40 With that his mortall hand a while he stayd; And, having somewhat calm'd his wrathfull heat With goodly patience, thus he to him sayd: "And is the boast of that proud Ladies threat, That menaced me from the field to beat,
Now brought to this? By this now may ye learne Strangers no more so rudely to intreat1;
But put away proud looke and usage sterne, The which shal nought to you but foule dishonor yearne.2
41 "For nothing is more blamefull to a knight,
That court'sie doth as well as armes professe,
However strong and fortunate in fight,
Then the reproch of pride and cruelnesse:
In vaine he seeketh others to suppresse,
Who hath not learnd himselfe first to subdew:
All flesh is frayle and full of ficklenesse,
Subiect to fortunes chance, still chaunging new ;
What haps to day to me to morrow may to you.
42 "Who will not mercie unto others shew,
How can he mercy ever hope to have?
To pay each with his owne is right and dew:
Yet since ye mercie now doe need to crave,
I will it graunt, your hopelesse life to save,
With these conditions which I will propound :
First, that ye better shall yourselfe behave
Unto all errant knights, whereso on ground;
Next, that ye ladies ayde in every stead and stound.3"
8 Stead and stound, place and time.
1 Intreat, treat.
2 Yearne, earn.
43 The wretched man, that all this while did dwell
In dread of death, his heasts1 did gladly heare,
And promist to performe his precept well,
And whatsoever else he would requere.
So, suffring him to rise, he made him sweare
By his owne sword, and by the crosse thereon,
To take Briana for his loving fere2
Withouten dowre or composition;
But to release his former foule condition.
44 All which accepting, and with faithfull oth
Bynding himselfe most firmely to obay,
He up arose, however liefe or loth,
And swore to him true fëaltie for aye.
Then forth he cald from sorrowfull dismay
The sad Briana which all this beheld;
Who comming forth yet full of late affray
Sir Calidore upcheard, and to her teld3
All this accord to which he Crudor had compeld.
45 Whereof she now more glad then sory earst, All overcome with infinite affect 5
For his exceeding courtesie, that pearst Her stubborne hart with inward deepe effect, Before his feet herselfe she did proiect ; And him adoring as her lives deare lord, With all due thankes and dutifull respect, Herselfe acknowledg'd bound for that accord, By which he had to her both life and love restord.
1 Heasts, commands.
2 Fere, mate.
8 Teld, told.
4 Accord, agreement.
5 Affect, emotion.
6. Proiect, throw.
46 So all returning to the Castle glad,
Most ioyfully she them did entertaine;
Where goodly glee and feast to them she made, To shew her thankefull mind and meaning faine, By all the meanes she mote it best explaine: And, after all, unto Sir Calidore
She freely gave that castle for his paine,
And herselfe bound to him for evermore;
So wondrously now chaung'd from that she was afore.
47 But Calidore himselfe would not retaine
Nor land nor fee for hyre of his good deede,
But gave them streight unto that Squire againe,
Whom from her seneschall he lately freed,
And to his Damzell, as their rightfull meed
For recompence of all their former wrong:
There he remaind with them right well agreed,
Till of his wounds he wexed hole and strong;
And then to his first quest he passed forth along.
That is, glad to show her gratitude and good-will. Or, meaning faine may possibly signify her joyful, kind intentions. C.
Calidore sees young Tristram slay
A proud, discourteous Knight:
He makes him Squire, and of him learnes
His state and present plight.
1 WHAT vertue is so fitting for a knight,
Or for a ladie whom a knight should love,
As Curtesie, to beare themselves aright
To all of each degree as doth behove?
For whether they be placed high above
Or low beneath, yet ought they well to know
Their good1; that none them rightly may reprove
Of rudenesse for not yeelding what they owe:
Great skill it is such duties timely to bestow.
2 Thereto great helpe Dame Nature selfe doth lend:
For some so goodly gratious are by kind,2
That every action doth them much commend,
And in the eyes of men great liking find;
Which others, that have greater skill in mind,
Though they enforce themselves, cannot attaine:
For everie thing, to which one is inclin❜d,
1 To know their good, to understand the rules of good-breeding. 2 Kind, nature.
Doth best become and greatest grace doth gaine : Yet praise likewise deserve good thewes1 enforst with paine.
3 That well in courteous Calidore appeares ;
Whose every deed and word that he did say
Was like enchantment, that through both the eares
And both the eyes did steale the hart away. -
He now againe is on his former way
To follow his first quest, when as he spyde
A tall young man, from thence not farre away, Fighting on foot, as well he him descryde, Against an armed Knight that did on horsebacke ryde.
4 And them beside, a Ladie faire he saw,
Standing alone on foot in foule array;
To whom himselfe he hastily did draw
To weet the cause of so uncomely fray,
And to depart them, if so be he may:
But, ere he came in place, that youth had kild
That armed knight, that low on ground he lay;
Which when he saw, his hart was inly child
With great amazement, and his thought with wonder
fild.
5 Him stedfastly he markt, and saw to bee A goodly youth of amiable grace,
Yet but a slender slip, that scarse did see
Yet seventeene yeares, but tall and faire of face, That sure he deem'd him borne of noble race:
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