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And on the grass her dainty limbs did lay
In secret shadow, far from all men's sight;
From her fair head her fillet she undight,
And laid her stole aside: her angel's face,
As the great eye of heaven, shined bright,
And made a sunshine in a shady place;
Did never mortal eye behold such heavenly grace.

It fortuned, out of the thickest wood,
A ramping lion rushed suddenly,
Hunting full greedy after savage blood;
Soon as the royal virgin he did spy,
With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,
To have at once devour'd her tender corse;
But to the prey when as he drew more nigh,
His bloody rage assuaged with remorse,

And, with the sight amaz'd, forgot his furious force.

Instead thereof he kiss'd her weary feet,
And lick'd her lily hands with fawning tongue,

As he her wronged innocence did weet.
O how can beauty master the most strong,
And simple truth subdue avenging wrong!
Whose yielded pride and proud submission,
Still dreading death, when she had marked long,
Her heart 'gan melt in great compassion,
And drizzling tears did shed for pure affection.

"The lion, lord of every beast in field,"

Quoth she, "his princely puissance doth abate,

And mighty proud to humble weak does yield,
Forgetful of the hungry rage which late
Him prick'd, in pity of my sad estate :
But he, my lion, and my noble lord,
How does he find in cruel heart to hate
Her that him lov'd, and ever most ador'd,

As the God of my life? why hath he me abhorred ?”

Redounding tears did choke th' end of her plaint,
Which softly echoed from the neighbour wood;
And, sad to see her sorrowful constraint,
The kingly beast upon her gazing stood;
With pity calm'd, down fell his angry mood.
At last, in close heart shutting up her pain,
Arose the virgin, born of heavenly blood,
And to her snowy palfrey got again,

To seek her strayed champion, if she might attain.

The lion would not leave her desolate,

But with her went along, as a strong guard

Of her chaste person, and a faithful mate

Of her sad troubles, and misfortunes hard.

Still, when she slept, he kept both watch and ward;
And, when she wak'd, he waited diligent,
With humble service to her will prepar'd:
From her fair eyes he took commandement,
And ever by her looks conceived her intent.

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THE FAITHFUL KNIGHT HAVING KILLED THE SARACEN SANSFOY, DUESSA THE WITCH MAKES A JOURNEY TO THE INFERNAL REGIONS TO RECOVER THE BODY OF HER INFIDEL CHAMPION.

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So wept Duessa until eventide,

That shining lamps in love's high house were light;
Then forth she rose, no longer would abide,

But comes unto the place where th' heathen knight,
In slumb'ring swoon'd, nigh void of vital sp❜rit,
Lay cover'd with enchanted cloud all day;
Whom, when she found, as she him left in plight,
To wail his woeful case she would not stay,
But to the eastern coast of Heaven makes speedy way.

Where grisly Night, with visage deadly sad,
That Phoebus' cheerful face durst never view,
And in a foul black pitchy mantle clad,
She finds forthcoming from her darksome mew,
Where she all day did hide her hated hue.
Before the door her iron chariot stood,
Already harnessed for journey new;

And coal-black steeds, yborn of hellish blood,

That on their rusty bits did champ as they were wood.

So well they sped, that they be come at length

Unto the place whereas the Paynim lay,

Devoid of outward sense and native strength,

Covered, with charmed cloud, from view of day
And sight of men, since his late luckless fray.
His cruel wounds with cruddy blood congeal'd,
They binden up so wisely as they may,

And handle softly till they can be heal'd:

So lay him in her chari't, close in Night conceal'd.

And all the while she stood upon the ground,
The wakeful dogs did never cease to bay,
As giving warning of th' unwonted sound,
With which her iron wheels did them affray,
And her dark grisly look them much dismay;
The messenger of death, the ghastly owl,
With dreary shrieks did also her bewray;
And hungry wolves continually did howl
At her abhorred face, so filthy and so foul.

By that same way the direful dames do drive
Their mournful chariot, fill'd with rusty blood,
And down to Pluto's house are come bilive1;
Which passing through, on every side them stood
The trembling ghosts, with sad amazed mood,
Chattering their iron teeth, and staring wide
With stony eyes; and all the hellish brood
Of fiends infernal flock'd on every side

To gaze on earthly wight, that with the Night durst ride.

1 Quickly.

FAIRY QUEEN, Book II. Canto 6.

A HARDER lesson to learn continence
In joyous pleasure than in grievous pain;
For sweetness doth allure the weaker sense
So strongly, that uneathes it can refrain
From that which feeble nature covets fain;
But grief and wrath, that be her enemies
And foes of life, she better can restrain:
Yet virtue vaunts in both her victories,
And Guyon in them all shews goodly masteries.

Whom bold Cymochles travelling to find,
With cruel purpose bent to wreak on him
The wrath which Atin kindled in his mind,
Came to a river, by whose utmost brim
Waiting to pass, he saw whereas did swim
Along the shore, as swift as glance of eye,
A little gondelay, bedecked trim
With boughs and arbours woven cunningly,
That like a little forest seemed outwardly;

And therein sate a lady fresh and fair,
Making sweet solace to herself alone;

Sometimes she sung as loud as lark in air,

Sometimes she laugh'd, that nigh her breath was

gone;

Yet was there not with her else any one,

That to her might move cause of merriment ;

Matter of mirth enough, though there were none,

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