LX.

And thou fair imp, fprung out from English race,
However now accounted Elfins fon,
Well worthy doft thy fervice for her grace,
To aid a virgin defolate foredone.

But when thou famous victory haft wone,

And high emongst all Knights haft hung thy fhield,
Thenceforth the fuit of earthly conqueft fhun,
And wash thy hands from guilt of bloody field:
For blood can nought but fin, and wars but forrows yield.
LXI.

Then feek this path that I to thee prefage,
Which after all to heaven fhall thee fend;
Then peaceably thy painful pilgrimage
To yonder fame Jerufalem do bend,

Where is for thee ordain'd a bleffed end:
For thou emongst thofe faints, whom thou doft see,
Shalt be a faint, and thine own nations friend
And patron: thou Saint George fhalt called be,
Saint George of merry England, the sign of victory.
LXII.

Unworthy wretch (quoth he) of fo great grace,
How dare I think fuch glory to attain ?
These that have it attain'd, were in like cafe
(Quoth he) as wretched, and liv'd in like pain,
But deeds of arms muft I at last be fain,
And Ladies love to leave, fo dearly bought?
What need of arms, where peace doth aye remain
(Said he) and battles none are to be fought?
As for loofe Loves they're vain, and vanish into nought.
LXIII.

O! let me not (quoth he) then turn again
Back to the world, whofe joys fo fruitless are;
But let me here for aye in peace remain,
Or straightway on that laft long voyage fare,
That nothing may my prefent hope empare.
That may not be (faid he) ne maist thou yit
Forgo that royal maids bequeathed care,
Who did her caufe into thy hand commit,
Till from her curfed foe thou have her freely quit.

LXIV.

Then shall I foon (quoth he) fo God me grace,
Abet that virgins cause difconfolate,
And shortly back return unto this place,
To walk this way in Pilgrims poor eftate.
But now aread, old father, why of late
Didft thou behight me born of English blood,
Whom all a Fairies fon doen nominate?
That word fhall I (faid he) avouchen good,
Sith to thee is unknown the cradle of thy brood.
LXV.

For well I wot, thou springst from ancient race
Of Saxon Kings that have with mighty hand
And many bloody battles fought in place,
High rear'd their royal throne in Britane land,
And vanquifht them, unable to withstand:
From thence a Fairy thee unweeting reft,
There as thou fleptft in tender fwadling band,
And her base Elfin brood there for thee left.
Such, men do changelings call, fo chang'd by Fairies theft.
LXVI.

Thence the thee brought into this Fairy lond,
And in an heaped furrow did thee hide:
Where thee a Ploughman all unweeting fond
As he his toilfome team that way did guide,
And brought thee up in Ploughmans state to bide,
Wereof Georgos he thee gave to name;

Till prickt with courage, and thy forces pride,
To fairy court thou cam'ft to feek for fame,
And prove thy puiffant arms, as feems thee best became.
LXVII.

O holy Sire (quoth he) how shall I quight

The many favours I with thee have found,
That haft my name and nation read aright,
And taught the way that does to heaven bound?
This faid, adown he looked to the ground,
To have return'd: but dazed were his eyne
Through paffing brightness, which did quite confound
His fecble fenfe, and too exceeding fhine..

So dark are earthly things compar'd to things divine..

LXVIII.

At laft, whénás himself he 'gan to find,
To Una back he caft him to retire :

Who him awaited ftill with pensive mind,
Great thanks and goodly meed, to that good fire,
He thence departing gave for his pains hire.
So came to Una, who him joy'd to fee;
And after little reft, 'gan him defire,

Of her adventure mindful for to be.

So leave they take of Calia, and her daughters three.

CANTO XI,

The Knight with that old Dragon fights
Two days inceffantly:

The third, bim overthrows, and gains
Moft glorious Victory.

1.

Igh time now 'gan it wex for Una fair, To think of thofe her captive parents dear, And their forwafted kingdom to repair: Whereto whenas they now approached near, With harty words her Knight fhe 'gan to chear, And in her modeft manner thus bespake; Dear Knight, as dear as ever Knight was dear, That all these forrows fuffer for my fake, High heaven behold the tedious toyl ye for me take. II.

Now are we come unto my native soil,

And to the place where all our perils dwell;
Here-haunts that fiend, and does his daily spoil:
Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well,
And ever ready for your foeman fell.
The fpark of noble courage now awake,
And ftrive your excellent felf to excel;
That shall ye evermore renowned make

Above all Knights on earth, that battle undertake.

III.

And pointing forth, lo, yonder is (said she)
The brazen towre, in which my parents dear
For dread of that huge fiend imprison'd be,
Whom I from far, fee on the walls appear,
Whofe fight my feeble foul doth greatly chear :
And on the top of all, I do efpy

The watchman waiting, tydings glad to hear,
That (O my parents) might I happily
Unto you bring, to ease you of your misery.
IV.

With that, they heard a roaring hideous found,
That all the air with terrour filled wide,
And seem'd uneath tó fhake the ftedfast ground,
Eftfoons that dreadful Dragon they espide,
Where stretcht he lay upon the funny fide
Of a great hill, himself like a great hill.
But all fo foon as he from far defcride

Thofe gliftring arms that heaven with light did fill, He rous'd himself full blith, and haftened them until.

Then bade the Knight his Lady yede aloof,

And to an hill herself withdraw afide,

From whence fhe might behold that battles proof, And eke be safe from danger far defcride: She him obey'd and turn'd a little wide. Now, O thou facred mufe, most learned Dame, Fair imp of Phabus, and his aged bride, The nurse of time, and everlasting fame, That warlike hands ennoblest with immortal name.

VI.

O gently come into my feeble breast,

Come gently, but not with that mighty rage,
Wherewith the martial troops thou dost infeft,
And hearts of great Heroës doft inrage,

That nought their kindled courage may affwage;
Soon as thy dreadful trump begins to found,
The God of war with his fierce equipage
Thou doft awake, fleep never he fo found,
And scared nations doft with horrour ftern astound.

VII.

Fair Goddess lay that furious fit afide,
Till I of wars and bloody Mars do fing,

And Briton fields with Sarazin blood bedide,
Twixt that great Fairy Queen and Paynim King,
That with their horrour heaven and earth did ring,
A work of labour long, and endless praise:
But, now a while let down that haughty ftring,
And to my tunes thy fecond tenor raise,

That I this Man of God his godly arms may blaze.
VIII.

By this, the dreadful beast drew nigh to hand,
Half flying, and half footing in his hafte
That with his largeness measured much land,
And made wide fhadow under his huge wafte;
As mountain doth the valley overcast.
Approaching nigh he reared high afore

His body monftrous, horrible, and vast,
Which (to increase his wondrous greatness more)
Was fwoln with wrath, and poison, and with bloody gore.
IX.

And over all with brazen scales was arm'd,
Like plated coat of fteel, fo couched near,
That nought mote pierce, ne might his corfe be harm'd
With dint of fword, nor pufh of pointed fpear;
Which as an Eagle, feeing prey appear,
His airy plumes doth rouze, full rudely dight,
So shaked he, that horrour was to hear:

For as the clashing of an armour bright,
Such noife his roufed fcales did fend unto the Knight,
X.

His flaggy wings when forth he did display,
Where like two fails, in which the hollow wind
Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:
And eke the pens that did his pinions bind,
Were like main-yards, with flying canvas lin'd;
With which, whenas him lift the air to beat,
And there by force unwonted paffage find,
The clouds before him fled for terror great,

. And all the heavens ftood ftill amazed with his threat.