THE FAERIE QUEENE by Edmund Spenser TO The ... - Planet.ee

www.TaleBooks.comAnd well arrived are, (high God be blest!)Let us devize of ease and everlasting rest."XVIII. "Ah dearest Lord!" said then that doughty knight,"Of ease or rest I may not yet devize;For by the faith which I to armes have plight,I bownden am streight after this emprize,As that your daughter can ye well advize,Backe to retourne to that great Faery Queene,And her to serve sixe yeares in warlike wize,Gainst that proud Paynim king that works her teene:Therefore I ought crave pardon, till I there have beene."XIX. "Unhappy falls that hard necessity,"(Quoth he) "the troubler of my happy peace,And vowed foe of my felicity;Ne I against the same can justly preace:But since that band ye cannot now release,Nor doen undo, (for vowes may not be vayne)Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease,Ye then shall hither backe retourne agayne,The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twayn.XX. "Which, for my part, I covet to performeIn sort as through the world I did proclame,That who-so kild that monster most deforme,And him in hardy battyle overcame,Should have mine onely daughter to his Dame,And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee:Therefore, since now to thee perteynes the sameBy dew desert of noble chevalree,Both daughter and eke kingdome lo! I yield to thee."XXI. Then forth he called that his daughter fayre,The fairest Un', his onely daughter deare,His onely daughter and his only hayre;Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare,As bright as doth the morning starre appeareOut of the East, with flaming lockes bedight,To tell that dawning day is drawing neare,And to the world does bring long-wished light:So faire and fresh that Lady shewd herselfe in sight.XXII. So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May;For she had layd her mournefull stole aside,And widow-like sad wimple throwne away,Wherewith her heavenly beautie she did hide,Whiles on her wearie journey she did ride;And on her now a garment she did weareAll lilly white, withoutten spot or pride,That seemd like silke and silver woven neare:But neither silke nor silver therein did appeare.XXIII. The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame,And glorious light of her sunshyny face,Page 125 , Faerie Queene, The - Edmund Spenser