The cry whereof entring the hollow cave
Eftsoones brought forth the villaine, as they ment,
With hope of her some wishfull boot to have:
Full dreadfull wight he was as ever went
Upon the earth, with hollow eyes deepe pent,
And long curld locks that downe his shoulders shagged,
And on his backe an uncouth vestiment
Made of straunge stuffe, but all to worne and ragged.
And underneath his breech was all to torne and iagged.
And in his hand an huge long staffe he held,
Whose top was arm'd with many an yron hooke,
Fit to catch hold of all that he could weld,
Or in the compasse of his cloutches tooke;
And ever round about he cast his looke:
Als at his backe a great wyde net he bore,
With which he seldom fished at the brooke,
But usd to fish for fooles on the dry shore,
Of which he in faire weather wont to take great store.
Him when the damzell saw fast by her side,
So ugly creature, she was nigh dismayd:
And now for helpe aloud in earnest cride:
But, when the villaine saw her so affrayd,
He gan with guilefull words her to perswade
To banish feare; and with Sardonian smyle
Laughing on her, his false intent to shade,
Gan forth to lay his bayte her to beguyle,
That from herself unwares he might her steale the whyle.
Like as the fouler on his guilefull pype
Charmes to the birds full many a pleasant lay,
That they the whiles may take lesse heedie keepe
How he his nets doth for their ruine lay,
So did the villaine to her prate and play,
And many pleasant trickes before her show,
To turne her eyes from his intent away:
For he in slights and iugling feates did flow,
And of legiérdemayne the mysteries did know.
To which whilest she lent her intentive mind,
He suddenly his net upon her threw,
That oversprad her like a puffe of wind;
And snatching her soone up, ere well she knew
Ran with her fast away unto his mew,
Crying for helpe aloud: but whenas ny
He came unto his cave, and there did vew
The armed knights stopping his pasage by,
He threw his burden downe and fast away did fly.
But Artegall him after did pursew;
The whiles the prince there kept the entrance still:
Up to the rocke he ran, and thereon flew
Like a wyld gote, leaping from hill to hill,
And dauncing on the craggy cliffes at will;
That deadly daunger seem'd in all mens sight
To tempt such steps, where footing was so ill:
Ne ought avayled for the armed knight
To thinke to follow him that was so swift and light.
Which when he saw, his yron man he sent
To follow him; for he was swift in chace:
He him pursewd wherever that he went;
Both over rockes, and hilles, and every place
Whereso he fled, he followed him apace:
So that he shortly forst him to forsake
The hight, and downe descend unto the base:
There he him courst afresh, and soone did make
To leave his proper forme, and other shape to take.
Into a foxe himselfe he first did tourne;
But he him hunted like a foxe full fast:
Then to a bush himselfe he did transforme;
But he the bush did beat, till that at last
Into a bird it chaung'd, and from him past,
Flying from tree to tree, from wand to wand:
But he then stones at it so long did cast,
That like a stone it fell upon the land;
But he then tooke it up, and held fast in his hand.
So he it brought with him unto the knights,
And to his lord Sir Artegall it lent,
Warning him hold it fast for feare of slights.
Who whilest in hand it gryping hard he hent,
Into a hedgehogge all unwares it went,
And prickt him so that he away it threw:
But Talus soone him overtooke, and backward drew.
But, whenas he would to a snake againe
Have turn'd himselfe, he with his yron flayle
Gan drive at him with so huge might and maine,
That all his bones as small as sandy grayle
He broke, and did his bowels disentrayle,
Crying in vaine for helpe, when helpe was past;
So did deceipt the selfe-deceiver fayle:
There they him left a carrion outcast
For beasts and foules to feede upon for their repast.
Thence forth they passed with that gentle mayd
To see her ladie, as they did agree:
To which when she approched, thus she sayd;
"Loe now, right noble knights, arriv'd ye bee
Nigh to the place which ye desir'd to see:
There shall ye see my soverayne lady queene,
Most sacred wight, most debonayre and free,
That ever yet upon this earth was seene,
Or that with diademe hath ever crowned beene."
The gentle knights reioyced much to heare
The prayses of that prince so manifold;
And, passing litle further, commen were
Where they a stately pallace did behold
Of pompous show, much more then she had told,
With many towres and tarras mounted hye,
And all their tops bright glistering with gold.
That seem'd to out-shine the dimmed skye,
And with their brightnesse daz'd the straunge beholders
There they alighting, by that damzell were
Directed in, and shewed all the sight;
Whose porch, that most magnificke did appeare,
Stood open wyde to all men day and night;
Yet warded well by one of mickle might
That sate thereby, with gyant-like resemblance,
To keepe out guyle, and malice, and despight,
That under shew oft-times of fayned semblance
Are wont in princes courts to worke great scath and hin
His name was Awe; by whom they passing in
Went up the hall, that was a large wyde roome,
All full of people making troublous din
And wrondrous noyse, as if that there were some
Which unto them was dealing righteous doome:
By whom they passing through the thickest preasse,
The marshall of the hall to them did come,
His name hight Order; who, commaunding peace, [ceasse.
Them guyded through the throng, that did their clamours
They ceast their clamors upon them to gaze;
Whom seeing all in armour bright as day,
Straunge there to see, it did them much amaze,
And with unwonted terror halfe affray:
For never saw they there the like array;
Ne ever was the name of warre there spoken,
But ioyous peace and quietnesse alway
Dealing just iudgments, that mote not be broken
For any brybes, or threates of any to be wroken.
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