But this fell tyrant through his tortious powre
Had left her now but five of all that brood:
For twelve of them he did by times devoure,
And to his idols facrifice their blood,
Whyleft he of none was stopped nor withstood:
For foothly he was one of matchlesse might,
Of horrible aspect and dreadfull mood,
And had three bodies in one waft empight,
And th'armes and legs of three to fuccour him in fight.
And footh they say that he was borne and bred
Of gyants race, the fonne of Geryon,
He that whylome in Spaine fo fore was dred
For his huge powre and great oppreffion,
Which brought that land to his fubiection,
Through his three bodies powre in one combyn'd;
And eke all strangers, in that region
Arryving, to his kyne for food affynd;
The fayrest kyne alive, but of the fiercest kynd:
For they were all, they fay, of purple hew,
Kept by a cowheard, hight Eurytion,
A cruell carle, the which all strangers flew,
Ne day nor night did fleepe, t'attend them on,
But walkt about them ever and anone
With his two-headed dogge that Orthrus hight;
Orthrus begotten by great Typhaon
And foule Echidna in the house of Night:
But Hercules them all did overcome in fight.
His fonne was this Geryoneo hight;
Who after that his monstrous father fell
Under Alcides club ftreight tooke his flight
From that fad land, where he his fyre did quell,
And came to this, where Belge then did dwell,
And flourish in all wealth and happinesse,
Being then new made widow, as befell,
After her noble husbands late deceffe ;
Which gave beginning to her woe and wretchedneffe.
Then this bold tyrant of her widowhed
Taking advantage and her yet fresh woes,
Himfelfe and service to her offered
Her to defend against all forrein foes,
That should their powre againft her right oppose:
Whereof she glad, now needing strong defence,
Him entertayn'd, and did her champion chofe;
Which long he ufd with carefull diligence,
The better to confirme her fearleleffe confidence.
XIII.
By meanes whereof she did at last commit
All to his hands, and gave him foveraine powre
To doe whatever he thought good or fit:
Which having got, he gan forth from that howre
To stirre up ftrife and many a tragicke ftowre,
Giving her dearest children one by one
Unto a dreadfull monster to devoure,
And setting up an idole of his owne,
The image of his monstrous parent Geryone.
XIV.
So tyrannizing and oppreffing all,
The woefull widow had no meanes now left,
But unto gratious great Mercilla call
For ayde against that cruell tyrants theft,
Ere all her children he from her had reft:
Therefore these two, her eldest fonnes, fhe fent
To feeke for fuccour of this ladies gieft:
To whom their fute they humbly did present
In th'hearing of full many knights and ladies gent.
Amongst the which then fortuned to bee
The noble Briton prince with his brave peare;
Who when he none of all those knights did see
Haftily bent that enterprise to heare,
Nor undertake the fame for cowheard feare,
He stepped forth with courage bold and great,;
Admyr'd of all the reft in presence there,
And humbly gan that mightie queene entreat
To graunt him that adventure for his former feat.
She gladly graunted it: then he straightway
Himfelfe unto his iourney gan prepare,
And all his arm 'urs readie dight that day,
That nought the morrow next mote stay his fare.
The morrow next appear'd with purple hayre
Yet dropping fresh out of the Indian fount,
And bringing light into the heavens fayre,
When he was readie to his steede to mount
Unto his way, which now was all his care and count.
XVII.
Then taking humble leave of that great queene,
Who gave him roiall giftes and riches rare,
As tokens of her thankefull mind beseene,
And leaving Artegall to his owne care,
voyage forth he gan to fare
With those two gentle youthes, which him did guide
And all his way before him ftill
Ne after him did Artegall abide,
That to those fennes for fastnesse she did fly,
And there herselfe did hyde from his hard tyranny.
XIX.
There he her found in forrow and dismay,
All folitarie without living wight;
For all her other children through affray
Had hid themselves, or taken further flight:
And eke herselfe through fudden strange affright,
When one in armes fhe faw, began to fly;
But when her owne two fonnes fhe had in fight,
She
gan take hart and looke up ioyfully;
For well the wift this knight came fuccour to fupply.
And running unto them with greedy ioyes,
Fell ftraight about their neckes as they did kneele,
And bursting forth in teares; Ab my fweet boyes,
Sayd fhe, yet now I gin new life to feele;
And feeble fpirits, that gan faint and reele,
Now rife againe at this your ioyous fight.
Alreadie feemes that fortunes beadlong wheele
Begins to turne, and funne to fhine more bright
Then it was wont, through comfort of this noble knight.
XXI.
Then turning unto him; And you, fir knight,
Said fhe, that taken have this toylefome paine
For wretched woman, miferable wight,
May you in heaven immortall guerdon gaine
For jo great travell as you doe fuftaine:
For other meede may hope for none of mee,
To whom nought elfe but bare life doth remaine;
And that fo wretched one, as ye do fee
Is liker lingring death then loathed life to bee.
XXII.
Much was he moved with her piteous plight:
And low difmounting from his loftie steede
Gan to recomfort her all that he might,
Seeking to drive away deepe-rooted dreede
With hope of helpe in that her greatest neede :
So thence he wished her with him to wend
Unto fome place where they mote rest and feede,
And she take comfort which God now did fend:
Good hart in evils doth the evils much amend.
Ay me! fayd she, and whither shall I goe ?
Are not all places full of forraine powres?
My pallaces poffeffed of my foe,
My cities fackt, and their sky-threatning towres
Raced and made fmooth fields now full of flowres?
Onely these marishes and myrie bogs,.
In which the fearefull erftes do build their bowres,
Yeeld me an hoftry mongst the croking frogs,
And harbour bere in fafety from thofe ravenous dogs.
Nathleffe, faid he, deare ladie, with me goe,
Some place fhall us receive and barbour yield ;
If not, we will it force maugre your foe,
And purchase it to us with speare and shield;
And if all fayle, yet farewell open field:
The earth to all her creatures lodging lends.
With fuch his chearefull fpeaches he doth wield
Her mind fo well, that to his will she bends;
And bynding up her locks and weeds forth with him wends.
They came unto a citie farre up land,
The which whylome that ladies owne had bene;
But now by force extort out of her hand
By her ftrong foe, who had defaced cleene
Her stately towres and buildings funny fheene,
Shut up her haven, mard her marchants trade,
Robbed her people that full rich had beene,
And in her necke a castle huge had made,
The which did her commaund without needing perfwade.
XXVI.
That castle was the strength of all that state,
Untill that state by strength was pulled downe;
And that fame citie, fo now ruinate,
Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne;
Both goodly caftle, and both goodly towne,
Till that th'offended heavens lift to lowre
Upon their bliffe, and balefull fortune frowne:
When those gainst states and kingdomes do coniure,
Who then can thinke their hedlong ruine to recure?
XXVII.
But he had brought it now in fervile bond,
And made it beare the yoke of inquifition,
Stryving long time in vaine it to withstond;
Yet glad at last to make most base submislion,
And life enioy for any compofition:
So now he hath new lawes and orders new
Impofd on it with many a hard condition,
And forced it, the honour that is dew
To God, to doe unto his idole most untrew.
VOL. II.
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