Whereby the name of knight-hood thou dost

shend,1

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 got-

ten;

Be thou, wherever thou do go or ryde,

Loathed of ladies all, and of all knights defyde!"

52 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 amaine2;

"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!

63" 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 shalt deare aby, And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply."

1 Shend, disgrace.

2 Amaine, violently.

64 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 expyred1;
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.

1 Expyred, discovered.

LIV. 1. The aged dame, &c.] It is very agreeable to poetical decorum, as well as a just punishment for Scudamore's jealous disposition, that Glaucé leaves him thus in ignorance and doubt, till proper time and circumstances discover, of themselves, the fidelity of Amoret. UPTON.

CANTO II.

Blandamour winnes false Florimell
Paridell for her strives:
They are accorded1: Agapé

Doth lengthen her Sonnes lives.

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:

2 Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was,

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

1 Accorded, reconciled.

2 Tynd, kindled.

Ympes, youths.

I. 7. Such as was Orpheus, &c.] "Apollonius Rhodius and Valerius Flaccus mention some quarrels that arose amongst the Argonauts; and the former introduces Orpheus, pacifying them, playing on his harp." -JORTIN. See Canto I. 23.

The outrage of his furious fit relented.

Such musicke is wise words with time concented,1 To moderate stiffe mindes disposd to strive: Such as that prudent Romane2 well invented, What time his people into partes did rive, Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did drive.

8 Such us'd wise Glaucè to that wrathfull Knight.
To calme the tempest of his troubled thought:
Yet Blandamour, with termes of foule despight,
And Paridell her scornd, and set at nought,
As old and crooked and not good for ought.
Both they unwise, and warelesse of the evill
That by themselves unto themselves is wrought,
Through that false witch, and that foule aged
drevill";

The one a feend, the other an incarnate devill.

4 With whom as they thus rode accompanide,
They were encountred of a lustie Knight
That had a goodly Ladie by his side,

To whom he made great dalliance and delight:
It was to weete the bold Sir Ferraugh hight,
He that from Braggadocchio whilome reft
The snowy Florimell, whose beautie bright

1 Concented, made harmonious, spoken seasonably 2 I. e. Menenius Agrippa.

Made him seeme happie for so glorious theft; Yet was it in due triall but a wandring weft.'

. Which whenas Blandamour, whose fancie light
Was alwaies flitting as the wavering wind
After each beautie that appeard in sight,
Beheld, eftsoones it prickt his wanton mind
With sting of lust that reasons eye did blind,
That to Sir Paridell these words he sent :
"Sir Knight, why ride ye dumpish thus behind,
Since so good fortune doth to you present
So fayre a spoyle, to make you ioyous meriment?"

• But Paridell, that had too late a tryall Of the bad issue of his counsell vaine,

List not to hearke, but made this faire denyall: "Last turne was mine, well proved to my paine; This now be yours; God send you better gaine!" Whose scoffed words he taking halfe in scorne, Fiercely forth prickt his steed as in disdaine Against that knight, ere he him well could torne; By meanes whereof he hath him lightly overborne.

2

7 Who, with the sudden stroke astonisht sore, Upon the ground awhile in slomber lay; The whiles his Love away the other bore, And, shewing her, did Paridell upbray : "Lo! sluggish knight, the victors happie pray! So fortune friends the bold." Whom Paridell

Weft, waif, i. e. (here) a thing not worth claiming. • Lightly, easily.