So all that night they past in great disease,
Till that the morning, bringing early light
To guide mens labours, brought them also ease,
And fome affwagement of their painefull plight,
Then up they rofe, and gan themselves to dight,
Unto their journey; but that fquire and dame
No faint and feeble were, that they ne might
Endure to travell, nor one foot to frame:
Their hearts were ficke, their fides were fore,
their feete were lame."
Therefore the prince, whom great affaires in mynd
Would not permit to make there longer stay,
Was forced there to leave them both behynd,
In that good hermit's charge, whom he did pray
To tend them well: fo forth he went his way,
And with him eke the falvage (that whyleare
Secing his royall ufage and array,
Was greatly growne in love of that brave pere)
Would needes depart, as shall declared be elsewhere.
Such were the wounds the which that Blatant One day as he was fearching of their wounds,
Made in the bodies of that fquire and dame,
And being fuch, were now much more increast
For want of taking heede unto the fame,
That now corrupt and cureleffe they became;
Howbe that carefull hermite did his best,
With many kindes of medicines, meete to tame
The poyfnous humour, which did most infest
Their ranckling wounds, and every day them
duely dreft:
For he right well in leaches craft was seene,
And through the long experience of his dayes,
Which had in many fortunes toffed beene,
And past through many perillous affayes,
He knew the diverfe went of mortall wayes,
And in the mindes of men had great infight;
Which with fage counfell, when they went aftray,
He could enforme, and them reduce aright,
And all the paffions heale which wound the
weaker fpright;
He found that they had feftred privily,
And ranckling inward with unruly ftounds,
The inner parts now gan to putrify,
That quite they feem'd paft help of furgery,
And rather needed to be difciplinde
With holefome reed of fad fobriety,
To rule the stubborne rage of paffion blinde:
Give falves to every fore, but counfell to the
minde.
"Ne ever knight that bore fo lofty creaft, "Ne ever lady of so honest name,
"But he them fpotted with reproach or fecrete "fhame.
"In vaine therefore it were with medicine "To goe about to falve fuch kind of fore, "That rather needes wife read and discipline "Then outward falves, that may augment it "more."
"Aye me!" faid then Serena, fighing fore, "What hope of helpe doth then for us remaine, "If that no falves may us to health restore?" "But fith we need good counfell," faith the "fwaine,
"Aread, good Sire! fome counsell that may us "fuftaine."
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