IV
With fawning words he courted her awhile, And looking lovely, and oft sighing sore, Her constant hart did tempt with diverse guile, 30 But wordes and lookes, and sighes she did abhore; As rocke of Diamond steadfast evermore, Yet for to feed his fyrie lustfull eye, He snatcht the vele that hong her face before; Then gan her beautie shyne, as brightest skye 35 And burnt his beastly hart t'efforce her chastitye.
V
So when he saw his flatt'ring artes to fayle, And subtile engines bett from batteree; With greedy force he gan the fort assayle, Whereof he weend possessed soone to bee, 40 And with rich spoile of ransackt chastitee. Ah heavens! that do this hideous act behold, And heavenly virgin thus outraged see, How can ye vengeance just so long withold And hurle not flashing flames upon that Paynim bold? 45
VI
The pitteous maiden carefull comfortlesse, Does throw out thrilling shriekes, and shrieking cryes, The last vaine helpe of womens great distresse, And with loud plaints importuneth the skyes, That molten starres do drop like weeping eyes; 50 And Phoebus flying so most shameful sight, His blushing face in foggy cloud implyes, And hides for shame. What wit of mortall wight Can now devise to quit a thrall from such a plight?
VII
Eternal providence exceeding thought, 55 Where none appeares can make herselfe a way: A wondrous way it for this Lady wrought, From Lyons clawes to pluck the griped pray. Her shrill outcryes and shriekes so loud did bray, That all the woodes and forestes did resownd; 60 A troupe of Faunes and Satyres° far away Within the wood were dauncing in a rownd, Whiles old Sylvanus° slept in shady arber sownd:
VIII
Who when they heard that pitteous strained voice, In haste forsooke their rurall meriment, 65 And ran towards the far rebownded noyce, To weet, what wight so loudly did lament. Unto the place they come incontinent: Whom when the raging Sarazin espide, A rude, mishapen, monstrous rablement, 70 Whose like he never saw, he durst not bide, But got his ready steed, and fast away gan ride.
IX
The wyld woodgods arrived in the place, There find the virgin dolefull desolate, With ruffled rayments, and faire blubbred face, 75 As her outrageous foe had left her late; And trembling yet through feare of former hate: All stand amazed at so uncouth sight, And gin to pittie her unhappie state; All stand astonied at her beautie bright, 80 In their rude eyes unworthy of so wofull plight.
X
She more amaz'd, in double dread doth dwell; And every tender part for feare doth shake: As when a greedie Wolfe, through hunger fell, A seely Lambe farre from the flocke does take, 85 Of whom he meanes his bloudie feast to make, A Lyon spyes fast running towards him, The innocent pray in hast he does forsake, Which quit from death yet quakes in every lim With chaunge of feare,° to see the Lyon looke so grim. 90
XI
Such fearefull fit assaid her trembling hart, Ne word to speake, ne joynt to move she had: The salvage nation feele her secret smart, And read her sorrow in her count'nance sad; Their frowning forheads with rough hornes yclad, 95 And rustick horror° all a side doe lay; And gently grenning, show a semblance glad To comfort her, and feare to put away, Their backward bent knees° teach her humbly to obay.
XII
The doubtfull Damzell dare not yet commit 100 Her single person to their barbarous truth;° But still twixt feare and hope amazd does sit, Late learnd° what harme to hasty trust ensu'th: They in compassion of her tender youth, And wonder of her beautie soveraine, 105 Are wonne with pitty and unwonted ruth, And all prostrate upon the lowly plaine, Do kisse her feete, and fawne on her with count'nance faine.
XIII
Their harts she ghesseth by their humble guise, And yieldes her to extremitie of time; 110 So from the ground she fearlesse doth arise, And walketh forth without suspect of crime:° They all as glad, as birdes of joyous Prime, Thence lead her forth, about her dauncing round, Shouting, and singing all a shepheards ryme, 115 And with greene braunches strowing all the ground, Do worship her, as Queene, with olive° girlond cround.
XIV
And all the way their merry pipes they sound, That all the woods with doubled Eccho ring, And with their horned feet° do weare the ground, 120 Leaping like wanton kids in pleasant Spring. So towards old Sylvanus they her bring; Who with the noyse awaked commeth out To weet the cause, his weake steps governing, And aged limbs on Cypresse stadle stout; 125 And with an yvie twyne his wast is girt about.
XV
Far off he wonders, what them makes so glad, Or Bacchus merry fruit° they did invent, Or Cybeles franticke rites° have made them mad, They drawing nigh, unto their God present 130 That flowre of faith and beautie excellent. The God himselfe, vewing that mirrhour rare,° Stood long amazd, and burnt in his intent; His owne faire Dryope° now he thinkes not faire, And Pholoe fowle when her to this he doth compaire. 135
XVI
The woodborne people fall before her flat, And worship her as Goddesse of the wood; And old Sylvanus selfe bethinkes not, what To thinke of wight so faire, but gazing stood, In doubt to deeme her borne of earthly brood; 140 Sometimes Dame Venus selfe he seemes to see, But Venus never had so sober mood; Sometimes Diana he her takes to bee, But misseth bow, and shaftes, and buskins to her knee.
XVII
By vew of her he ginneth to revive 145 His ancient love, and dearest Cyparisse,° And calles to mind his pourtraiture alive, How faire he was, and yet not faire to this,° And how he slew with glauncing dart amisse A gentle Hynd, the which the lovely boy 150 Did love as life, above all worldly blisse; For griefe whereof the lad n'ould after joy,° But pynd away in anguish and selfe-wild annoy.°
XVIII
The wooddy Nymphes, faire Hamadryades,° Her to behold do thither runne apace, 155 And all the troupe of light-foot Naiades° Flocke all about to see her lovely face: But when they vewed have her heavenly grace, They envy her in their malitious mind, And fly away for feare of fowle disgrace: 160 But all the Satyres scorne their woody kind,° And henceforth nothing faire but her on earth they find.
XIX
Glad of such lucke, the luckelesse° lucky maid, Did her content to please their feeble eyes, And long time with that salvage people staid, 165 To gather breath in many miseries. During which time her gentle wit she plyes, To teach them truth, which worshipt her in vaine, And made her th' Image of Idolatryes°; But when their bootlesse zeale she did restraine 170 From her own worship, they her Asse would worship fayn.
XX
It fortuned a noble warlike knight° By just occasion° to that forrest came, To seeke his kindred, and the lignage right, From whence he tooke his well deserved name: 175 He had in armes abroad wonne muchell fame, And fild far lands with glorie of his might, Plaine, faithfull, true, and enimy of shame, And ever lov'd to fight for Ladies right: But in vaine glorious frayes he litle did delight. 180
XXI
A Satyres sonne yborne in forrest wyld, By straunge adventure as it did betyde, And there begotten of a Lady myld, Faire Thyamis° the daughter of Labryde, That was in sacred bands of wedlocke tyde 185 To Therion, a loose unruly swayne; Who had more joy to raunge the forrest wyde, And chase the salvage beast with busie payne, Then serve his Ladies love, and wast in pleasures vayne.
XXII
The forlorne mayd did with loves longing burne 190 And could not lacke her lovers company, But to the wood she goes, to serve her turne, And seeke her spouse that from her still does fly, And followes other game and venery: A Satyre chaunst her wandring for to finde, 195 * * * * * And made her person thrall unto his beastly kind.