Which wordes when Paridell had heard, his hew 48 Gan greatly chaung, and seemd dismaid to bee; Then sayd: "Fayre Sir, how may I weene it trew, That ye doe tell in such uncerteintee?

Or speake ye of report, or did ye see

Just cause of dread, that makes ye doubt so sore? For, perdie, elles how mote it ever bee,

That ever hand should dare for to engore

Her noble blood? The hevens such crueltie abhore."

"These eyes did see that they will ever rew

49

To have seene," (quoth he) “when as a monstrous
The Palfrey whereon she did travell slew, [beast
And of his bowels made his bloody feast:
Which speaking token sheweth at the least
Her certeine losse, if not her sure decay :
Besides, that more suspicion encreast,
I found her golden girdle cast astray,
Distaynd with dirt and blood, as relique of the pray."

"Ah me!" (said Paridell) "the signes be sadd; 50
And, but God turne the same to good sooth say,
That Ladies safetie is sore to be dradd:
Yet will I not forsake my forward way,
Till triall doe more certeine truth bewray."
"Faire Sir," (qd. he) "well may it you
Ne long shall Satyrane behind you stay,
But to the rest, which in this Quest proceed,
My labour adde, and be partaker of their speed."

succeed;

"Ye noble knights," (said then the Squyre of Dames) "Well may yee speede in so praiseworthy payne! But sith the Sunne now ginnes to slake his beames In deawy vapours of the westerne mayne, And lose the teme out of his weary wayne,

Mote not mislike you also to abate

Your zealous hast, till morrow next againe Both light of heven and strength of men relate:

Which if ye please, to yonder castle turne your gate"

52

That counsell pleased well: so all yfere
Forth marched to a Castle them before;
Where soone arryving they restrained were
Of ready entraunce, which ought evermore
To errant knights be commune: wondrous sore
Thereat displeasd they were, till that young Squyre
Gan them informe the cause, why that same dore
Was shut to all which lodging did desyre:
The which to let you weet will further time requyre.

CANTO IX.

Malbecco will no straunge knights host,

For peevish gealosy.

Paridell giusts with Britomart:

both shew their auncestry.

EDOUBTED knights, and honorable Dames,
To whom I levell all my labours end,
Right sore I feare, least with unworthy
blames

This odious argument my rymes should shend,
Or ought your goodly patience offend,
Whiles of a wanton Lady I doe write,

Which with her loose incontinence doth blend
The shyning glory of your soveraine light;

And knighthood fowle defaced by a faithlesse knight.

But never let th' ensample of the bad

Offend the good; for good, by paragone

Of evill, may more notably be rad,

2

As white seemes fayrer matcht with blacke attone;
Ne all are shamed by the fault of one :

For lo! in heven, whereas all goodnes is,
Emongst the Angels, a whole legione

Of wicked Sprightes did fall from happy blis;
What wonder then if one, of women all, did mis?

Then listen, Lordings, if ye list to weet

The cause why Satyrane and Paridell
Mote not be entertaynd, as seemed meet,
Into that Castle, (as that Squyre does tell.)
"Therein a cancred crabbed Carle does dwell,
That has no skill of Court nor courtesie,
Ne cares what men say of him, ill or well;
For all his dayes he drownes in privitie,
Yet has full large to live and spend at libertie.

3

"But all his mind is set on mucky pelfe,

To hoord up heapes of evill gotten masse,

For which he others wrongs, and wreckes himselfe :
Yet is he lincked to a lovely lasse,

Whose beauty doth her bounty far surpasse;
The which to him both far unequall yeares,

And also far unlike conditions has;

For she does joy to play emongst her peares,

And to be free from hard restraynt and gealous feares.

"But he is old, and withered like hay, Unfit faire Ladies service to supply;

5

The privie guilt whereof makes him alway Suspect her truth, and keepe continuall spy Upon her with his other blincked eye; Ne suffreth he resort of living wight Approch to her, ne keepe her company, But in close bowre her mewes from all mens sight, Depriv'd of kindly joy and naturall delight.

"Malbecco he, and Hellenore she hight;

6

Unfitly yokt together in one teeme.
That is the cause why never any knight
Is suffred here to enter, but he seeme
Such as no doubt of him he neede misdeeme."
Thereat Sir Satyrane gan smyle, and say;
"Extremely mad the man I surely deeme,
That weenes with watch and hard restraynt to stay
A womans will, which is disposd to go astray.

"In vaine he feares that which he cannot shonne; 7
For who wotes not, that womans subtiltyes
Can guylen Argus, when she list misdonne ?
It is not yron bandes, nor hundred eyes,
Nor brasen walls, nor many wakefull spyes,
That can withhold her wilfull wandring feet;
But fast goodwill, with gentle courtesyes,
And timely service to her pleasures meet,
May her perhaps containe, that else would algates fleet."

"Then is he not more mad," (sayd Paridell) "That hath himselfe unto such service sold, In dolefull thraldome all his dayes to dwell? For sure a foole I doe him firmely hold, That loves his fetters, though they were of gold. But why doe wee devise of others ill, Whyles thus we suffer this same dotard old

To keepe us out, in scorne of his owne will,
And rather do not ransack all, and him selfe kill ?"

"Nay, let us first" (sayd Satyrane) "entreat
The man by gentle meanes to let us in,
And afterwardes affray with cruell threat,
Ere that we to efforce it doe begin :
Then, if all fayle, we will by force it win,
And eke reward the wretch for his mesprise,
As may be worthy of his haynous sin."
That counsell pleasd: then Paridell did rise,
And to the Castle gate approcht in quiet wise.

Whereat soft knocking entrance he desyrd.

9

10

The good man selfe, which then the Porter playd,
Him answered, that all were now retyrd
Unto their rest, and all the keyes convayd
Unto their maister, who in bed was layd,

That none him durst awake out of his dreme;
And therefore them of patience gently prayd.
Then Paridell began to chaunge his theme,
And threatned him with force and punishment extreme:

But all in vaine, for nought mote him relent.
And now so long before the wicket fast

They wayted, that the night was forward spent,
And the faire welkin fowly overcast
Gan blowen up a bitter stormy blast,

With showre and hayle so horrible and dred,
That this faire many were compeld at last
To fly for succour to a little shed,

The which beside the gate for swyne was ordered.