And valiant knights do rashly enterprise
Either for fame, or else for exercise,
A wrongful quarrel to maintain by fight;
Yet have through prowess and their brave emprise Gotten great worship in this worldës sight:
For greater force there needs to maintain wrong than
'Yet, since thy life unto this lady fair
I given have, live in reproach and scorn!
Ne ever arms, ne ever knighthood dare
Hence to profess; for shame is to adorn
With so brave badges one so basely born;
But only breathe, sith that I did forgive!'
So having from his craven body torn
Those goodly arms, he them away did give,
And only suffer'd him this wretched life to live.
There whilst he thus was settling things above, Atween that lady mild and recreant knight, To whom his life he granted for her love, He gan bethink him in what per❜lous plight He had behind him left that savage wight Amongst so many foes, whom sure he thought By this quite slain in so unequal fight: Therefore descending back in haste, he sought If yet he were alive, or to destruction brought.
There he him found environéd about
With slaughter'd bodies, which his hand had slain; And laying yet afresh with courage stout
Upon the rest that did alive remain;
Whom he likewise right sorely did constrain,
Like scatter'd sheep, to seek for safety,
After he gotten had with busy pain
Some of their weapons which thereby did lie,
With which he laid about, and made them fast to fly.
Whom when the Prince so felly saw to rage,
Approaching to him near, his hand he stay'd,
And sought, by making signs, him to assuage:
Who them perceiving, straight to him obey'd,
As to his lord, and down his weapons laid,
As if he long had to his hests1 been train’d.
Thence he him brought away, and up convey'd
Into the chamber, where that dame remain'd
With her unworthy knight, who ill him entertain'd.
Whom when the Savage saw from danger free,
Sitting beside his lady there at ease,
He well remember'd that the same was he,
Which lately sought his lord for to displease:
Then all in rage he on him straight did seize,
As if he would in pieces him have rent;
And, were not that the Prince did him appease,
He had not left one limb of him unrent:
But straight he held his hand at his commandement.
Thus having all things well in peace ordain'd,
The Prince himself there all that night did rest;
Where him Blandina fairly entertain'd
With all the courteous glee and goodly feast
The which for him she could imagine best:
For well she knew the ways to win good will
Of every wight, that were not too infest,2
And how to please the minds of good and ill,
Through tempering of her words and looks by won-
drous skill.
Yet were her words and looks but false and feign'd,
To some hid end to make more easy way,
Or to allure such fondlings1 whom she train'd2
Into her trap unto their own decay:
Thereto, when needed, she could weep and pray,
And when her listed she could fawn and flatter;
Now smiling smoothly like to summer's day,
Now glooming sadly, so to cloak her matter;
Yet were her words but wind, and all her tears but
water.
Whether such grace were given her by kind,
As women wont their guileful wits to guide;
Or learn'd the art to please, I do not find:
This well I wote, that she so well applied
Her pleasing tongue, that soon she pacified
The wrathful Prince, and wrought her husband's
Who natheless, not therewith satisfied,
His rancorous despite did not release
Ne secretly from thought of fell revenge surcease:
For all that night, the whiles the Prince did rest
In careless couch not weeting what was meant,
He watch'd in close await with weapons prest,5
Willing to work his villanous intent
On him, that had so shamefully him shent:"
Yet durst he not for very cowardise
Effect the same, whilst all the night was spent.
The morrow next the Prince did early rise,
And passed forth to follow his first enterprise.
Turpine is baffled; his two knights
Do gain their treason's meed.
Fair Mirabella's punishment
For Love's disdain decreed.
LIKE as the gentle heart itself bewrays
In doing gentle deeds with frank delight,
Even so the baser mind itself displays
In canker'd malice and revengeful spite:
For to malign, t' envý, t' use shifting sleight,
Be arguments1 of a vile dunghill mind;
Which, what it dare not do by open might,
To work by wicked treason ways doth find,
By such discourteous deeds discovering his base kind.2 Nature.
That well appears in this discourteous knight,
The coward Turpine, whereof now I treat;
Who notwithstanding that in former fight
He of the Prince his life received late,
Yet in his mind malicious and ingrate
He gan devise to be aveng'd anew
For all that shame, which kindled inward hate :
Therefore, so soon as he was out of view,
Himself in haste he arm'd, and did him fast
Well did he track his steps as he did ride,
Yet would not near approach in danger's eye,
But kept aloof for dread to be descried,
Until fit time and place he might espy,
Where he might work him scathe and villany.
At last he met two knights to him unknown,
The which were armed both agreeably,1
And both combin'd, whatever chance were blown, Betwixt them to divide and each to make his own.
To whom false Turpine coming courteously,
To cloak the mischief which he inly meant,
Gan to complain of great discourtesy,
Which a strange knight, that near afore him went,
Had done to him, and his dear lady shent;2
Which if they would afford him aid at need
For to avenge in time convenient,
They should accomplish both a knightly deed,
And for their pains obtain of him a goodly meed.
The knights believ'd that all he said was true;
And, being fresh and full of youthly sprite,
Were glad to hear of that adventure new,
In which they might make trial of their might
Which never yet they had approv'd in fight,
And eke desirous of the offer'd meed:
Said then the one of them; 'Where is that wight,
The which hath done to thee this wrongful deed,
That we may it avenge, and punish him with speed?'
'He rides,' said Turpine, 'there not far afore,
With a Wild Man soft footing by his side;
That, if ye list to haste a little more,
Ye may him overtake in timely tide.'
Eftsoons they prickéd forth with forward pride; And, ere that little while they ridden had, The gentle Prince not far away they spied, Riding a softly pace with portance1 sad, Dreaded. Devising5 of his love more than of danger drad.
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