35

40

No wonder if he wondred at the sight,
And doubted, whether his late enemy
It were, or other new supplied knight.
He, now to proue his late renewed might,
High brandishing his bright deaw-burning
blade,

Vpon his crested scalpe so sore did smite, That to the scull a yawning wound it made: The deadly dint his dulled senses all dismaid. 36

I wote not, whether the reuenging steele
Were hardned with that holy water dew,
Wherein he fell, or sharper edge did feele,
Or his baptized hands now greater grew;
Or other secret vertue did ensew;
Else neuer could the force of fleshly arme,
Ne molten mettall in his bloud embrew:
For till that stownd could neuer wight him
harme,

By subtilty, nor slight, nor might, nor mighty

charme.

37

The cruell wound enraged him so sore,
That loud he yelled for exceeding paine;
As hundred ramping Lyons seem'd to rore,
Whom rauenous hunger did thereto constraine:
Then gan he tosse aloft his stretched traine,
And therewith scourge the buxome aire so sore,
That to his force to yeelden it was faine;
Ne ought his sturdie strokes might stand afore,
That high trees ouerthrew, and rocks in peeces

tore.

38

With foule enfouldred smoake and flashing fire,
The hell-bred beast threw forth vnto the skyes,
That all was couered with darknesse dire:
Then fraught with rancour, and engorged ire,
He cast at once him to auenge for all,
And gathering vp himselfe out of the mire,
With his vneuen wings did fiercely fall
Vpon his sunne-bright shield, and gript it fast
withall.

41

Much was the man encombred with his hold,
In feare to lose his weapon in his paw,
Ne wist yet, how his talants to vnfold;
Nor harder was from Cerberus greedie iaw
To plucke a bone, then from his cruell claw
To reaue by strength the griped gage away :
Thrise he assayd it from his foot to draw,
And thrise in vaine to draw it did assay,
It booted nought to thinke, to robbe him of his
pray.

42

Tho when he saw no power might preuaile,

His trustie sword he cald to his last aid, Wherewith he fiercely did his foe assaile, And double blowes about him stoutly laid, That glauncing fire out of the yron plaid; As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly, When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid; Therewith at last he forst him to vnty One of his grasping feete, him to defend thereby. 43

The other foot, fast fixed on his shield,

Whenas no strength, nor stroks mote him constraine

To loose, ne yet the warlike pledge to yield, He smot thereat with all his might and maine, That nought so wondrous puissance might sustaine ;

Vpon the ioynt the lucky steele did light, And made such way, that hewd it quite in twaine ;

The paw yet missed not his minisht might, But hong still on the shield, as it at first was pight.

44

For griefe thereof, and diuelish despight,
From his infernall fournace forth he threw
Huge flames, that dimmed all the heauens light,
Enrold in duskish smoke and brimstone blew ;
As burning Aetna from his boyling stew
Doth belch out flames, and rockes in peeces broke,
And ragged ribs of mountaines molten new,
Enwrapt in coleblacke clouds and filthy smoke,
That all the land with stench, and heauen with
horror choke.

In all the world like was not to be found, Saue in that soile, where all good things did grow,

And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground,
As incorrupted Nature did them sow,
Till that dread Dragon all did ouerthrow.
Another like faire tree eke grew thereby,
Whereof who so did eat, eftsoones did know
Both good and ill: O mornefull memory:
That tree through one mans fault hath doen vs
all to dy.
48

From that first tree forth flowd, as from a well,
A trickling streame of Balme, most soueraine
And daintie deare, which on the ground stillfell,
And ouerflowed all the fertill plaine,
As it had deawed bene with timely raine:
Life and long health that gratious ointment
gaue,

And deadly woundes could heale, and reare againe

The senselesse corse appointed for the graue. Into that same he fell which did from death

50

When gentle Vna saw the second fall
Of her deare knight, who wearie of long fight,
And faint through losse of bloud, mou'd not at
all,

But lay as in a dreame of deepe delight, Besmeard with pretious Balme, whose vertuous might

Did heale his wounds, and scorching heat alay, Againe she stricken was with sore affright, And for his safetie gan deuoutly pray; And watch the noyous night, and wait for ioyous day. 51 The ioyous day gan early to appeare, And faire Aurora from the deawy bed Of aged Tithone gan her selfe to reare, With rosie cheekes, for shame as blushing red; Her golden lockes for haste were loosely shed About her eares, when Vna her did marke Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred, From heauen high to chase the chearelesse darke; With merry note her loud salutes the mounting larke.

Thus flocked all the folke him round about,
The whiles that hoarie king, with all his traine,
Being arriued, where that champion stout
After his foes defeasance did remaine,
Him goodly greetes, and faire does entertaine,
With princely gifts of yuorie and gold,
And thousand thankes him yeelds for all his
paine.

Then when his daughter deare he does behold, Her dearely doth imbrace, and kisseth manifold. 13

And after to his Pallace he them brings,
With shaumes, and trompets, and with
Clarions sweet;

And all the way the ioyous people sings,
And with their garments strowes the paued street:
Whence mounting vp, they find purueyance meet
Of all, that royall Princes court became,

And all the floore was vnderneath their feet Bespred with costly scarlot of great name, On which they lowly sit, and fitting purpose frame.

14

What needs me tell their feast and goodly guize,
In which was nothing riotous nor vaine?
What needs of daintie dishes to deuize,
Of comely seruices, or courtly trayne?
My narrow leaues cannot in them containe
The large discourse of royall Princes state.
Yet was their manner then but bare and plaine:
For th'antique world excesse and pride did hate;
Such proud luxurious pompe is swollen vp but
late.
15

Then when with meates and drinkes of euery kinde

Their feruent appetites they`quenched had,
That auncient Lord gan fit occasion finde,
Of straunge aduentures, and of perils sad,
Which in his trauell him befallen had,
For to demaund of his renowmed guest:
Who then with vtt'rance graue, and count'n-
ance sad,

From point to point, as is before exprest, Discourst his voyage long, according his request.

16