Therewith the Giant, much abashed, said,
That he of little Things made reckoning light;
Yet the leaft Word that ever could be laid
Within his Ballance, he could weigh aright.
Which is, faid he, more heavy than in Weight,
The Right or Wrong, the Falfe or else the True?
He answered, that he would try it straight:
So he the Words into his Ballance threw ;
But ftraight the winged Words out of his Ballance flew.
XLV.
Wroth wex'd he then, and faid, that Words were light, Ne would within his Ballance well abide :
But he could justly weigh the Wrong or Right. Well then, faid Arthegal, let it be try'd; Firft in one Ballance fet the True afide. He did fo first, and then the False he laid In th' other Scale; but ftill it down did slide, And by no mean could in the Weight be staid: For by no means the Falfe will with the Truth be weigh'd. XLVI.
Now take the Right likewife, faid Arthegale,
And counterpeife the fame with so much Wrong.
So first the Right he put into one Scale;
And then the Giant ftrove with Puiffance ftrong
To fill the other Scale with fo much Wrong.
But all the Wrongs that he therein could lay,
Might not it peife; yet did he labour long,
And fwat, and chauft, and proved every way!
Yet all the Wrongs could not a little Right down lay.
XLVII.
Which when he faw, he greatly grew in Rage,
And almoft would his Ballances have broken:
But Arthegal him fairly 'gan affuage,
And faid; Be not upon thy Ballance wroken:
For they do nought but Right or Wrong betoken;
But in the Mind the Doom of Right must be;
And fo likewife of Words, the which be spoken,
The Ear must be the Ballance, to decree
And judge, whether with Truth or Falfhood they agree.
But fet the Truth, and fet the Right afide
(For they with Wrong or Falfhood will not fare)
And put two Wrongs together to be try'd,
Or elfe two Falfes, of each equal Share;
And then together do them both compare :
For Truth is one, and Right is ever one.
So did he, and then plain it did appear,
Whether of them the greater were attone:
But Right fate in the middest of the Beam alone.
XLIX.
But he the Right from thence did thrust away, For it was not the Right which he did feek But rather ftrove Extremities to weigh, Th' one to diminish, th' other for to eke: For of the Mean he greatly did misleek. Whom whenfo leudly-minded Talus found, Approaching nigh unto him Cheek by Cheek, He fhoulder'd him from off the higher Ground, And down the Rock him throwing, in the Sea him drown'd.
Like as a Ship, whom cruel Tempeft drives
Upon a Rock with horrible Difmay,
Her fhatter'd Ribs in thousand Pieces rives,
And spoiling all her Gears and goodly Ray.
Does make her felf Misfortune's piteous Prey:
So down the Cliff the wretched Giant tumbled ;
His, batter'd Ballances in pieces lay,
His timber'd Bones all broken rudely rumbled:
O was the High-afpiring with huge Ruin humbled.
That when the People, which had thereabout
Long waited, faw his fudden Defolation,
They 'gan to gather in tumultuous Rout,
And mutining, to ftir up civil Faction,
For certain Lofs of fo great Expectation;
For well they hoped to have got great Good,
And wondrous Riches by his Innovation :
Therefore refolving to revenge his Blood,
They rofe in Arms, and all in Battel-order stood.
Which lawless Multitude him coming to
In warlike wife, when Arthegal did view,
He much was troubled, ne wift what to do.
For loth he was his noble Hands t'embrue
In the bafe Blood of such a rascal Crew:
And otherwife, if that he should retire,
He fear'd left they with Shame would him pursue.
Therefore he Talus to them fent, t'enquire
The Cause of their Array, and Truce for to defire.
LIII.
But foon as they him nigh approaching spy'd,
They 'gan with all their Weapons him aflay,
And rudely ftrook at him on every fide:
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay.
But when at them he with his Flail 'gan lay,
He like a Swarm of Flies them overthrew ;
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 View.
LIV.
As when a Faulcon hath with nimble Flight Flown at a Flush of Ducks, foreby the Brook, The trembling Fowl difmay'd with dreadful Sight Of death, the which them almoft overtook, Do hide themselves from her aftonying Look, Among the Flags and Covert round about. When Talus faw they all the Field forfook, And none appear'd of all that rafcal Rout, To Arthegal he turn'd, and went with him throughout.
CANTO III.
The Spoufuls of fair Florimel,
Where turney many Knights:
There Braggadochio is uncas'd,
In all the Ladies fights.
FTER long Storms and Tempefts over-blown,
A The Sun at length his joyous Face doth clear;
So when-as Fortune all her Spight hath shown,
Some blifsful Hours at laft muft needs appear;
Elfe would afflicted Wights oft-times defpair.
So comes it now to Florinel by turn,
After long Sorrows fuffered whileare,
In which captiv'd fhe many Months did mourn, To tafte of Joy, and to wont Pleafures to return.
Who being freed from Proteus' cruel Band
By Marinel, was unto him affy'd,
And by him brought again to Fairy-Land;
Where he her fpous'd, and made his joyous Bride.
The Time and Place was blazed far and wide;
And folemn Feafts and Giufts ordain'd therefore :
To which there did refort from every fide
Of Lords and Ladies infinite great Store ;
Ne any Knight was abfent that brave Courage bore.
To tell the Glory of the Feaft that day
The goodly Service, the devifeful Sights,
The Bridegroom's State, the Bride's moft rich Array, The Pride of Ladies, and the Worth of Knights, The royal Banquets, and the rare Delights, Were Work fit for an Herald, not for me: But for fo much as to my Lot here lights, That with this prefent Treatife doth agree, True Vertue to advance, hall here recounted be.
When all Men had with full Satiety
Of Meats and Drinks their Appetites fuffic'd,
To Deeds of Arms and Proof of Chevalry
They 'gan themselves addrefs, full rich aguis'd,
As each one had his Furnitures devis'd.
And first of all iffu'd Sir Marinel,
And with him fix Knights more, which enterpriz'd
To challenge all in Right of Florimel,
And to maintain, that fhe all others did excel.
V.
The firft of them was hight Sir Orimont,
A noble Knight, and try'd in hard Affays:
The fecond had to name Sir Bellifont,
But fecond unto none in Prowefs' Praife;
The third was Brunel, famous in his Days;
The fourth Ecaftor, of exceeding Might;
The fifth Armeddan, fkill'd in lovely Lays;
The fixth was Lanfacke, a redoubted Knight:
All fix well feen in Arms, and prov'd in many a Fight.
And them against came all that lift to giust,
From every Coaft, and Country under Sun:
None was debarr'd, but all had leave that luft,
The Trumpets found; then all together run :
Full many Deeds of Arms that day were done,
And many Knights unhors'd, and many wounded,
As Fortune fell; yet little loft or won :
But all that day the greatest Praise redounded
To Marinel, whofe Name the Heralds loud refounded.
VII.
The fecond Day, fo foon as morrow Light
Appear'd in Heav'n, into the Field they came,
And there all day continu'd cruel Fight,
With diverfe Fortune fit for fuch a Game,
In which all ftrove with Peril to win Fame.
Yet whether fide was Victor, no'te be gueft:
But at the laft, the Trumpets did proclaim
That Marinel that day deferved best.
So they difparted were, and all Men went to reft.
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