The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser

Author:Edmund Spenser
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group USA, Inc.

CANTO IX

The Squire of low degree releast

Pœana takes to wife:

Britomart fightes with many Knights

Prince Arthur stints their strife.

1 Hard is the doubt, and difficult to deeme,

When all three kinds of loue together meet,

And doe dispart the hart with powre extreme,

Whether shall weigh the balance downe; to weet

The deare affection vnto kindred sweet,

Or raging fire of loue to woman kind,

Or zeale of friends combynd with vertues meet.

But of them all the band of vertuous mind

Me seemes the gentle hart, should most assured bind.

2 For naturall affection soone doth cesse,

And quenched is with Cupids greater flame:

But faithfull friendship doth them both suppresse,

And them with maystring discipline doth tame,

Through thoughts aspyring to eternall fame.

For as the soule doth rule the earthly masse,

And all the seruice of the bodie frame,

So loue of soule doth loue of bodie passe,

No lesse then perfect gold surmounts the meanest brasse.

3 All which who list by tryall to assay,

Shall in this storie find approued plaine;

In which these Squires true friendship more did sway,

Then either care of parents could refraine,

Or loue of fairest Ladie could constraine.

For though Pœana were as faire as morne,

Yet did this trustie squire with proud disdaine

For his friends sake her offred fauours scorne,

And she her selfe her syre, of whom she was yborne.

4 Now after that Prince Arthur graunted had,

To yeeld strong succour to that gentle swayne,

Who now long time had lyen in prison sad,

He gan aduise how best he mote darrayne

That enterprize, for greatest glories gayne.

That headlesse tyrants tronke he reard from ground,

And hauing ympt the head to it agayne,

Vpon his vsuall beast it firmely bound,

And made it so to ride, as it aliue was found.

5 Then did he take that chaced Squire, and layd

Before the ryder, as he captiue were,

And made his Dwarfe, though with vnwilling ayd,

To guide the beast, that did his maister beare,

Till to his castle they approched neare.

Whom when the watch, that kept continuall ward

Saw comming home; all voide of doubtfull feare,

He running downe, the gate to him vnbard;

Whom straight the Prince ensuing, in together far’d.

6 There he did find in her delirious boure

The faire Pœana playing on a Rote,

Complayning of her cruell Paramoure,

And singing all her sorrow to the note,

As she had learned readily by rote.

That with the sweetnesse of her rare delight,

The Prince halfe rapt, began on her to dote:

Till better him bethinking of the right,

He her vnwares attacht, and captiue held by might.

7 Whence being forth produc’d, when she perceiued

Her owne deare sire, she cald to him for aide.

But when of him no aunswere she receiued,

But saw him sencelesse by the Squire vpstaide,

She weened well, that then she was betraide:

Then gan she loudly cry, and weepe, and waile,

And that same Squire of treason to vpbraide.

But all in vaine, her plaints might not preuaile,

Ne none there was to reskue her, ne none to baile.

8 Then tooke he that same Dwarfe, and him compeld

To open vnto him the prison dore,

And forth to bring those thrals, which there he held.

Thence forth were brought to him aboue a score

Of Knights and Squires to him vnknowne afore:

All which he did from bitter bondage free,

And vnto former liberty restore.

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