Elegant Extracts: Or, Useful and Entertaining Pieces of Poetry

And ever drizling raine upon the loft, [sound Mixt with a murmuring wind, much like the Of swarming bees, did cast him in a swoone:

No other noise, nor peoples troublous cryes, As still are wont t' annoy the walled town,

Might there be heard : but careless quiet lies, Wrapt in eternal silence, farre from enemies.

ow gan the humid vapour shed the ground
h pearly dew, and the earth's gloomy shade
id dim the brightness of the welkin round,
t every bird and beast awarned made
hrowd themselves, while sleep their senses
did invade.

$96. Occasion.

him behind, a wicked hagg did stalke, In ragged robes, and filthy disarray; er other leg was lame, that she note walk, on a staff her feeble steps did stay; locks, that loathly were, and hoary grey, rew all afore, and loosely hung unroll'd; all behind was bald, and worn away, hat none thereof could ever taken hold, [old. eke her face ill-favour'd, full of wrinkles nd ever as she went, her tongue did walk ul reproach, and terms of vile despight, ovoking him, by her outrageous talk, heap more vengeance on that wretched

wight.

$ 98. Tuger.

s when two tygers, pinch'd with hunger's

rage,

Have by good fortune found some beast's fresh spoyle,

On which they ween their famin to asswage,
And gaine a feasiful guerdon of their toyle
Both falling out, do stir up strife-fall broyle.

And cruell battell 'twixt themselves do make.
Whiles neither lets the other touch the spoyle,
Lut either 'sdeignes with other to partake.
Another.
As when a tyger and lyoness
Are met a spoyling of some hungry prey.

Both challenge it with equal greediness:
But first the tyger clawes thereon did lay;
And therefore, loth to loos her right away,

Doth in defence thereof full stoutly ston d
To which the lyon strongly gainsay,

That she to hunt the beast first took in hond: And therefore ought it have, where ever she it found.

etimes she raught him stones, wherewith to smite,

$99. Winds.

LIKE as a boist'rous wind, [been hid. Which in th' earth's hollow caves hath long And shut up fast within her prisons blind, Makes the huge element against her kind To move, and tremble as it were aghast, Untill that it an issue forth may find,

forth it breakes, and with his furious blast Confounds both land and seas, and sky doth

overcast.

metimes her staff, tho' it her own leg were,
houten which she could not go upright;
e evil means she did forbeare, [tion reare.
might him move to wrath, and indigna-Then

$97. Palace of Sleep.
Morpheus' house doth hastily repaire :
Amid the bowels of the earth full steep
nd lowe, where dawning day doth never
peep,

dwelling is; there Thetys his wet bed
oth ever wash, and Cynthia still doth steep
ilver dew his ever drouping head,
les sad night over him her mantle black
doth spread,

$100. Sun.

s when two Suns appear in th' azure sky. Mounted in Phoebus' chariot fierie bright: Both darting forth faire beames to each man's

eve,

And both adorn'd with lamps of flaming light,
All that behold such strange prodigious sight,
Not knowing nature's work, nor what to

weene,

Are wrapt with wonder and with rare affright

hose double gates he findeth locked fast, one faire fram'd with burnish'd ivory, he other all with silver over-cast; wakefull dogges before them farre doe lye, ching to banish Care their enemy, Who oft is wont to trouble gentle sleep.

§ 101. Phaeton.

hem the spright doth pass in quietly, [deep,

EXCEEDING shone, like Phœbus' fairest

childe,

nd unto Morpheus comes, whom drowned That did presume his father's fierie waine, rowsic fit he finds: of nothing he takes keep. and more to lull him in his slumbers soft, ickling stream from high rock tumbling down,

And flaming mouthes of steeds unwonted
wild,

Thro' highest heaven with weaker hand to raine,
Proud of such glory and advancement vaine,
While

J..

So when that forest they had passed well,
A little cottage away they spide,
To which they drew,ere night upon them fell:
And entering in, found none therein abide,
But an old woman sitting there beside,

Upon the ground, in ragged rude attire,
With filthy locks about her scatter'd wide,

Gnawing her nayles for felness and for ire, And thereout sucking venom to her parts intire.

A foule and loathly creature sure in sight,

And in conditions to be loath'd no less:

For shee was stuft with rancour and despight Up to the throat; that oft with bitterness It forth would break, and gush in great excess, Pouring out streams of poyson and of gall, Gainst all that truth or virtue doe professe: Whome she with leesings lewdly did miscall, And wickedly back-bite: her name men Slander call.

Her nature is, all goodness to abuse, And causeless crimes continually to frame; With which she guiltless persons may ac

cuse,

And steale away the crowne of their good name: Ne ever knight so bold, ne ever dame

And thrice three times did fast from ary. Upon the image with his naked blade Three times, as in defiance, there he stroke

And the third time, out of an hidden st. There forth issued from under the altar sma A dreadful fiend, with foul deformed lock.

That strecht it self, as it had long lain si That her long taile and feathers strongly sho That all the temple did with terror fill; Yet him nought terrified, that feared nothing ill.

An huge great beast it was, when it in leng

So chast and loyall liv'd, but she would strive Was stretched forth, that nigh filled all the

With forged cause them falsely to defame:

place,

nd seem'd to be of infinite great strength; rible, hideous, and of hellish race,

e of the brooding of Echidna base, rother like infernall furies kind: of a maide she had the outward face, o hide the horrour which did lurk behind, better to beguile whom she so fond did find. here to the body of a dog she had, of fell ravin and fierce greediness; lyon's clawes with power and rigour clad, end and teare what so she can oppress; dragon's taile, whoes sting without re

dress

all deadly wounds, when so it is empight;
agle's wings for scope, and speediness,
at nothing might escape her ravening
might,

hereto she ever list to make her hardy flight.

The cause why she was covered with a veile, Was hard to know, for that her priests the same From people's knowledge labour'd to con

ich like in foulness and deformitie
that monster, whom the Theban knight
e father of that fatal progeny,

kill herself for very heart's despight,
he had red her riddle, which no wight
uld ever loose, but suffred deadly doole:
30 did this monster use like slight
many a one, which came into her school,
m she did put to death, deceived like a fool.

ceale

But sooth it was not sure for womanish shame,
Nor any blemish which the worke mote blame;

But for (they say) she had both kinds in one,
Both male and female, both under one name:
She sire and mother is herself alone; [none.
Begets, and eke conceives, ne needeth other

$106. Suspicion.

he was foule, ill-favour'd, and grim,
nder his eye-brows looking still ascaunee;
dever as dissemblance laught on him,
wr'd on her with dangerous eye-glance,
wing his nature in his countenance;
rolling eyes did never rest in place,
valkt each way for fear of hid mischance,
Iding a lattice still before his face, [pass.
which he still did peep as forward lie did

And all about her neck and shoulders flew A flock of little loves, and sports and joyes, With nimble wings of gold and purple hew; Whoes shapes seem'd not like to terrestrial

boves,

But like to angels playing heavenly toyes;

The whilst their elder brother was away,
Cupid, their elder brother, he enjoys

The wide kingdome of love with lordly sway,
And to his law compels all creatures to obey.
And all about her altar scatter'd lay
Great sorts of lovers pitiously complaining,

Some of their loss, some of their love's delay,
Some of their pride, some paragonsdisdaining,
Some fearing fraude, some fraudulently fayning,
As ever one had cause of good or ill.

§ 107. Venus.

HT in the midst the goddesse self did
stand,

on an altar of some costly masse,
lose substance was uneath to understand:
ither precious stones, nor durefall brasse,
hining gold, nor mouldring clay it was;
yet more rare and precious to esteeme,
n aspect, and like to chrystall glass;
glass was not, if one did rightly deem;
eing faire and brittle, likest glass did

$108. Temple of Venus.

HE temple of great Venus, that is hight of the tho ther, There worshipped of every living wight; Whose goodly workmanship farre past all other That ever were on earth, all were they set together.

Not that same famous temple of Diane, Whose height all Ephesus did over-see, [fane,

And which all Asia sought with vows proOne of the world's seven wonders said to be, Might match with this by many a degree:

Nor that, which that wise king of Jurie framed,

With endless cost to be the Almighty's see;

Nor all that else thro' all the world is named To all the heathen gods, might like to this be clamed.

I, much admiring that so goodly frame, Unto the porch approacht, which open stood,

But therein sat an amiable dame,
That seem'd to be of very sober mood,
And in her semblant show'd great womanhood:
Strange was her tire; for on her head a crown
She wore, much like unto a Danisk hood,

Poudred with pearl and stone; and all her
gowne

Enwoven was with gold, that raught full low adowne.

seeme.

it in shape and beauty did excell
her idols which the heathen adore ;
e passing that, which by surpassing skill
as did make in Paphos isle of yore. [lore

On either side of her two young men stood,

which that wretched Greeke that life for-Both strongly arm'd, as fearing one another,

I fall in love: yet this much fairer shined, overed with slender veile afore,

d both her feet and legs together twined with a snake, whoes head and taile were fast combined.

Yet were they brethren both of half the blood, Begotten by two fathers of one another, Though of contrary natures each to other:

The one of them hight Love, the other Hate, Hate was the elder, Love the younger brother;

Yet

That she them forced hand to join in hand,

Albe that Hatred was thereof full loth, And turn'd his face away as he did stand, Unwilling to behold that lovely band.

Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might, [stand, That her commandment he could not withBut bit his lips for felonous despight, And gnasht his iron tusks at that displeasing sight.

Concord she cleeped was in common reed, Mother of blessed Peace, and Friendship true; They both her twins, both born of heavenly And she herself likewise divinely grew; [seed, The which right well her works divine did [lends, For strength, and wealth, and happiness, she And strife, and war, and anger, does subdue:

shew:

Of little, much, of foes she maketh friends, And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends.

By her the heaven is in his course contained, And all the world in state unmoved stands,

As their Alnighty Maker first ordained, And bound them with inviolable bands; Else would the waters overflow the lands,

And fire devour the aire, and hell them quite, But that she holds them with her blessed hands. She is the nurse of pleasure and delight, And unto Venus grace the gate doth open right. Into the inmost temple thus I came, Which fuming all with frankencense I found, And odours rising from the altars flame; Upon an hundred marble pillers round, The roof up high was reared from the ground, All deckt with crowns, and chains, and gir

londs gay,

A thousand precious gifts worth many a pound, The which sad lovers for their vowes did pay; And all the ground was strew'd with flowers as fresh as May.

An hundred altars round about were set, All flaming with their sacrifices fire,

That with the steme thereof the temple swet, Which roul'd in cloudes, to heaven did aspire, And in them bore true lovers vows entire:

Aad eke an hundred brazen cauldrons bright To bathe in joy and amorous desire,

Every which was to a damzell hight; For all the priests were damzells, in soft linnen dight.

§ 109. Wrath. AFTER that varlet's fight, it was not long

Ere on the plaine fast pricking Guion spide One in bright arins embattailed full strong, That as the sunny beams doe glance and glide

Upon the trembling wave, so shined bright, And round about him threw forth sparkling fire,

His steed was bloody red, and foamed ire. When with the maistring spur he did him roughly stire.

That seemed him to enflame on every side:

Approaching nigh he never staid to gr Ne chaffer words, proud courage to provale,

But prickt so fierce, that underneath his det The smouldring dust did round about smoke,

Both horse and man nigh able for to che
And fairely couching his steel-headed sper,
Him first saluted with a sturdy stroke.
And him beside rides fierce revenging Wad,
Upon a lyon, loth for to be led ;

And in his hand a burning brond he hath, The which he brandisheth about his head, His eyes did hurle forth sparkles fiery red,

And stared stern on all that him beheld, As ashes pale of hue, and seeming dead;

And on his dagger still his hand he held, Trembling thro' hasty rage, when choler in ind swell'd.

His ruffin raiment all was stain'd with b Which he had spilt, and all to rage yrent,

Thro' unadvised rashness woxen wood, For of his hands he had no government, Ne car'd for bloud in his avengement;

But when the furious fit was overpast, His cruel facts he often would repent,

Yet, wilful man, he never would tore How many mischiefs should ensue his less hast!

Full many mischiefs follow cruel Wra Abhorred bloudshed, and tumultuous str

Unmanly murther, and unthrifty seath, Bitter despight, with rancour's rusty kaik, And fretting grief, the enemy of life,

And these and many evils more hauati". The swelling splene, and phrenzy raging! The shaking palsey, and St. Francis' ti Such one was Wrath, the last of this ung

tire.

SPENSER'S FAIRY QUEEN $110. Duessa weeping over her Enemy,com: to a Crocodile; and a Description of Ni As when a weary traveller, that strays N

By muddy shore of broad seven-mont Unweeting of the perilous wand'ring way Doth meet a cruel crafty crocodile, Which in false grief hiding his harmless Doth weep full sore, and sheddeth tender to The foolish man, that pities all this while His mournful plight, is swallow'd up unawar Forgetful of his own, that minds another, cart So wept Duessa until even tide, [ligh That shining lamps in Jove's high house we

The

en forth she rose, ne longer would abide,
comes unto the place where th' heathen
knight

lumb'ring swoon nigh void of vital spright,
'cover'd with enchanted cloud all day:
tom when she found, as she him left in plight
wail his woful case, she would not stay,
to the eastern coast of heaven makes speedy

way,

ere griesly Night, with visage deadly sad,
t Phoebus cheerful face durst never view,
in a foul black pitchy mantle clad,
inds forth-coming from her darksoine mew,
ere she all day did hide her hated hue:
re the door her iron chariot stood,
ady harnessed for journey new:
cole-black steeds yborn of hellish brood,
on their rusty bits did champ as they were

wood.

All hurlen forth, and she with princely pace,
As fair Aurora in her purple pall,
Out of the East the dawning day doth call.
So forth she comes: her brightness broad doth,

blaze

all the while she stood upon the ground,
wakeful dogs did never cease to bay,
ving warning of th' unusual sound,
which her iron wheels did them affray,
her dark griesly look them much dismay.
messenger of death, the ghastly owl,

dreary shrieks did also her bewray; hungry wolves continually did howl r abhorred face, so filthy and so foul.

-On every side them stood rembling ghosts with sad amazed mood, ering their iron teeth, and staring wide stony eyes; and all the hellish brood nds infernal flock'd on every side, ze on earthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.

The heaps of people thronging in the hall,
Do ride each other, upon her to gaze :
Her glorious glittering light doth all mens eyes

amaze.

So forth she comes, and to her coach does climb
Adorned all with gold, and garlands gay,
That seem'd as fresh as Flora in her prime;
And strove to match, in royal rich array,
Great Juno's golden chair, the which they say
The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride
To Jove's high house thro' heaven's brass-pa-
ved way,

Drawn of fair peacocks that excel in pride,
And full of Argus' eyes their tails dispredden
wide.

11. Description of Lucifera's Palace. ATELY palace built of squared brick, hich cunningly was without mortar laid, e walls were high, but nothing strong nor thick,

olden foil all over them display'd;
urest sky with brightness they dismay'd:
fifted up were many lofty tow'rs,
oodly galleries far over-laid,
f fair windows, and delightful bow'rs;
n the top a dial told the timely hours.

$114. Description of Diana with her Nymphs,
returned from the Chase, and preparing to bathe.
unto the wasteful woods she came,
Whereat she found the goddess and her crew,
After late chace of their embrued game
Sitting beside a fountain in a rew,
Some of them washing with the liquid dew
From off their dainty limbs the dusty sweat,
And soil, which did deform their lively hue;
Others lay shaded from the scorching heat;
The rest upon her person gave attendance great.
Her bow and painted quiver, had unlac'd
She having hong upon a bough on high
Her silver buskins from her nimble thigh,
And her lank loins ung rt, and breasts unbrac'd,

a goodly heap for to behold,

ake the praises of the workman's wit; After her heat the breathing cold to taste; Il great pity, that so fair a mold a so weak foundation ever sit;

Her golden locks that late in tresses bright
Einbreeded were for hindring of her haste,
Now loose about her shoulders long undight,
And were with sweet ambrosia all besprinkled

light.

a sandy hill, that still did flit 11 away, it mounted was full high, very breath of heaven shaked it; 1 the hinder parts, that few could spy, inous and old, but painted cunningly

12. Lucifera ascending her Coach.
A1N upriseth from her stately place
= royal'dame, and for her coach doth call!

Soon as she Venus saw behind her back,
She was asham'd to be so loose surpris'd;
And wox half wroth against her damsels slack,
That had not her thereof before advis'd,
But suffer'd her so carelessly disguis'd
Be overtaken. Soon her garments loose
Upgathering in her bosoul she compris'd,

Well

« Предыдущая Продолжить »

Книги