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Thus passing th' evening well, till time of rest,
Then Britomart unto a bowre was brought;
Where groomes awayted her to have undrest:
But she ne would undressed be for ought,

Ne doffe her armes, though be her much besought:
For she had vow'd, she sayd, not to forgo
Those warlike weedes, till she revenge had wrought
Of a late wrong uppon a mortall foe;

Which she would sure performe betide her wele or wo.
Which when their host perceiv'd, right discontent
In minde he grew, for feare least by that art
He should his purpose misse, which close he ment:
Yet taking leave of her he did depart:
There all that night remained Britomart,
Restlesse, recomfortlesse, with heart deepe-grieved,
Not suffering the least twinckling sleepe to start
Into her eye, which th' heart mote have relieved;
But if the least appear'd, her eyes she streight re
prieved.

But, soone as he began to lay about
With his rude yron flaile, they gan to flie,
Both armed knights and eke unarmed rout:
Yet Talus after them apace did plie,
Wherever in the darke he could them spie;
That here and there like scattred sheepe they lay.
Then, backe returning where his dame did lie,
He to her told the story of that fray,
And all that treason there intended did bewray.

Wherewith though wondrous wroth, and inly burning
To be avenged for so fowle a deede,

Yet being forst t' abide the daies returning,
She there remain'd; but with right wary heede,
Least any more such practise should proceede.
Now mote ye know (that which to Britomart
Unknowen was) whence all this did proceede;
And for what cause so great mischievous smart
Was ment to her that never evill ment in hart.

"Ye guilty eyes," sayd she, "the which with guyle The goodman of this house was Dolon hight;

My heart at first betrayd, will ye betray
My life now too, for which a little whyle
Ye will not watch? false watches, wellaway!
I wote when ye did watch both night and day
Unto your losse; and now needes will ye sleepe?
Now ye have made my heart to wake alway,
Now will ye sleepe? ah! wake, and rather weepe
To thinke of your nights want, that should yee
waking keepe."

Thus did she watch, and weare the weary night
In waylfull plaints, that none was to appease ;
Now walking soft, now sitting still upright,
As sundry chaunge her seemed best to ease.
Ne lesse did Talus suffer sleepe to seaze
His eye-lids sad, but watcht continually,
Lying without her dore in great disease;
Like to a spaniell wayting carefully

Least any should betray his lady treacherously.
What time the native belman of the night,,
The bird that warned Peter of his fall,
First rings his silver bell t' each sleepy wight,
That should their mindes up to devotion call,
She heard a wondrous noise below the hall:
All sodainely the bed, where she should lie,
By a false trap was let adowne to fall
Into a lower roome, and by and by
The loft was raysd againe, that no man could it spie.
With sight whereof she was dismayd right sore,
Perceiving well the treason which was ment:
Yet stirred not at all for doubt of more,
But kept her place with courage confident,
Wayting what would ensue of that event.
It was not long before she heard the sound
Of armed men comming with close intent
Towards her chamber; at which dreadfull stound
She quickly caught her sword, and shield about her

bound.

With that there came unto her chamber dore
Two knights all armed ready for to fight;
And after them full many other more,
A raskall rout, with weapons rudely dight:
Whom soone as Talus spide by glims of night,
He started up, there where on ground he lay,
And in his hand his thresher ready keight:
They, seeing that, let drive at him streightway,
And round about him preace in riotous aray.

A man of subtill wit and wicked minde,
That whilome in his youth had bene a knight,
And armes had borne, but little good could finde,
And much lesse honour by that warlike kinde
Of life: for he was nothing valorous,
But with slie shiftes and wiles did underminde
All noble knights, which were adventurous,
And many brought to shame by treason treacherous.

He had three sonnes, all three like fathers sonnes,
Like treacherous, like full of fraud and guile,
Of all that on this earthly compasse wonnes:
The eldest of the which was slaine erewhile
By Artegall, through his owne guilty wile;
His name was Guizor; whose untimely fate
For to avenge, full many treasons vile
His father Dolon had deviz'd of late
With these his wicked sons, and shewd his cankred

[hate.

For sure he weend that this his present guest
Was Artegall, by many tokens plaine;
But chiefly by that yron page he ghest,
Which still was wont with Artegall remaine;
And therefore ment him surely to have slaine:
But by Gods grace, and her good heedinesse,
She was preserved from their traytrous traine.
Thus she all night wore out in watchfulnesse,
Ne suffred slothfull sleepe her eyelids to oppresse.

The morrow next, so soone as dawning houre
Discovered had the light to living eye,
She forth yssew'd out of her loathed bowre,
With full intent t' avenge that villany
On that vilde man and all his family:
And, comming down to seeke them where they wond,
Nor sire, nor sonnes, nor any could she spie;
Each rowme she sought, but them all empty fond:
They all were fled for feare; but whether, nether

kond.

She saw it vaine to make there lenger stay,
But tooke her steede; and thereon mounting light
Gan her addresse unto her former way.
She had not rid the mountenance of a flight,
But that she saw there present in her sight
Those two false brethren on that perillous bridge,
On which Pollente with Artegall did fight.
Streight was the passage, like a ploughed ridge,
That, if two met, the one mote needs fall o'er the lidge.

There they did thinke themselves on her to wreake:
Who as she nigh unto them drew, the one
These vile reproches gan unto her speake;
"Thou recreant false traytor, that with lone
Of armes hast knighthood stolne, yet knight art none,
No more shall now the darkenesse of the night
Defend thee from the vengeance of thy fone;
But with thy bloud thou shalt appease the spright
Of Guizor by thee slaine and murdred by thy slight."

Strange were the words in Britomartis eare;
Yet stayd she not for them, but forward fared,
Till to the perilous bridge she came; and there
Talus desir'd that he might have prepared
The way to her, and those two losels scared:
But she thereat was wroth, that for despight
The glauncing sparkles through her bever glared,
And from her eies did flash out fiery light,
Like coles that through a silver censer sparkle bright.

She stayd not to advise which way to take;
But, putting spurres unto her fiery beast,
Thorough the midst of them she way did make.
The one of them, which most her wrath increast,
Uppon her speare she bore before her breast,
Till to the bridges further end she past;
Where falling downe his challenge he releast:
The other over side the bridge she cast
Into the river, where he drunke his deadly last.

As when the flashing levin haps to light
Uppon two stubborne oakes, which stand so neare
That way betwixt them none appeares in sight;
The engin, fiercely flying forth, doth teare
Th' one from the earth, and through the aire doth
The other it with force doth overthrow [beare;
Uppon one side, and from his rootes doth reare:
So did the championesse those two there strow,
And to their sire their carcassess left to bestow.

CANTO VII.

Britomart comes to Isis Church, Where shee strange visions sees : She fights with Radigund, her slaies, And Artegall thence frees.

NOUGHT is on Earth more sacred or divine,
That gods and men doe equally adore,
Then this same vertue that doth right define:
For th' Hevens themselves, whence mortal men
implore

Right in their wrongs, are rul'd by righteous lore
Of highest love, who doth true iustice deale
To his inferiour gods, and evermore
Therewith containes his heavenly common weale:
The skill whereof to princes hearts he doth reveale.

Well therefore did the antique world invent
That Iustice was a god of soveraine grace
And altars unto him and temples lent,
And heavenly honours in the highest place;
Calling him great Osyris, of the race

Of th' old Ægyptian kings that whylome were;
With fayned colours shading a true case;
For that Osyris, whilest he lived here,

The iustest man alive and truest did appeare.

His wife was Isis; whom they likewise made
A goddesse of great powre and soverainty,
And in her person cunningly did shade
That part of justice which is equity,
Whereof I have to treat here presently:
Unto whose temple whenas Britomart
Arrived, shee with great humility
Did enter in, ne would that night depart;
But Talus mote not be admitted to her part.

There she received was in goodly wize
Of many priests, which duely did attend
Uppon the rites and daily sacrifize,
All clad in linnen robes with silver hemd;
And on their heads with long locks comely kemd
They wore rich mitres shaped like the Moone,
To shew that Isis doth the Moone portend;
Like as Osyris signifies the Sunne:

For that they both like race in equall instice runne.

The championesse them greeting, as she could,
Was thence by them into the temple led;
Whose goodly building when she did behould
Borne uppon stately pillours, all dispred
With shining gold, and arched over hed,
She wondred at the workmans passing skill,
Whose like before she never saw nor red;
And thereuppon long while stood gazing still,
But thought that she thereon could never gaze
her fill.

Thenceforth unto the idoll they her brought;
The which was framed all of silver fine,
So well as could with cunning hand be wrought,
And clothed all in garments made of line,
Hemd all about with fringe of silver twine:
Uppon her head she wore a crowne of gold;
To shew that she had powre in things divine:
And at her feete a crocodile was rold,

That with her wreathed taile her middle did enfold.

One foote was set uppon the crocodile,
And on the ground the other fast did stand;
So meaning to suppresse both forged guile
And open force: and in her other hand
She stretched forth a long white sclender wand.
Such was the goddesse: whom when Britomart
Had long beheld, herselfe uppon the land
She did prostrate, and with right humble hart
Unto herselfe her silent prayers did impart.

To which the idoll as it were inclining
Her wand did move with amiable looke,
By outward shew her inward sence desining:
Who well perceiving how her wand she shooke,
It as a token of good fortune tooke.

By this the day with dampe was overcast,
And ioyous light the house of love forsooke:
Which when she saw, her helmet she unlaste,
And by the altars side herselfe to slumber plaste.

For other beds the priests there used none,
But on their mother Earths deare lap did lie,
And bake their sides uppon the cold hard stone,
Tenure themselves to sufferaunce thereby,
And proud rebellious flesh to mortify:
For, by the vow of their religion,
They tied were to stedfast chastity
And continence of life; that, all forgon,
They mote the better tend to their devotion.

Therefore they note not taste of fleshly food,
Ne feed on ought the which doth blond containe,
Ne drinke of wine; for wine they say is blood,
Even the bloud of gyants, which were slaine
By thundring love in the Phlegrean plaine:
For which the Earth (as they the story tell)
Wroth with the gods, which to perpetuall paine
Had damn'd her sonnes which gainst them did rebell,
With inward griefe and malice did against them swell:

And of their vitall bloud, the which was shed
Into her pregnant bosome, forth she brought
The fruitfull vine; whose liquor blouddy red,
Having the mindes of men with fury fraught,
Mote in them stirre up old rebellious thought
To make new warre against the gods againe :
Such is the powre of that same fruit, that nought
The fell contagion may thereof restraine,

Ne within reasons rule her madding mood containe.

There did the warlike maide herselfe repose,
Under the wings of Isis all that night;
And with sweete rest her heavy eyes did close,
After that long daies toile and weary plight:
Where whilest her earthly parts with soft delight
Of sencelesse sleepe did deeply drowned lie,
There did appeare unto her heavenly spright
A wondrous vision, which did close implie
The course of all her fortune and posteritie.

Her seem'd, as she was doing sacrifize
To Isis, deckt with mitre on her hed
And linnen stole after those priestës guize,
All sodainely she saw transfigured
Her linnen stole to robe of scarlet red,
And moone-like mitre to a crowne of gold;
That even she herselfe much wondered
At such a chaunge, and ioyed to behold
Herselfe adorn'd with gems and jewels manifold.

And, in the midst of her felicity,

An hideous tempest seemed from below
To rise through all the temple sodainely,
That from the altar all about did blow
The holy fire, and all the embers strow
Uppon the ground; which, kindled privily,
Into outragious flames unwares did grow,
That all the temple put in ieopardy
Of flaming, and herselfe in great perplexity.

With that the crocodile, which sleeping lay
Under the idols feete in fearelesse bowre,
Seem'd to awake in horrible dismay,
As being troubled with that stormy stowre;
And gaping greedy wide did streight devoure
Both flames and tempest; with which growen great,
And swolne with pride of his owne peerelesse powre,
He gan to threaten her likewise to eat; [beat.
But that the goddesse with her rod him backe did

Tho, turning all his pride to humblesse meeke,
Himselfe before her feete he lowly threw,
And gan for grace and love of her to seeke:
Which she accepting, he so neare her drew,
That of his game she soone enwombed grew,
And forth did bring a lion of great might,
That shortly did all other beasts subdew :
With that she waked full of fearefull fright,
And doubtfully dismayd through that so uncouth
sight.

So thereuppon long while she musing lay,
With thousand thoughts feeding her fantasie;
Untill she spide the lampe of lightsome day
Up-lifted in the porch of Heaven hie:
Then up she rose fraught with melancholy,
And forth into the lower parts did pas,
Whereas the priests she found full busily
About their holy things for morrow mas;
Whom she saluting faire, faire resaluted was:

But, by the change of her unchearefull looke,
They might perceive she was not well in plight,
Or that some pensiveness to heart she tooke:
Therefore thus one of them, who seem'd in sight
To be the greatest and the gravest wight,
To her bespake; "Sir Knight, it seemes to me
That, thorough evill rest of this last night,
Or ill apayd or much dismayd ye be;
That by your change of cheare is easie for to see.”

"Certes," sayd she, "sith ye so well have spide
The troublous passion of my pensive mind,
I will not seeke the same from you to hide;
But will my cares unfolde, in hope to find
Your aide to guide me out of errour blind."
"Say on," quoth he, "the secret of your hart:
For, by the holy vow which me doth bind,
I am adiur'd best counsell to impart

To all that shall require my comfort in their smart."

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All which when she unto the end had heard,
She much was eased in her troublous thought,
And on those priests bestowed rich reward;
And royall gifts of gold and silver wrought
She for a present to their goddesse brought.
Then taking leave of them she forward went
To seeke her love, where he was to be sought;
Ne rested till she came without relent
Unto the land of Amazons, as she was bent.

Whereof when newes to Radigund was brought,
Not with amaze, as women wonted bee,
She was confused in her troublous thought;
But fild with courage and with ioyous glee,
As glad to heare of armes, the which now she
Had long surceast, she bad to open bold,
That she the face of her new foe might see:
But when they of that yron man had told,
Which late her folke had slaine, she bad them forth

to hold.

So there without the gate, as seemed best,
She caused her pavilion be pight;
In which stout Britomart herselfe did rest,
Whiles Talus watched at the dore all night.
All night likewise they of the towne in fright
Uppon their wall good watch and ward did keepe.
The morrow next, so soone as dawning light
Bad doe away the dampe of drouzie sleepe,
The warlike Amazon out of her bowre did peepe;

And caused streight a trumpet loud to shrill,
To warne her foe to battell soone be prest:
Who, long before awoke, (for she full ill
Could sleepe all night, that in unquiet brest
Did closely harbour such a iealous guest)
Was to the battell whilome ready dight.
Eftsoones that warriouresse with haughty crest
Did forth issue all ready for the fight;
On th' other side her foe appeared soone in sight.

But, ere they reared hand, the Amazone
Began the streight conditions to propound,
With which she used still to tye her fone,
To serve her so, as she the rest had bound:
Which when the other heard, she sternly frownd
For high disdaine of such indignity,

And would no lenger treat, but bad them sound:
For her no other termes should ever tie
Then what prescribed were by lawes of chevalrie.

The trumpets sound, and they together run
With greedy rage, and with their faulchins smot;
Ne either sought the others strokes to shun,
But through great fury both their skill forgot,
And practicke use in armes; ne spared not
Their dainty parts, which Nature had created
So faire and tender without staine or spot
For other uses then they them translated; [hated.
Which they now hackt and hewd as if such use they

As when a tygre and a lionesse

Are met at spoyling of some hungry pray,
Both challenge it with equall greedinesse:
But first the tygre clawes thereon did lay;
And therefore loth to loose her right away
Doth in defence thereof full stoutly stond:
To which the lion strongly doth gainesay,
That she to hunt the beast first tooke in hond;
And therefore ought it have wherever she it fond.

Full fiercely layde the Amazon about,
And dealt her blowes unmercifully sore;
Which Britomart withstood with courage stout,
And them repaide againe with double more.
So long they fought, that all the grassie flore
Was fild with bloud which from their sides did flow,
And gushed through their armes, that all in gore
They trode, and on the ground their lives did strow,
Like fruitles seede, of which untimely death should
grow.

At last proud Radigund with fell despight,
Having by chaunce espide advantage neare,
Let drive at her with all her dreadfull might,
And thus upbrayding said; "This token beare
Unto the man whom thou doest love so deare;
And tell him for his sake thy life thou gavest."
Which spitefull words she sore engriev'd to heare
Thus answer'd; "Lewdly thou my love depravest,
Who shortly must repent that now so vainely
bravest."

Nath'lesse that stroke so cruell passage found,
That glauncing on her shoulder-plate it bit
Unto the bone, and made a griesly wound,
That she her shield through raging smart of it
Could scarse uphold; yet soone she it requit:
For, having force increast through furious paine,
She her so rudely on the helmet smit
That it empierced to the very braine,
And her proud person low prostrated on the plaine,
Where being layd, the wrothfull Britonesse
Stayd not till she came to herselfe againe;
But in revenge both of her loves distresse
And her late vile reproch though vaunted vaine,
And also of her wound which sore did paine,
She with one stroke both head and helmet cleft:
Which dreadfull sight when all her warlike traine
There present saw, each one of sence bereft
Fled fast into the towne, and her sole victor left.

But yet so fast they could not home retrate,
But that swift Talus did the formost win;
And, pressing through the preace unto the gate,
Pelmell with them attonce did enter in :
There then a piteous slaughter did begin ;
For all that ever came within his reach
He with his yron flale did thresh so thin,
That he no worke at all left for the leach; [peach.
Like to an hideous storme, which nothing may em-

And now by this the noble conqueresse
Herselfe came in, her glory to partake;
Where though revengefull vow she did professe,
Yet, when she saw the heapes which he did make
Of slaughtred carkasses, her heart did quake
For very ruth, which did it almost rive,
That she his fury willed him to slake:
For else he sure had left not one alive;
But all, in his revenge, of spirite would deprive.

Tho, when she had his execution stayd,
She for that yron prison did enquire,
In which her wretched love was captive layd:
Which breaking open with indignant ire,
She entred into all the partes entire :
Where when she saw that lothly uncouth sight
Of men disguiz'd in womanishe attire,

Her heart gan grudge for very deepe despight
Of so unmanly maske in misery misdight.

At last whenas to her owne love she came,
Whom like disguize no lesse deformed had,
At sight thereof abasht with secrete shame
She turnd her head aside, as nothing glad
To have beheld a spectacle so bad;

And then too well believ'd that which tofore
Iealous suspect as true untruely drad:
Which vaine conceipt now nourishing no more,

She sought with ruth to salve his sad misfortunes sore.

Not so great wonder and astonishment
Did the most chast Penelope possesse,
To see her lord, that was reported drent
And dead long since in dolorous distresse,
Come home to her in piteous wretchednesse,
After long travell of full twenty yeares;
That she knew not his favours likelynesse,
For many scarres and many hoary heares; [feares.
But stood long staring on him mongst uncertaine

"Ah! my deare lord, what sight is this," quoth she, "What May-game hath misfortune made of you? Where is that dreadfull manly looke? where be Those mighty palmes, the which ye wont t' embrew In bloud of kings, and great hoastes to subdew? Could ought on Earth so wondrous change have wrought,

As to have robde you of that manly hew?
Could so great courage stouped have to ought?
Then farewell, fleshly force; I see thy pride is
nought!"

Thenceforth she streight into a bowre him brought,
And causd him those uncomely weedes undight;
And in their steede for other rayment sought,
Whereof there was great store, and armors bright,
Which had bene reft from many a noble knight;
Whom that proud Amazon subdewed had,
Whilest fortune favourd her successe in fight:
In which whenas she him anew, had clad, [glad.
She was reviv'd, and ioyd much in his semblance

So there awhile they afterwards remained,
Him to refresh, and her late wounds to heale:
During which space she there as princess rained;
And changing all that forme of common-weale
The liberty of women did repeale,

Which they had long usurpt; and, them restoring
To mens subiection, did true justice deale:
That all they, as a goddesse her adoring, [loring.
Her wisedome did admire, and hearkned to her

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For all those knights, which long in captive shade
Had shrowded bene, she did from thraldome free;
And magistrates of all that city made,
And gave to them great living and large fee:
And, that they should for ever faithfull bee,
Made them sweare fealty to Artegall:

Who when himselfe now well recur'd did see,
He purposd to proceed, whatso befall,

There she continu'd for a certaine space,

Till through his want her woe did more increase:
Then, hoping that the change of aire and place
Would change her paine and sorrow somewhat ease,
She parted thence, her anguish to appease.
Meane while her noble lord sir Artegall
Went on his way; ne ever howre did cease,
Till he redeemed had that lady thrall:
That for another canto will more fitly fall.

CANTO VIII.

Prince Arthure and sir Artegall
Free Samient from feare:
They slay the Soudan; drive his wife
Adicia to despaire.

NOUGHT under Heaven so strongly doth allure
The sence of man, and all his minde possesse,
As beauties lovely baite, that doth procure
Great warriours oft their rigour to represse,
And mighty hands forget their manlinesse;
Drawne with the powre of an heart-robbing eye,
And wrapt in fetters of a golden tresse,
That can with melting pleasaunce mollifye
Their hardned hearts enur'd to bloud and cruelty.

So whylome learnd that mighty lewish swaine,
Each of whose lockes did match a man in might,
To lay his spoiles before his lemans traine:
So also did that great Oetean knight
For his love sake his lions skin undight;
And so did warlike Antony neglect

The worlds whole rule for Cleopatras sight.
Such wondrous powre hath wemens faire aspect
To captive men, and make them all the world reiect.

Yet could it not sterne Artegall retaine,
Nor hold from suite of his avowed quest,
Which he had undertane to Gloriane;
But left his love (albe her strong request)
Faire Britomart in languor and unrest,
And rode himselfe uppon his first intent:
Ne day nor night did ever idly rest;
Ne wight but onely Talus with him went,
The true guide of his way and vertuous government.

So travelling, he chaunst far off to heed
A damzell flying on a palfrey fast
Before two knights that after her did speed
With all their powre, and her full fiercely chast
In hope to have her overhent at last:

Yet fled she fast, and both them farre outwent,
Carried with wings of feare, like fowle aghast,
With locks all loose, and rayment all to rent;

Uppon his first adventure which him forth did call. And ever as she rode her eye was backeward bent.

Full sad and sorrowfull was Britomart
For his departure, her new cause of griefe;
Yet wisely moderated her owne smart,
Seeing his honor, which she tendred chiefe,
Consisted much in that adventures priefe:
The care whereof, and hope of his successe,
Gave unto her great comfort and reliefe;
That womanish complaints she did represse,
And tempred for the time her present heavinesse.

Soone after these he saw another knight,
That after those two former rode apace
With speare in rest, and prickt with all his might:
So ran they all, as they had bene at bace,
They being chased that did others chace.
At length he saw the hindmost overtake
One of those two, and force him turne his face;
However loth he were his way to slake,

Yet mote he algates now abide, and answere make.

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