The Faerie Queene · Book V · Canto 5 9 (2/2)

Then was there brought, as prisoner to the barre,

A Ladie of great countenance and place,

But that she it with foule abuse did marre;

Yet did appeare rare beautie in her face,

But blotted with condition vile and base,

That all her other honour did obscure,

And titles of nobilitie deface:

Yet in that wretched semblant she did sure

The peoples great compassion unto her allure.

Then up arose a person of deepe reach,

And rare insight hard matters to revele;

That well could charme his tongue, and time his speach

To all assayes; his name was called Zele.

He gan that Ladie strongly to appele

Of many haynous crymes by her enured;

And with sharp reasons rang her such a pele,

That those, whom she to pitie had allured,

He now t’abhorre and loath her person had procured.

First gan he tell how this, that seem’d so faire

And royally arayd, Duessa hight;

That false Duessa, which had wrought great care

And mickle mischiefe unto many a knight,

By her beguyled and confounded quight:

But not for those she now in question came,

Though also those mote question’d be aright,

But for vyld treasons and outrageous shame,

Which she against the dred Mercilla oft did frame.

For she whylome (as ye mote yet right well

Remember) had her counsels false conspyred

With faithlesse Blandamour and Paridell,

(Both two her paramours, both by her hyred,

And both with hope of shadowes vaine inspyred)

And with them practiz’d, how for to depryve

Mercilla of her crowne, by her aspyred,

That she might it unto her selfe deryve,

And tryumph in their blood whom she to death did dryve.

But through high heavens grace, which favour not

The wicked driftes of trayterous desynes

Gainst loiall Princes, all this cursed plot,

Ere proofe it tooke, discovered was betymes,

And th’actours won the meede meet for their crymes.

Such be the meede of all that by such mene

Unto the type of kingdomes title clymes!

But false Duessa, now untitled Queene,

Was brought to her sad doome, as here was to be seene.

Strongly did Zele her haynous fact enforce,

And many other crimes of foule defame

Against her brought, to banish all remorse,

And aggravate the horror of her blame:

And with him, to make part against her, came

Many grave persons that against her pled.

First was a sage old Syre, that had to name

The Kingdomes Care, with a white silver hed,

That many high regards and reasons gainst her red.

Then gan Authority her to appose

With peremptorie powre, that made all mute;

And then the Law of Nations gainst her rose,

And reasons brought that no man could refute:

Next gan Religion gainst her to impute

High Gods beheast, and powre of holy lawes;

Then gan the Peoples cry and Commons sute

Importune care of their owne publicke cause;

And lastly Justice charged her with breach of lawes.

But then, for her, on the contrarie part,

Rose many advocates for her to plead:

First there came Pittie with full tender hart,

And with her joyn’d Regard of womanhead;

And then came Daunger, threatning hidden dread

And high alliance unto forren powre;

Then came Nobilitie of birth, that bread

Great ruth through her misfortunes tragicke stowre;

And lastly Griefe did plead, and many teares forth powre.

With the neare touch whereof in tender hart

The Briton Prince was sore empassionate,

And woxe inclined much unto her part,

Through the sad terror of so dreadfull fate,

And wretched ruine of so high estate;

That for great ruth his courage gan relent:

Which when as Zele perceived to abate,

He gan his earnest fervour to augment,

And many fearefull objects to them to present.

He gan t’efforce the evidence anew,

And new accusements to produce in place:

He brought forth that old hag of hellish hew,

The cursed Atè, brought her face to face,

Who privie was and partie in the case:

She, glad of spoyle and ruinous decay,

Did her appeach; and, to her more disgrace,

The plot of all her practise did display,

And all her traynes and all her treasons forth did lay.

Then brought he forth with griesly grim aspect

Abhorred Murder, who, with bloudie knyfe

Yet dropping fresh in hand, did her detect,

And there with guiltie bloudshed charged ryfe:

Then brought he forth Sedition, breeding stryfe

In troublous wits, and mutinous uprore;

Then brought he forth Incontinence of lyfe,

Even foule Adulterie her face before,

And lewd Impietie, that her accused sore.

All which when as the Prince had heard and seene,

His former fancies ruth he gan repent,

And from her partie eftsoones was drawen cleene:

But Artegall, with constant firme intent

For zeale of Justice, was against her bent:

So was she guiltie deemed of them all.

Then Zele began to urge her punishment,

And to their Queene for judgement loudly call,

Unto Mercilla myld, for Justice gainst the thrall.

But she, whose Princely brest was touched nere

With piteous ruth of her so wretched plight,

Though plaine she saw, by all that she did heare,

That she of death was guiltie found by right,

Yet would not let just vengeance on her light;

But rather let, instead thereof, to fall

Few perling drops from her faire lampes of light;

The which she covering with her purple pall

Would have the passion hid, and up arose withall.