XXXVI.

Whom when his other Fellows faw, they fled As faft as Feet could carry them away; And after them the Prince as fwiftly fped, To be aveng'd of their unknightly Play. There whilst they entring, th' one did th' other ftay, The hindmoft in the Gate he over-hent, And as he preffed in, him there did flay; His Carcass tumbling on the Threshold, sent His groaning Soul unto her Place of Punishment. XXXVII.

The other, which was enter'd, labour'd fast
To fperr the Gate; but that fame Lump of Clay,
Whofe grudging Ghoft was thereout fled and past,
Right in the middeft of the Threshold lay,
That it the Poftern did from clofing stay:
The whiles the Prince had preffed in between,
And Entrance won. Straight th' other fled away,
And ran into the Hall, where he did ween
Himself to fave; but he there flew him at the Skreen.
XXXVIII.

Then all the reft, which in that Castle were,
Seeing that fad Enfample them before,

Durft not abide, but fled away for fear,

And them convey'd out at a Poftern Door.

Long fought the Prince: but when he found no more T' oppose against his Pow'r, he forth iffu'd

Unto that Lady, where he her had lore,

And her 'gan chear, with what the there had view'd, And what he had not feen, within unto her fhew'd. XXXIX.

Who with right humble Thanks him goodly greeting,
For fo great Prowefs, as he there had prov'd,
Much greater than was ever in her weeting,
With great Admirance inwardly was mov'd,
And honour'd him, with all that her behov'd.
Thenceforth into that Caftle he her led,
With her two Sons, right dear of her belov'd,
There all that Night themselves they cherished,

m her baleful Mind all Care he banished.

CANTO XI.

Prince Arthur overcomes the Great
Gerioneo in Fight:

Doth flay the Monster, and reflore
Belge unto her Right.

I.

T often falls in Course of common Life,

I That Right, long time, is overborne of Wrong,

Through Avarice, or Pow'r, or Guile, or Strife,
That weakens her, and makes her Party ftrong:
But Juftice, though her Doom she do prolong,
Yet at the last she will her own Cause right.
As by fad Belge feems, whofe Wrongs, though long
She fuffer'd, yet at length fhe did requite,

And sent Redress thereof by this brave Briton Knight.
II.

Whereof when News was to that Tyrant brought, How that the Lady Belge now had found

A Champion, that had with his Champion fought,
And laid his Seneschal low on the Ground,

And eke himself did threaten to confound
He 'gan to burn in Rage, and freeze in Fear,
Doubting fad end of Principle unfound:

Yet fith he heard but one, that did appear,
He did himself encourage, and take better Chear.
III.

Nath'less himself he armed all in hafte,
And forth he far'd with all his many bad,
Ne ftayed step, till that he came at last
Unto the Castle, which they conquer'd had:
There with huge Terror, to be more ydrad,
He fternly march'd before the Caftle-Gate;
And with bold Vaunts, and idle Threatning bade.
Deliver him his own, e'er yet too late,

To which they had no right, nor any wrongful State.

IV.

The Prince ftay'd not his Anfwer to devize, But opening ftraight the Spar, forth to him came, Full nobly mounted in right warlike wize; And asked him, if that he were the fame, Who all that Wrong unto that woeful Dame So long had done, and from her native Land Exiled her, that all the World spake Shame. He boldly anfwer'd him, he there did stand, That would his Doings juftify with his own Hand. V.

With that, fo furiously at him he flew, As if he would have over-run him ftraight; And with his huge great iron Axe 'gan hew So hideously upon his Armour bright, As he to pieces would have chopt it quite: That the bold Prince was forced foot to give To his firft Rage, and yield to his Despight; The whilst at him fo dreadfully he drive, That feem'd a Marble Rock afunder he could rive. VI.

Thereto a great Advantage eke he has

Through his three double Hands thrice multiply'd, Befides the double Strength, which in them was: For ftill when fit Occafion did betide,

He could his Weapon fhift from fide to fide, From hand to hand, and with fuch Nimbless fly Could wield about, that e'er it were espy'd, The wicked Stroke did wound his Enemy, Behind, befide, before, as he it lift apply. VII.

Which uncouth Ufe when-as the Prince perceiv'd, He 'gan to watch the wielding of his Hand, Left by fuch Sleight he were unwares deceiv'd; And ever ere he faw the Stroke to land, He would it meet, and warily withstand. One time, when he his Weapon fain'd to shift, As he was wont, and chang'd from hand to hand, He met him with a Counter-ftroke so swift, That quite smit off his Arm, as he it up did lift,

VIII.

Therewith all fraught with Fury and Disdain,
He bray'd aloud for very fell Defpight;
And fuddenly t' avenge himself again,
'Gan into one affemble all the Might

Of all his Hands, and heaved them on height,
Thinking to pay him with that one for all:
But the fad Steel feiz'd not, where it was hight,
Upon the Child, but somewhat fhort did fall;
And lighting on his Horfe's Head, him quite did mall,
IX.

Down ftraight to ground fell his aftonifh'd Steed,
And eke to th' Earth his Burden with him bare:
But he himself full lightly from him freed,
And 'gan himself to fight on foot

prepare. Whereof when-as the Giant was aware,

He woxe right blithe, as he had got thereby,
And laugh'd fo loud, that all his Teeth wide bare
One might have feen enraung'd diforderly,
Like to a Rank of Piles, that pitched are awry.
X.

Eftfoons again his Axe he raught on high,
E'er he were throughly buckled to his Gear;
And 'gan let drive at him fo dreadfully,
That had he chaunced not his Shield to rear,
E'er that huge Stroke arrived on him near,
He had him furely cloven quite in twain:
But th' Adamantine Shield, which he did bear,
So well was temper'd, that (for all his main)
It would no Paffage yield unto his Purpose vain.
XI.

Yet was the Stroke fo forcibly apply'd,
That made him ftagger with uncertain Sway,
As if he would have totter'd to one fide.
Wherewith full wroth, he fiercely 'gan affay,
That Court'fy with like Kindness to repay;
And fmote at him with fo importune Might,
That two more of his Arms did fall away,
Like fruitlefs Branches, which the Hatchet's flight
Hath pruned from the native Tree, and cropped quite.

XII.

With that, all mad and furious he grew,
Like a fell Mastiff thro enraging Heat,

And curs'd, and bann'd, and Blafphemies forth threw
Against his Gods, and Fire to them did threat,
And Hell unto himself with Horror great.

Thenceforth he car'd no more, which way he ftrook, Nor where it light, but 'gan to chauf and fweat, And gnash'd his Teeth, and his Head at him thook, And sternly him beheld with grim and ghastly Look.

XIII.

Nought fear'd the Child his Looks, ne yet his Threats,
But only wexed now the more aware,

To fave himself from those his furious Heats,
And watch Advantage, how to work his Care,
The which good Fortune to him offer'd fair.
For as he in his Rage him over-ftrook,
He e'er he could his Weapon back repair,
His fide all bare and naked overtook,

And with his mortal Steel quite through the Body ftrook.
XIV.

Through all three Bodies he him ftrook at once;
That all the three at once fell on the Plain :
Elfe fhould he thrice have needed, for the nonce,
Them to have ftricken, and thrice to have flain.
So now all three one fenfless Lump remain,
Enwallow'd in his own blac' bloody Gore,
And biting th' Earth for very Death's Difdain;
Who with a Cloud of Night him covering, bore
Down to the House of Dole, his Days there to deplore.
XV.

Which when the Lady from the Caftle faw,
Where the with her two Sons did looking ftand,
She towards him in hafte her felf did draw,
To greet him the good Fortune of his Hand:
And all the People both of Town and Land,
Which there ftood gazing from the City's Wall
Upon these Warriors, greedy t' understand

whether should the Victory befal,

n they faw it fal'n, they eke him greeted all.