In this sad plight, friendlesse, vnfortunate,
Now miserable I Fidessa dwell,
Crauing of you in pitty of my state,
To do none ill, if please ye not do well.
He in great passion all this while did dwell,
More busying his quicke eyes, her face to view,
Then his dull eares, to heare what she did tell;
And said, Faire Lady hart of flint would rew
The vndeserued woes and sorrowes, which ye
shew.

27 Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest, Hauing both found a new friend you to aid, And lost an old foe, that did you molest: Better new friend then an old foe is said. With chaunge of cheare the seeming simple maid

Let fall her eyen, as shamefast to the earth, And yeelding soft, in that she nought gain-said, So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth, And she coy lookes: so dainty they say maketh

derth.

28

Long time they thus together traueiled,

Till weary of their way, they came at last, Where grew two goodly trees, that faire did spred

Their armes abroad, with gray mosse ouercast, And their greene leaues trembling with euery blast,

Made a calme shadow far in compasse round: The fearefull Shepheard often there aghast Vnder them neuer sat, ne wont there sound His mery oaten pipe, but shund th'vnlucky ground.

But this good knight soone as he them can spie,
For the coole shade him thither hastly got :
For golden Phœbus now ymounted hie,
From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot
Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot,
That liuing creature mote it not abide;
And his new Lady it endured not.

There they alight, in hope themselues to hide From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide.

30

Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes,
With goodly purposes there as they sit :
And in his falsed fancy he her takes
To be the fairest wight, that liued yit;
Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit,
And thinking of those braunches greene to frame
A girlond for her dainty forehead fit,

He pluckt a bough; out of whose rift there came Small drops of gory bloud, that trickled downe

the same.

31

34

Say on Fradubio then, or man, or tree,
Quoth then the knight, by whose mischieuous

arts

Art thou misshaped thus, as now I see?
He oft finds med'cine, who his griefe imparts;
But double griefs afflict concealing harts,
As raging flames who striueth to suppresse.
The author then (said he) of all my smarts,
Is one Duessa a false sorceresse,

39

Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight,
Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine
To haue before bewitched all mens sight;
O leaue her soone, or let her soone be slaine.
Her loathly visage viewing with disdaine,
Eftsoones I thought her such, as she me told,
And would haue kild her; but with faigned
paine,
[hold;

mould.

40

Did yield her comely person, to be at my call.

37

So doubly lou'd of Ladies vnlike faire,
Th'one seeming such, the other such indeede,
One day in doubt I cast for to compare,
Whether in beauties glorie did exceede ;

The diuelish hag by chaunges of my cheare Perceiu'd my thought, and drownd in sleepie night,

smeare

With wicked herbes and ointments did be[might,

A Rosy girlond was the victors meede :

My bodie all, through charmes and magicke

bee,

So hard the discord was to be agreede.

Frælissa was as faire, as faire mote bee,

Then brought she me into this desert waste, And by my wretched louers side me pight, Where now enclosd in wooden wals full faste,

38

The wicked witch now seeing all this while
The doubtfull ballaunce equally to sway,
What not by right, she cast to win by guile,
And by her hellish science raisd streight way
A foggy mist, that ouercast the day,
And a dull blast, that breathing on her face,
Dimmed her former beauties shining ray,
And with foule vgly forme did her disgrace :
Then was she faire alone, when none was faire
in place.

we waste.

43

But how long time, said then the Elfin knight, Are you in this misformed house to dwell? We may not chaunge (quoth he) this euil plight, Till we be bathed in a liuing well;

That is the terme prescribed by the spell. O how, said he, mote I that well out find, That may restore you to your wonted well? Time and suffised fates to former kynd Shall vs restore, none else from hence may vs vnbynd.