XLIV. For all that night, the whyles the Prince did rest On him, that had so shamefully him shent3: Effect the same, whylest all the night was spent. 1 Weeting, knowing. 2 Prest, ready. 3 Shent, rebuked, disgraced. CANTO VII. Turpine is baffuld; his two Knights 1. LIKE as the gentle hart itselfe bewrayes In doing gentle deedes with franke delight, Even so the baser mind itselfe displayes In cancred malice and revengefull spight: For to maligne, t' envie, t' use shifting slight, Be arguments of a vile donghill mind; Which, what it dare not doe by open might, To worke by wicked treason wayes doth find, By such discourteous deeds discovering his base kind.2 II. That well appears in this discourteous Knight, He of the Prince his life received late, He gan devize to be aveng'd anew For all that shame, which kindled inward hate: 1 Arguments, indications. 2 Base kind, low nature. Arg. 1.— Turpine is baffuld.] Baffled, or disgraced. For the man ner of his disgrace, see stanza XXVII. Therefore, so soone as he was out of vew, Himselfe in hast he arm'd, and did him fast pursew. III. Well did he tract his steps as he did ryde, Yet would not neare approch in daungers eye, Where he mote worke him scath1 and villeny. And both combynd, whatever chaunce were blowne, Betwixt them to divide and each to make his owne. IV. To whom false Turpine comming courteously, Which a straunge Knight, that neare afore him went, For to avenge in time convenient, They should accomplish both a knightly deed, And for their paines obtaine of him a goodly meed. V. The Knights beleev'd that all he sayd was trew; Said then the one of them; "Where is that wight, 1 Scath, injury. 2 Agreeably, alike, in a manner to agree. 3 Shent, disgraced. The which hath doen to thee this wrongfull deed, That we may it avenge, and punish him with speed?" VI. "He rides," said Turpine, "there not farre afore, Ye may him overtake in timely tyde.1" 2 Eftsoones they pricked forth with forward pryde; The gentle Prince not farre away they spyde, VII. Then one of them aloud unto him cryde, Bidding him turne againe; "False traytour Knight, Glaunst swiftly by; like to that heavenly sparke, Which glyding through the ayre lights all the heavens darke. VIII. But th' other, ayming better, did him smite 1 Timely tyde, due season. 3 Portance, demeanor. 4 Devizing, thinking. 5 Then, than. • Drad, dreaded. 7 Flowre, floor, ground. Stowre, assault. 8 Full on his bever did him strike so sore, That the cold steele through piercing did devowre His vitall breath, and to the ground him bore, Where still he bathed lay in his own bloody gore. IX. As when a cast of faulcons make their flight On which the first, whose force her first doth bring, Fayles of her souse,3 and passing by doth hurt no more. X. By this the other, which was passed by, XI. Not so the Prince; for his well-learned speare 1 Cast, couple. Engore, pierce. 3 Souse, stoop. IX. 2. An herneshaw.] A heron. Thus the proverbial expres sion, "to know a hawk from a hernshaw," corrupted into "handsaw." |