Page:Works of Edmund Spenser - 1857.djvu/63

 Canto. V.] THE FAERIE QUEENE. 2? " And. him hefore, I saw with bitter eyes The bold Sansfoy shrinek underneath his speaiD ; And now the pray of fowles in field he lyes, Nor wayld of friendes, nor layd on groning beare, That whylome was to me too dearely deare. O ! what of gods then boots it to be borne, If old Aveugles sonnes so evill heare? Or who shall not great Nightës children scorne, When two of three her nephews are so fowle forlorne?

" Up, then ; up, dreary dame, of darknes queene ; Go, gayther up the reliques of thy race ; Or else goe, them avenge ; and let be seene That dreaded Night in brightest day hath place, And can the children of fayre Light defiice." Her feeling speaches some compassion mov'd In hart, and chaunge in that great mothers face : Yet pitty in her hart was never prov'd Till then ; for evermore she hated, never lov'd ;

And said, " Deare daughter, rightly may I rew The fall of famous children borne of mee, And good successes, which their foes ensew: But who can turne the streame of destinee, Or breake the chayne of strong necessitee, Which fast is tyde to loves eternall seat? The sonnes of Day he favoureth, I see, And by my ruines thinkes to make them great: I'o make one great by others losse is bad excheat.

" Yet shall they not escape so freely all ; For some shall pay the piice of others guilt : And he, the man tiiat made Sansfoy to fall. Shall with his owne blood price that he has spilt. But what art thou, that telst of nephews kilt?" " I, that do seeme not I, Duessa ame," Quoth slie, " how ever now, in garments gilt And gorgeous gold arrayd, I to thee came; Duessa I, the daughter of Deceipt and Shame."

Then, bowing downe her aged backe, she kist The wicked witch, saying ; " In that fayre face The false resemblaunce of Deceipt, I wist, Did closely lurke ; yet so true-seeming grace It carried, that I scarse in darksome place Could it discerne ; though I the mother bee Of Falbhood, and roote of Duessaes race. O welcome, child, whom I have longd to see, And now have seene unwares ! Lo, now I goe with thee."

Then to her yron wagon see betakes, And with her beares the fowle welfavourd witch : Through mirkesome aire her ready way she makes. Her twyfold teme (of which two blacke as pitch, And two were browne, yet each to each unlich) Did softly swim away, ne ever stamp [twitch ; I'nlesse she r;haun-t their stubborne mouths to Thtn, foaming tarre, their bridles they would champ. And trampling the line element would fiercely ramp.

So well they sped, that they be come at length Unto the place, whereas the Pavnim lay Devoid of outward sence and native strength, Coverd with charmed cloud i'rom vew of dav And sight of men, since his late lucklesse fray. His cruell woundes with cruddy bloud congeald They binden up so wiselv as they may, And handle softly, till they can be heald : So lay him in her charett, close in night conceald.

And, all the while she stood upon the ground. The wakefuU dogs did never cease to bay ; As giving warning of th' unwonted sound, With which her yron wheeles did them affray, And her darke griesly looke them much dismay. The messenger of death, the ghastly owle. With drery shriekes did also her bewray ; And hungry wolves continually did howle At her abhorred face, so filthy and so fowle.

Thence turning backe in silence soft they stole. And brought the heavy corse with easy jjace To yawning ^ulte of deep Avernus hole : By that same hole an entraunce, darke and bace. With smoake and sulphur hiding all the place, Descends to hell : there creature never past. That backe retourned without heavenly grace ; But dreadfull furies, which their chaines have brast, And damned sprights sent forth to make ill men aghast.

By that same way the direfuU dames doe drive Their mournefall churet, fild with rusty blood. And downe to Plutoes house are come bilive : Which passing through, on every side them stood The trembling ghosts with sad amazed mood, Chaltring their iron teeth, and staring wide With stonie eies ; and all the hellish brood Of feends infernall fiockt on every side. To gaze on erthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.

They pas the bitter waves of Acheron, Where many soules sit wailing woefully ; And come lo fiery flood of Bhlegeton, Whereas the damnttd ghostes in torments fry, And with sharp shrilling shriekes doe bootlesse cry^ Cursing high love, the which them thither seut. The hous of endlesse Paine is built thereby. In which ten thousand sorts of punishment The cursed creatures doe eternally torment.

XXXIV. Before the threshold dreadfull Cerberus His three deformed heads did lay along. Curled with thousand adders venomous ; And lilled forth his bloody flaming tong : At them he gan to reare his bristles strong, And felly gnarre, untill Dayes enemy Did him appease; then downe his taile he bong, And suffered them to passen quietly : For she in hell and heaven had power equally.