XLVI.

With that, one of his thrillant1 darts he threw,
Headed with yre and vengeable despight:
The quivering steele his aymed end wel knew,
And to his brest itselfe intended right:

But he was wary, and, ere it empight 2

In the meant marke, advaunst his shield atween,
On which it seizing no way enter might,

But backe rebownding left the forckhead keene: Eftsoones 3 he fled away, and might no where be seene.

2 Empight, was fixed. Eftsoones, immediately.

1 Thrillant, piercing.

CANTO V.

Pyrochles does with Guyon fight,

And Furors chayne untyes,
Who him sore wounds; whiles Atin to
Cymochles for ayd flyes.

I.

WHOEVER doth to Temperaunce apply
His stedfast life, and all his actions frame,
Trust me, shal find no greater enimy,
Then stubborne Perturbation, to the same;
To which right wel the wise doe give that name;
For it the goodly peace of staied 1 mindes
Does overthrow, and troublous warre proclame :
His owne woes author, who so bound it findes,
As did Pyrochles, and it wilfully unbindes.

11.

After that Varlets flight, it was not long
Ere on the plaine fast pricking Guyon spide
One in bright armes embatteiled 2 full strong,
That, as the sunny beames do glaunce and glide
Upon the trembling wave, so shined bright,
And round about him threw forth sparkling fire,

1 Staied, composed.

2 Embatteiled, armed for battle.

I. 8. His owne woes author, &c.] He is the author of his own woes, who finds Perturbation bound, and unbinds him wilfully, as Pyrochles did. - Perturbation is the same as Furor.

VOL. I.

29

That seemd him to enfiame on every side: His steed was bloody red, and fomed yre, When with the maistring spur he did him roughly stire.1

III.

Approching nigh, he never staid to greete,
Ne chaffar words, prowd corage to provoke,

But prickt so fiers, that underneath his feete

The smouldring dust did rownd about him smoke,
Both horse and man nigh able for to choke;
And, fayrly couching his steeleheaded speare,
Him first saluted with a sturdy stroke:

It booted nought Sir Guyon, comming neare,

To thincke such hideous puissaunce on foot to beare;

IV.

But lightly shunned it; and, passing by,

With his bright blade did smite at him so fell,
That the sharpe steele, arriving forcibly

On his broad shield, bitt not, but glauncing fell
On his horse necke before the quilted sell,3
And from the head the body sundred quight:
So him dismounted low he did compell

On foot with him to matchen equall fight;

The truncked beast fast bleeding did him fowly dight.*

V.

Sore bruzed with the fall he slow uprose,

And all enraged thus him loudly shent 5;

"Disleall Knight, whose coward corage chose

1 Stire, provoke.

2 Smouldring, hot.
Sell, saddle.

3

II. 8.-Fomed yre.]
IV. 1.-Passing by.]

A Dight, disfigure.

4

5 Shent, upbraided.

6 Disleall, disloyal.

Foamed with rage.
As he passed by.

To wreake itselfe on beast all innocent,

And shund the marke at which it should be ment1;
Thereby thine armes seem strong, but manhood frayl:
So hast thou oft with guile thine honor blent 2;
But litle may such guile thee now avayl,

If wonted force and fortune doe me not much fayl.”

VI.

With that he drew his flaming sword, and strooke
At him so fiercely, that the upper marge 3
Of his sevenfolded shield away it tooke,
And, glauncing on his helmet, made a large
And open gash therein were not his targe
That broke the violence of his intent,

The weary sowle from thence it would discharge;
Nathelesse so sore a buff to him it lent,

That made him reele, and to his brest his bever 5 bent

VII.

Exceeding wroth was Guyon at that blow,
And much ashamd that stroke of living arme
Should him dismay, and make him stoup so low,
Though otherwise it did him little harme :
Tho, hurling high his yron-braced arme,
He smote so manly on his shoulder plate,
That all his left side it did quite disarme;
Yet there the steel stayd not, but inly bate
Deepe in his flesh, and opened wide a red floodgate.

1 Ment, aimed.

2 Blent, debased.

3 Marge, edge, or rim.

▲ Targe, target or shield.

8 Bate, bit.

5 Bever, part of the helmet covering the mouth.

Tho, then.

7 Yron-braced, covered with

iron armor.

V. 6. — Manhood frayl.] Courage weak or deficient.

VIII.

Deadly dismayd with horror of that dint
Pyrochles was, and grieved eke entyre1;
Yet nathëmore 2 did it his fury stint,
But added flame unto his former fire,
That wel-nigh molt 3 his hart in raging yre:
Ne thenceforth his approved skill, to ward,
Or strike, or hurtle rownd in warlike gyre,
Remembred he, ne car'd for his saufgard,
But rudely rag'd, and like a cruell tygre far'd.4

IX.

He hewd, and lasht, and foynd,5 and thondred blowes, And every way did seeke into his life;

Ne plate, ne male, could ward so mighty throwes,6

But yielded passage to his cruell knife.

But Guyon, in the heat of all his strife,
Was wary wise, and closely did awayt
Avauntage, whilest his foe did rage most rife;
Sometimes athwart,7 sometimes he strook him strayt,
And falsed oft his blowes t' illude him with such bayt.8

X.

Like as a lyon, whose imperiall powre

A prowd rebellious unicorn defyes,

T'avoide the rash assault and wrathfull stowre 9
Of his fiers foe, him to a tree applyes,

1 Entyre, exceedingly.

2 Nathmore, none the more.

3 Molt, melted.

4 Far'd, acted.

Foynd, pushed as in fencing.

6 Throwes, thrusts.

7 Athwart, sideways, or obliquely.

8

Bayt, artifice.

9 Stowre, assault.

VIII. 7.- Hurtle round in warlike gyre.] Move round the foe in a

circle.

IX. 9.-Falsed oft his blowes, &c.] He made feint

passes.