II
Scarsely had Phoebus in the glooming East 10 Yet harnessed his firie-footed teeme, Ne reard above the earth his flaming creast; When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme Unto the watchman on the castle wall, 15 Who thereby dead that balefull Beast did deeme, And to his Lord and Ladie lowd gan call, To tell how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall.
III
Uprose with hastie joy, and feeble speed That aged Sire, the Lord of all that land, 20 And looked forth, to weet if true indeede Those tydings were, as he did understand, Which whenas true by tryall he out found, He bad to open wyde his brazen gate, Which long time had bene shut, and out of hond° 25 Proclaymed joy and peace through all his state; For dead now was their foe which them forrayed late.
IV
Then gan triumphant Trompets sound on hie, That sent to heaven the ecchoed report Of their new joy, and happie victorie 30 Gainst him, that had them long opprest with tort, And fast imprisoned in sieged fort. Then all the people, as in solemne feast, To him assembled with one full consort, Rejoycing at the fall of that great beast, 35 From whose eternall bondage now they were releast.
V
Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene, Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground, And sad habiliments right well beseene; A noble crew about them waited round 40 Of sage and sober Peres, all gravely gownd; Whom farre before did march a goodly band Of tall young men,° all hable armes to sownd, But now they laurell braunches bore in hand; Glad signe of victorie and peace in all their land. 45
VI
Unto that doughtie Conquerour they came, And him before themselves prostrating low, Their Lord and Patrone loud did him proclame, And at his feet their laurell boughes did throw. Soone after them all dauncing on a row 50 The comely virgins came, with girlands dight, As fresh as flowres in medow greene do grow, When morning deaw upon their leaves doth light: And in their hands sweet Timbrels all upheld on hight.
VII
And them before, the fry of children young 55 Their wanton sports and childish mirth did play, And to the Maydens° sounding tymbrels sung, In well attuned notes, a joyous lay, And made delightfull musicke all the way, Untill they came, where that faire virgin stood; 60 As faire Diana in fresh sommers day, Beholds her Nymphes enraung'd in shadie wood, Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood:
VIII
So she beheld those maydens meriment With chearefull vew; who when to her they came, 65 Themselves to ground with gracious humblesse bent, And her ador'd by honorable name, Lifting to heaven her everlasting fame: Then on her head they set a girland greene, And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game; 70 Who in her self-resemblance well beseene,° Did seeme such, as she was, a goodly maiden Queene.
IX
And after, all the raskall many° ran, Heaped together in rude rablement, To see the face of that victorious man: 75 Whom all admired, as from heaven sent, And gazd upon with gaping wonderment. But when they came where that dead Dragon lay, Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent, The sight with idle feare did them dismay, 80 Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay.
X
Some feard, and fled; some feard and well it faynd; One that would wiser seeme then all the rest, Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd Some lingring life within his hollow brest, 85 Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest Of many Dragonets, his fruitfull seed; Another said, that in his eyes did rest Yet sparckling fire, and bad thereof take heed; Another said, he saw him move his eyes indeed. 90
XI
One mother, when as her foolehardie chyld Did come too neare, and with his talants play, Halfe dead through feare, her little babe revyld, And to her gossips gan in counsell say; How can I tell, but that his talants may 95 Yet scratch my sonne, or rend his tender hand? So diversly themselves in vaine they fray; Whiles some more bold, to measure him nigh stand, To prove how many acres he did spread of land.
XII
Thus flocked all the folke him round about, 100 The whiles that hoarie king, with all his traine, Being arrived where that champion stout After his foes defeasance did remaine, Him goodly greetes, and faire does entertaine With princely gifts of yvorie and gold, 105 And thousand thankes him yeelds for all his paine. Then when his daughter deare he does behold, Her dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold.
XIII
And after to his Pallace he them brings, With shaumes, and trompets, and with Clarions sweet; 110 And all the way the joyous people sings, And with their garments strowes the paved street: Whence mounting up, they find purveyance meet Of all that royall Princes court became, And all the floore was underneath their feet 115 Bespred with costly scarlot of great name,° On which they lowly sit, and fitting purpose frame.°
XIV
What needs me tell their feast and goodly guize,° In which was nothing riotous nor vaine? What needs of dainty dishes to devize, 120 Of comely services, or courtly trayne? My narrow leaves cannot in them containe The large discourse of royall Princes state. Yet was their manner then but bare and plaine: For th' antique world excesse and pride did hate; 125 Such proud luxurious pompe is swollen up but late.
XV
Then when with meates and drinkes of every kinde Their fervent appetites they quenched had, That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde, Of straunge adventures, and of perils sad, 130 Which in his travell him befallen had, For to demaund of his renowmed guest: Who then with utt'rance grave, and count'nance sad, From point to point, as is before exprest, Discourst his voyage long, according his request. 135
XVI
Great pleasures mixt with pittiful regard, That godly King and Queene did passionate, Whiles they his pittifull adventures heard, That oft they did lament his lucklesse state, And often blame the too importune fate, 140 That heaped on him so many wrathfull wreakes: For never gentle knight, as he of late, So tossed was in fortunes cruell freakes; And all the while salt teares bedeawd the hearers cheaks.
XVII
Then sayd the royall Pere in sober wise; 145 Deare Sonne, great beene the evils which ye bore From first to last in your late enterprise, That I note whether prayse, or pitty more: For never living man, I weene, so sore In sea of deadly daungers was distrest; 150 But since now safe ye seised have the shore, And well arrived are, (high God be blest) Let us devize of ease and everlasting rest.
XVIII
Ah, dearest Lord, said then that doughty knight, Of ease or rest I may not yet devize, 155 For by the faith, which I to armes have plight, I bounden am streight after this emprize, As that your daughter can ye well advize, Backe to returne to that great Faerie Queene, And her to serve six yeares in warlike wize, 160 Gainst that proud Paynim king° that workes her teene Therefore I ought crave pardon, till I there have beene.
XIX
Unhappie falles that hard necessitie, (Quoth he) the troubler of my happie peace, And vowed foe of my felicitie; 165 Ne I against the same can justly preace: But since that band ye cannot now release, Nor doen undo°; (for vowes may not be vaine,) Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease, Ye then shall hither backe returne againe, 170 The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twain.
XX
Which for my part I covet to performe, In sort as° through the world I did proclame, That whoso kild that monster most deforme, And him in hardy battaile overcame, 175 Should have mine onely daughter to his Dame, And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee: Therefore since now to thee perteines the same, By dew desert of noble chevalree, Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo, I yield to thee. 180