And now he was in travell on his way,
Uppon an hard adventure fore beftad,
Whenas by chaunce he met uppon a day
With Artegall, returning yet halfe fad
From his late conqueft which he gotten had :
Who whenas each of other had a sight,
They knew themselves, and both their perfons rad :
When Calidore thus first; Haile nobleft knight
Of all this day on ground that breathen living spright :
Sir Calidore thence travelled not long,
Whenas by chaunce a comely fquire he found,
That thorough fome more mighty enemies wrong
Both hand and foote unto a tree was bound ;
Who seeing him from farre, with piteous found
Of his fhrill cries him called to his aide:
To whom approching in that painefull stound
When he him faw, for no demaunds he staide,
But firft him lofde, and afterwards thus to him faide;
Unhappy Squire, what hard mishap thee brought
Into this bay of perill and difgrace?
What cruell hand thy wretched thraldome wrought,
And thee captived in this shamefull place?
To whom he answered thus; My baplesse cafe
Is not occafiond through my misdesert,
But through misfortune, which did me abase
Unto this fhame, and my young hope fubvert,
Ere that I in her guilefull traines was well expert.
XIII.
Not farre from hence, uppon yond rocky bill,
Hard by a freight there ftands a castle ftrong,
Which doth obferve a cuftome lewd and ill,
And it bath long mayntaind with mighty wrong :
For may no knight nor lady paffe along
That way, (and yet they needs must paffe that way
By reafon of the ftreight and rocks among)
But they that ladies lockes doe fhave away,
And that knights berd for toll, which they for passage pay.
Thus whiles they spake they heard a ruefull shrieke
Of one loud crying, which they ftreightway ghest
That it was she the which for helpe did fecke.
Tho looking up unto the cry to lest,
They faw that carle from farre with hand unblest
Hayling that mayden by the yellow heare,
That all her garments from her fnowy brest,
And from her head her lockes he nigh did teare,
Ne would he spare for pitty, nor refraine for feare.
XVIII.
Which haynous fight when Calidore beheld,
Eftfoones he loofd that fquire, and fo him left
With hearts difmay and inward dolour queld,
For to pursue that villaine, which had reft
That piteous spoile by fo iniurious theft :
Whom overtaking, loude to him he cryde;
Leave, faytor, quickely that mifgotten weft
To him that hath it better iuftifyde,
And turne thee foone to him of whom thou art defyde,
Who hearkning to that voice himselfe upreard,
And seeing him so fiercely towardes make
Against him ftoutly ran, as nought afeard,
But rather more enrag'd for those words fake ;
And with fterne count'naunce thus unto him spake;
Art thou the caytive that defyeft me,
And for this mayd, whofe party thou doest take,
Wilt give thy beard, though it but little bee?
Yet fhall it not her lockes for raunfome fro me free.
With that he fiercely at him flew, and layd
On hideous strokes with most importune might,
That oft he made him stagger as unstayd,
And oft recuile to fhunre his fharpe defpight:
But Calidore, that was well skild in fight,
Him long forbore, and still his fpirite spar'd,
Lying in waite how him he damadge might:
But when he felt him shrinke, and come to ward,
He greater grew, and gan to drive at him more hard.
XXI.
Like as a water-ftreame, whofe fwelling fourfe
Shall drive a mill, within ftrong bancks is pent,
And long reftrayned of his ready course;
So foone as paffage is unto him lent,
Breakes forth, and makes his way more violent :
Such was the fury of fir Calidore,
When once he felt his foe-man to relent
He fiercely him purfu'd, and preffed fore,
Who as he still decayd, fo he encreased more.
The heavy burden of whofe dreadfull might
Whenas the carle no longer could fuftaine,
His heart gan faint, and streight he tooke his flight
Toward the castle, where if need constraine
His hope of refuge used to remaine :
Whom Calidore perceiving faft to flie,
He him purfu'd and chaced through the plaine,
That he for dread of death gan loude to crie
Unto the ward to open to him hastilie.
They from the wall him seeing so aghaft,
The gate foone opened to receive him in ;
But Calidore did follow him so fast,
That even in the porch he him did win,
And cleft his head afunder to his chin:
The carkaffe tumbling downe within the dore
pid choke the entraunce with a lumpe of fin,
That it could not be fhut, whileft Calidore
Did
enter in, and flew the porter on the flore,
VOL. II.
X
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