* * * *
*
Faire virgin, to redeeme her
deare
brings Arthur to the fight:
Who slayes that Gyant, woundes the beast,
and strips Duessa quight.
I
Ay me, how many perils doe enfold
The righteous man, to make him daily fall,
Were not that heavenly grace doth him
uphold,
And stedfast truth acquite him out of
all.
Her love is firme, her care continuall,
5
So oft as he through his owne foolish
pride,
Or weaknesse is to sinfull bands made
thrall:
Else should this Redcrosse knight in bands
have dydd
For whose deliverance she this Prince doth thither
guide.
II
They sadly traveild thus, until they came
10
Nigh to a castle builded strong and hie:
Then cryde the Dwarfe, Lo yonder is the
same,
In which my Lord my liege doth lucklesse
lie,
Thrall to that Gyants hateful tyrannie:
Therefore, deare Sir, your mightie powres
assay. 15
The noble knight alighted by and by
From loftie steede, and bad the Ladie
stay,
To see what end of fight should him befall that day.
III
So with the Squire, th’ admirer of his might,
He marched forth towards that castle wall;
20
Whose gates he found fast shut, ne living
wight
To ward the same, nor answere commers
call.
Then tooke that Squire an horne[*] of
bugle small.
Which hong adowne his side in twisted
gold
And tassels gay. Wyde wonders over
all 25
Of that same hornes great vertues weren
told,
Which had approved bene in uses manifold.
IV
Was never wight that heard that shrilling sownd,
But trembling feare did feel in every
vaine;
Three miles it might be easie heard around,
30
And Ecchoes three answerd it selfe againe:
No false enchauntment, nor deceiptfull
traine,
Might once abide the terror of that blast,
But presently was voide and wholly vaine:
No gate so strong, no locke so firme and
fast, 35
But with that percing noise flew open quite, or brast.
V
The same before the Geants gate he blew,
That all the castle quaked from the ground,
And every dore of freewill open flew.
The Gyant selfe dismaied with that sownd,
40
Where he with his Duessa dalliance fownd,
In hast came rushing forth from inner
bowre,
With staring countenance sterne, as one
astownd,
And staggering steps, to weet, what suddein
stowre,
Had wrought that horror strange, and dar’d his
dreaded powre. 45
VI
