<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=374495" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>The Faerie Queene, Book VI, Canto X</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">THE SIXTE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE<br>Contayning<br>THE LEGEND OF S. CALIDORE<br>OR OF COURTESIECANTO X<br> Calidore sees the Graces daunce,<br> To Colins melody:<br> The whiles his Pastorell is led,<br> Into captivity.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br>i<br> Who now does follow the foule Blatant Beast,<br> Whilest Calidore does follow that faire Mayd,<br> Unmyndfull of his vow and high beheast,<br> Which by the Faery Queene was on him layd,<br> That he should never leave, nor be delayd<br> From chacing him, till he had it attchieved?<br> But now entrapt of love, which him betrayd,<br> He mindeth more, how he may be relieved<br> With grace from her, whose love his heart hath sore engrieved.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">ii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> That from henceforth he meanes no more to sew<br> His former quest, so full of toile and paine;<br> Another quest, another game in vew<br> He hath, the guerdon of his love to gaine:<br> With whom he myndes for ever to remaine,<br> And set his rest amongst the rusticke sort,<br> Rather then hunt still after shadowes vaine<br> Of courtly favour, fed with light report<br> Of every blaste, and sayling alwaies on the port.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">iii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Ne certes mote he greatly blamed be,<br> From so high step to stoupe unto so low.<br> For who had tasted once (as oft did he)<br> The happy peace, which there doth overthow,<br> And prov'd the perfect pleasures, which doe grow<br> Amongst poore hyndes, in hils, in woods, in dales,<br> Would never more delight in painted show<br> Of such false blisse, as there is set for stales,<br> T'entrap unwary fooles in their eternall bales.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">iv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> For what hath all that goodly glorious gaze<br> Like to one sight, which Calidore did vew?<br> The glaunce whereof their dimmed eies would daze,<br> That never more they should endure the shew<br> Of that sunne-shine, that makes them looke askew.<br> Ne ought in all that world of beauties rare,<br> (Save onely Glorianaes heavenly hew<br> To which what can compare?) can it compare;<br> The which as commeth now, by course I will declare.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">v</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> One day as he did raunge the fields abroad,<br> Whilest his faire Pastorella was elsewhere,<br> He chaunst to come, far from all peoples troad,<br> Unto a place, whose pleasaunce did appere<br> To passe all others, on the earth which were:<br> For all that ever was by natures skill<br> Devized to worke delight, was gathered there,<br> And there by her were poured forth at fill,<br> As if this to adorne, she all the rest did pill.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">vi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> It was an hill plaste in an open plaine,<br> That round about was bordered with a wood<br> Of matchlesse hight, that seem'd th'earth to disdaine,<br> In which all trees of honour stately stood,<br> And did all winter as in sommer bud,<br> Spredding pavilions for the birds to bowre,<br> Which in their lower braunches sung aloud;<br> And in their tops the soring hauke did towre,<br> Sitting like King of fowles in majesty and powre.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">vii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> And at the foote thereof, a gentle flud<br> His silver waves did softly tumble downe,<br> Unmard with ragged mosse or filthy mud,<br> Ne mote wylde beastes, ne mote the ruder clowne<br> Thereto approch, ne filth mote therein drowne:<br> But Nymphes and Faeries bythe bancks did sit,<br> In the woods shade, which did the waters crowne,<br> Keeping all noysome things away from it,<br> And to the waters fall tuning their accents fit.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">viii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> And on the top thereof a spacious plaine<br> Did spred it selfe, to serve to all delight,<br> Either to daunce, when they to daunce would faine,<br> Or else to course about their bases light;<br> Ne ought there wanted, which for pleasure might<br> Desired be, or thence to banish bale:<br> So pleasauntly the hill with equall hight,<br> Did seeme to overlooke the lowly vale;<br> Therefore it rightly cleeped was mount Acidale.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">ix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> They say that Venus, when she did dispose<br> Her selfe to pleasaunce, used to resort<br> Unto this place, and therein to repose<br> And rest her selfe, as in a gladsome port,<br> Or with the Graces there to play and sport;<br> That even her owne Cytheron, though in it<br> She used most to keepe her royall court,<br> And in her soveraine Majesty to sit,<br> She in regard thereof refusde and thought unfit.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">x</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> Unto this place when as the Elfin Knight<br> Approcht, him seemed that the merry sound<br> Of a shrill pipe he playing heard on hight,<br> And many feete fast thumping th'hollow ground,<br> That through the woods their Eccho did rebound.<br> He nigher drew, to weete what mote it be;<br> There he a troupe of Ladies dauncing found<br> Full merrily, and making gladfull glee,<br> And in the midst a Shepheard piping he did see.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"> He durst not enter into th'open greene,<br> For dread of them unwares to be descryde,<br> For breaking of their daunce, if he were seene;<br> But in the covert of the wood did byde,<br> Beholding all, yet of them unespyde.<br> There he did see, that pleased much his sight,<br> That even he him selfe his eyes envyde,<br> An hundred naked maidens lilly white,<br> All raunged in a ring, and dauncing in delight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> All they without were raunged in a ring,<br> And daunced round; but in the midst of them<br> Three other Ladies did both daunce and sing,<br> The whilest the rest them round about did hemme,<br> And like a girlond did in compasse stemme:<br> And in the middest of those same three, was placed<br> Another Damzell, as a precious gemme,<br> Amidst a ring most richly well enchaced,<br> That with her goodly presence all the rest much graced.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xiii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Looke how the Crowne, which Ariadne wore<br> Upon her yvory forehead that same day,<br> That Theseus her unto his bridale bore,<br> When the bold Centaures made that bloudy fray<br> With the fierce Lapithes, which did them dismay;<br> Being now placed in the firmament,<br> Through the bright heaven doth her beams display,<br> And is unto the starres an ornament,<br> Which round about her move in order excellent.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xiv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Such was the beauty of this goodly band,<br> Whose sundry parts were here too long to tell:<br> But she that in the midst of them did stand,<br> Seem'd all the rest in beauty to excell,<br> Crownd with a rosie girlond, that right well<br> Did her beseeme. And ever, as the crew<br> About her daunst, sweet flowres, that far did smell,<br> And fragrant odours they uppon her threw;<br> But most of all, those three did her with gifts endew.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Those were the Graces, daughters of delight,<br> Handmaides of Venus, which are wont to haunt<br> Uppon this hill, and daunce there day and night:<br> Those three to men all gifts of grace do graunt,<br> And all, that Venus in her selfe doth vaunt,<br> Is borrowed of them. But that faire one,<br> That in the midst was placed paravaunt,<br> Was she to whom that shepheard pypt alone,<br> That made him pipe so merrily, as never none.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xvi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> She was to weete that jolly Shepheards lasse,<br> Which piped there unto that merry rout,<br> That jolly shepheard, which there piped, was<br> Poore Colin Clout (who knowes not Colin Clout?)<br> He pypt apace, whilest they him daunst about.<br> Pype jolly shepheard, pype thou now apace<br> Unto thy love, that made thee low to lout;<br> Thy love is present there with thee in place,<br> Thy love is there advaunst to be another Grace.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xvii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Much wondred Calidore at this straunge sight,<br> Whose like before his eye had never seene,<br> And standing long astonished in spright,<br> And rapt with pleasaunce, wist not what to weene;<br> Whether it were the traine of beauties Queene,<br> Or Nymphes, or Faeries, or enchaunted show,<br> With which his eyes mote have deluded beene.<br> Therefore resolving, what it was, to know,<br> Out of the wood he rose, and toward them did go.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xviii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> But soone as he appeared to their vew,<br> They vanisht all away out of his sight,<br> And cleane were gone, which way he never knew;<br> All save the shepheard, who for fell despight<br> Of that displeasure, broke his bagpipe quight,<br> And made great mone for that unhappy turne.<br> But Calidore, though no lesse sory wight,<br> For that mishap, yet seeing him to mourne,<br> Drew neare, that he the truth of all by him mote learne.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> And first him greeting, thus unto him spake,<br> Haile jolly shepheard, which thy joyous dayes<br> Here leadest in this goodly merry make,<br> Frequented of these gentle Nymphes alwayes,<br> Which to thee flocke, to heare thy lovely layes;<br> Tell me, what mote these dainty Damzels be,<br> Which here with thee doe make their pleasant playes?<br> Right happy thou, that mayst them freely see:<br> But why when I them saw, fled they away from me?</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xx</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Not I so happy, answerd then that swaine,<br> As thou unhappy, which them thence didst chace,<br> Whom by no meanes thou canst recall againe,<br> For being gone, none can them bring in place,<br> But whom they of them selves list so to grace.<br> Right sory I, (said then Sir Calidore,)<br> That my ill fortune did them hence displace.<br> But since all things passed none may now restore,<br> Tell me, what were they all, whose lacke thee grieves so sore.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Tho gan that shepheard thus for to dilate;<br> Then wote thou shepheard, whatsoever thou bee,<br> That all those Ladies, which thou sawest late,<br> Are Venus Damzels, all within her fee,<br> But differing in honour and degree:<br> They all are Graces, which on her depend,<br> Besides a thousand more, which ready bee<br> Her to adorne, when so she forth doth wend:<br> But those three in the midst, doe chiefe on her attend.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> They are the daughters of sky-ruling Jove,<br> By him begot of faire Eurynome,<br> The Oceans daughter, in this pleasant grove,<br> As he this way comming from feastfull glee,<br> Of Thetis wedding with {AE}acidee,<br> In sommers shade him selfe here rested weary.<br> The first of them hight mylde Euphrosyne,<br> Next faire Aglaia, last Thalia merry:<br> Sweete Goddesses all three which me in mirth do cherry.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxiii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> These three on men all gracious gifts bestow,<br> Which decke the body or adorne the mynde,<br> To make them lovely or well favourd show,<br> As comely carriage, entertainment kynde,<br> Sweete semblaunt. friendly offices that bynde,<br> And all the complements of curtesie:<br> They teach us, how to each degree and kynde<br> should our selves demeane, to low, to hie;<br> To friends, to foes, which skill men call Civility.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxiv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Therefore they alwaies smoothly seeme to smile,<br> That we likewise should mylde and gentle be,<br> And also naked are, that without guile<br> Or false dissemblaunce all them plaine may see,<br> Simple and true from covert malice free:<br> And eeke them selves so in their daunce they bore,<br> That two of them still froward seem'd to bee,<br> But one still towards shew'd her selfe afore;<br> That good should from us goe, then come in greater store.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxv</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Such were those Goddesses, which ye did see;<br> But that fourth Mayd, which there amidst them traced,<br> Who can aread, what creature mote she bee,<br> Whether a creature, or a goddesse graced<br> With heavenly gifts from heven first enraced?<br> But what so sure she was, she worthy was<br> To be the fourth with those three other placed:<br> Yet was she certes but a countrey lasse,<br> Yet she all other countrey lasses farre did passe.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxvi</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> So farre as doth the daughter of the day,<br> All other lesser lights in light excell,<br> So farre doth she in beautyfull array,<br> Above all other lasses beare the bell,<br> Ne lesse in vertue that beseemes her well,<br> Doth she exceede the rest of all her race,<br> For which the Graces that here wont to dwell,<br> Have for more honor brought her to this place,<br> And graced her so much to be another Grace.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxvii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Another Grace she well deserves to be,<br> In whom so many Graces gathered are,<br> Excelling much the meane of her degree;<br> Divine resemblaunce, beauty soveraine rare,<br> Firme Chastity, that spight ne blemish dare;<br> All which she with such courtesie doth grace,<br> That all her peres cannot with her compare,<br> But quite are dimmed, when she is in place.<br> She made me often pipe and now to pipe apace.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxviii</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> Sunne of the world, great glory of the sky,<br> That all the earth doest lighten with thy rayes,<br> Great Gloriana, greatest Majesty,<br> Pardon thy shepheard, mongst so many layes,<br> As he hath sung of thee in all his dayes,<br> To make one minime of thy poore handmayd,<br> And underneath thy feete to place her prayse,<br> That when thy glory shall be farre displayd<br> To future age of her this mention may be made.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">xxix</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br> When thus that shepherd ended had his speach,<br> Sayd Calidore: Now sure it yrketh mee,<br> That to thy blisse I made this luckelesse breach,<br> As now the author of thy bale to be,<br> Thus to bereave thy loves deare sight from thee:<br> But gentle Shepheard pardon thou my shame,<br> Who rashly sought that, which I mote not see.<br> Thus did the courteous Knight excuse his blame,<br> And to recomfort him, all comely meanes did frame....</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Edmund+Spenser">Edmund Spenser</a><div class=q> <img src="https://www.citatepedia.ro/g/32share.png" style="float:left" alt="Share"> <script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=374495" data-title="The Faerie Queene, Book VI, Canto X de Edmund Spenser" data-description="THE SIXTE BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QUEENE Contayning THE LEGEND OF S. CALIDORE OR OF COURTESIECANTO X Calidore sees the Graces daunce, To Colins melody: The whiles his Pastorell is led, Into captivity. i Who now does follow the foule Blatant Bea..."></div> </div> </div>

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