Thus well instructed, to their worke they hast,
And comming where the knight in slomber lay,
The one vpon his hardy head him plast,
And made him dreame of loues and lustfull play,
That nigh his manly hart did melt away,
Bathed in wanton blis and wicked ioy:
Then seemed him his Lady by him lay,
And to him playnd, how that false winged boy
Her chast hart had subdewd, to learne Dame
pleasures toy.
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And she her selfe of beautie soueraigne Queene,
Faire Venus seemde vnto his bed to bring
Her, whom he waking euermore did weene
To be the chastest flowre, that ay did spring
On earthly braunch, the daughter of a king,
Now a loose Leman to vile seruice bound:
And eke the Graces seemed all to sing,
Hymen to Hymen, dauncing all around,
Whilst freshest Flora her with Yuie girlond
crownd.
In this great passion of vnwonted lust,
Or wonted feare of doing ought amis,
He started vp, as seeming to mistrust
Some secret ill, or hidden foe of his :
Lo there before his face his Lady is,
Vnder blake stole hyding her bayted hooke,
And as halfe blushing offred him to kis,
With gentle blandishment and louely looke,
Most like that virgin true, which for her knight
him took.
Loue of your selfe, she said, and deare constraint Lets me not sleepe, but wast the wearie night In secret anguish and vnpittied plaint, Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned quight.
Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knight Suspect her truth: yet since no'vntruth he knew, Her fawning loue with foule disdainefull spight He would not shend, but said,Deare dame I rew, That for my sake vnknowne such griefe vnto you grew. 54
Assure your selfe, it fell not all to ground;
For all so deare as life is to my hart,
I deeme your loue, and hold me to you bound;
Nelet vaine feares procure your needlesse smart,
Where cause is none, but to your rest depart.
Not all content, yet seemd she to appease
Her mournefull plaintes, beguiled of her art,
And fed with words, that could not chuse but
please,
So slyding softly forth, she turnd as to her ease.
Forthwith he runnes with feigned faithfull hast Vnto his guest, who after troublous sights And dreames, gan now to take more sound repast,
Whom suddenly he wakes with fearefull frights, As one aghast with feends or damned sprights, And to him cals, Rise rise vnhappy Swaine, That here wex old in sleepe, whiles wicked wights [chaine; Haue knit themselues in Venus shamefull Come see, where your false Lady doth her honour staine. 5
All in amaze he suddenly vp start
With sword in hand,and with the old man went;
Who soone him brought into a secret part,
Where that false couple were full closely ment
In wanton lust and lewd embracement:
Which when he saw, he burnt with gealous fire,
The eye of reason was with rage yblent,
And would haue slaine them in his furious ire,
But hardly was restreined of that aged sire.
His blessed body spoild of liuely breath,
Was afterward, I know not how, conuaid
And fro me hid: of whose most innocent death
When tidings came to me vnhappy maid,
O how great sorrow my sad soule assaid.
Then forth I went his woefull corse to find,
And many yeares throughout the world I straid,
A virgin widow, whose deepe wounded mind
With loue, long time did languish as the striken
hind.
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At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin
To meete me wandring, who perforce me led
With him away, but yet could neuer win
The Fort, that Ladies hold in soueraigne dread.
There lies he now with foule dishonour dead,
Who whiles he liu'de, was called proud Sans foy, The eldest of three brethren, all three bred Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans ioy, And twixt them both was borne the bloudy bold Sans loy.
But this good knight soone as he them can spie,
For the coole shade him thither hastly got :
For golden Phœbus now ymounted hie,
From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot
Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot,
That liuing creature mote it not abide ;
And his new Lady it endured not.
There they alight, in hope themselues to hide From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide. 30
Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes,
With goodly purposes there as they sit :
And in his falsed fancy he her takes
To be the fairest wight, that liued yit;
Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit,
And thinking of those braunches greene to frame
A girlond for her dainty forehead fit,
He pluckt a bough; out of whose rift there came
Small drops of gory bloud, that trickled downe
Therewith a piteous yelling voyce was heard, Crying, O spare with guilty hands to teare My tender sides in this rough rynd embard, But fly, ah fly far hence away, for feare Least to you hap, that happened to me heare, And to this wretched Lady, my deare loue, O too deare loue, loue bought with death too deare.
Astond he stood, and vp his haire did houe And with that suddein horror could no member
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