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Cant V. FAERIE QVEENE 29
5°
Amongst these mighty men were wemen mixt,
Proud wemen, vame, forgetfull of their yoke
The bold SemiramIs, whose sides transfixt
With sonnes owne blade, her fowle reproches
spoke,
Faire Sthenobaea, that her selfe did choke
With wilfull cord, for wanting of her'will,
High minded Cleopalra, that with stroke
Of Aspes sting her selfe did stoutly kill
And thousands moe the like, that did that
dongeon fill
51
Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles,
Which thither were assembled day by day,
From all the world after their wofull falles,
Through wicked pnde,and wasted wealthes decay
But most of all, which in that Dongeon lay
fell from high Princes courts,or Ladies bowres,
Where they in idle pompe, or wanton play,
Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse
howres,
And lastly throwne themselues into these heauy
stowres
52
Whose case when as the carcfull Dwarfe had tould,
And made onsample of their mourncfull sight
Vnto his maister, lit no lenger would
There dwell in perill of like painefull plight,
But early rose, and ere that dawning light
Discouered had the world to heauen wyde,
He by a priuie Posterne tooke his flight,
That of no enuious eyes he mote be spyde
For doubtlesse death ensevvd, if any him de
scryde
53
carse could he footing find in that fowle way,
For many corses, like a gre it Lay stall
Of murdred men which therein strowed lay,
Without remorse, or decent funerall
Winch all through that great Pnncesse pride
did fall
And came to shamefull end And them beside
forth ryding vndemeath the castell wall,
A donghill of dead carkases he spide,
["he dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of
Pride
Cant VI
From lawlesse lust by wondrous grace
I fayre Vna is releast
Whom saluage nation does adore,
and learnes her wise beheast
I
As when a ship, that flyes faire vnder saile,
An hidden rocke escaped hath vnwares,
That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile
The Marnner yet halfe amazed stares
At perill past, and yet in doubt ne dares
To loy at his foole happie'ouelrsight
So doubly is distrest twixt loy and cares
The dreadlesse courage of this Elfin knight,
Ilaumg escapt so sad ensamples in his sight
2
Yet sad he was that his too hastie speed
The faire Duess' had forst him leaue behind,
I And yet more sad, that Vna his deare dreed
Her truth had staind with treason so vnkmd,
Yet crime in her could neuer creature find,
I But for his loue, and for her owne selfe sake,
She wand red liad from one to other Ynd
Him for to seeke, ne euer would forsake,
Till her vnwares the fierce Sansloy did ouertake
Who after Archmagoes fowle defeat,
Led her away into a forrest wilde,
And turning wrathfull fire to lustfull heat,
With beastly sin thought her to haue defilde,
And made the vassall of his pleasures vilde
Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes,
Her to perswade, that stubborne fort to yilde '
For greater conquest of hard loue gaynes,
That workes it to his will, then he that it con
straines
4
With fawning hordes he courted her a while,
And looking louely, and oft sighing sore,
Herconstant hart did temptwith diuerseguile
But wordes, and lookes, and sighes she did
abhore,
A As rocke of Diamond stedfast euermore
Yet for to feed his fvri e lustfull eye,
He snatcht the vele, that hong her face before,
Then gan her beautie shine, as brightest skye,
And burnt his beastly hart t'efforce her
chastitye