Upon wyld beasts which she in woods did find With wrongfull powre oppressing others of their kind.

s Thus she him trayned, and thus she him taught
In all the skill of deeming wrong and right,
Untill the ripenesse of mans yeares he raught;
That even wilde beasts did feare his awfull sight,
And men admyr'd his over-ruling might ;

Ne

any liv'd on ground that durst withstand

His dreadfull heast,1 much lesse him match in fight, Or bide the horror of his wreakfull 2 hand, Whenso he list in wrath lift up his steely brand:

9 Which steely brand, to make him dreaded more,
She gave unto him, gotten by her slight
And earnest search, where it was kept in store
In Ioves eternall house, unwist of wight,
Since he himselfe it us'd in that great fight
Against the Titans, that whylome rebelled
Gainst highest heaven; Chrysaor it was hight;
Chrysaor, that all other swords excelled,

Well prov'd in that same day when Iove those gyants quelled:

10 For of most perfect metall it was made,
Tempred with adamant amongst the same,
And garnisht all with gold upon the blade
In goodly wise, whereof it tooke his name,
And was of no lesse vertue then of fame:
For there no substance was so firme and hard,

1 Heast, hest, injunction.

3 Wreakfull, avenging.

8 I. e. Golden Sword.

But it would pierce or cleave whereso it came;
Ne any armour could his dint out-ward;
But wheresoever it did light, it throughly shard.1

11 Now when the world with sinne gan to abound, Astræa loathing lenger here to space 2

Mongst wicked men, in whom no truth she found,
Return'd to heaven, whence she deriv'd her race;
Where she hath now an everlasting place
Mongst those twelve signes which nightly we doe see
The heavens bright-shining baudricke to enchace ;
And is the Virgin, sixt in her degree,

12 But when she parted hence she left her groome,
An yron man, which did on her attend
Alwayes, to execute her stedfast doome,
And willed him with Artegall to wend,
And doe whatever thing he did intend:
His name was Talus, made of yron mould,
Immoveable, resistlesse, without end;
Who in his hand an yron flale did hould,

With which he thresht out falshood and did truth un

fould.

1 Shard, sheared, cut.

2 Space, walk.

8 Plural, as often in Spenser.

4 Groome, servant.

5 I. e. Power.

XI. 8. - Sixt in her degree.] From the fourteenth century to the middle of the eighteenth, the year began on the 25th of March; hence August, in which the sun enters the constellation Virgo, was the sixth month.

13 He now went with him in this new inquest,
Him for to aide, if aide he chaunst to neede,
Against that cruell tyrant, which opprest
The faire Irena with his foule misdeede,
And kept the crowne in which she should succeed:
And now together on their way they bin,
Whenas they saw a Squire in squallid weed
Lamenting sore his sorowfull sad tyne1
With many bitter teares shed from his blubbred eyne

14 To whom as they approched, they espide
A sorie sight as ever seene with eye,
An headlesse ladie lying him beside,
In her owne blood all wallow'd wofully,
That her gay clothes did in discolour2 die.
Much was he moved at that ruefull sight;
And, flam'd with zeale of vengeance inwardly,
He askt who had that dame so fouly dight,3
Or whether his owne hand, or whether other wight?

15 "Ah! woe is me, and well away," quoth hee, Bursting forth teares like springs out of a banke, "That ever I this dismall day did see! Full farre was I from thinking such a pranke; Yet litle losse it were, and mickle thanke,

If I should graunt that I have doen the same, That I mote drinke the cup whereof she dranke, — But that I should die guiltie of the blame,

The which another did, who now is fled with shame."

1 Tyne, wrong, misfortune.

2 Discolour, party-color.

4 Pranke, mischievous or malicious act.

3 Dight, treated.

18" Who was it then," sayd Artegall, " that wrought?

16

And why? doe it declare unto me trew."

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"A knight," said he, "if knight he may be thought,

That did his hand in ladies bloud embrew,

And for no cause, but as I shall you shew.
This day as I in solace sate hereby

With a fayre Love whose losse I now do rew,
There came this knight, having in companie

This lucklesse ladie which now here doth headlesse

lie.

17" He, whether mine seem'd fayrer in his eye,
Or that he wexed weary of his owne,
Would change with me; but I did it denye,
So did the ladies both, as may be knowne:
But he, whose spirit was with pride upblowne,
Would not so rest contented with his right;
But, having from his courser her downe throwne,
Fro me reft mine away by lawlesse might,

And on his steed her set to beare her out of sight.

66

18 Which when his ladie saw, she follow'd fast, And, on him catching hold, gan loud to crie

Not so to leave her nor away to cast,

But rather of his hand besought to die:

With that his sword he drew all wrathfully,

And at one stroke cropt off her head with scorne, In that same place whereas it now doth lie.

So he my Love away with him hath borne,

And left me here, both his and mine owne Love to

morne."

19" Aread," sayd he; "which way then did he make?
And by what markes may he be knowne againe?"
"To hope," quoth he, "him soone to overtake,
That hence so long departed, is but vaine:
But yet he pricked over yonder plaine,
And, as I marked, bore upon his shield,
By which it's easie him to know againe,
A broken sword within a bloodie field;
Expressing well his nature which the same did wield."

20 No sooner sayd, but streight he after sent

His yron page, who him pursew'd so light,

As that it seem'd above the ground he went :
For he was swift as swallow in her flight,
And strong as lyon in his lordly might.
It was not long before he overtooke
Sir Sanglier, (so cleeped was that knight,)

Whom at the first he ghessed by his looke,
And by the other markes which of his shield he tooke

21 He bad him stay and backe with him retire; Who, full of scorne to be commaunded so, The Lady to alight did eft1 require,

Whilest he reformed that uncivill fo;

And streight at him with all his force did go:
Who mov'd no more therewith, then when a rocke
Is lightly stricken with some stonës throw;

1 Eft, at once.

XX. 7.- Sir Sanglier.] Sir Sanglier (the Wild Boar) is apparently meant for the cruel and profligate Shan O'Neal.

C.