'Thereat that formost matrone me did blame, To whom I thus: "Nay, but it fitteth best 'With that my shield I forth to her did show, 'And evermore upon the Goddesse face I was emboldned with more confidence; And nought for nicenesse nor for envy sparing, All looking on, and like astonisht staring, Yet to lay hand on her not one of all them daring 'She often prayd, and often me besought, Sometime with tender teares to let her goe, Sometime with witching smyles; but yet, for nought That ever she to me could say or doe, Could she her wished freedome fro me wooc: 'No lesse did Daunger threaten me with dread, [From The Faerie Queene, Bk. vi.] THE QUELLING OF THE BLATANT BEAST. Through all estates he found that he had past, In which he many massacres had left, And to the Clergy now was come at last; In which such spoile, such havocke, and such theft At length into a Monastere did light, Where he him found despoyling all with maine and might Into their cloysters now he broken had, Through which the Monckes he chaced here and there, From thence into the sacred Church he broke, And th' Images, for all their goodly hew, Did cast to ground, whilest none was the i to rew; 1 dormitories. So all confounded and disordered there: Him in a narrow place he overtooke, And therein were a thousand tongs empight Some were of dogs, that barked day and night; But most of them were tongues of mortall men, And them amongst were mingled here and there The tongues of Serpents, with three forked stings, That spat out poyson, and gore-bloudy gere, A: ail that came within his ravenings; O bit them with his banefull teeth of injury. Full cruelly the Beast did rage and rore To be downe held, and maystred so with might, For still, the more he strove, the more the Knight Did him suppresse, and forcibly subdew, Or like the hell-borne Hydra, which they faine That great Alcides whilome overthrew, After that he had labourd long in vaine To crop his thousand heads, the which still new Whilest Calidore him under him downe threw; But aye, the more he rag'd, the more his powre increast. Tho, when the Beast saw he mote nought availe By force, he gan his hundred tongues apply, And sharpely at him to revile and raile With bitter terms of shamefull infamy; Oft interlacing many a forged lie, Whose like he never once did speake, nor heare, Nor ever thought thing so unworthily: Yet did he nought, for all that, him forbeare, But strained him so streightly that he chokt him ncare. At last, when as he found his force to shrincke And thereunto a great long chaine he tight, With which he drew him forth, even in his own despight Like as whylome that strong Tirynthian swaine Brought forth with him the dreadfull dog of hell, Against his will fast bound in yron chaine, And, roring horribly, did him compell To see the hatefull sunne, that he might tell To griesly Pluto what on earth was donne, And to the other damned ghosts which dwell For aye in darkenesse, which day-light doth shonne: Yet greatly did the Beast repine at those Straunge bands, whose like till then he never bore, Ne ever any durst till then impose; And chauffed inly, seeing now no more Him liberty was left aloud to rore: Yet durst he not draw backe, nor once withstand The proved powre of noble Calidore, But trembled underneath his mighty hand, And like a fearefull dog him followed through the land. Him through all Faery land he follow'? so, As if he learned had obedience long, That all the people, where so he did go, Out of their townes did round about him throng, To see him leade that Beast in bondage strong; Rejoyced much to see his captive plight, And much admyr'd the Beast, but more admyr'd the Knight Thus was this Monster, by the maystring might Of doughty Calidore, supprest and tamed, That never more he mote endammadge wight So now he raungeth through the world againe, |