Page:Works of Edmund Spenser - 1857.djvu/400

356 “There be the two stout sonnes of Æacus, Fierce Peleus, and the hardie Telamon, Both seeming now full glad and ioyeous Through their syres dreadfull iurisdiction, Being the iudge of all that horrid hous: And both of them, by strange occasion, Renown’d in choyce of happie marriage Throuogh Venus grace, and vertues cariage.

“For th’ one was ravisht of his owne bondmaide The faire Ixione captiv’d from Troy: But th’ other was with Thetis love assaid, Great Nereus his daughter and his ioy. On this side them there is a yongman layd, Their match in glorie, mightie, fierce, and coy; That from th’ Argolick ships, with furious yre, Bett back the furie of the Troian fyre.

“O! who would not recount the strong divorces Of that great warre, which Troianes oft behelde, And oft beheld the warlike Greekish forces, When Teucrian soyle with bloodie rivers swelde, And wide Sigæan shores were spread with corses, And Simois and Xanthus blood outwelde; Whilst Hector raged, with outragious minde, Flames, weapons, wounds, in Greeks fleete to have tynde.

“For Ida selfe, in ayde of that fierce fight, Out of her mountaines ministred supplies; And, like a kindly nourse, did yeeld (for spight) Store of firebronds out of her nourseries Unto her foster children, that they might Inflame the navie of their enemies, And all the Rhétæan shore to ashes turne, Where lay the ships, which they did seeke to burne.

“Gainst which the noble sonne of Telamon Oppos’d himselfe, and, thwarting his huge shield, Them battell bad, gainst whom appeard anon Hector, the glorie of the Troian field: Both fierce and furious in contention Encountred, that their mightie strokes so shrild, As the great clap of thunder, which doth ryve The ratling heavens, and cloudes asunder dryve.

“So th’ one with fire and weapons did contend To cut the ships from turning home againe To Argos; th’ other strove for to defend The force of Vulcane with his might and maine. Thus th’ one Æacide did his fame extend: But th’ other ioy’d, that, on the Phrygian playne Having the blood of vanquisht Hector shedd, He compast Troy thrice with his bodie dedd.

“Againe great dole on either partie grewe, That him to death unfaithfull Paris sent; And also him that false Ulysses slewe, Drawne into danger through close ambushment; Therefore from him Laërtes sonne his vewe Doth turne aside, and boasts his good event In working of Strymonian Rhæsus fall, And eite in Dolons subtile súrprysall.

“Againe the dreadfull Cycones him dismay, And blacke Læstrigones, a people stout: Then greedie Scilla, under whom there bay Manie great bandogs, which her gird about: Then doo the Ætnean Cyclops him affray, And deep Charybdis gulphing in and out: Lastly the squalid lakes of Tartarie, And griesly feends of hell him terrifie.

“There also goodly Agamemnon bosts, The glorie of the stock of Tantalus, And famous light of all the Greekish hosts; Under whose conduct most victorious, The Dorick flames consum’d the Iliack posts. Ah! but the Greekes themselves, more dolorous, To thee, O Troy, paid penaunce for thy fall; In th’ Hellespont being nigh drowned all.

“Well may appeare by proofe of their mischaunce, The chaungfull turning of mens slipperie state, That none, whom fortune freely doth advaunce, Himselfe therefore to heaven should elevate: For loftie type of honour, through the glaunce Of envies dart, is downe in dust prostrate; And all, that vaunts in worldly vanitie, Shall fall through fortunes mutabilitie.

“Th’ Argolicke power returning home againe, Enricht with spoyles of th’ Ericthonian towre, Did happie winde and weather entertaine, And with good speed the fomie billowes scowre: No signe of storme, no feare of future paine, Which soone ensued them with heavie stowre. Nereïs to the seas a token gave, The whiles their crooked keeles the surges clave.

“Suddenly, whether through the gods decree, Or haplesse rising of some froward starre, The heavens on everie side enclowded bee: Black stormes and fogs are blowen up from farre, That now the pylote can no loadstarre see, But skies and seas doo make most dreadfull warre; The billowes striving to the heavens to reach, And th’ heavens striving them for to impeach.

“And, in avengement of their bold attempt, Both sun and starres and all the heavenly powres Conspire in one to wreake their rash contempt, And downe on them to fall from highest towres: The skie, in pieces seeming to be rent, Throwes lightning forth, and haile, and harmful showres, That death on everie side to them appeares, In thousand formes, to worke more ghastly feares.

“Some in the greedie flouds are sunke and drent; Some on the rocks of Caphareus are throwne; Some on th’ Euboick cliffs in pieces rent; Some scatlred on the Hercæan shores unknowne; And manie lost, of whom no moniment Remaines, nor memorie is to be showne: Whilst all the purchase of the Phrigian pray, Tost on salt billowes, round about doth stray.