VIII.

But th' other, ayming better, did him fmite Full in the fhield with fo impetuous powre, That all his launce in peeces fhivered quite, And scattered all about fell on the flowre: But the ftout Prince with much more steddy ftowre

Full on his bever did him strike fo fore,
That the cold fteele through piercing did
devowre

His vitall breath, and to the ground him

bore,

Where still he bathed lay in his own bloody gore.

IX.

As when a caft of faulcons make their flight At an herneshaw, that lyes aloft on wing, The whyles they strike at him with heedleffe might,

The warie foule his bill deth backward wring; On which the firft, whofe force her firft doth bring,

Herfelfe quite through the bodie doth engore,

compares Minerva's defcent from heaven to a fhooting star or glancing meteor, Il. . 75. Ovid compares the fall of Phaëton to a shooting star; and Milton the defcent of Uriel, Par. L. B. iv. 556. UPTON.

IX. 1. As when a cast of faulcons make their flight

hawks.

At an hernefhaw,] A caft of faulcons is a couple of CHURCH.

So Sidney, in his Arcadia, p. 108. "A caft of merlins.But the fport, which for that day Bafilius would principally shew to Zelmane was the mounty at a hearne, &c." UPTON.

And falleth downe to ground like fenfeleffe

thing;

But th' other, not fo fwift as the before, Fayles of her foufe, and paffing by doth hurt

no more.

X.

By this the other, which was paffed by,
Himfelfe recovering, was return'd to fight;
Where when he faw his fellow lifeleffe ly,
He much was daunted with fo dismal fight;
Yet, nought abating of his former spight,
Let drive at him with fo malitious mynd,
As if he would have paffed through him
quight:

But the fteele-head no ftedfaft hold could fynd, But glauncing by deceiv'd him of that he defynd.

XI.

Not fo the Prince; for his well-learned speare Tooke furer hould, and from his horfes backe Above a launces length him forth did beare, And gainst the cold hard earth fo fore him ftrake,

That all his bones in peeces nigh he brake, Where seeing him fo lie, he left his steed, And, to him leaping, vengeance thought to

take

Of him, for all his former follies meed, With flaming fword in hand his terror more to breed.

XII.

The fearfull Swayne beholding death fo nie
Cryde out aloud, for mercie, him to fave;
In lieu whereof he would to him defcrie
Great treafon to him meant, his life to reave.
The Prince foone hearkned, and his life
forgave.

Then thus faid he; "There is a ftraunger
Knight,

The which, for promife of great meed, us drave To this attempt, to wreake his hid defpight, For that himfelfe thereto did want fufficient

might."

XIII.

The Prince much mufed at fuch villenie, And fayd; "Now fure ye well have earn'd your meed;

For th' one is dead, and th' other foone fhall die,

Unleffe to me thou hither bring with speed The wretch that hyr'd you to this wicked deed."

He glad of life, and willing eke to wreake The guilt on him which did this mischiefe breed,

Swore by his fword, that neither day nor weeke

He would furceaffe, but him wherefo he were

would feeke.

So

up

XIV.

he rofe, and forth ftreightway he went Backe to the place where Turpine late he

lore;

There he him found in great aftonishment, To fee him fo bedight with bloodie gore And griefly wounds, that him appalled fore. Yet thus at length he faid; "How now,

Knight,

Sir

What meaneth this which here I fee before? How fortuneth this foule uncomely plight, So different from that which earst ye feem'd in fight?"

66

-XV.

Perdie," faid he, " in evill houre it fell,
That ever I for meed did undertake

So hard a taske as life for hyre to sell;
The which I earft adventur'd for your fake:
Witneffe the wounds, and this wide bloudie
lake,

Which ye may fee yet all about me fteeme. Therefore now yeeld, as ye did promife make, My due reward, the which right well I deeme I yearned have, that life fo dearely did redeeme."

XV. 9. I yearned ha,] I have gained or deferved. See alfo F. Q. vi. i. 40, and the note on earne, F. Q. iv. x. 9, where, as in the prefent inftance, it may be seen that Spenfer fometimes fpells the word, which we now spell eurne, yearne; and vice versa. However, earne was formerly a common

XVI.

"But where then is," quoth he halfe wrothfully, "Where is the bootie, which therefore I bought,

That curfed caytive, my strong enemy,

That recreant Knight, whofe hated life I fought?

And where is eke your friend which halfe it ought ?"

"He lyes," faid he, "upon the cold bare ground,

Slayne of that Errant Knight with whom he fought;

Whom afterwards myfelfe with many a wound Did flay againe, as ye may fee there in the ftound."

XVII.

Thereof falfe Turpin was full glad and faine, And needs with him ftreight to the place would ryde,

Where he himselfe might fee his foeman
flaine;

For elfe his feare could not be fatisfyde.
So, as they rode, he faw the way all dyde

fpelling for yearne. See Cotgrave's Dict. in V. Friffonner, "to tremble, to earne through cold or feare." See alfo ibid, in VV. earne and yearne. TODD.

XVI: 5.

had a right to. CHURCH.

ought?] Owned,