Her faithful knight fair Una brings
To house of Holiness:
Where he is taught repentance, and
The way to heavenly bliss.
WHAT man is he, that boasts of fleshly might
And vain assurance of mortality,
Which, all so soon as it doth come to fight
Against spirítual foes, yields by and by,
Or from the field most cowardly doth fly!
Nor let the man ascribe it to his skill,
That thorough grace hath gained victory:
If any strength we have, it is to ill;
But all the good is God's, both power and eke will.
By that which lately happen'd, Una saw
That this her knight was feeble, and too faint;
And all his sinews waxen weak and raw,
Through long imprisonment, and hard constraint,
Which he endured in his late restraint,
That yet he was unfit for bloody fight.
Therefore to cherish him with diets daint,
She cast to bring him, where he chearen might,
Till he recovered had his late decayed plight.
There was an ancient house not far away,
Renown'd throughout the world for sacred lore
And pure unspotted life so well, they say,
It govern'd was, and guided evermore,
Through wisdom of a matron grave and hoar;
Whose only joy was to relieve the needs
Of wretched souls, and help the helpless poor:
All night she spent in telling of her beads,
And all the day in doing good and godly deeds.
Dame Cælia men did her call, as thought
From heaven to come, or thither to arise;
The mother of three daughters well upbrought
In goodly thewes, and godly exercise:
The eldest two, most sober, chaste, and wise,
Fidelia and Speranza, virgins were ;
Though spous'd, yet wanting wedlock's solemnize;
But fair Charissa to a lovely fere*
Was linked, and by him had many pledges dear.
Arrived there, the door they find fast lock'd;
For it was warely watched night and day,
For fear of many foes; but, when they knock'd,
The porter open'd unto them straight way.
He was an aged sire, all hoary gray,
With looks full lowly cast, and gait full slow,
Wont on a staff his feeble steps to stay,
Hightt Humiltà. They pass in, stooping low;
For straight and narrow was the way which he did show.
Each goodly thing is hardest to begin;
But, enter'd in, a spacious court they see,
Both plain and pleasant to be walked in;
Where them does meet a franklin fair and free,
And entertains with comely courteous glee;
His name was Zeal, that him right well became:
For in his speeches and behavior he
Did labour lively to express the same,
And gladly did them guide, till to the hall they came.
There fairly them receives a gentle squire,
Of mild demeanor and rare courtesy
Right cleanly clad in comely sad* attire ;
In word and deed that show'd great modesty,
And knew his good to all of each degree;
Hight Reverence: he them with speeches meet
Does fair entreat; no courting nicety,
But simple, true, and eke unfained sweet,
As might become a squire so great persons to greet.
And afterwards them to his dame he leads,
That aged dame, the lady of the place,
Who all this while was busy at her beads;
Which done, she up arose with seemly grace,
And toward them full matronly did pace.
Where, when that fairest Una she beheld,
Whom well she knew to spring from heavenly race,
Her heart with joy unwonted inly swell'd,
As feeling wondrous comfort in her weaker eld:
And, her embracing, said; "O happy earth,
Whereon thy innocent feet do ever tread!
Most virtuous virgin, born of heavenly birth,
That, to redeem thy woful parents' head
From tyrant's rage and ever-dying dread,
Hast wander'd through the world now long a day,
Yet ceasest not thy weary soles to lead
What grace hath thee now hither brought this way ? Or do thy feeble feet unweeting hither stray?
"Strange thing it is an errant knight to see
Here in this place; or any other wight,
That hither turns his steps: so few there be,
That choose the narrow path, or seek the right!
All keep the broad highway, and take delight
With many rather for to go astray,
And be partakers of their evil plight,
Than with a few to walk the rightest way :
O! foolish men, why haste ye to your own decay?"
Thyself to see, and tired limbs to rest,
O matron sage," quoth she, "I hither came;
And this good knight his way with me addrest,
Led with thy praises, and broad-blazed fame,
That up to heaven is blown." The ancient dame
Him goodly greeted in her modest guise,
And entertain❜d them both, as best became,
With all the court'sies that she could devise,
Nor wanted ought to show her bounteous or wise.
Thus as they gan of sundry things devise,
Lo! two most goodly virgins came in place,
Ylinkéd arm in arm in lovely wise;
With countenance demure and modest grace,
They number'd even steps and equal pace :
Of which the eldest, that Fidelia hight,
Like sunny beams threw from her christal face
That could have daz'd* the rash beholder's sight,
And round about her head did shine like heaven's light.
She was arrayed all in lily white,
And in her right hand bore a cup of gold,
With wine and water fill'd up to the height,
In which a serpent did himself enfold,
That horror made to all that did behold;
But she no whit did change her constant mood,
And in her other hand she fast did hold
A book, that was both sign'd and seal'd with blood :
Wherein dark things were writ, hard to be understood.
Her younger sister, that Speranza hight,
Was clad in blue, that her beseemed well;
Not all so cheerful seemed she of sight,
As was her sister; whether dread did dwell
Or anguish in her heart, is hard to tell :
Upon her arm a silver anchor lay,
Whereon she leaned ever, as befel;
And ever up to heaven, as she did pray,
Her steadfast eyes were bent, nor swervéd other way;
|