The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

CANTO 1.] THE'E FAER QAUE'r. 3st
Wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain, Enforc'd to seek some covert nigh at hand,
The cruel marks of many a bloody field; A shady grove not far away they spied,
Yet arms till that time did he never wield: That promis'd aid the tempest to withstand;
His angry steed did chide his foaming bit, Whose lofty trees, y-clad with summer's pride,
As much disdaining to the curb to yield: Did spread so broad, that heave's light did hide,
Full jolly 1 knight he seem'd, and fair did sit, Not pierceable with power of any star;
As one for knightly jousts and fierce encounters And all within were paths and alleys wide,
fit. With footing worn, and leading inward far:
And on his breast a bloody cross he bore, Fair harbour 14 that them seems; so in they enThe dear remembrance of his dying Lord, ter'd are.
Forwhose sweet sake thatgloriousbadge he wore, And forth they pass, with pleasure forward led,
And dead, as living ever, him ador'd: Joying to hear the birds' sweet harmony,
Upon his shield the like was also scor'd, Which,therein shroudedfromthetempestdread,
For sov'reign hope which in his help he had. Seem'd in their song to scorn the cruel sky.
Right faithful true he was in deed and word; Much gan 15 they praise the trees so straight and
But of his cheer 2 did seem too solemn sad; high:
Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was y-drad.3 The sailing pine; 16 the cedar proud and tall;
Upon a great adventure he was bond,4 The vine-prop elm; the poplar never dry;
That greatest Gloriana to him gave The builder oak, sole king of forests all;
(That greatest glorious Queen of Faery Lond 5), The aspen good for staves; the cypress funeral;
To win him worship,6 and her grace to have, The laurel, meed of mighty conquerours
Which of all earthly things he most did crave: And poets sage; the fir that weepeth still;
And ever, as he rode, his heart did yearn The willow, worn of forlorn paramours; 17
To prove his puissance 7 in battle brave The yew, obedient to the bender's will; 18
Upon his foe, and his new force to learn; Thebirchforshafts;19 thesallowforthe mill; 20
Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stern. The myrrh sweet-bleeding in the bitter wound;21
A lovely Lady rode him fair beside, The warlike beech; 22 the ash for nothing ill;
Upon a lowly ass more white than snow; The fruitful olive; and the platane 23 round;
Yet she much whiter; but the same did hide The carver holm; 24 the maple seldom inward
Under a veil, that wimpled was full low; sound.
And over all a black stole 8 she did throw: Led with delight, they thus beguile the way,
As one that inly mourn'd, so was she sad, Until the blust'ring storm is overblown;
And heavy sate upon her palfrey slow; When, weening25 to returnwhencetheydidstray,
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had They cannot find that path which firstwasshown,
And by her in a line a milk-white lamb she lad.9 But wander to and fro in ways unknown,
So pure and innocent as that same lamb Farthest from end then, when they nearestween;
She was, in life and ev'ry virtuous lore; That makes them doubt their wits be not their
And by descent from royal lineage came own:
Of ancient kings and queens, that had of yore So many paths, so many turnings seen,
Their sceptres stretch'd from east to western That,, which of them to take, in diverse doubt
shore, they been.26
And all the world in their subjection held; At last, resolving forward still to fare,27
Till that infernal Fiend with foul uproar Till that some end they find, or 28 in or out,
Forwastedl~ all their land, and them expell'd; Thatpaththeytake that beatenseem'd mostbare,
Whom to avenge she had this Knight from far And like to lead the labyrinth about;
compell'd. Which when by tract they hunted had throughBehind her far away a Dwarf did lag,
That lazy seem'd, in being ever last, At length it brought them to a hollow cave,
Or wearieid with bearing of her bag Amid the thickest woods. The Champion stout
Of needments at his back. Thus as they past, Eftsoons29 dismounted from his courser brave,
The day with clouds was sudden overcast, And to the Dwarf a while his needless 30 spear
And angry Jove a hideous storm of rain he gave.
Did pour into his leman's 12 lap so fast, " Be well aware," quoth then that Lady mild,
That every wight to shroud 13 it did constrain; " Lest sudden mischief ye too rash provoke:
And this fair couple eke to shroud themselves The danger hid, the place unknown and wild,
were fain. Breeds dreadfuldoubts: oft fire is without smoke
1 Joyous; handsome. 2 Countenance, air. park in the "Assembly of Fowls " but Spenser has
3 Dreaded. 4 Bound, amplified the list and improved upon the original.
6 Land. 6 Honour. 17 Lovers. 18 When fashioned into bows.
7 Power. 8 Robe. 9 Led. 19 Arrows.
lo Utterly devastated. 11 Necessaries. 20'For the sails of windmills, into which it was plaited.
12 His mistress-Tellus, or the Earth. 21' The incision made to extract its odorous gum.
13 Seek cover or protection. 22 Used for the shafts of spears. 23 Plane-tree.
14 Shelter. 15 Began. 24 The cutting holly; so called'fron its prickles.
16 So called'because it is used for the masts of ships. 25 Thinking. 26 Are. 2 Go.
The enumeration of the trees in this and the succeed- 28 Either. 29 Immediately.
ing stanza is imitated from Chaucer's description of the 30 Unneeded now, because used only on horseback.