Tho,1 full of bitter grief and pensive thought, She to her waggon clomb; clomb all the rest, And forth together went with sorrow fraught. The waves, obedient to their behest,
Them yielded ready passage, and their rage surceast.2
Great Neptune stood amazed at their sight, Whiles on his broad round back they softly slid, And eke himself mourned at their mournful plight, Yet wist not what their wailing meant; yet did, For great compassion of their sorrow, bid His mighty waters to them buxom 3 be: Eftsoons the roaring billows still abid,1 And all the griesly Monsters of the Sea
Stood gaping at their gate, and wondered them to see.
A team of Dolphins rangèd in array Drew the smooth chariot of sad Cymoënt: They were all taught by Triton to obey To the long reins at her commandèment : As swift as swallows on the waves they went, That their broad flaggy fins no foam did rear Ne bubbling roundel they behind them sent. The rest of other fishes drawen were,
Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did shear.
Soon as they been arrived upon the brim
Of the Rich Strond, their chariots they forlore," And let their teamèd fishes softly swim
Along the margent of the foamy shore,
Lest they their fins should bruise, and surbate sore Their tender feet upon the stony ground : And, coming to the place where all in gore And cruddy blood enwallowèd they found The luckless Marinell lying in deadly swound,
His mother swooned thrice, and the third time Could scarce recovered be out of her pain: Had she not been devoid of mortal slime, She should not then have been re-lived 10 again; But, soon as life recovered had the reign, She made so piteous moan and dear wayment,11
That the hard rocks could scarce from tears refrain ;
5 Horrible. 9 Base mortal matter.
And all her sister Nymphs with one consent Supplied her sobbing breaches1 with sad complement.
Dear image of my self," she said, “that is The wretched son of wretched mother born, Is this thine high advancement? O! is this The immortal name with which thee, yet unborn, Thy grandsire Nereus promised to adorn? Now liest thou of life and honour reft; Now liest thou a lump of earth forlorn ; Ne of thy late life memory is left,
Ne can thy irrevocable destiny be weft.2 . . .
Thus when they all had sorrowèd their fill, They softly gan to search his griesly3 wound: And, that they might him handle more at will, They him disarmed; and, spreading on the ground Their watchet mantles fringed with silver round, They softly wiped away the gealy5 blood
From the orifice; which having well upbound, They poured in soverain balm and nectar good, Good both for earthly medicine and for heavenly food....
Tho, up him taking in their tender hands, They easily unto her chariot bear : Her team at her commandment quiet stands, Whiles they the corse into her waggon rear, And strow with flowers the lamentable bier. Then all the rest into their coaches clim,7
And through the brackish waves their passage shear; Upon great Neptune's neck they softly swim, And to her watery chamber swiftly carry him.
Deep in the bottom of the sea her bower Is built of hollow billows heaped high,
Like to thick clouds that threat a stormy shower, And vauted all within, like to the Sky
In which the Gods do dwell eternally;
There they him laid in easy couch well dight,9 And sent in haste for Tryphon, to apply
Salves to his wounds, and medicines of might;
For Tryphon of sea gods the soverain leech is hight.10
Tho,1 full of bitter grief and pensive thought, She to her waggon clomb; clomb all the rest, And forth together went with sorrow fraught. The waves, obedient to their behest,
Them yielded ready passage, and their rage surceast.2
Great Neptune stood amazèd at their sight, Whiles on his broad round back they softly slid, And eke himself mourned at their mournful plight, Yet wist not what their wailing meant; yet did, For great compassion of their sorrow, bid His mighty waters to them buxom 3 be: Eftsoons the roaring billows still abid,1 And all the griesly Monsters of the Sea
Stood gaping at their gate, and wondered them to see.
A team of Dolphins rangèd in array Drew the smooth chariot of sad Cymoënt: They were all taught by Triton to obey To the long reins at her commandèment : As swift as swallows on the waves they went, That their broad flaggy fins no foam did rear Ne bubbling roundel they behind them sent. The rest of other fishes drawen were,
Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did shear.
Soon as they been arrived upon the brim
Of the Rich Strond, their chariots they forlore,7 And let their teamèd fishes softly swim
Along the margent of the foamy shore,
Lest they their fins should bruise, and surbate sore Their tender feet upon the stony ground: And, coming to the place where all in gore And cruddy blood enwallowèd they found The luckless Marinell lying in deadly swound,
His mother swoonèd thrice, and the third time Could scarce recovered be out of her pain: Had she not been devoid of mortal slime,9 She should not then have been re-lived 10 again; But, soon as life recovered had the reign, She made so piteous moan and dear wayment," That the hard rocks could scarce from tears refrain;
8 Batter. 9 Base mortal matter.
And all her sister Nymphs with one consent Supplied her sobbing breaches1 with sad complement.
"Dear image of my self,” she said, “that is The wretched son of wretched mother born, Is this thine high advancement? O! is this
The immortal name with which thee, yet unborn, Thy grandsire Nereus promised to adorn? Now liest thou of life and honour reft; Now liest thou a lump of earth forlorn ; Ne of thy late life memory is left, Ne can thy irrevocable destiny be weft.2...
Thus when they all had sorrowed their fill, They softly gan to search his griesly3 wound: And, that they might him handle more at will, They him disarmed; and, spreading on the ground Their watchet mantles fringed with silver round, They softly wiped away the gealy blood
From the orifice; which having well upbound, They poured in soverain balm and nectar good, Good both for earthly medicine and for heavenly food....
Tho, up him taking in their tender hands, They easily unto her chariot bear :
Her team at her commandment quiet stands, Whiles they the corse into her waggon rear, And strow with flowers the lamentable bier. Then all the rest into their coaches clim,7
And through the brackish waves their passage shear; Upon great Neptune's neck they softly swim, And to her watery chamber swiftly carry him.
Deep in the bottom of the sea her bower Is built of hollow billows heaped high,
Like to thick clouds that threat a stormy shower, And vauted all within, like to the Sky
In which the Gods do dwell eternally;
There they him laid in easy couch well dight,9 And sent in haste for Tryphon, to apply
Salves to his wounds, and medicines of might;
For Tryphon of sea gods the soverain leech is hight.10
The whiles the Nymphs sit all about him round, Lamenting his mishap and heavy plight; And oft his mother, viewing his wide wound, Cursed the hand that did so deadly smite Her dearest son, her dearest heart's delight: But none of all those curses overtook
The warlike Maid, the ensample of that might; But fairly well she thrived, and well did brook
Her noble deeds, ne her right course for ought forsook. Book III. Canto IV.
FLORIMEL IN THE WITCH'S HUT.
So long she travelled, till at length she came To an hill-side, which did to her bewray1
A little valley subject to the same,
All covered with thick woods that quite it overcame.
Through the tops of the high trees she did descry A little smoke, whose vapour thin and light
Reeking aloft uprolled to the sky :
Which cheerful sign did send unto her sight That in the same did won2 some living wight.3 Eftsoons her steps she thereunto applied, And came at last in weary wretched plight Unto the place to which her hope did guide, To find some refuge there, and rest her weary side.
There in a gloomy hollow glen she found A little cottage, built of sticks and reeds In homely wise, and walled with sods around; In which a Witch did dwell, in loathly weeds And wilful want, all careless of her needs ; So choosing solitary to abide
Far from all neighbours, that her devilish deeds And hellish arts from people she might hide, And hurt far off unknown whom-ever she envied.
The Damsel there arriving entered in ; Where sitting on the floor the Hag she found Busy (as seemed) about some wicked gin :4 Who, soon as she beheld that sudden stound, Lightly upstarted from the dusty ground, And with fell look and hollow deadly gaze Stared on her a while, as one astound,
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