The Faerie Queene · Book V · Canto 5 5 (2/2)

“Yet, weet ye well, that to a courage great

It is no lesse beseeming well to beare

The storme of fortunes frowne or heavens threat,

Then in the sunshine of her countenance cleare

Timely to joy and carrie comely cheare:

For though this cloud have now me overcast,

Yet doe I not of better times despeyre;

And though (unlike) they should for ever last,

Yet in my truthes assurance I rest fixed fast.”

“But what so stonie minde,” (she then replyde)

“But if in his owne powre occasion lay,

Would to his hope a windowe open wyde,

And to his fortunes helpe make readie way?”

“Unworthy sure” (quoth he) “of better day,

That will not take the offer of good hope,

And eke pursew, if he attaine it may.”

Which speaches she applying to the scope

Of her intent, this further purpose to him shope.

“Then why doest not, thou ill advized man,

Make meanes to win thy libertie forlorne,

And try if thou by faire entreatie can

Move Radigund? who, though she still have worne

Her dayes in warre, yet (weet thou) was not borne

Of Beares and Tygres, nor so salvage mynded

As that, albe all love of men she scorne,

She yet forgets that she of men was kynded:

And sooth oft seene, that proudest harts base love hath blynded.”

“Certes, Clarinda, not of cancred will,”

(Sayd he) “nor obstinate disdainefull mind,

I have forbore this duetie to fulfill;

For well I may this weene by that I fynd,

That she a Queene, and come of Princely kynd,

Both worthie is for to be sewd unto,

Chiefely by him whose life her law doth bynd,

And eke of powre her owne doome to undo,

And als’ of princely grace to be inclyn’d thereto.

“But want of meanes hath bene mine onely let

From seeking favour where it doth abound;

Which if I might by your good office get,

I to your selfe should rest for ever bound,

And readie to deserve what grace I found.”

She feeling him thus bite upon the bayt,

Yet doubting least his hold was but unsound

And not well fastened, would not strike him strayt,

But drew him on with hope fit leasure to awayt.

But, foolish Mayd! whyles heedlesse of the hooke

She thus oft times was beating off and on,

Through slipperie footing fell into the brooke,

And there was caught to her confusion:

For, seeking thus to salve the Amazon,

She wounded was with her deceipts owne dart,

And gan thenceforth to cast affection,

Conceived close in her beguiled hart,

To Artegall, through pittie of his causelesse smart.

Yet durst she not disclose her fancies wound,

Ne to himselfe, for doubt of being sdayned,

Ne yet to any other wight on ground,

For feare her mistresse shold have knowledge gayned;

But to her selfe it secretly retayned

Within the closet of her covert brest,

The more thereby her tender hart was payned;

Yet to awayt fit time she weened best,

And fairely did dissemble her sad thoughts unrest.

One day her Ladle, calling her apart,

Gan to demaund of her some tydings good,

Touching her loves successe, her lingring smart.

Therewith she gan at first to change her mood,

As one adaw’d, and halfe confused stood;

But quickly she it overpast, so soone

As she her face had wypt to fresh her blood:

Tho gan she tell her all that she had donne,

And all the wayes she sought his love for to have wonne:

But sayd that he was obstinate and sterne,

Scorning her offers and conditions vaine;

Ne would be taught with any termes to lerne

So fond a lesson as to love againe:

Die rather would he in penurious paine,

And his abridged dayes in dolour wast,

Then his foes love or liking entertaine.

His resolution was, both first and last,

His bodie was her thrall, his hart was freely plast.

Which when the cruell Amazon perceived,

She gan to storme, and rage, and rend her gall,

For very fell despight which she conceived,

To be so scorned of a base-borne thrall,

Whose life did lie in her least eyelids fall;

Of which she vow’d, with many a cursed threat,

That she therefore would him ere long forstall.

Nathlesse, when calmed was her furious heat,

She chang’d that threatfull mood, and mildly gan entreat:

“What now is left, Clarinda? what remaines,

That we may compasse this our enterprize?

Great shame to lose so long employed paines,

And greater shame t’abide so great misprize,

With which he dares our offers thus despize:

Yet that his guilt the greater may appeare,

And more my gratious mercie by this wize,

I will a while with his first folly beare,

Till thou have tride againe, and tempted him more neare.

“Say and do all that may thereto prevaile;

Leave nought unpromist that may him perswade,

Life, freedome, grace, and gifts of great availe,

With which the Gods themselves are mylder made:

Thereto adde art, even womens witty trade,

The art of mightie words that men can charme;

With which in case thou canst him not invade,

Let him feele hardnesse of thy heavie arme:

Who will not stoupe with good shall be made stoupe with harme.

“Some of his diet doe from him withdraw,

For I him find to be too proudly fed:

Give him more labour, and with streighter law,

That he with worke may be forwearied:

Let him lodge hard, and lie in strawen bed,

That may pull downe the courage of his pride;

And lay upon him, for his greater dread,

Cold yron chaines with which let him be tide;

And let what ever he desires be him denide.

“When thou hast all this doen, then bring me newes

Of his demeane: thenceforth not like a lover,

But like a rebell stout, I will him use;

For I resolve this siege not to give over,

Till I the conquest of my will recover.”

So she departed full of griefe and sdaine,

Which inly did to great impatience move her:

But the false mayden shortly turn’d againe

Unto the prison, where her hart did thrall remaine.

There all her subtill nets she did unfold,

And all the engins of her wit display;

In which she meant him warelesse to enfold,

And of his innocence to make her pray.

So cunningly she wrought her crafts assay,

That both her Ladie, and her selfe withall,

And eke the knight attonce she did betray;

But most the knight, whom she with guilefull call

Did cast for to allure into her trap to fall.

As a bad Nurse, which, fayning to receive

In her owne mouth the food ment for her chyld,

Withholdes it to her selfe, and doeth deceive

The infant, so for want of nourture spoyld;

Even so Clarinda her owne Dame beguyld,

And turn’d the trust which was in her affyde,

To feeding of her private fire, which boyld

Her inward brest, and in her entrayles fryde,

The more that she it sought to cover and to hyde.

For, comming to this knight, she purpose fayned,

How earnest suit she earst for him had made

Unto her Queene, his freedome to have gayned,

But by no meanes could her thereto perswade;

But that instead thereof she sternely bade

His miserie to be augmented more,

And many yron bands on him to lade:

All which nathlesse she for his love forebore;

So praying him t’accept her service evermore.

And, more then that, she promist that she would,

In case she might finde favour in his eye,

Devize how to enlarge him out of hould.

The Fayrie, glad to gaine his libertie,

Can yeeld great thankes for such her curtesie;

And with faire words, fit for the time and place,

To feede the humour of her maladie,

Promist, if she would free him from that case,

He wold, by all good means he might, deserve such grace.

So daily he faire semblant did her shew,

Yet never meant he in his noble mind

To his owne absent love to be untrew:

Ne ever did deceiptfull Clarin find

In her false hart his bondage to unbind,

But rather how she mote him faster tye.

Therefore unto her mistresse most unkind

She daily told her love he did defye;

And him she told her Dame his freedome did denye.

Yet thus much friendship she to him did show,

That his scarse diet somewhat was amended,

And his worke lessened, that his love mote grow:

Yet to her Dame him still she discommended,

That she with him mote be the more offended.

Thus he long while in thraldome there remayned,

Of both beloved well, but litle frended,

Untill his owne true love his freedome gayned:

Which in an other Canto will be best contayned.