Page:Works of Edmund Spenser - 1857.djvu/399

Rh “I carried him into waste wildernesse, Waste wildernes, amongst Cymerian shades, Where endles paines and hideous heavinesse Is round about me heapt in darksome glades. For there huge Othos sits in sad distresse, Fast bound with serpents that him oft invades; Far off beholding Ephialtes tide, Which once assai’d to burne this world so wide.

“And there is mournfull Tityus, mindefull yet Of thy displeasure, O Latona faire; Displeasure too implacable was it, That made him meat for wild foules of the ayre: Much do I feare among such fiends to sit; Much do I feare back to them to repayre, To the black shadowes of the Stygian shore, Where wretched ghosts sit wailing evermore.

“There next the utmost brinck doth he abide, That did the bankets of the gods bewray, Whose threat through thirst to nought nigh being dride, His sense to seeke for ease turnes every way: And he, that in avengement of his pride For scorning to the sacred gods to pray, Against a mountaine rolls a mightie stone, Calling in vaine for rest, and can have none.

“Go ye with them, go, cursed damosells, Whose bridale torches foule Erynnis tynde; And Hymen, at your spousalls sad, foretells Tydings of death and massacre unkinde: With them that cruell Colchid mother dwells, The which conceiv’d in her revengefull minde With bitter woundes her owne deere babes to slay, And murdred troupes upon great heapes to lay.

“There also those two Pandionian maides, Calling on Itis, Itis evermore, Whom, wretched boy, they slew with guiltie blades; For whome the Thracian king lamenting sore, Turn’d to a lapwing, fowlie them upbraydes, And fluttering round about them still does sore; There now they all eternally complaine Of others wrong, and suffer endles paine.

“But the two brethren borne of Cadmus blood, Whilst each does for the soveraignty contend, Blinde through ambition, and with vengeance wood, Each doth against the others bodie bend His cursed steele, of neither well withstood, And with wide wounds their carcases doth rend; That yet they both doe mortall foes remaine, Sith each with brothers bloudie hand was slaine.

“Ah (waladay!) there is no end of paine, Nor chaunge of labour may intreated bee: Yet I beyond all these am carred faine, Where other powers farre different I see, And must passe over to th’ Elisian plaine: There grim Persephone, encountring mee, Doth urge her fellow furies earnestlie With their bright firebronds me to terrifie.

“There chast Alceste lives inviolate, Free from all care, for that her husbands daies She did prolong by changing fate for fate: Lo! there lives also the immortall praise Of womankinde, most faithfull to her mate, Penelope; and from her farre awayes A rulesse route of yongmen, which her wood, All slaine with darts, lie wallowed in their blood.

“And sad Eurydice thence now no more Must turne to life, but there detained bee For looking back, being forbid before: Yet was the guilt thereof, Orpheus, in thee! Bold sure he was, and worthie spirite bore, That durst those lowest shadowes goe to see, And could beleeve that anie thing could please Fell Cerberus, or Stygian powres appease.

“Ne feard the burning waves of Phlegeton, Nor those same mournefull kingdomes, compassed With rustie horrour and fowle fashion; And deep digd vawtes; and Tartar covered With bloodie night, and darke confusion; And iudgement seates, whose Iudge is deadlie dred, A Iudge, that after death doth punish sore The faults, which life hath trespassed before.

“But valiant fortune made Dan Orpheus bolde: For the swift running rivers still did stand, And the wilde beasts their furie did withhold, To follow Orpheus musicke through the land: And th’ okes deep grounded in the earthly molde, Did move, as if they could him understand; And the shrill woods, which were of sense bereav’d, Through their hard barke his silver sound receav’d.

“And eke the Moone her hastie steedes did stay, Drawing in teemes along the starrie skie; And didst, O monthly virgin, thou delay Thy nightly course, to heare his melodie? The same was able with like lovely lay The queene of hell to move as easily, To yeeld Eurydice unto her fere Backe to be borne, though it unlawfull were.

“She (ladie) having well before approoved The feends to be too cruell and severe, Observ’d th’ appointed way, as her behooved, Ne ever did her eysight turne arere, Ne ever spake, ne cause of speaking mooved; But, cruell Orpheus, thou much crueller, Seeking to kisse her, brok’st the gods decree, And thereby mad’st her ever damn’d to be.

“Ah! but sweete love of pardon worthie is, And doth deserve to have small faults remitted; If hell at least things lightly done amis Knew how to pardon, when ought is omitted; Yet are ye both received into blis, And to the seates of happie soules admitted: And you, beside the honourable band Of great heroes, doo in order stand.