XXXVIII
Who all in rage his Sea-god syre besought, Some cursed vengeaunce on his sonne to cast, 335 From surging gulf two monsters straight were brought, With dread whereof his chasing steedes aghast, Both charet swift and huntsman overcast. His goodly corps on ragged cliffs yrent, Was quite dismembred, and his members chast 340 Scattered on every mountaine, as he went, That of Hippolytus was left no moniment.
XXXIX
His cruell step-dame seeing what was donne, Her wicked dayes with wretched knife did end, In death avowing th' innocence of her sonne, 345 Which hearing, his rash Syre began to rend His haire, and hastie tongue that did offend. Tho gathering up the relicks of his smart, By Dianes meanes, who was Hippolyts frend, Them brought to Æsculape, that by his art 350 Did heale them all againe, and joyned every part.
XL
Such wondrous science in mans wit to raine When Jove avizd, that could the dead revive, And fates expired° could renew againe, Of endlesse life he might him not deprive, 355 But unto hell did thrust him downe alive, With flashing thunderbolt ywounded sore: Where long remaining, he did alwaies strive Himselfe with salves to health for to restore, And slake the heavenly fire, that raged evermore. 360
XLI
There auncient Night arriving, did alight From her nigh wearie waine, and in her armes To Æsculapius brought the wounded knight: Whom having softly disarayd of armes, Tho gan to him discover all his harmes, 365 Beseeching him with prayer, and with praise, If either salves, or oyles, or herbes, or charmes A fordonne wight from dore of death mote raise, He would at her request prolong her nephews daies.
XLII
Ah Dame (quoth he) thou temptest me in vaine, 370 To dare the thing, which daily yet I rew, And the old cause of my continued paine With like attempt to like end to renew. Is not enough, that thrust from heaven dew Here endlesse penance for one fault I pay, 375 But that redoubled crime with vengeance new Thou biddest me to eeke? can Night defray The wrath of thundring Jove that rules both night and day?
XLIII
Not so (quoth she) but sith that heavens king From hope of heaven hath thee excluded quight, 380 Why fearest thou, that canst not hope for thing; And fearest not, that more thee hurten might, Now in the powre of everlasting Night? Goe to then, O thou farre renowmed sonne Of great Apollo, shew thy famous might 385 In medicine, that else hath to thee wonne Great paines, and greater praise,° both never to be donne.
XLIV
Her words prevaild: And then the learned leach His cunning hand gan to his wounds to lay, And all things else, the which his art did teach: 390 Which having seene, from thence arose away The mother of dread darknesse, and let stay Aveugles sonne there in the leaches cure, And backe returning tooke her wonted way, To runne her timely race, whilst Phoebus pure, 395 In westerne waves his weary wagon did recure.
XLV
The false Duessa leaving noyous Night, Returnd to stately pallace of Dame Pride; Where when she came, she found the Faery knight Departed thence, albe his woundes wide 400 Not throughly heald, unreadie were to ride. Good cause he had to hasten thence away; For on a day his wary Dwarfe had spide Where in a dongeon deepe huge numbers lay Of caytive wretched thrals, that wayled night and day. 405
XLVI
A ruefull sight, as could be seene with eie; Of whom he learned had in secret wise The hidden cause of their captivitie, How mortgaging their lives to Covetise, Through wastfull Pride and wanton Riotise, 410 They were by law of that proud Tyrannesse, Provokt with Wrath, and Envies false surmise, Condemned to that Dongeon mercilesse, Where they should live in woe, and die in wretchednesse.
XLVII
There was that great proud king of Babylon,° 415 That would compell all nations to adore, And him as onely God to call upon, Till through celestiall doome throwne out of dore, Into an Oxe he was transform'd of yore: There also was king Croesus,° that enhaunst 420 His hart too high through his great riches store; And proud Antiochus,° the which advaunst His cursed hand gainst God and on his altars daunst.
XLVIII
And them long time before, great Nimrod° was, That first the world with sword and fire warrayd; 425 And after him old Ninus° farre did pas In princely pompe, of all the world obayd; There also was that mightie Monarch° layd Low under all, yet above all in pride, That name of native syre did fowle upbrayd, 430 And would as Ammons sonne be magnifide, Till scornd of God and man a shamefull death he dide.
XLIX
All these together in one heape were throwne, Like carkases of beasts in butchers stall. And in another corner wide were strowne 435 The antique ruines of the Romaines fall: Great Romulus° the Grandsyre of them all, Proud Tarquin,° and too lordly Lentulus,° Stout Scipio,° and stubborne Hanniball,° Ambitious Sylla,° and sterne Marius,° 440 High Caesar,° great Pompey,° and fierce Antonius.°
L
Amongst these mightie men were wemen mixt, Proud wemen, vaine, forgetfull of their yoke: The bold Semiramis,° whose sides transfixt With sonnes own blade, her fowle reproches spoke; 445 Faire Sthenoboea,° that her selfe did choke With wilfull cord, for wanting of her will; High minded Cleopatra,° that with stroke Of Aspes sting her selfe did stoutly kill: And thousands moe the like, that did that dongeon fill; 450
LI
Besides the endlesse routs of wretched thralles, Which thither were assembled day by day, From all the world after their wofull falles Through wicked pride, and wasted wealthes decay. But most of all, which in the Dongeon lay, 455 Fell from high Princes courts, or Ladies bowres; Where they in idle pompe, or wanton play, Consumed had their goods, and thriftlesse howres, And lastly throwne themselves into these heavy stowres.
LII
Whose case when as the carefull Dwarfe had tould, 460 And made ensample of their mournefull sight Unto his maister, he no lenger would There dwell in perill of like painefull plight, But early rose, and ere that dawning light Discovered had the world to heaven wyde, 465 He by a privie Posterne tooke his flight, That of no envious eyes he mote be spyde: For doubtlesse death ensewd, if any him descryde.
LIII
Scarse could he footing find in that fowle way, For many corses, like a great Lay-stall, 470 Of murdred men which therein strowed lay, Without remorse, or decent funerall: Which all through that great Princesse pride did fall And came to shamefull end. And them beside Forth ryding underneath the castell wall, 475 A donghill of dead carkases he spide, The dreadfull spectacle of that sad house of Pride.
* * * * *
CANTO VI
From lawlesse lust by wondrous grace fayre Una is releast: Whom salvage nation does adore, and learnes her wise beheast.
I
As when a ship, that flyes faire under saile, An hidden rocke escaped hath unwares, That lay in waite her wrack for to bewaile, The Marriner yet halfe amazed stares At perill past, and yet in doubt ne dares 5 To joy at his foole-happie oversight: So doubly is distrest twixt joy and cares The dreadlesse courage of this Elfin knight, Having escapt so sad ensamples in his sight.
II
Yet sad he was that his too hastie speede 10 The faire Duess' had forst him leave behind; And yet more sad, that Una his deare dreed Her truth had staind with treason so unkind; Yet crime in her could never creature find, But for his love, and for her owne selfe sake, 15 She wandred had from one to other Ynd,° Him for to seeke, ne ever would forsake, Till her unwares the fiers Sansloy did overtake.
III
Who, after Archimagoes fowle defeat, Led her away into a forest wilde, 20 And turning wrathfull fyre to lustfull heat, With beastly sin thought her to have defilde, And made the vassal of his pleasures wilde. Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes, Her to persuade that stubborne fort to yilde: 25 For greater conquest of hard love he gaynes, That workes it to his will, then he that it constraines.