Spenser's Faerie Queene, Vol. 2 (of 2)

Canto VI

What man that sees the euer-whirling wheele i
Of Change, the which all mortall things doth sway,
But that therby doth find, and plainly feele,
How MVTABILITY in them doth play
Her cruell sports, to many mens decay?
Which that to all may better yet appeare,
I will rehearse that whylome I heard say,
How she at first her selfe began to reare,
Gainst all the Gods, and th’empire sought from them to beare.

But first, here falleth fittest to vnfold ii
Her antique race and linage ancient,
As I haue found it registred of old,
In Faery Land mongst records permanent:
She was, to weet, a daughter by descent
Of those old Titans, that did whylome striue
With Saturnes sonne for heauens regiment.
Whom, though high Ioue of kingdome did depriue,
Yet many of their stemme long after did surviue.

And many of them, afterwards obtain’d iii
Great power of Ioue, and high authority;
As Hecaté, in whose almighty hand,
He plac’t all rule and principality,
To be by her disposed diuersly,
To Gods, and men, as she them list diuide:
And drad Bellona, that doth sound on hie
Warres and allarums vnto Nations wide,
That makes both heauen and earth to tremble at her pride.