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CANTO II.

Blandamore wins falfe Florimel,
Paridel for ber ftrives;
They are accorded: Agape
Doth lengthen her Sons Lives.

I.

Irebrand of Hell, firft tin'd in Phlegeton,

By thoufand Furies, and from thence out-thrown Into this World, to work Confufion,

And fet it all on fire (by Force unknown)

Is wicked Discord; whofe fmall Sparks, once blown, None but a God, or God-like Man can flake: Such as was Orpheus, that when Strife was grown Amongst those famous Imps of Greece, did take His filver Harp in hand, and shortly Friends them make. II.

Or fuch as that celeftial Pfalmift was,

That when the wicked Fiend his Lord tormented,
With heavenly Notes, that did all other país,

The Outrage of his furious Fit relented.

Such Mufick is wife Words with Time concented,
To moderate stiff Minds, difpos'd to strive:
Such as that prudent Roman well invented,
What time his People into parts did rive,

Them reconcil'd again, and to their Homes did drive
III.

Such us'd wife Glauce to that wrathful Knight,
To calm the Tempeft of his troubled Thought:
Yet Blandamore, with Terms of foul Despite,
And Paridel her fcorn'd, and fet at nought,
As old and crooked, and not good for ought.
Both they unwife, and wareless of the Evil,
That by themselves unto themselves is wrought,
Through that false Witch, and that foul aged Drevil,
The one a Fiend, the other an incarnate Devil.

IV.

With whom, as they thus rode accompany'd,
They were encountred of a lufty Knight.
That had a goodly Lady by his fide,

To whom he made great Dalliance and Delight.
It was to weet the bold Sir Ferraugh hight,
He that from Braggadockio whilom reft
The fnowy Florimel, whofe Beauty bright
Made him feem happy for fo glorious Theft ;
Yet was it in due Trial but a wandring Weft,

V.

Which, when as Blandamere (whose Fancy light Was always flitting, as the wavering Wind, After each Beauty that appear'd in fight) Beheld, efcfoons it prick'd his wanton Mind With Sting of Luft, that Reafon's Eye did blind, That to Sir Paridel thefe Words he fent: Sir Knight, why ride ye dumpifh thus behind, Since fo good Fortune doth to you prefent So fair a Spoil, to make you joyous Merriment ? VI.

But Paridel, that had too late a trial,
Of the bad Iffue of his Counfel vain,

Lift not to hark, but made this fair denial:
Laft Turn was mine, well proved to my pain;
This now be
better Gain.
yours, God fend you
Whofe fcoffed Words he taking half in Scorn,
Fiercely forth prick'd his Steed, as in Difdain
Against that Knight, e'er he could well him turn;
By means whereof, he hath him lightly over-borne.
VII.

Who, with the fudden Stroke aftonish'd fore,
Upon the Ground awhile in Slumber lay;
The whiles, his Love away the other bore,
And fhewing her, did Paridel upbray:
Lo! fluggish Knight, the Victor's happy Prey:
So Fortune friends the Bold. Whom Paridel
Seeing fo fair indeed (as he did fay)

His Heart with fecret Envy 'gan to fwell

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nly grudg at him, that he had fped fo well.

VIII.

Nath'less proud Man himself the other deem'd,
Having fo peerless Paragon ygot:

For, fure the fairest Florimel him feem'd,
To him was fallen for his happy Lot,
Whofe like alive on Earth he weened not:
Therefore he her did court, did ferve, did woo,
With humbleft Suit that he imagine mot,
And all things did devife, and all things do,
That might her Love prepare, and Liking win thereto.
IX.

She, in regard thereof, him recompens'd
With golden Words, and goodly Countenance,
And fuch fond Favours fparingly difpens'd
Sometimes him bleffing with a light Eye-glance,
And coy Looks tempting with loose Dalliance;
Sometimes eftranging him in fterner wife,
That having caft him in a foolish Trance,
He feemed brought to Bed in Paradife,

And prov'd himself most Fool, in what he seem'd most wife.
X.

So great a Miftrefs of her Art she was,

And perfectly practis'd in Woman's Craft,
That though therein himself he thought to pass,
And by his falfe Allurements wylie draft,
Had thousand Women of their Love beraft,
Yet now he was furpriz'd: For, that falfe Spright,
Which that fame Witch had in this Form engraft,
Was fo expert in every subtle Slight,

That it could over-reach the wifeft earthly Wight.
XI.

Yet he to her did daily Service more,

And daily more deceived was thereby ;
Yet Paridel him envied therefore,

As feeming plac'd in fole Felicity:
So blind is Luft, falfe Colours to descry.
But Ate foon difcovering his defire,
And finding no fit Opportunity

To ftir up Strife, 'twixt Love, and Spite, and Ire,
Did privily put Coals unto his fecret Fire

XIT

XII.

By fundry means there-to the prick'd him forth;
Now with Remembrance of thofe fpiteful Speeches,
Now with Opinion of his own more Worth,
Now with recounting of like former Breaches
Made in their Friendship, as that Hag him teaches:
'And ever when his Paffion is allay'd,

She it revives, and new occafion reaches;
That on a time, as they together way'd,

He made him open Challenge, and thus boldly said.
XIII.

Too boastful Blandamore, too long I bear

The open Wrongs thou doft me day by day:
Well know'ft thou, when we Friendship firft did fwear,
The Covenant was, That every Spoil or Prey
Should equally be fhar'd betwixt us tway:
Where is my Part then of this Lady bright,
Whom to thy felf thou takeft quite away?
Render therefore therein to me my Right,
Or answer for thy Wrong, as fhall fall out in Fight.
XIV.

Exceeding wroth thereat was Blandamore,

And 'gan this bitter Answer to him make;
Too foolish Paridel, that faireft Flower

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Would't gather fain, and yet no Pains would't take;
But not so easy will I her forfake;

This Hand her won, this Hand fhall her defend.
With that, they 'gan their fhivering Spears to fake,
And deadly Points at either's Breast to bend,
Forgetful each to have been ever other's Frend.

XV.

Their fiery Steeds, with fo untamed Force,
Did bear them both to fell Avenge's end,
That both their Spears with pitylefs Remorse,
Through Shield and Mail, and Harbejeon did wend,
And in their Flefh a griefly Paffage rend,
That with the Fury of their own Affret,
Each other Horfe and Man to ground did fend;
Where lying ftill awhile, both did forget

perilous prefent Stound, in which their Lives were fet.

XVI.

As when two warlike Brigantines at Sea,
With murdrous Weapons arm'd to cruel Fight,
Do meet together on the watry Lea,

They ftem each other with fo fell Despite,

That with the Shock of their own beedlefs Might,
Their wooden Ribs are fhaken nigh asunder;
They which from Shore behold the dreadful fight
Of flashing Fire, and hear the Ordnance thunder,
Do greatly stand amaz'd at such unwonted Wonder.
XVII.

At length they both upstarted in amaze;
As Men awaked rafhly out of Dream,
And round about themselves awhile did gaze,
Till seeing her, that Florimel did feem,

In doubt to whom the Victory should deem,
There-with their dulled Sprights they edg'd anew;
And drawing both their Swords with Rage extreme,
Like two mad Mastiffs, each on other flew,

And Shields did fhare, and Mails did rafh, and Helms did hew.
XVIII.

So furiously each other did affail,

As if their Souls they would at once have rent
Out of their Breafts, that ftreams of Blood did rail
Adown, as if their Springs of Life were spent ;
That all the Ground with purple Blood was fprent,
And all their Armours ftain'd with bloody Gore:
Yet scarcely once to breathe would they relent;
So mortal was their Malice and so fore,
Become of feigned Friendship which they vow'd afore.
XIX.

And that which is for Ladies most befitting,
To ftint all Strife, and fofter friendly Peace,
Was from thofe Dames fo far and fo unfitting,
As that inftead of praying them furceafe,
They did much more their Cruelty encrease;
Bidding them fight for Honour of their Love,
And rather die than Lady's Cause release.

With which vain Terms fo much they did them mon That both refolv'd the lait Extremities to prove.