his Mates him
pledge around.
Than the glad Merchand, that does view from Spenser.
His Ship far come from watry Wilderness;
He hurles out Vows, and Neptune oft doth
So forth they paft, and all the way they spent
Difcourfing of her dreadful late Distress,
In which he afk'd her, what the Lion ment:
Who told her all that fell in Journey as the went.
|