CANTO IX.

The Squire of low degree, releast,
Pana takes to wife:

Britomart fightes with many Knights;
Prince Arthur stints their strife.

H

ARD is the doubt, and difficult to deeme, I When all three kinds of love together meet And doe dispart the hart with powre extreme, Whether shall weigh the balance downe; to weet, The deare affection unto kindred sweet,

Or raging fire of love to womankind,

Or zeale of friends combynd with vertues meet:
But of them all the band of vertues mind,

Me seemes, the gentle hart should most assured bind.

For naturall affection soone doth cesse,

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And quenched is with Cupids greater flame
But faithfull friendship doth them both suppresse,
And them with maystring discipline doth tame,
Through thoughts aspyring to eternall fame :
For as the soule doth rule the earthly masse,
And all the service of the bodie frame;

So love of soule doth love of bodie passe, [brasse. No lesse then perfect gold surmounts the meanest All which who list by tryall to assay

Shall in this storie find approved plaine ;

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In which these Squires true friendship more did sway Then either care of parents could refraine, Or love of fairest Ladie could constraine; For though Pæana were as faire as morne, Yet did this trustie squire with proud disdaine For his friends sake her offred favours scorne, And she her selfe her syre of whom she was yborne.

Now, after that Prince Arthur graunted had

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To yeeld strong succour to that gentle swayne, Who now long time had lyen in prison sad; He gan advise how best he mote darrayne That enterprize for greatest glories gayne. That headlesse tyrants tronke he reard from ground, And, having ympt the head to it agayne, Upon his usuall beast it firmely bound, And made it so to ride as it alive was found.

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Then did he take that chaced Squire, and layd
Before the ryder, as he captive were,
And made his Dwarfe, though with unwilling ayd,
To guide the beast that did his maister beare,
Till to his castle they approched neare;

Whom when the watch, that kept continuall ward, Saw comming home, all voide of doubtfull feare He, running downe, the gate to him unbard; Whom straight the Prince ensuing in together far'd.

There did he find in her delitious boure
The faire Pæana playing on a Rote
Complayning of her cruell Paramoure,
And singing all her sorrow to the note,
As she had learned readily by rote;

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That with the sweetnesse of her rare delight
The Prince halfe rapt began on her to dote;
Till better him bethinking of the right,
He her unwares attacht, and captive held by might.

Whence being forth produc'd, when she perceived 7
Her owne deare sire, she cald to him for aide;
But when of him no auns were she received,
But saw him sencelesse by the Squire upstaide,
She weened well that then she was betraide :
Then gan she loudly cry, and weepe, and waile,
And that same Squire of treason to upbraide;
But all in vaine: her plaints might not prevaile,
Ne none there was to reskue her, ne none to baile

Then tooke he that same Dwarfe, and him compeld 8
To open unto him the prison dore,

And forth to bring those thrals which there he held.
Thence forth were brought to him above a score
Of Knights and Squires to him unknowne afore:
All which he did from bitter bondage free,
And unto former liberty restore.

Amongst the rest that Squire of low degree
Came forth full weake and wan, not like him selfe to bee.

Whom soone as faire Æmylia beheld

And Placidas, they both unto him ran,
And him embracing fast betwixt them held,
Striving to comfort him all that they can,
And kissing oft his visage pale and wan:
That faire Paana, them beholding both,
Gan both envy, and bitterly to ban;

Through jealous passion weeping inly wroth,

To see the sight perforce that both her eyes were loth.

But when awhile they had together beene,

And diversly conferred of their case,

She, though full oft she both of them had seene Asunder, yet not ever in one place,

Began to doubt, when she them saw embrace, Which was the captive Squire she lov'd so deare, Deceived through great likenesse of their face: For they so like in person did appeare, That she uneath discerned whether whether weare.

And eke the Prince, when as he them avized,

ΙΟ

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Their like resemblaunce much admired there, And mazd how nature had so well disguized Her worke, and counterfet her selfe so nere, As if that by one patterne, seene somewhere, She had them made a paragone to be; Or whether it through skill or errour were. Thus gazing long at them much wondred he; So did the other knights and Squires which him did see.

Then gan they ransacke that same Castle strong, 12 In which he found great store of hoorded threasure, The which that tyrant gathered had by wrong And tortious powre, without respect or measure: Upon all which the Briton Prince made seasure, And afterwards continu'd there a while

To rest him selfe, and solace in soft pleasure
Those weaker Ladies after weary toile;
To whom he did divide part of his purchast spoile.

And, for more joy, that captive Lady faire,
The faire Pæana, he enlarged free,

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And by the rest did set in sumptuous chaire
To feast and frollicke: nathemore would she
Shew gladsome countenaunce nor pleasaunt glee ;
But grieved was for losse both of her sire,
And eke of Lordship with both land and fee;
But most she touched was with griefe entire
For losse of her new love, the hope of her desire.

But her the Prince, through his well wonted grace, 14
To better termes of myldnesse did entreat
From that fowle rudenesse which did her deface;
And that same bitter corsive, which did eat
Her tender heart and made refraine from meat,
He with good thewes and speaches well applyde
Did mollifie, and calme her raging heat:
For though she were most faire, and goodly dyde,
Yet she it all did mar with cruelty and pride.

And, for to shut up all in friendly love,

Sith love was first the ground of all her griefe,
That trusty Squire he wisely well did move
Not to despise that dame which lov'd him liefe,
Till he had made of her some better priefe;
But to accept her to his wedded wife:
Thereto he offred for to make him chiefe
Of all her land and lordship during life.

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He yeelded, and her tooke; so stinted all their strife.

From that day forth in peace and joyous blis
They liv'd together long without debate;
Ne private jarre, ne spite of enemis,

Could shake the safe assuraunce of their state:
And she, whom Nature did so faire create
That she mote match the fairest of her daies,
Yet with lewd loves and lust intemperate

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Had it defaste, thenceforth reformd her waies, That all men much admyrde her change, and spakc her praise.

Thus when the Prince had perfectly compyld

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These paires of friends in peace and setled rest, Him selfe, whose minde did travell, as with chylde, Of his old love conceav'd in secret brest,

Resolved to pursue his former quest;

And, taking leave of all, with him did beare
Faire Amoret, whom Fortune by bequest
Had left in his protection whileare,
Exchanged out of one into another feare.
Feare of her safety did her not constraine;
For well she wist now in a mighty hond
Her person, late in perill, did remaine,
Who able was all daungers to withstond:
But now in feare of shame she more did stond,
Seeing her selfe all soly succourlesse,

Left in the victors powre, like vassall bond, Whose will her weakenesse could no way repress In case his burning lust should breake into excesse

But cause of feare, sure, had she none at all
Of him, who goodly learned had of yore
The course of loose affection to forstall,
And lawlesse lust to rule with reasons lore;
That all the while he by his side her bore,
She was as safe as in a Sanctuary.
Thus many miles they two together wore,
To seeke their loves dispersed diversly;
Yet neither shewed to other their hearts privity.

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