XVI.

'Fly, O Pyrochles, fly the dreadful warre
That in thyselfe thy lesser1 partes do move :
Outrageous Anger, and woe-working Iarre,
Direfull Impatience, and hart-murdring Love:
Those, those thy foes, those warriours, far remove,
Which thee to endlesse bale2 captived lead.
But, sith3 in might thou didst my mercy prove,
Of courtesie to mee the cause aread 4

That thee against me drew with so impetuous dread."

XVII.

6

Dreadlesse,5" said he, "that shall I soone declare: It was complaind that thou hadst done great tort Unto an aged Woman, poore and bare, And thralled her in chaines with strong effort, Voide of all succour and needfull comfort; That ill beseemes thee, such as I thee see, To worke such shame: Therefore I thee exhort To chaunge thy will, and set Occasion free, And to her captive Sonne yield his first libertee."

XVIII.

Thereat Sir Guyon smylde; "And is that all,"
Said he, "that thee so sore displeased hath?
Great mercy sure, for to enlarge a thrall,

Whose freedom shall thee turne to greatest scath7!

8

Nath'lesse now quench thy whot emboyling wrath :
Loe! there they bee; to thee I yield them free."

XVIII. 3.- Great mercy sure.] Fr. Grandmerci, a great favor; it

deserves great thanks; spoken ironically.

Thereat he, wondrous glad, out of the path

Did lightly leape, where he them bound did see, And gan to breake the bands of their captivitee.

XIX.

Soone as Occasion felt herselfe untyde,
Before her Sonne could well assoyled1 bee,
She to her use returnd, and streight defyde
Both Guyon and Pyrochles; th' one (said shee)
Bycause he wonne; the other, because hee
Was wonne: So matter did she make of nought,
To stirre up strife, and garre2 them disagree:

But, soone as Furor was enlargd, she sought

To kindle his quencht fyre, and thousand causes wrought.

XX.

It was not long ere she inflam'd him so,
That he would algates 3 with Pyrochles fight,
And his redeemer chalengd for his foe,
Because he had not well mainteind his right,
But yielded had to that same straunger Knight.
Now gan Pyrochles wex as wood 4 as hee,
And him affronted with impatient might:
So both together fiers engrasped bee,

Whyles Guyon standing by their uncouth strife does see.

XXI.

Him all that while Occasion did provoke
Against Pyrochles, and new matter fram'd
Upon the old, him stirring to bee wroke 6

Of his late wronges, in which she oft him blam'd
For suffering such abuse as knighthood sham'd,

1 Assoyled, released.

2 Garre, make.

3 Algates, by all means.

4 Wood, frantic.

5 Affronted, opposed.

6 Wroke, avenged.

XIX. 3.— Her use.] Her usual habits.

And him dishabled1 quyte: But he was wise,
Ne would with vaine occasions be inflam'd;
Yet others she more urgent did devise:
Yet nothing could him to impatience entise.

XXII.

Their fell contention still increased more,
And more thereby increased Furors might,
That he his foe has hurt and wounded sore,
And him in blood and durt deformed quight.
His Mother eke, more to augment his spight,
Now brought to him a flaming fyer-brond,
Which she in Stygian lake, ay burning bright,
Had kindled that she gave into his hond,

That armd with fire more hardly he mote him withstond.

XXIII.

Tho2 gan that Villein wex so fiers and strong,
That nothing might sustaine his furious forse.

He cast him downe to ground, and all along
Drew him through durt and myre without remorse,
And fowly battered his comely corse,

That Guyon much disdeignd 3 so loathly sight.
At last he was compeld to cry perforse,

Help, O Sir Guyon! helpe, most noble Knight,
To ridd a wretched man from handes of hellish wight!"

XXIV.

The Knight was greatly moved at his playnt,

And gan him dight to succour his distresse,
Till that the Palmer, by his grave restraynt,
Him stayd from yielding pitifull redresse,

1 Dishabled, disparaged.

2 Tho, then.

3 Disdeignd, was shocked by.

XXIV. 2.- Gan him dight.] Was making ready.

And said; "Deare sonne, thy causelesse ruth represse, Ne let thy stout hart melt in pitty vayne:

He that his sorrow sought through wilfulnesse, And his foe fettred would release agayne, Deserves to taste his follies fruit, repented payne."

XXV.

Guyon obayd: So him away he drew
From needlesse trouble of renewing fight
Already fought, his voyage to poursew.
But rash Pyrochles varlett, Atin hight,1
When late he saw his Lord in heavie plight,
Under Sir Guyons puissaunt stroke to fall,
Him deeming dead, as then he seemd in sight,
Fledd fast away to tell his funerall 2

Unto his brother, whom Cymochles men did call.

XXVI.

He was a man of rare redoubted might, Famous throughout the world for warlike prayse, And glorious spoiles, purchast in perilous fight: Full many doughtie Knightes he in his dayes Had doen to death, subdewde in equall frayes; Whose carkases, for terrour of his name, Of fowles and beastes he made the piteous prayes, And hong their conquered armes for more defame 3 On gallow trees, in honour of his dearest Dame.

XXVII.

His dearest Dame is that Enchaunteresse,
The vyle Acrasia, that with vaine delightes,
And ydle pleasures in her Bowre of Blisse,
Does charme her lovers, and the feeble sprightes

1 Hight, named.

Funerall, death.

3 Defame, disgrace.

Can call out of the bodies of fraile wightes;

Whom then she does transforme to monstrous hewes, And horribly misshapes with ugly sightes,

Captiv'd eternally in yron mewes 1

And darksom dens, where Titan his face never shewes. XXVIII.

There Atin fownd Cymochles soiourning,

To serve his Lemans 2 love: for he by kynd
Was given all to lust and loose living,
Whenever his fiers handes he free mote fynd:
And now he has pourd out his ydle mynd
In daintie delices and lavish ioyes,

4

Having his warlike weapons cast behynd,

3

And flowes in pleasures and vaine pleasing toyes, Mingled emongst loose ladies and lascivious boyes.

XXIX.

And over him Art, stryving to compayre With Nature, did an arber greene dispred, Framed of wanton yvie, flouring fayre, Through which the fragrant eglantine did spred His prickling armes, entrayld 5 with roses red, Which daintie odours round about them threw : And all within with flowres was garnished, That, when mild Zephyrus emongst them blew, Did breath out bounteous smels, and painted colors shew.

XXX.

And fast beside there trickled softly downe

A gentle streame, whose murmuring wave did play

1 Mewes, prisons.

2 Lemans, mistress's.
3 Kynd, nature.

4 Delices, delights.

5 Entrayld, mixed.

XXIX. 4.- Eglantine.] The eglantine is the sweet briar.