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XXIV.

With that the reft the which the castle kept
About him flockt, and hard at him did lay;
But he them all from him full lightly fwept,
As doth a steare in heat of fommers day
With his long taile the bryzes brush away.
Thence paffing forth into the hall he came,
Where of the lady felfe in fad dismay

He was ymett, who with uncomely shame

Gan him falute, and fowle upbrayd with faulty blame :
XXV.

Falle traytor knight, fayd fhe, no knight at all,
But fcorne of armes, that haft with guilty hand
Murdred my men, and flaine my fenefchall;
Now comeft thou to rob my houfe unmand,
And Spoile myfelfe that cannot thee withstand?
Yet doubt thou not, but that some better knight
Then thou, that fhall thy treafon understand,
Will it avenge, and pay thee with thy right :
And if none do, yet fhame fhall thee with fhame requight.

XXVI.

Much was the knight abashed at that word;
Yet answer'd thus; Not unto me the shame,.
But to the fhamefull doer it afford.
Bloud is no blemish; for it is no blame
To punish thofe that doe deferve the fame ;
But they that breake bands of civilitie,
And wicked cuftomes make, thofe doe defame
Both noble armes and gentle curtefie:
No greater frame to man then inhumanitie.

XXVII.

Then doe your felfe for dread of shame forgoe
This evill manner, which ye here maintaine,
And doe instead thereof mild curt fie showe
To all that paffe: that shall you glory gaine
More then his love, which thus ye feeke t'obtaine.
Wherewith all full of wrath she thus replyde;
Vile recreant, know that I doe much difdaine
Thy courteous lore, that doeft my love deride,
Who fcornes thy ydle fcoffe, and bids thee be defyde.

XXVIII. To

XXVIII.

To take defiaunce at a ladies word,

Quoth he, I hold it no indignity;

But were be here, that would it with his fword
Abett, perhaps he mote it deare aby.

Cowherd, quoth the, were not that thou wouldst fly
Ere he doe come, he should be foone in place.
If I doe fo, fayd he, then liberty

I leave to you for aye me to disgrace

With all thofe fhames, that erft ye fpake me to deface.

XXIX.

With that a dwarfe she cald to her in haft,
And taking from her hand a ring of gould
(A privy token which betweene them past)
Bad him to flie with all the speed he could
To Crudor, and defire him that he would
Vouchsafe to reskue her against a knight,
Who through ftrong powre had now herselfe in hould,
Having late flaine her fenechall in fight,

And all her people murdred with outragious might.

.XXX.

The dwarfe his way did haft, and went all night;
But Calidore did with her there abyde
The comming of that so much threatned knight;
Where that discourteous dame with fcornfull pryde
And fowle entreaty him indignifyde,

That yron heart it hardly could sustaine :
Yet he that could his wrath full wifely guyde
Did well endure her womanish disdaine,
And did himselfe from fraile impatience refraine.

XXXI.

The morrow next before the lampe of light
Above the earth upreard his flaming head,
The dwarf which bore that meffage to her knight
Brought aunfwere backe, that ere he tafted bread
He would her fuccour, and alive or dead
Her foe deliver up into her hand:
Therefore he wild her doe away all dread;
And that of him fhe mote affured ftand
He fent to her his basenet as a faithfull band.

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XXXII.

Thereof full blyth the lady streight became,
And gan t'augment her bitterneffe much more:
Yet no whit more appalled for the same,
Ne ought difmayed was fir Calidore;

But rather did more chearèfull feeme therefore:
And having foone his armes about him dight
Did iffue forth to meete his foe afore;

Where long he stayed not, whenas a knight

He fpide come pricking on with all his powre and might.
XXXIII.

Well weend he ftreight that he should be the fame
Which tooke in hand her quarrell to maintaine;
Ne stayd to aske if it were he by name,

But coucht his fpeare, and ran at him amaine.
They bene ymett in middeft of the plaine
With fo fell fury and difpiteous forse,

That neither could the others ftroke fuftaine,

But rudely rowld to ground both man and horfe, Neither of other taking pitty nor remorse.

XXXIV.
But Calidore uprofe againe full light,

Whiles yet his foe lay faft in fenceleffe found;
Yet would he not him hurt although he might:
For fhame he weend a fleeping wight to wound.
But when Briana faw that drery stound,
There where she stood uppon the caftle-wall,
She deem'd him fure to have bene dead on ground;
And made fuch piteous mourning therewithall,
That from the battlements fhe ready feem'd to fall.
XXXV.

Nathleffe at length himfelfe he did upreare

In luftleffe wife; as if against his will,
Ere he had slept his fill, he wakened were,
And gan to ftretch his limbs; which feeling ill
Of his late fall, awhile he refted ftill:

But when he faw his foe before in vew,

He fhooke off lufkifhneffe, and courage chill
Kindling afresh gan

battell to renew,

To prove if better foote then horfebacke would enfew.

XXXVI. There

XXXVI.

There then began a fearefull cruell fray
Betwixt them two for mayftery of might:
For both were wondrous practicke in that play,
And paffing well expert in fingle fight,
And both inflam'd with furious despight;
Which as it still encreast, so still increast
Their cruell strokes and terrible affright;
Ne once for ruth their rigour they releast,

Ne once to breath awhile their angers tempest ceaft.
XXXVII.

Thus long they trac'd and traverst to and fro,

And tryde all waies how each mote entrance make
Into the life of his malignant foe;

They hew'd their helmes, and plates afunder brake,
As they had pot-shares bene; for nought mote flake
Their greedy vengeaunces but goary blood;

That at the last like to a purple lake

Of bloudy gore congeal'd about them stood,
Which from their riven fides forth gushed like a flood.
XXXVIII.

At length it chaunft that both their hands on hie
At once did heave with all their powre and might,
Thinking the utmost of their force to trie,
And prove the finall fortune of the fight;
But Calidore, that was more quicke of fight
And nimbler-handed then his enemie,
Prevented him before his stroke could light,
And on the helmet fmote him formerlie,

That made him stoupe to ground with meeke humilitie:
XXXIX.

And ere he could recover foote againe,

He following that faire advantage faft

His stroke redoubled with fuch might and maine,
That him upon the ground he groveling caft;
And leaping to him light would have unlast
is helme, to make unto his vengeance way :
Who seeing in what daunger he was plast,
Cryde out, Ab mercie, fir, doe me not flay,
But fave my life which lot before your foot doth lay.

XL. With

XL.

With that his mortall hand awhile he stayd;
And having fomewhat calm'd his wrathfull heat
With goodly patience, thus he to him fayd,
And is the boaft of that proud ladies threat,
That menaced me from the field to beat,

Now brought to this? by this now may ye learne
Strangers no more fo rudely to entreat ;
But put away proud looke and ufage flerne,

The which fhal nought to you but foule dishonor yearne:

XLI.

For nothing is more blamefull to a knight,
That court fie doth as well as armes professe,
However ftrong and fortunate in fight,
Then the reproch of pride and cruelnesse :
In vaine ke fecketh others to fuppreffe,
Who hath not learnd himselfe first to fubdew :
All flesh is frayle and full of fickleneffe,
Subiect to fortunes chance, fill chaunging new ;
What haps to day to me to morrow may to you.

XLII.

Who will not mercie unto others fhew,
How can he mercy ever hope to have?
To pay each with his owne is right and dew:
Yet fince ye mercie now doe need to crave,
I will it graunt, your hopeleffe life to fave,
With thefe conditions which I will propound;
First, that ye better shall yourfelfe behave
Unto all errant knights, wherefo on ground;
Next that ye ladies ayde in every ftead and found.

XLIII.

The wretched man, that all this while did dwell
In dread of death, his heafts did gladly heare,
And promift to performe his precept well,
And whatfoever elfe he would requere.
So fuffring him to rife, he made him sweare
By his owne fword and by the crore thereon
To take Briana for his loving fere
Withouten dowre or compofition;

But to release his former foule condition.

XLIV. All

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