. Spenser's Faerie queene. A poem in six books; with the fragment Mutabilite . T HATH bene through all ages ever seene,That with the praise of armes and chevalrieThe prize of beautie still hath joyned beene ;And that for reasons speciall privitie,For either doth on other much he, me seemes, most fit the faire to serve,That can her best defend from villenie;And she most fit his service doth deserve,That fairest is, and from her faith will never swerve. So fitly now here commeth next in place,After the proofe of prowesse ended well,The controverse of beauties soveraine grace ;In which,
. Spenser's Faerie queene. A poem in six books; with the fragment Mutabilite . T HATH bene through all ages ever seene,That with the praise of armes and chevalrieThe prize of beautie still hath joyned beene ;And that for reasons speciall privitie,For either doth on other much he, me seemes, most fit the faire to serve,That can her best defend from villenie;And she most fit his service doth deserve,That fairest is, and from her faith will never swerve. So fitly now here commeth next in place,After the proofe of prowesse ended well,The controverse of beauties soveraine grace ;In which, to her that doth the most excell,Shall fall the girdle of faire Florimell:That many wish to win for glorie vaine,And not for vertuous use, which some doe tellThat glorious belt did in it selfe containe,Which Ladies ought to love, and seeke for to 895 THE FAERIE QUEENE. Book V. That girdle gave the vertue of chast love,And wivehood true, to all that did it beare;But whosoever contrarie doth prove,Might not the same about her middle weare,But it would loose, or else asunder it was (as Faeries wont report)Dame Venus girdle, by her steemed deareWhat time she usd to live in wively sort,But layd aside when so she usd her looser sport. Her husband Vulcan whylome for her sake,When first he loved her with heart entire,This pretious ornament, they say, did make,And wrought in Lemno with unquenched fire;And afterwards did for her loves first hireGive it to her, for ever to remaine,Therewith to bind lascivious desire,And loose afFeftions streightly to restraine ;Which vertue it for ever after did retaine. The same one day, when she her selfe disposdTo visite her beloved Paramoure,The God of warre, she from her middle loosd,And left behind her in her secret bowreOn Acidalian mount, where many an howreShe with, the pl
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Keywords: ., bookauthorspenseredmund15521599, bookcentury1800, bookyear1895
