LV
The knight himselfe even trembled at his fall,
So huge and horrible a masse it seem’d,
And his deare Ladie, that beheld it all,
Durst not approch for dread, which she
misdeem’d;[*] 490
But yet at last, whenas the direfull feend
She saw not stirre, off-shaking vaine
affright,
She nigher drew, and saw that joyous end:
Then God she praysd, and thankt her faithfull
knight,
That had atchieved so great a conquest by his might.
495
* * * *
*
Faire Una to the Redcrosse
knight,
betrouthed is with joy:
Though false Duessa it to barre
her false sleights doe imploy.
I
BEHOLD I see the haven nigh at hand,
To which I meane my wearie course to bend;
Vere the maine shete,[*] and beare up
with the land,
The which afore is fairely to be kend,
And seemeth safe from storms that may
offend; 5
There this faire virgin wearie of her
way
Must landed be, now at her journeyes end:
There eke my feeble barke a while may
stay
Till merry wind and weather call her thence away.
II
Scarsely had Phoebus in the glooming East
10
Yet harnessed his firie-footed teeme,
Ne reard above the earth his flaming creast;
When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme
That signe of last outbreathed life did
seeme
Unto the watchman on the castle wall,
15
Who thereby dead that balefull Beast did
deeme,
And to his Lord and Ladie lowd gan call,
To tell how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall.
III
Uprose with hastie joy, and feeble speed
That aged Sire, the Lord of all that land,
20
And looked forth, to weet if true indeede
Those tydings were, as he did understand,
Which whenas true by tryall he out found,
He bad to open wyde his brazen gate,
Which long time had bene shut, and out
of hond[*] 25
Proclaymed joy and peace through all his
state;
For dead now was their foe which them forrayed late.
IV
Then gan triumphant Trompets sound on hie,
That sent to heaven the ecchoed report
Of their new joy, and happie victorie
30
Gainst him, that had them long opprest
with tort,
And fast imprisoned in sieged fort.
Then all the people, as in solemne feast,
To him assembled with one full consort,
Rejoycing at the fall of that great beast,
35
From whose eternall bondage now they were releast.
V
