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XLVII.

With that all desperate, as loathing light,
And with revenge desyring soone to dye,
Assembling all his force and utmost might,
With his owne swerd he fierce at him did flye,
And strooke, and foynd,' and lasht outrageously,
Withouten reason or regard. Well knew

The Prince, with pacience and sufferaunce sly,2
So hasty heat soone cooled to subdew:

Tho, when this breathlesse woxe, that batteil gan renew.

XLVIII.

As when a windy tempest bloweth hye,

That nothing may withstand his stormy stowre,3
The clowdes, as thinges affrayd, before him flye;
But, all so soone as his outrageous powre
Is layd, they fiercely then begin to showre;
And, as in scorne of his spent stormy spight,
Now all attonce their malice forth do poure:
So did Prince Arthur beare himselfe in fight,
And suffred rash Pyrochles waste his ydle might.

XLIX.

At last whenas the Sarazin perceiv'd

How that straunge sword refusd to serve his neede,
But, when he stroke most strong, the dint deceiv'd,
He flong it from him; and, devoyd of dreed,
Upon him lightly leaping without heed
Twixt his two mighty armes engrasped fast,

1 Foynd, pushed.
2 Sly, deliberate.

3 Stowre, violence.

4 Straunge, not belonging to him.

XLVII. 4. — With his owne swerd.] With Prince Arthur's own sword.

XLVII. 9.- Tho, when, &c.] Then when this Paynim grew breathless, that Prince renewed the battle.

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Thinking to overthrowe and downe him tred:
But him in strength and skill the Prince surpast,

And through his nimble sleight did under him down cast.

L.

Nought booted it the Paynim then to strive;

For as a bittur in the eagles clawe,

That may not hope by flight to scape alive,

Still waytes for death with dread and trembling aw;
So he, now subiect to the victours law,

Did not once move, nor upward cast his eye,
For vile disdaine and rancour, which did gnaw
His hart in twaine with sad melancholy;
As one that loathed life, and yet despysd to dye.

LI.

But, full of princely bounty and great mind,
The Conqueror nought cared him to slay;
But, casting wronges and all revenge behind,
More glory thought to give life then decay,2
And sayd; "Paynim, this is thy dismall day;
Yet if thou wilt renounce thy miscreaunce,3
And my trew liegeman yield thyselfe for ay,
Life will I graunt thee for thy valiaunce,

And all thy wronges will wipe out of my sovenaunce.4"

LII.

"Foole," sayd the Pagan, "I thy gift defye;

But use thy fortune, as it doth befall;
And say, that I not overcome doe dye,
But in despight of life for death doe call."

Wroth was the Prince, and sory yet withall,

1 Bittur, bittern.

2 Then decay, than death.

3 Miscreaunce, false faith.

▲ Sovenaunce, memory.

LI. 1.- Great mind.] Magnanimity.

That he so wilfully refused grace;

Yet, sith his fate so cruelly did fall,
His shining helmet he gan soone unlace,

And left his headlesse body bleeding all the place.

LIII.

By this, Sir Guyon from his traunce awakt,
Life having maystered her sencelesse foe;
And looking up, whenas his shield he lakt2
And sword saw not, he wexed wondrous woe 3:
But when the Palmer, whom he long ygoe
Had lost, he by him spyde, right glad he grew,
And saide; "Deare Sir, whom wandring to and fro
I long have lackt, I ioy thy face to vew!

Firme is thy faith, whom daunger never fro me drew.

LIV.

"But read what wicked hand hath robbed mee
Of my good sword and shield?" The Palmer, glad
With so fresh hew uprysing him to see,

Him answered; "Fayre sonne, be no whit sad
For want of weapons; they shall soone be had."
So gan he to discourse the whole debate,5
Which that straunge Knight for him sustained had,
And those two Sarazins confounded late,

Whose carcases on ground were horribly prostrate.

LV.

Which when he heard, and saw the tokens trew,
His hart with great affection was embayd,
And to the Prince, with bowing reverence dew,
As to the patrone of his life, thus sayd;

"My Lord, my Liege, by whose most gratious ayd

1 Sith, since.

2 Lakt, lacked, or wanted.

3 Wondrous woe, very sad.

4 Read, tell me.

5 Debate, battle.

• Embayd, filled.

I live this day, and see my foes subdewd,

What may suffice to be for meede repayd
Of so great graces as ye have me shewd,

But to be ever bound"

LVI.

To whom the Infant thus; "Fayre Sir, what need
Good turnes be counted, as a servile bond,

To bind their dooers to receive their meed?
Are not all Knightes by oath bound to withstond
Oppressours powre by armes and puissant hond?
Suffise, that I have done my dew1 in place."
So goodly purpose they together fond

Of kindnesse and of courteous aggrace2;
The whiles false Archimage and Atin fled apace.

1 Dero, duty.

2

Aggrace, favor.

LVI. 1.- The Infant.] Infant here means prince, in the sense of the Spanish infanté.

LVI. 1.- Fayre Sir, what need, &c.] This remark of Prince Arthur expresses the sentiment of a beautiful maxim of de la Rochefoucauld, that the too eager desire to return a favor is, in itself, a species of ingratitude.

LVI. 7.- So goodly purpose they together fond.] Thus they held goodly discourse together.

CANTO IX.

The House of Temperaunce, in which
Doth sober Alma dwell,

Besiegd of many foes, whom straung-
er Knights to flight compell.

I.

Or all Gods workes, which doe this worlde adorne,
There is no one more faire and excellent

Then is mans body, both for powre and forme,
Whiles it is kept in sober government;

But none then it more fowle and indecent,
Distempred through misrule and passions bace;
It grows a monster, and incontinent 2

Doth lose his dignity and native grace:
Behold, who list, both one and other in this place.

II.

After the Paynim brethren conquer'd were,
The Briton Prince recov'ring his stolne sword,
And Guyon his lost shield, they both yfere 3
Forth passed on their way in fayre accord,
Till him the prince with gentle court did bord 4;
"Sir Knight, mote I of you this court'sy read,5

6

To weet why on your shield, so goodly scord,

1 Then, than.

2 Incontinent, immediately.

3 Yfere, together.

4 Bord, address.

5 Read, ask.

• Weet, learn.

I. 9. In this place.] In the persons of Prince Arthur and the two brothers, Cymochles and Pyrochles.

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