Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, ed. Poems of Places: An Anthology in 31 Volumes.
Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Holland: Vols. XIV–XV. 1876–79.
Belgium
By Edmund Spenser (1552?1599)A
There came two Springals of full tender yeares,
Farre thence from forrein land where they did dwell,
To seeke for succour of her and her Peares,
With humble prayers and intreatfull teares;
Sent by their Mother who, a Widow, was
Wrapt in great dolours and in deadly feares
By a strong Tyrant, who invaded has
Her land, and slaine her children ruefully, alas!
A Lady of great worth and wealth had beene,
And Mother of a frutefull heritage,
Even seventeene goodly Sonnes; which who had seene
In their first flowre, before this fatall teene
Them overtooke and their faire blossomes blasted,
More happie Mother would her surely weene
Then famous Niobe, before she tasted
Latonaes childrens wrath that all her issue wasted.
Had left her now but five of all that brood:
For twelve of them he did by times devoure,
And to his Idols sacrifice their blood,
Whilest he of none was stopped nor withstood:
For soothly he was one of matchlesse might,
Of horrible aspéct and dreadfull mood,
And had three bodies in one wast empight,
And th’ armes and legs of three to succour him in fight.