The Witch creates a snowy Lady,

Like to Florimell,

Who wrongd by Carle by Proteus sau'd,

Is sought by Paridell.

S O oft as I this history record,

My hart doth melt with meere compassion,

To thinke, how causelesse of her owne accord

This gentle Damzell, whom I wrote vpon,

Should plonged be in such affliction,

Without all hope of comfort or reliefe,

That sure I weene, the hardest hart of stone,

Would hardly find to aggrauate her griefe;

For misery craues rather mercie, then repriefe.

But that accursed Hag, her hostesse late,

Had so enranckled her malitious hart,

That she desyrd th'abridgement of her fate,

Or long enlargement of her painefull smart.

Now when the Beast, which by her wicked art

Late forth she sent, she backe returning spyde,

Tyde with her broken girdle, it a part

Of her rich spoyles, whom he had earst destroyd,

She weend, and wondrous gladnesse to her hart applyde.

And with it running hast'ly to her sonne,

Thought with that sight him much to haue reliued;

Who thereby deeming sure the thing as donne,

His former griefe with furie fresh reuiued,

Much more then earst, and would haue algates riued

The hart out of his brest: for sith her ded

He surely dempt, himselfe he thought depriued

Quite of all hope, wherewith he long had fed

His foolish maladie, and long time had misled.

With thought wher, exceeding mad he grew,

And in his rage his mother would haue slaine,

Had she not fled into a secret mew,

Where she was wont her Sprights to entertaine

The maisters of her art: there was she faine

To call them all in order to her ayde,

And them coniure vpon eternall paine,

To counsell her so carefully dismayd,

How she might heale her sonne, whose senses were decayd.

By their aduise, and her owne wicked wit,

She there deuiz'd a wondrous worke to frame,

Whose like on earth was neuer framed yit,

That euen Nature selfe enuide the same,

And grudg'd to see the counterfet should shame

The thing it selfe. In hand she boldly tooke

To make another like the former Dame,

Another "Florimell", in shape and looke

So liuely and so like, that many it mistooke.

The substance, wher she the bodie made,

Was purest snow in massie mould congeald,

Which she had gathered in a shadie glade

Of the "Riphoean" hils, to her reueald

By errant Sprights, but from all men conceald:

The same she tempred with fine Mercury,

And virgin wex, that neuer yet was seald,

And mingled them with perfect vermily,

That like a liuely sanguine it seem'd to the eye.

In stead of eyes two burning lampes she set

In siluer sockets, shyning like the skyes,

And a quicke mouing Spirit did arret

To stirre and roll them, like a womans eyes;

In stead of yellow lockes she did deuise,

With golden wyre to weaue her curled head;

Yet golden wyre was not so yellow thrise

As "Florimells" faire haire: and in the stead

Of life, she put a Spright to rule the carkasse dead.

A wicked Spright yfraught with fawning guile,

And faire resemblance aboue all the rest,

Which with the Prince of Darknesse fell somewhile,

From heauens blisse and euerlasting rest;

Him needed not instruct, which way were best

Himselfe to fashion likest "Florimell",

Ne how to speake, ne how to vse his gest,

For he in counterfeisance did excell,

And all the wyles of wemens wits knew passing well.

Him shaped thus, she deckt in garments gay,

Which "Florimell" had left behind her late,

That who so then her saw, would surely say,

It was her selfe, whom it did imitate,

Or fairer then her selfe, if ought algate

Might fairer be. And then she forth her brought

Vnto her sonne, that lay in feeble state;

Who seeing her gan streight vpstart, and thought

She was the Lady selfe, whom he so long had sought.

Tho fast her clipping twixt his armes twaine,

Extremely ioyed in so happie sight,

And soone forgot his former sickly paine;

But she, the more to seeme such as she hight,

Coyly rebutted his embracement light;

Yet still with gentle countenaunce retained,

Enough to hold a foole in vaine delight:

Him long she so with shadowes entertained,

As her Creatresse had in charge to her ordained.

Till on a day, as he disposed was

To walke the woods with that his Idole faire,

Her to disport, and idle time to pas,

In th'open freshnesse of the gentle aire,

A knight that way there chaunced to repaire;

Yet knight he was not, but a boastfull swaine,

That deedes of armes had euer in despaire,

Proud "Braggadocchio", that in vaunting vaine

His glory did repose, and credit did maintaine.

He seeing with that Chorle so faire a wight,

Decked with many a costly ornament,

Much merueiled thereat, as well he might,

And thought that match a fowle disparagement:

His bloudie speare eftsoones he boldly bent

Against the silly clowne, who dead through feare,

Fell streight to ground in great astonishment;

Villein (said he) this Ladie is my deare,

Dy, if thou it gainesay: I will away her beare.

The fearefull Chorle durst not gainesay, nor doe,

But trembling stood, and yielded him the pray;

Who finding litle leasure her to wooe,

On "Tromparts" steed her mounted without stay,

And without reskew led her quite away.

Proud man himselfe then "Braggadocchio" deemed,

And next to none, after that happie day,

Being possessed of that spoyle, which seemed

The fairest wight on ground, and most of men esteemed.

But when he saw himselfe free from poursute,

He gan make gentle purpose to his Dame,

With termes of loue and lewdnesse dissolute;

For he could well his glozing speaches frame

To such vaine vses, that him best became:

But she thereto would lend but light regard,

As seeming sory, that she euer came

Into his powre, that vsed her so hard,

To reaue her honor, which she more then life prefard.

Thus as they two of kindnesse treated long,

There them by chaunce encountred on the way

An armed knight, vpon a courser strong,

Whose trampling feet vpon the hollow lay

Seemed to thunder, and did nigh affray

That Capons courage: yet he looked grim,

And fain'd to cheare his Ladie in dismay;

Who seem'd for feare to quake in euery lim,

And her to saue from outrage, meekely prayed him.

Fiercely that stranger forward came, and nigh

Approching, with bold words and bitter threat,

Bad that same boaster, as he mote, on high

To leaue to him that Lady for excheat,

Or bide him battell without further treat.

That challenge did too peremptory seeme,

And fild his senses with abashment great;

Yet seeing nigh him ieopardy extreme,

He it dissembled well, and light seem'd to esteeme.

Saying, Thou foolish knight, that weenst with words

To steale away, that I with blowes haue wonne,

And brought through points of many perilous swords:

But if thee list to see thy Courser ronne,

Or proue thy selfe, this sad encounter shonne,

And seeke else without hazard of thy hed.

At those proud words that other knight begonne

To wexe exceeding wroth, and him ared

To turne his steede about, or sure he should be ded.

Sith then (said "Braggadocchio") needes thou wilt

Thy dayes abridge, through proofe of puissance,

Turne we our steedes, that both in equall tilt

May meet againe, and each take happie chance.

This said, they both a furlongs mountenance

Retyrd their steeds, to ronne in euen race:

But "Braggadocchio" with his bloudie lance

Once hauing turnd, no more returnd his face,

But left his loue to losse, and fled himselfe apace.

The knight him seeing fly, had no regard

Him to poursew, but to the Ladie rode,

And hauing her from "Trompart" lightly reard,

Vpon his Courser set the louely lode,

And with her fled away without abode.

Well weened he, that fairest "Florimell"

It was, with whom in company he yode,

And so her selfe did alwaies to him tell;

So made him thinke him selfe in heauen, that was in hell.

But "Florimell" her selfe was farre away,

Driuen to great distresse by Fortune straunge,

And taught the carefull Mariner to play,

Sith late mischaunce had her compeld to chaunge

The land for sea, at randon there to raunge:

Yet there that cruell Queene auengeresse,

Not satisfide so farre her to estraunge

From courtly blisse and wonted happinesse,

Did heape on her new waues of weary wretchednesse.

For being fled into the fishers bote,

For refuge from the Monsters crueltie,

Long so she on the mightie maine did flote,

And with the tide droue forward careleslie;

For th'aire was milde, and cleared was the skie,

And all his windes "Dan Aeolus" did keepe,

From stirring vp their stormy enmitie,

As pittying to see her waile and weepe;

But all the while the fisher did securely sleepe.

At last when droncke with drowsinesse, he woke,

And saw his drouer driue along the streame,

He was dismayd, and thrise his breast he stroke,

For maruell of that accident extreame;

But when he saw that blazing beauties beame,

Which with rare light his bote did beautifie,

He marueild more, and thought he yet did dreame

Not well awakt, or that some extasie

Assotted had his sense, or dazed was his eie.

But when her well auizing, he perceiued

To be no vision, nor fantasticke sight,

Great comfort of her presence he conceiued,

And felt in his old courage new delight

To gin awake, and stirre his frozen spright:

Tho rudely askt her, how she thither came.

Ah (said she) father, I note read aright,

What hard misfortune brought me to the same;

Yet am I glad that here I now in safety am.

But thou good man, sith farre in sea we bee,

And the great waters gin apace to swell,

That now no more we can the maine-land see,

Haue care, I pray, to guide the cock-bote well,

Least worse on sea then vs on land befell.

Thereat th'old man did nought but fondly grin,

And said, his boat the way could wisely tell:

But his deceiptfull eyes did neuer lin,

To looke on her faire face, and marke her snowy skin.

The sight wher in his congealed flesh,

Infixt such secret sting of greedy lust,

That the drie withered stocke it gan refresh,

And kindled heat, that soone in flame forth brust:

The driest wood is soonest burnt to dust.

Rudely to her he lept, and his rough hand

Where ill became him, rashly would haue thrust,

But she with angry scorne him did withstond,

And shamefully reproued for his rudenesse fond.

But he, that neuer good nor maners knew,

Her sharpe rebuke full litle did esteeme;

Hard is to teach an old horse amble trew.

The inward smoke, that did before but steeme,

Broke into open fire and rage extreme,

And now he strength gan adde vnto his will,

Forcing to doe, that did him fowle misseeme:

Beastly he threw her downe, ne car'd to spill

Her garments gay with scales of fish, that all did fill.

The silly virgin stroue him to withstand,

All that she might, and him in vaine reuild:

She struggled strongly both with foot and hand,

To saue her honor from that villaine vild,

And cride to heauen, from humane helpe exild.

O ye braue knights, that boast this Ladies loue,

Where be ye now, when she is nigh defild

Of filthy wretch? well may shee you reproue

Of falshood or of slouth, when most it may behoue.

But if that thou, Sir "Satyran", didst weete,

Or thou, Sir "Peridure", her sorie state,

How soone would yee assemble many a fleete,

To fetch from sea, that ye at land lost late;

Towres, Cities, Kingdomes ye would ruinate,

In your auengement and dispiteous rage,

Ne ought your burning fury mote abate;

But if Sir "Calidore" could it presage,

No liuing creature could his cruelty asswage.

But sith that none of all her knights is nye,

See how the heauens of voluntary grace,

And soueraine fauour towards chastity,

Doe succour send to her distressed cace:

So much high God doth innocence embrace.

It fortuned, whilest thus she stifly stroue,

And the wide sea importuned long space

With shrilling shriekes, "Proteus" abroad did roue,

Along the fomy waues driuing his finny droue.

"Proteus" is Shepheard of the seas of yore,

And hath the charge of "Neptunes" mightie heard;

An aged sire with head all frory hore,

And sprinckled frost vpon his deawy beard:

Who when those pittifull outcries he heard,

Through all the seas so ruefully resound,

His charet swift in haste he thither steard,

Which with a teeme of scaly "Phocas" bound

Was drawne vpon the waues, that fomed him around.

And comming to that Fishers wandring bote,

That went at will, withouten carde or sayle,

He therein saw that yrkesome sight, which smote

Deepe indignation and compassion frayle

Into his hart attonce: streight did he hayle

The greedy villein from his hoped pray,

Of which he now did very litle fayle,

And with his staffe, that driues his Heard astray,

Him bet so sore, that life and sense did much dismay.

The whiles the pitteous Ladie vp did ryse,

Ruffled and fowly raid with filthy soyle,

And blubbred face with teares of her faire eyes:

Her heart nigh broken was with weary toyle,

To saue her selfe from that outrageous spoyle,

But when she looked vp, to weet, what wight

Had her from so infamous fact assoyld,

For shame, but more for feare of his grim sight,

Downe in her lap she hid her face, and loudly shright.

Her selfe not saued yet from daunger dred

She thought, but chaung'd from one to other feare;

Like as a fearefull Partridge, that is fled

From the sharpe Hauke, which her attached neare,

And fals to ground, to seeke for succour theare,

Whereas the hungry Spaniels she does spy,

With greedy iawes her readie for to teare;

In such distresse and sad perplexity

Was "Florimell", when "Proteus" she did see thereby.

But he endeuoured with speeches milde

Her to recomfort, and accourage bold,

Bidding her feare no more her foeman vilde,

Nor doubt himselfe; and who he was, her told.

Yet all that could not from affright her hold,

Ne to recomfort her at all preuayld;

For her faint heart was with the frozen cold

Benumbd so inly, that her wits nigh fayld,

And all her senses with abashment quite were quayld.

Her vp betwixt his rugged hands he reard,

And with his frory lips full softly kist,

Whiles the cold ysickles from his rough beard,

Dropped adowne vpon her yuorie brest:

Yet he himselfe so busily addrest,

That her out of astonishment he wrought,

And out of that same fishers filthy nest

Remouing her, into his charet brought,

And there with many gentle termes her faire besought.

But that old leachour, which with bold assault

That beautie durst presume to violate,

He cast to punish for his hainous fault;

Then tooke he him yet trembling sith of late,

And tyde behind his charet, to aggrate

The virgin, whom he had abusde so sore:

So drag'd him through the waues in scornefull state,

And after cast him vp, vpon the shore;

But "Florimell" with him vnto his bowre he bore.

His bowre is in the bottome of the maine,

Vnder a mightie rocke, gainst which do raue

The roaring billowes in their proud disdaine,

That with the angry working of the waue,

Therein is eaten out an hollow caue,

That seemes rough Masons hand with engines keene

Had long while laboured it to engraue:

There was his wonne, ne liuing wight was seene,

Saue one old "Nymph", hight "Panope" to keepe it cleane.

Thither he brought the sory "Florimell",

And entertained her the best he might

And "Panope" her entertaind eke well,

As an immortall mote a mortall wight,

To winne her liking vnto his delight:

With flattering words he sweetly wooed her,

And offered faire gifts t'allure her sight,

But she both offers and the offerer

Despysde, and all the fawning of the flatterer.

Daily he tempted her with this or that,

And neuer suffred her to be at rest:

But euermore she him refused flat,

And all his fained kindnesse did detest.

So firmely she had sealed vp her brest.

Sometimes he boasted, that a God he hight:

But she a mortall creature loued best:

Then he would make himselfe a mortall wight;

But then she said she lou'd none, but a Faerie knight.

Then like a Faerie knight himselfe he drest;

For euery shape on him he could endew:

Then like a king he was to her exprest,

And offred kingdomes vnto her in vew,

To be his Leman and his Ladie trew:

But when all this he nothing saw preuaile,

With harder meanes he cast her to subdew,

And with sharpe threates her often did assaile,

So thinking for to make her stubborne courage quaile.

To dreadfull shapes he did himselfe transforme,

Now like a Gyant, now like to a feend,

Then like a Centaure, then like to a storme,

Raging within the waues: thereby he weend

Her will to win vnto his wished end.

But when with feare, nor fauour, nor with all

He else could doe, he saw himselfe esteemd,

Downe in a Dongeon deepe he let her fall,

And threatned there to make her his eternall thrall.

Eternall thraldome was to her more liefe,

Then losse of chastitie, or chaunge of loue:

Die had she rather in tormenting griefe,

Then any should of falsenesse her reproue,

Or loosenesse, that she lightly did remoue.

Most vertuous virgin, glory be thy meed,

And crowne of heauenly praise with Saints aboue,

Where most sweet hymmes of this thy famous deed

Are still emongst them song, that far my rymes exceed.

Fit song of Angels caroled to bee;

But yet what so my feeble Muse can frame,

Shall be t'aduance thy goodly chastitee,

And to enroll thy memorable name,

In th'heart of euery honourable Dame,

That they thy vertuous deedes may imitate,

And be partakers of thy endlesse fame.

It yrkes me, leaue thee in this wofull state,

To tell of "Satyrane", where I him left of late.

Who hauing ended with that "Squire of Dames"

A long discourse of his aduentures vaine,

The which himselfe, then Ladies more defames,

And finding not th'"Hyena" to be slaine,

With that same "Squyre", returned backe againe

To his first way. And as they forward went,

They spyde a knight faire pricking on the plaine,

As if he were on some aduenture bent,

And in his port appeared manly hardiment.

Sir "Satyrane" him towards did addresse,

To weet, what wight he was, and what his quest:

And comming nigh, eftsoones he gan to gesse

Both by the burning hart, which on his brest

He bare, and by the colours in his crest,

That "Paridell" it was. Tho to him yode,

And him saluting, as beseemed best,

Gan first inquire of tydings farre abrode;

And afterwardes, on what aduenture now he rode.

Who thereto answering, said; the tydings bad,

Which now in Faerie court all men do tell,

Which turned hath great mirth, to mourning sad,

Is the late ruine of proud "Marinell",

And suddein parture of faire "Florimell",

To find him forth: and after her are gone

All the braue knights, that doen in armes excell,

To saueguard her, ywandred all alone;

Emongst the rest my lot (vnworthy) is to be one.

Ah gentle knight (said then Sir "Satyrane")

Thy labour all is lost, I greatly dread,

That hast a thanklesse seruice on thee ta'ne,

And offrest sacrifice vnto the dead:

For dead, I surely doubt, thou maist aread

Henceforth for euer "Florimell" to be.

That all the noble knights of "Maydenhead",

Which her ador'd, may sore repent with me,

And all faire Ladies may for euer sory be.

Which words when "Paridell" had heard, his hew

Gan greatly chaunge, and seem'd dismayd to bee;

Then said, Faire Sir, how may I weene it trew,

That ye doe tell in such vncertaintee?

Or speake ye of report, or did ye see

Iust cause of dread, that makes ye doubt so sore?

For perdie else how mote it euer bee,

That euer hand should dare for to engore

Her noble bloud? the heauens such crueltie abhore.

These eyes did see, that they will euer rew

T'haue seene, (quoth he) when as a monstrous beast

The Palfrey, whereon she did trauell, slew,

And of his bowels made his bloudie feast:

Which speaking token sheweth at the least

Her certaine losse, if not her sure decay:

Besides, that more suspition encreast,

I found her golden girdle cast astray,

Distaynd with durt and bloud, as relique of the pray.

Aye me, (said "Paridell") the signes be sad,

And but God turne the same to good soothsay,

That Ladies safetie is sore to be drad:

Yet will I not forsake my forward way,

Till triall doe more certaine truth bewray.

Faire Sir (quoth he) well may it you succeed,

Ne long shall "Satyrane" behind you stay,

But to the rest, which in this Quest proceed

My labour adde, and be partaker of their speed.

Ye noble knights (said then the "Squire of Dames")

Well may ye speed in so praiseworthy paine:

But sith the Sunne now ginnes to slake his beames,

In deawy vapours of the westerne maine,

And lose the teme out of his weary waine,

Mote not mislike you also to abate

Your zealous hast, till morrow next againe

Both light of heauen, and strength of men relate:

Which if ye please, to yonder castle turne your gate.

That counsell pleased well; so all yfere

Forth marched to a Castle them before,

Where soone arriuing, they restrained were

Of readie entrance, which ought euermore

To errant knights be commun: wondrous sore

Thereat displeasd they were, till that young Squire

Gan them informe the cause, why that same dore

Was shut to all, which lodging did desire:

The which to let you weet, will further time require.

Book 3. Canto Viii