When all men had with full fatietie
Of meates and drinkes their appetites fuffiz'd, To decies of armes and proofe of chevalrie They gan themselves addreffe, full rich aguiz'd, As each one had his furnitures deviz'd.
And first of all iffu'd fir Marinell,
And with him fixe knights more, which enterpriz'd To chalenge all in right of Florimell,
And to maintaine that fhe all others did excell.
The first of them was hight fir Orimont, A noble knight, and tride in hard aflayes: The fecond had to name fir Bellifont, But fecond unto none in proweffe prayfe: The third was Brunell, famous in his dayes: The fourth Ecaftor, of exceeding might : The fift Armeddan, fkild in lovely layes: The fixt was Lanfack, a redoubted knight: All fixe well feene in armes, and prov'd in many a fight.
And them against came all that lift to giuft, From every coaft and countrie under funne: None was debard, but all had leave that lust. The trompets found; then all together ronne. Full many deeds of armes that day were donne ; many And many knights unhorst, and wounded, As fortune fell; yet little loft or wonne :
But all that day the greatest prayse redounded To Marinell, whofe name the heralds loud refounded.
The third day came, that should due tryall lend Of all the reft; and then this warlike crew Together met, of all to make an end.
There Marinell great deeds of armes did shew; And through the thickest like a lyon flew, Rafhing off helmes, and ryving plates afonder; That every one his daunger did eschew :
So terribly his dreadfull strokes did thonder,
That all men stood amaz'd, and at his might did wonder.
But what on earth can alwayes happie ftand? The greater proweffe greater perils find. So farre he past amongst his enemies band, That they have him enclosed so behind, As by no meanes he can himselfe outwind: And now perforce they have him prisoner taken; And now they doe with captive bands him bind'; And now they lead him thence, of all forfaken, Unleffe fome fuccour had in time him overtaken.
It fortun'd, whyleft they were thus ill befet, Sir Artegall into the tilt-yard came, With Braggadochio, whom he lately met Upon the way with that his fnowy dame : Where when he understood by common fame, What evil hap to Marinell betid,
He much was mov'd at fo unworthie shame, And streight that boaster prayd, with whom he rid, To change his fhield with him, to be the better hid.
So forth he went, and foone them over-hent, Where they were leading Marinell away; Whom he affayld with dreadlesse hardiment, And forft the burden of their prize to stay. They were an hundred knights of that array; Of which th❜one halfe upon himselfe did set,. Th'other stayd behind to gard the pray :
But he ere long the former fiftie bet; And from th'other fiftie foone the prisoner fet.
So backe he brought fir Marinell againe; Whom having quickly arm'd againe anew, They both together ioyned might and maine, To fet afresh on all the other crew:
Whom with fore havocke foone they overthrew, And chaced quite out of the field, that none Against them durft his head to perill fhew. So were they left lords of the field alone :
So Marinell by him was rescu'd from his fone.
Which when he had perform'd, then backe againe To Braggadochio did his shield restore : Who all this while behind him did remaine, Keeping there close with him in pretious store That his falfe ladie, as ye heard afore.
Then did the trompets found, and iudges rofe, And all these knights, which that day armour bore, Came to the open hall to listen whose
The honour of the prize should be adiudg'd by those. XIV.
And thether alfo came in open fight Fayre Florimell into the common hall, To greet his guerdon unto every knight,
And beft to him to whom the best should fall. Then for that stranger knight they loud did call, To whom that day they fhould the girlond yield; Who came not forth: but for fir Artegall Came Braggadochio, and did fhew his shield, Which bore the funne brode blazed in a golden field.
The fight whereof did all with gladnesse fill : So unto him they did addeeme the prise Of all that tryumph. then the trompets shrill Don Braggadochios name refounded thrife: So courage lent a cloke to cowardife: And then to him came fayreft Florimell, And goodly gan to greet his brave emprise, And thousand thankes him yeeld, that had so well Approv'd that day that she all others did excell.
To whom the boafter, that all knights did blot, With proud difdaine did scornefull answere make, That what he did that day, he did it not For her, but for his owne deare ladies fake,' Whom on his perill he did undertake Both her and eke all others to excell : And further did uncomely fpeaches crake, Much did his words the gentle ladie quell,
And turn'd aside for shame to heare what he did tell.
Then forth he brought his snowy Florimele, Whom Trompart had in keeping there befide, Covered from peoples gazement with a vele: Whom when discovered they had throughly eide, With great amazement they were stupefide; And said, that furely Florimell it was, Or if it were not Florimell so tride, That Florimell herfelfe the then did pas. So feeble skill of perfect things the vulgar has. XVIII.
Which whenas Marinell beheld likewise, He was therewith exceedingly dismayd; Ne wift he what to thinke, or to devife: But like as one whom feends had made affrayd, He long astonisht stood, ne ought he fayd, Ne ought he did, but with fast fixed eies He gazed still upon that fnowy mayd; Whom ever as he did the more avize,
The more to be true Florimell he did furmize.
As when two funnes appeare in th' azure skye, Mounted in Phoebus charet fierie bright, Both darting forth faire beames to each mans eye, And both adorn'd with lampes of flaming light; All that behold fo ftrange prodigious fight, Not knowing natures worke, nor what to weene, Are rapt with wonder and with rare affright. So ftood fir Marinell when he had seene
The semblant of this falfe by his faire beauties queene.
All which when Artegall, who all this while Stood in the preaffe clofe covered, well had vewed, And saw that boasters pride and graceleffe guile, He could no longer beare, but forth iffewed, And unto all himselfe there open fhewed, And to the boafter faid, Thou lofell bafe, That haft with borrowed plumes thyfelfe endered, And others worth with leafings doeft deface, When they are all reftor'd thou shalt reft in disgrace,
That shield which thou doeft beare was it indeed Which this dayes honour fav'd to Marinell; But not that arme, nor thou the man I reed, Which didft that fervice unto Florimell: For proofe fhew forth thy fword, and let it tell What firokes, what dreadfull floure it fird this day: Or fhew the wounds which unto thee befell; Or fhew the fweat with which thou diddeft fway So fharpe a battell, that fo many did difmay,
But this the fword which wrought thofe cruell founds, And this the arme the which that shield did beare, And thefe the fignes, (fo fhewed forth his wounds) By which that glorie gotten doth appeare. As for this ladie, which he fheweth here, Is not (I wager) Florimell at all; But fome fayre franion fit for fuch a fere, That by misfortune in his hand did fall.
For proofe whereof he bad them Florimell forth call,
So forth the noble ladie was ybrought,
Adorn'd with honor and all comely grace : Whereto her bashfull shamefaftneffe ywrought
A great increase in her faire blushing face; As rofes did with lillies interlace:
For of those words, the which that boafter threw, She inly yet conceived great difgrace:
Whom whenas all the people fuch did vew,
They shouted loud, and fignes of gladneffe all did fhew.
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