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118 THE II BOOKE OF THE Cant IX.
58
Amidst them all he in a chaire was set,
Tossing and turning them withouten end,
But for he was vnhable them to fet,
A btle boy did on him still attend,
To reach, when euer he for ought did send ,
And oft when things were lost, or laid amis,
That boy them sought, and vnto him did lend
Therefore he Anamnestes cleped is,
And that old man Eumnesles, by their propertis
59
The knights there entring, did him reuerence
dew
And wondred at his endlesse exercise,
Then as they gan his Librane to vew,
And antique Registers for to auise,
There chaunced to the Princes hand to nze,
An auncient booke, hight Brtlon mommenls,
That of this lands first conquest did deuize,
And old diuision into Regiments,
Till it reduced was to one mans gouernments
60
Sir Guyon chaunst eke on another booke,
That hight Antiquitie of Faerie lond,
In which when as he greedily did looke,
Th'off spring of Eluesand Fanes there he fond,
As it dehuered was from hond to hond
Whereat they burning both with feruent fire,
Their countries auncestry to vnderstond,
Crau'd leaue of Alma, and that aged sire,
To read those bookes, whogladly graunted their
desire
Cant X
A chronicle of Bnton kings,
from Brute to Vtiters rayne
Androlles of Elfin Emperours,
till time of Gloriane
Who now shall giue vnto me words and sound,
Equall vnto this haughtie enterprise
Or who shall lend me wings, with which from
ground
My lowly verse may loftily arise,
And lift it selfe vnto the highest skies ?
More ample spirit, then hitherto was wount,
Here needes me, whiles the famous auncestries
Of my most dreaded Soueraigne I recount,
By which all earthly Princes she doth farre
surmount
2
Ne vnder Sunne, that shines so wide and faire,
Whenceall that hues, does borrow life and light,
Liues ought, that to her linage may compaire,
Which though from earth it be deriued right,
Yet doth it selfe stretch forth to heauens hight,
And all the world with wonder ouerspred ,
A labour huge, exceeding farre my might
How shall fraile pen, with feare disparaged,
Conceiue such soueraine glory, and great
bountihed
3
Argument worthy of Mosontan quill,
Or rather worthy of great Phœbus rote,
Whereon the ruines of great Ossa hill,
And triumphes of Phlegrœan Ioue he wrote,
That all the Gods admird his loftie note
But if some relish of that heauenly lay
His learned daughters would to me report,
To decke my song withall, I would assay,
Thy name, O soueraine Queene, to blazon farre
away
4
Thy name O soueraine Queene, thy realme and
race,
From this renowmed Prince deriued arre,
I Who mightily vpheld that royall mace,
Which now thou bear 'st, to thee-descendedfarre
I From mightie longs and conquerours in warre,
Thy fathers and great Grandfathers of old,
Whosenobledeedesabouethe Northernestarre
Immortall fame for euer hath enrold,
i As in that old mans booke they were in order
told
5
The land, which warlike Britons now possesse,
And therein haue their mightie empire raysd,
In antique times was saluage wildernesse,
Vnpeopled, vnmanurd, vnprou'd, vnpraysd,
Ne was it Island then, ne was it paysd
Amid the Ocean waues, ne was it sought
Of marchants farre, for profits therein praysd,
But was all desolate, and of some thought
By sea to haue bene from the Cellicke mayn
land brought
6
Ne did it then deserue a name to haue,
Till that the venturous Manner that way
Learninghisshipfromthosewhiterockstosaue,
Which all along the Southerne sea coast lay,
Threatmng vnheedie wrecke and rash decay,
For safeties sake that same his sea markemade,
And namd it Albion But later day
Finding in it fit ports for fishers trade,
Gan more the same frequent, and further to
muade