She led him up into a goodly bowré, ohm 342 And comely courted with meet modestie,ង។ Ne in her speach, ne in her haviour, Was lightnesse seene or looser vanitie, But gratious womanhood and gravitie Above the reason of her youthly yeares; Her golden lockes she roundly did uptye In braided tramels, that no looser heares met y Did out of order stray about her daintie eares.
Whilest she her selfe thus busily did frame Seemely to entertaine her new-come guest, who Newes hereof to her other sisters came,www Who all this while were at their wanton rest,sla Accourting each her frend with lavish fest; They were two knights of perelesse puissance, And famous far abroad for warlike gest, Which to these ladies love did countenaunce; And to his mistresse each himselfe strove to advaunce.
He that made love unto the eldest dame Was hight Sir Huddibras, an hardy man; daw Yet not so good of deedes as great of name, Which he by many rash adventures wan, cod Since errant armes to sew he first begando More huge in strength than wise in workes he was, And reason with foole-hardize over-ran;
Sterne melancholy did his courage pas,
And was, for terrour more, all arınd in shyning bras. Volume II.
But he that lov'd the youngest was Sansloy, He that faire Una late fowle outraged, The most unruly and the boldest boy That ever warlike weapons menaged, And all to lawlesse lust encouraged,
Through strong opinion of his matchlesse might; Ne ought he car'd whom he endamaged By tortious wrong, or whom bereav'd of right; He now this ladies champion chose for love to fight.
These two gay knights, vowd to so diverse loves, Each other does envy with deadly hate, And daily warre against his foeman moves, In hope to win more favour with his mate, And th' others pleasing service to abate, To magnifie his owne: but when they heard How in that place straunge knight arrived late, Both knights and ladies forth right angry far'd, And fercely unto battell sterne themselves prepar'd.
But ere they could proceede unto the place Where he abode, themselves at discord fell, And cruell combat ioynd in middle space: With horrible assault and fury fell
They heapt huge strokes, the scorned life to quell, That all on uprore from her settled seat The house was raysd and all that in did dwell; Seemd that lowde thunder with amazement great Did rend the ratling skies with flames of fouldring
The noyse thereof cald forth that straunger knight, To weet what dreadfull thing was there in hond; Where whenas two brave knightes in bloody fight With deadly rancour he enraunged fond, His sun-broad shield about his wrist he bond, And shyning blade unsheath'd, with which he ran Unto that stead, their strife to understond; And at his first arrivall them began
With goodly means to pacifie well as he can.
But they him spying, both with greedy forse Attonce upon him ran, and him beset With strokes of mortall steele without remorse, And on his shield like yron sledges bet. As when a bear and tygre, being met In cruell fighte, on Lybicke ocean wide, Espye a traveiler with feet surbet, Whom they in equall pray hope to divide, They stint their strife, and him assayle on everie side.
But he, not like a weary traveilere,
Their sharp assault right boldly did rebut,ult And suffred not their blowes to byte him nere, But with redoubled buffes them backe did put; Whose grieved mindes, which choler did englut, Against themselves turning their wrathfull spight, Gan with new rage their shieldes to hew and cut: But still when Guyon came to part their fight, With heavie load on him they freshly gan to smight.
As a tall ship tossed in troublous seas, Whom raging windes, threatning to make the pray Of the rough rockes, doe diversly disease, Meetes two contrairie billowes by the way, That her on either side doe sore assay,jer ak And boast to swallow her in greedy grave; She scorning both their spights does make wide way, And with her brest breaking the fomy wave, Does ride on both their backs, and faire herself [doth save:
So boldly he him beares, and rusheth forth Betweene them both, by conduct of his blade. Wondrous great prowesse and heroick worth He shewd that day, and rare ensample made, When two so mighty warriours he dismade: Attonce he wards and strikes, he takes and paies; Now forst to yield, now forcing to invade, Before, behind, and round about him laies; So double was his paines, so double be his praise.
Straunge sort of fight, three valiaunt knights to see Three combates ioine in one, and to darraine A triple warre with triple enmitee, All for their ladies froward love to gaine, Which gotten was but hate. So Love does raine In stoutest minds, and maketh monstrous warre; He maketh warre, he maketh peace againe, And yett his peace is but continual iarre. O miserable men, that to him subiect arre!
Whilst thus they mingled were in furious armes, The faire Medina, with her tresses torne, And naked brest, in pitty of their harmes, Emongst them ran, and, falling them beforne, Besought them by the womb which them had born, And by the loves which were to them most deare, And by the knighthood which they sure had sworn, Their deadly cruell discord to forbeare,
And to her iust conditions of faire peace to heare.
But her two other sisters standing by Her lowd gainsaid, and both their champions bad Pursew the end of their strong enmity, As ever of their loves they would be gald; Yet she with pitthy words and counsell sad Still strove their stubborne rages to revoke; That at the last suppressing fury mad, They gan abstaine from dint of direfull stroke, And hearken to the sober speaches which she spoke. ΧΧΙΧ.
"Ah! puissaunt Lords, what cursed evil spright, " Or fell Erinnys, in your noble harts " Her hellish brond hath kindled with despight, "And stird you up to worke your wilfull smarts? "Is this the ioy of arines? be these the partes " Of glorious knighthood, after blood to thrust, " And not regard dew right and iust desarts? " Vaine is the vaunt, and victory uniust, [trust. "That more to mighty hands than rightful cause doth
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