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Into the heart, and searcheth every vaine;
That, ere one be aware, by secret stealth
His powre is reft, and weaknes doth remaine.
O never, Sir, desire to try his guilefull traine!"

XXXII.

"Certes," sayd he, " hence shall I never rest, Till I that Treachours art have heard and tryde: And you, Sir Knight, whose name mote I request, Of grace do me unto his cabin guyde." "I, that hight Trevisan," quoth he, "will ryde, Against my liking, backe to doe you grace: But not for gold nor glee will I abyde

By you, when ye arrive in that same place; For lever had I die then 3 see his deadly face."

XXXIII.

Ere long they come, where that same wicked wight His dwelling has, low in an hollow cave, Far underneath a craggy cliff ypight,4 Darke, dolefull, dreary, like a greedy grave, That still for carrion carcases doth crave: On top whereof ay dwelt the ghastly owle, Shrieking his balefull note, which ever drave Far from that haunt all other chearefull fowle; And all about it wandring ghostes did wayle and howle:

XXXIV.

And all about old stockes and stubs of trees,
Whereon nor fruit nor leafe was ever seen,
Did hang upon the ragged rocky knees 5;
On which had many wretches hanged beene,

1 Hight, am named.

* Lerer, rather.

3 Then, than.
Ypight, placed.

Ragged rocky knees, rough points or projections of rock.

Whose carcases were scattred on the greene,

And throwne about the cliffs. Arrived there, That bare-head Knight, for dread and dolefull teene,1 Would faine have fled, ne durst approachen neare ; But th' other forst him staye, and comforted in feare.

XXXV.

That darkesome cave they enter, where they find
That cursed man, low sitting on the ground,
Musing full sadly in his sullein mind:

2

His griesie lockes, long growen and unbound,
Disordred hong about his shoulders round,

And hid his face; through which his hollow eyne
Lookt deadly dull, and stared as astound;

His raw-bone cheekes, through penurie and pine,
Were shronke into his iawes, as 3 he did never dine.

XXXVI.

His garment, nought but many ragged clouts,
With thornes together pind and patched was,
The which his naked sides he wrapt abouts:
And him beside there lay upon the gras
A dreary corse, whose life away did pas,
All wallowd in his own yet luke-warme blood,
That from his wound yet welled fresh, alas!
In which a rusty knife fast fixed stood,
And made an open passage for the gushing flood.

XXXVII.

Which piteous spectacle, approving trew
The wofull tale that Trevisan had told,

Whenas the gentle Redcrosse Knight did vew ;

With firie zeale he burnt in

courage bold

1 Teene, trouble.

2 Griesie, greasy or filthy.

3 As, as if.

Him to avenge, before his blood were cold;
And to the Villein sayd; "Thou damned wight,
The authour of this fact we here behold,

What justice can but iudge against thee right,

[sight?"

With thine owne blood to price1 his blood, here shed in

XXXVIII.

"What franticke fit," quoth he, "hath thus distraught

Thee, foolish man, so rash a doome to give?
What justice ever other iudgement taught,

But he should dye, who merites not to live?
None els to death this man despayring drive
But his owne guiltie mind, deserving death.
Is then uniust to each his dew to give?
Or let him dye, that loatheth living breath?
Or let him dye at ease, that liveth here uneath??

XXXIX.

"Who travailes by the wearie wandring way,
To come unto his wished home in haste,
And meetes a flood, that doth his passage stay;
Is not great grace to helpe him over past,
Or free his feet that in the myre sticke fast?
Most envious man, that grieves at neighbours good;
And fond, that ioyest in the woe thou hast ;
Why wilt not let him passe, that long hath stood
Upon the bancke, yet wilt thyselfe not pas the flood?

XL.

"He there does now enioy eternall rest

And happy ease, which thou doest want and

And further from it daily wanderest:

crave,

What if some little payne the passage have,
That makes frayle flesh to feare the bitter wave;

1 Price, atone for.

2 Uneath, scarcely.

3 Fond, foolish.

Is not short payne well borne, that bringes long ease,
And layes the soule to sleepe in quiet grave?
Sleepe after toyle, port after stormie seas,

Ease after warre, death after life, does greatly please."

XLI.

The Knight much wondred at his suddeine wit,

And sayd; "The terme of life is limited,

Ne

may a man prolong, nor shorten, it:

The souldier may not move from watchfull sted,1
Nor leave his stand untill his captaine bed.2"
"Who life did limit by Almightie doome,"
Quoth he, "knowes best the termes established;
And he, that points 3 the centonell his roome,+
Doth license him depart at sound of morning droome.5

XLII.

"Is not His deed, whatever thing is donne

In heaven and earth? Did not He all create
To die againe? All ends, that was begonne :
Their times in His eternall booke of fate

Are written sure, and have their certein date.

Who then can strive with strong necessitie,

That holds the world in his still chaunging state;

Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie?

When houre of death is come, let none aske whence, nor why.

XLIII.

"The lenger life, I wote the greater sin;

The greater sin, the greater punishment :

All those great battels, which thou boasts to win
Through strife, and blood-shed, and avengement,
Now praysd, hereafter deare thou shalt repent:

1 Sted, station.

2 Bed, orders.

3 Points, appoints.

4 Roome, place.

5 Droome, drum.

6 Wote, deem.

For life must life, and blood must blood, repay.
Is not enough thy evill life forespent?

For he that once hath missed the right way,

The further he doth goe, the further he doth stray;

XLIV.

"Then doe no further goe, no further stray;
But here ly downe, and to thy rest betake,

Th' ill to prevent, that life ensewen1 may.
For what hath life, that may it loved make,
And gives not rather cause it to forsake?

Feare, sicknesse, age, losse, labour, sorrow, strife,
Payne, hunger, cold that makes the heart to quake;
And ever fickle fortune rageth rife 2;

All which, and thousands mo,3 do make a loathsome life.

XLV.

"Thou, wretched man, of death hast greatest need, If in true ballaunce thou wilt weigh thy state; For never Knight, that dared warlike deed, More luckless dissaventures 4 did amate 5: Witnes the dungeon deepe, wherein of late Thy life shutt up for death so oft did call ; And though good lucke prolonged hath thy date, Yet death then would the like mishaps forestall, Into the which hereafter thou maist happen fall.

XLVI.

"Why then doest thou, O man of sin, desire
To draw thy dayes forth to their last degree?
Is not the measure of thy sinfull hire
High heaped up with huge iniquitee,
Against the day of wrath, to burden thee?
Is not enough, that to this Lady mild

1 Ensewen, follow. 2 Rife, abundantly.
• Dissaventures, misfortune.

3 Mo, more.

Amate, subdue.

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