Then groning deep, "Nor damned ghost," quoth he, "Nor guileful fprite to thee these words doth speake; "But once a man Fradubio, now a tree; "Wretched man, wretched tree! whofe nature "weake "A cruell witch, her curfed will to wreake, "Hath thus transformd, and plast in open plaines, Where Boreas doth blow full bitter bleake, "And scorching funne does dry my fecret vaines; "For though a tree I feeme, yet cold and heat "me paines." "Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight, "Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine "To have before bewitched all mens fight; "O leave her foone, or let her foone be flaine !" "Her loathly vifage viewing with difdaine, "Eftfoones I thought her fuch as fhe me told, "And would have kild her; but with faigned paine [hold; "The falfe witch did my wrathfull hand with"So left her, where the now is turnd to tree in "mould. XL. "Thensforth I tooke Dueffa for my dame, "And in the witch unweeting ioyd long time, "Ne ever wift but that she was the fame; "Till on a day (that day is everie prime, "When witches wont do penance for their crime) "I chaunft to fee her in her proper hew, "Bathing herfelfe in origane and thyme: "A filthie foule old woman I did view, "That ever to have toucht her I did deadly rew. XLI. "Her neather partes mifhapen, monftruous, "Were hidd in water, that I could not fee, "But they did feeme more foule and hideous "Then woman's fhape man would beleeve to bee. "hensforth from her most beaftly companie "I gan refraine, in minde to flipp away, "Soone as appeared fafe opportunitie; "For danger great, if not affurd decay, "I faw before mine eyes, if I were knowne to ftray. XLII. "The divelifh hag, by chaunges of my cheare, "Perceiv'd my thought, and, drownd in fleepic night, "With wicked herbes and oyntments did befmeare My body all, through charmes and magicke "might, "That all my fenfes were bereaved quight; "Then brought fhe me into this defert wafte, "And by my wretched lover': fight me pight; "Where now enclofd in wooden wals full fafte, "Banifht from living wights, our wearie daies we "walle." XLIII. "But how long time," faid then the Elfin Knight, "Are you in this misformed hous to dwell?" "We may not chaunge," quoth he, “this evill plight "Till we be bathed in a living well; "That is the terme prescribed by the spell." "O how," fayd he, "mote I that well outfind, "That may restore you to your wonted well?" "Time, and sufficed Fates, to former kynd "Shall us reftore, none else from hence may us "unbynd." XLIV. The falfe Dueffa, now Fideffa hight, And knew well all was true: but the good knight Whith whom he he whoredome ufd that few did. Yet knight was not for all his bragging bost, know; And fed her fatt with feast of offerings, XIX. Thus long the dore with rage and threats he bett, XX. Him booteth not refift, nor fuccour call, Affraid least to themselves the like mishappen might. XXI. Now when broad day the world defcovered has, In waies unknowne, her wandering knight to feeke, With paires for paffing that long-wandring Greeke XXII. Soone as fhe parted thence, the fearful twayne, Whome overtaking, they gan loudly bray, XXIV. But when the faw her prayers nought prevaile, Shee backe retourned with fome labour loft; And in the way as fhee did weepe and waile, A knight her mett in mighty armes embost, But fubtill Archimag, that Una fought XXV. Therewith the gan her paffion to renew, And cry, and curfe, and raile, and rend her heare, Which being taught, he forwarde gan advaunce XXVI. Ere long he came where Una traveild flow, came: XXVII. And weeping faid, "Ah! my long-lacked lord, "Where have ye bene thus long our of my fight? "Much feared I to have bene quite abhord, "Or ought have done that ye difpleafen might, "That should as death unto my deare heart light: "For fince mine eie your ioyous fight did mis, "My chearefull day is turnd to chearleffe right, "And eke my night of death the fhadow is; "But welcome now my light, and fhining lampe "of blis." |