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

CANTO XII.] THE FAERE QUEEIN 5II
And if she happ'd of any good to hear A dreadful fiend, of gods and men y-drad,jl
That had to any happily betid,1 Whom they by sleights allur'd and to their purThen would she inly fret, and grieve, and tear pose lad.14
Her flesh for fellness 2 which she inward hid: unhandsome drest:
Such were these hags, and so unhandsome drest:
But if she heard of ill that any did,, Who when they nigh approaching had espied
Or harm that any had, then would she make Sir Artegall returned from his late quest,15
Great cheer, like one unto a banquet bid; They both arose, and at him loudly cried
And in another's loss great pleasure take, As it had been two shepherd's curs had'scried 16
As she had got thereby and gained a great stake. A ravenous wolf amongst the scatter'd flocks:
The other nothing better was than she, And Envy first, as she that first him eyed,
Agreeing in bad will and canker'd kind; 3 Toward him runs, and with rude flaring locks
But in bad manner they did disagree: About her ears, does beat her breast and foreFor whatso Envy good or bad did find, head knocks.
She did conceal, and murder her own mind; Then from her mouth the gobbet she does take,
But this, whatever evil she conceiv'd, The which whilere l7 she was so greedily
Did spread abroad and throw in th' open wind: Devouring, even that half-gnawen snake,
Yet this in all her words might be perceiv'd, And at him throws it most despitefully:
That all she sought was men's good name to The cursed serpent, though she hungrily
have bereav'd. Erst 8 chew'd thereon, yet was not all so dead,
For whatsoever good by any said But that some life remained secretly;
Or done she heard, she would straightways invent And, as he pass'd afore withouten dread,
How to deprave or sland'rously upbraid, Bit him behind, that long the mark was to be
Or to misconstrue of a man's intent, read.19
And turn to ill the thing that well was meant: Then th' other, coming near, gan him revile,
Therefore she used often to resort And foully rail, with all she could invent;
To common haunts, and companies frequent,, Saying that he had, with unmanly guile
To hark what any one did good report, And foul abusion, both his honour blent,29
To blot the same with blame, or wrest in wicked And that bright sword, the sword of Justice
sort: lent,
And if that any ill she heard of any, Had stained with reproachful cruelty
She would it eke,4 and make much worse by In guiltless blood of many an innocent:
telling, As for Grantorto, him with treachery
And take great joy to publish it to many; And trains having surpris'd, he foully did to die.
That ev'ry matter worse was for her melling: 5 Thereto the Blatant Beast, by them set on,
Her name was hight Detraction, and her dwell- At him began aloud to bark and bay
ing With bitter rage and fell contenti6n;
Was near to Envy, ev'n her neighbour next; That all the woods and rocks nigh to that way
A wicked hag,.and Envy's self excelling Began to quake and tremble with dismay;
In mischief; for herself she only vext, And all the air rebellowed again,
But this same both herself and others eke per- So dreadfully his hundred tongues did bray:
plext. And evermore those hags themselves did pain 21
Her face was ugly, and her mouth distort, To sharpen him, and their own cursed tongues
Foaming with poison round about her gills, did strain.
In which her cursed tongue full sharp and short And, still among, most bitter words they spake,
Appear'd, like aspe's sting, that closely 6 kills, Most shameful, most unrighteous, most untrue,
Or cruelly does wound whomso she wills: That they the mildest man alive would make
A distaff in her other hand she had, Forget his patience, and yield vengeance due
Upon the which she little spins, but spills; 7 To her, that so false slanders at him threw:
And fains8 to weave false tales and leasings9 And more to make them pierce and wound
bad, more deep,
To throw amongst the good which others had She with the sting which in her vile tongue
disprad.l~ grew
These two now had themselves combin'd in one, Did sharpen them, and in fresh poison steep:
And link'd together'gainst Sir Artegall; Yet he pass'd on, and seem'd of them to take
For whom they waited as his mortal fone," no keep.2
How they might make him into mischief fall,, But Talus, hearing her so lewdly 23 rail,
For freeing from their snares Irena thrall: And speak so ill of him that well deserv'd,
Besides, unto themselves they gotten had Would her have chastis'd with his iron flail,
A monster, which the Blatant Beast 12 men call, If her Sir Artegall had not preserve'd
Happened. 2 Fury. 13 Dreaded. 14 Led.
3 Nature. 4 Increase. 15 Enterprise. 16 Descried.
5 Meddling. 6 Secretly. 17 Just:before. 18 Before.
7 Spoils. 8 Delights. 19 Perceived. 20 Stained.
9 Fal$ehoods. 10 Spread, diffused. 1 Foes. 21 Exert. 22 Heed.
12 The bellowing beast; Calumny, or popular clamour. 23 Wickedly