Cant. VII.
the Faery Queene
103
Had throwne to gtound the vnregarded right:Yet of his prowesse proofe he since hath made(I witnes am) in many a cruell fight;The groning ghosts of many one dismaideHaue felt the bitter dint of his auenging blade.
And ye the forlorne reliques of his powre,His biting sword, and his deuouring speare,Which haue endured many a dreadfull stowre,Can speake his prowesse, that did earst you beare,And well could rule: now he hath left you heare,To be the record of his ruefull losse,And of my dolefull disauenturous deare:O heauie record of the good Redcrosse,Where haue yee left your lord, that could so well you tosse?
Well hoped I, and faire beginnings had,That he my captiue languor should redeeme,Till all vnweeting, an Enchaunter badHis sence abusd, and made him to misdeemeMy loyalty, not such as it did seemeThat rather death desire, then such despight.Be iudge ye heauens, that all things right esteeme,How I him lou'd, and loue with all my might,So thought I eke of him, and think I thought aright.
Thenceforth me desolate he quite forsooke,To wander, where wilde fortune would me lead,And other by waies he himselfe betooke,Where neuer foote of liuing wight did tread,That brought not backe the balefull body dead;In which him chaunced false Duessa meete,Mine onely foe, mine onely deadly dread,Who with her witchcraft and misseeming sweete,Inueigled him to follow her desires vnmeete.
