Resending the passage. Hoping formatting sticks this time! :)
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Sep 14, 2023 at 01:54:12 PM
Hello all,
Well, it seems that some of the formatting in my last Kickstarter update went awry? I'm attempting to repost, and this time I bolded the italicized words also. However, if the system somehow erases formatting again, you can find the italics at the URL you'll find if you (click here). (For reference, this is Book Four, Canto Eleven, Stanzas 11-51. It begins with "First came great Neptune" and it ends with "And Nemertea learned well to rule her lust." (What an ending! Ha!))
I didn't bold italicized words here that I thought most American high school kids would know, so please don't worry about those. However, I did bold a few terms that are only mildly challenging. ALSO, if any of you teach high school or college and want to participate as a class, just let me know that your answers represent a group when you submit your list. (And get those young folks to cite their sources! Ha!) Maybe we can send a stack of pizzas to the class that performs best here?
By the way--the first time I worked through this list, I noticed a river Spenser mentions in a different way than he mentions all the rest. I did some digging around in old maps, and when I realized what this river actually was, something about the poem as a whole clicked for me. I'm not going to tell you which river. Not yet. But just know there's super interesting stuff in here. I can't wait to hear what you find!
ALSO, if you somehow missed the last update, contest instructions are found there. :)
Rebecca
First came great with his threeforkt mace,
That rules the Seas, and makes them rise or fall;
His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace,
Vnder his Diademe imperiall:
And by his side his Queene with coronall,
Faire Amphitrite, most diuinely faire,
Whose yuorie shoulders weren couered all,
As with a robe, with her owne siluer haire,
And deckt with pearles, which th'Indian seas for her prepaire.
These marched farre afore the other crew;
And all the way before them as they went,
Triton his trompet shrill before them blew,
For goodly triumph and great iollyment,
That made the rockes to roare, as they were rent.
And after them the royall issue came,
Which of them sprung by lineall descent:
First the Sea-gods, which to themselues doe clame
The powre to rule the billowes, and the waues to tame.
Phorcys, the father of that fatall brood,
By whom those old Heroes wonne such fame;
And Glaucus, that wise southsayes vnderstood;
And tragicke Inoes sonne, the which became
A God of seas through his mad mothers blame,
Now hight Palemon, and is saylers frend;
Great Brontes, and Astraeus, that did shame
Himselfe with incest of his kin vnkend;
And huge Orion, that doth tempests still portend.
The rich Cteatus, and Eurytus long;
Neleus and Pelias louely brethren both;
Mightie Chrysaor, and Caicus strong;
Eurypulus, that calmes the waters wroth;
And faire Euphaemus, that vpon them go'th
As on the ground, without dismay or dread:
Fierce Eryx, and Alebius that know'th
The waters depth, and doth their bottome tread;
And sad Asopus, comely with his hoarie head.
There also some most famous founders were
Of puissant Nations, which the world possest;
Yet sonnes of Neptune, now assembled here:
Ancient Ogyges, even th'auncientest,
And Inachus renowmd aboue the rest;
Phoenix, and Aon, and Pelasgus old,
Great Belus, Phoeax, and Agenor best;
And mightie Albion, father of the bold
And warlike people, which the Britaine Islands hold.
For Albion the sonne of Neptune was,
Who for the proofe of his great puissance,
Out of his Albion did on dry-foot pas
Into old Gall, that now is cleeped France,
To fight with Hercules, that did aduance
To vanquish all the world with matchlesse might,
And there his mortall part by great mischance
Was slaine: but that which is th'immortall spright
Liues still: and to this feast with Neptunes seed was dight.
But what doe I their names seeke to reherse,
Which all the world haue with their issue fild?
How can they all in this so narrow verse
Contayned be, and in small compasse hild?
Let them record them, that are better skild,
And know the moniments of passed times:
Onely what needeth, shall be here fulfild,
T'expresse some part of that great equipage,
Which from great Neptune do deriue their parentage.
Next came the aged Ocean, and his Dame,
Old Tethys, th'oldest two of all the rest,
For all the rest of those two parents came,
Which afterward both sea and land possest:
Of all which Nereus th'eldest, and the best,
Did first proceed, then which none more vpright,
Ne more sincere in word and deed profest;
Most voide of guile, most free from fowle despight,
Doing him selfe, and teaching others to doe right.
Thereto he was expert in prophecies,
And could the ledden of the Gods vnfold,
Through which, when Paris brought his famous prise
The faire Tindarid lasse, he him fortold,
That her all Greece with many a champion bold
Should fetch againe, and finally destroy
Proud Priams towne. So wise is Nereus old,
And so well skild; nathlesse he takes great ioy
Oft-times amo[n]gst the wanton Nymphs to sport and toy.
And after him the famous riuers came,
Which doe the earth enrich and beautifie:
The fertile Nile, which creatures new doth frame;
Long Rhodanus, whose sourse springs from the skie;
FaireIster, flowing from the mountaines hie;
Diuine Scamander, purpled yet with blood
Of Greekes and Troians, which therein did die;
Pactolusglistring with his golden flood,
And Tygris fierce, whose streames of none may be withstood.
Great Ganges, and immortall Euphrates,
Deepe Indus, and Maeanderintricate,
Slow Peneus, and tempestuous Phasides,
Swift Rhene, and Alpheusstill immaculate:
Ooraxes, feared for great Cyrus fate;
Tybris, renowmed for the Romaines fame,
Rich Oranochy, though but knowen late;
And that huge Riuer, which doth beare his name
Of warlike Amazons, which doe possesse the same.
Ioy on those warlike women, which so long
Can from all men so rich a kingdome hold;
And shame on you, ô men, which boast your strong
And valiant hearts, in thoughts lesse hard and bold,
Yet quaile in conquest of that land of gold.
But this to you, ô Britons, most pertaines,
To whom the right hereof it selfe hath sold;
The which for sparing litle cost or paines,
Loose so immortall glory, and so endlesse gaines.
Then was there heard a most celestiall sound,
Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew
Before the spouse: that was Arion crownd;
Who playing on his harpe, vnto him drew
The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew,
That euen yet the Dolphin, which him bore
Through the Aegaean seas from Pirates vew,
Stood still by him astonisht at his lore,
And all the raging seas for ioy forgot to rore.
So went he playing on the watery plaine.
Soone after whom the louely Bridegroome came,
The noble Thamis, with all his goodly traine,
But him before there went, as best became
His auncient parents, namely th'auncient Thame.
But much more aged was his wife then he,
The Ouze, whom men doe Isis rightly name;
Full weake and crooked creature seemed she,
And almost blind through eld, that scarce her way could see.
Therefore on either side she was sustained
Of two smal grooms, which by their names were hight
The Churne, and Charwell, two small streames, which pained
Them selues her footing to direct aright,
Which fayled oft through faint and feeble plight:
But Thame was stronger, and of better stay;
Yet seem'd full aged by his outward sight,
With head all hoary, and his beard all gray,
Deawed with siluer drops, that trickled downe alway.
And eke he somewhat seem'd to stoupe afore
With bowed backe, by reason of the lode,
And auncient heauy burden, which he bore
Of that faire City, wherein make abode
So many learned impes, that shoote abrode,
And with their braunches spred all Britany,
No lesse then do her elder sisters broode.
Ioy to you both, ye double noursery
Or Arts, but Oxford thine doth Thame most glorify.
But he their sonne full fresh and iolly was,
All decked in a robe of watchet hew,
On which the waues, glittering like Christall glas,
So cunningly enwouen were, that few
Could weenen, whether they were false or trew.
And on his head like to a Coronet
He wore, that seemed strange to common vew,
In which were many towres and castels set,
That it encompast round as with a golden fret.
Like as the mother of the Gods, they say,
In her great iron charet wonts to ride,
When to Ioues pallace she doth take her way;
Old Cybele, arayd with pompous pride,
Wearing a Diademe embattild wide
With hundred turrets, like a Turribant.
With such an one was Thamis beautifide;
That was to weet the famous Troynouant,
In which her kingdomes throne is chiefly resiant.
And round about him many a pretty Page
Attended duely, ready to obay;
All little Riuers, which owe vassallage
To him, as to their Lord, and tribute pay:
The chaulky Kenet, and the Thetis gray,
The morish Cole, and the soft sliding Breane,
The wanton Lee, that oft doth loose his way,
And the still Darent, in whose waters cleane
Ten thousand fishes play, and decke his pleasant streame.
Then came his neighbour flouds, which nigh him dwell,
And water all the English soile throughout;
They all on him this day attended well;
And with meet seruice waited him about;
Ne none disdained low to him to lout:
No not the stately Seuerne grudg'd at all,
Ne storming Humber, though he looked stout;
But both him honor'd as their principall,
And let their swelling waters low before him fall.
There was the speedy Tamar, which deuides
The Cornish and the Deuonish confines;
Through both whose borders swiftly downe it glides,
And meeting Plim, to Plimmouth thence declines:
And Dart, nigh chockt with sands of tinny mines.
But Auon marched in more stately path,
Proud of his Adamants, with which he shines
And glisters wide, as als' of wondrous Bath,
And Bristow faire, which on his waues he builded hath.
And there came Stourewith terrible aspect,
Bearing his sixe deformed heads on hye,
That doth his course throughBlandfordplains direct,
And washeth Winbornemeades in season drye.
Next him went Wylibourne with passage slye,
That of his wylinesse his name doth take,
And of him selfe doth name the shire thereby;
And Mole, that like a nousling Mole doth make
His way still vnder ground, till Thamis he ouertake.
Then came the Rother, decked all with woods
Like a wood God, and flowing fast to Rhy:
And Sture, that parteth with his pleasant floods
The Easterne Saxons from the Southerne ny,
And Clare, and Harwitchboth doth beautify:
Him follow'd Yar, soft washing Norwitchwall,
And with him brought a present ioyfully
Of his owne fish vnto their festiuall,
Whose like none else could shew, the which they Ruffins call.
Next these the plenteous Ouse came far from land,
By many a city, and by many a towne,
And many riuers taking vnder hand
Into his waters, as he passeth downe,
TheCle, the Were, the Grant, the Sture, the Rowne.
Thence doth by Huntingdon and Cambridge flit;
My mother Cambridge, whom as with a Crowne
He doth adorne, and is adorn'd of it
With many a gentle Muse, and many a learned wit.
And after him the fatall Welland went,
That if old sawes proue true (which God forbid)
Shall drowne all Hollandwith his excrement,
And shall see Stamford, though now homely hid,
Then shine in learning, more then euer did
Cambridge or Oxford, Englands goodly beames.
And next to him the Nene downe softly slid;
And bounteous Trent, that in him selfe enseames
Both thirty sorts of fish, and thirty sundry streames.
Next these came Tyne, along whose stony bancke
That Romaine Monarch built a brasen wall,
Which mote the feebled Britons strongly flancke
Against the Picts, that swarmed ouer all,
Which yet thereof Gualseuerthey doe call:
And Twede the limit betwixt Logris land
And Albany: And Eden though but small,
Yet often stainde with bloud of many a band
Of Scots and English both, that tyned on his strand.
Then came those sixe sad brethren, like forlorne,
That whilome were (as antique fathers tell)
Sixe valiant Knights, of one faire Nymphe yborne,
Which did in noble deedes of armes excell,
And wonned there, where now Yorke people dwell;
Still Vre, swift Werfe, and Oze the most of might,
High Swale, vnquiet Nide, and troublous Skell;
All whom a Scythian king, that Humber hight,
Slew cruelly, and in the riuer drowned quight.
But past not long, ere Brutus warlicke sonne
Locrinus them aueng'd, and the same date,
Which the proud Humber vnto them had donne,
By equall dome repayd on his owne pate:
For in the selfe same riuer, where he late
Had drenched them, he drowned him againe;
And nam'd the riuer of his wretched fate;
Whose bad condition yet it doth retaine,
Oft tossed with his stormes, which therein still remaine.
These after, came the stony shallow Lone,
That to oldLoncaster his name doth lend;
And following Dee, which Britons long ygone
Did call diuine, that doth by Chester tend;
And Conway which out of his streame doth send
Plenty of pearles to decke his dames withall,
And Lindus that his pikes doth most commend,
Of which the auncient Lincolnemen doe call;
All these together marched toward Proteus hall.
Ne thence the Irishe Riuers absent were:
Sith no lesse famous then the rest they bee,
And ioyne in neighbourhood of kingdome nere,
Why should they not likewise in loue agree,
And ioy likewise this solemne day to see?
They saw it all, and present were in place;
Though I them all according their degree,
Cannot recount, nor tell their hidden race,
Nor read the saluage cuntreis, thorough which they pace.
There was the Liffy rolling downe the lea,
The sandySlane, the stony Aubrian,
The spacious Shenan spreading like a sea,
The pleasant Boyne, the fishy fruitfull Ban,
Swift Awniduff, which of the English man
Is cal'de Blacke water, and the Liffardeep,
Sad Trowis, that once his people ouerran,
Strong Allo tombling from Slewloghersteep,
And Mulla mine, whose waues I whilom taught to weep.
And there the three renowmed brethren were,
Which that great Gyant Blomius begot,
Of the faire Nimph Rheusa wandring there.
One day, as she to shunne the season whot,
Vnder Slewbloomein shady groue was got,
This Gyant found her, and by force deflowr'd:
Whereof conceiuing, she in time forth brought
These three faire sons, which being the[n]ce forth powrd
In three great riuers ran, and many countreis scowrd.
The first, the gentle Shure that making way
By sweet Clonmell, adornes rich Waterford;
The next, the stubborne Newre, whose waters gray
By faire Kilkenny and Rosseponte boord,
The third, the goodly Barow, which doth hoord
Great heapes of Salmons in his deepe bosome:
All which long sundred, doe at last accord
To ioyne in one, ere to the sea they come,
So flowing all from one, all one at last become.
There also was the wide embayed Mayre,
The pleasaunt Bandon crownd with many a wood,
The spreading Lee, that like an Island fayre
Encloseth Corke with his deuided flood;
And balefull Oure, late staind with English blood:
With many more, whose names no tongue can tell.
All which that day in order seemly good
Did on the Thamis attend, and waited well
To doe their duefull seruice, as to them befell.
Then came the Bride, the louely Medua came,
Clad in a vesture of vnknowen geare,
And vncouth fashion, yet her well became;
That seem'd like siluer, sprinckled here and theare
With glittering spangs, that did like starres appeare,
And wau'd vpon, like water Chamelot,
To hide the metall, which yet euery where
Bewrayd it selfe, to let men plainely wot,
It was no mortall worke, that seem'd and yet was not.
Her goodly lockes adowne her backe did flow
Vnto her waste, with flowres bescattered,
The which ambrosiall odours forth did throw
To all about, and all her shoulders spred
As a new spring; and likewise on her hed
A Chapelet of sundry flowers she wore,
From vnder which the deawy humour shed,
Did tricle downe her haire, like to the hore
Congealed litle drops, which doe the morne adore.
On her two pretty handmaides did attend,
One cald the Theise, the other cald the Crane;
Which on her waited, things amisse to mend,
And both behind vpheld her spredding traine;
Vnder the which, her feet appeared plaine,
Her siluer feet, faire washt against this day:
And her before there paced Pages twaine,
Both clad in colours like, and like array,
The Doune & eke the Frith, both which prepard her way.
And after these the Sea Nymphs marched all,
All goodly damzels, deckt with long greene haire,
Whom of their sire Nereides men call,
All which the Oceans daughter to him bare
The gray eyde Doris: all which fifty are;
All which she there on her attending had.
Swift Proto, milde Eucrate, Thetis faire,
Soft Spio, sweete Eudore, Sao sad,
Light Doto, wanton Glauce, and Galene glad.
White hand Eunica, proud Dynamene,
Ioyous Thalia, goodly Amphitrite,
Louely Pasithee, kinde Eulimene,
Lifht goote Cymothoe, and sweete Melite,
Fairest Pherusa, Phaolilly white,
Wondred Agaue, Poris, and Nesæa,
With Erato that doth in loue delite,
And Panopæ, and wise Protomedæa,
And snowy neckd Doris, and milkewhite Galathæa.
Speedy Hippothoe, and chaste Actea,
Large Lisianassa, and Pronæa sage,
Euagore, and light Pontoporea,
And she, that with her least word can asswage
The surging seas, when they do sorest rage,
Cymodoce, and stout Autonoe,
And Neso, and Eionewell in age,
And seeming still to smile, Glauconome,
And she that hight of many heastes Polynome,
Fresh Alimeda, deckt with girlond greene;
Hyponeo, with salt bedewed wrests:
Laomedia, like the christall sheene;
Liagore, much praisd for wise behests;
And Psamathe, for her brode snowy brests;
Cymo, Eupompe, and Themiste iust;
And she that vertue loues and vice detests
Euarna, and Menippe true in trust,
And Nemertea learned well to rule her lust.
Anybody up for a Faerie Queene contest?
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Sep 14, 2023 at 10:51:02 AM
If you’re familiar with ancient literature, you probably already know about epic lists, catalogues, and genealogies. In these longish sections of a text, a chunk of technical information is provided to enhance a tale’s sense of gravity, historical relevance, magnitude, or realism.
Today’s update involves an epic catalogue. This catalogue is found in Book Four of The Faerie Queene, and it contains a list of bodies of water in England, Ireland, and elsewhere around the world. Some of the names are easily recognizable. Others feature archaic spellings that bear remote resemblance to modern names. And then there are a few that have changed to completely different words. I’ve enjoyed scouring old maps and records, trying to find what each name or place is called today.
I suspect that a couple of historians and old map fanatics are present in a group this size, so I’ve decided to host a Book Four epic catalogue contest. My hope is that this contest will not only double check the research that we’ve already done, but also provide some fun and engagement for a few backers. If you uncover something new during the contest, you might even get a footnote or acknowledgement in the rendering itself. And one winner will receive a grand prize.
Anyway, here's how it works:
As you look through the attached section of the original epic poem, you will find some names italicized. Some of these names are characters. Others are bodies of water. Others are land locations. Those italicized words are your focus for the contest.
Here's how you get points:
FIRST, please number each term in your submissions. This is crucial.
SECOND, please list the original spelling of the term you are addressing. This is also crucial, as it will help us know which word you are attempting to explain.
THIRD, select your category for each word and write it after the term.
The two categories are:
a. VARIANT SPELLING (1 point): providing the modern spelling of a place, water body, or character name the text spells in an archaic manner
b. OBSCURE LOCATION OR CHARACTER: (3 points) providing the modern name of a place, water body, or character name that is unrecognizably different in Spenser’s text
To points for these entries, you must provide a reliable source with a URL verifying your answer. (This can be a dropbox link, if you can't find the document available for public viewing online). A brief sentence explaining your answer would also be nice.
IF you are a resident of the UK who knows something about one of these locations because of an oral tradition in your family or community, please let us know this as well. This will count as a source, and I'd love to hear your stories.
EXAMPLE OF AN ENTRY
1. Churne. Variant Spelling of a River. Churn.
Page 8 of Rivers of Great Britain: The Thames, from Source to Sea; Descriptive, Historical, Pictorial. United Kingdom: Cassell, 1891.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/Rivers_of_Great_Britain/dTihq3Ajgs0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=churne%20
PLEASE NOTE: Entries with terms that have remained consistent since the 1590’s (like Neptune) will not be given points.
I think that’s it! When you’ve finished, send your list to us in a Kickstarter message (not comment), and make sure the first words of your message are “Contest Entry” so that we can recognize them easily in our inbox.
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER:
The entry with the most points will receive a free Faerie Queene Gloriana or Arthur mug (your choice). If you send information that we have not found elsewhere, and if we deem your submission worthy of inclusion in The Faerie Queene, we will either cite you in a footnote or in the acknowledgements, depending on whether you’ve uncovered primary material or are citing someone else.
WINNER WINNER TATER DINNER:
For those who don’t win the mug but provide new information for us, worthy of inclusion in our printing of The Faerie Queene, we will either cite you in a footnote or in the acknowledgements, depending on whether you’ve uncovered primary material or are citing someone else. (If two people submit the same new information, we will cite the first one to share that information with us.)
We will also include a special sticker in the orders of those who submit at least twenty qualifying submissions.
Unfortunately, we can’t pay you for winning submissions. But we can emblazon a few worthy names in the pages of Spenser's mighty epic poem, which is nearly as good as money, right?
Fame and glory! Fame and glory!
Deadline is October 8, 2023.
HERE'S THE TEXT:
First came great Neptune with his threeforkt mace,
That rules the Seas, and makes them rise or fall;
His dewy lockes did drop with brine apace,
Vnder his Diademe imperiall:
And by his side his Queene with coronall,
Faire Amphitrite, most diuinely faire,
Whose yuorie shoulders weren couered all,
As with a robe, with her owne siluer haire,
And deckt with pearles, which th'Indian seas for her prepaire.
These marched farre afore the other crew;
And all the way before them as they went,
Triton his trompet shrill before them blew,
For goodly triumph and great iollyment,
That made the rockes to roare, as they were rent.
And after them the royall issue came,
Which of them sprung by lineall descent:
First the Sea-gods, which to themselues doe clame
The powre to rule the billowes, and the waues to tame.
Phorcys, the father of that fatall brood,
By whom those old Heroes wonne such fame;
And Glaucus, that wise southsayes vnderstood;
And tragicke Inoes sonne, the which became
A God of seas through his mad mothers blame,
Now hight Palemon, and is saylers frend;
Great Brontes, and Astraeus, that did shame
Himselfe with incest of his kin vnkend;
And huge Orion, that doth tempests still portend.
The rich Cteatus, and Eurytus long;
Neleus and Pelias louely brethren both;
Mightie Chrysaor, and Caicus strong;
Eurypulus, that calmes the waters wroth;
And faire Euphaemus, that vpon them go'th
As on the ground, without dismay or dread:
Fierce Eryx, and Alebius that know'th
The waters depth, and doth their bottome tread;
And sad Asopus, comely with his hoarie head.
There also some most famous founders were
Of puissant Nations, which the world possest;
Yet sonnes of Neptune, now assembled here:
Ancient Ogyges, even th'auncientest,
And Inachus renowmd aboue the rest;
Phoenix, and Aon, and Pelasgus old,
Great Belus, Phoeax, and Agenor best;
And mightie Albion, father of the bold
And warlike people, which the Britaine Islands hold.
For Albion the sonne of Neptune was,
Who for the proofe of his great puissance,
Out of his Albion did on dry-foot pas
Into old Gall, that now is cleeped France,
To fight with Hercules, that did aduance
To vanquish all the world with matchlesse might,
And there his mortall part by great mischance
Was slaine: but that which is th'immortall spright
Liues still: and to this feast with Neptunes seed was dight.
But what doe I their names seeke to reherse,
Which all the world haue with their issue fild?
How can they all in this so narrow verse
Contayned be, and in small compasse hild?
Let them record them, that are better skild,
And know the moniments of passed times:
Onely what needeth, shall be here fulfild,
T'expresse some part of that great equipage,
Which from great Neptune do deriue their parentage.
Next came the aged Ocean, and his Dame,
Old Tethys, th'oldest two of all the rest,
For all the rest of those two parents came,
Which afterward both sea and land possest:
Of all which Nereus th'eldest, and the best,
Did first proceed, then which none more vpright,
Ne more sincere in word and deed profest;
Most voide of guile, most free from fowle despight,
Doing him selfe, and teaching others to doe right.
Thereto he was expert in prophecies,
And could the ledden of the Gods vnfold,
Through which, when Paris brought his famous prise
The faire Tindarid lasse, he him fortold,
That her all Greece with many a champion bold
Should fetch againe, and finally destroy
Proud Priams towne. So wise is Nereus old,
And so well skild; nathlesse he takes great ioy
Oft-times amo[n]gst the wanton Nymphs to sport and toy.
And after him the famous riuers came,
Which doe the earth enrich and beautifie:
The fertile Nile, which creatures new doth frame;
Long Rhodanus, whose sourse springs from the skie;
Faire Ister, flowing from the mountaines hie;
Diuine Scamander, purpled yet with blood
Of Greekes and Troians, which therein did die;
Pactolus glistring with his golden flood,
And Tygris fierce, whose streames of none may be withstood.
Great Ganges, and immortall Euphrates,
Deepe Indus, and Maeander intricate,
Slow Peneus, and tempestuous Phasides,
Swift Rhene, and Alpheus still immaculate:
Ooraxes, feared for great Cyrus fate;
Tybris, renowmed for the Romaines fame,
Rich Oranochy, though but knowen late;
And that huge Riuer, which doth beare his name
Of warlike Amazons, which doe possesse the same.
Ioy on those warlike women, which so long
Can from all men so rich a kingdome hold;
And shame on you, ô men, which boast your strong
And valiant hearts, in thoughts lesse hard and bold,
Yet quaile in conquest of that land of gold.
But this to you, ô Britons, most pertaines,
To whom the right hereof it selfe hath sold;
The which for sparing litle cost or paines,
Loose so immortall glory, and so endlesse gaines.
Then was there heard a most celestiall sound,
Of dainty musicke, which did next ensew
Before the spouse: that was Arion crownd;
Who playing on his harpe, vnto him drew
The eares and hearts of all that goodly crew,
That euen yet the Dolphin, which him bore
Through the AEgaean seas from Pirates vew,
Stood still by him astonisht at his lore,
And all the raging seas for ioy forgot to rore.
So went he playing on the watery plaine.
Soone after whom the louely Bridegroome came,
The noble Thamis, with all his goodly traine,
But him before there went, as best became
His auncient parents, namely th'auncient Thame.
But much more aged was his wife then he,
The Ouze, whom men doe Isis rightly name;
Full weake and crooked creature seemed she,
And almost blind through eld, that scarce her way could see.
Therefore on either side she was sustained
Of two smal grooms, which by their names were hight
The Churne, and Charwell, two small streames, which pained
Them selues her footing to direct aright,
Which fayled oft through faint and feeble plight:
But Thame was stronger, and of better stay;
Yet seem'd full aged by his outward sight,
With head all hoary, and his beard all gray,
Deawed with siluer drops, that trickled downe alway.
And eke he somewhat seem'd to stoupe afore
With bowed backe, by reason of the lode,
And auncient heauy burden, which he bore
Of that faire City, wherein make abode
So many learned impes, that shoote abrode,
And with their braunches spred all Britany,
No lesse then do her elder sisters broode.
Ioy to you both, ye double noursery
Or Arts, but Oxford thine doth Thame most glorify.
But he their sonne full fresh and iolly was,
All decked in a robe of watchet hew,
On which the waues, glittering like Christall glas,
So cunningly enwouen were, that few
Could weenen, whether they were false or trew.
And on his head like to a Coronet
He wore, that seemed strange to common vew,
In which were many towres and castels set,
That it encompast round as with a golden fret.
Like as the mother of the Gods, they say,
In her great iron charet wonts to ride,
When to Ioues pallace she doth take her way;
Old Cybele, arayd with pompous pride,
Wearing a Diademe embattild wide
With hundred turrets, like a Turribant.
With such an one was Thamis beautifide;
That was to weet the famous Troynouant,
In which her kingdomes throne is chiefly resiant.
And round about him many a pretty Page
Attended duely, ready to obay;
All little Riuers, which owe vassallage
To him, as to their Lord, and tribute pay:
The chaulky Kenet, and the Thetis gray,
The morish Cole, and the soft sliding Breane,
The wanton Lee, that oft doth loose his way,
And the still Darent, in whose waters cleane
Ten thousand fishes play, and decke his pleasant streame.
Then came his neighbour flouds, which nigh him dwell,
And water all the English soile throughout;
They all on him this day attended well;
And with meet seruice waited him about;
Ne none disdained low to him to lout:
No not the stately Seuerne grudg'd at all,
Ne storming Humber, though he looked stout;
But both him honor'd as their principall,
And let their swelling waters low before him fall.
There was the speedy Tamar, which deuides
The Cornish and the Deuonish confines;
Through both whose borders swiftly downe it glides,
And meeting Plim, to Plimmouth thence declines:
And Dart, nigh chockt with sands of tinny mines.
But Auon marched in more stately path,
Proud of his Adamants, with which he shines
And glisters wide, as als' of wondrous Bath,
And Bristow faire, which on his waues he builded hath.
And there came Stoure with terrible aspect,
Bearing his sixe deformed heads on hye,
That doth his course through Blandford plains direct,
And washeth Winborne meades in season drye.
Next him went Wylibourne with passage slye,
That of his wylinesse his name doth take,
And of him selfe doth name the shire thereby;
And Mole, that like a nousling Mole doth make
His way still vnder ground, till Thamis he ouertake.
Then came the Rother, decked all with woods
Like a wood God, and flowing fast to Rhy:
And Sture, that parteth with his pleasant floods
The Easterne Saxons from the Southerne ny,
And Clare, and Harwitch both doth beautify:
Him follow'd Yar, soft washing Norwitch wall,
And with him brought a present ioyfully
Of his owne fish vnto their festiuall,
Whose like none else could shew, the which they Ruffins call.
Next these the plenteous Ouse came far from land,
By many a city, and by many a towne,
And many riuers taking vnder hand
Into his waters, as he passeth downe,
The Cle, the Were, the Grant, the Sture, the Rowne.
Thence doth by Huntingdon and Cambridge flit;
My mother Cambridge, whom as with a Crowne
He doth adorne, and is adorn'd of it
With many a gentle Muse, and many a learned wit.
And after him the fatall Welland went,
That if old sawes proue true (which God forbid)
Shall drowne all Holland with his excrement,
And shall see Stamford, though now homely hid,
Then shine in learning, more then euer did
Cambridge or Oxford, Englands goodly beames.
And next to him the Nene downe softly slid;
And bounteous Trent, that in him selfe enseames
Both thirty sorts of fish, and thirty sundry streames.
Next these came Tyne, along whose stony bancke
That Romaine Monarch built a brasen wall,
Which mote the feebled Britons strongly flancke
Against the Picts, that swarmed ouer all,
Which yet thereof Gualseuer they doe call:
And Twede the limit betwixt Logris land
And Albany: And Eden though but small,
Yet often stainde with bloud of many a band
Of Scots and English both, that tyned on his strand.
Then came those sixe sad brethren, like forlorne,
That whilome were (as antique fathers tell)
Sixe valiant Knights, of one faire Nymphe yborne,
Which did in noble deedes of armes excell,
And wonned there, where now Yorke people dwell;
Still Vre, swift Werfe, and Oze the most of might,
High Swale, vnquiet Nide, and troublous Skell;
All whom a Scythian king, that Humber hight,
Slew cruelly, and in the riuer drowned quight.
But past not long, ere Brutus warlicke sonne
Locrinus them aueng'd, and the same date,
Which the proud Humber vnto them had donne,
By equall dome repayd on his owne pate:
For in the selfe same riuer, where he late
Had drenched them, he drowned him againe;
And nam'd the riuer of his wretched fate;
Whose bad condition yet it doth retaine,
Oft tossed with his stormes, which therein still remaine.
These after, came the stony shallow Lone,
That to old Loncaster his name doth lend;
And following Dee, which Britons long ygone
Did call diuine, that doth by Chester tend;
And Conway which out of his streame doth send
Plenty of pearles to decke his dames withall,
And Lindus that his pikes doth most commend,
Of which the auncient Lincolne men doe call;
All these together marched toward Proteus hall.
Ne thence the Irishe Riuers absent were:
Sith no lesse famous then the rest they bee,
And ioyne in neighbourhood of kingdome nere,
Why should they not likewise in loue agree,
And ioy likewise this solemne day to see?
They saw it all, and present were in place;
Though I them all according their degree,
Cannot recount, nor tell their hidden race,
Nor read the saluage cuntreis, thorough which they pace.
There was the Liffy rolling downe the lea,
The sandy Slane, the stony Aubrian,
The spacious Shenan spreading like a sea,
The pleasant Boyne, the fishy fruitfull Ban,
Swift Awniduff, which of the English man
Is cal'de Blacke water, and the Liffar deep,
Sad Trowis/, that once his people ouerran,
Strong Allo tombling from Slewlogher steep,
And Mulla mine, whose waues I whilom taught to weep.
And there the three renowmed brethren were,
Which that great Gyant Blomius begot,
Of the faire Nimph Rheusa wandring there.
One day, as she to shunne the season whot,
Vnder Slewbloome in shady groue was got,
This Gyant found her, and by force deflowr'd:
Whereof conceiuing, she in time forth brought
These three faire sons, which being the[n]ce forth powrd
In three great riuers ran, and many countreis scowrd.
The first, the gentle Shure that making way
By sweet Clonmell, adornes rich Waterford;
The next, the stubborne Newre, whose waters gray
By faire Kilkenny and Rosseponte boord,
The third, the goodly Barow, which doth hoord
Great heapes of Salmons in his deepe bosome:
All which long sundred, doe at last accord
To ioyne in one, ere to the sea they come,
So flowing all from one, all one at last become.
There also was the wide embayed Mayre,
The pleasaunt Bandon crownd with many a wood,
The spreading Lee, that like an Island fayre
Encloseth Corke with his deuided flood;
And balefull Oure, late staind with English blood:
With many more, whose names no tongue can tell.
All which that day in order seemly good
Did on the Thamis attend, and waited well
To doe their duefull seruice, as to them befell.
Then came the Bride, the louely Medua came,
Clad in a vesture of vnknowen geare,
And vncouth fashion, yet her well became;
That seem'd like siluer, sprinckled here and theare
With glittering spangs, that did like starres appeare,
And wau'd vpon, like water Chamelot,
To hide the metall, which yet euery where
Bewrayd it selfe, to let men plainely wot,
It was no mortall worke, that seem'd and yet was not.
Her goodly lockes adowne her backe did flow
Vnto her waste, with flowres bescattered,
The which ambrosiall odours forth did throw
To all about, and all her shoulders spred
As a new spring; and likewise on her hed
A Chapelet of sundry flowers she wore,
From vnder which the deawy humour shed,
Did tricle downe her haire, like to the hore
Congealed litle drops, which doe the morne adore.
On her two pretty handmaides did attend,
One cald the Theise, the other cald the Crane;
Which on her waited, things amisse to mend,
And both behind vpheld her spredding traine;
Vnder the which, her feet appeared plaine,
Her siluer feet, faire washt against this day:
And her before there paced Pages twaine,
Both clad in colours like, and like array,
The Doune & eke the Frith, both which prepard her way.
And after these the Sea Nymphs marched all,
All goodly damzels, deckt with long greene haire,
Whom of their sire Nereides men call,
All which the Oceans daughter to him bare
The gray eyde Doris: all which fifty are;
All which she there on her attending had.
Swift Proto, milde Eucrate, Thetis faire,
Soft Spio, sweete Eudore, Sao sad,
Light Doto, wanton Glauce, and Galene glad.
White hand Eunica, proud Dynamene,
Ioyous Thalia, goodly Amphitrite,
Louely Pasithee, kinde Eulimene,
Lifht goote Cymothoe, and sweete Melite,
Fairest Pherusa, Phao lilly white,
Wondred Agaue, Poris, and Nesæa,
With Erato that doth in loue delite,
And Panopæ, and wise Protomedæa,
And snowy neckd Doris, and milkewhite Galathæa.
Speedy Hippothoe, and chaste Actea,
Large Lisianassa, and Pronæa sage,
Euagore, and light Pontoporea,
And she, that with her least word can asswage
The surging seas, when they do sorest rage,
Cymodoce, and stout Autonoe,
And Neso, and Eione well in age,
And seeming still to smile, Glauconome,
And she that hight of many heastes Polynome,
Fresh Alimeda, deckt with girlond greene;
Hyponeo, with salt bedewed wrests:
Laomedia, like the christall sheene;
Liagore, much praisd for wise behests;
And Psamathe, for her brode snowy brests;
Cymo, Eupompe, and Themiste iust;
And she that vertue loues and vice detests
Euarna, and Menippe true in trust,
And Nemertea learned well to rule her lust.
Faerie Queene Update, August 20
over 1 year ago
– Sun, Aug 20, 2023 at 12:24:54 PM
This update contains some happy news!
The scope of our project was understandably taxing to our first copyeditor. It's so much material for one person to edit! She has done brilliant work, and I am forever indebted to her. But ultimately, we all decided it would be best for her to focus on the first three books while we found someone else to focus on the last half of the project.
Just as we were making this decision, we were contacted by a second copy editor with incredible qualifications. She has a PhD in Medieval Literature, has taught The Faerie Queene at the university level, and has completed research in 12th Century manuscripts. She has also worked in Latin, Anglo-Normal, French, Old English, Middle English, and Early Modern English texts. So, as she edits the text for formatting and grammar errors, she also can triple (quadruple?) check the rendering for accuracy.
I’ve been over the moon about it!
The editing is still slow going, but I feel so much more peaceful about it now. What a gift it is to know that competent editorial hands are free to focus on different parts of the project at once! It's also been great fun to find strong minds from around the world who love this poem and are eager to help more readers have access to it. I’m grateful beyond words.
This is my first Kickstarter project, so I wasn't prepared for how much the encouragement and support of our patrons would keep wind in our sails along the way! This support has been moving in the midst of a long process that is often rather solitary.
Yes, the funding aspect of Kickstarter has been a huge blessing, but your kinship has been just as much of a boon. Thank you for understanding our commitment to quality and for cheering us over the finish line. It's so good to have teammates. I am thankful for you.
Rebecca Reynolds
Faerie Queene Update
over 1 year ago
– Mon, Jul 31, 2023 at 06:27:29 PM
Greetings!
With this update, I'm sharing an image of Hannah Weston’s illustrated manuscript of one stanza of the original Faerie Queene. I’m thrilled with the beauty and thoughtfulness of her work, and I can't wait for many of you to receive an art print of this piece. Thanks to all of you who helped push us to this reward level!
Final edits are moving along, but they are going slower than I would like. Everybody is working hard, but the project requires editing of historical, geographical, and classical references and familiarity with Elizabethan language. So, there's a lot more to scrutinize than standard grammar/usage/mechanics.
We thought about hiring a second copy editor to speed things up, but that's not our first choice because The Faerie Queene builds upon itself, and it would be almost impossible to train someone new in the critical ins and outs of past content.
All that said, I don't think there's any way that we can complete the project by November. When I estimated a release date, I was thinking about how long it would take to finish my part of the writing. I hadn't taken into account the huge amount of time the content and copy editing would require of others.
My editors are doing extraordinary work, and they are making every page better. I'm profoundly thankful for them. But if we ever do something like this again, I'll know to leave more time for those who help complete the work after the main writing is done.
If we do have a delay (and I'm almost certain we will), we will offer a nice, downloadable Christmas card explaining the project so that you can present it to anyone receiving this set for the holidays.
That's all for now. Thank you again for taking this journey with us. We are so grateful for you!
Rebecca K. Reynolds
Faerie Queene Update
over 1 year ago
– Sat, Jun 24, 2023 at 04:33:12 PM
Apologies if this is the second update you've received from me today! I was almost finished with a post when it vanished into the ether. So, similar notes might be hitting twice. :)
At present, most of our energy is being spent on editing. Though all of the text has been rendered, and though all of it has been checked, I'm still obsessing about getting every word just right. It's always hard to know when to quit tweaking a writing project--but perhaps hardest to know when to quit perfecting something so big and so important as a 400-year-old epic poem.
Thankfully, a dear friend of mine who also happens to be a specialist in Renaissance lit has agreed to work back through the entire text. I trust his brain and his heart, so this extra set of eyes is providing a great deal of pre-launch comfort for me.
My primary focus is now on the footnotes. It's a challenge knowing what information to include and what to omit. Spenser's stories are so packed with layers, it would be possible to fill half of every page with bonus information. However, that would take away from the story focus we want for these books. In this final stage, we are looking for the perfect balance here.
A.C. Hamilton's highly annotated version of Spenser's original text contains a gold mine of footnoted information, and it remains the best source for new scholars wanting to dissect the original text. We won't have room for that level of information in our books. However, we do want to include enough to help new readers along their journey.
How then do we decide what footnotes are needed for this project? One option would be creating a hard-and-fast standard that makes the footnote decision for us. However, I am a bit more inclined to treat footnotes like a teacher walking students through a new text--nudging here and there where instinct tells me a bit more information felt helpful. In the next week, I hope to collect a bit more advice and make that call, then work back through the footnotes in all three volumes to add and subtract as needed.
My publisher has been wonderful about assuring me that we can collect feedback after our first print and then integrate changes before a second printing. So, if you want to send any insights you have after you receive your copies, I'll be taking your ideas seriously as we develop future editions.
Hannah Weston has sent me sketches of her illuminated manuscript for this project, and it is astounding. I knew she was brilliant before we asked her to do this, but she's outdone everything I've seen of her work in the past. I'm so thankful we reached that stretch goal.
The enamel Gloriana pins have been created, and they are lovely. I hope those of you who ordered them will love them as much as I do!
Mostly, we are in the "long hours of quiet work stage" of this endeavor. We are editing in three different places of the text right now, and it's wonderful watching readers with a heart for Spenser join together to make this work ring.
Thank you again for helping this project come to life. We are working hard behind the scenes to send you a treasure.
With gratitude,
Rebecca Reynolds
