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

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CANTO XI.] 7, t FAERIrE QUEEN. 359
Then, full of grief and anguish vehm6nt, While from their journal 5 labours they did
He loudly bray'd, that like was never heard; rest
And from his wide devouring oven sent When that infernal monster, having kest 16
A flake of fire, that, flashing in his 1 beard, His weary foe into that living well,
Him all amaz'd, and almost made afear'd: Gan high advance his broad diseolour'd breast
The scorching flame sore singed all his face, Above his wonted pitch, with eoulntnance fell,
And through his armour all his body sear'd, And clapt his iron wings, as victor he did dwell.
That he could not endure so cruel case,
That he could not endure so cruel case, Which when his pensive Lady saw from far,
But thought his arms to leave,3 and helmet to G w
-u,* Great woe and sorrow did her soul assay,7
^ ~~~unlace. As weening that the sad end of the war;
Not that great champion of the antique world,4 And gan to Highest God entirely 8 pray
Whom famous poets' verse so much doth vaunt, That feared chance from her to turn away:
And hath for twelve huge labours high extoll'd, With folded hands, and knees full lowly bent,
So many furies and sharp fits did haunt, All night she watch'd; nor once adorn would lay
When him the poison'd garment did enchant, Her dainty limbs in her sad dreariment,19
With Centaur's blood and bloody' verses But praying still did wake, and waking did
charm'd; lament.
As did this Knight twelve thousand doloursThe morrow next ga early to appear,
daunt,
~Tl~om fiery s~eel daunt o w bu, tha~ ers~ himThat Titan rose to run his daily race;
Whom fiery steel now burn'd, that erst him t early, ere the mrrw t gan rear,arm.'d;~But early, ere the morrow'next gan rear
arm'dOut of the sea fair Titan
That erst him goodly arm'd, now most of all f the sea fair Titan' dew face,
him harm'd. Uprose the gentle Virgin from her place,
And looked all about, if she might spy
Faint, weary, sore, emboiled,r grieved, brent,2 Her loved Knight to move his manly pace:
With heat, toil, wounds, arms, smart, and in- For she had great doubt of his safety,
ward fire, Since late she saw him fall before his enemy.
That never man such mischiefs did torment; At last she saw where he upstarted brave
Death better were; death did he oft desire; Out of the well wherein he drenched lay:
But death will never come, when needs require. As eagle fresh out of the ocean wave,
Whom so dismay'd when that his foe beheld, Where he hath left his plumes all hoary gray,
He cast 6 to suffer him no more respire7 And deck'd himself with feathers youthly gay,
B:ut gan his sturdy stern 8 about to wTeld,9 Like eyas 20 hawk upmounts unto the skies,
And him so strongly struck, that to the ground His newly-budded pinions to assay,21
him fell'd. -And marvels at himself, still as he flies:
It fortuned (as fair it then befell), So new this new-born Knight to battle new did.Behind his back, unweetinglo where he stood, rise.
Of ancient time there was a springing well,d f s
Whom when the damned fiend so fresh did spy,
From which fast trickled forth a silver flood, No nder if he wonderd at the ight,
Full of great virtues, and for med'cine good: And doubted whether his late enemy
And doubted whether his late enemy
rhi16m, before that cursed dragon got. Whil6m, before that cursed dragon got It were, or other new supplied knight.
That happy land, and all with innocent blood
He now, to prove his late-renewed might,
Defil'd those sacred waves, it rightly hot 11 Highbandshnghsbgh22bade,
High brandishing hisbright dew-burning22biade,
The Wellof Life; nor yet his virtues had forgot: n his crested scalp sosore id smit
Upon his crested scalp so sore did smite,
For unto life the dead it could restore, That to the skull a yawning wound it made:
And guilt of sinful crimes clean wash away; The deadly dint his dulled senses all dismay'd.
Those that with sickness were infected sore
I wot not whether the revenging steel
It could recure 12 and aged long decay.
ere hardened with that holy water dew
lRenew, as one were born that very day.
oth Silothis, andJordan er, Wherein he fell; or sharper edge did feel;
Both Silo'3 this, and Jordan did excel, h
Or his baptizeid hands now greater grew;
And th' English Bath, and eke the German Spa; Or ther secet ite d ns
Nor can Cephise, nor Hebrus14 match this Well: Orother secretvirtue id ese,T,. ^ TT''h^~~^.~Else never could the force of fleshly arm,
Into the same the Knight back overthrowen, i h b
Nor molten metal, in his blood embrue:23
fell.
fell,*gathe gd h sooe For, till that stound,24 could never wight him
o Now gan the golden Phoebus for to steep harm
His fiery face in billows of the west, By subtilty, ior sleight, not might, nor mighty
And his faint steeds water'd in ocean deep, charm.
1 The Knight's. 2 Burned. 14 Cephisus and Hebrus were famous rivers, the one
3 Cast off. 4 Hercules. in Boeotia, the other in Thrace.
5 Boiled, intensely heated. 15 Diurnal, daily; French, "journel."
6 Resolved. 16 Cast. 1 Beset, assail.
7 Breathe. 8 Tail. 18 Earnestly, sincerely.
9 Wield, swing. o0 Withouthis ltHfiwedge. 19 Distress, terror.
11 Was called. 1s Recover. 20 Newly-fledged; lately out of the "ey," or egg.
13 The Pool of Siltat, to which Christ sent the man 21 Try. 22 Bright with the water of the well.
born blind to Wash his eyes and regain his sight (John 23 Dip itself in his (the dragon's) blood.
ix. 7). 24 Moment.