Charm'd those wild beasts that rag'd with furie mad; [did ly. Then Guyon askt, what meant those beastes which there LXXXV. Sayd he; "These seeming beasts are men in deed, Whom this Enchantresse hath transformed thus ; 2 Whylome her lovers, which her lustes did feed, Now turned into figures hideous, According to their mindes like monstruous." "Sad end," quoth he, "of life intemperate, And mournefull meed of ioyes delicious! But, Palmer, if it mote thee so aggrate,3 Let them returned be unto their former state." LXXXVI. Streightway he with his vertuous staffe them strooke, Yet being men they did unmanly looke, And stared ghastly; some for inward shame, But one above the rest in speciall 4 That had an hog beene late, hight 5 Grylle by name, That had from hoggish forme him brought to naturall. 1 Lad, led. 2 Whylome, formerly. 4 In speciall, especially. 5 Hight, called. 6 Miscall, abuse. LXXXVI. 7.—Hight Grylle.] In a dialogue by Plutarch, Gryllus, a companion of Ulysses, who had been changed into a swine by Circe, holds a conversation with him, and refuses to be restored to his human shape. LXXXVII. Saide Guyon; "See the mind of beastly man, That now he chooseth with vile difference To whom the Palmer thus; "The donghill kinde Let Gryll be Gryll, and have his hoggish minde; THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE CONTAYNING THE LEGEND OF BRITOMARTIS, OR OF CHASTITY. I. IT falls me here to write of Chastity, That fayrest vertue, far above the rest : 1. 1. II. But living art may not least part expresse, His dædale 3 hand would faile and greatly faynt, Sith, since. 2 All, although. 3 Dædale, skilful. It falls me here to write of Chastity.] The subject of this book enables the poet, in his introduction, to pay some delicate com. pliments to the "Virgin Queen," to whom it is addressed. And her perfections with his error taynt: So hard a workemanship adventure darre, For fear through want of words her excellence to marre. III. How then shall I, apprentice of the skill IV. But if in living colours, and right hew, Who can it doe more lively, or more trew, 4 Then that sweete verse, with nectar sprinckeled, In which a gracious servaunt pictured His Cynthia, his heavens fayrest light? That with his melting sweetnes ravished, And with the wonder of her beamës bright, My sences lulled are in slomber of delight. 1 Daynt, dainty. 2 Whilome, formerly. 3 Sith, since. III. 4.-Luckelesse lot.] Luckless, because he apprehends he shall not do justice to the subject. IV. 5. A gracious servaunt.] This was Sir Walter Raleigh, who wrote a poem eulogizing Queen Elizabeth, called "Cynthia." V. But let that same delitious poet lend A little leave unto a rusticke Muse To sing his Mistresse prayse; and let him mend, If ought amis her liking may abuse: Ne let his fayrest Cynthia refuse 1 In mirrours more then 1 one herselfe to see; But either Gloriana let her chuse, Or in Belphœbe fashioned to bee; In th' one her rule, in th' other her rare chastitee. 1 Then, than. |