CANTO V.

Prince Arthur hears of Florimell:
Three fosters Timias wound;
Belphœbe findes him almost dead,
And reareth out of swownd.

I.

WONDER it is to see in diverse mindes
How diversly Love doth his pageaunts play,
And shewes his powre in variable kindes 2:
The baser wit, whose ydle thoughts alway
Are wont to cleave unto the lowly clay,
It stirreth up to sensuall desire,

And in lewd slouth to wast his carelesse day;
But in brave sprite it kindles goodly fire,
That to all high desert and honour doth aspire.

II.

Ne suffereth it uncomely Idlenesse

In his free thought to build her sluggish nest;
Ne suffereth it thought of ungentlenesse
Ever to creepe into his noble brest;
But to the highest and the worthiest
Lifteth it up that els would lowly fall.
It lettes not fall, it lettes it not to rest;

Il lettes not scarse this Prince to breath at all,
But to his first poursuit him forward still doth call:

1 Fosters, foresters.

2 Variable kindes, various modes.

II. 9.—But to his first poursuit, &c.] See book I. canto IX. stanza XV.

III.

Who long time wandred through the forest wyde
To finde some issue thence; till that at last
He met a Dwarfe that seemed terrifyde
With some late perill which he hardly past,
Or other accident which him aghast1;
Of whom he asked, whence he lately came,

And whether now he traveiled so fast:

For sore he swat, and, ronning through that same Thicke forest, was bescracht, and both his feet nigh lame.

IV.

Panting for breath, and almost out of hart,

The Dwarfe him answerd; "Sir, ill mote I stay

To tell the same: I lately did depart

From Faery Court, where I have many a day

Served a gentle Lady of great sway

And high accompt throughout all Elfin Land,
Who lately left the same, and tooke this way:
Her now I seeke; and if ye understand

Which way she fared hath, good Sir, tell out of hand.2 "

ས.

"What mister wight,3" saide he, "and how arayd?"
Royally clad," quoth he, "in cloth of gold,

As meetest may beseeme a noble mayd;
Her faire lockes in rich circlet be enrold,

A fayrer wight did never sunne behold;

And on a palfrey rydes more white then snow,
Yet she herselfe is whiter manifold;

1 Aghast, terrified.

2 Out of hand, immediately.

3 Mister wight, sort of person. 4 Then, than.

III. 3.- He met a Dwarfe.] Who this dwarf was is told us in book V. canto II. stanza III.

The surest signe, whereby ye may her know, Is, that she is the fairest wight alive, I trow."

VI.

weene,

"Now certes, Swaine," saide he, "such one, I Fast flying through this forest froin her fo, A foule ill-favoured foster, I have seene; Herselfe, well as I might, I reskewd tho,2 But could not stay 3; so fast she did foregoe,4 Carried away with wings of speedy feare." "Ah! dearest God," quoth he, "that is great woe, And wondrous ruth 5 to all that shall it heare: But can ye read, Sir, how I may her finde, or where?"

VII.

"Perdy me lever were to weeten that,"

Saide he, "then ransome of the richest Knight,
Or all the good that ever yet I gat:

But froward fortune, and too forward night,
Such happinesse did, maulgre, to me spight,
And fro me reft both life and light attone.
But, Dwarfe, aread what is that Lady bright
That through this forrest wandreth thus alone;

For of her errour straunge I have great ruth 5 and mone."

1 Foster, forester.

2 Tho, then.

3 Stay, stop, catch.

4 Forego, go forward.
Ruth, pity.

• Read, inform.

7 Too forward, coming on too fast.

8 Attone, at once.

9 Aread, declare.

VII. 1.- Perdy me lever, &c.] 'Indeed I would prefer to know that, than to receive enough to ransom the richest knight.'

VII. 5.-Maulgre.] Todd considers this an adverb of imprecation "Curse on it."

VII. 9. For of her errour, &c.] 'I am greatly concerned that she should wander in such a manner.'- Errour is used in the sense of the Latin word error, wandering.

VIII.

compare

"That Ladie is," quoth he, "whereso she bee,
The bountiest Virgin and most debonaire1
That ever living eye, I weene, did see:
Lives none this day that may with her
In stedfast chastitie and vertue rare,
The goodly ornaments of beauty bright;
And is ycleped2 Florimell the fayre,
Faire Florimell belov'd of many a Knight,

Yet she loves none but one, that Marinell is hight3;

1X.

"A Sea-nymphes sonne, that Marinell is hight,3
Of my deare Dame is loved dearely well;
In other none, but him, she sets delight;
All her delight is set on Marinell;
But he sets nought at all by Florimell:
For Ladies love his mother long ygoe

Did him, they say, forwarne through sacred spell:
But fame now flies, that of a forreine foe

He is yslaine, which is the ground of all our woe.

X.

“Five daies there be since he (they say) was slaine, And fowre since Florimell the court forwent,4

And vowed never to returne againe

Till him alive or dead she did invent.5

Therefore, faire Sir, for love of knighthood gent

6

1 Debonaire, gracious.

4 Forwent, left.

5 Invent, find.

2 Ycleped, named.

3 Hight, named.

6 Gent, accomplished.

VIII. 8.- Faire Florimell.] This name is compounded of two Latin words, signifying honey and flowers, and is expressive of the sweetness and sensitive delicacy of her character.

And honour of trew Ladies, if ye may
By your good counsell, or bold hardiment,1
Or succour her, or me direct the

way,

Do one or other good, I you most humbly pray:

XI.

"So may ye gaine to you full great renowme
Of all good Ladies through the worlde so wide,
And haply in her hart finde highest rowme2
Of whom ye seeke to be most magnifide!
At least eternall meede shall you abide."

To whom the Prince; "Dwarfe, comfort to thee take; For, till thou tidings learne what her betide,

I here avow thee never to forsake:

Ill weares he armes, that nill3 them use for Ladies sake.”

XII.

So with the Dwarfe he back retourn'd againe,
To seeke his Lady, where he mote her finde;
But by the way he greatly gan complaine
The want of his good Squire late left behinde,
For whom he wondrous pensive grew in minde,
For doubt of daunger which mote him betide;
For him he loved above all mankinde,

Having him trew and faithfull ever tride,5

And bold, as ever Squyre that waited by Knights side:

XIII.

Who all this while full hardly was assayd

Of deadly daunger which to him betidd":

For, whiles his Lord pursewd that noble Mayd,

1 Hardiment, courage.

2 Rowme, place.

3 Nill, will not.

5 Tride, experienced.

6 Assayd, assailed.

"Betidd, happened.

4 Doubt, fear.

XII. 4.-Late left behinde.] See canto IV. stanza XLVII