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And hidden wayes, that fcarfe an hound by Him when the damzell faw faft by her side, fmell

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So ugly creature, fhe was nigh dismayd,
And now for helpe aloud in earnest cride;
But when the villaine faw her fo affrayd.
He gan with guilefull words her to perfwade
To banish feare; and with Sardonian fmyle
Laughing on her, his falle intent to shade,
Gan forth to lay his bayte her to beguyle,
That from herfelf unwares he might her fteale
the whyle.

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But after all her princely entertayne,

To th' hearing of that former caufe in hand Herfelfe eftfoones the gan convert againe, Which that thofe knights likewife mote underftand,

And witneffe forth aright in forrain land,

They doe his anger calme, and cruell vengeance Taking them up into her stately throne,

stay.

XXXII.

They also doe by his divine permiffion
Upon the thrones of mortall princes tend,
And often treat for pardon and remiffion,
To fuppliants, through frayltie which offend:
Thofe did upon Mercillaes throne attend,
luft Dice, wite Eunomie, myld Eirene;
And them amongft, her glorie to commend,
Sate goodly Temperance in garments clene,
And facred Reverence, yborne of heavenly strene.

XXXIII.

Thus did fhe fit in royall rich estate,
Admyr'd of many, honoured of all,
Whyleft underneath her feete, there as fhe fate,
An huge great lyon lay, that mote appall
An hardie courage, like captived thrall,
"With a strong yron chaine and collar bound,
That once he could not move nor quick at all;
Yet did he murn.ure with rebellious found,
And foftly royne, when falvage choler gan re-
dound.

XXXIV.

So fitting high in dreaded foverayntie,

Where they mote heare the matter throughy

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Those two ftraunge knights were to her prefence That those whom the to pitie had allured,

brought,

Who bowing low before her maieftie,

Did to her myld obeyfance, as they ought,

Aad meckest boone, that they imagine mought: To whom the eke inclysing her withall,

He now t'abhorre and loath her perfon had pro cured.

XL.

First gan he tell how this that feem'd fo faire And royally arayd, Duessa hight,

That falfe Dueffa, which had wrought great

care

And mickle mifchiefe unto many a knight, ly her beguiled and confounded quight: but not for thofe fhe now in queftion came, hough alfo thofe mote queftion'd be aright, ut for vyld treafons and outrageous shame, Which he against the dred Mercilla oft did frame.

XLI.

ar fhe whylome (as ye mote yet right well emember) had her counfels falfe confpyred ith faithleffe Blandamour and Paridell, loth two her paramours, both by her hyred, nd both with hope of fhadowes vaine infpyred) nd with them practiz'd how for to depryve ercilla of her crowne, by her afpyred, at the might it unto herselfe deryve,

d tryumph in their blood whom the to death did dryve.

XLII.

get through high Heaven's grace, which favour

not

e wicked driftes of trayterous defynes
inft loiall princes, all this curfed plot,
proofe it tooke, discovered was betymes,

ad th' actours won the meede meet for their crymes:

h be the meede of all that by fuch meane to the type of kingdomes title clymes;

t falfe Dueffa, now entitled queene,

brought to her fad doome, as here was to be feene.

XLIII.

ongly did Zele her haynous fact enforce,
many other crimes of foule defame
ainst her brought, to banish all remorse,
daggravate the horror of her blame;
d with him to make part against her came
ny grave perfons that against her pled:
It was a fage old fyre, that had to name
kingdomes Care, with a white filver hed,

it many high regards and reafons gainst her red.

XLIV.

en gan Authority her to oppofe

th peremptorie powre, that made all mute; d then the Law of Nations gainst her rofe, dreafons brought, that no man could refute; tgan Religion gainft her to impute

gh God's beheaft, and powre of holy lawes; en gan the peoples cry and common fute portune care of their owne publicke caufe;

And high alliance unto forren powre;
Then came Nobilitie of Birth, that bread
Great ruth through her misfortunes tragicke
ftowre;

And, laftly, Griefe did plead, and many teares forth powre.

XLVI.

With the near touch whereof in tender hart
The Briton prince was fore empaffionate,
And woxe inclined much unto her part,
Through the fad terror of fo dreadfull fate,
And wretched ruine of fo high eftate,
That for great ruth his courage gan relent;
Which whenas Zele perceived to abate,
He gan his earnest fervour to augment,
And many fearefull obiects to them to present.

XLVII.

He gan t'efforce the evidence anew,
And new acculements to produce in place;
He brought forth that old hag of hellish how,
The curfed Até, brought her face to face,
Who privie was and partie in the cale:
She, glad of fpoyle and ruinous decay,
Did her appeach, and to her more difgrace
The plot of all her practife did difplay,
And all her traynes and all her treafons forth
did lay.

XLVIII.

Then brought he forth, with griefly grim af pect,

Abhorred Murder, who with bloudie knyfe
Yet dropping fresh in hand did her detect,
And there with guiltie bloudshed charged ryfe;
Then brought he forth Sedition, breeding ftryfe
In troublous wits and mutinous uprore;
Then brought he forth Incontinence of Lyfe,
Even foule Adulterie, her face before,

And lewd Impietie, that her accused sore.

XLIX.

All which whenas the prince had heard and feene,

His former fancies ruth he gan repent,
And from her partie eftfoones was drawen clccne;
But Artegall, with conftant firme intent,
For zeale of iuftice was against her bent;
So was the guiltie deemed of them all.
Then Zele began to urge her punishment,
And to their queene for iudgement loudly call,
Unto Mercilla myld, for iuftice gainst the thrall.

L.

But fhe, whofe princely breaft was touched

neare

With piteous ruth of her fo wretched plight,

d, lastly, Iuftice charged her with breach of Though plaine the faw, by all that fhe did heare, lawes.

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Who then can thee, Mercilla, throughly prayse,
'That herein doeft all earthly princes pas ?
What heavenly Mufe fhall thy great honour
rayfe

Up to the fkies, whence firft deriv'd it was,
And now on earth itselfe enlarged has

From th' utmost brinke of the Armericke shore
Unto the margent of the Molucas?
"Those nations farre thy iuftice do adore,

IV.

Much more it prayfed was of those two knight,
The noble prince and righteous Artegall,
When they had feene and heard her doom
arights

Against Dueffa, damned by them all,
But by her tempred without griefe or gall,
Till ftrong constraint did her thereto enforce;
And yet even then ruing her wilfull fall
With more then needfull naturall remorse,
And yeelding the laft honour to her wretche
corfe.

N.

During all which those knighs continu'd there
Both doing and receiving curtefies
Of that great ladie, who with goodly chere
Them entertayn'd, fit for their dignities,
Approving dayly to their noble cyes
Royall examples of her mercies rare,
And worthie paterns of her clemencies,
Which till this day mongst many living are,
Who them to their posterities doe still declart.

VI.

Amongst the rest, which in that space befell, There came two fpringals of full tender yeares Farre thence from forrein land where they d

dwell,

To feeke for fuccour of her and of her peares, With humble prayers and intreatfull teares, Sent by their mother, who a widow was, Wrapt in great dolours and in deadly feares

But thine owne people do thy mercy prayfe much By a strong tyrant, who invaded has

more.

Her land, and flaine her children ryefully, alas'

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