36

Which Calidore perceiving, thought it best
To chaunge the manner of his loftie looke;
And doffing his bright armes, himselfe addrest
In shepheards weed; and in his hand he tooke,
In stead of steelehead speare, a shepheards hooke;
That who had seene him then, would have bethought
On Phrygian Paris by Plexippus brooke,

When he the love of fayre Benone sought,
What time the golden apple was unto him brought
So being clad unto the fields he went

With the faire Pastorella every day,

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And kept her sheepe with diligent attent,
Watching to drive the ravenous Wolfe away,
The whylest at pleasure she mote sport and play;
And every evening helping them to fold:
And otherwhiles, for need, he did assay

In his strong hand their rugged teats to hold, And out of them to presse the milke: love so much could.

Which seeing Coridon, who her likewise

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Long time had lov'd, and hop'd her love to gaine,
He much was troubled at that straungers guize,
And many gealous thoughts conceiv'd in vaine,
That this of all his labour and long paine
Should reap the harvest ere it ripened were:
That made him scoule, and pout, and oft complaine
Of Pastorell to all the shepheards there,

That she did love a stranger swayne then him more dere.

And ever, when he came in companie

Where Calidore was present, he would loure
And byte his lip, and even for gealousie
Was readie oft his owne heart to devoure,

Impatient of any paramoure:

Who, on the other side, did seeme so farre From malicing, or grudging his good houre, That all he could he graced him with her, Ne ever shewed signe of rancour or of jarre.

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And oft, when Coridon unto her brought

Or litle sparrowes stolen from their nest,
Or wanton squirrels in the woods farre sought,
Or other daintie thing for her addrest,

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He would commend his guift, and make the best;
Yet she no whit his presents did regard,
Ne him could find to fancie in her brest:
This newcome shepheard had his market mard.
Old love is litle worth when new is more prefard.

One day, when as the shepheard swaynes together 41
Were met to make their sports and merrie glee,
As they are wont in faire sunshynie weather,
The whiles their flockes in shadowes shrouded bee,
They fell to daunce: then they did all agree
That Colin Clout should pipe, as one most fit;
And Calidore should lead the ring, as hee
That most in Pastorellaes grace did sit :
Thereat frown'd Coridon, and his lip closely bit

But Calidore, of courteous inclination,
Tooke Coridon and set him in his place,

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That he should lead the daunce, as was his fashion;
For Coridon could daunce, and trimly trace:
And when as Pastorella, him to grace,

Her flowry garlond tooke from her owne head,
And plast on his, he did it soone displace,

And did it put on Coridons in stead:

Then Coridon woxe frollicke, that earst seemed dead.

Another time, when as they did dispose

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To practise games and maisteries to try, They for their Judge did Pastorella chose; A garland was the meed of victory: There Coridon forth stepping openly Did chalenge Calidore to wrestling game; For he, through long and perfect industry, Therein well practisd was, and in the same Thought sure t' avenge his grudge, and worke his foe great shame.

But Calidore he greatly did mistake,

For he was strong and mightily stiffe pight,
That with one fall his necke he almost brake;
And had he not upon him fallen light,
His dearest joynt he sure had broken quight.
Then was the oaken crowne by Pastorell
Given to Calidore as his due right;
But he, that did in courtesie excell,
Gave it to Coridon, and said he wonne it well.

Thus did the gentle knight himselfe abeare

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Amongst that rusticke rout in all his deeds,
That even they, the which his rivals were,
Could not maligne him, but commend him needs;
For courtesie amongst the rudest breeds
Good will and favour. So it surely wrought
With this faire Mayd, and in her mynde the seeds
Of perfect love did sow, that last forth brought
The fruite of joy and blisse, though long time dearely
bought.

Thus Calidore continu'd there long time
To winne the love of the faire Pastorell,
Which having got, he used without crime
Or blamefull blot; but menaged so well,
That he, of all the rest which there did dwell,
Was favoured and to her grace commended.
But what straunge fortunes unto him befell,
Ere he attain'd the point by him intended,
Shall more conveniently in other place be ended.

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CANTO X.

Calidore sees the Graces daunce
To Colins melody;

The whiles his Pastorell is led
Into captivity.

HO now does follow the foule Blatant Beast
Whilest Calidore does follow that faire

Mayd,

Unmyndfull of his vow, and high beheast Which by the Faery Queene was on him layd, That he should never leave, nor be delayd From chacing him, till he had it attchieved? But now, entrapt of love, which him betrayd, He mindeth more how he may be relieved With

grace from her, whose love his heart hath sore
engrieved.

That from henceforth he meanes no more to sew
His former quest, so full of toile and paine.
Another quest, another game in vew
He hath, the guerdon of his love to gaine;
With whom he myndes for ever to remaine,
And set his rest amongst the rusticke sort,
Rather then hunt still after shadowes vaine
Of courtly favour, fed with light report
Of every blaste, and sayling alwaies on the port.
Ne certes mote he greatly blamed be

2

3

From so high step to stoupe unto so low; For who had tasted once (as oft did he) The happy peace which there doth overflow, And prov'd the perfect pleasures which doe grow Amongst poore hyndes, in hils, in woods, in dales. Would never more delight in painted show Of such false blisse, as there is set for stales T'entrap unwary fooles in their eternall bales.

For what hath all that goodly glorious gaze

4

Like to one sight which Calidore did vew?
The glaunce whereof their dimmed eies would daze,
That never more they should endure the shew
Of that sunne-shine that makes them looke askew :
Ne ought, in all that world of beauties rare,
(Save onely Glorianaes heavenly hew,

To which what can compare?) can it compare; The which, as commeth now, by course I will declare.

One day, as he did raunge the fields abroad,
Whilest his faire Pastorella was elsewhere,
He chaunst to come, far from all peoples troad,
Unto a place whose pleasaunce did appere
To passe all others on the earth which were:
For all that ever was by natures skill
Devized to worke delight was gathered there,

And there by her were poured forth at fill,
As if, this to adorne, she all the rest did pill.

It was an hill plaste in an open plaine,

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6

That round about was bordered with a wood Of matchlesse hight, that seem'd th' earth to disdaine; In which all trees of honour stately stood, And did all winter as in sommer bud, Spredding pavilions for the birds to bowre, Which in their lower braunches sung aloud; And in their tops the soring hauke did towre, Sitting like King of fowles in majesty and powre : And at the foote thereof a gentle flud

7

His silver waves did softly tumble downe, Unmard with ragged mosse or filthy mud; Ne mote wylde beastes, ne mote the ruder clowne, Thereto approch; ne filth mote therein drowne: But Nymphes and Faeries by the bancks did sit In the woods shade which did the waters crowne, Keeping all noysome things away from it, And to the waters fall tuning their accents fit.