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

CANTO III.] THE FAEPIP QtUEE 3r
The day is spent; and cometh drowsy night, Now when broad day the world discover'd has,
When every creature shrouded is in sleep: Up Una rose, up rose the lion eke;
Sad Una down her lays in weary plight, And on their former journey forward pass,
And at her feet the lion watch doth keep: In ways unknown, her wand'ring Knight to seek,
Instead of rest she does lament and weep With pains forpassing l2 that long-wand'ring
For the late loss of her dear-loved Knight, Greek,'3
And sighs, and groans, and evermore does steep That for his love refusid deity: 14
Her tender breast in bitter'tears all night; Such were the labours of this Lady meek,
All night she thinks too long, and often looks Still seeking him that from her still did fly;
for light. Then farthest from her hope, when most she
Now when Aldeboran was mounted high weened 15 nigh.
Above the shiny Cassiopeia's chair, Soon as she parted thence, the fearful twain,
And all in deadly sleep did drownid lie, That blind old woman and her daughter dear,
One knocked at the door, and in would fare; I Came forth; and, finding Kirkrapine16 there slain,
He knocked fast, and often curs'd and sware, For anguish great they gan to rend their hair,
That ready entrance was not at his call; And beat their breasts, and naked flesh to tear:
For on his back a heavy load he bare And when they both had wept and wailrdtheir fill,
Of nightly stealths, and pillage several,2 Then forth they ran, like two amazed17 deer,
Which he had got abroad by purchase criminal.3 Half mad through malice and revenging will,
He was, to wit,4 a stout and sturdy thief, To follow her that was the causer of their ill:
Wont to rob churches of their ornaments, Whom overtaking, they gan loudly bray,
And poor men's boxes of their due relief, With hollow howling and lamenting cry;
Which given was to them for good intents: Shamefully at her railing all the way,
The holy saints of their rich vestiments And her accusing of dishonesty,
He did disrobe, when all men careless slept; That was the flow'r of faith and chastity:
And spoil'd the priests of their habiliments; And still amidst her railing she did pray
While none the holy things in safety kept, That plagues, and mischiefs, and long misery,
Then he-by cunning sleights in at the window Might fall on her, and follow all the way;
crept. And that in endless error she might ever stray.
And all that he by right or wrong could find, But when she saw her prayers naught prevail,
Unto this house he brought, and did bestow She back returned with some labour lost;
Upon the daughter of this woman blind, And in the way, as she did weep and wail,
Abessa,5 daughter of Corceca 6 slow, A knight her met in mighty arms embost,ls
Withwhomhewhoredomus'd that fewdidknow, Yet knight was not, for all his bragging boast;
And fed her fat with feast of offerings, But subtle Archimage, that Una sought
And plenty, which in all the land did grow; By trains 19 into new troubles to have tost:
Nor spared he to give her gold and rings: Of that old woman tidings he besought,
And now he to her brought part of his stolen If that of such a lady she could tellen aught.
things. Therewith she gan her passion to renew,
Thuslong the doorwithrage andthreats he bet;7 And cry, and curse, and rail, and rend her hair,
Yet of those fearful women none durst rise Saying, that harlot she too lately knew,
(The lion frayed 8 them), him in to let; That caus'd her shed so many a bitter tear;
He would no longer stay him to advise, And so forth told the story of her fear.
But open breaks the door in furious wise, Much seemed he to moan her hapless chance,
And ent'ring is; when that disdainful beast, And after for that Lady did inquere;
Encount'ring fierce, him sudden doth surprise; Which being taught, he forward gan advance
And, seizing cruel claws on trembling breast, His fair enchanted steed, and eke his charmed
Under his lordly foot him proudly hath supprest. lance.
Him booteth 10 not resist, nor succour call; Ere long he came where Una travell'd slow,
His bleeding heart is in the venger's hand; And that wild champion waiting her beside;
Who straight him rent in thousand pieces small, Whom seeing such, for dread he durst not show
And quite dismember'd hath: the thirsty land Himself too nigh at hand, but turnid wide.
Drank up his life; his corse left on the strand. Unto a hill; from whence when she him spied,
His fearful friends wear out the woeful night, By his like-seeming shield, her Knight by name
Nor dare to weep, nor seem to understand She ween'd 20 it was, and toward him gan ride:
The heavy hap, which on them is alight; Approaching nigh she Wist2l it was the same;
Afraid, lest to themselves the like mishappen And with fair fearful humbless toward him she
might.l came:
1 Come. 14 Offered to him by the goddess Calypso, if he would
2 Various plunder. 3 By robbery. stay with her in her isle, and think no more of
4 Indeed, in truth. 5 Ignorance. Penelope.. Superstition, or Blind Devotion; she represents the 15 Thought.
Romish religion. 7 Beat. 16 The Robber of the Church, Sacrilege.
8 Terrified. 9 Consider. 10 Availeth. 17 Startled, bewildered. 18 Clad, enclosed.
11 The like misfortune might happen. 19 Stratagems. 20 Fancied.
12 Exceeding. 13 Ulysses, 21 Believed; was oertain,
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