A flaming fire in midst of bloody field,

And round about the wreath this word was writ,
Burnt I doe burne: Right well beseemed it
To be the shield of some redoubted knight:
And in his hand two dartes exceeding flit1

And deadly sharp he held, whose heads were dight
In poyson and in blood of malice and despite.

XXXIX.

When he in presence came, to Guyon first

He boldly spake; "Sir Knight, if Knight thou bee,
Abandon this forestalled place at erst,2

For feare of further harme, I counsell thee;
Or bide the chaunce at thine owne ieopardee."
The Knight at his great boldnesse wondered;
And, though he scorn'd his ydle vanitee,
Yet mildly him to purpose 3 answered;
For not to grow of nought he it coniectured;

XL.

"Varlet, this place most dew to me I deeme, Yielded by him that held it forcibly:

[seeme

But whence shold come that harme, which thou dost

4

To threat to him that mindes his chaunce t'abye?" "Perdy," sayd he, "here comes, and is hard by,

A Knight of wondrous powre and great assay,

That never yet encountred enemy,

But did him deadly daunt, or fowle dismay;

Ne thou for better hope, if thou his presence stay."

"ydle vanitee," or insolent presumption, he supposed that he had some excuse on which to justify or found his unreasonable claims.

XLI.

"How hight1 he," then sayd Guyon," and from whence?" "Pyrochles is his name, renowmed farre For his bold feates and hardy confidence, Full oft approvd in many a cruell warre; The brother of Cymochles; both which arre The sonnes of old Acrates and Despight; Acrates, sonne of Phlegeton and Iarre;

But Phlegeton is sonne of Herebus and Night; But Herebus sonne of Aeternitie is hight.1

XLII.

"So from immortall race he does proceede,
That mortall hands may not withstand his might,
Drad2 for his derring doe 3 and bloody deed;
For all in blood and spoile is his delight.
His am I Atin, his in wrong and right,
That matter make for him to worke upon,
And stirre him up to strife and cruell fight.
Fly therefore, fly this fearefull stead1 anon,
Least thy foolhardize worke thy sad confusion."

XLIII.

"His be that care, whom most it doth concerne," Sayd he: "but whether with such hasty flight Art thou now bownd? for well mote I discerne

1 Hight, is called.
2 Drad, dreaded.

XLI. 2.- Pyrochles, &c.]

3 Derring doe, daring deeds.

4 Stead, place.

Pyrochles and Cymochles are names derived from the Greek; the former denoting rashness, or a fiery temper; and the latter, a lover of troubles and contentions, or a fickleminded person—from a Greek word signifying a wave of the sea.

XLII. 5.-Atin.] Atin resembles in name and functions Ate in the classical mythology.

XLIII. 3.- Well mote I discerne.] I may well suppose or conjecture.

Great

cause, that carries thee so swifte and light."

My Lord," quoth he, "me sent, and streight behight1 To seeke Occasion, where so she bee:

For he is all disposd to bloody fight,

And breathes out wrath and hainous crueltee;

Hard is his hap, that first fals in his ieopardee."

XLIV.

"Mad Man," said then the Palmer, "that does seeke

Occasion to wrath, and cause of strife;

Shee comes unsought, and shonned followes eke.
Happy! who can abstaine, when Rancor rife
Kindles Revenge, and threats his rusty knife:
Woe never wants, where every cause is caught;
And rash Occasion makes unquiet life!"

"Then loe! wher bound she sits, whom thou hast

sought,"

Said Guyon; "let that message to thy Lord be brought."

XLV.

That when the Varlett heard and saw, streightway He wexed wondrous wroth, and said; "Vile Knight, That knights and knighthood doest with shame upbray, And shewst th' ensample of thy childishe might, With silly weake old woman thus to fight! Great glory and gay spoile sure hast thou gott, And stoutly prov'd thy puissaunce here in sight! That shall Pyrochles well requite, I wott, And with thy blood abolish so reprochfull blott."

1 Streight behight, strictly commanded.

2 Hap, lot.

XLIV. 6.- Woe never wants, &c.] Woe is never wanting, where every cause of strife is embraced.

XLV. 3. With shame upbray.] Bring reproach upon.

XLVI.

With that, one of his thrillant 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.

1 Thrillant, piercing.

2 Empight, was fixed.

Eftsoones, immediately.

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.

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.

1. 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.