FOOTNOTES:

THE FIRSTBOOKE OF THEFAERIE QVEENE.ContayningTHE LEGENDE OF THEKNIGHT OF THE RED CROSSE,OROF HOLINESSE.

Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,iAs time her taught[14], in lowly Shepheards weeds,Am now enforst a far vnfitter taske,For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;Whose prayses hauing slept in silence long,Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areedsTo blazon broad emongst[15]her learned throng:Fierce warres and faithfull loues shall moralize my song.Helpe then, O[16]holy Virgin chiefe of nine,iiThy weaker Nouice to performe thy will,Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryneThe antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,Of Faerie knights and fairestTanaquill,Whom that most noble Briton Prince so longSought through the world, and suffered so much ill,That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

Lo I the man, whose Muse whilome did maske,i

As time her taught[14], in lowly Shepheards weeds,

Am now enforst a far vnfitter taske,

For trumpets sterne to chaunge mine Oaten reeds,

And sing of Knights and Ladies gentle deeds;

Whose prayses hauing slept in silence long,

Me, all too meane, the sacred Muse areeds

To blazon broad emongst[15]her learned throng:

Fierce warres and faithfull loues shall moralize my song.

Helpe then, O[16]holy Virgin chiefe of nine,iiThy weaker Nouice to performe thy will,Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryneThe antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,Of Faerie knights and fairestTanaquill,Whom that most noble Briton Prince so longSought through the world, and suffered so much ill,That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

Helpe then, O[16]holy Virgin chiefe of nine,ii

Thy weaker Nouice to performe thy will,

Lay forth out of thine everlasting scryne

The antique rolles, which there lye hidden still,

Of Faerie knights and fairestTanaquill,

Whom that most noble Briton Prince so long

Sought through the world, and suffered so much ill,

That I must rue his vndeserued wrong:

O helpe thou my weake wit, and sharpen my dull tong.

And thou most dreaded impe of highestIoue,iiiFaireVenussonne, that with thy cruell dartAt that good knight so cunningly didst roue,That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart,And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde:Come both, and with you bring triumphantMart,In loues and gentle iollities arrayd,After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd.And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenly bright,ivMirrour of grace and Maiestie diuine,Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose lightLikePhœbuslampe throughout the world doth shine,Shed thy faire beames into my[17]feeble eyne,And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile,To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,The argument of mine afflicted stile:The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred a-while.

And thou most dreaded impe of highestIoue,iii

FaireVenussonne, that with thy cruell dart

At that good knight so cunningly didst roue,

That glorious fire it kindled in his hart,

Lay now thy deadly Heben bow apart,

And with thy mother milde come to mine ayde:

Come both, and with you bring triumphantMart,

In loues and gentle iollities arrayd,

After his murdrous spoiles and bloudy rage allayd.

And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenly bright,ivMirrour of grace and Maiestie diuine,Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose lightLikePhœbuslampe throughout the world doth shine,Shed thy faire beames into my[17]feeble eyne,And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile,To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,The argument of mine afflicted stile:The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred a-while.

And with them eke, O Goddesse heauenly bright,iv

Mirrour of grace and Maiestie diuine,

Great Lady of the greatest Isle, whose light

LikePhœbuslampe throughout the world doth shine,

Shed thy faire beames into my[17]feeble eyne,

And raise my thoughts too humble and too vile,

To thinke of that true glorious type of thine,

The argument of mine afflicted stile:

The which to heare, vouchsafe, O dearest dred a-while.

FOOTNOTES:[14]i 2 taught1596[15]8 ’broad, amongst1609[16]ii 1 O] ô1596,1609 passim[17]iv 5 my] mine1590

[14]i 2 taught1596

[15]8 ’broad, amongst1609

[16]ii 1 O] ô1596,1609 passim

[17]iv 5 my] mine1590

Back to Index Next