And eke that straunger Knight emongst the rest
Was for like need enforst to disaray :
Tho, whenas vailed was her lofty crest,
Her golden locks, that were in tramells gay
Upbounden, did themselves adowne display
And raught unto her heeles; like sunny beames,
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded, shewe their golden gleames,
And through the persant aire shoote forth their azure
[streames.
Shee also dofte her heavy haberjeon,
Which the faire feature of her limbs did hyde;
And her well-plighted frock, which she did won
To tucke about her short when she did ryde,
Shee low let fall, that flowd from her lanck syde
Downe to her foot with carelesse modestee.
Then of them all she plainly was espyde
To be a woman-wight, unwist to bee,
The fairest woman-wight that ever eie did see.
Which whenas they beheld, they smitten were
With great amazement of so wondrous sight;
And each on other, and they all on her,
Stood gazing; as if suddein great affright
Had them surprizd: At last avising right
Her goodly personage and glorious hew,
Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight
In their first error, and yett still anew
With wonder of her beauty fed their hongry vew:
Like as Bellona (being late returnd
From slaughter of the Giaunts conquered; Where proud Encelade, whose wide nosethrils burnd With breathed flames like to a furnace redd, Transfixed with her speare downe tombled dedd From top of Hemus by him heaped hye ;) Hath loosd her helmet from her lofty hedd, And her Gorgonian shield gins to untye From her lefte arme, to rest in glorious victorye.
Yet n'ote their hongry vew be satisfide,
But, seeing, still the more desir'd to see,
And ever firmely fixed did abide
In contemplation of divinitee:
But most they mervaild at her chevalree
And noble prowesse which they had approv'd,
That much they faynd to know who she mote bee;
Yet none of all them her thereof amov'd;
Yet every one her likte, and every one her lov'd.
And Paridell, though partly discontent
With his late fall and fowle indignity,
Yet was soone wonne his malice to relent,
Through gratious regard of her faire eye,
And knightly worth which he too late did try,
Yet tried did adore. Supper was dight;
Then they Malbecco prayd of courtesy,
That of his Lady they might have the sight
And company at meat, to doe them more delight.
But he, to shifte their curious request,
Gan causen why she could not come in place;
Her crased helth, her late recourse to rest,
And humid evening ill for sicke folkes cace:
But none of those excuses could take place;
Ne would they eate, till she in presence came:
Shee came in presence with right comely grace,
And fairely them saluted, as became,
And shewd herselfe in all a gentle courteous Dame.
They sate to meat; and Satyrane his chaunce
Was her before, and Paridell beside;
But he himselfe sate looking still askaunce
Gainst Britomart, and ever closely eide
Sir Satyrane, that glaunces might not glide:
But his blinde eie, that sided Paridell,
All his demeasure from his sight did hide :
On her faire face so did he feede his fill,
And sent close messages of love to her at will:
And ever and anone, when none was ware,
With speaking lookes, that close embassage bore,
He rov'd at her, and told his secret care;
For all that art he learned had of
yore:
Ne was she ignoraunt of that leud lore,
But in his eye his meaning wisely redd,
And with the like him auns werd evermore:
Shee sent at him one fyrie dart, whose hedd
Empoisned was with privy lust and gealous dredd.
He from that deadly throw made no defence,
But to the wound his weake heart opened wyde:
The wicked engine through false influence
Past through his eies, and secretly did glyde
Into his heart, which it did sorely gryde.
But nothing new to him was that same paine,
Ne paine at all; for he so ofte had tryde
The powre thereof, and lov'd so oft in vaine,
That thing of course he counted, love to entertaine.
And, whenso of his hand the pledge she raught,
The guilty cup she fained to mistake,
And in her lap did shed her idle draught,
Shewing desire her inward flame to slake.
By such close signes they secret way did make
Unto their wils, and one eies watch escape:
Two eies him needeth, for to watch and wake,
Who lovers will deceive. Thus was the
ape,
By their faire handling, put into Malbeccoes cape.
Thenceforth to her he sought to intimate
30
His inward griefe, by meanes to him well knowne : Now Bacchus fruit out of the silver plate He on the table dasht, as overthrowne, Or of the fruitfull liquor overflowne ; And by the dauncing bubbles did divine, Or therein write to lett his love be showne; Which well she redd out of the learned line: A sacrament prophane in mistery of wine.
Now, when of meats and drinks they had their fill,
Purpose was moved by that gentle Dame
Unto those Knights adventurous, to tell
Of deeds of armes which unto them became,
And every one his Kindred and his Name.
Then Paridell, in whom a kindly pride
Of gratious speach and skill his words to frame
Abounded, being glad of so fitte tide
Him to commend to her, thus spake, of al well eide :
"Troy, that art now nought but an idle name, And in thine ashes buried low dost lie,
Though whilome far much greater then thy fame,
Before that angry Gods and cruell skie
Upon thee heapt a direful destinie;
What boots it boast thy glorious descent,
And fetch from heven thy great Genealogie,
Sith all thy worthie prayses being blent
Their ofspring hath embaste, and later glory shent!
"Most famous Worthy of the world, by whome That warre was kindled which did Troy inflame, And stately towres of Ilion whilóme
Brought unto balefull ruine, was by name
Sir Paris far renowmd through noble fame;
Who, through great prowesse and bold hardinesse,
From Lacedaemon fetcht the fayrest Dame
That ever Greece did boast, or Knight possesse,
Whom Venus to him gave for meed of worthinesse ;
"Fayre Helene, flowre of beautie excellent,
And girlond of the mighty Conquerours,
That madest many Ladies deare lament
The heavie losse of their brave Paramours,
Which they far off beheld from Trojan toures,
And saw the fieldes of faire Scamander strowne
With carcases of noble warrioures
Whose fruitlesse lives were under furrow sowne, And Xanthus sandy bankes with blood all overflowne!
"From him my linage I derive aright,
Who long before the ten yeares siege of Troy,
Whiles yet on Ida he a shepeheard hight,
On faire Oenone got a lovely boy,
Whom, for remembrance of her passed joy,
She, of his Father, Parius did name;
Who, after Greekes did Priams realme destroy,
Gathred the Trojan reliques sav'd from flame,
And, with them sayling thence, to th' isle of Paros came.
"That was by him cald Paros, which before
Hight Nausa; there he many yeares did raine,
And built Nausicle by the Pontick shore;
The which he dying lefte next in remaine
To Paridas his sonne,
From whom I Paridell by kin descend:
But, for faire Ladies love and glories gaine,
My native soile have lefte, my dayes to spend
In seewing deeds of armes, my lives and labors end."
Whenas the noble Britomart heard tell
Of Trojan warres and Priams Citie sackt,
(The ruefull story of Sir Paridell,)
She was empassiond at that piteous act,
With zelous envy of Greekes cruell fact
Against that Nation, from whose race of old
She heard that she was lineally extract:
For noble Britons sprong from Trojans bold,
And Troynovant was built of old Troyes ashes cold.
Then, sighing soft awhile, at last she thus: "O lamentable fall of famous towne,
Which raigned so many yeares victorious, And of all Asie bore the soveraine crowne, In one sad night consumd and throwen downe! What stony hart, that heares thy haplesse fate, Is not empierst with deepe compassiowne, And makes ensample of mans wretched state, That floures so fresh at morne, and fades at evening late!
|