Perfwade us dye, to stint all further strife: To me he lent this rope, to him a rusty knife.

30.

"With which fad inftrument of hafty death,
That wofull lover, loathing lenger light,
A wyde way made to let forth living breath:
But I, more fearfull or more lucky wight,
Dismayd with that deformed difmall fight,
Fledd fast away, halfe dead with dying feare;
Ne yet affur'd of life by you, Sir knight,
Whofe like infirmity like chaunce may beare;
But God you never let his charmed speaches heare !”
31.

"How may a man,” (said he) " with idle speach
Be wonne to spoyle the Castle of his health?"
"I wote," (quoth he) "whom tryall late did teach,
That like would not for all this worldes wealth.
His fubtile tong like dropping honny mealth
Into the heart, and fearcheth every vaine;
That, ere one be aware, by secret stealth
His powre is reft, and weaknes doth remaine.
O! never, Sir, defire to try his guilefull traine."
32.

"Certes," (fayd he) " hence shall I never rest,
Till I that treachours art' have heard and tryde:
And you, Sir knight, whose name mote I request,
Of grace do me unto his cabin guyde."

"I, that hight Trevifan," (quoth he)" will ryde
Against my liking backe to doe you grace:

But nor for gold nor glee2 will I abyde

y Till I that treachours art.] Shakespeare has "treachour" in the form of treacher, ("King Lear," A. i. Sc. 2,) and Spenfer ufes it as fynonymous with treachetour, as he fpells it, when requiring three fyllables. It is from the Fr. tricher, and is very old in English. C.

But nor for gold nor glee.] Church fuggefts fee for "glee," but all

By you,

when ye arrive in that fame place; For lever had I die then fee his deadly face."

33.

Ere long they come where that fame wicked wight
His dwelling has, low in an hollow cave,
Far underneath a craggy cliff ypight,*
Darke, dolefull, dreary, like a greedy grave,
That ftill for carrion carcafes doth crave:

On top
Shrieking his balefull note, which ever drave

whereof ay dwelt the ghaftly Owle,

Far from that haunt all other chearefull fowle; And all about it wandring ghoftes did wayle and howle.

34.

And all about old ftockes and ftubs of trees,
Whereon nor fruit nor leafe was ever seene,
Did hang upon the ragged rocky knees;
On which had many wretches hanged beene,
Whose carcafes were fcattred on the greene,
And throwne about the cliffs. Arrived there,
That bare-head knight, for dread and dolefull teene,
Would faine have fled, ne durft approchen neare;
But th' other forst him staye, and comforted in feare.

35.

That darkesome cave they enter, where they find
That curfed man, low fitting on the ground,
Mufing full fadly in his fullein mind:

His griefie lockes, long growen and unbound,

impreffions are uniform in having "glee;" and the oppofition between "gold" and " glee" was perhaps intended.

neously read" But not for gold nor glee." C.

Todd and others erro

a craggy cliff ypight.] This is the reading of the second edition [and of every folio impreffion]. The first 4to. probably by an error of the prefs, gives yplight. Pight is frequent in Spenfer for placed, fixed.

Todd.

b His griefie lockes.] Church and Upton were for altering "griefie to grieflie, while Todd did well to retain "griefie," which is the word

14

Disordred hong about his fhoulders round,
And hid his face; through which his hollow eyne
Lookt deadly dull, and stared as astound;

His raw-bone cheekes, through penurie and pine, Were fhronke into his jawes, as he did never dine. 36.

His garment, nought but many ragged clouts,
With thornes together pind and patched was,
The which his naked fides he wrapt abouts:
And him befide there lay upon the gras
A dreary corfe, whofe life away did pas,
All wallowd in his own yet luke-warme blood,
That from his wound yet welled fresh, alas!
In which a rusty knife fast fixed stood,

And made an open passage for the gushing flood.
37.

Which piteous fpectacle, approving trew
The wofull tale that Trevifan had told,
Whenas the gentle Redcroffe knight did vew ;
With firie zeale he burnt in courage bold
Him to avenge before his blood were cold,
And to the villein fayd; "Thou damned wight,
The authour of this fact we here behold,

What justice can but judge against thee right,
With thine owne blood to price his blood, here shed in

fight?"

38.

"What franticke fit," (quoth he) "hath thus diftraught Thee, foolish man, fo rash a doome to give? What justice ever other judgement taught,

in the 4tos. 1590 and 1596. Todd might have ftrengthened himself ftill further by the fol. 1611, which also reads “ does not seem to have referred to it.

griefie;" but here he "Griefie” is not opposed to the poet's meaning; and, as we prefer authority to fpeculation, we continue the text contained in every old copy. C.

But he should dye who merites not to live?
None els to death this man defpayring drive
But his owne guiltie mind, deserving death.
Is then unjust to each his dew to give?
Or let him dye, that loatheth living breath,
Or let him die at ease, that liveth here uneath?a
39.

"Who travailes by the wearie wandring way,
To come unto his wifhed home in hafte,
And meetes a flood that doth his paffage stay,
Is not great grace to helpe him over past,
Or free his feet that in the myre sticke fast?
Most envious man, that grieves at neighbours good;
And fond, that joyeft in the woe thou hast!
Why wilt not let him passe, that long hath stood
Upon the bancke, yet wilt thy felfe not pas the flood?

40.

"He there does now enjoy eternall rest

And happy ease, which thou doest want and crave, And further from it daily wanderest:

What if some little payne the paffage have,

That makes frayle flesh to feare the bitter wave,

Is not short payne well borne, that bringes long ease,

And layes the foule to fleepe in quiet grave?

Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie feas,

Ease after warre, death after life, does greatly please."

Is then unjust.] As in the next Stanza, "Is not great grace," &c.: we should now write, "Is't then unjust?" and, " Is't not great grace?" C. d that liveth here uneath.] "Uneath" is uneafily; the oppofition between "at eafe" and "uneath" being evident. The origin is the A. S. eith; and "uneath" is often used for scarcely, hardly. C.

And fond.] Foolish. See alfo F. Q. iii. viii. 25. "His rudenes fond." UPTON. Hundreds of inftances to the fame effect might be quoted from authors of the time. C.

4I.

The knight much wondred at his fuddeine wit,
And fayd; "The terme of life is limited,

Ne

may a man prolong, nor fhorten, it:

The fouldier may not move from watchfull fted,' Nor leave his ftand untill his Captaine bed." "Who life did limit by almightie doome," (Quoth he) "knowes best the termes established; And he, that points the Centonell his roome, Doth license him depart at found of morning droome.

42.

"Is not his deed, what ever thing is donne
In heaven and earth? Did not he all create
To die againe? All ends that was begonne :
Their times in his eternall booke of fate
Are written fure, and have their certein date.
Who then can ftrive with ftrong neceffitie,
That holds the world in his ftill chaunging ftate,
Or fhunne the death ordaynd by deftinie?
When houre of death is come, let none aske whence,
nor why.

43.

"The lenger life, I wote, the greater fin;

The greater fin, the greater punishment :
All those great battels, which thou boasts to win
Through ftrife, and blood-shed, and avengement,
Now prayfd, hereafter deare thou shalt repent;
For life must life, and blood must blood, repay.
Is not enough thy evill life forefpent?

For he that once hath miffed the right way,
The further he doth goe, the further he doth stray.

f from watchfull fted.] Place or station; a word of frequent occurrence in Spenfer. See F. Q. i. viii. 17; i. xi. 46, &c. It appears to be now [not entirely] obfolete. Gawin Douglas has often employed the word, in his tranflation of Virgil. See Ruddiman's Gloff. V. Stede, a place. A. S. Steda, locus. Ifl. Stada, ftatio. TODD. ノン