XLII.

The messenger approching to him spake;
But his waste words retournd to him in vaine.
So sound he slept, that nought mought him awake.
Then rudely he him thrust, and pusht with paine,
Whereat he gan to stretch: but he againe

Shooke him so hard, that forced him to speake. As one then in a dreame, whose dryer braine Is tost with troubled sights and fancies weake, He mumbled soft, but would not all his silence breake.

XLIII.

The Sprite then gan more boldly him to wake,
And threatned unto him the dreaded name
Of Hecate: whereat he gan to quake,
And, lifting up his lompish head, with blame
Halfe angrie asked him, for what he came.
"Hether,” quoth he, me Archimago sent,
He that the stubborne sprites can wisely tame;
He bids thee to him send for his intent

66

A fit false dreame, that can delude the sleepers sent."

XLIV.

The god obayde; and, calling forth straight way A diverse dreame out of his prison darke, Delivered it to him, and downe did lay His heavie head, devoide of careful carke; Whose sences all were straight benumbd and starke. He, backe returning by the yvorie dore, Remounted up as light as chearefull larke; And on his litle winges the dreame he bore In hast unto his lord, where he him left afore.

XLV.

Who all this while, with charmes and hidden artes,
Had made a lady of that other spright,

And fram'd of liquid ayre her tender partes,
So lively, and so like in all mens sight,

That weaker sence it could have ravisht quight:
The maker selfe, for all his wondrous witt,
Was nigh beguiled with so goodly sight.
Her all in white he clad, and over it

Cast a black stole, most like to seeme for Una fit.

XLVI.

Now when that ydle Dreame was to him brought,
Unto that Elfin Knight he bad him fly,

Where he slept soundly, void of evil thought,
And with false shewes abuse his fantasy,

In sort as he him schooled privily.

And that new creature, borne without her dew,
Full of the makers guyle, with usage sly,

He taught to imitate that Lady trew,

Whose semblance she did carrie under feigned hew.

[This phantom, in the outward semblance of Una, conducts herself with such lightness that the Knight is perplexed with doubts of her goodness and truthfulness. At last, restless and tormented by evil delusions conjured up by Archimago, the Knight mounts his steed and flies with the dwarf. Thus parted from Una, or Truth, by the wiles of the Enchanter, the deluded Knight falls into peril in a meeting with Duessa, or Falsehood.

Meanwhile the heavenly Una, his true bride, missing her Knight, sets out in search of him, alone and sorrowful. The poet then tells how the lion comes to guard her in her need.]

CANTO III.

Forsaken Truth long seeks her love,
and makes the Lyon mylde;
Marres blind Devotions mart, and fals
in hand of treachour vylde.

I.

Nought is there under heav'ns wide hollownesse,
That moves more cleare compassion of mind,
Then beautie brought t' unworthie wretchednesse
Through envies snares, or fortunes freakes unkind.
I, whether lately through her brightnes blynd,
Or through alleageance and fast fealty,
Which I do owe unto all woman kynd,

Feele my hart perst with so great agony,
When such I see, that all for pitty I could dy.

II.

And now it is empassioned so deepe, For fairest Unaes sake, of whom I sing, That my fraile eyes these lines with teares do steepe, To thinke how she through guileful handeling, Though true as touch, though daughter of a king, Though faire as ever living wight was fayre, Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting, Is from her Knight devorced in despayre, And her dew loves deryv'd to that vile witches shayre.

III.

Yet she, most faithfull ladie, all this while

Forsaken, wofull, solitairie mayd,

Far from all peoples preace, as in exile,

In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd,

To seeke her Knight; who subtily betrayd
Through that late vision, which th' enchanter wrought,
Had her abandoned. She of naught affrayd,

Through woods and wastness wide him daily sought; Yet wished tydinges none of him unto her brought.

IV.

One day, nigh wearie of the yrksome way,
From her unhastie beast she did alight;
And on the grasse her dainty limbs did lay
In secrete shadow, far from all mens sight;
From her fayre head her fillet she undight;
And layd her stole aside. Her angels face,
As the great eye of heaven, shyned bright,
And made a sunshine in the shady place;
Did never mortall eye behold such heavenly grace.

V.

It fortuned, out of the thickest wood A ramping lyon rushed suddeinly, Hunting full greedy after salvage blood; Soone as the royall Virgin he did spy, With gaping mouth at her ran greedily, To have attonce devoured her tender corse. But to the pray when as he drew more ny, His bloody rage aswaged with remorse, And, with the sight amazd, forgat his furious forse.

VI.

Instead thereof he kist her wearie feet,
And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong;
As he her wronged innocence did weet.
O how can beautie maister the most strong,

And simple truth subdue avenging wrong!
Whose yielded pryde and proud submission,
Still dreading death, when she had marked long,
Her hart gan melt in great compassion;

And drizling teares did shed for pure affection.

VII.

"The lyon, lord of everie beast in field,"
Quoth she, "his princely puissance doth abate,
And mightie proud to humble weake does yield,
Forgetfull of the hungry rage, which late
Him prickt, in pittie of my sad estate:-
But he, my lyon, and my noble lord,
How does he find in cruell hart to hate

Her that him lov'd, and ever most adord,
As the God of my life? why hath he me abhord?"

VIII.

Redounding teares did choke th' end of her plaint,
Which softly ecchoed from the neighbour wood;
And, sad to see her sorrowful constraint,
The kingly beast upon her gazing stood;
With pittie calmd, downe fell his angry mood.
At last, in close hart shutting up her payne,
Arose the Virgin borne of heavenly brood,

And to her snowy palfrey got agayne

To seeke her strayed champion, if she might attayne.

IX.

The lyon would not leave her desolate,
But with her went along, as a strong gard
Of her chast person, and a faythfull mate
Of her sad troubles and misfortunes hard: