The while faire Britomart,whose constant mind,
Would not so lightly follow beauties chace,
Ne reckt of Ladies Loue, did stay behind,
And them awayted there a certaine space,
To weet if they would turne backe to that place:
But when she saw them gone, she forward went,
As lay her iourney, through that perlous Pace,
With stedfast courage and stout hardiment;
Ne euill thing she fear'd, ne euill thing she ment.
At last as nigh out of the wood she came,
A stately Castle farre away she spyde,
To which her steps directly she did frame.
That Castle was most goodly edifyde,
And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde:
But faire before the gate a spatious plaine,
Mantled with greene,itselfe did spredden wyde,
On which she sawsixe knights, that did darraine
Fierce battell against one, with cruell might and
maine.
Mainly they all attonce vpon him laid,
And sore beset on euery side around,
That nigh he breathlesse grew, yet nought
dismaid,
Ne euer to them yielded foot of ground
All had he lost much bloud through many a
wound,
But stoutly dealt his blowes, and euery way To which he turned in his wrathfull stound, Made them recoile, and fly from dred decay, That none of all the sixe before, him durst assay.
Like dastard Curres, that hauing at a bay
The saluage beast embost in wearie chace,
Dare not aduenture on the stubborne pray,
Ne byte before, but rome from place to place,
To get a snatch, when turned is his face.
In such distresse and doubtfull ieopardy,
When Britomart him saw, she ran a pace
Vnto his reskew, and with earnest cry,
Bad those same sixe forbeare that single enimy.
But to her cry they list not lenden eare,
Ne ought the more their mightie strokes sur
But gathering him round about more neare, Their direfull rancour rather did encreasse; Till thatsherushing through the thickest preasse, Perforce disparted their compacted gyre, And soone compeld to hearken vnto peace : Tho gan she myldly of them to inquyre The cause of their dissention and outrageous yre.
Whereto that single knight did answere frame
These sixe would me enforce by oddes of might,
To chaunge my liefe, and loue another Dame,
That death me liefer were, then such despight,
So vnto wrong to yield my wrested right:
For I loue one, the truest one on ground,
Nelist mechaunge; sheth' Errant Damzellhight,
For whose dearesake full many a bitterstownd,
I haue endur'd, and tasted many a bloudy
wound.
25
Certes (said she) then bene ye sixe to blame,
To weene your wrong by force to iustifie :
For knight to leaue his Ladie were great shame,
That faithfull is, and better were to die.
All losse is lesse, and lesse the infamie,
Then losse of loue to him, that loues but one;
Ne may loue be compeld by maisterie;
For soone as maisterie comes, sweet loue anone
Taketh his nimble wings, and soone away is gone.
Then spake one of those sixe, There dwelleth here
Within this castle wall a Ladie faire,
Whose soueraine beautie hath no liuing pere,
Thereto so bounteous and so debonaire,
That neuer any mote with her compaire.
She hath ordaind this law, which we approue,
That euery knight, which doth this way repaire,
In case he haue no Ladie, nor no loue,
Shall doe vnto her seruice neuer to remoue.
27
But if he haue a Ladie or a Loue,
Then must he her forgoe with foule defame, Or else with vs by dint of sword approue, That she is fairer, then our fairest Dame, As did this knight, before ye hither came. Perdie (said Britomart) the choise is hard: But what reward had he, that ouercame ? He should aduaunced be to high regard, (Said they) and haue our Ladies loue for his reward. 28 Therefore aread Sir, if thou haue a loue. Loue haue I sure, (quoth she) but Lady none; Yet will I not fro mine owne loue remoue, Ne to your Lady will I seruice done, But wreake your wrongs wrought to this knight alone,
And proue his cause. With that her mortall speare
She mightily auentred towards one,
And downe him smot, ere well aware he weare, Then to the next she rode, and downe the next did beare.
Ne did she stay, till three on ground she layd
That none of them himselfe could reare againe,
The fourth was by that other knight dismayd,
All were he wearie of his former paine,
That now there do but two of six remaine;
Which two didyield, before she didthem smight.
Ah (said she then) now may ye all see plaine,
That truth is strong, and trew loue most of
might,
[fight.
That for his trusty seruaunts doth so strongly
30
Too well we see, (said they) and proue too well
Our faulty weaknesse,and your matchlesse might:
For thy, faire Sir, yours be the Damozell,
Which by her owne law to your lot doth light,
And we your liege men faith vnto you plight.
So vnderneath her feet theirswords they mard,
And after her besought, well as they might,
To enter in, and reape the dew reward:
Shegraunted, and then in they all together far❜d.
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