Fruitfull of all thinges fitt for living foode,

But wholy waste and void of peoples trode,1
Save an huge nation of the geaunts broode

That fed on living flesh, and dronck mens vitall blood.

L.

"Whom he, through wearie wars and labours long, Subdewd with losse of many Britons bold:

In which the great Goëmagot of strong
Corineus, and Coulin of Debon old,

Were overthrowne and laide on th' earth full cold,
Which quaked under their so hideous masse:
A famous history to bee enrold

In everlasting moniments of brasse,

That all the antique Worthies merits far did passe.

LI.

"His worke great Troynovant, his worke is eke
Faire Lincolne, both renowmed far away;

That who from East to West will endlong2 seeke,
Cannot two fairer cities find this day,
Except Cleopolis; so heard I say

Old Mnemon: Therefore, Sir, I greet you well
Your countrey kin; and you entyrely pray
Of pardon for the strife, which late befell
Betwixt us both unknowne." So ended Paridell.

LII.

But all the while, that he these speeches spent
Upon his lips hong faire Dame Hellenore

With vigilant regard and dew attent,3
Fashioning worldes of fancies evermore

In her fraile witt, that now her quite forlore 4:

1 Trode, treading, or footsteps. Endlong, in a line, continuously.

3 Attent, attention.
Forlore, utterly deserted.

The whiles unwares away her wondring eye

And greedy eares her weake hart from her bore:
Which he perceiving, ever privily,

In speaking, many false belgardes1 at her let fly.

LIII.

So long these Knightes discoursed diversly
Of straunge affaires, and noble hardiment,2
Which they had past with mickle3 ieopardy,
That now the humid night was farforth spent,
And hevenly lampes were halfendeale 4 ybrent 5:
Which th' old man seeing wel, who too long thought
Every discourse, and every argument,

Which by the houres he measured, besought

6

Them go to rest. So all unto their bowres were brought.

1 Belgardes, (belles regardes, Fr.,) beautiful looks.

• Hardiment, courage. 3 Mickle, much.

Ybrent, burned.

Halfendeale, half.

CANTO X.

Paridell rapeth Hellenore;

Malbecco her poursewes;

Fynds emongst Satyres, whence with him
To turne she doth refuse.

I.

THE morrow next, so soone as Phœbus lamp
Bewrayed had the world with early light,
And fresh Aurora had the shady damp
Out of the goodly heven amoved quight,
Faire Britomart and that same Faery Knight
Uprose, forth on their iourney for to wend2.
But Paridell complaynd, that his late fight
With Britomart so sore did him offend,

That ryde he could not till his hurts he did amend.

II.

So foorth they far'd; but he behind them stayd,
Maulgre3 his host, who grudged grivously
To house a guest that would be needes obayd,
And of his owne him lefte not liberty:
Might wanting measure moveth surquedry.
Two things he feared, but the third was death;

1 Turne, return.

2 Wend, go.

3 Maulgre, in spite of.

II. 5.-Might wanting measure, &c.] Power without measure or limits unbounded power-produces insolence.

II. 6. Two things he feared, &c.] The meaning of the passage appears to be this: He feared to let him remain for two reasons — on

That fiers Youngmans unruly maystery;

His Money, which he lov'd as living breath;

And his faire Wife, whom honest long he kept uneath.1

III.

But patience perforce; he must abie 2
What fortune and his fate on him will lay:
Fond 3 is the feare that findes no remedie.
Yet warily he watcheth every way,
By which he feareth evill happen may;
So th' evill thinkes by watching to prevent:
Ne doth he suffer her, nor night nor day,
Out of his sight herselfe once to absent:
So doth he punish her, and eke himself torment.

IV.

But Paridell kept better watch then 4 hee,

A fit occasion for his turne to finde.

False Love! why do men say thou canst not see,

And in their foolish fancy feigne thee blinde,

That with thy charmes the sharpest sight doest binde,
And to thy will abuse? Thou walkest free,

And seest every secret of the minde;

Thou seest all, yet none at all sees thee: All that is by the working of thy deitee.

V.

So perfect in that art was Paridell,

That he Malbeccoes halfen eye did wyle;
His halfen eye he wiled wondrous well,

1 Uneath, hardly.

4 Then, than.

2 Abie, abide. 3 Fond, foolish.

5 Halfen eye, one eye.

account of his money and his wife; but he more feared to refuse his request, since the impetuous young man might have slain him in his indignation.

And Hellenors both eyes did eke beguyle,

Both eyes and hart attonce, during the whyle
That he there soiourned his woundes to heale;
That Cupid selfe, it seeing, close1 did smyle
To weet how he her love away did steale,

And bad that none their ioyous treason should reveale.

VI.

The learned 3 Lover lost no time nor tyde
That least avantage mote to him afford,
Yet bore so faire a sayle, that none espyde
His secret drift till he her layd abord.
Whenso in open place and commune bord
He fortun'd her to meet, with commune speach
He courted her; yet bayted every word,
That his ungentle hoste n'ote 5 him appeach
Of vile ungentlenesse or hospitages breach.7

VII.

But when apart (if ever her apart

He found) then his false engins fast he plyde,
And all the sleights unbosomd in his hart:
He sigh'd, he sobd, he swownd, he perdy 10 dyde,
And cast himselfe on ground her fast besyde:

11

Tho, when againe he him bethought to live,

12

He wept, and wayld, and false laments belyde,12 Saying, but if 13 she mercie would him give, That he mote algates 14 dye, yet did his death forgive.

1 Close, secretly.

2 Weet, learn.

3 Learned, skilful.

• Bord, table.

Note, could not.
Appeach, accuse.

7 Hospitages breach, breach of
hospitality.

8 Sleights, devices.

• Unbosomd, displayed.

10 Perdy, truly.

11 Tho, then.

12 Belyde, counterfeited.

13 But if, unless.

14 Algates, at all events.