Elizabethan English Poetry
Edmund Spenser: The Faerie Qveene
16th century, Elizabethan English. Numerous printed copies.
The balm from this tree has the property that it can heal and rear again a senseless corpse appointed for the grave.
No sooner have Una and the Red Cross Knight, Saint George, reached Una’s home than a fearful dragon, that Una has brought her knight to confront, makes its appearance. It is a dreadful monster with brass scales, a red and black spotted tail ending in two poisonous spikes, iron teeth, razor claws and sail-like wings. Saint George sends Una to safety on a nearby hill and: By this the dreadful Beast drew nigh to hand, halfe flying, and half footing in his hast, that with his largeness measured much land and made wide shadow under his huge wast; as mountain doth the valley overcast. Approching nigh, he reared high afore, his body monstrous, horrible, and vast, which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more, was swolne with wrath, and poyson, and with bloudy gore.
Saint George makes a rush at the dragon but his lance makes not a mark on its scaly hide. The dragon lifts him, still seated upon his horse, high into the air but horse and man manage to break free when the dragon lands again and catching the beast a blow beneath the wing, Saint George manages to wound it. The dragon cries out with pain and with redoubled effort casts Saint George from his steed. But the Red Cross Knight is immediately back onto his feet with his sword drawn and the dragon tries to fly above the ground, fending off blows to its head, but cannot because of its injured wing.
Angered, the dragon sends a stream of flames towards the knight, whose armour, absorbing the heat, suddenly turns from friend to deadly enemy. In panic, the knight tries to remove the hot steel and the dragon, seeing his difficulty, whips its tail and knocks Saint George backwards where, luckily, there lies an ancient pool, the Spring of Life, that can revive the dead. For unto life the dead it could restore, and guilt of sinfull crimes cleane wash away, those that with sicknesse were infected sore, it could recure, and aged long decay renew, as one were born that very day.
Una looks on anxiously all night, praying that her knight is not slain. And in the morning, he emerges out of the well, wherein he drenched lay; as eagle fresh out of the Ocean wave, where he hath left his plumes all hoary gray, and deckt himselfe with feathers youthly gay... so new this new-borne knight to battell new did rise. Whom when the damned feend so fresh did spy, no wonder if he wondred at the sight, and doubted whether his late enemy it were, or other new supplied knight.
Immediately Saint George hews at the dragon’s head and wounds it. The dragon replies with a swing of its tail that pierces Saint George’s shoulder with one of its poisoned spikes. In anger the Red Cross Knight cuts off the dragon’s tail. It clutches hold of his shield and Saint George cuts off one of its toes, but still it will not let go. The dragon belches out another gout of smoke and flames; Saint George staggers backwards and falls into a pool of healing balm secreted by the Tree of Life, sibling to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It grows apples rosie red, as they in pure vermilion had beene dide , whereof great vertues over all were red : for happie life to all, which thereon fed, and life eke everlasting did befall: great God it planted in that blessed sted ...
.
From this tree there flows a spring of balm which overflowed all the fertill plaine, as it had deawed bene with timely raine: life and long health that gratious ointment gave, and deadly woundes could heale, and reare againe, the senselesse corse appointed for the grave. Into that same he fell: which did from death him save.
The balm from this tree has the property that it can heal and rear again a senseless corpse appointed for the grave.
By this time night is falling, and during the darkness, as Una again waits with trepidation, praying for the safety of her knight, Saint George is healed of all his wounds and rises again at dawn as though a new man. The dragon attacks, but Saint George plunges his sword into its mouth and destroys the beast. Una hardly dares to approach, but gathering her courage, and her joy, she comes to greet her victorious knight.