Tales from Spenser, Chosen from the Faerie Queene, Page 2

  PRINCE ARTHUR HELPS UNA TO FIND THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT.

  Faerie Queene. Book I. Cantos VIII., X.

  Una and the good Sir Satyrane travelled together for some time, seekingher knight. In the course of their search Sir Satyrane became separatedfrom Una, who must have gone on alone had not her long-lost dwarfunexpectedly appeared.

  This was a most welcome sight, and yet Una's heart sank within her asshe looked at the dwarf, for he travelled alone and carried with him thesilver shield, the mighty spear and ancient armour of the Red-crossKnight. Seeing these, she fell helpless to the ground, for she knew someterrible misfortune must have happened to her lord.

  The dwarf, as he drew near and beheld his lady in such distress, becameas sorrowful as she; for he bore heavy tidings and feared greatly toimpart them. His heart sank within him, but he made a show ofhopefulness and set about to rub and chafe the poor damsel's templesuntil she began to give signs of life, and to moan and groan aloud. Shewas very weary, and she thought her effort to save her parents was allin vain. Loathing the very sunshine she cried out for death, and,believing her prayers about to be answered, once more sank upon theground.

  Three times she sank and three times the dwarf raised and revived herwith busy care and pains. When at length life fairly won the victory,with trembling limbs and failing tongue Una prayed him to tell her whatwoful tragedy had befallen her knight. "Thou canst not," she said, "tella more heavy tale than that I already know to be true."

  Then the dwarf began to relate all the adventures which had happened tohim and the knight from the time that Archimago, the wicked enchanter,had parted them from Una until now. These were many, but at present Ican only tell you of that in which the Red-cross Knight lost his armour.

  First, you must know that the knight ought never to have left Una. Inleaving her he followed a false imagination put into his mind byArchimago, instead of remaining strictly true to the charge given him byGloriana, Queen of Faeryland, and this one false step led him into muchmisfortune.

  It was thus he came to trust in Duessa, a wicked witch, who one day ledhim to rest by a stream whose waters had the fatal effect of renderingevery one who drank of them weak and powerless against all attacks ofevil. The knight, then, resting by the stream, drank of its waters, andimmediately his strength gave way, his blood ran slow, and a chillstruck at the very root of his courage.

  While lying in this feeble condition, a dreadful sound was heard, thatseemed to shake the earth and cause the trees to tremble. Starting up,the knight began to collect his weapons and to don his armour in greathaste. But before he could do so, before he had even got his shield inhis hand, a hideous giant, more than three times the height of anymortal man, and so huge that the earth groaned under his weight, camestalking into sight. In his hand the giant Orgoglio bore a gnarled oaktorn up from the forest, which he used both as staff and weapon, andwhen he saw the knight he raised this formidable cudgel and bore downupon him in a fury.

  Alas! the Red-cross Knight was little able to sustain the combat.Unarmed, disgraced and inwardly dismayed by the power of the fatalwaters, he could hardly wield his single blade.

  The giant struck with a force that might overthrow a tower of stone,much more a defenceless man: but the knight watched carefully where theblows fell, and skilfully leapt out of their way, and thus for a timeevaded them. But not for long: so furious were the blows that the windthey raised presently overthrew him and flung him stunned upon theground.

  The giant was not slow to see his advantage. He uplifted his powerfularm, and with one stroke would have made an end of his opponent had notDuessa interfered. She besought Orgoglio to spare the life of theRed-cross Knight and take only his liberty: and to this the giantconsented on condition that Duessa would become his lady-love. He thenraised the knight in his cruel arms and carried him in haste to hisstrong castle, where he threw him into its darkest dungeon.

  Such was the tale the dwarf had to tell.

  Una heard him patiently to the end, and strove to master her sorrow, butit only grew stronger the more she contended against it. At length, whenthe first passion of grief had worn itself out, she rose, and, attendedby the dwarf, resolved to find her knight, alive or dead. But ever asshe wandered through low dales, and over high hills and among thickwoods, her grief broke forth from time to time as if from a wound thathad not healed.

  After a time Una and her dwarf chanced to meet a very noble-lookingknight attended by a single follower.

  These were none other than the great and good Prince Arthur and Timiashis much loved squire. The armour of the Prince glittered from afar, andon his breast he wore a bauldric beset with precious stones, in themidst of which shone one shaped like a lady's head, which was ofwondrous worth and was possessed of magic powers. By the bauldric hungthe Prince's sword: its sheath was of ivory curiously wrought. The hiltand the buckle were of burnished gold and the handle was ofmother-of-pearl. His helmet was also of gold and had a dragon for itscrest: the wings of the dragon spread wide apart, while its head couchedclose upon the Prince's beaver, and its tail stretched low upon hisback, and on the top of all was a tuft of divers coloured hair sprinkledwith gold and pearls, and quivering in the sunlight. His shield wasclosely covered and might not be seen of mortal eyes, for it was made ofpure and perfect diamond:--one massive piece cut solid from the rock,and no spear could pierce it nor any sword divide its substance.

  And never did Prince Arthur reveal its brightness to any single foe, butif he wished to dismay huge monsters or daunt whole armies, then wouldhe discover its exceeding brightness, and so discomfit them. No magicart or enchanter's word had power over it, and all things that were notwhat they seemed, faded away before its brightness. By it the Princecould blind the proud, turn men into stones, stones to dust, and dust tonought.

  This wondrous shield, with the rich sword and armour, had been made forPrince Arthur by Merlin, the great and good magician.

  Timias, the Prince's squire, was a gentle youth. He bore a spear ofebony, with a square pike head, which had been three times heated in thefurnace; and he rode a proud and stubborn steed that chafed under itsrider, but was kept well in hand.

  As Prince Arthur approached the lady, he spoke courteously to her, andwhen he perceived that his words drew forth slow and unwilling answers,he guessed that a secret sorrow rent her heart. He then tried to drawfrom her the cause of her distress, until, moved by his kind words, Unaspoke.

  "What happiness," she asked, "could reach a heart plunged in a sea ofsorrow, and heaped with huge misfortunes?" As soon as she thought of herdistress a cold chill crept over her, and she felt as if stung by aniron arrow. Griefs which could not be cured were best not spokenof,--she could only weep and wail.

  Then said the Prince--"Ah! dear lady, well do I believe that your griefis a heavy one, for only to hear you speak fills my soul with sadness;but let me entreat of you to unfold it, for counsel eases the worstsorrow."

  "But great grief," said Una, "will not bear to be spoken of; it is easyto think about, but hard to utter."

  "True," replied the Prince, "but he that wills not, can do nothing."

  "Ah!" pleaded Una, "but grief that is spoken, and finds no relief, growsstill heavier, and leads to despair."

  "Not so," said the Prince, "when there is trust and faith."

  And thus was Una at length persuaded to disclose her secret sorrow.

  She told the Prince the story you already know: how her dear parentswere imprisoned by a huge dragon, and how the Red-cross Knight, who wasto have rescued them, had been betrayed into the hands of a cruel giant,in whose dungeons he lay, disarmed and helpless.

  Before she had quite ended her tale, the poor damsel grew faint fromgrief and dread, but the Prince comforted her with cheering words.

  "Truly," he said, "you have great cause of sorrow; but take comfort andcourage, for until I have rescued your captive knight be assured that Iwill not leave you."

  So the whole party went on together, until they reached a gr
eat castle.Here, said the dwarf, lay his luckless lord, and here the Prince musttry his prowess. Whereupon the Prince alighted from his steed, andbidding Una remain where she was and watch the issue of the fight, tookTimias, his squire, and strode up to the castle wall. He found the gatesfast closed, and no one to keep guard or answer to his call. At this,the squire blew a small bugle, which hung by his side, adorned withtwisted gold and gay tassels, and writ all over with the wonders of itsvirtue.

  None ever heard its shrill call who did not tremble before it. There wasno gate however strong, or lock however firm, that did not burst open atits summons. And now, as the squire blew the magic horn, the grim castlequaked, every door flew open, and the giant himself rushed forth with anangry stare on his cruel countenance, eager to learn who or what thismight be that had dared his dreaded power. After him appeared Duessa,riding a many-headed monster, with a fiery, flaming tongue in every oneof its many heads.

  At once the Prince began a furious attack on the monster. Thereupon thegiant buckled to the fight, and lifting up his dreadful club, all armedwith ragged knobs and gnarled knots, thought to have slain the Prince ata single blow. But he, wise and wary, leapt swiftly aside, and the greatweapon fell so heavily, that it sank three yards deep into the ground,making the earth tremble. Now, Orgoglio could not easily uplift hisclub, and as he strove to drag it from the deep cleft, the Prince smoteoff his left arm, which fell to the ground, a senseless block, whilestreams of blood gushed from the wound. Dismayed by the pain, Orgoglioroared aloud, and Duessa hastened to draw up her many-headed charger tohis aid. But the squire soon forced the horrid beast to retreat, and atthis Duessa in her pride rebelled and urged the monster afresh; but invain, for Timias dealt mighty strokes, and stood firmly to his post.

  Then Duessa resorted to her witch ways, and taking out a golden cup,murmured enchantments over it, and sprinkled some of its contents uponTimias. His courage immediately faded away, and his senses became dulland numb, and he fell helpless before the monster.

  The dreadful beast laid its claws upon Timias' neck, and kept him pinnedto the ground, until his life was nearly crushed out: then it left himwith neither power nor will to rise.

  But when Prince Arthur beheld the sad plight into which his well-lovedsquire had fallen, he left off fighting with Orgoglio, and turned uponthe beast, and struck off one of its monster heads.

  Thereupon Orgoglio went to Duessa's aid, and putting all his force intohis remaining arm, he let drive his oaken club with such terrible fury,that falling on the Prince's shield, it bore him to the ground.

  But as Prince Arthur fell, his shield became uncovered, and suddenlythere blazed forth a light of such dazzling brightness, that no eyecould bear it. The giant let his arm drop to his side, and themany-headed beast turned blind and staggered so that Duessa cried outwildly, "O! help, Orgoglio, help, or we perish all!"

  The giant was moved by her piteous cry, and strove to wield his weaponin her aid, but all in vain, for the bright shield had sapped hispowers.

  And now Prince Arthur struck at him, smiting off his right leg, andwhile he lay prostrate and helpless, leapt lightly upon him, and smoteoff his head. Lo! Orgoglio's body shrank away, and nothing was left butan empty dried-up skin--such is the end of pride.

  When Duessa saw the grievous fate of Orgoglio, she cast away her goldencup, and fled fleetly from the bloody scene; but the squire, light offoot as she, speedily brought her back captive.

  And now Una, who had watched the fight from afar, came forward withsober and modest gladness, hardly able to find words with which to greetand thank the victor, declaring that heaven, not she, must requite himthe service he had done. She then went on to pray that since heaven andhis prowess had made him master of the field, he would end that he hadso fair begun, and would rescue her Red-cross Knight from the deepdungeon in which he lay.

  Thereupon the Prince gave Duessa into the charge of Timias, while hehimself proceeded to make forcible entrance into the castle. No livingcreature did he see, and when he called aloud, no man answered to hiscry; but a solemn silence reigned in hall and bower.

  At length there came forth an old, old man, with a beard as white assnow, who walked along with a creeping, crooked pace, and leant hisfeeble steps on a staff, groping his way, for his eyesight had failedhim long ago. On his arm hung a bunch of keys, overgrown with rust:these were the keys of the inner doors, but he could not use them, andonly kept them by him from ancient custom. It was a strange sight towatch his feeble pace, for as he moved slowly forward his face was seento be turned backward. He was the ancient keeper of the place,foster-father to the slain Orgoglio, and his name, Ignaro, betrayed histrue nature.

  But the Prince honoured his grave and reverend appearance, and asked himgently where were all the dwellers in the castle, to which he replied ina quiet voice that he could not tell. Again the Prince asked where theknight whom Orgoglio had vanquished lay captive, and Ignaro replied hecould not tell. Then the Prince inquired by which way he might pass intothe castle, and still the old man said he could not tell; whereupon thePrince, courteous as he ever was, grew displeased, and thinking thatIgnaro mocked at his questions, upbraided him, and demanded an answerbefitting the gravity of the old man's years, but the reply was ever thesame, he could not tell.

  At this the Prince looked attentively at the aged sire, and, guessingthat he was indeed ignorant, stayed his wrath in pity for hisimbecility, and, stepping up to him, took the bunch of keys from hisunresisting hand, and made free entrance for himself. He opened all thedoors, and neither bar nor foeman presented any hindrance. He found allwithin furnished with great richness and splendour, but everywhere hebeheld traces of the giant's cruelty. He sought through every room andevery bower, but nowhere could he find the Red-cross Knight.

  At length, Prince Arthur came upon an iron door, which was fast locked.He searched among the keys, but in all the bunch there was not one toopen it. Presently he espied a small grating in the door, and throughthis he called with all his strength that he might discover whether anyliving wight were imprisoned there.

  By-and-bye he heard a hollow, dreary, murmuring voice. It asked who thismight be that brought tidings so welcome as the news of death to one whohad lain dying for three weary months, but yet lived on.

  When the Prince heard this sad plaint, his heart thrilled with pity andindignation, and he rent open the iron door in fierce fury; but when theiron door was open, there was nothing before him but a deep descent,dank, dark, and foul. However, neither the darkness nor the foulnesscould stay the strong purpose of the Prince, and after long labour andgreat perseverance, he succeeded in finding means whereby to rescue theprisoner from the dismal hole.

  But alas! when the knight was lifted out, he presented a sad spectacleof ghastly suffering. His feeble limbs could scarce support his body,his eyes were dull and sunken, and could ill bear the light, his cheekswere thin and hollow, his once powerful arms wasted away, and his wholeappearance was withered and shrivelled.

  When Una saw him she ran towards him, tears in her eyes, and joy andsadness mingled in her feelings, and as soon as she could speak for hertears, she exclaimed, "Ah, dearest Lord, what evil power hath thusrobbed you of yourself, and marred your manly countenance? But welcomenow, whether in weal or in woe."

  The knight was too feeble to answer, and the Prince replied for him,saying that nothing was gained in recounting woes, since the only goodto be had from past peril is to be wise and ware of like again.

  He then asked Una what he should do with Duessa, the false witch. Unadeclared that to have her die would be too spiteful an act, and,therefore, having despoiled her of the scarlet and purple robes, andrich ornaments, with which she imposed upon men, they let her go, andUna and the knights remained in the castle to rest a while.

  But this rest was not sufficient to fit the Red-cross Knight for hisapproaching conflict with the dragon, and so Una, seeing that his limbswere weak, and his spirit damped by the long and miserable imprisonment,conducted him to a
n ancient house, called the House of Holiness, inwhich she knew they would have a kind welcome and good food.

  In this house they remained for some time, and here the knight met anaged sire, who told him many curious things concerning his origin. Theknight rejoiced greatly as he heard that he was descended from ancientSaxon kings, and was destined to do great deeds for his native land.

  Inspired with fresh courage he returned to Una, who had been restingwith the good lady Charity, and her women, in their side of the greatHouse of Holiness. After many thanks rendered and many blessingsbestowed, they once more set out to find the Dragon.