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

452 THE FAERI4E Q UEEN. [BOOK V.
T' obey their rider's hest,l as seemed good: Much more of price and of'more gracious power
And therein sat a lady2 passing fair Is this, than that same water of Ardenne,10
And bright, that seemed born of angels' brood; The which Rinaldo drank in happy hour,
And, with her beauty, bounty did compare 3 Described by that famous Tuscan pen:
Whether of them in her should have the greater For that had might to change the hearts of men
share. From love to hate, a change of evil choice:
Thereto4 she learned was in magic lear,5 But this doth hatred make in love to bren,l
And all the arts that subtile wits discover, And heavy heart with comfort doth rejoice.
Having therein been trained many a.year, Who would not to this virtue rather yield his
And well instructed by the Fay her mother, voice?
That in the same she far excell'd all other: At last, arriving by the listes' side,
Who, understanding by her mighty art She with her rod did softly smite the rail,
Of th' evil plight in which her dearest brother Which straight flew ope and gave her way to
Now stood, came forth in haste to take his part, ride.
And pacify the strife'which caus'd so deadly Eftsoons out of her coach she gan avail,l2
smart. And, passing fairly forth, did bid all hail
And, as she passid through th' unruly press First to her brother whom she loved dear,
Of people thronging thick her to behold, That so to see him made her heart to quail;
Her angry team, breaking their bonds of peace, And next to Cambell, whose sad rueful cheer
Great heaps of them, like sheep in narrow fold, Made her to change her hue, and hidden love t'
For haste did over-run in dust enroll'd; appear.
That, thorough rude confusion of the rout, They lightly her requit (for small delight
They lightly her requit 13 (for small delight
Some fearing shriek'd, some being harm6d
Some arg shriekd, some bein dThey had as then her long to entertain),
howl'd, And eft 14 them turned both again to fight:
Some laugh'd for sport, some did for wonder rndbothagatofight:
Some l d r sd fr w r Which when she saw, down on the bloody plain
shout,
And, shoutha wolemwshiodr,. Herself she threw, and tears gan shed amain;
And some, that would seem wise, their wonder Amongst her tears immiing p
Amongst her tears immixing prayers meek,
turn'd to doubt.
turn'd to doubt. And with her prayers reasons, to restrain
In her right hand a rod of peace she bore, From bloody strife; and blessed peace to seek,
About the which two serpents weren wound, By all that unto them was dear, did them beEntrailed6 mutually in lovely lore,7 seek.',
And by the tails together firmly bound,
IAn both were with one olive garland crown'd
And both were with one olive garland crown'd But when as all might naught with them prevail,
(Like to the rod which Maia's son 8 doth wield, She smote them lightly with her pow'rful wand:
Wherewith the hellish fiends he doth confound); Then suddenly, as if their hearts did fail,
And in her other hand a cup she held, Theirwrathful blades down felloutof their hand,
The which was with Nepenthe to the brim up- And they, like men astonish'd, still did stand.
hewfill'd. wa wtNeetetthThus whilst their minds were doubtfully distraught,
Nepenthe is a drink of sovereign grace,
-NDepenthe is a drink of sov'reign grace, And mighty spirits bound with mightier band,
Devised by the gods for to assuage
HDeviart'sgd by the gods fober gl away Her golden cup to them for drink she raught,16
Heart's grief, and bitter gall away to chase hereof, full glad for thirst, each drank a
Whereof, full glad for thirst, each drank a
Which stirs up anguish and contentious rage: hearty draught:
Instead thereof sweet peace and quietage
It doth establish in the troubled mind. Of which so soon as they once tasted had,
Few men, but such as sober are and sage, Wonder it is that sudden change to see:
Are by the gods to drink thereof assign'd; Instead of strokes, each other kissed glad,
But such as drink eternal happiness do find. And lovely hals'd,l7 from fear of treason free,
And plighted hands, for ever friends to be.
Such famous men, such worthies of the earth,
AsJove willhaven advanchdotoh fthe sky, When all men saw this sudden change of things,
As Jove will have advanced to the sky,
And there made gods, though born of mortal So mortal foes so friendly to agree,
And.i there maeodthuFor passing joy, which so great marvel brings,
birth,
For their high merits and great dignity, They all gan shout aloud, that all the heaven
For their high merits and great dignity,
rings.
Are wont, before they may to heaven fly,
To drink hereof; whereby all cares forepast9 The gentle Canac6 in haste descended from
Are wash'd away quite from their memory: her lofty chair, and greeted Cambina in lovely
So did those old her6os hereof taste, wise; all went homewards in joy and friendliBefore that they in bliss amongst the gods were ness; and many days they spent feasting in perplac'd. fect love. For Triamond had Canac6 to wife,
1 Commandment. 10 In the first canto of the "Orlando Innamorata,"
2 Cambina, the sister of Triamond. Boiardo notices this fountain, prepared by Merlin to
3 Her goodness or virtue competed. take away the love of Tristram for La Belle Isoude;
4 Moreover. 5 Lore. the knight, however, never drank of its waters.
6 Interwoven. 7 Loving fashion. 11 Burn. 12 Descend.
8 Mercury; the rod is the "caduceus," the power of 13 Saluted in return. 14 After; speedily.
which is described at page 404. 15 Beseech. 16 Reached.
9 Gone past. 17 Lovingly embraced.