XLV.

He little answer'd, but in manly heart
His mightie indignation did forbeare;
Which was not yet so secret, but some part
Thereof did in his frouning face

appeare:

Like as a gloomie cloud, the which doth beare
An hideous storme, is by the northerne blast
Quite overblowne, yet doth not passe so cleare
But that it all the skie doth overcast

With darknes dred, and threatens all the world to wast.

XLVI.

"Ah! gentle Knight," then false Duessa sayd,
Why do
ye strive for Ladies love so sore,
Whose chiefe desire is love and friendly aid
Mongst gentle Knights to nourish evermore!
Ne be ye wroth, Sir Scudamour, therefore,
That she your Love list love another Knight,
Ne do yourselfe dislike a whit the more;
For love is free, and led with selfe-delight,
Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might."

XLVII.

So false Duessa: but vile Atè thus ;

"Both foolish Knights, I can but laugh at both,
That strive and storme with stirre outrageous
For her, that each of you alike doth loth,
And loves another, with whom now she go'th

In lovely wise, and sleepes, and sports, and playes;
Whilest both you here with many a cursed oth
Sweare she is yours, and stirre up bloudie frayes,
To win a willow bough, whilest other weares the bayes.

XLVIII.

"Vile Hag," sayd Scudamour, "why dost thou lye, And falsly seekst a virtuous wight to shame?" [eye "Fond Knight," sayd she, "the thing that with this I saw, why should I doubt to tell the same?" "Then tell," quoth Blandamour, " and feare no blame; Tell what thou saw'st, maulgre whoso it heares." "I saw," quoth she," a straunger Knight, whose name I wote not well, but in his shield he beares (That well I wote) the heads of many broken

XLIX.

"I saw him have your Amoret at will;

speares ;

I saw him kisse; I saw him her embrace ; I saw him sleepe with her all night his fill; All, manie nights; and manie by in place That present were to testifie the case." Which whenas Scudamour did heare, his heart Was thrild with inward griefe: As when in chace The Parthian strikes a stag with shivering dart, The beast astonisht stands in middest of his smart;

L.

So stood Sir Scudamour when this he heard,
Ne word he had to speake for great dismay,,
But lookt on Glaucè grim, who woxe afeard
Of outrage for the words which she heard say,
Albee untrue she wist them by assay.

But Blandamour, whenas he did espie

His chaunge of cheere that anguish did bewray,

He woxe full blithe, as he had got thereby, gan thereat to triumph without victorie.

And

LI.

"Lo! recreant," sayd he, "the fruitlesse end
Of thy vaine boast, and spoile of love misgotten,
Whereby the name of knight-hood thou dost shend,
And all true lovers with dishonor blotten:

All things not rooted well will soone be rotten."
"Fy, fy, false Knight," then false Duessa cryde,
"Unworthy life, that love with guile hast gotten;
Be thou, whereever thou do go or ryde,

Loathed of Ladies all, and of all Knights defyde!"

LII.

But Scudamour, for passing great despight,

Staid not to answer; scarcely did refraine But that in all those Knights and Ladies sight He for revenge had guiltlesse Glaucè slaine : But, being past, he thus began amaine ; "False traitour Squire, false Squire of falsest Knight, Why doth mine hand from thine avenge abstaine, Whose lord hath done my love this foule despight! Why do I not it wreake on thee now in my might!

LIII.

"Discourteous, disloyall Britomart,

Untrue to God, and unto man uniust! What vengeance due can equall thy desart, That hast with shamefull spot of sinfull lust Defil❜d the pledge committed to thy trust! Let ugly shame and endlesse infamy Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust! Yet thou, false Squire, his fault shall deare aby, And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply.'

LIV.

The aged dame him seeing so enraged

Was dead with feare; nathlesse as neede required His flaming furie sought to have assuaged With sober words, that sufferance desired Till time the tryall of her truth expyred; And evermore sought Britomart to cleare: But he the more with furious rage was fyred, And thrise his hand to kill her did upreare, And thrise he drew it backe: so did at last forbeare. ́

CANTO II.

Blandamour winnes false Florimell;

Paridell for her strives:

They are accorded: Agape

Doth lengthen her Sonnes lives.

I.

FIREBRAND of hell first tynd in Phlegeton

By thousand Furies, and from thence out-throwen

Into this world to worke confusion

And set it all on fire by force unknowen,

Is wicked Discord; whose small sparkes once blowen None but a god or godlike man can slake:

Such as was Orpheus, that, when strife was growen Amongst those famous ympes of Greece, did take His silver harpe in hand and shortly friends them make :

II.

Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was,

That, when the wicked feend his lord tormented,
With heavenly notes, that did all other pas,

The outrage of his furious fit relented.

Such musicke is wise words with time concented,

To moderate stiffe mindes disposd to strive:
Such as that prudent Romane well invented;
What time his people into partes did rive,

Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did drive.