That all

your other praises will deface, And from you turne the love of men to hate: Enfample take of Mirabellaes cafe,

Who from the high degree of happy state Fell into wretched woes, which she repented late.

III.

Who after thraldome of the gentle Squire,
Which the beheld with lamentable eye,
Was touched with compaffion entire,
And much lamented his calamity,
That for her fake fell into mifery;
Which booted nought for prayers nor for
threat

To hope for to release or mollify;

For aye the more that she did them entreat, The more they him mifuft, and cruelly did beat.

IV.

So as they forward on their way did pas,
Him ftill reviling and afflicting fore,

They met Prince Arthure with Sir Enias,
(That was that courteous Knight, whom he

before

Having fubdew'd

yet did to life restore ;) To whom as they approcht, they gan aug

ment

III. 6.

not.

CHURCH.

nought] The fecond and third folios,

IV. 4. That was that courteous Knight,] F. Q. vi. vii. 12.

UPTON.

Their cruelty, and him to punifh n Scourging and haling him more ve As if it them should grieve to fee h

ment.

V.

The Squire himfelfe, whenas he faw The witneffe of his wretchedneffe i Was much asham'd that with an cord

He like a dog was led in captive ca And did his head for bafhfulneffe al As loth to fee or to be seene at all; Shame would be hid: But whenas Beheld two fuch, of two fuch Villain His manly mynde was much emmove withall;

VI.

And to the Prince thus fayd; "See Knight,

The greatest shame that ever eye ye
Yond Lady and her Squire with fo
pight

Abusde, against all reason and all la
Without regard of pitty or of awe!
See! how they doe that Squire b

revile!

See! how they doe the Lady h draw!

But, if ye please to lend me leave aw

I will them foone acquite, and both of blame affoile."

VII.

The Prince affented; and then he, ftreightway Difmounting light, his fhield about him

threw,

With which approaching thus he gan to fay; "Abide, ye caytive treachetours untrew, That have with treason thralled unto you These two, unworthy of your wretched bands; And now your crime with cruelty purfew: Abide, and from them lay your loathly hands; Or elfe abide the Death that hard before ftands."

VIII.

The Villaine stayd not aunswer to invent;

you

VI. 9. I will &c.] That is, I will foon release them from the reproach they now fuffer. CHURCH.

VII. 4. - treachetours] Traitors. Chaucer ufes treachour in this fenfe; which word is alfo employed by Spenfer. Treachetour fomewhat refembles the word tregetour, a name formerly applied to magicians, i. e. to that kind of them who were skilled in fleight of hand, &c. See Mr. Tyrwhitt's note on tregetoures, Chaucer's Cant. T. 11453, where he fays "The Gloffary derives tregetour from the Barb. Lat. tricator; but the derivatives of that family are tricheur, tricherie, trick, &c. Nor can I find the word tregetour in any language but our It seems clearly to be formed from treget, which is frequently used by Chaucer for deccit, impofture." TODD. the Death that hard before you ftands.] So all the editions. But I could wish to have found, "the Death that hard behind you stands—”

own.

VII. 9.

as in F. Q. ii. viii. 37.

"Lo! where the dreadfull Death behynd thy backe doth

But, with his yron club preparing
His mindes fad meffage backe unto
The which defcended with fuch dread
That feemed nought the course
could stay,

No more then lightening from the
Ne lift the Knight the powre there
Whofe doome was death; but, lig
ping by,

Unwares defrauded his intended defti

IX.

And, to requite him with the like aga With his fharpe fword he fiercely at And ftrooke fo ftrongly, that the C

And

paine

Saved himfelfe but that he there hi
Yet fav'd not fo, but that the blood
gave
his Foe good hope of vic
Who, therewith flefht, upon him fet
And with the fecond ftroke thou

tainely

To have fupplyde the firft, and paide t

X.

But Fortune aunfwerd not unto his ca

For, as his hand was heaved

up on The Villaine met him in the middle

And with his club bet backe his bro

bright

So forcibly, that with his owne hand

Rebeaten backe upon himfelfe againe

He driven was to ground in felfe defpight; From whence ere he recovery could gaine, He in his necke had fet his foote with fell difdaine.

XI.

With that the Foole, which did that end awayte, Came running in; and, whileft on ground

he lay,

Laide heavy hands on him and held fo ftrayte,

That downe he kept him with his fcornefull fway,

So as he could not weld him any way:

The whiles that other Villaine went about

Him to have bound and thrald without

delay;

The whiles the Foole did him revile and

flout,

Threatning to yoke them two and tame their corage ftout.

XII.

As when a sturdy ploughman with his hynde

XI. 5. So as he could not weld him] Wield, direct or manage himself any way: him for himfelf is frequent in Spenfer. UPTON.

XI. 9.

them two] Sir Enias and Timias.

CHURCH.

XII. 1. As when a furdy ploughman] This fimile feems taken from Propertius, L. ii. Eleg. 25. ver. 47.

"Sed non ante gravis taurus fuccumbit aratro,
"Cornua quàin validis hæferit in laqueis."