Faery queen and her knights; online

THE FAERY QUEEN
For

BOYo AND GIRLS -



FROM E. SPENSER:
u

Told by A. J. Church



CONTENTS



CHAP. * A GE

I. THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT i

II. ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA . . . . . 7

III. THE FORTUNES OF UNA 16

IV. OF WHAT BEFELL AT THE HOUSE OF PRIDE . . 24

V. How THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT LEAVES THE CASTLE

OF PRIDE 29

VI. THE LADY UNA AND THE SATYRS . . . -35

VII. OF THE GIANT ORGOGLIO 42

VIII. OF THE DEEDS OF PRINCE ARTHUR .... 49

IX. OF THE HOUSE OF HOLINESS 55

X.^OF THE SLAYING OF THE DRAGON 4

XI. OF SIR GUYON AND THE LADY MEDINA . . .71

XH. How SIR GUYON CAME INTO GREAT PERIL . . 77



OF'TWO PAGAN- KNIGHTS . 'T' .... 89

OF QUEEN ACRASIA 96

BRITOMART 102

OF MERLIN'S MAGIC MIRROR 109

How BRITOMART TOOK TO ARMS 117

SIR SCUDAMORE AND AMORET 127

OF SIR PARIDELL AND OTHERS 135

THE STORY OF CANAC AND THE THREE BROTHERS 142

THE STORY OF FLORIMELL 153

OF THE FALSE FLORIMELL 160

SIR SATYR ANE'S TOURNAMENT 168




OF FLORIMELL'S GIRDLE

OF BRITOMART AND ARTEGALL



-
176

180



273351



VI



CONTENTS



f~



CHAP.

XXVI.



XXVIII.

XXIX.

XXX.

XXXI.

XXXII.
XXXIII.



OF THE FORTUNES OF AMORET . . .
OF SIR ARTEGALL AND THE KNIGHT SANGLIER
OF OTHER ADVENTURES OF SIR ARTEGALL .
SIR ARTEGALL DOES JUSTICE ...
RADIGUND

How SIR ARTEGALL WAS DELIVERED . .
OF THE KNAVE MALENGIN
OF THE LADY BELG



XXXIV. _^OF SIR ARTEGALL AND GRANTORTO .
C i^ XXX v. OF^SIR CALIDORE AND THE LADY BRIANA



OF THE VALOUR OF TRISTRAM . .
C?^ XXXVII. SIR CALEPINE AND THE LADY SERENA
XXXVIII. OF SIR CALIDORE AND PASTORELLA .
XXXIX. THE END OF SIR CALIDORE'S QUEST .



PAGB

190
197
202
214
221
233
247
252
263
270
278
286
294
301



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

THE SLAYING OF THE DRAGON .... Frontispiece

FACING PAGE

THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT AND SANSFOY 10

THE LADY UNA AND THE LION 20

SIR GUYON AND THE MEN IN BESTIAL SHAPES . . . IOO

AGAPE" APPROACHING THE DWELLING OF THE FATES . . 142
SIR SCUDAMORE OVERTHROWN BY BRITOMART . . .184

SIR ARTEGALL AND THE SARACEN 204

PRINCE ARTHUR SLAYING THE SENESCHAL .... 256



vii



THE FAERY QUEEN

AND HER KNIGHTS
CHAPTER I

THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT

ONCE upon a time there might have been seen
a gentle Knight, riding across the plain. He
was clad in armour of proof, and on his arm he
carried a silver shield. A shield it was that brave
men had carried before him, for there were great
dints upon it, which were as a witness of great
fights that had been fought. Now the Knight him-
self had never yet been in battle; but he seemed
as one who could bear himself bravely, so well did
he sit upon his horse, and so stout of limb he was.
On his breast he wore a crossbred as blood, in
token that he was vowed to serve the Lord Christ,
who had died for him; and on his shield was yet
another cross, to be as it were a sign that this
service should be a defence to him in all dangers.
Somewhat sad of look he was, not as though he
had fear in his heart, but rather as one upon whom
had been laid the burden of a great task. And



.'2 ....:./ T-HE t REQ-CROSS KNIGHT

such, in truth, there* was, for Queen Gloriana had
sent him upon a great enterprise, and all his heart
was- full of the thought of how he should best ac-
complish it. And the task was this to slay, the
Great-Dragon.

Beside the Knight a lady was riding on an ass
as white as snow. Very fair she was; but she hid
her fairness under a veiL_ which was brought low
over her face. She was clad also in a garment of
black; and she, too, was somewhat sad of look,
nor, indeed, without cause. She came of a royal
stock, being descended from ancient kings and
queens, who had held wide sway in their land
until this same Dragon had driyen_put their ancient
house and had cruelly wasted all their realm. The
third of this company was a Dwarf, who lagged
behind, wearied, it may be, with the weight of the
bag in which he bore this fair lady's gear.

While the three, to wit the Knight, and the Lady,
and the Dwarf, passed on, the sky was suddenly
covered with clouds, and there began to fall a great
storm of rain, so that they were fain to seek some
shelter. Gladly, then, did they espy a wood hard
by that promised, so thickly grown it was, a shelter
from the rain. Tall were the trees and spreading
wide with shady branches, so that neither sun by
day nor star by night could pierce through. And
all about were paths and ways, worn as by the
treading of many feet, which seemed to lead to
the abodes of men a fairer place of shelter, as it
seemed, there scarce could be. So they passed



THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT 3

along, the birds singing sweetly the while; over-
head were trees of many kinds, trees of the forest
and of the orchard, the cedar and the oak, and the
'elm with the vine clinging to its stem, the yew for
bows, and the birch for arrows, and the fruitful
olive. So fair was the place, and so full of delights,
that the travellers took no heed of the way by
which they went. So it came to pass that they
strayed from the path by which they first entered
the wood, nor could they win to it again when once
they had left it, so many were the ways and so like
the one to the other. After a time, when they had
taken counsel together, it seemed best to choose
the way which seemed most trodden by the feet
of tlMfiUsr-S) as being the likeliest to lead to a
certain end. When they had followed this awhile,
they came to a great _caye, deep in the very thicket
of the wood. Here the Knight sprang from his
horse, and gave to the Dwarf his spear, thinking
that he should not need it. But his sword he
kept.

Then said the Lady Una, for that was her name:
"Be not overbold, Sir Knight; there may be
mischief here of which you know nothing, peril
which gives no sign of itself, even as a fire which
burns without smoke; hold back, I pray you, till
you have made some trial of the place."

The Knight made reply: "Fair lady, it were a
shame to fall back for fear of a shadow. The cave,
doubtless, is dark, but where there is courage there
is not wanting a light for the feet."



4 THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT

Then said the Lady again: "Nay, nay, Sir
Knight; I know this place by repute, though I
thought not of it before. This wood in which we
are lost is the Wood of Wandering; this cave
which you see before you is the Den of Error, a
monster, hateful both to God and man. Beware,
therefore, beware!" And the Dwarf cried out
aloud in his fear: "Fly, Sir Knight, fly, this is no
place for mortal man."

But the Knight would not be persuaded. He
stepped into the cave, and the light of day, shining
from without on his armour, showed him dimly the
monster that was within. Hideous it was] to behold,
half a serpent and half a woman, and all as foul as
ever creature was, upon the earth or under it. All
the length of the cave she lay, her tail wound in
many coils; and in every coil there was a deadly
sting. And all round her was a brood of young
ones. Many different shapes they had, but hideous
all. And as soon as the light from the Knight's
armour glimmered through the darkness, they fled
for shelter to the mouth of their dam.

The monster, wakened from her sleep, curled
her tail about her head, and rushed to the cavern's
mouth, but, seeing one armed from top to toe in
shining mail, would have turned again. But the
Knight leaped at her, fierce as a lion leaps upon
his prey, and barred her backward way with his
sword. First she darted at him her great tail, and
threatened him with the deadly sting that lay in it;
but he, not one whit dismayed, aimed at her head



THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT 5

a mighty blow. Her head it wounded not, but
glanced on to the neck with force so great that for
a while the great beast was stunned. Then, coming
to herself, she raised her body high from the ground,
and leaped upon the Knight's shield, and wrapped
his body round with huge folds.

Then Una, seeing in how sore plight he was,
cried out: "Now show, Sir Knight, what you are.
Put out all your force, and, above all things, back
your force with faith, and be not faint. Strangle
this monster, or surely she will strangle you!"

Greatly was his heart stirred within him with
grief and anger, and, knitting all his strength
together, he gripped the creature by the throat so
mightily that she was constrained to loosen the
bonds which she had cast about him. And yet, it
had well-nigh cost him dear to come so close to the
monster, so foul she was. And of this foulness the
worst was this, that she caused to come forth out of
her mouth, as in a flood, the brood which had taken
shelter therein at the first. Serpents they were,
like to their dam, small indeed, but full of venom,
and they swarmed over him, twining themselves
about his arms and legs, so that he could not strike
a blow nor even move. So, in some still eventide,
a shepherd, sitting to watch his flock, is suddenly
assailed by a cloud of gnats; feeble creatures they
are, and slight their sting, but they suffer him not
to rest. The Red-Cross Knight was in a strait
more dire, for these evil creatures had power to do
him a more grievous harm. But he thought to



6 THE RED-CROSS KNIGHT

himself, "Shall I be vanquished in this fashion?"
He was somewhat moved by the danger wherein he
stood, but more ashamed that he should be over-
come in so foul a fashion. So, resolved in his
heart that he would put all his strength into a
stroke, either to win or to lose, he gathered himself
together, and struck the monster with a blow so
fierce that he shore the head from the body, and
she fell dead upon the ground.

Then said the Lady Una: "Well, indeed, have
you carried yourself, Sir Knight. Surely you were
born under a lucky star, seeing that you have
overcome so terrible a foe. You are worthy of
these arms wherewith you are clad. So is your
first adventure brought to a good result. God
grant that you have many such in the time to
come, and that they may be brought to as happy
an ending."

Then the Knight sprang upon his horse, and
the Lady Una mounted again her ass, and the
Dwarf followed as before. And now they kept
with steadfast purpose to the one way which they
saw to be most trodden, turning neither to the right
nor to the left, how fair soever the path might
seem. So at last they came to the outskirts of
the Wandering Wood, and journeyed once more
across the plain.



CHAPTER II

ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA

SO the two, the Knight and the Lady, rode on,
the Dwarf following as before. After a while
they chanced to meet an old man by the road. He
was clothed in black and barefooted, and he had a
long white beard, and a book was hanging from his
belt. A very wise old man he seemed, sober and
even somewhat sad, and as he went along he seemed
to be praying; and now and again he would beat
upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a
sinner!" He made a humble reverence to the
Knight, and the Knight in his courtesy made his
salute, and said: "Sir, do you know of any adven-
ture that a Christian man may undertake?"

"My son," said the old man, "how should one
who lives in his cell and tells his beads and does
penance for his sins know aught of wars and enter-
prises by which glory may be won? Nevertheless,
I can tell of a very evil man who dwells in these
forests and wastes all the country-side."

"Ah!" cried the Knight, "it is for such an
adventure, the setting right of wrong, that I seek.
Bring me to this villain's dwelling and I will reward
you well."

7



8 ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA

"Willingly," said the old man, a will I guide you
thither, but the way is long and painful."

"And surely," said the Lady Una, "you are
wearied with your late encounter. I take it that
he who lacks rest lacks strength, however stout
of limb he be. Take your rest then with the sun,
and begin your new work with the new day."

"This is wise counsel, Sir Knight," said the old
man, "and wise counsel ever wins the day. The
day is far spent; come, then, and take such poor
entertainment as my home can give."

With this the Knight was well content. So
they followed the old man to his dwelling. It was<
a lowly hermitage, in a valley, close to the forest,
with a chapel hard by, and by this' chapel a brook
crystal clear. Humble was their fare, but the
rest after the day's toil made it sweet enough, as
also did the old man's talk, for he discoursed of
many things and many men, saints and popes, and
the great deeds which they had done. Then, as
the night drew on and sleep began to fall upon
their eyes, he showed them the places where they
should lodge* for the night.

Now this old man, who seemed so pious and
good, with his long white beard, and his prayers,
and his beating of his breast, was really a wicked
magician. So soon as he had taken his guests to
their lodgings, he went to his study, where he kept
his books of charms with other contrivances of his_
art, and taking one of these books from the shelf
-on which it stood, opened it, and began to mutter



ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA 9

some dreadful words which it were a great sin for
anyone to write or read. With these he brought
up from their dwelling-place in the lower parts of
the earth a very legion of evil spirits. To these he
gave a part of his evil work to do, and some of this
work he kept to himself; and the work was this:
To cheat the hearts of those whom he wished to
deceive with false dreams and visions. What these
were, it is best not to tell: let it be enough to say
that they wrought such doubts concerning the Lady Una
in the heart of the Red-Cross Knight that, as soon as
the morning dawned, he rose from his bed, and clothed
himself with all haste, a^nd crying for the Dwarf that he
should bring him his horse, rode away as fast as the beast
could carry him.

He had not ridden many miles before there met
him a paynim knight. A tall warrior and a strong
he was, armed from top to toe, and carrying a great
shield on which were written in scarlet letters the
words "Sans Foy," which, being interpreted, mean
"Without Faith." With him there rode a fair lady,
clad also in scarlet, with ornaments of gold and
necklaces of coral, and on her head a Persian cap
set round with crowns of gold. Her horse also had
gay trappings, and her bridle was set with bells of
gold, which tinkled bravely as she rode. So soon
as she saw the Red-Cross Knight she said to her
companion, " See now, here comes your enemy;
make ready."

No sooner had she spoken, but he stuck spurs
in his horse, and rode at the Red-Cross Knight.



io ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA

Nor did the knight hold back from the fray, for he
also put his spear in rest and charged. So the two
met fully and fairly, with so fierce a shock that the
two horses stood, as it were, struck to stone, and
the riders were borne backwards in their saddles,
holding each of them in his hand his broken spear.
Then the Saracen drew his sword from the scabbard,
and addressed himself again to the fray. So did the
Christian also; blow for blow did they deal one to
the other, till the sparks flew from their shields, and
when they chanced to strike home, the blood flowed
forth and dyed the earth under their feet. After a
while cried the Saracen: "Now curse upon that
Cross which keeps your body from harm ! You had
been dead long since but for that magic power.
For all that, I bid you now beware, and keep safe
your head if it may be."

So saying, he dealt a blow so fierce that it shore
away half the Christian's crest, yet glancing down
upon the shield harmed him no more. Yet was it
not struck in vain, for it roused him of the Red
Cross to such rage that he made a more than like
reply. Full on the Sacacen's helmet he dealt his
stroke. Right through the steel it passed, and
cleft the head, so that the Saracen fell a dead man
from his horse.

When the lady saw her champion fall, not a
moment did she stay to see how it had fared with
him, either to tend his wounds, or to weep for his
death, but fled away as fast as her horse could
carry her. Then the Red-Cross Knight, crying



ARCH I MAGE AND DUESSA n

to the Dwarf that he should pick up the dead man's
shield to be a memorial of the fight, rode after her,
and overtaking her, bade her halt: "You have no
cause to fear, fair lady, " he said.

Then she, turning back, cried aloud: "Fair Sir,
have mercy on an unhappy woman !"

Much was he moved to see her humbleness, for
she was beautiful to look on, and richly clad, as one
of noble birth might be. "Lady," said he, "be of
good heart. It pitieth me to see you in such distress;
tell me now who you are, and whence you come,
and who was this your champion?"

"Sir," she answered, weeping the while, "I
have suffered much from evil fortune. I was the
only daughter of an emperor, who had wide
dominion over the land of the West, setting his
throne where flows the famous stream of Tiber.
Being such, I was betrothed in my early youth to
the only son and heir of a most wise and mighty
king. Never surely was prince so fair and faithful
as he, never one so gentle and debonair. But alas !
ere the day appointed for our marriage came, my
lord fell into the hands of cruel enemies, and was
most foully slain. When this ill news came to me,
I said to myself: 'Now will I at least do due
honour to the dear body of him whom I loved.'
So I set forth from my father's house upon this
quest. Long did I wander over the world, a virgin
widow, nor did I find that for which I sought. At
last I chanced to meet this Saracen, who now lies
dead upon the plain. He constrained me to go



12 ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA

with him, and would fain have won me for his wife,
but I ever said him nay. And now he lies dead.
An evil man he was, one of an evil brotherhood of
three Sansloy, the eldest ; Sansjoy, the youngest ;
and this Sansfoy, of middle age between the two."

" Be contented, fair lady," answered the Knight;
"you have done well. You have found a new
friend and lost an old foe. Friend, be he ever so
new, is better, I trow, than foe, new or old."

So the two rode on, he making merry with gay
talk, as became a courteous knight, and she, with
much modest show of bashfulness. After a while
they came in their journey to two fair trees, which
spread their branches across the road. Lovely
trees they seemed, and fair was the shade which
they cast. Yet was the place held in ill-repute of
all the country-side; never did shepherd sit beneath
them to rest or play upon his oaten pipe, for all
men held it to be unlucky ground. But of this the
good Knight knew nothing, so, the sun being now
high in heaven, and of so fierce a heat that a man
might scarcely abide it, he dismounted and bade
the lady do likewise, so that they might rest awhile,
and anon, in the cool of the evening, might pursue
their journey. So the two sat them down~and talked.

Now the Knight, being in a merry mood, said
to himself: " Surely, this is the fairest of women;
it is meet that she should be crowned." So saying,
he plucked a branch which he would have shaped
into a garland for the lady's head. Then, lo ! from
the place where the branch had been plucked came



ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA 13

trickling drops of blood, and there issued forth a
lamentable voice which said: " Stranger! Tear
not in this cruel fashion the tender human limbs
which are covered by the bark of this tree. Fly
also from the place, fly, lest haply the same fate
should come upon you as came upon me in this
place, both on me and on the dear lady also who
was my love."

Much was the Knight astonished to hear such
words, and for a while he stood speechless. Then
he said: "What ghost is this from the world below,
what wandering spirit that talks in this strange
fashion?"

Then there came this answer: "No ghost am I
from the nether world, nor wandering spirit of the
air. I was a man, Fradubio by name, as now I am
a tree, being charmed by the arts of a wicked
witch. But I am yet a man, for I feel the winter
cold and the summer heat in J;hese branches, even
as a man might feel."

Then said the Knight: "Tell me now, Fradubio,
be you tree or man, how you came to suffer in this
fashion. It is good for a man to tell his trouble;
he who hides it in his heart makes his griefs to be
twice as great."

Then did Fradubio tell his tale, " Know,
stranger, that I suffer this trouble through the arts
of a false sorceress, Duessa by name; nor I only,
for she has brought many knights into a like evil
case. In my youth, which indeed is not long
passed, I loved a fair lady, whom you may see,



14 ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA

not indeed in the fashion of a lady, but as yonder
tree which joins its branches with these. Once
upon a time, when I was riding abroad with her, I
chanced to meet a knight, who also had a fair lady
for a companion. A fair lady I called her, and so
she seemed, but she was in truth this same false
witch Duessa. Said the strange Knight: 'I do
declare that this lady is the fairest dame in all the
world, and this I will make good with my sword
and spear against all the world.' For the witch
had cast her spells over him and deceived him.
And when I put forth the same challenge for my
own lady, we fell to fighting, and he fared so ill,
that he fell by my hand.

"So now there were two fair ladies, for so it
seemed, Fraelissa, who was fair in truth, and
Duessa, who by her wicked arts had made herself
so to seem. And I knew not to which I should
give the prize of beauty, for it seemed the due of
each. But while I doubted, this wicked witch
raised by evil arts such a mist as made Fraelissa's
face to lose all its fairness. Which when she had
accomplished, she cried: 'See now how this false
dame has lost her beauty, for indeed it was but
borrowed. Many has she deceived in time past,
even as now she has deceived you.' When I heard
this, I would fain have killed the fair lady that had
been my true love. But this the false Duessa,
feigning compassion, would not suffer. Only with
her magic arts she changed her into that tree which
you see yonder.



ARCHIMAGE AND DUESSA 15

"Now you must know that for every witch, be
she as crafty as she may, there is one day in every
year when she is constrained to take her true shape.
And on this day I chanced to see Duessa as she
was in truth, old and foul of hue, fouler than one
had thought woman could be. Nor did she fail to
perceive that I had discovered the truth, though
indeed I sought to bear myself as before, having it
in my mind secretly to escape, and fly from her
company. So she practised upon me the same
wicked arts that she had used with my Fraelissa,
changing me into the semblance of a tree. And
here we stand, banished from, the company of men,
and wasting weary days and nights."

"But," said the Knight, "how long shall this
endure? What is the appointed end of your
sufferings?"

"We must here abide till we shall be bathed in a
living well," Fradubio made answer.

"Can I find this same well?" asked the Knight.

"That shall be as the Fates may decree," said
Fradubio.

All this Duessa who called herself Fidessa
heard, and knew it for truth. She well-nigh fainted
for fear; but the time for the discovering of her
falseness was not yet.




CHAPTER III

THE FORTUNES OF UNA

WHILE the Red-Cross Knight was thus faring,
the Lady Una was not a little troubled
that she should have been so left by her champion.
Never did she cease to search for him, wandering
the while over plain, and forest, and mountain, and
not one whit afraid, however desolate they were.

On a certain day she lighted off the ass, on
which she was wont to ride, and laid herself down
to rest in a solitary place, under the shadow of a
tree; she took the covering from her head, and
laid aside her black cloak; her faithful beast grazed
hard by, for there was much grass in the place.
As she lay, there rushed out of the wood with
which the meadow was circled about a furious lion.
Wild he was with hunger, and was hunting for
prey. And when he saw the royal maid, he ran
greedily at her with open mouth, as if he would
have devoured her; but when he came near, and
saw what manner of maid she was, all his rage
departed from him. He kissed her weary feet, and
licked with his tongue her lily hands, crouching
down before her as if to show himself her servant.
At the first sight of the beast the Lady Una was

16



THE FORTUNES OF UNA 17

not a little afraid, but when she saw how gently he
bore himself, she sighed and said: "See now, how
this lion, who is the king of the forest, forgets his
hunger and his rage in pity of my sad state, while
he who was my champion leaves me to wander
alone." So she spake till she could speak no more