perce;

yeh bere, and rug to amefill And eke en hemmed ommes, that none can Ne modern wound the man that does them ferce,

· Charmi or enchanted' answerd he then kor som i would not year that to Saneity II no whitt reck; ne you the like need to re

berce.

LI

But, faire Fidessa, sithens fortunes guile,
Or enimies powre, hath now captived you,
Returne from whence ye came, and rest a while,
Til morrow Dext that I the Elfe subdew,
And with Sansfores dead dowry you endew.'
Ah me that is a doable death." (she said)
With proud foes sight my sorrow to renew,
Where ever yet I be. my secret aide [obaid.
Shall follow you.' So, passing forth, she him

II

At last, the golden Orientall gate
Of greatest heaven gan to open fayre;

VII

The Sarazin was stout and wondrous strong, And heaped blowes like yron hammers great;

And Phoebus,fresh as brydegrome to his mate, For after blood and vengeance he did long:
Came dauncing forth, shaking his deawie The knight was fiers, and full of youthly heat,
hayre,
[ayre. And doubled strokes, like dreaded thunders
And hurld his glistring beams through gloomy threat;

Which when the wakeful Elfe perceiv'd, streight For all for praise and honour he did fight.
He started up, and did him selfe prepayre [way, Both stricken stryke, and beaten both doe beat,
In sunbright armes, and battailous array; That from their shields forth flyeth firie light,
For with that Pagan proud he combatt will And hewen helmets deepe shew marks of eithers

that day.

At last forth comes that far renowmed Queene:
With royall pomp and princely majestie
She is ybrought unto a paled greene,
And placed under stately canapee,

might.

VIII

So th' one for wrong, the other strives for
right.

As when a Gryfon, seized of his pray,
A Dragon fiers encountreth in his flight,
Through widest ayre making his ydle way,
That would his rightfull ravine rend away:
With hideous horror both together smight,
And souce so sore that they the heavens affray;
The wise Southsayer, seeing so sad sight,
Th' amazed vulgar telles of warres and mortall
fight.

IX

So th' one for wrong, the other strives for
right,

And each to deadly shame would drive his foe:
The cruell steele so greedily doth bight

In tender flesh, that streames of blood down
flow;
[show,
With which the armes, that earst so bright did
Into a pure vermillion now are dyde.
Great ruth in all the gazers harts did grow,
Seeing the gored woundes to gape so wyde,
That victory they dare not wish to either side.

X

At last the Paynim chaunst to cast his eye, The warlike feates of both those knights to see. His suddein eye flaming with wrathfull fyre, On th' other side in all mens open vew Duessa placed is, and on a tree Sansfoy his shield is hangd with bloody hew; Both those the lawrell girlonds to the victor

dew.

Upon his brothers shield, which hong thereby:
Therewith redoubled was his raging yre,
And said; 'Ah! wretched sonne of wofull syre,
Doest thou sit wayling by blacke Stygian lake,
Whylest here thy shield is hangd for victors
hyre?

And, sluggish german, doest thy forces slake
To after-send his foe, that him may overtake?

XI

'Goe, caytive Elfe, him quickly overtake, And soone redeeme from his long-wandring

woe:

Goe, guiltie ghost, to him my message make,
That I his shield have quit from dying foe.'
Therewith upon his crest he stroke him so,
That twise he reeled, readie twise to fall:

D

That ever Ladie to her love did chose,
Let now abate the terrour of your might,
And quench the flame of furious despight,
And bloodie vengeance: lo! th' infernall That shyning lampes in Joves high house

Covering your foe with cloud of deadly night, Then forth she rose, ne lenger would abide, Have borne him hence to Plutoes balefull But comes unto the place where th' Hethen