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Next him king Leyr in happie peace long raynd,
But had no issue male him to succeed,

But three faire daughters, which were well uptraind
In all that seemed fitt for kingly seed;
Mongst whom his realme he equally decreed
To have divided: tho, when feeble age
Nigh to his utmost date he saw proceed,
He cald his daughters, and with speeches sage
Inquyrd, which of them most did love her parentage.

The eldest, Gonorill, gan to protest,
That she much more than her owne life him lov'd;
And Regan greater love to him profest
Then all the world, whenever it were proov'd;
But Cordeill said she lov'd him as behoov'd:
Whose simple answere, wanting colours fayre
To paint it forth, him to displeasannce moov'd,
That in his crown he counted ber no hayre,
But twixt the other twain his kingdom whole did
shayre.

So wedded th' one to Maglan king of Scottes,
And th' other to the king of Cambria,
And twixt them shayrd his realme by equall lottes;
But, without dowre, the wise Cordelia
Was sent to Aganip of Celtica:

Their aged syre, thus eased of his crowne,

A private life ledd in Albania

With Gonorill, long had in great renowne,

His sonne Rivall' his dead rowme did supply;
In whose sad time blood did from Heaven rayne.~
Next great Gurgustus, then faire Cæcily,
In constant peace their kingdomes did contayne.
After whom Lago, and Kinmarke did rayne,
And Gorbogud, till far in years he grew:
Then his ambitious sonnes unto them twayne
Arraught the rule, and from their father drew;
Stout Ferrex and sterne Porrex him in prison threw.

But O! the greedy thirst of royall crowne,
That knowes no kinred, nor regardes no right,
Stird Porrex up to put his brother downe;
Who, unto him assembling forreigne might,
Made warre on him, and fell himselfe in fight:
Whose death t'avenge, his mother mercilesse,
Most mercilesse of women, Wyden hight,
Her other sonne fast sleeping did oppresse,
And with most cruell hand him murdred pittilesse.

Here ended Brutus sacred progeny,

Which had seven hundred years this scepter borne
The noble braunch from th' antique stocke was torne
With high renowme and great felicity:
Through discord, and the roiall throne forlorne
Thenceforth this realme was into factions rent,
Whilest each of Brutus boasted to be borne,'›
That in the end was left no moniment1

That nought him griev'd to beene from rule de- Of Brutus, nor of Britons glorie auncient:

posed downe.

But true it is that, when the oyle is spent,
The light goes out, and weeke is throwne away;
So, when he had resignd his regiment,
His daughter gan despise his drouping day,
And wearie wax of his continuall stay:
Tho to his daughter Regan he repayrd,
Who him at first well used every way;
But, when of his departure she despayrd,

Her bountie she abated, and his cheare empayrd.

The wretched man gan then avise too late,
That love is not where most it is profest;
Too truely tryde in his extremest state!
At last, resolv'd likewise to prove the rest,
He to Cordelia himselfe addrest,
Who with entyre affection him receav'd,
As for her syre and king her seemed best;
And after all an army strong she leav'd, [reav'd,
To war on those which him had of his realme be-

So to his crowne she him restord againe ;
In which he dyde, made ripe for death by eld,
And after wild it should to her remaine:
Who peaceably the same long time did weld,
And all mens harts in dew obedience held;
Till that her sisters children, woxen strong,
Through proud ambition against her rebeld,
And overcommen kept in prison long,

Till weary of that wretched life herselfe she hong.

Then gan the bloody brethren both to raine:
But fierce Cundah gan shortly to envy
His brother Morgan, prickt with proud disdaine
To have a pere in part of soverainty;
And, kindling coles of cruell enmity,
Raisd warre, and him in batteill overthrew
Whence as he to those woody billes did fly,"
Which hight of him Glamorgan, there him slew:
Then did he raigne alone, when he none equal knew.

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Next them did Gurgunt, great Belinus sonne,
In rule succeede, and eke in fathers praise;
He Easterland subdewd, and Denmarke wonne,
And of them both did foy and tribute raise,
The which was dew in his dead fathers daies:
He also gave to fugitives of Spayne,
Whom he at sea found wandring from their waies,
A seate in Ireland safely to remayne, [táyne.
Which they should hold of him as subiect to Bri-

After him raigned Guitheline his hayre,
The iustest man and trewest in his daies,
Who had to wife dame Mertia the fayre,
A woman worthy of immortall praise,
Which for this realme found many goodly layes,
And wholesome statutes to her husband brought:
Her many deemd to have beene of the Fayes,
As was Aegerié that Numa tought:
Those yet of her be Mertian lawes both nam'd and
thought.

Her sonne Sifillus after her did rayne;
And then Kimarus; and then Danius:

Next whom Moriudus did the crowne sustayne;
Who, had he not with wrath outrageous
And cruell rancour dim'd his valorous

Yet twise they were repulsed backe againe,
And twise renforst backe to their ships to fly;
The whiles with blood they all the shore did staine,
And the gray ocean into purple dy:

Ne had they footing found at last perdie,
Had not Androgeus, false to native soyle,
And envious of uncles soveraintie,
Betrayd his country unto forreine spoyle. [foyle!
Nought els but treason from the first this land did

So by him Cæsar got the victory,
Through great bloodshed and many a sad assay,
In which himselfe was charged heavily
Of hardy Nennius, whom he yet did slay,
But lost his sword, yet to be seene this day.
Thenceforth this land was tributarie made
T'ambitious Rome, and did their rule obay,
Till Arthur all that reckoning defrayd:.
Yet oft the Briton kings against them strongly swayd.

Next him Tenantius raignd; then Kimbeline,
What time th' Eternall Lord in fleshly slime
Enwombed was, from wretched Adams line
To purge away the guilt of sinful crime.
O ioyous memorie of happy time,
That heavenly grace so plenteously displayd!

And mightie deedes, should matched have the best: O too high ditty for my simple riine!

As well in that same field victorious

Against the forreine Morands he exprest;

Yet lives his memorie, though carcas sleepe in rest.

Five sonnes he left begotten of one wife,
All which successively by turnes did rayne:
First Gorboman, a man of vertuous life;
Next Archigald, who for his proud disdayne
Deposed was from princedome soverayne,
And pitteous Elidure put in his sted;
Who shortly it to him restord agayne,
Till by his death he it recovered;

But Peridure and Vigent him disthronized:

In wretched prison long he did remaine,
Till they out-raigned had their utmost date,
And then therein reseized was againe,
And ruled long with honorable state,
Till he surrendred realme and life to fate.
Then all the sonnes of these five brethren raynd
By dew successe, and all their nephewes late;
Even thrise eleven descents the crowne retaynd,
Till aged Hely by dew heritage it gaynd.

He had two sonnes, whose eldest, called Lud,
Left of his life most famous memory,
And endlesse moniments of his great good:
The ruin'd wals he did reædifye
Of Troynovant, gainst force of enimy,
And built that gate which of his name is hight,
By which he lyes entombed solemnly:
He left two sonnes, too young to rule aright,
Androgeus and Tenantius, pictures of his might.

Whilst they were young, Cassibalane their eme
Was by the people chosen in their sted,
Who on him tooke the roiall diademe,
And goodly well long time it governed;
Till the prowde Romanes him disquieted,
And warlike Cæsar, tempted with the name
Of this sweet island never conquered,
And envying the Britons blazed fame,
(O hideous hunger of dominion!) hether came,

Soone after this the Romanes him warrayd; For that their tribute he refusd to let be payd.

Good Claudius, that next was emperour,
An army brought, and with him batteile fought,
In which the king was by a treachetour
Disguised slaine, ere any thereof thought:
Yet ceased not the bloody fight for ought;
For Arvirage his brothers place supplyde
Both in his armes and crowne, and by that draught
Did drive the Romanes to the weaker syde,
That they to peace agreed. So all was pacifyde..

Was never king more highly magnifide,
Nor dredd of Romanes, then was Arvirage;
For which the emperour to him allide
His daughter Genuiss' in marriage:
Yet shortly be renounst, the vassallage
Of Rome againe, who hether hastly sent
Vespasian, that with great spoile and rage
Forwasted all, till Genuissa gent
Persuaded him to ceasse, and her lord to relent.

He dide; and him succeded Marius,
Who ioyd his dayes in great tranquillity.
Then Coyll; and after him good Lucius,
That first received Christianity,
The sacred pledge of Christes Evangely,
Yet true it is, that long before that day
Hither came Ioseph of Arimathy,

Who brought with hith the Holy Grayle, (they say) And preacht the truth; but since it greatly did decay.

This good king shortly without issew dide,
Whereof great trouble in the kingdome grew,
That did herselfe in sondry parts divide,
And with her powre her owne selfe overthrew,
Whilest Romages daily did the weake subdew:
Which seeing, stout Bunduca up arose,
And taking armes the Britons to her drew;
With whom she marched straight against her foes,
And them unwares besides the Severne did enclose.

There she with them a cruell batteill tryde,
Not with so good successe as shee deserv'd;
By reason that the captaines on her syde,
Corrupted by Paulinus, from her swerv'd:
Yet such, as were through former flight preserv'd,
Gathering againe, her host she did renew,
And with fresh corage on the victor servd:
But being all defeated, save a few,

Rather than fly, or be captiv'd, herselfe she slew.

O famous moniment of womens prayse!
Matchable either to Semiramis,
Whom antique history so high doth rayse,
Or to Hypsiphil', or to Thomiris:

Her host two hundred thousand numbred is;
Who, whiles good fortune favoured her might,
Triumphed oft against her enemis;

And yet, though overcome in haplesse fight,
Shee triumphed on death, in enemies despight.

Her reliques Fulgent having gathered,
Fought with Severus, and him overthrew ;
Yet in the chace was slaine of them that fled;
So made them victors whome he did subdew.
Then gan Carausius tirannize anew,

The weary Britons, whose war-hable youth
Was by Maximian lately ledd away,
With wretched miseryes and woefull ruth
Were to those Pagans made an open pray,
| And daily spectacle of sad decay:

[yeares
Whome Romane warres, which now fowr hundred
And more had wasted, could no whit dismay;
Til, by consent of commous and of peares,
They crownd the second Constantine with ioyous

teares:

Who having oft in batteill vanquished
Those spoylefull Picts, and swarming Easterlings,
Long time in peace his realme established,
Yet oft annoyd with sondry bordragings
Of neighbour Scots, and forrein scatterlings
With which the world did in those dayes abound:
Which to outbarre, with painefull pyonings
From sea to sea he heapt a mighty mound, [bownd.
Which from Alcluid to Panwelt did that border

Three sonnes he dying left, all under age; By meanes whereof their uncle Vortigere Usurpt the crowne during their pupillage; Which th' infants tutors gathering to feare,

And gainst the Romanes bent their proper powre; Them closely into Armorick did beare:

But him Allectus treacherously slew,

And tooke on him the robe of emperoure: Nath'lesse the same enioyed but short happy howre:

For Asclepiodate him overcame,

And left inglorious on the vanquisht playne,
Without or robe or rag to hide his shame :
Then afterwards he in his stead did raigne ;
But shortly was by Coyll in batteill slaine :
Who after long debate, since Lucies tyme,
Was of the Britons first crownd soveraine :
Then gan this realme renew her passed prime:
He of his name Coylchester built of stone and lime.
Which when the Romanes heard, they hether sent
Constantius, a man of mickle might,
With whome king Coyll made an agreement,
And to him gave for wife his daughter bright,
Fayre Helena, the fairest living wight,
Who in all godly thewes and goodly praise
Did far excell, but was most famous hight
For skil in musicke of all in her daies,

As well in curious instruments as cunning laies:

Of whome he did great Consantine begett,
Who afterward was emperour of Rome;
To which whiles absent he his mind did sett,
Octavius here lept into his roome,
And it usurped by unrighteous doome:
But he his title iustifide by might,

Slaying Traherne, and having overcome

The Romane legion in dreadfull fight:

For dread of whom, and for those Picts annoyes,
He sent to Germany straunge aid to reare;
From whence eftsoones arrived here three hoyes
Of Saxons, whom he for his safety imployes.

Two brethren were their capitayns, which hight
Hengist and Horsus, well approv'd in warre,
And both of them men of renowmed might;
Who making vantage of their civile iarre,
And of those forreyners which came from farre,
Grew great, and got large portions of land,
That in the realme ere long they stronger arre
Then they which sought at first their helping hand,
And Vortiger enforst the kingdome to aband.

But, by the helpe of Vortimere his sonne,
He is againe unto his rule restord;
And Hengist, seeming sad for that was donne,
Received is to grace and new accord,

Through his faire daughters face and flattring word.
Soone after which, three hundred lords he slew
Of British blood, all sitting at his bord;
Whose dolefull moniments who list to rew,
Th' eternall marks of treason may at Stonheng vew,

By this the sonnes of Constantine, which fled,
Ambrose and Uther, did ripe yeares attayne,
And, bere arriving, strongly challenged
The crowne which Vortiger did long detayne:
Who, flying from his guilt, by them was slayne;
And Hengist eke soone brought to shamefull death.
Thenceforth Aurelius peaceably did rayne,

So settled he his kingdome, and confirmd his Till that through poyson stopped was his breath; right:

But, wanting yssew male, his daughter deare
He gave in wedlocke to Maximian,

And him with her made of his kingdome heyre,
Who soone by meanes thereof the empire wan,
Till murdred by the freends of Gratian.
Then gan the Hunnes and Picts invade this land,
During the raigne of Maximinian;
Who dying left none heire them to withstand;
But that they overran all parts with easy hand.

So now entombed lies at Stoneheng by the heath,

After him Uther, which Pendragon hight,
Succeeding-There abruptly it did end,
Without full point, or other cesure right;
As if the rest some wicked hand did rend,
Or th' author selfe could not at least attend
To finish it: that so untimely breach
The prince himselfe halfe seemed to offend;
Yet secret pleasure did offence empeach,
And wonder of antiquity long stopt his speach,

At last, quite ravisht with delight to heare
The royall ofspring of his native land,
Cryde out; "Deare countrey! O how dearely deare
Ought thy remembraunce and perpetuall band
Be to thy foster childe, that from thy hand
Did commun breath and nouriture receave!
How brutish is it not to understand
How much to her we owe, that all us gave;
That gave unto us all whatever good we have!"

But Guyon all this while his booke did read,
Ne yet has ended: for it was a great
And ample volume, that doth far excead
My leasure so long leaves here to repeat:
It told how first Prometheus did create
A man, of many parts from beasts deryv'd,
And then stole fire from Heven to animate
His worke, for which he was by love depryv'd
Of life himselfe, and hart-strings of an aegle ryv'd.

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Then Elfar, who two brethren gyaunts kild,

The one of which had two heades, th' other three:
Then Elfinor, who was in magick skild;
He built by art upon the glassy see

[to be. A bridge of bras, whose sound Hevens thunder seem'd

He left three sonnes, the which in order raynd,
And all their ofspring, in their dew descents;
Even seven hundred princes, which maintaynd
With mightie deedes their sondry governments;
That were too long their infinite contents
Here to record, ne much materiall:
Yet should they be most famous moniments,
And brave ensample, both of martiall
And civil rule, to kinges and states imperiall.

After all these Elficleos did rayne,
The wise Elficleos in great maiestie,
Who mightily that scepter did sustayne,
And with rich spoyles and famous victorie
Did high advaunce the crowne of Faëry:
He left two sonnes, of which faire Elferon,
The eldest brother, did untimely dy;
Whose emptie place the mightie Oberon
Doubly supplide, in spousall and dominion.

Great was his power and glorie over all
Which, him before, that sacred seate did fill,
That yet remaines his wide memoriall:
He dying left the fairest Tanaquill,
Him to succeede therein, by his last will:
Fairer and nobler liveth none this howre,
Ne like in grace, ne like in learned skill;
Therefore they Glorian call that glorious flowre:
Long mayst thou, Glorian, live in glory and great
powre!

Beguyld thus with delight of novelties,
And naturall desire of countryes state,
So long they redd in those antiquities,
That how the time was fled they quite forgate;
Till gentle Alma, seeing it so late,
Perforce their studies broke, and them besought
To thinke how supper did them long awaite:
So halfe unwilling from their bookes them brought,
And fayrely feasted as so noble knightes she ought.

CANTO XI.

The enimies of Temperaunce
Besiege her dwelling place;

Prince Arthure them repelles, and fowle
Maleger doth deface.

WHAT warre so cruel, or what siege so sore,
As that, which strong affections doe apply
Against the forte of Reason evermore,
To bring the sowle into captivity!
Their force is fiercer through infirmity
Of the fraile flesh, relenting to their rage;
And exercise most bitter tyranny
Upon the partes, brought into their bondage:
No wretchednesse is like to sinfull vellenage.

But in a body which doth freely yeeld
His partes to Reasons rule obedient,

And letteth her that ought the scepter weeld,

All happy peace and goodly government

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Is setled there in sure establishment.
There Alma, like a virgin queene most bright,
Doth florish in all beautie excellent;
And to her guestes doth bounteous banket dight,
Attempred goodly well for health and for delight.

Early, before the Morne with cremosin ray
The windowes of bright Heaven opened had,
Through which into the world the dawning Day
Might looke, that maketh every creature glad,
Uprose sir Guyon in bright armour clad,
And to his purposd iourney him prepar'd:
With him the palmer eke in habit sad
Himselfe addrest to that adventure hard:
So to the rivers syde they both together far'd:

Where them awaited ready at the ford
The ferriman, as Alma had behight,
With his well-rigged bote: they goe abord,
And he eftsoones gan launch his barke forthright.
Ere long they rowed were quite out of sight,
And fast the land behynd them fled away.
But let them pas, whiles winde and wether right
Doe serve their turnes: here I a while must stay,
To see a cruell fight doen by the prince this day.

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Those same against the bulwarke of the sight
Did lay strong siege and battailous assault,
Ne once did yield it respitt day nor night;
But soone as Titan gan his head exault,
And soone againe as he his light withbault,
Their wicked engines they against it bent;
That is, each thing by which the eyes may fault:
But two then all more huge and violent,
Beautie and Money, they that bulwarke sorely rent.

The second bulwarke was the hearing sence,
Gainst which the second troupe dessignment makes;
Deformed creatures, in straunge difference:
Some having heads like harts, some like to snakes,
Some like wild bores late rouzd out of the brakes:
Slaunderous Reproches, and fowle Infamies,
Leasinges, Backbytinges, and vain-glorious Crakes,
Bad Counsels, Prayses, and false Flatteries:
All those against that fort did bend their batteries.

Likewise that same third fort, that is the smell,
Of that third troupe was cruelly assayd;
Whose hideous shapes were like to feendes of Hell,
Some like to houndes, some like to apes, dismayd;
Some, like to puttockes, all in plumes arayd;
All shap't according their conditions:
For, by those ugly formes, weren pourtrayd
Foolish Delights, and fond Abusions,
Which doe that sence besiege with light illusions.

And that fourth band which cruell battry bent
Against the fourth bulwarke, that is the taste,
Was, as the rest, a grysie rablement;

Some mouth'd like greedy oystriges; some faste
Like loathly toades; some fashioned in the waste
Like swine: for so deformd is Luxury,
Surfeat, Misdiet, and unthriftie Waste,
Vain Feastes, and ydle Superfluity:
All those this sences fort assayle incessantly.

But the fift troupe, most horrible of hew
And ferce of force, is dreadfull to report;
For some like snailes, some did like spyders shew,
And some like ugly urchins thick and short:
Cruelly they assayled that fift fort,

Armed with dartes of sensuall Delight,

With stinges of carnall Lust, and strong effort
Of feeling Pleasures, with which day and night
Against that same fift bulwarke they continued fight,

Thus these twelve troupes with dreadfull puissaunce
Against that castle restlesse siege did lay,
And evermore their hideous ordinaunce
Upon the bulwarkes cruelly did play,
That now it gan to threaten neare decay:
And evermore their wicked capitayn
Provoked them the breaches to assay,

[gayn,

Sometimes with threats, sometimes with hope of Which by the ransack of that peece they should attayn.

On th' other side, th' assieged castles ward
Their stedfast stonds did mightily maintaine,
And many bold repulse and many hard
Atchievement wrought, with perill and with payne,
That goodly frame from ruin to sustaine:
And those two brethren gyauntes did defend
The walls so stoutly with their sturdie mayne,
That never entraunce any durst pretend,
But they to direfull death their groning ghosts did

The noble virgin, ladie of the place,

[send.

Was much dismayed with that dreadful sight, (For never was she in so evill cace)

Till that the prince, secing her wofull plight,
Gan her recomfort from so sad affright,
Offring his service and his dearest life
For her defence against that carle to fight,
Which was their chiefe and th' authour of that strife
She him remercied as the patrone of her life,
Eftsoones himselfe in glitterand armes he dight,
And his well proved weapons to him hent;
So taking courteous congè, he behight
Those gates to be unbar'd, and forth he went,
Fayre mote he thee, the prowest and most gent,
That ever brandished bright steele on hye!
Whom soone as that unruly rablement
With his gay squyre issewing did espye,
They reard a most outrageous dreadfull yelling cry:
And therewithall attonce at him let fly
Their fluttring arrowes, thicke as flakes of snow,
And round about him flocke impetuously,
Like a great water-flood, that tombling low
From the high mountaines, threates to overflow
With suddein fury all the fertile playne,
And the sad husbandmans long hope doth throw
Adowne the streame, and all his vowes make vayne;
Nor bounds nor bauks his headlong ruine may sus

...tayne.

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