And envying the Britons blazed fame,
(O hideous hunger of dominion!) hether came.
XLVIII
Yet twise they were repulsed backs againe,
And twise renforst backs to their ships to fly, 425
The whiles with blood they all the shore did staine,
And the gray ocean into purple dy:
Ne had they footing found at last perdie,
Had not Androgeus, false to native soyle,
And envious of uncles soveraintie, 430
Betrayd his countrey unto forreine spoyle:
Nought els but treason from the first this land did foyle.
XLIX
So by him Cæsar got the victory,
Through great bloodshed and many a sad assay,
In which himselfe was charged heavily 435
Of bardy Nennius, whom he yet did slay,
But lost his sword, yet to be seene this day.
Thenceforth this land was tributarie made
T’ambitious Rome, and did their rule obay,
Till Arthur all that reckoning defrayd; 440
Yet oft the Briton kings against them strongly swayd.
L
Next him Tenantius raignd; then Kimbeline,
What time th’ Eternall Lord in fleshly slime
Enwombed was, from wretched Adams line
To purge away the guilt of sinfull crime: 445
O joyous memorie of happy time,
That heavenly grace so plenteously displayd!
O too high ditty for my simple rime!
Soone after this the Romanes him warrayd,
For that their tribute he refusd to let be payd. 450
LI
Good Claudius, that next was emperour,
An army brought, and with him batteile fought,
In which the king was by a treachetour
Disguised slaine, ere any thereof thought:
Yet ceased not the bloody fight for ought; 455
For Arvirage his brothers place supplyde,
Both in his armes and crowne, and by that draught
Did drive the Romanes to the weaker syde,
That they to peace agreed. So all was pacifyde.
LII
Was never king more highly magnifide, 460
Nor dredd of Romanes, then was Arvirage;
For which the emperour to him allide
His daughter Genuiss’ in marriage:
Yet shortly he renounst the vassallage
Of Rome againe, who hether hastly sent 465
Vespasian, that with great spoile and rage
Forwasted all, till Genuissa gent
Persuaded him to ceasse, and her lord to relent.
LIII
He dide; and him succeeded Marius,
Who joyd his dayes in great tranquillity: 470
Then Coyll, and after him good Lucius,
That first received Christianity,
The sacred pledge of Christes Evangely:
Yet true it is, that long before that day
Hither came Joseph of Arimathy, 475
Who brought with him the Holy Grayle, (they say)
And preacht the truth; but since it greatly did decay.
LIV
This good king shortly without issew dide,
Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew,
That did her selfe in sondry parts divide, 480
And with her powre her owne selfe overthrew,
Whilest Romanes daily did the weake subdew:
Which seeing stout Bunduca, up arose,
And taking armes, the Britons to her drew;
With whom she marched streight against her foes, 485
And them unwares besides the Severne did enclose.
LV
There she with them a cruell batteill tryde,
Not with so good successe as shee deserv’d,
By reason that the captaines on her syde,
Corrupted by Paulinus, from her swerv’d: 490
Yet such as were through former flight preserv’d
Gathering againe, her host she did renew,
And with fresh corage on the victor serv’d:
But being all defeated, save a few,
Rather then fly, or be captiv’d, her selfe she slew. 495
LVI
O famous moniment of womens prayse,
Matchable either to Semiramis,
Whom antique history so high doth rayse,
Or to Hypsiphil’, or to Thomiris!
Her host two hundred thousand numbred is; 500
Who, whiles good fortune favoured her might,
Triumphed oft against her enemis;
And yet, though overcome in haplesse fight,
Shee triumphed on death, in enemies despight.
Her reliques Fulgent having gathered, 505
Fought with Severus, and him overthrew;
Yet in the chace was slaine of them that fled:
So made them victors whome he did subdew.
Then gan Carausius tirannize anew,
And gainst the Romanes bent their proper powre; 510
But him Allectus treacherously slew,
And tooke on him the robe of emperoure:
Nath’lesse the same enjoyed but short happy howre.
LVIII
For Asclepiodate him overcame,
And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne, 515
Without or robe or rag to hide his shame.
Then afterwards he in his stead did raigne;
But shortly was by Coyll in batteill slaine:
Who after long debate, since Lucies tyme,
Was of the Britons first crownd soveraine. 520
Then gan this realme renew her passed prime:
He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime.
LIX
Which when the Romanes heard, they hether sent
Constantius, a man of mickle might,
With whome King Coyll made an agreement, 525
And to him gave for wife his daughter bright,
Fayre Helena, the fairest living wight;
Who in all godly thewes, and goodly praise,
Did far excell, but was most famous hight
For skil in musicke of all in her daies, 530
Aswell in curious instruments as cunning laies.
LX
Of whom he did great Constantine begett,
Who afterward was emperour of Rome;
To which whiles absent he his mind did sett,
Octavius here lept into his roome, 535
And it usurped by unrighteous doome:
But he his title justifide by might,
Slaying Traherne, and having overcome
The Romane legion in dreadfull fight:
So settled he his kingdome, and confirmd his right. 540
LXI
But wanting yssew male, his daughter deare
He gave in wedlocke to Maximian,
And him with her made of his kingdome heyre,
Who soone by meanes thereof the empire wan,
Till murdred by the freends of Gratian. 545
Then gan the Hunnes and Picts invade this land,
During the raigne of Maximinian;
Who dying left none heire them to withstand,
But that they overran all parts with easy hand.
LXII
The weary Britons, whose war-hable youth 550
Was by Maximian lately ledd away,
With wretched miseryes and woefull ruth
Were to those pagans made an open pray,
And daily spectacle of sad decay:
Whome Romane warres, which now fowr hundred yeares 555
And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;
Til by consent of Commons and of Peares,
They crownd the second Constantine with joyous teares.
LXIII
Who having oft in batteill vanquished
Those spoylefull Picts, and swarming Easterlin
gs, 560
Long time in peace his realme established,
Yet oft annoyd with sondry bordragings
Of neighbour Scots, and forrein scatterlings,
With which the world did in those dayes abound:
Which to outbarre, with painefull pyonings 565
From sea to sea he heapt a mighty mound,
Which from Alcluid to Panwelt did that border bownd.
LXIV
Three sonnes he dying left, all under age;
By meanes whereof, their uncle Vortigere
Usurpt the crowne during their pupillage; 570
Which th’ infants tutors gathering to feare,
Them closely into Armorick did beare:
For dread of whom, and for those Picts annoyes,
He sent to Germany, straunge aid to reare;
From whence eftsoones arrived here three hoyes 575
Of Saxons, whom he for his safety imployes.
LXV
Two brethren were their capitayns, which hight
Hengist and Horsus, well approv’d in warre,
And both of them men of renowmed might;
Who, making vantage of their civile jarre, 580
And of those forreyners which came from farre,
Grew great, and got large portions of land,
That in the realme ere long they stronger arre
Then they which sought at first their helping hand,
And Vortiger have forst the kingdome to aband. 585
LXVI
But by the helpe of Vortimere his sonne,
He is againe unto his rule restord;
And Hengist, seeming sad for that was donne,
Received is to grace and new accord,
Through his faire daughters face and flattring word. 590
Soone after which, three hundred lords he slew
Of British blood, all sitting at his bord;
Whose dolefull moniments who list to rew,
Th’eternall marks of treason may at Stonheng vew.
LXVII
By this the sonnes of Constantine, which fled, 595
Ambrose and Uther, did ripe yeares attayne,
And here arriving, strongly challenged
The crowne, which Vortiger did long detayne;
Who, flying from his fuilt, by them was slayne,
And Hengist eke soone brought to shamefull death. 600
Thenceforth Aurelius peaceably did rayne,
Till that throught poyson stopped was his breath;
So now entombed lies at Stoneheng by the heath.
LXVIII
After him Uther, which Pendragon hight,
Succeeding —— There abruptly it did end, 605
Without full point, or other cesure right,
As if the rest some wicked hand did rend,
Or th’ author selfe could not at least attend
To finish it: that so untimely breach
The Prince him selfe halfe seemed to offend; 610
Yet secret pleasure did offence empeach,
And wonder of antiquity long stopt his speach.
LXIX
At last, quite ravisht with delight, to heare
The royall ofspring of his native land,
Gryde out: ‘Deare countrey! O how dearely deare 615
Ought thy remembraunce and perpetual band
Be to thy foster childe, that from thy hand
Did commun breath and nouriture receave!
How brutish is it not to understand
How much to her we owe, that all us gave, 620
That gave unto us all, what ever good we have!’
LXX
But Guyon all this while his booke did read,
Ne yet has ended: for it was a great
And ample volume, that doth far excead
My leasure, so long leaves here to repeat: 625
It told, how first Prometheus did create
A man, of many parts from beasts deryv’d,
And then stole fire from heven, to animate
His worke, for which he was by Jove depryv’d
Of life him self, and hart-strings of an aegle ryv’d. 630
LXXI
That man so made he called Elfe, to weet
Quick, the first author of all Elfin kynd:
Who, wandring through the world with wearie feet,
Did in the gardins of Adonis fynd
A goodly creature, whom he deemd in mynd 635
To be no earthly wight, but either spright
Or angell, th’ authour of all woman kynd;
Therefore a Fay he her according hight,
Of whom all Faryes spring, and fetch their lignage right.
LXXII
Of these a mighty people shortly grew, 640
And puissant kinges, which all the world warrayd,
And to them selves all nations did subdew.
The first and eldest, which that scepter swayd,
Was Elfin; him all India obayd,
And all that now America men call: 645
Next him was noble Elfinan, who laid
Cleopolis foundation first of all:
But Elfiline enclosd it with a golden wall.
LXXIII
His sonne was Elfinell, who overcame
The wicked Gobbelines in bloody field: 650
But Elfant was of most renowmed fame,
Who all of christall did Panthea build:
Then Elfar, who two brethren gyauntes kild,
The one of which had two heades, th’ other three:
Then Elfinor, who was in magick skild; 655
He built by art upon the glassy see
A bridge of bras, whose sound hevens thunder seem’d to bee.
LXXIV
He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,
And all their ofspring, in their dew descents,
Even seven hundred princes, which maintaynd 660
With mightie deedes their sondry governments;
That were too long their infinite contents
Here to record, ne much materiall;
Yet should they be most famous moniments,
And brave ensample, both of martiall 665
And civil rule, to kinges and states imperiall.
LXXV
After all these Elficleos did rayne,
The wise Elficleos in great majestie,
Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,
And with rich spoyles and famous victorie 670
Did high advaunce the crowne of Faery:
He left two sonnes, of which faire Elferon,
The eldest brother, did untimely dy;
Whose emptie place the mightie Oberon
Doubly supplide, in spousall and dominion. 675
LXXVI
Great was his power and glorie over all
Which, him before, that sacred seate did fill,
That yet remaines his wide memoriall:
He dying left the fairest Tanaquill,
Him to succeede therein, by his last will: 680
Fairer and nobler liveth none this howre,
Ne like in grace, ne like in learned skill;
Therefore they Glorian call that glorious flowre:
Long mayst thou, Glorian, live, in glory and great powre!
LXXVII
Beguyld thus with delight of novelties, 685
And naturall desire of countryes state,
So long they redd in those antiquities,
That how the time was fled they quite forgate;
Till gentle Alma, seeing it so late,
Perforce their studies broke, and them besought 690
To thinke how supper did them long awaite:
So halfe unwilling from their bookes them brought,
And fayrely feasted, as so noble knightes she ought.
Faerie Queene Detailed Table of Contents
Glossary for ‘The Faerie Queene’
Canto XI
The enimies of Temperaunce
Besiege her dwe
lling place:
Prince Arthure them repelles, and fowle
Maleger doth deface.
I
WHAT warre so cruel, or what siege so sore,
As that which strong affections doe apply
Against the forte of reason evermore,
To bring the sowle into captivity?
Their force is fiercer through infirmity 5
Of the fraile flesh, relenting to their rage,
And exercise most bitter tyranny
Upon the partes, brought into their bondage:
No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage.
II
But in a body which doth freely yeeld 10
His partes to reasons rule obedient,
And letteth her, that ought, the scepter weeld,
All happy peace and goodly government
Is setled there in sure establishment.
There Alma, like a virgin queene most bright, 15
Doth florish in all beautie excellent,
And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight,
Attempred goodly well for health and for delight.
III
Early, before the morne with cremosin ray
The windowes of bright heaven opened had, 20
Through which into the world the dawning day
Might looke, that maketh every creature glad,
Uprose Sir Guyon, in bright armour clad,
And to his purposd journey him prepar’d:
With him the palmer eke in habit sad 25
Him selfe addrest to that adventure hard:
So to the rivers syde they both together far’d.
IV
Where them awaited ready at the ford
The ferriman, as Alma had behight,
With his well rigged bote. They goe abord, 30
And he eftsoones gan launch his barke forth-right.
Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight,
And fast the land behynd them fled away.
But let them pas, whiles winde and wether right
Doe serve their turnes: here I a while must stay, 35
To see a cruell fight doen by the Prince this day.
V
For all so soone as Guyon thence was gon
Upon his voyage with his trustie guyde,
That wicked band of villeins fresh begon
That castle to assaile on every side, 40
And lay strong siege about it far and wyde.
So huge and infinite their numbers were,
That all the land they under them did hyde;
So fowle and ugly, that exceeding feare
Their visages imprest, when they approched neare. 45
VI
Them in twelve troupes their captein did dispart,
And round about in fittest steades did place,
Where each might best offend his proper part,
And his contrary object most deface,
As every one seem’d meetest in that cace. 50
Seven of the same against the castle gate