That done, unto the caftle he did wend,
In which the paynim's daughter did abide,
Guarded of many which did her defend
Of whom he entrance fought but was denide,
And with reprochfull blafphemy defide,
Beaten with ftones downe from the batilement,
That he was forced to withdraw afide;
And bad his fervant Talus to invent
But ftill continu'd his affault the more,
And layd on load with his huge yron flaile,
That at the length he has yrent the dore,
And made way for his maister to affaile;
Who being entred, nought did then availe
For wight against his powre themselves to reare:
Each one did flie; their hearts began to faile,
And hid themselves in corners here and there,
And eke heir dame, halfe dead, did hide herselfe
for feare.
Long they her fought, yet no where could they
That fure they ween'd she was efcapt away;
But Tales, that could like a lime-hound winde her,
And all things fecret wifely could bewray,
At length found out whereas the hidden lay
Under an heape of gold; thence he her drew
By the faire lockes, and fowly did array
Withouten pitry of her goodly hew,
That Artegall himselfe her feemelesse plight did
Yet for no pitty would he chaunge the course
Which way he enter might without endanger- Of iuftice which in Talus' hand did lye,
Eftfoones his page drew to the caftle gate,
And with his iron flale at it let flie,
That all the warders it did fore amate,
The which erc-while fake fo reprochfully,
And made them ftoupe, that looked earst so hie;
Yet ftill he bet and bounft uppon the dore,
And thundred ftrokes thereon fo hideouslie,
That all the reece he fhaked from the flore,
And filed all the houfe with feare and great
With noife thereof the lady forth appeared
Uppon the caftie-wall; and when the faw
Who rudely hayld her forth without remorse,
Still holding up her fuppliant hands on hye,
And kneeling at his feete submissively;
But he her fuppliant hands, those hands of gold,
And eke her feete, thofe feete of filver trye,
Which fought unrighteousnesse, and iustice fold,
Chopt off, and nayid on high, that all might them
behold.
Herfelfe then tooke he by the felender waft,
In vaine loud crying, and into the flood
Over the caftic wall adowne her cast,
And there her drowned in the dirty mud;
But the streame wafht away her guilty blood,
Thereafter all that mucky pelfe he tooke,
The daungerous state in which fhe flood, the The spoile of peoples evil gotten good,
The which her fire had fcrapt by hooke and
"Therefore I will throw downe these mountains “hie,
"And make them levell with the lowly plaine; "These towring rocks, which reach unto the "fkie,
"I will thruft downe into the deepest maine, "And as they were them equalize againe. "Tyrants, that make men fubiect to their law, "I will fuppreffe, that they no more may raine, "And lordings curbe that commons over-aw, "And all the wealth of rich men to the poore "will draw."
For well they hoped to have got great good, And wondrous riches by his innovation; Therefore refolving to revenge his blood,
They rofe in armes, and all in battell order ftood. He like a fwarm of flyes them overthrew;
Which lawleffe multitude him comming to In warlike wife when Artegall did vew, He much was troubled, ne wift what to do, For loth he was his noble hands t'embrew In the bafe blood of fuch a rascall crew; And otherwise, if that he should retire.
Ne any of them durft come in his way,
But here and there before his prefence flew,
And hid themselves in holes and bushes from his
As when a falcon hath with nimble flight Flowne at a flush of ducks foreby the brooke,
He fear'd leaft they with shame would him pur- The trembling foule, difmayd with dreadful fight
Therefore he Talus to them sent t'inquire
The cause of their array, and truce for to defire,
But foone as they him nigh approching fpide, They gan with all their weapons him affay, And rudely stroke at him on every fide,
Of death, the which them almost overtooke,
Doe hide themselves from her astonying looke
Amongst the flags and covert round about;
When Talus faw they all the field forfooke,
And none appear'd of all that raskall rout,
To Artegall he turn'd, and went with him
throughout.
The first of them was hight Sir Orimont,
A noble knight. and tride in hard affayes;
The second had to name Sir Bellisont,
But fecond unto none in proweffe prayse;
The third was Brunell, famous in his dayes;
The fourth Ecaftor, of exceeding might;
The fift Armeddan, skild in lovely layes;
Ne any knight was abfent that brave courage The fixt was Lanfack, a redoubted knight:
All fix well feene in armes, and prov'd in many a fight.
And them against came all that lift to giust,
From every coaft and count.ie under funne;
None was debard, but all had leave that luft.
The trompets found; then all together ronne.
Full many deeds of armes that day were donne,
And many knights unhorst, and many wounded,
As fortune fell, yet little loft or wonne;
But all that day the greatest prayse redounded
To Marinell, whofe name the heralds loud re-
|