XII.

Whom when they heard so say, they lookt about

To weete if it were true as she had told;
Where when they faw their foes dead out of doubt,
Eftfoones they gan their wrothfull hands to hold,
And ventailes reare each other to behold.

Tho whenas Artegall did Arthure vew,
So faire a creature and fo wondrous bold,

He much admired both his heart and hew,
And touched with intire affection nigh him drew;
XIII.

Saying, Sir knight, of pardon I you pray,

That all unweeting have you wrong'd thus fore,
Suffring my hand against my heart to ftray:
Which if ye please forgive, I will therefore
Yeeld for amends myselfe yours evermore,
Or whatso penaunce fhall by you be red.
To whom the prince; Certes me needeth more
To crave the fame; whom errour fo misled,
As that I did miftake the living for the ded.
XIV.

But fith ye please that both our blames shall die,
Amends may for the trefpaffe foone be made,
Since neither is endamadg'd much thereby.
So can they both themselves full eath perfwade
To faire accordaunce, and both faults to fhade,
Either embracing other lovingly,

And fwearing faith to either on his blade,
Never thenceforth to nourish enmity,
But either others cause to maintaine mutually.

XV.

Then Artegall gan of the prince enquire,

What were those knights which there on ground were layd,

And had receiv'd their follies worthy hire,

And for what cause they chased so that mayd.

Certes I wote not well, the prince then fayd,
But by adventure found them faring so,

As by the way unweetingly I ftrayd,

And lo the damzell felfe, whence all did grow,

Of whom we may at will the whole occafion know.

XVI. Then

XVI.

Then they that damzell called to them nie,
And asked her, what were those two her fone,
From whom she earst so fast away did flie;
And what was she herselfe so woe begone,
And for what cause purfu'd of them attone?
To whom she thus; Then wote ye well that I
Doe ferve a queene that not far hence doth wone,
A princeffe of great powre and maieftie,

Famous through all the world, and honor'd far and nie.
XVII.

Her name Mercilla moft men use to call;

That is a mayden queene of high renowne,
For her great bounty knowen over all

And foveraine grace, with which her royall crowne
She doth fupport, and ftrongly beateth downe
The malice of ber foes which her envy,
And at her happinesse do fret and frowne ;
Yet fhe berfelfe the more doth magnify,
And even to her foes her mercies multiply.
XVIII.

Mongft many which maligne her happy ftate,
There is a mighty man, which wonnes hereby,
That with most fell defpight and deadly bate
Seekes to fubvert her crowne and dignity ;
And all his powre doth thereunto apply :
And her good knights (of which so brave a band
Serves her as any princesse under sky)
He either fpoiles, if they against him ftand,
Or to his part allures, and bribeth under band.

XIX.

Ne bim fufficeth all the wrong and ill,
Which he unto her people does each day;
But that he feekes by trayterous traines to Spill
Her perfon, and her facred felfe to flay:
That, o ye heavens, defend, and turne away
From her unto the miscreant himselfe!
That neither bath religion nor fay,
But makes bis god of his ungodly pelfe,
And idoles ferves: fo let his idols ferve the elfe,

Which my liege lady feeing, thought it best
With that his wife in friendly wife to deale,
For fint of ftrife and stablishment of rest
Both to berfelfe and to her common-weale,
And all forepaft displeasures to repeale.
So me in meffage unto her she fent,

To treat with her by way of enterdeale
of finall peace and faire attonement,

Which might concluded be by mutuall confent.
XXII.

All times have wont safe passage to afford
To meffengers that come for causes iuft:
But this proude dame difdayning all accord
Not onely into bitter termes forth brust,
Reviling me and rayling as she luft,
But lafly to make proofe of utmost shame,
Me like a dog fhe out of dores did thrust,
Mifcalling me by many a bitter name,
That never did her ill, ne once deferved blame.
XXIII.

And leftly, that no fhame might wanting be,
When I was gone, foone after me she fent
Thefe two falfe knights, whom there ye lying fee,
To be by them dishonoured and fhent :
But thankt be God, and your good hardiment,
They have the price of their owne folly payd.
So faid this damzell, that hight Samien:;
And to thofe knights for their fo noble ayd
Herfelfe moft gratefull fhew'd, and heaped thanks repayd.

XXIII. But

XXIV.

But they now having throughly heard and feene

All those great wrongs, the which that mayd complained
To have bene done against her lady queene

By that proud dame, which her fo much difdained,
Were moved much thereat, and twixt them fained
With all their force to worke avengement strong
Uppon the Souldan felfe, which it mayntained,
And on his lady, th'author of that wrong,
And uppon all those knights that did to her belong.
XXV.

But thinking best by counterfet disguise

To their defeigne to make the eafier way,
They did this complot twixt themselves devife;
First that fir Artegall should him array

Like one of those two knights which dead there lay;
And then that damzell, the fad Samient,

Should as his purchast prize with him convay
Unto the fouldans court, her to present

Unto his fcornefull lady, that for her had sent.

So as they had deviz'd, fir Artegall

XXVI.

Him clad in th'armour of a pagan knight,
And taking with him, as his vanquisht thrall,
That damzell, led her to the fouldans right:
Where foone as his proud wife of her had fight,
Forth of her window as the looking lay,

She weened ftreight it was her paynim knight,
Which brought that damzell as his purchast pray ;;
And sent to him a page that mote direct his way:
XXVII.

Who bringing them to their appointed place,
Offred his service to disarme the knight;,
But he refusing him to let unlace,

For doubt to be discovered by his fight,
Kept himselfe still in his ftraunge armour dight:
Soone after whom the prince arrived there,
And fending to the Souldan in defpight.
A bold defyance, did of him requere

That damfell whom he held as wrongfull prifonere..

XXVIII, Wherewith:

XXVIII.

Wherewith the Souldan all with furie fraught,
Swearing and banning most blafphemiously,
Commaunded ftraight his armour to be brought;
And mounting straight upon a charret hye
With yron wheeles and hookes arm'd dreadfully,

And drawne of cruell fteedes which he had fed
With flesh of men, whom through fell tyranny
He flaughtred had, and ere they were halfe ded
Their bodies to his beaftes for provender did fpred.

XXIX.

So forth he came all in a cote of plate

Burnifht with bloudie ruft; whiles on the greene
The Briton prince him readie did awayte
In glistering armes right goodly well befeene,
That shone as bright as doth the heaven sheene;
And by his stirrup Talus did attend,
Playing his pages part, as he had beene
Before directed by his lord; to th’end
He should his flaile to finall execution bend.
XXX.

Thus goe they both together to their geare
With like fierce minds, but meanings different:
For the proud Souldan with prefumptuous cheare,
And countenance fublime and infolent,

Sought onely flaughter and avengement;
But the brave prince for honour and for right
Gainft tortious powre and lawleffe regiment
In the behalfe of wronged weake did fight:
More in his causes truth he trusted then in might.
XXXI.

Like to the Thracian tyrant, who they fay

Unto his horses gave his guests for meat,
Till he himselfe was made their greedie pray,
And torne in pieces by Alcides great;

So thought the Souldan in his follies threat
Either the prince in peeces to have torne
With his sharpe wheeles in his first rages heat,
Or under his fierce horfes feet have borne,

And trampled downe in duft his thoughts disdained scorne.

XXXII. But