That ye here worke, doth many changes take, And your owne natures change: for each of you, That vertue have or this or that to make. Is checkt and changed from his nature trew, By others opposition or obliquid1 view. $5 "Besides, the sundry motions of your spheares, Yet do the starres and signes therein still move, 46 "Then since within this wide great universe 7 So having ended, silence long ensewed; Ne Nature to or fro spake for a space, But, with firme eyes affixt, the ground still viewed Meane while all creatures, looking in her face, 1 Obliquil, oblique. 2 Clerkes, learned men. 8 Wizards saine, wise ones say 4 Addoom, adjudge. Expecting th' end of this so doubtfull case, Did hang in long suspence what would ensew, To whether side should fall the soveraigne place : At length she, looking up with chearefull view, The silence brake, and gave her doome in speeches 58 few: "I well consider all that ye have sayd; And find that all things stedfastnes doe hate And changed be; yet, being rightly wayd, They are not changed from their first estate; But by their change their being doe dilate; And, turning to themselves at length againe, Doe worke their owne perfection so by fate: Then over them Change doth not rule and raigne : But they raigne over Change, and doe their states maintaine. 59 "Cease therefore, Daughter, further to aspire, And thee content thus to be rul'd by me: For thy decay1 thou seekst by thy desire: But time shall come that all shall changed bee, And from thenceforth none no more change shall see!" So was the Titaness put downe and whist,2 And love confirm'd in his imperiall see. Then was that whole assembly quite dismist, And Natur's selfe did vanish, whither no man wist. 1 Decay, destruction. 2 Whist, silenced. THE VIII. CANTO, UNPERFITE. 1 WHEN I bethinke me on that speech whyleare Of Mutability, and well it way; Me seemes, that though she all unworthy were Of the heav'ns rule, yet, very sooth to say, In all things else she beares the greatest sway: Which makes me loath this state of life so tickle, And love of things so vaine to cast away; Whose flowring pride, so fading and so fickle, Short Time shall soon cut down with his consuming sickle! 2 Then gin I thinke on that which Nature sayd, That is contrayr to Mutabilitie : For all that moveth doth in change delight: But thenceforth all shall rest eternally With him that is the God of Sabbaoth hight: O that great Sabbaoth God graunt me that Sabaoths sight! II. 9. Spenser confounds Sabaoth (hosts) with Sabbath (rest) He obviously means the latter only: all things are to "rest eter Bally with him that is the God of Rest." (v. 7, 8). C. APPENDIX. VARIATIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL EDITIONS. Faerie Queene, Book VI., 1596. 66 Cantos of Mutabilitie, 1609. Shepheardes Calender,* Colin Clout, etc., Page 5, st. 6, v. 9, fame, O. name. 1579. 1595. 66 15, st. 28, v. 6, ere he (ed. 1609), O. ere thou. 66 24, st. 8, v. 2, deed and word (ed. 1609), O. act and deed. "24, st. 8, v. eares, O. eyes. 66 49, st. 24, v. b, aloud to shew, O. aloud in vaine to shew. 66 66 66 66 66 51, st. 28, v. 6, soft footing, O. softing foot. 51, st. 30, v. 8, thorough (ed. 1609), O. tough. 53, st. 35, v. 3, which (ed. 1609), O. that. 55, st. 42, v. 4, approve (ed. 1609), O. reprove. 56, st. 42, v. 7, 1eprove (ed. 1609), O. approve. 66 64, st. 13, v. 8, where (ed. 1609), O. there. 66 66, st. 16, v. 8, hurt, O. hurts. 66 66 88, st. 39, v. 3, gree (ed. 1609), O. glee. 89, st. 41, v. 2, there (ed. 1609), O. their. "94, st. 11, v. 9, makes, O. make. "96, st. 17, v. 7, Calepine, O. Calidore. "102, st. 35, v. 6, fight (ed. 1609), O. right. "129, st. 11, v. 9, two (ed. 1609), O. tow. "181, st. 17, v. 6, from (ed. 1609), O. for. "141, st. 47, v. 3, toyle (ed. 1609), O. toyles. "156, st. 86, v. 8, Oenone, O. Benone. "160, st. 46, v. 5, did dwell, O. did well. Cited from Collier's reprint. Page 161, st. 2, v. 9, in (ed. 1609), O. on. "168, st. 22, v. 5, Eacidee, O. AEcidee. 46 169, st. 24, v. 7, froward (ed. 1611), other editions, forward. 172, st. 32, v. 6, impure, O. impare. 66 173, st. 36, v. 6, he it presented, all editions, it presented "211, st. 41, v. 8, cleanest, all editions, clearest. 66 66 223, st. 29, v. 5, Procrustes, O. Procustes. 234, st. 2, v. 8, feeble, O. sable. 287, st. 9, v. 1, hard (ed. 1611), O. heard. "287, st. 9, v. 7, kinde, O. kindes. |