There leave we them in pleasure and repast,
Spending their joyous dayes and gladfull nights,
And taking usurie of time forepast,
With all deare delices and rare delights,
Fit for such Ladies and such lovely knights;
And turne we here to this faire furrowes end
Our wearie yokes, to gather fresher sprights,
That when as time to Artegall shall tend,
We on his first adventure may him forward send.

40

CANTO IV.

Artegall dealeth right betwixt

two brethren that doe strive : Saves Terpine from the gallow tree, and doth from death reprive.

HOSO upon him selfe will take the skill I
True Justice unto people to divide,

Had neede have mightie hands for to fulfill
That which he doth with righteous doome decide,
And for to maister wrong and puissant pride:
For vaine it is to deeme of things aright,
And makes wrong doers justice to deride,
Unlesse it be perform'd with dreadlesse might;
For powre is the right hand of Justice truely hight.

Therefore whylome to knights of great emprise 2 The charge of Justice given was in trust,

That they might execute her judgements wise,
And with their might beat downe licentious lust,
Which proudly did impugne her sentence just:
Whereof no braver president this day
Remaines on earth, preserv'd from yron rust
Of rude oblivion and long times decay,
Then this of Artegall, which here we have to say.

Who having lately left that lovely payre,
Enlincked fast in wedlockes loyall bond,
Bold Marinell with Florimell the fayre,
With whom great feast and goodly glee he fond,
Departed from the Castle of the strond
To follow his adventures first intent,
Which long agoe he taken had in hond:
Ne wight with him for his assistance went,
But that great yron groome, his gard and government

3

With whom, as he did passe by the sea shore,
He chaunst to come whereas two comely Squires,
Both brethren, whom one wombe together bore,
But stirred up with different desires,

4

Together strove, and kindled wrathfull fires · And them beside two seemely damzels stood, By all meanes seeking to asswage their ires; Now with faire words, but words did little good, Now with sharpe threats, but threats the more increast their mood.

5

And there before them stood a Coffer strong
Fast bound on every side with iron bands,
But seeming to have suffred mickle wrong,
Either by being wreckt uppon the sands,
Or being carried farre from forraine lands.
Seem'd that for it these Squires at ods did fall,
And bent against them selves their cruell hands
But evermore those Damzells did forestall
Their furious encounter, and their fiercenesse pall.
But firmely fixt they were with dint of sword
And battailes doubtfull proofe their rights to try;
Ne other end their fury would afford,
But what to them Fortune would justify :
So stood they both in readinesse, thereby
To joyne the combate with cruell intent,
When Artegall, arriving happily,

6

7

Did stay a while their greedy bickerment, Till he had questioned the cause of their dissent. To whom the elder did this aunswere frame: "Then weet ye, Sir, that we two brethren be, To whom our sire, Milesio by name, Did equally bequeath his lands in fee, Two Islands, which ye there before you see Not farre in sea; of which the one appeares But like a little Mount of small degree, Yet was as great and wide, ere many years, As that same other Isle, that greater bredth now beares.

"But tract of time, that all things doth decay,
And this devouring Sea, that naught doth spare,
The most part of my land hath washt away,
And throwne it up unto my brothers share :
So his encreased, but mine did empaire.
Before which time I lov'd, as was my lot,
That further mayd, hight Philtera the faire,
With whom a goodly doure I should have got,
And should have joyned bene to her in wedlocks knot.

"Then did my younger brother, Amidas,

Love that same other Damzell, Lucy bright, To whom but little dowre allotted was: Her vertue was the dowre that did delight. What better dowre can to a dame be hight? But now, when Philtra saw my lands decay And former livelod fayle, she left me quight, And to my brother did ellope streight way; Who, taking her from me, his owne love left astray.

She, seeing then her selfe forsaken so,

Through dolorous despaire which she conceyved, Into the Sea her selfe did headlong throw, Thinking to have her griefe by death bereaved : But see how much her purpose was deceived! Whilest thus, amidst the billowes beating of her, Twixt life and death long to and fro she weaved, She chaunst unwares to light uppon this coffer, Which to her in that daunger hope of life did offer.

"The wretched mayd, that earst desir'd to die, II
When as the paine of death she tasted had,
And but halfe seene his ugly visnomie,

Gan to repent that she had beene so mad
For any death to chaunge life, though most bad:
And catching hold of this sea-beaten chest,

The lucky Pylot of her passage sad,

After long tossing in the seas distrest,

Her weary barke at last uppon mine Isle did rest

"Where I by chaunce then wandring on the shore 12 Did her espy, and through my good endevour From dreadfull mouth of death, which threatned sore Her to have swallow'd up, did helpe to save her. She then, in recompence of that great favour Which I op her bestowed, bestowed on me

The portion of that good which Fortune gave her Together with her selfe in dowry free; Both goodly portions, but of both the better she. "Yet in this coffer which she with her brought

Great threasure sithence we did finde contained, Which as our owne we tooke, and so it thought; But this same other Damzell since hath fained That to her selfe that threasure appertained; And that she did transport the same by sea, To bring it to her husband new ordained, But suffred cruell shipwracke by the way: But, whether it be so or no, I can not say.

"But whether it indeede be so or no,

This doe I say, that what so good or ill
Or God or Fortune unto me did throw,
Not wronging any other by my will,
I hold mine owne, and so will hold it still.
And though my land he first did winne away,
And then my love, (though now it little skill)
Yet my good lucke he shall not likewise pray,
But I will it defend whilst ever that I may."

13

14

15

So having sayd, the younger did ensew:
"Full true it is what so about our land
My brother here declared hath to you:
But not for it this ods twixt us doth stand,
But for this threasure throwne uppon his strand;
Which well I prove, as shall appeare by triall,
To be this maides with whom I fastned hand,
Known by good markes and perfect good espiall:
Therefore it ought be rendred her without deniall.”