Edmund Spenser

“ Almightie God her gave such powre, and puissaunce great.
XXI
The faithfull knight now grew in litle space,
⁠By hearing her, and by her sisters lore,
⁠To such perfection of all heavenly grace,
⁠That wretched world he gan for to abhore,
⁠And mortall life gan loath, as thing forlore,
⁠Greevd with remembrance of his wicked wayes,
⁠And prickt with anguish of his sinnes so sore,
⁠That he desirde to end his wretched dayes:
So much the dart of sinfull guilt the soule dismayes. ”

“ To show it to his knight, according his desire.
LI
Thrise happy man, said then the father grave,
⁠Whose staggering steps thy steady hand doth lead,
⁠And shewes the way, his sinfull soule to save.
⁠Who better can the way to heaven aread,
⁠Then thou thy selfe, that was both borne and bred
⁠In heavenly throne, where thousand Angels shine?
⁠Thou doest the prayers of the righteous sead
⁠Present before the majestie divine,
And his avenging wrath to clemencie incline.
LII
Yet since thou bidst, thy pleasure shal be donne. ”

“ Great grace that old man to him given had;
⁠For God he often saw from heavens hight,
⁠All were his earthly eyen both blunt and bad,
⁠And through great age had lost their kindly sight,
⁠Yet wondrous quick and persant was his spright,
⁠As Eagles eye, that can behold the Sunne:
⁠That hill they scale with all their powre and might,
⁠That his^ fraile thighes nigh weary and fordonne
Gan faile, but by her^ helpe the top at last he wonne. ”

“ The seventh, now after death and buriall done,
⁠Had charge the tender orphans of the dead
⁠And widowes ayd,^ least they should be undone:
⁠In face of judgement^ he their right would plead,
⁠Ne ought the powre of mighty men did dread
⁠In their defence, nor would for gold or fee
⁠Be wonne their rightfull causes downe to tread:
⁠And, when they stood in most necessitee,
He did supply their want, and gave them ever free. ”

“ The man that would not live, but earst lay at deathes dore.
XXVIII
In which his torment often was so great,
⁠That like a Lyon he would cry and rore,
⁠And rend his flesh, and his owne synewes eat.
⁠His owne deare Una hearing evermore
⁠His ruefull shriekes and gronings, often tore
⁠Her guiltlesse garments, and her golden heare,
⁠For pitty of his paine and anguish sore ”

“ For as the tree does fall, so lyes it ever low.
XLII
The sixt had charge of them now being dead,
⁠In seemely sort their corses to engrave,
⁠And deck with dainty flowres their bridall bed,
⁠That to their heavenly spouse both sweet and brave
⁠They might appeare, when he their soules shall save.^
⁠The wondrous workmanship of Gods owne mould,
⁠Whose face he made all beasts to feare, and gave
⁠All in his hand, even dead we honour should. ”

“ And had he lesse, yet some he would give to the pore.
XXXIX
The third had of their wardrobe custodie,
⁠In which were not rich tyres, nor garments gay,
⁠The plumes of pride, and wings of vanitie,
⁠But clothes meet to keepe keene could away,
⁠And naked nature seemely to aray ”

“ As carefull Nourse her child from falling oft does reare.
XXXVI
Eftsoones unto an holy Hospitall,
⁠That was fore by the way, she did him bring,
⁠In which seven Bead-men^ that had vowed all
⁠Their life to service of high heavens king,
⁠Did spend their dayes in doing godly thing:
⁠Their gates to all were open evermore,
⁠That by the wearie way were traveiling,
⁠And one sate wayting ever them before,
To call in commers by, that needy were and pore. ”