Then full of griefe and anguish vehement,
He lowdly brayd, that like was neuer heard,
And from his wide deuouring ouen sent
A flake of fire, that flashing in his beard,
Him all amazd, and almost made affeard:
The scorching flame sore swinged all his face,
And through his armour all his bodie seard,
That he could not endure so cruell cace,

30

For vnto life the dead it could restore,
And guilt of sinfull crimes cleane wash away,
Those that with sicknesse were infected sore,
It could recure, and aged long decay
Renew, as one were borne that very day.
Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell,
And th' English Bath, and eke the german Spau,
Ne can Cephise, nor Hebrus match this well:
Into the same the knight backe ouerthrowen,
fell.

31

Now gan the golden Phœbus for to steepe
His fierie face in billowes of the west,
And his faint steedes watred in Ocean deepe,
Whiles from their iournal labours they did
rest,

When that infernall Monster, hauing kest
His wearie foe into that liuing well,

Can high aduance his broad discoloured brest,
Aboue his wonted pitch, with countenance fell,

vnlace.

27

Not that great Champion of the antique world, Whom famous Poetes verse so much doth vaunt, And hath for twelue huge labours high extold, So many furies and sharpe fits did haunt, When him thepoysoned garment did enchaunt With Centaures bloud, and bloudie verses charm'd,

As did this knight twelue thousand dolours daunt, [arm'd, Whom fyrie steele now burnt, that earst him That erst him goodly arm'd, now most of all him harm'd. 28

Faint, wearie, sore, emboyled, grieued, brent With heat, toyle, wounds, armes, smart, and inward fire

That neuer man such mischiefes did torment; Death better were, death did he oft desire, But death will neuer come,when needes require. Whom so dismayd when that his foe beheld, He cast to suffer him no more respire, But his sturdie sterne about to weld, gan And him so strongly stroke, that to the ground him feld.

29

It fortuned (as faire it then befell)

Behind his backe vnweeting, where he stood, Of auncient time there was a springing well, From which fast trickled forth a siluer flood, Full of great vertues, and for med'cine good. Whylome, before that cursed Dragon got That happie land, and all with innocent blood Defyld those sacred waues, it rightly hot The well of life, ne yet his vertues had forgot.

dwell.

35

40

With foule enfouldred smoake and flashing fire, The hell-bred beast threw forth vnto the skyes, That all was couered with darknesse dire: Then fraught with rancour, and engorged ire, He cast at once him to auenge for all, And gathering vp himselfe out of the mire, With his vneuen wings did fiercely fall Vpon his sunne-bright shield, and gript it fast withall.

4I

Much was the man encombred with his hold,
In feare to lose his weapon in his paw,
Ne wist yet, how his talants to vnfold;
Nor harder was from Cerberus greedie iaw
To plucke a bone, then from his cruell claw
To reaue by strength the griped gage away :
Thrise he assayd it from his foot to draw,
And thrise in vaine to draw it did assay,
It booted nought to thinke, to robbe him of his
pray.

42

Tho when he saw no power might preuaile,

His trustie sword he cald to his last aid, Wherewith he fiercely did his foe assaile, And double blowes about him stoutly laid, That glauncing fire out of the yron plaid; As sparckles from the Anduile vse to fly, When heauie hammers on the wedge are swaid; Therewith at last he forst him to vnty One of his grasping feete, him to defend thereby. 43

The other foot, fast fixed on his shield,

Whenas no strength, nor stroks mote him constraine

To loose, ne yet the warlike pledge to yield, He smot thereat with all his might and maine, That nought so wondrous puissance might sustaine ;

Vpon the ioynt the lucky steele did light, And made such way, that hewd it quite in twaine ;

The paw yet missed not his minisht might, But hong still on the shield, as it at first was pight.

44

For griefe thereof, and diuelish despight,
From his infernall fournace forth he threw
Huge flames, that dimmed all the heauens light,
Enrold in duskish smoke and brimstone blew ;
As burning Aetna from his boyling stew
Doth belch out flames, and rockes in peeces broke,
And ragged ribs of mountaines molten new,
Enwrapt in coleblacke clouds and filthy smoke,
That all the land with stench, and heauen with
horror choke.

47

In all the world like was not to be found, Saue in that soile, where all good things did grow,

And freely sprong out of the fruitfull ground, As incorrupted Nature did them sow, Till that dread Dragon all did ouerthrow. Another like faire tree eke grew thereby, Whereof who so did eat, eftsoones did know Both good and ill: O mornefull memory: That tree through one mans fault hath doen vs all to dy. 48

From that first tree forth flowd, as from a well, A trickling streame of Balme, most soueraine And daintie deare, which on the ground stillfell, And ouerflowed all the fertill plaine,

As it had deawed bene with timely raine : Life and long health that gratious ointment gaue,

And deadly woundes could heale, and reare againe

The senselesse corse appointed for the graue. Into that same he fell: which did from death

50

When gentle Vna saw the second fall
Of her deare knight, who wearie of long fight,
And faint through losse of bloud, mou'd not at
all,

But lay as in a dreame of deepe delight, Besmeard with pretious Balme, whose vertuous might

Did heale his wounds, and scorching heat alay, Againe she stricken was with sore affright, And for his safetie gan deuoutly pray; And watch the noyous night, and wait for ioyous day. 51 The ioyous day gan early to appeare, And faire Aurora from the deawy bed Of aged Tithone gan her selfe to reare, With rosie cheekes, for shame as blushing red; Her golden lockes for haste were loosely shed About her eares, when Vna her did marke Clymbe to her charet, all with flowers spred, From heauen high to chase the chearelesse darke; -With merry note her loud salutes the mounting larke.

Scarsely had Phoebus in the glooming East
Yet harnessed his firie-footed teeme,
Ne reard aboue the earth his flaming creast,
When the last deadly smoke aloft did steeme,
That signe of last outbreathed life did seeme
Vnto the watchman on the castle wall;

Who thereby dead that balefull Beast did deeme,
And to his Lord and Ladie lowd gan call,
To tell, how he had seene the Dragons fatall fall.
3

Vprose with hastie ioy, and feeble speed

That aged Sire, the Lord of all that land, And looked forth, to weet, if true indeede Those tydings were, as he did vnderstand, Which whenas true by tryall he out fond, He bad to open wyde his brazen gate, Which long time had bene shut, and out of hond Proclaymedioy and peace through all his state; For dead now was their foe, which them forrayed late.

31

To whom the Redcrosse knight this answere sent,
My Lord, my King, be nought hereat dismayd,
Till well ye wote by graue intendiment,
What woman, and wherefore doth me vpbrayd
With breach of loue, and loyalty betrayd.
It was in my mishaps, as hitherward
I lately traueild, that vnwares I strayd
Out of my way, through perils straunge and
hard;

That day should faile me, ere I had them all
declard.
32

There did I find, or rather I was found
Of this false woman, that Fidessa hight,
Fidessa hight the falsest Dame on ground,
Most false Duessa, royall richly dight,
That easie was t' inuegle weaker sight:
Who by her wicked arts, and wylie skill,
Too false and strong for earthly skill or might,
Vnwares me wrought vnto her wicked will,
And to my foe betrayd, when least I feared ill.

34

And now it seemes, that she suborned hath
This craftie messenger with letters vaine,
To worke new woe and improuided scath,
By breaking of the band betwixt vs twaine ;
Wherein she vsed hath the practicke paine
Of this false footman, clokt with simplenesse,
Whom if ye please for to discouer plaine,
Ye shall him Archimago find, I ghesse,
The falsest man aliue; who tries shall find no
lesse.
35

The king was greatly moued at her speach,
And all with suddein indignation fraight,
Bad on that Messenger rude hands to reach.
Eftsoones the Gard, which on his state did
wait,

Attacht that faitor false, and bound him strait:
Who seeming sorely chauffed at his band,
As chained Beare, whom cruell dogs do bait,
With idle force did faine them to withstand,
And often semblaunce made to scape out of
their hand.

36

But they him layd full low in dungeon deepe, And bound him hand and foote with yron chains.

And with continuall watch did warely keepe; Who then would thinke, that by his subtile trains

He could escape fowle death or deadly paines ? Thus when that Princes wrath was pacifide, He gan renew the late forbidden banes, And to the knight his daughter deare he tyde, With sacred rites and vowes for euer to abyde.