Who used in a darksome inner bowre1

Her oft to meete: Which better to approve,
He promised to bring me at that howre,

When I should see that would me nearer move,
And drive me to withdraw my blind abused love.

XXV.

"This gracelesse man, for furtherance of his guile,
Did court the handmayd of my Lady deare,
Who, glad t'embosome 2 his affection vile,
Did all she might more pleasing to appeare.
One day, to worke her to his will more neare,
He woo'd her thus; 'Pryené, (so she hight,3)
What great despight doth fortune to thee beare,
Thus lowly to abase thy beautie bright,

That it should not deface all others lesser light?

XXVI.

"But if she had her least helpe to thee lent,
T' adorne thy forme according thy desart,
Their blazing pride thou wouldest soone have blent,5
And staynd their prayses with thy least good part;
Ne should faire Claribell with all her art,
Tho' she thy Lady be, approch thee neare:
For proofe thereof, this evening, as thou art,
Aray thyselfe in her most gorgeous geare,

That I may more delight in thy embracement deare.'

XXVII.

“The mayden, proud through praise and mad through love,

1 Bowre, chamber.

2 Embosome, entertain.
3 Hight, was called.

XXIV. 8.-Me nearer move.]
XXVI. 7.-As thou art.]

According, according to.

5 Blent, confounded.
6 Geare, dress.

Affect me more deeply.
Lovely as thou art.

Him hearkned to, and soone herselfe arayd;
The whiles to me the treachour1 did remove
His craftie engin; and, as he had sayd,
Me leading, in a secret corner layd,

The sad spectatour of my tragedie:

Where left, he went, and his owne false part playd,
Disguised like that groome of base degree,

Whom he had feignd th' abuser of my love to bee.

XXVIII.

"Eftsoones he came unto th' appointed place,
And with him brought Pryené, rich arayd,
In Claribellaes clothes: Her proper face
I not descerned in that darkesome shade,

But weend 3 it was my Love with whom he playd. Ah God! what horrour and tormenting griefe My hart, my handes, mine eies, and all assayd! Me liefer1 were ten thousand deathës priefe 5 Then wounde of gealous worme, and shame of such re

XXIX.

"I home retourning, fraught with fowle despight,
And chawing vengeaunce all the way I went,
Soone as my loathed Love appeard in sight,
With wrathfull hand I slew her innocent;
That after soone I dearely did lament:
For, when the cause of that outrageous deede
Demaunded I made plaine and evident,

1 Treachour, traitor.

2 Eftsoones, immediately.

3 Weend, supposed.

4 Liefer, preferable.

XXVII. 3.

• Priefe, proof.

Repriefe, disgrace.

[priefe.6

7 Chawing, brooding over or
meditating upon.

did remove

His craftie engin.] Removed or moved again his crafty

engine to me; that is, again made me the dupe of his crafty treachery.

Her faultie handmayd, which that bale1 did breede,

Confest how Philemon her wrought to chaunge her weede.

XXX.

"Which when I heard, with horrible affright
And hellish fury all enragd, I sought
Upon myselfe that vengeable despight

To punish: Yet it better first I thought

To wreake my wrath on him, that first it wrought:
To Philemon, false faytour2 Philemon,

3

I cast 3 to pay that I so dearely bought:

Of deadly drugs I gave him drinke anon, And washt away his guilt with guilty potion.

XXXI.

"Thus heaping crime on crime, and griefe on griefe,
To losse of Love adioyning losse of Frend,

I meant to purge both with a third mischiefe,
And in my woes beginner it to end:

That was Pryené; she did first offend,

She last should smart: With which cruell intent,
When I at her my murdrous blade did bend,
She fled away with ghastly dreriment,1

And I, poursewing my fell purpose, after went.

XXXII.

"Feare gave her winges, and Rage enforst my flight; Through woods and plaines so long I did her chace, Till this Mad Man, whom your victorious might

Hath now fast bound, me met in middle

As I her, so he me poursewd apace,

1 Bale, mischief.

2 False faytour, deceiver.

space :

3 Cast, resolved.

• Dreriment, terror.

XXX. 5.- It wrought.] i. e. "that vengeable despight," or injury demanding vengeance.

And shortly overtooke: I, breathing yre,
Sore chauffed at my stay in such a cace,

And with my heat kindled his cruell fyre;

Which kindled once, his mother did more rage inspyre.

XXXIII

"Betwixt them both they have me doen to dye, Through wounds, and strokes, and stubborne handeling, That death were better then such agony,

As griefe and fury unto me did bring;

Of which in me yet stickes the mortall sting,
That during life will never be appeasd!"

When he thus ended had his sorrowing,

Said Guyon; "Squyre, sore have ye beene diseasd; But all your hurts may soone through temperance be easd."

XXXIV.

Then gan the Palmer thus; "Most wretched man,
That to Affections1 does the bridle lend!

In their beginning they are weake and wan,
But soone through suff'rance growe to fearefull end:
Whiles they are weake, betimes with them contend;
For, when they once to perfect strength do grow,
Strong warres they make, and cruell battry bend
Gainst fort of Reason, it to overthrow;

Wrath, Gelosy, Griefe, Love, this Squyre have laide thus low.

XXXV.

"Wrath, Gealosie, Griefe, Love, do thus expell: Wrath is a fire; and Gealosie a weede;

XXXIV. 2.

Affections, passions.

Does the bridle lend.] Gives indulgence to. XXXV. 1.- Wrath, &c.] This stanza is remarkable for its compactness and the quantity of matter which it contains. It would not be possible to compress anything more within the compass of nine lines.

Griefe is a flood; and Love a monster fell;

The fire of sparkes, the weede of little seede: The flood of drops, the monster filth did breede: But sparks, seed, drops, and filth, do thus delay'; The sparks soone quench, the springing seed outweed, The drops dry up, and filth wipe cleane away : So shall Wrath, Gealosy, Griefe, Love, die and decay."

XXXVI.

Unlucky Squire," saide Guyon, "sith 2 thou hast Falne into mischiefe through intemperaunce, Henceforth take heede of that thou now hast past, And guyde thy waies with warie governaunce, Least worse betide thee by some later chaunce. But read 3 how art thou nam'd, and of what kin." "Phaon I hight,” 4 quoth he, "and do advaunce Mine auncestry from famous Coradin,

Who first to rayse our house to honour did begin."

XXXVII.

Thus as he spake, lo! far away they spyde

A Varlet ronning towardes hastily,

Whose flying feet so fast their way applyde,
That round about a cloud of dust did fly,
Which, mingled all with sweate, did dim his eye.
He soone approched, panting, breathlesse, whot,5
And all so soyld, that none could him descry 6 !
His countenaunce was bold, and bashed not

For Guyons lookes, but scornefull ey-glaunce at him shot.

XXXVIII.

Behind his backe he bore a brasen shield,

On which was drawen faire, in colours fit,

1 Delay, remove, destroy.

2 Sith, since.

4 Hight, am called.

5 Whot, hot.

3 Read, declare.

Descry, distinguish.