The Faery Queen and Her Knights: Stories Retold from Edmund Spenser

by Alfred John Church; Edmund Spenser

Agapé was greatly frightened at these words. Still she held to her purpose, and with many prayers and entreaties prevailed upon her that held the spindle, for she was less hard of heart than the sister who held the shears, to show her the threads of the three youths. When she saw them she cried, “I pray you draw them out longer and of a stouter thread.”

“Nay,” said the sister, “think you, O foolish one, that the purposes of the Fates may be changed as are the purposes of men? It is not so; what they decree stands fast for ever; the gods may not move it by one hair’s-breadth, no, nor the ruler of the gods himself.”

Then answered Agapé: “If this be so, if you cannot add one jot to the thread of any man’s life, still there is a boon which you can give me. I see the thread of my eldest son, and it is, I perceive, the shortest of the three. Grant that when it is cut with the shears, it may be added to the thread of the second, and that in like manner when the thread of the second is cut, it may be joined to the third. So shall he have a treble portion, and yet the whole shall not have been increased.”

The sisters said, “This shall be so.” Thereupon the Lady Agapé departed to her own home. She told her sons nothing of this journey which she had taken, or of the things which she had seen and heard, or of the boon which had been granted to her in the matter of their lives. But she said to them, not at that time only, but after, whenever she could find occasion: “O my sons, be careful and walk in safe ways; but, above all things, love one another, whatever may befall.” And this they did all their lives. Never was there any strife between them, but only great friendship and concord, of which the most signal proof is now to be told.

There was a fair lady in those parts, Canacé by name, who was wiser than all the women of her day. She knew all the powers of nature, and could see beforehand the things that should come to pass, and knew the speech of beasts and birds. And as she was wise above all others, so also did she excel in goodness. To these things she added also a singular beauty, so that many lords and knights of the land came to woo her. To these she bare herself rightly courteously, but favoured none, no, not so much as by a word or a look. But it came to pass, as is the way in such matters, that the more she held herself aloof, the more eagerly did these lords and knights urge their suit upon her. And not a few quarrels came about on her account, one suitor meeting another in battle. Now this Canacé had a brother, Cambell by name, as brave and stout a knight as ever lived. And he, seeing that great mischief might arise out of these quarrels concerning his sister, caused all her wooers to come together, and made this proclamation among them:

“Ye Lords and Knights that seek my sister Canacé in marriage, choose now from among yourselves the three whom you judge to be the boldest and most skilful in battle among you, and let them meet me in combat, man by man, and it shall be that whosoever of the three shall prevail over me shall have my sister to wife.”

Now this Cambell was, as has been already said, a brave knight and a stout; yet for all his strength and courage he had scarcely dared to stand up in this fashion against so many. For, indeed, it might well come to pass, such are the chances of battle, that one or other might prevail over him, not being the better man, but by reason of some accident. But there was that which encouraged him to dare so much, to wit, a magic ring which his sister had given him. It was a ring of many virtues, but the chief of them all was this, that if he who wore it should be wounded, this ring straightway staunched the bleeding.

Now this matter of the magic ring and its marvellous virtues was known to all, and the suitors of the Lady Canacé were, for the most part, terrified by it, so that they would not venture on the battle. “Fair she is without doubt,” they said, “but it would be a fool’s part to venture life even for her.” Nevertheless there were three among them who were not of this way of thinking, and these three were the brothers Priamond, Diamond, and Triamond. They all loved the Princess, and yet, so brotherly were they in heart and mind, that there was not a thought of anger or jealousy among them. “Let her choose,” said they, “between us, and we will be content with her choice. Or, if the judgment be left to the sword, then let him be preferred who shall overcome this her brother Cambell.”

So the three addressed themselves to the battle in the order of their age. First came Priamond, the eldest, a stout knight to hold his place, but he was not so strong to strike as are some. He loved to fight on foot, and his arms were the spear and the battle-axe. Next to him was Diamond; he was one to deal mighty blows, but he was not so good in holding his ground. Whether he were on horseback or on foot he cared not, so that he had his battle-axe in hand, for with this he loved to fight. Last of all came Triamond. There was no man better than he, whether to stand or to strike; the fight on horseback pleased him best, and his arms were spear and shield.

On a set day the lists were prepared. Barriers were made to keep off the press of the people. At one end sat six judges, who should see that all things were done decently and in order, and that neither this warrior nor that should take undue advantage; and at the other was set the fair Canacé on a stage, that she might see the battle and herself be seen. The first that came into the lists was Sir Cambell. Noble was his mien and assured his look, as of one that knew certainly that he should prevail. After him advanced the three brothers, bravely attired and shining in arms, each with his banner borne before him. Thrice did they bow themselves before the fair Canacé, and then a blast of the trumpet gave the signal for battle.