59 Palmer (quoth he) death is an equall doome To good and bad, the common Inne of rest; But after death the tryall is to come, When best shall be to them, that liued best: But both alike, when death hath both supprest, Religious reuerence doth buriall teene,

Which who so wants, wants so much of his rest: For all so great shame after death I weene, As selfe to dyen bad, vnburied bad to beene. 60

So both agree their bodies to engraue;
The great earthes wombe they open to the sky,
And with sad Cypresse seemely it embraue,
Then couering with a clod their closed eye,
They lay therein those corses tenderly,
And bid them sleepe in euerlasting peace.
But ere they did their vtmost obsequy,
Sir Guyon more affection to increace,
Bynempt a sacred vow, which none should aye
releace.
61

The dead knights sword out of his sheath he drew,
With which he cut a locke of all their heare,
Which medling with their bloud and earth, he
threw

Into the graue, and gan deuoutly sweare; Such and such euill God on Guyon reare, And worse and worse young Orphane be thy paine, If I or thou dew vengeance doe forbeare, Till guiltie bloud her guerdon doe obtaine : So shedding many teares, they closd the earth againe.

Cant. II.

Babes bloudie hands may not be clensd : the face of golden Meane. Her sisters two Extremities striue her to banish cleane.

I

Thus when Sir Guyon with his faithfull guide
Had with due rites and dolorous lament
The end of their sad Tragedie vptyde,
The litle babe vp in his armes he hent;
Who with sweet pleasance and bold blandish-

ment

Gan smyle on them, that rather ought to weepe, As carelesse of his woe, or innocent Of that was doen, that ruth emperced deepe In that knights heart, and wordes with bitter teares did steepe.

2

Ah lucklesse babe, borne vnder cruell starre,
And in dead parents balefull ashes bred,
Full litle weenest thou, what sorrowes are
Left thee for portion of thy liuelihed,
Poore Orphane in the wide world scattered,
As budding braunch rent from the natiue tree,
And throwen forth, till it be withered:
Such is the state of men: thus enter wee
Into this life with woe, and end with miseree.
3

Then soft himselfe inclyning on his knee
Downe to that well, did in the water weene
(So loue does loath disdainfull nicitee)
His guiltie hands from bloudie gore to cleene.
He washt them oft and oft, yet nought they beene
For all his washing cleaner. Still he stroue,
Yet still the litle hands were bloudie seene;
The which him into great amaz'ment droue,
And into diuerse doubt his wauering wonder
cloue.

4

7

Such is this well, wrought by occasion straunge,
Which to her Nymph befell. Vpon a day,
As she the woods with bow and shafts did raunge,
The hartlesse Hind and Robucke to dismay,
Dan Faunus chaunst to meet her by the way,
And kindling fire at her faire burning eye,
Inflamed was to follow beauties chace,

And chaced her, that fast from him did fly; As Hind from her, so she fled from her enimy. 8

At last when fayling breath began to faint, And saw no meanes to scape, of shame affrayd, She set her downe to weepe for sore constraint, And to Diana calling lowd for ayde,

Her deare besought, to let her dye a mayd. The goddesse heard, and suddeine where she sate, Welling out streames of teares, and quite dismayd

With stony feare of that rude rustick mate, Transformd her to a stone from stedfast virgins state.

Vnto that stead, their strife to vnderstond; And at his first arriuall, them began

As a tall ship tossed in troublous seas,
Whom raging windes threatning to make the pray
Of the rough rockes, do diuersly disease,
Meetes two contrary billowes by the way,
That her on either side do sore assay,
And boast to swallow her in greedy graue;
She scorning both their spights, does make
wide way,

And with her brest breaking the fomy waue, Does ride on both their backs, and faire her selfe doth saue. 25

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 payes,

Now forst to yield, now forcing to inuade, Before, behind, and round about him layes. So double was his paines, so double be his prayse.

26

Straunge sort of fight, three valiaunt knights to

see

Three combats ioyne in one, and to darraine A triple warre with triple enmitee,

All for their Ladies froward loue to gaine, Which gotten was but hate. So loue does raine Instoutest minds,and maketh monstrous warre; He maketh warre, he maketh peace againe, And yet his peace is but continuall iarre :

27 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 borne, [deare,

And by the loues, which were to them most And by the knighthood, which they sure had

sworne,

Their deadly cruell discord to forbeare,

32

Her gracious wordes their rancour did appall,
And suncke so deepe into their boyling brests,
That downe they let their cruell weapons fall,
And lowly did abase their loftie crests
To her faire presence, and discrete behests.
Then she began a treatie to procure,

And stablish termes betwixt doth their requests,
That as a law for euer should endure ;
Which to obserue in word of knights they did
33

assure.

heare.

28

After their wearie sweat and bloudy toile,
She them besought, during their quiet treague,
Into her lodging to repaire a while,
To rest themselues, and grace to reconcile.
They soone consent: so forth with her they
fare,

[spoile

Where they are well receiu'd, and made to Themselues of soiled armes, and to prepare Their minds to pleasure, and their mouthes to dainty fare.

34

And those two froward sisters, their faire loues Came with them eke, all were they wondrous loth,

And fained cheare, as for the time behoues, But could not colour yet so well the troth, But that their natures bad appeard in both: For both did at their second sister grutch, And inly grieue, as doth an hidden moth The inner garment fret, not th'vtter touch; One thought their cheare too litle, th'other thought too mutch.

35

Elissa (so the eldest hight) did deeme

Such entertainment base, ne ought would cat,
Ne ought would speake, but euermore did seeme
As discontent for want of merth or meat;
No solace could her Paramour intreat
Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance,
But with bent lowring browes, as she would
threat,
[naunce,

She scould, and frownd with froward counteVnworthy of faire Ladies comely gouernaunce.

36

But young Perissa was of other mind,

Full of disport, still laughing, loosely light, And quite contrary to her sisters kind; No measure in her mood, no rule of right, But poured out in pleasure and delight; In wine and meats she flowd aboue the bancke, And in excesse exceeded her owne might; In sumptuous tire she ioyd her selfe to prarcke, But of her loue too lauish (litle haue she thancke.)

42

To her I homage and my seruice owe,
In number of the noblest knights on ground,
Mongst whom on me she deigned to bestowe
Order of Maydenhead, the most renownd,
That may this day in all the world be found:
An yearely solemne feast she wontes to make
The day that first doth lead the yeare around;
To which all knights of worth and courage bold
Resort, to heare of straunge aduentures to be
told.
43

There this old Palmer shewed himselfe that day,
And to that mighty Princesse did complaine
Of grieuous mischiefes, which a wicked Fay
Had wrought, and many whelmd in deadly
paine,

Whereof he crau'd redresse. My Soueraine, Whose glory is in gracious deeds, and ioyes Throughout the world her mercy to maintaine, Eftsoones deuisd redresse for such annoyes; Me all vnfit for so great purpose she employes.