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

348 THE FAERIE QUEEN. [BOOK I.
But, trembling every joint, did inly quake, Whose like infirmity like chance may bear:
And falt'ring tongue at last these words seem'd But God you never let his charmed speeches
forth to shake; hear! "
"For God's dear love, Sir Knight, do me not " How may a man," said he, " with idle speech
stay 1 Be won to spoil the castle of his health?"
For lo! he comes, he comes fast after me!" "Iwot," 13 quoth he, "whom trial late did teach,
Eft,2 looking back, would fain have run away; That like would not for all this worldd's wealth:
But he him forc'd to stay, and tellen free His subtle tongue, like dropping honey,mel'th14
The secret cause of his perplexity: Into the heart, and searcheth every vein;
Yet nathemore by his bold hearty speech That, ere one be aware, by secret stealth
Could his blood-frozen heart embolden'd be, His pow'r is reft,15 and weakness doth remain.
But through his boldness rather fear did reach; 0 never, Sir, desire to try his guileful train!"
Yet forc'd, at last he made through silence sud- " Certes," said he, " hence shall I never rest,
den breach: Till I that traitor's art have heard and tried:
"And am I now in safety sure," quoth he, And you, Sir Knight, whose name might I
"From him that would have forced me to die? request,
And is the point of death now turn'd from me, Of grace do me unto his cabin guide."
That I may tell this hapless histor?" " I, that hight Trevisan," quoth he, " will ride,
"Fear naught," quoth he, " no danger now is Against my liking, back to do you grace:
nigh." But not for gold nor glee will I abide
"Then shall I you recount a rueful case," By you, when ye arrive in that same place;
Said he, " the which with this unlucky eye For lever 16 had I die than see his deadly face."
I late beheld; and, had not greater grace Ere long they come where that same wicked
Me reft from it, had been partaker of the place.4 wight
" I lately chanc'd (would I had never chanc'd!) His dwelling has, low in a hollow cave,
With a fair knight to keepen company, Far underneath a craggy cliff y-pight,l7
Sir Terwin hight, that well himself advanc'd Dark, doleful, dreary, like a greedy grave,
In all affairs, and was both bold and free; That still for carrion carcases doth crave:
But not so happy a s might happy be: On top whereof ay dwelt the ghastly owl,
He lovd, as was hislot, a lady gent,5 Shrieking his baleful note, which ever drave
That him again loved i the least degree; Far from that haunt all other cheerful fowl;
For she was proud, and of too high intent,6 And all about it wand'ring ghosts did wail and
And joy'd to see her lover anguish and lament: howl:
" From whom returning, sad and comfortless, And, all about, old stocks and stubs of trees,
As on the way together we did fare, Whereon nor fruit nor leaf was ever seen,
We met that villain (God from him me bless! 7) Did hang upon the ragged rocky knees; 8
That cursed wight, from whom I scap'd whilere,8 On which had many wretches hanged been,
A man of hell, that calls himself Despair: Whose carcases were scatter'd on the green,
Who first us greets, and after fair areads 9 And thrown about the cliffs. Arrived there,
Of tidings strange, and of adventures rare: That bare-head knight, for dread and doleful
So creeping close, as snake in hidden weeds, teen,19
Inquirethof our states, and of ourknightly deeds. Would fain have fled, nor durst approachen near;
"Whichwhen he knew, andfeltourfeeblehearts, But tb' other forc'd him stay, and comforted in
Emboss'd with bale lo and bitter biting grief, f
Which love had lanced with his deadly darts; That darksome cave they enter, where they find
Withwoundingwords,andtermsoffoulreprefe," That cursed man, low sitting on the ground,
He pluck'd from us all hope of due relief, Musing full sadly in his sullen mind:
That erst 12 us held in love of ling'ring life: His greasy locks, long growen and unbound,
Then hopeless, heartless, gan the cunning thief Disorder'd hung about his shoulders round,
Persuade us die, to stint all farther strife; And hid his face; through which his hollow eyne
To me he lent this rope, to him a rusty knife: Look'd deadly dull, and stared as astound'; 2,
With which sad instrument of hasty death His raw-bone cheeks, through penury and pine,21
Were shrunk into his jaws, as 22 he did never dine.
That woeful lover, loathing longer light, Wereshrunk os ashe dideverdi
A wide way made to let forth living breath. His garment, naught but many ragged clouts,
But I, more fearful or more lucky wight, With thorns together pinn'd and patched was,
Dismay'd with that deformed dismal sight, The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts:
Fled fast away, half dead with dying fear; And him beside there lay upon the grass
Nor yet assur'd of life by you, Sir Knight, A dreary corse, whose life away did pass,
1 Make me not linger. 1o Overwhelmed with misery 11 Reproach.
a Then. s None the more. 12 Formerly. 13 Know.
4 Had shared the same fate-lain on the same place 14 Melteth. 15 Taken away.
-as the companion whose suicide he is about to de- 16 Rather. 17 Placed, fixed.
scribe. s Noble. 18 Projections. 19 Trouble.
6 Mind. 7 Deliver. 20 Amazed, stupefied. 21 Decay.
8 A short time ago. 9 Informs. 22 As if.
9 nors