LI.

The joyous day 'gan early to appear,
And fair Aurora from the dewy bed
Of aged Tithone 'gan herself to rear,

With rofie cheeks, for fhame as blushing red;
Her golden locks for hafte were loosely shed
About her ears, when Una her did mark

Climb to her charet, all with flowers fpred;
From heaven high to chase the chearless dark,
With merry note her loud falutes the mountain lark.
LII.

Then freshly up arofe the doughty Knight,
All healed of his hurts and woundës wide,
And did himself to battle ready dight;
Whose early foe awaiting him befide

To have devour'd, so foon as day he spide,
When now he saw himself so freshly rear,
As if late fight had nought him damnifide,
He woxe difmaid, and 'gan his fate to fear;
Nathlefs, with wonted rage he him advanced near.
· LIII.

And in his first encounters, gaping wide,

He thought attonce him to have swallowd quight,
And rufht upon him with outrageous pride;
Who him rencountring fierce, as Hawk in flight,
Perforce rebutted back. The weapon bright,
Taking advantage of his open jaw,

Ran through his mouth with fo importune might,
That deep empierct his darkfome hollow maw;
And back retyr'd, his life blood forth withal did draw.

LIV.

So down he fell, and forth his life did breath,

That vanifht into fmoak and cloudës fwift:
So down he fell, that th' earth him underneath
Did groan, as feeble fo great load to lift;
So down he fell, as an huge rocky clift,

Whofe falfe foundation waves have washt away,
With dreadful poyfe is from the main land rift,
And rolling down, great Neptune doth difmay;
So down he fell, and like an heaped mountain lay-

LV.

The Knight himself ev'n trembled at his fall,
So huge and horrible a maffe it seem'd;;;
And his dear Lady, that beheld it all,

Durft not approch for dread, which the mifdeem'd:
But yet at last, whenas the direful feend
She faw not ftir, off shaking vain affright,
She nigher drew, and faw that joyous end:

Then God fhe prais'd, and thankt her faithful Knight, That had atchiev'd fo great a conqueft by his might. T

CANTO XII.

Fair Una to the Redcrofs Knight
Betrothed is with joy:
Though falfe Dueffa it to bar
Her falfe fleights doth imploy.

I.

Behold, I fee the haven nigh at hand,

To which I mean my weary course to bend,
Vere the main fheet, and bear up with the land,
The which afore is fairly to be kend,

And feemeth safe from ftorms that may offend;
There this fair virgin weary of her way
Must landed be, now at her journeys end:
There eke my feeble bark awhile may stay,
Till merry wind and weather call her thence away.

II.

Scarcely had Phabus in the glooming east
Yet harneffed his firy-footed teem,
Ne reard above the earth his flaming creaft,
When the last deadly fmoak aloft did steem,
That fign of laft outbreathed life did feem,
Unto the watchman on the castle wall;
Who thereby dead that baleful beaft did deem,
And to his Lord and Lady loud 'gan call,
To tell how he had feen the Dragons fatal fall.

III.

Uprofe with hafty joy, and feeble fpeed,
That aged Sire, the Lord of all that land,
And looked forth, to weet if true indeed
Thofe tydings were, as he did understand:
Which whenas true by tryal he out fand,
He bade to open wide his brazen gate,
Which long time had been fhut, and out of hand
Proclaimed joy and peace through all his ftate
For dead now was their foe, which them forrayd late.
IV.

Then 'gan triumphant trumpets found on high,
That fent to heaven the ecchoed report
Of their new joy, and happy victory

Gainft him, that had them long oppreft with tort,
And faft imprisoned in fieged fort.

Then all the people, as in folemn feaft,
To him affembled with one full confort,
Rejoycing at the fall of that great beast,

From whofe eternal bondage now they were releaft.

ง.

Forth came that ancient Lord and aged Queen,4
Arraid in antique robes down to the ground,
And fad habiliments right well befeen;
A noble crew about them waited round
Of fage and fober Peers, all gravely gownd;
Whom far before did march a goodly band
Of tall young men, all able arms to found,
But now they laurel branches bore in hand;
Glad fign of victory and peace in all their land,
VI.

Unto that doughty conqueror they came,

And him before, themfelves proftrating low,
Their Lord and patron loud did him proclaim,
And at his feet their laurel boughs did throw.
Soon after them, all dancing on a row

The comely virgins came, with girlonds dight,
As fresh as flowres in medow green do grow,
When morning dew upon their leaves doth light:
And in their hands fweet tymbrels all upheld on height.

VII.

And them before the fry of children young
Their wanton sports and childish mirth did play,
And to the maidens founding tymbrels fung,.
In well attuned notes, a joyous lay,
And made delightful mufick all the way,
Until they came where that fair virgin stood;
As fair Diana in fresh fummers day

Beholds her nymphs, enrang'd in shady wood,
Some wrestle, fome do run, fome bath in chrystal flood.
VIII.

So fhe beheld those maidens meriment

With chearful view; who when to her they came,
Themselves to ground with gracious humblefs bent,
And her ador'd by honourable name,

Lifting to heaven her everlasting fame:
Then on her head they fet a girlond green,

And crowned her 'twixt earneft and 'twixt game;
Who in her felf-refemblance well befeen,
Did feem fuch as fhe was, a goodly maiden Queen.
IX.

And after all the rafcal many ran,
Heaped together in rude rablement,
To fee the face of that victorious man:
Whom all admired, as from heaven fent,
And gaz'd upon with gaping wonderment.
But when they came where that dead Dragon lay,
Stretcht on the ground in monftrous large extent,
The fight with idle fear did them dismay,

Ne durft approch him nigh to touch, or once affay..
X.

Some feard and filed: fome feard and well it feignd.
One that would wifer feem than all the reft,
Warnd him not touch; for yet perhaps remaind
Some lingring life within his hollow breaft,
Or in his womb might lurk fome hidden neft
Of many Dragonets, his fruitful feed;
Another faid, that in his eyes did reft

Yet fparkling fire, and bade thereof take heed;
Another faid, he faw him move his eyes indeed.

XI.

One mother, whenas her fool-hardy child
Did come too near, and with his talons play,
Half dead through fear, her little babe revild,
And to her goffips 'gan in counsel fay;
How can I tell, but that his talons may
Yet fcratch my fon, or rend his tender hand?
So diverfly themselves in vain they fray;

Whiles fome more bold, to measure him nigh stand, To prove how many acres he did spread of land.

XII.

Thus flocked all the folk him round about,
The whiles that hoary King, with all his train,
Being arrived, where that champion ftout
After his foes defeafance did remain,
Him goodly greets, and fair does entertain,
With princely gifts of ivory and gold,
And thousand thanks him yields for all his pain.
Then when his Daughter dear he does behold,
Her dearly doth imbrace, and kiffeth manifold.
XIII.

And after to his palace he them brings,

*

With fhaumes, and trumpets, and with clarions fweet;
And all the way the joyous people fings,

And with their garments ftrow the paved street
Whence mounting up, they find purveyance meet
Of all that Royal Princes court became,
And all the floor was underneath their feet
Befpred with coftly fcarlet of great name,

On which they lowly fit, and fitting purpose fame."
XIV.

What needs me tell their feaft and goodly guife,
In which was nothing riotous nor vain?
What needs of dainty dishes to devife,
Of comely fervices, or courtly train?
My narrow leaves cannot in them contain
The large difcourfe of Royal Princes ftate.
Yet was their manner then but bare and plain:
For th' antique world excefs and pride did hate;
Such proud luxurious pomp is fwollen up but late.