The Faerie Queene · Book II · Canto 2 10 (2/2)

Then made he sacred lawes, which some men say

Were unto him reveald in vision;

By which he freed the Traveilers high-way,

The Churches part, and Ploughmans portion,

Restraining stealth and strong extortion,

The gratious Numa of great Britany;

For till his dayes, the chiefe dominion

By strength was wielded without pollicy:

Therefore he first wore crowne of gold for dignity.

Donwallo dyde, (for what may live for ay?)

And left two sonnes, of pearelesse prowesse both,

That sacked Rome too dearely did assay,

The recompence of their perjured oth;

And ransackt Greece wel tryde, when they were wroth;

Besides subjected France and Germany,

Which yet their praises speake, all be they loth,

And inly tremble at the memory

Of Brennus and Belinus, kinges of Britany.

Next them did Gurgiunt, great Belinus sonne,

In rule succeede, and eke in fathers praise;

He Easterland subdewd, and Denmarke wonne,

And of them both did foy and tribute raise,

The which was dew in his dead fathers daies.

He also gave to fugitives of Spayne,

Whom he at sea found wandring from their waies,

A seate in Ireland safely to remayne,

Which they should hold of him, as subject to Britayne.

After him raigned Guitheline his hayre,

The justest man and trewest in his daies,

Who had to wife Dame Mertia the fayre,

A woman worthy of immortall praise,

Which for this Realme found many goodly layes,

And wholesome Statutes to her husband brought.

Her many deemd to have beene of the Fayes,

As was Aegerie that Numa tought:

Those yet of her be Mertian lawes both nam’d and thought.

Her sonne Sisillus after her did rayne;

And then Kimarus; and then Danius:

Next whom Morindus did the crowne sustayne;

Who, had he not with wrath outrageous

And cruell rancour dim’d his valorous

And mightie deedes, should matched have the best:

As well in that same field victorious

Against the forreine Morands he exprest;

Yet lives his memorie, though carcas sleepe in rest.

Five sonnes he left, begotten of one wife,

All which successively by turnes did rayne:

First Gorboman, a man of vertuous life;

Next Archigald, who for his proud disdayne

Deposed was from princedome soverayne,

And pitteous Elidure put in his sted;

Who shortly it to him restord agayne,

Till by his death he it recovered:

But Peridure and Vigent him disthronized.

In wretched prison long he did remaine,

Till they outraigned had their utmost date,

And then therein reseized was againe,

And ruled long with honorable state,

Till he surrendered Realme and life to fate.

Then all the sonnes of these five brethren raynd

By dew successe, and all their Nephewes late;

Even thrise eleven descents the crowne retaynd,

Till aged Hely by dew heritage it gaynd.

He had two sonnes, whose eldest, called Lud,

Left of his life most famous memory,

And endlesse moniments of his great good:

The ruin’d wals he did reædifye

Of Troynovant, gainst force of enimy,

And built that gate which of his name is hight,

By which he lyes entombed solemnly.

He left two sonnes, too young to rule aright,

Androgeus and Tenantius, pictures of his might.

Whilst they were young, Cassibalane, their Eme,

Was by the people chosen in their sted,

Who on him tooke the roiall Diademe,

And goodly well long time it governed;

Till the prowde Romanes him disquieted,

And warlike Cæsar, tempted with the name

Of this sweet Island never conquered,

And envying the Britons blazed fame,

(O hideous hunger of dominion!) hither came.

Yet twise they were repulsed backe againe,

And twise renforst backe to their ships to fly;

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,

Betrayd his countrey unto forreine spoyle.

Nought els but treason from the first this land did foyle.

So by him Cæsar got the victory,

Through great bloodshed and many a sad assay,

In which himselfe was charged heavily

Of hardy 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:

Yet oft the Briton kings against them strongly swayd.

Next him Tenantius raignd; them Kimbeline,

What time th’eternall Lord in fleshly slime

Enwombed was, from wretched Adams line

To purge away the guilt of sinfull crime.

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.

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;

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.

Was never king more highly magnifide,

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 hither hastly sent

Vespasian, that with great spoile and rage

Forwasted all, till Genuissa gent

Persuaded him to ceasse, and her lord to relent.

He dide; and him succeeded Marius,

Who joy’d his dayes in great tranquillity.

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,

Who brought with him the holy grayle, they say,

And preacht the truth; but since it greatly did decay.

This good king shortly without issew dide,

Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew,

That did her selfe in sondry parts divide,

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,

And them unwares besides the Severne did enclose.

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:

Yet, such as were through former flight preserv’d

Gathering againe, her Host she did renew,

And with fresh corage on the victor servd:

But being all defeated, save a few,

Rather then fly, or be captiv’d, her selfe she slew.

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;

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,

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;

But him Allectus treacherously slew,

And tooke on him the robe of Emperoure:

Nath’lesse the same enjoyed but short happy howre:

For Asclepiodate him overcame,

And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne,

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.

Then gan this Realme renew her passed prime:

He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime.

Which when the Romanes heard, they hither sent

Constantius, a man of mickle might,

With whome king Coyll made an agreëment,

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,

As well in curious instruments as cunning laies.

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,

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:

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.

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.

The weary Britons, whose war-hable youth

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

And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;

Til, by consent of Commons and of Peares,

They crownd the second Constantine with joyous teares.

Who having oft in batteill vanquished

Those spoylefull Picts, and swarming Easterlings,

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

From sea to sea he heapt a mighty mound,

Which from Alcluid to Panwelt did that border bownd.

Three sones he dying left, all under age;

By meanes whereof their uncle Vortigere

Usurpt the crowne during their pupillage;

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

Of Saxons, whom he for his safety imployes.

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,

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.

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.

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.

By this the sonnes of Constantine, which fled,

Ambrose and Uther, did ripe yeares attayne,

And, here arriving, strongly challenged

The crowne which Vortiger did long detayne:

Who, flying from his guilt, by them was slayne;

And Hengist eke soon brought to shamefull death.

Thenceforth Aurelius peaceably did rayne,

Till that through poyson stopped was his breath;

So now entombed lies at Stoneheng by the heath.

After him Uther, which Pendragon hight,

Succeeding⁠—There abruptly it did end,

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;

Yet secret pleasure did offence empeach,

And wonder of antiquity long stopt his speach.

At last, quite ravisht with delight to heare

The royall Ofspring of his native land,

Cryde out; “Deare countrey! O! how dearely deare

Ought thy remembraunce and perpetuall 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;

That gave unto us all what ever good we have.”

But Guyon all this while his booke did read,

Ne yet has ended; for it was a great

And ample volume, that doth far exceed

My leasure so long leaves here to repeat:

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 hartstrings of an Aegle ryv’d.

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

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 Faeryes spring, and fetch their lignage right.

Of these a mighty people shortly grew,

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:

Next him was noble Elfinan, who laid

Cleopolis foundation first of all:

But Elfiline enclosd it with a golden wall.

His sonne was Elfinell, who overcame

The wicked Gobbelines in bloody field;

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;

He built by art upon the glassy See

A bridge of bras, whose sound hevens thunder seem’d to bee.

He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,

And all their Ofspring, in their dew descents;

Even seven hundred Princes, which maintaynd

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

And civil rule, to kinges and states imperiall.

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

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.

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:

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!

Beguyld thus with delight of novelties,

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

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.