CANTO IV.

Calepine by a Salvage Man

From Turpine reskewed is;
And, whylest an Infant from a beare

He saves, his Love doth misse.

I. LIKE as a ship with dreadfull storme long tost, Having spent all her mastes and her groundhold, Now farre from harbour likely to be lost, At last some fisher-barke doth neare behold, That giveth comfort to her courage cold; Such was the state of this most courteous Knight, Being oppressed by that Faytourl bold,

That he remayned in most perilous plight, And his sad Ladie left in pitifull affright:

II. Till that, by fortune passing all foresight, A Salvage Man, which in those woods did wonne, Drawne with that Ladies loud and piteous shright,3 Toward the same incessantly did ronne To understand what there was to be donne: There he this most discourteous Craven found

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As fiercely yet, as when he first begonne,

Chasing the gentle Calepine around,
Ne sparing him the more for all his grievous wound.

III.
The Salvage Man, that never till this houre
Did taste of pittie, neither gentlesse knew,
Seeing his sharpe assault and cruell stoure,
Was much emmoved at his perils vew,
That even his ruder bart began to rew,
And feele compassion of his evill plight,
Against his foe that did him so pursew;

From whom he meant to free him, if he might,
And him avenge of that so villenous despight.

IV.
Yet armes or weapon had he none to fight,
Ne knew the use of warlike instruments,
Save such as sudden rage him lent to smite;
But naked, without needfull vestiments
To clad his corpse with meete habiliments,
He cared not for dint of sword nor speere,
No more then 3 for the stroke of strawes or bents * :

For from his mothers woinbe, which him did beare,
He was invulnerable made by magicke leare.5

V.
He stayed not tadvize which way were best
His foe t' assayle, or how himselfe to gard,
But with fierce fury and with force infest 6
Upon him ran; who being well prepard
His first assault full warily did ward,

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And with the push of his sharp-pointed speare
Full on the breast bim strooke, so strong and hard

That forst him backe recoyle and reele areare;
Yet in his bodie made no wound nor bloud appeare.

VI.
With that the Wyld Man more enraged grew,
Like to a tygre that hath mist his pray,
And with mad moode againe upon him flew,
Regarding neither speare that mote him slay, ,
Nor his fierce steed that mote him much dismay:
The salvage nation doth all dread despize:
Tho? on his shield he griple 3 hold did lay,

And held the same so hard, that by no wize
He could him force to loose, or leave his enterprize.

VII.
Long did he wrest and wring it to and fro,
And every way did try, but all in vaine ;
For he would not his greedie grype forgoe,
But hayld and puld with all his might and maine,
That from his steed him nigh he drew againe :
Who having now no use of his long speare
So nigh at hand, nor force his shield to straine,

Both speare and shield, as things that needlesse were, He quite forsooke, and fed himselfe away for feare.

VIII.
But after him the Wyld Man ran apace,
And him pursewed with importune 5 speed,

5
For he was swift as any bucke in chace;
And, had he not in his extreamest need

Areare, back.
? Tho, then.
3 Griple, tenacious, strong.

• Hayld, hauled, drew.
• Importune, cruel, excessive.

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Bene helped through the swiftnesse of his steed,
He had him overtaken in his flight.
Who, ever as he saw him nigh succeed,"

Gan cry aloud with horrible affright,
And shrieked out; a thing uncomely for a Knight.

IX. But, when the Salvage saw his labour vaine In following of him that fled so fast, He wearie woxe, and backe return'd againe With speede unto the place, whereas he last Had left that couple nere their utmost cast : There he that Knight full sorely bleeding found, And eke the Ladie fearefully aghast,

Both for the perill of the present stound,? And also for the sharpnesse of her rankling wound:

X. For though she were right glad so rid to bee From that vile Lozell 3 which her late offended; Yet now no lesse encombrance she did see And perill, by this Salvage Man pretended ; Gainst whom she saw no meanes to be defended By reason that her Knight was wounded sore: Therefore herselfe she wholy recommended

To Gods sole grace, whom she did oft implore To send her succour, being of all hope forlore.5

XI.

But the Wyld Man, contrárie to her feare,

Came to her creeping like a fawning hound,
And by rude tokens made to her appeare
His deepe compassion of her dolefull stound,
Kissing his hands, and crouching to the ground;
For other language had he none nor speach,
But a soft murmure and confused sound

Of senselesse words (which Nature did him teach
T expresse his passions) which his reason did empeach:

XII.
And comming likewise to the wounded Knight,
When he beheld the streames of purple blood
Yet flowing fresh, as moved with the sight,
He made great mone after his salvage mood;
And, running streight into the thickest wood,
A certaine herbe from thence unto him brought,
Whose vertue he by use well understood;

The iuyce whereof into his wound he wrought,
And stopt the bleeding straight, ere he it staunched thought.

XIII.
Then taking up that recreants shield and speare,
Which earst he left, he signes unto them made
With him to wend 3 unto his wonning 4 neare;
To which he easily did them perswade.
Farre in the forrest, by a hollow glade
Covered with mossie shrubs, which spredding brode
Did underneath them make a gloomy shade,

Where foot of living creature never trode,
Ne scarse wyld beasts durst come, there was this wights abode.

3 Wend, go.

1 Stound, affliction.
2 Earst, before.

4 Wonning, dwelling.

XI. 9. – Which his reason did empeach.] Which did obstruct his reason; prevented it from being manifested.