Virtues History, Canto 6
CANT. 6.
Faire Cypribel doth proud Orguillo meete,
And wins his helmet by her martiall might,
Who lay low conquerd humbly at her feete,
And with a Tiger fiercely she doth fight,
And her loues tombe and death she now doth see,
Themistos doth a Knight from bondage free.
AS doth the Elixer with his secret power,
Turne baser mettals into purest gold:
Or as the comfort of a moystning shower,
Reuiues the flowers which downe their heads did hold,
VVhose parched rootes barren drouth did deuoure:
So doth the speech which he to her hath told,
Clensing the drosse from her defiled minde,
As mistie fogges with a North scouring winde.
And now Themistos will depart away,
Sundring their diuers wayes vnlike euents:
And Cypribel, whose soule in new array,
Goes forth to helpe the poore and innocents,
Is marching early by the blush of day,
With speate in rest and shield sit for defence:
Meaning to teach the worse what she doth learne,
Or with her sword to make them dearly earne.
Forth gone, she meetes vponupon a mountaines head
A stately Knight that proud vpbore his crest,
His footcloth all with starres bespangled,
And on his shield all azurde was imprest
An Eagle, or, aboue a Sunne was leyd,
VVhereon his fastned eybeames still did rest:
Sic oculos his word, the world to tell,
That so on high his haughtie minde did dwell.
Behind him on a lingring asse there rode
A sober man, downe by whose belt was tide
An inkhorne pendant, from his neck there yode
A thinnest robe not cut of any side,
VVhereon his poesie patchingly was sowde,
A bird that pickt a Serpents iawes all wide:
Dura necessitas the word, to show,
Hunger and want did make them both doe so.
This was a poet whom this loftie Knight,
Maintainde to write his verse ennobled gests:
For he to ground full many foes had dight,
Vpheauing them from out their saddle rests,
All which in loftie verse this hand did write,
And sure I storie was that Muses hests,
Should thus be prentises to seruile deede,
But rocks cannot resist sharpe pearcing neede.
Now are they met, when quoth that loftie mate,
GiueGive me thy sword, least this my breath confound
Thy blasted soule, if once I wreake my hate:
When nay, replide she, things so hardly found,
May not be giuen to each that big will prate:
But fight for it, and first we will compound,
That who orecomes shall this for reward beare,
He shall the helmet hauehave his foe did weare.
He is agreed: now are they set for race,
And fiercely runne each against th' others breast:
So hauehave I seene when Neptune with his mace,
Hath made the raging floods with stormes opprest,
Two hugie Argoes with most tumbling pace,
Too much with tossing tempest ouerprest,
Thunder against his fellowes bellowing side,
VVhile in the gulfe downe swallowed both they slide.
Both tumbled downe, they doe renew with hand
The fight, which on their palfraies not preuailes,
Each on the other laies his steely brand,
And where they see defence most surest failes,
There streight their cleaning weapon fixt doth stand:
At last Orgillo on her helmet nailes
VVith mightie force his plate-intrenching blade,
And on her head a skarring wound he made.
She moued with the rigour of the blow,
Plucks in one stroke the force of all her might,
And on his shoulder downe her blade doth throw,
VVhichWhich sliding thence his arme doth sharply bite:
VVhichWhich wounded, doth his fencing targe let go,
VVhile she doth claime her victories due right:
He willing, but not able to resist,
Doth suffer her to doe what ere she list.
Downe doth she take his helmet from his head,
VVhole loftie plume vponupon the highest set,
Told that his proud heart would to heauen hauehave fled,
But that the drosse of his soule corps did let:
And streight her helmet she vncouered,
VVhen from her crowne the curled corronet,
In which she pleated had her tangled haire,
Fell from her head downe playing with the aire.
Orguillo shaming now to see a maide
That got the conquest ore his quailed might,
Himselfe vponupon his palfrey straight he laide,
And spurring mainly vanisht out of sight,
His peny poet hastie after made,
But neuer was he since seene by the light:
Yet often hath his poet since been knowne,
Nor yet from out the earth his name is flowne.
Now Cypribel still followeth on her way,
Lead by a beaten path vponupon a plaine,
VVhen streight she sees, as farre as see she may,
A Tiger, hunting seem'd for bloodie gaine,
VVho thinking that she hath espide a pray,
VVith yawning iawes runnes hoping to attaine:
And with the Lady ramping she doth meete,
VVho with her sword her grisly foe doth greete.
Such in the Namean forrest was the fight,
VVhen AElcid with the hideous Lion straue:
Such was the battell when in furious spight,
Iason the firie breathing monsters draue
VntoUnto their end, by Colchis magicks might:
And such was Theseus when in writhed caue,
VVith puissant force and deeply graued dint,
His wrath on Minotaure he did imprint.
The Tiger bites, she cuts, but now at last
With griping teeth he hath vnloosd a plate:
Where when his iawes he ment next time to cast,
Drawing her bodies sent, he doth abate
The dreadfull furie which is ouer-past,
And fawning seem'd that was so fierce of late:
VVhen straight he back returnes his wonted way,
And seem'd to follow did the Lady pray.
For when he softly went, he turnes his eyes
Back to the dame, whom nothing feare dismayd,
But streight she followes him, that humble wise
Lead to a Sepulcher this errant mayd:
A Sepulcher it is that couered lyes
VVith helmets and with shields all ouer layd,
VVhichWhich from the passing Knights this Tiger tore,
And for a couering to his master bore.
This is a Knight whose thoughts like to the skie,
VVere turnde about this Ladies beauties pole,
A vertuous Knight he was, whom wantonlie
This Lady in her fond youth did controle:
But now his losse she mourneth inwardlie,
That she hath sent away so sweet a soule:
But when to cindats all consumed are,
Too late then fall the watrie teares of care.
This Knight, when Cypribel was fled away,
Wandred through many a dale and weary hill,
Seeking his wretched sight on her to lay;
But she whom deepe disdaine too much did fill,
Flies from his sight, and seekes an vncouth way:
VVhen he his labour neuer left, vntill
All in despayre he came vntounto this plaine,
VVhichWhich by a forrest neerely doth remaine.
Here when he came, he heard a hollow grone,
VVhichWhich from some caue did seeme to volley out:
VVhen following the sound, he now is gone
VntoUnto the wood, where searching all about,
He saw a doore which placed was vponupon,
To trap the wild beasts by some rustick lout:
VVhichWhich when he opened forth a Tiger came,
That to a flattring looke his face did frame.
Nor euer would he leaue his dearest Lord,
Who ment ere long to leaue himselfe and all:
But serues him faithfully at bed and bord,
VVatching by night, by day abroad he stale
Such forrest pray as did the wood afford,
Or he could get in great Syluanas hall:
But nothing could his former ioy reduce,
VVhose only cates are on her forme to muse.
He powres foorth teares when downe the Tiger lies,
And with a wrinched face doth seeme to weepe:
Sometimes in hope to flatter fantasies,
He with his eyes doth woo sweet banisht sleepe,
VVhen softly wrapt, the beast doth close his eyes,
Yet not full closde, a watch he still doth keepe,
That rockie heart he hath, whom could not moue
This Tigers and this mans so fruitles louelove.
But now he sees where death with greedie spade,
Meanes vp to dig the minerals of his hart,
And his soules treasure dearely to inuade:
VVhen readie and prepared to depart,
He tooke a stone, on which he grauing made
The wofull ditty of his pinching smart,
And wrote his stony louelove on marble stone,
That to the grauer seem'd for pitty mone.
Receiue thou stone the issues of my woe,
Of which blood-issue now my heart must die:
And you black words shall forth testators goe,
Of this my will to her that hence doth flie:
And if you see her, for me tell her so,
That in you all my testament doth lie:
Tell that on you I hauehave ingrau'd by art,
That art and nature could not on her hart.
Tell her how still I lou'd her till my night,
And then I wrote to you, you should her louelove:
Tell how that teares my eyes did euer fright
Till now, and then I bad you springs to moue:
Tell how I mou'd you with my pensils might,
VVhen her my pensiue heart in vaine did proue:
How on my graue I grau'd these things to her,
My selfe the grauesman and my selfe the beare.
These things he writing dide, and dying wrote,
And left that storie tomb-stone for his hearse:
When he no sooner past black Stixes bote,
But streight the Tiger with his clawes did pearce
The trenched earth as deepe as ere he mote,
Wherein he put the corse and heauie verse,
And from the Knights their helmets still would teare,
Which for a couering he would thither beare.
Now when the Lady came vntounto the graue,
She rouled thence the armes that on him lay:
Whom when she saw, from out her eyes she draue
A gushing flood that did his face imbay
In siluer streames, which dying he did craue,
Yet could not gaine it in his dying day:
But now his face all sprinkled with her dew,
Seemes looking fresh againe and liuing new.
Sweet Nectar teares Electrus pretious drops,
Wound saluing balme, whose sweet infusion
The bloody festring or an issue stops,
Caelestis-aqua, whose sweet potion
Makes winter boughs renew their naked tops:
Aeson Medeas incantation,
Which powred life into the wrinkled eld,
And plants the tree Deaths woodman downe had feld.
Then takes she vp the grauen marble-stone,
And through her watrie spectacles she reedes,
Which makes the letters three which erst were one:
O then (quoth she) of you there is no needes,
Vnles three hearts I had for all to mone,
My heart for one enough alreadie bleedes:
O cruell heart that in so sweet a chace,
Couldest deny to turne thy flying face.
This fiercest Tiger seemes to rue his case,
Thou wroughtst this miserie whom he doth rue:
He with the earth hath couered his face,
Thou didst vnclaspe his heart, and there imbrue
Thy tyrant-thoughts that had too little grace:
These armes for shelter he about him true,
When I denide my armes about him wreath,
Which might ore come the surquedrie of death.
But now she leaueth this funereall song,
And causeth on his graue a stone be set,
While in the forrest by, the trees among,
There she hath fram'd a fyluan cabinet,
Vowing to make the Knights that passe along,
To pay their shields to quit her sorrowes det:
But vaine, thy beauties shield would once hauehave done,
More then the heape of shields thou now hast wonne.
Where leaue we her to penance for her louelove,
And turne our driuing sailes another way,
Searching Themistos forth, that now doth roue
Towards the maiden towne, where streight a fray
He hath begun, and with his fauchion droue
The quailed citizens to their decay,
Hewing and slicing with his glistring blade,
Such spoyle with lambes hauehave rau'ning Lions made.
This is a towne whither a wanton dame,
That fled an exile through the loathed land,
And to these parts with her attendants came,
Where streight this goodly towne they tooke in hand,
And in a little space vpraisde this frame,
Where that same Ladie Queene did still command,
And many lawes she made, whose greater part
Art quite extinguisht, not without desart.
And this was one, that eueryevery Lady might
Two husbands hauehave, and he that did refuse
To hauehave a partner in his loues delight,
Should beare that paine that womens heads should chuse.
One time it chanst when darkned was the light,
The Sunne downe sinking low from mortall viewes,
VVhen to this towne arriu'd a valiant Knight,
VVhere with his Lady will he spend the night.
There had he past that night and many a day,
Blinded with pleasure of so fayre a place,
And ment a longer time to make delay▪
But while a citizen that saw the face
Of that fayre dame, where beauties beames doe play,
So rauishing and with so pleasing grace,
That his burnt heart was scorcht with too much heat,
Feeling no moysture where the flame was great.
And seeing no good salue to heale his sore,
VVhere chastitie the Surgeon should bee,
VponUpon the womens law he trusted more,
And vntounto that his only hope doth flee:
VVherewith he warnes the Knight, who not forbore
His lightning wrath, but quickly makes them see
How ill a cause they had, and with his sword
Hundreds of soules on Charons bote doth bord.
But multitudes his valour much opprest,
And tooke him prisoner: so a Lyonesse
VVhom from his young a ranger hath supprest,
Caught in the subtile gins of crastinesse,
Bound in an iron grate doth quiet rest,
Helples despayring and all comfortlesse:
But when his libertie he once doth finde,
He deeply shewes the furie of his minde.
Now is this Knight captiude, and streight they call
A Iurie all of women, that must sit
To iudge this captiue gotten in their thrall:
Some hags that meate in ten yeares did not bite,
Scarse able from their rustie couch to crall:
Some whose downe sinking nose their chin did hit,
And some deepe furrowed fogs with hollow eyes,
On whom who lookes ten months he sooner dyes.
These nod their heads like to a flock of geese,
Consulting what must in this cause be done:
VVhen forth there steps an old vnlusty peece,
That twentie yeares hath neuer seene the Sunne,
On whose furd chin did hang a budgie fleece,
VVith filthie mosse and drosse all ouerrunne,
VVhose gummes the palsie so to ods did set,
That they their loosed teeth did all out spet.
Quoth she, euen strip the youth that is so nice,
And let him naked there before them stand,
Bound to a post, that shall this once suffice:
No sooner she this iudgement did command,
But all about him runne like to the mice,
VVhose troopes conioyned in an endles band,
About the Bishop of great Mentz did runne,
And on his corps an vncouth conquest wonne.
Now is he led vntounto an open place,
VVhere shameles creatures will his shame disclose:
But by the way a Knight there comes a pace,
Wondring a farre to see such troopes as those,
And doth enquire why this so great disgrace
Is offred him, and why he chained goes:
They streight the manner of his storie tell,
VVho to their words replide they did not well.
Then streight on him they rush, and left alone
The prisoner, only one attending stayes:
Whom downe he throwing drew his fauchion,
And on his masters throte it freely layes:
This while the other Knight so much hath done,
That many saw the latest of their dayes:
And sinking downe to Plutoes smokie fort▪
Told him they could not stay to see the sport.
So Perseus of the Centaures hauock made,
Cleauing their hoofie legs with steely dint,
And Stixes banks with damned soules doth lade,
As doe their Knights whose wrath will neuer stint,
Vntill the edge of euer-hungrie blade,
Shall with his bloodie seale each foman print,
And make his pasport currant downe to hell,
Not hindred by the ghosts below that dwell.
The captiue now is freed, while downe they fall
Like to vntimely fruit, whom blustring winde,
Breaking from out his iron-prison wall,
Strooke from the tree, and made new place to finde
In lowest-ground, that …rst on boughes so tall,
All loftily his proudest stem did binde:
Dying into the dust he downe doth slide,
Neuer to see his summer beauties pride.