Did choke the entrance with a lump of sin, That it could not be shut; whilst Calidore Did enter in, and slew the porter on the floor.
With that the rest the which the castle kept
About him flock'd, and hard at him did lay;
But he them all from him full lightly swept,
As doth a steer, in heat of summer's day,
With his long tail the bryzes1 brush away.
Thence passing forth into the hall he came,
Where of the Lady self in sad dismay
He was ymet, who with uncomely shame
Gan him salute, and foul upbraid with faulty blame:
'False traitor knight,' said she, 'no knight at all,
But scorn of arms! that hast with guilty hand
Murder'd my men, and slain my seneschal;
Now comést thou to rob my house unmann'd,
And spoil myself, that cannot thee withstand?
Yet doubt thou not, but that some better knight
Than thou, that shall thy treason understand,
Will it avenge, and pay thee with thy right:
And if none do, yet shame shall thee with shame requite.
Much was the Knight abashéd at that word;
Yet answer'd thus; 'Not unto me the shame,
But to the shameful doer it afford.
Blood is no blemish; for it is no blame
To punish those that do deserve the same;
But they that break bands of civility,
And wicked customs make, those do defame
Both noble arms and gentle courtesy:
No greater shame to man than inhumanity.
"Then do yourself, for dread of shame, forego
This evil manner which ye here maintain,
And do instead thereof mild court'sy show
To all that pass: that shall you glory gain
More than his love, which thus ye seek t'obtain.'
Wherewith all full of wrath she thus replied;
'Vile recreant! know that I do much disdain
Thy courteous lore,1 that doest my love deride,
Who scorns thy idle scoff, and bids thee be defied.’
'To take defiance at a lady's word,'
Quoth he, I hold it no indignity;
But were he here, that would it with his sword
Abet,2 perhaps he might it dear abye.'3
Coward,' quoth she, 'were not that thou wouldst Ere he do come, he should be soon in place.' 'If I do so,' said he, 'then liberty
I leave to you for aye me to disgrace
With all those shames, that erst ye spake me to
With that a dwarf she call'd to her in hast,
And taking from her hand a ring of gold
(A privy token which between them past)
Bade him to fly with all the speed he could
To Crudor; and desire him that he would
Vouchsafe to rescue her against a knight,
Who through strong power had now herself in hold,
Having late slain her seneschal in fight,
And all her people murder'd with outrageous might:
The dwarf his way did haste, and went all night:
But Calidore did with her there abide
The coming of that so much threat'ned knight;
Where that discourteous Dame with scornful pride
And foul entreaty him indignified,1
That iron heart it hardly could sustain:
Yet he, that could his wrath full wisely guide,
Did well endure her womanish disdain,
And did himself from frail impatience refrain.
The morrow next, before the lamp of light
Above the earth uprear'd his flaming head,
The dwarf, which bore that message to her knight,
Brought answer back, that ere he tasted bread
He would her succour, and alive or dead
Her foe deliver up into her hand:
Therefore he will'd her do away all dread;
And, that of him she might assuréd stand,
He sent to her his basnet2 as a faithful band.
Thereof full blithe the Lady straight became,
And gan t'augment her bitterness much more:
Yet no whit more appalled for the same,
Ne aught dismayed was Sir Calidore;
But rather did more cheerful seem therefore:
And, having soon his arms about him dight,3
Did issue forth to meet his foe afore;
Where long he stayed not, whenas a knight
He spied come pricking on with all his
Well ween'd he straight that he should be the same
Which took in hand her quarrel to maintain;
Ne staid to ask if it were he by name,
But couch'd his spear, and ran at him amain.1
They been ymet in middest of the plain
With so fell fury and dispiteous force,
'Then do yourself, for dread of shame, forego
This evil manner which ye here maintain,
And do instead thereof mild court'sy show
To all that pass: that shall you glory gain
More than his love, which thus ye seek t'obtain.'
Wherewith all full of wrath she thus replied;
'Vile recreant! know that I do much disdain
Thy courteous lore,1 that doest my love deride,
Who scorns thy idle scoff, and bids thee be defied.'
'To take defiance at a lady's word,'
Quoth he, I hold it no indignity;
But were he here, that would it with his sword
Abet,2 perhaps he might it dear abye.'s [fly
'Coward,' quoth she, 'were not that thou wouldst
Ere he do come, he should be soon in place.'
'If I do so,' said he, 'then liberty
I leave to you for aye me to disgrace
[deface.' With all those shames, that erst1 ye spake me to
With that a dwarf she call'd to her in hast,
And taking from her hand a ring of gold
(A privy token which between them past)
Bade him to fly with all the speed he could
To Crudor; and desire him that he would
Vouchsafe to rescue her against a knight,
Who through strong power had now herself in hold,
Having late slain her seneschal in fight,
And all her people murder'd with outrageous might:
The dwarf his way did haste, and went all night:
But Calidore did with her there abide
The coming of that so much threat'ned knight;
Where that discourteous Dame with scornful pride
And foul entreaty him indignified,1
That iron heart it hardly could sustain:
Yet he, that could his wrath full wisely guide,
Did well endure her womanish disdain,
And did himself from frail impatience refrain.
The morrow next, before the lamp of light
Above the earth uprear'd his flaming head,
The dwarf, which bore that message to her knight,
Brought answer back, that ere he tasted bread
He would her succour, and alive or dead
Her foe deliver up into her hand:
Therefore he will'd her do away all dread;
And, that of him she might assuréd stand,
He sent to her his basnet2 as a faithful band.
Thereof full blithe the Lady straight became,
And gan t'augment her bitterness much more:
Yet no whit more appalled for the same,
Ne aught dismayéd was Sir Calidore;
But rather did more cheerful seem therefore:
And, having soon his arms about him dight,3
Did issue forth to meet his foe afore;
Where long he stayed not, whenas a knight
He spied come pricking on with all his power and
might.
Well ween'd he straight that he should be the same
Which took in hand her quarrel to maintain;
Ne staid to ask if it were he by name,
But couch'd his spear, and ran at him amain.1
They been ymet in middest of the plain
With so fell fury and dispiteous force,
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