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 Glauce slaine:
But, being past, he thus began amaine :
"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?
"Discourteous, disloyall Britomart,
Untrue to God, and unto man unjust!
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 shall deare aby,
And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply."

The aged Dame, him seeing so enraged,

53

54

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 expyred; 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

CANTO II.

Blandamour winnes false Florimell;
Paridell for her strives:
They are accorded: Agape

doth lengthen her sonnes lives.

IREBRAND 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: Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was,

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

The outrage of his furious fit relented.

2

3

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

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

Which when as 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 joyous meriment ?"

But Paridell, that had too late a tryall

Of the bad issue of his counsell vaine,

5

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.

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
Seeing so faire indeede, as he did say,

His hart with secret envie gan to swell,

And inly grudge at him that he had sped so well.

Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed, 8

Having so peerelesse paragon ygot:

For sure the fayrest Florimell him seemed
To him was fallen for his happie lot,

Whose like alive on earth he weened not:
Therefore he her did court, did serve, did wooe,

With humblest suit that he imagine mot,

And all things did devise, and all things dooe, That might her love prepare, and liking win theretoo.

She, in regard thereof, him recompenst

9

With golden words and goodly countenance, And such fond favours sparingly dispenst: Sometimes him blessing with a light eye-glance, And coy lookes tempring with loose dalliance; Sometimes estranging him in sterner wise; That having cast him in a foolish trance, He seemed brought to bed in Paradise, And prov'd himselfe most foole in what he seem'd most

[wise.

So great a mistresse of her art she was,
And perfectly practiz'd in womans craft,
That though therein himselfe he thought to pas,
And by his false allurements wylie draft
Had thousand women of their love beraft,

Yet now he was surpriz'd: for that false spright,
Which that same witch had in this forme engraft,
Was so expert in every subtile slight,
That it could overreach the wisest earthly wight.

Yet he to her did dayly service more,
And dayly more deceived was thereby;
Yet Paridell him envied therefore,
As seeming plast in sole felicity:
So blind is lust false colours to descry.
But Atè soone discovering his desire,
And finding now fit opportunity

To stirre up strife twixt love and spight and ire, Did privily put coles unto his secret fire.

10

II

12

By sundry meanes thereto she prickt him forth;
Now with remembrance of those spightfull speaches,
Now with opinion of his owne more worth,
Now with recounting of like former breaches
Made in their friendship, as that Hag him teaches :
And ever when his passion is allayd,

She it revives, and new occasion reaches;
That on a time, as they together way'd,
He made him open chalenge, and thus boldly sayd;
"Too boastfull Blandamour! too long I beare

13

The open wrongs thou doest me day by day : Well know'st thou, when we friendship first did

sweare,

?

The covenant was, that every spoyle or pray Should equally be shard betwixt us tway. Where is my part then of this Ladie bright, Whom to thy selfe thou takest quite away Render therefore therein to me my right, Or answere for thy wrong as shall fall out in fight." Exceeding wroth thereat was Blandamour,

14

And gan this bitter answere to him make:
"Too foolish Paridell! that fayrest floure
Wouldst gather faine, and yet no paines wouldst take:
But not so easie will I her forsake;

This hand her wonne, this hand shall her defend." With that they gan their shivering speares to shake, And deadly points at eithers breast to bend, Forgetfull each to have bene ever others frend. Their firie steedes with so untamed forse

15

Did beare them both to fell avenges end,
That both their speares with pitilesse remorse
Through shield and mayle and haberjeon did wend,
And in their flesh a griesly passage rend,
That with the furie of their owne affret

Each other horse and man to ground did send ;
Where, lying still awhile, both did forget

The perilous present stownd in which their lives were set.