Upon a great adventure he was bond, That greatest Gloriana to him gave, (That greatest glorious queene of faery lond) Upon his foe, and his new force to learne; A lovely ladie rode him faire beside, Upon a lowly asse more white then snow; Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide Under a vele, that wimpled was full low; And over all a blacke stole shee did throw, As one that inly mournd: so was she sad, And heavie sate upon her palfrey slow; Seemed in heart some hidden care she had; And by her in a line a milke-white lambe she lad. So pure and innocent, as that same lambe, She was in life and every vertuous lore, And by descent from royall lynage came Of ancient kinges and queenes, that had of yore Their scepters stretcht from east to westerne shore, And all the world in their subjection held; Till that infernall feend with foule uprore Forwasted all their land, and them expeld; Whom to avenge, she had this knight from far compeld. Behind her farre away a dwarfe did lag, That lasie seemd in being ever last, Or wearied with bearing of her bag Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past, Did poure into his lemans lap so fast, That everie wight to shrowd it did constraine; And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain. Enforst to seek some covert nigh at hand, A shadie grove not farr away they spide, And all within were pathes and alleies wide, And foorth they passe, with pleasure forward led, Which therein shrouded from the tempest dred, Seemd in their song to scorne the cruell sky. Much can they praise the trees so straight and hy, The sayling pine, the cedar proud and tall, The vine-propp elme, the poplar never dry, The builder oake, sole king of forrests all, The aspine good for staves, the cypresse funerall, The laurell, meed of mightie conquerours Led with delight they thus beguile the way, When weening to return, whence they did stray, That which of them to take in diverse doubt they been. |