{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/efft/efft24.htm","path":"neu/eng/efft/efft24.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/efft/efft24.htm","text":"IN Britain's isle and Arthur's days, \n When midnight faeries daunc'd the maze.\n Liv'd Edwin of the green;\n Edwin, I wis, a gentle youth, \n Endow'd with courage, sense, and truth,\n Though badly shap'd he been.\nHis mountain back mote well be said \n To measure heighth against his head,\n And lift itself above:\n Yet spite of all that Nature did To make his uncouth form forbid, \n This creature dar'd to love.\nHe felt the charms of Edith's eyes, \n Nor wanted hope to gain the prize, \n Could ladies look within;\n But one Sir Topaz dress'd with art, \n And, if a shape could win a heart, \n He had a shape to win.\nEdwin, if right I read my song, \n With slighted passion pac'd along \n All in the moony light:\n 'Twas near an old enchanted court, \n Where sportive faeries made resort \n To revel out the night.\nHis heart was drear, his hope was crossd, \n 'Twas late, 'twas farr, the path was lost \n That reach'd the neighbour-town;\n With weary steps he quits the shades, \n Resolv'd the darkling dome he treads, \n And drops his limbs adown.\nBut scant he lays him on the floor, \n When hollow winds remove the door, \n A trembling rocks the ground:\n And, well I ween to count aright, \n At once an hundred tapers light \n On all the walls around.\nNow sounding tongues assail his ear, \n Now sounding feet approachen near, \n And now the sounds encrease;\n And from the corner where he lay \n He sees a train profusely gay \n Come pranckling o'er the place.\nBut, trust me, gentles, never yet \n Was dight a masquing half so neat, \n Or half so rich before;\n The country lent the sweet perfumes, \n The sea the pearl, the sky the plumes, \n The town its silken store.\nNow whilst he gazed, a gallant drest \n In flaunting robes above the rest, \n With awfull accent cried:\n \"What mortal of a wretched mind, \n Whose sighs infect the balmy wind, \n Has here presumed to hide?\"\nAt this the swain, whose venturous soul \n No fears of magic art controul, \n Advanc'd in open sight.\n \"Nor have I cause of dreed,\" he said, \n \"Who view, by no presumption led, \n Your revels of the night.\n\"'Twas grief for scorn of faithful love, \n Which made ray steps unweeting rove \n Amid the nightly dew.\"\n \"'Tis well,\" the gallant cries again, \n \"We faeries never injure men \n Who dare to tell us true.\n\"Exalt thy love-dejected heart, \n Be mine the task, or ere we part, \n To make thee grief resign;\n Now take the pleasure of thy chaunce; \n Whilst I with Mab, my partner, daunce, \n Be little Mable thine!\"\nHe spoke, and all a sudden there \n Light musick floats in wanton air; \n The monarch leads the queen;\n The rest their faerie partners found, \n And Mable trimly tript the ground \n With Edwin of the green.\nThe dauncing past, the board was laid, \n And siker such a feast was made\n As heart and lip desire;\n Withouten hands the dishes fly, \n The glasses with a wish come nigh,\n And with a wish retire\nBut now to please the faery king, \n Full every deal they laugh and sing, \n And antick feats devise;\n Some wind and tumble like an ape, \n And other-some transmute their shape \n In Edwin's wondering eyes.\nTill one at last that Robin hight, \n Renown'd for pinching maids by night, \n Has hent him up aloof;\n And full against the beam he flung, \n Where by the back the youth he hung \n To sprawl unneath the roof.\nFrom thence, \"Reverse my charm,\" he cries \n \"And let it fairly now suffice\n The gambol has been shown.\" \n But Oberon answers with a smile, \n \"Content thee, Edwin, for a while,\n The vantage is thine own.\"\nHere ended all the phantome play; \n They smelt the fresh approach of day, \n And heard a cock to crow;\n The whirling wind that bore the crowd \n Has clapp'd the door, and whistled loud \n To warn them all to go.\nThen screaming all at once they fly, \n And all at once the tapers die; \n Poor Edwin falls to floor;\n Forlorn his state, and dark the place, \n Was never wight in such a case \n Through all the land before.\nBut soon as Dan Apollo rose, \n Full jolly creature home he goes, \n He feels his back the less;\n His honest tongue and steady mind \n Han rid him of the lump behind \n Which made him want success.\nWith lusty livelyhed he talks, \n He seems adauncing as he walks; \n His story soon took wind;\n And beauteous Edith sees the youth, \n Endow'd with courage, sense, and truth, \n Without a bunch behind.\nThe story told, Sir Topaz mov'd, \n The youth of Edith erst approv'd, \n To see the revel scene.\n At close of eve he leaves his home, \n And wends to find the ruin'd dome \n All on the gloomy plain.\nAs there he bides, it so befell, \n The wind came rustling down a dell, \n A shaking seiz'd the wall:\n Up sprang the tapers as before, \n The faeries bragly foot the floor, \n And musick fills the hall.\nBut, certes, sorely sunk with woe, \n Sir Topaz sees the elfin show,\n His spirits in him die:\n When Oberon cries, \"A man is near \n A mortall passion, cleeped fear,\n Hangs flagging in the sky.\"\nWith that Sir Topaz, hapless youth, \n In accents faultering ay for ruth \n Intreats them pity graunt;\n For als he been a mister wight \n Betray'd by wandering in the night \n To tread the circled haunt.\n\"Ah losell vile!\" at once they roar, \n \"And little skill'd of faerie lore, \n Thy cause to come we know:\n Now has thy kestrell courage fell; \n And faeries, since a lie you tell, \n Are free to work thee woe.\"\nThen Will, who bears the wispy fire \n To trail the swains among the mire, \n The caitive upward flung;\n There like a tortoise in a shop \n He dangled from the chamber-top \n Where whilome Edwin hung.\nThe revel now proceeds apace, \n Deffly they frisk it o'er the place, \n They sit, they drink, and eat;\n The time with frolick mirth beguile, \n And poor Sir Topaz hangs the while \n Till all the rout retreat.\nBy this the starrs began to wink, \n They shriek, they fly, the tapers sink, \n And down ydrops the knight:\n For never spell by faerie laid \n With strong enchantment bound a glade \n Beyond the length of night.\nChill, dark, alone, adreed, he lay, \n Till up the welkin rose the day, \n Then deem'd the dole was o'er:\n But wot ye well his harder lot? \n His seely back the bunch has got \n Which Edwin lost afore.\nThis tale a Sybil-nurse ared; \n She softly stroked my youngling head,\n And when the tale was done,\n \"Thus some are born, my son,\" she cried\n \"With base impediment to rise,\n And some are born with none.\n\"But virtue can itself advance \n To what the favourite fools of chance\n By fortune seem'd design'd; \n Virtue can gain the odds of fate, \n And from itself shake off the weight\n Upon th' unworthy mind.\"\n1 T. Parnell Poems, Aldine Edition, p, 55.","title":"English Fairy and Other Folk Tales: Fairies: Edwin and Sir Topaz","type":"page"}