CANTO VIII.

Prince Arthure and Sir Artegall

Free Samient from feare:

They slay the Soudan; drive his wife
Adicia to despaire.

I.

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.

11.

So whylome learnd that mighty Iewish 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 Loves 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.

III.

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.

IV.

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 ; And ever as she rode her eye was backeward bent.

V.

Soone after these he saw another Knight,

That after those two former rode apace

1

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 doth he were his way to slake,

Yet mote he algates now abide, and answere make.

VI.

But th' other still pursu'd the fearefull Mayd;
Who still from him as fast away did flie,
Ne once for ought her speedy passage stayd,
Till that at length she did before her spie
Sir Artegall, to whom she streight did hie
With gladfull hast, in hope of him to get
Succour against her greedy enimy:

Who seeing her approch gan forward set

To save her from her feare, and him from force to let.

VII.

But he, like hound full greedy of his

Being impatient of impediment,

pray,

Continu'd still his course, and by the way

Thought with his speare him quight have overwent.

So both together, ylike felly bent,

Like fiercely met: but Artegall was stronger,

And better skild in tilt and turnament,

And bore him quite out of his saddle, longer

Then two speares length: so mischiefe over-matcht the

wronger :

VIII.

And in his fall misfortune him mistooke ;

For on his head unhappily he pight,

That his owne waight his necke asunder broke,
And left there dead. Meane while the other Knight

'Defeated had the other faytour quight,

And all his bowels in his body brast:
Whom leaving there in that dispiteous plight,

He ran still on, thinking to follow fast

His other fellow Pagan which before him past.

IX.

Instead of whom finding there ready prest
Sir Artegall, without discretion

He at him ran with ready speare in rest:
Who, seeing him come still so fiercely on,
Against him made againe: so both anon
Together met, and strongly either strooke

And broke their speares; yet neither has forgon
His horses backe, yet to and fro long shooke [quooke.
And tottred, like two towres which through a tempest

X.

But, when againe they had recovered sence,

They drew their swords, in mind to make amends
For what their speares had fayld of their pretence :
Which when the Damzell, who those deadly ends
Of both her foes had seene, and now her frends
For her beginning a more fearefull fray;

She to them runnes in hast, and her haire rends,
Crying to them their cruell hands to stay,

Untill they both do heare what she to them will say.

XI.

They stayd their hands; when she thus gan to speake; "Ah! gentle Knights, what meane ye thus unwise Upon yourselves anothers wrong to wreake?

I am the wrong'd, whom ye did enterprise
Both to redresse, and both redrest likewise:

Witnesse the Paynims both, whom ye may see
There dead on ground: what doe ye then devise
Of more revenge? if more, then I am shee

Which was the roote of all; end your revenge on mee."

XII.

Whom when they heard so say, they lookt about
To weete if it were true as she had told ;
Where when they saw their foes dead out of doubt,
Eftsoones 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 so 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 sore,
Suffring my hand against my heart to stray:
Which if ye please forgive, I will therefore
Yeeld for amends myselfe yours evermore,
Or whatso penaunce shall by you be red."
To whom the Prince ; "Certes me needeth more
To crave the same; whom errour so misled,

As that I did mistake the living for the ded.

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XIV.

But, sith ye please that both our blames shall die,
Amends may for the trespasse soone be made,
Since neither is endamadg'd much thereby."
So can they both themselves full eath perswade
To faire accordaunce, and both faults to shade,
Either embracing other lovingly,

And swearing faith to either on his blade,
Never thenceforth to nourish enmity,

But either others cause to maintaine mutually.