Pictures from English Literature (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: niqht And " A gentle knight was pricking1 on the plain, Yclad2 in mighty arms and silver shield, Wherein old dints of deep wounds did remain, The cruel marks of many a bloody field; Yet arms till that time did he never wield. Full jolly knight he seemed, and fair did sit, As one for knightly jousts3 and fierce encounters fit. " And on his breast a bloody cross he bore, The dear remembrance of his dying Lord, For whose sweet sake that glorious badge he wore, And dead as living ever him adored. " A lovely lady rode him fair beside, Upon a lowly ass more white than snow, Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide Under a veil that wimpled4 was full low, 1 Pricking: riding rapidly. sYclad: clothed. 3Jousts: mock encounters on horseback. 'Wimpled: laid in folds. And over all a black stole5 she did throw, As one that inly mourned; so was she sad, And heavy sat upon her palfry slow: Seem'd in heart some hidden care she had, And by her in a line a milk-white lamb she led." It was Edmund Spenser, the poet-laureate of Queen Elizabeth's reign, who gave us this beautiful picture; but it is only one of the many exquisite scenes that he has portrayed in his wonderful poem, "The Faery Queene." Listen, and I will explain the picture to you. Once upon a time, the Queen of Fairy-Land was holding a festival of twelve days; and the knight who, during that time, could achieve the most glorious deed, was to be rewarded by a rich and beautiful prize. All the knights, far and near, hastened to give evidence of their skill and daring. On the first day of the festival, there came to the court a beautiful maiden riding upon a snow- white ass, and followed by a dwarf, leading a warlike steed that bore a suit of armor. The young girl, fa...