His sterne aspect, and calme his crabbed lookes: So many turning cranks1 these have, so many crookes. LIII. "But you, Dan Iove, that only constant are, And king of all the rest, as ye do clame, Are you not subject eeke to this misfare?? Then let me aske you this withouten blame; But, wheresoever they comment the same, They all consent that ye begotten were And borne here in this world; ne other can appeare. LIV. “Then are ye mortall borne, and thrall to Me; Besides, that power and vertue, which ye spake, Is checkt and changed from his nature trew, LV. 4 "Besides, the sundry motions of your spheres, Onely the starrie skie doth still remaine : Yet do the starres and signes therein still move, 1 Cranks, windings. 2 Misfare, misfortune. 3 Comment, feign, pretend. 4 Obliquid, oblique. 5 Clerkes, learned men. And even itself is mov'd, as wizards saine1: Therefore both you and them to Me I subiect prove. LVI. "Then since within this wide great Universe LVII. So having ended, silence long ensewed ; But with firme eyes affixt the ground still viewed. Did hang in long suspence what would ensew, LVIII. "I well consider all that ye have sayd; Then over them Change doth not rule and raigne: But they raigne over Change, and doe their states maintaine. LIX. "Cease therefore, Daughter, further to aspire, And thee content thus to be rul'd by Me: For thy decay thou seekst by thy desire: But time shall come that all shall changed bee, And from thenceforth none no more change shall see!" And Natures selfe did vanish, whither no man wist.3 1 Whist, silenced. 2 See, dominion. 3 Wist, knew. THE VIIITH CANTO, UNPERFITE. I. WHEN I bethinke me on that speech whyleare1 Me seemes, that though she all unworthy were Whose flowring pride, so fading and so fickle, Short Time shall soon cut down with his consuming sickle! II. Then gin I thinke on that which Nature sayd, Of that same time when no more change shall be, But stedfast rest of all things, firmely stayd Upon the pillours of Eternity, 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 Sabaoth hight: O! that great Sabaoth God, grant me that Sabbaths sight!* "By what means this unfinished canto and the two preceding cantoes were preserved, the first editor of them has left no particulars. They are usually termed the Seventh Book of the poem. The fragment exhibits a very fine specimen of Spenser's sublime invention." - TODD. |