"I remember hellfire and brimstone be damned / I remember trembling at the touch of your hand"

[larryhammer]

Found in a file, a fragment from The Faerie Ringe by J.R.R. Spenser:

A Gentle Hobbitt walked on a waste,
   Ycladd in ragged cloathes and elfen cloke,
   Wherein with rents of hard weare were defas'd,
   The cruell markes of many a steppe foresoke;
   Yet journey till that time he never toke:
   His angry guide did chide his captaiv rope
   As much disdayning to be pull'd and choke:
   Full weary halflinge he, and try'd to cope
As one for mighty giusts, tho he was without hope.

But on his hand a golden Ringe he bore,
   The foule remenmant of its evil Lord,
   For whose dreade sake that daungrous round he wore,
   Who living wights he ever had abhor'd:
   Upon his chest a wound was also scor'd,
   That never healed, tho kinges his help he had:
   Right faithfull true king was in deede and word,
   But kingesfoill ne could ease him dollefull sad;
And Morgulle did he dread, and ever had ydrad.

Upon a dyre adventure he was bond
   That goodly Gandalff Grayhame to him gave,
   That greatest wizard of the Middle Lond,
   To wreck the ring, and free menns deathes to stave,
   Which of all earthly things he most did crave;
   And ever as he trudg'd, his hart did burn
   To feare despaire would not then hold him brave
   Upon the crack, and needefull force would learne;
Upon the crack of Doome, most horrible and stearne.

I don't know whether "remenmant" was intentional or simple misspelling. Always a problem with faux archaicism.

---L.

Comments

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Chatterton would be proud!

[larryhammer]

The languge is nearly as authentic as his, anyway.

---L.

[movingfinger.livejournal.com]

Now to introduce it into the proper wad of papers padding some antient tome scheduled for rebinding...

[larryhammer]

I was thinking more for wrapping an order of fish-and-chips.

---L.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

I **love** this. I'd like to see it done up with illuminated first letters for each verse, and vines and illustrative marginalia.

[pdlloyd.livejournal.com]

Fun. I always did like Spenser. It's good to come across a new fragment of his work, showing his understanding of those important texts that have driven so much good literature.