XXXVI.

Much was the Knight incenst with his lewd word,

To have revenged that his villeny;

And thrice did lay his hand upon his sword,
To have him slaine, or dearely doen aby:
But Guyon did his choler pacify,

Saying, "Sir Knight, it would dishonour bee
you that are our iudge of equity,

Το

To wreake your wrath on such a carle as hee:
It's punishment enough that all his shame doe see."

XXXVII.

So did he mitigate Sir Artegall;

But Talus by the backe the Boaster hent,
And drawing him out of the open hall
Upon him did inflict this punishment:

First he his beard did shave, and fowly shent ;
Then from him reft his shield, and it renverst,
And blotted out his armes with falshood blent;
And himselfe baffuld, and his armes unherst;
And broke his sword in twaine, and all his armour sperst.

XXXVIII.

The whiles his guilefull Groome was fled

away;

But vaine it was to thinke from him to flie:
Who overtaking him did disaray,

And all his face deform'd with infamie,
And out of court him scourged openly.

So ought all faytours, that true knighthood shame,
And armes dishonour with base villanie,

From all brave Knights be banisht with defame : For oft their lewdnes blotteth good deserts with blame.

XXXIX.

Now when these Counterfeits were thus uncased

Out of the foreside of their forgerie,

And in the sight of all men cleane disgraced,

All

gan to iest and gibe full merilie

At the remembrance of their knaverie:

Ladies can laugh at Ladies, Knights at Knights, To thinke with how great vaunt of braverie He them abused through his subtill slights, And what a glorious shew he made in all their sights.

XL.

There leave we them in pleasure and repast,
Spending their ioyous dayes and gladfull nights,
And taking usurie of time forepast,

With all deare delices and rare delights,
Fit for such Ladies and such lovely Knights:
And turne we here to this faire furrowes end
Our wearie yokes, to gather fresher sprights,
That, whenas time to Artegall shall tend,
We on his first adventure may him forward send.

CANTO IV.

Artegall dealeth right betwixt
Two brethren that doe strive:
Saves Terpine from the gallow tree,
And doth from death reprive.

I.

WHOSO upon himselfe will take the skill
True iustice unto people to divide,

Had need have mightie hands for to fulfill
That which he doth with righteous doome decide,
And for to maister wrong and puissant pride:
For vaine it is to deeme of things aright,
And makes wrong doers iustice to deride,
Unlesse it be perform'd with dreadlesse might:
For Powre is the right hand of Iustice truely hight.

II.

Therefore whylome to Knights of great emprise
The charge of Iustice given was in trust,
That they might execute her iudgements wise,
And with their might beat downe licentious lust,
Which proudly did impugne her sentence iust:
Whereof no braver president this day
Remaines on earth, preserv'd from yron rust
Of rude oblivion and long times decay,

Then this of Artegall, which here we have to say.

III.

Who having lately left that lovely payre,
Enlincked fast in wedlockes loyall bond,
Bold Marinell with Florimell the fayre,

With whom great feast and goodly glee he fond,
Departed from the Castle of the strond
To follow his adventures first intent,
Which long agoe he taken had in hond:

Ne wight with him for his assistance went,
But that great Yron Groome, his gard and government :

IV..

With whom, as he did passe by the sea-shore,
He chaunst to come whereas two comely Squires,
Both brethren whom one wombe together bore,
But stirred up with different desires,
Together strove, and kindled wrathfull fires:
And them beside two seemely Damzels stood,
By all meanes seeking to asswage their ires,
Now with faire words; but words did little good;
Now with sharpe threats; but threats the more increast
their mood.

V.

And there before them stood a coffer strong
Fast bound on every side with iron bands,
But seeming to have suffred mickle wrong,
Either by being wreckt uppon the sands,
Or being carried farre from forraine lands:
Seem'd that for it these Squires at ods did fall;
And bent against themselves their cruell hands;
But evermore those Damzels did forestall

Their furious encounter, and their fiercenesse pall.

VI.

But firmely fixt they were with dint of sword
And battailes doubtfull proofe their rights to try;
Ne other end their fury would afford,
But what to them fortune would iustify:
So stood they both in readinesse thereby
To ioyne the combate with cruell intent :
When Artegall arriving happily

Did stay awhile their greedy bickerment,
Till he had questioned the cause of their dissent.

VII.

To whom the elder did this aunswere frame;
"Then weet ye, Sir, that we two brethren be,
To whom our sire, Milesio by name,
Did equally bequeath his lands in fee,
Two islands, which ye there before you see
Not farre in sea; of which the one appeares
But like a little mount of small degree;
Yet was as great and wide ere many yeares,
As that same other isle, that greater bredth now beares.

VIII.

"But tract of time, that all things doth decay,

And this devouring sea, that nought doth spare,
The most part of my land hath washt away,
And throwne it up unto my brothers share :
So his encreased, but mine did empaire.
Before which time I lov'd, as was my lot,
That further Mayd, hight Philtera the faire,
With whom a goodly doure I should have got,

And should have ioyned bene to her in wedlocks knot.