36 Unlucky squire, (saide Guyon) sith thou hast
Falne into mischiefe through intemperaunce,
Henceforth take heede of that thou now hast past,
And guide thy wayes with warie governaunce,
Least worse betide thee by some later chaunce.
But read how art thou nam'd, and of what kin.
Phedon I hight, (quoth he) and do advaunce
Mine auncestry from famous Coradin,
Who first to rayse our house to honour did begin.
37 Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde A varlet ronning towards hastily,
Whose flying feet so fast their way applyde, That round about a cloud of dust did fly, Which, mingled all with sweate, did dim his eye. He soone approched, panting, breathlesse, whot, And all so soyld, that none could him descry; His countenaunce was bold, and bashed not For Guyons lookes, but scornefull ey glaunce at him shot.
38 Behinde his backe he bore a brasen shield, On which was drawen faire, in colours fit,
A flaming fire in midst of bloudy field,
And round about the wreath this word was writ,
Burnt I doe burne. Right well beseemed it
To be the shield of some redoubted knight;
And in his hand two dartes exceeding flit,
And deadly sharpe he held, whose heads were dight
In poyson and in bloud, of malice and despight.
39 When he in presence came, to Guyon first
He boldly spake, Sir knight, if knight thou bee,
Abandon this forestalled place at erst,
For feare of further harme, I counsell thee,
Or bide the chaunce at thine owne jeoperdie.
The knight at his great boldnesse wondered,
And though he scornd his idle vanitie,
Yet mildly him to purpose answered;
For not to grow of nought he it conjectured.
40 Varlet, this place most dew to me I deeme, Yielded by him, that held it forcibly.
But whence shold come that harme, which thou dost seeme
To threat to him, that mindes his chaunce t'abye?
Perdy, (sayd he) here comes, and is hard by
A knight of wondrous powre and great assay,
That never yet encountred enemy,
But did him deadly daunt, or fowle dismay;
Ne thou for better hope, if thou his presence stay.
41 How hight he then (said Guyon) and from whence? Pyrochles is his name, renowmed farre
For his bold feats and hardy confidence,
Full oft approvd in many a cruell warre,
The brother of Cymochles, both which arre
The sonnes of old Acrates and Despight,
Acrates sonne of Phlegeton and Jarre;
But Phlegeton is sonne of Herebus and Night;
But Herebus sonne of Aeternitie is hight.
42 So from immortall race he does proceede,
That mortall hands may not withstand his might,
Drad for his derring do, and bloudy deed;
For all in bloud and spoile is his delight.
His am I Atin, his in wrong and right,
That matter make for him to worke upon,
And stirre him up to strife and cruell fight.
Fly therefore, fly this fearefull stead anon,
Least thy foolhardize worke thy sad confusion.
43 His be that care, whom most it doth concerne,
(Sayd he) but whither with such hasty flight
Art thou now bound? for well mote I discerne
Great cause, that carries thee so swift and light.
My lord, (quoth he) me sent, and streight behight
To seeke Occasion, where so she bee:
For he is all disposd to bloudy fight,
And breathes out wrath and hainous crueltie; Hard is his hap, that first fals in his jeopardie.
44 Mad man, (said then the palmer) that does seeke
Occasion to wrath, and cause of strife;
She comes unsought, and shonned followes eke.
Happy, who can abstaine, when rancour rife
Kindles revenge, and threats his rusty knife;
Woe never wants, where every cause is caught,
And rash Occasion makes unquiet life.
Then loe, where bound she sits, whom thou hast sought, (Said Guyon) let that message to thy lord be brought.
45 That when the varlet heard and saw, streight way
He wexed wondrous wroth, and said, Vile knight,
That knights and knighthood doest with shame upbray,
And shewst th' ensample of thy childish might,
With silly weake old woman thus to fight.
Great glory and gay spoile sure hast thou got,
And stoutly prov'd thy puissaunce here in sight;
That shall Pyrochles well requite, I wot,
And with thy blood abolish so reprochfull blot.
46 With that one of his thrillant darts he threw,
Headed with ire and vengeable despight:
The quivering steele his aymed end well knew,
And to his brest itselfe intended right:
But he was warie, and, ere it empight
In the meant marke, advaunst his shield atweenc,
On which it seizing, no way enter might,
But backe rebounding left the forckhead keene;
Eftsoones he fled away, and might no where be seene.
Pyrocbles does with Guyon fight,
And Furors chayne untyes,
Who bim sore wounds; whiles Atin to
Cymochles for ayd flyes.
I WHOEVER doth to temperaunce apply
His stedfast life, and all his actions frame,
Trust me, shall find no greater enimy,
Then stubborne perturbation, to the same;
To which right well the wise do give that name,
For it the goodly peace of stayed mindes
Does overthrow, and troublous warre proclame:
His owne woes authour, who so bound it findes,
As did Pyrochles, and it wilfully unbindes.
2 After that varlets flight, it was not long,
Ere on the plaine fast pricking Guyon spide
One in bright armes embatteiled full strong,
That, as the sunny beames do glaunce and glide
Upon the trembling wave, so shined bright,
And round about him threw forth sparkling fire,
That seemd him to enflame on every side:
His steed was bloudy red, and fomed ire,
When with the maistring spur he did him roughly stire.
3 Approching nigh, he never staid to greete,
Ne chaffar words, prowd corage to provoke,
But prickt so fiers, that underneath his feete
The smouldring dust did rownd about him smoke,
Both horse and man nigh able for to choke;
And fayrly couching his steele-headed speare,
Him first saluted with a sturdy stroke;
It booted nought sir Guyon comming neare
To thinke such hideous puissaunce on foot to beare;
4 But lightly shunned it, and passing by,
With his bright blade did smite at him so fell,
That the sharpe steele arriving forcibly
On his broad shield, bit not, but glauncing fell
On his horse necke before the quilted sell,
And from the head the body sundred quight.
So him dismounted low, he did compell
On foot with him to matchen equall fight;
The truncked beast fast bleeding did him fowly dight.
5 Sore bruzed with the fall, he slow uprose,
And all enraged, thus him loudly shent;
Disleall knight, whose coward courage chose
To wreake it selfe on beast all innocent,
And shund the marke, at which it should be ment,
Therby thine armes seem strong, but manhood fraile;
So hast thou oft with guile thine honor blent;
But litle may such guile thee now availe,
wonted force and fortune doe me not much faile.
6 With that he drew his flaming sword, and strooke
At him so fiercely, that the upper marge
Of his sevenfolded shield away it tooke,
And glauncing on his helmet, made a large
And open gash therein were not his targe,
That broke the violence of his intent,
The weary soule from thence it would discharge;
Nathelesse so sore a buff to him it lent,
That made him reele, and to his brest his bever bent.
7 Exceeding wroth was Guyon at that blow,
And much ashamd, that stroke of living arme
Should him dismay, and make him stoup so low,
Though otherwise it did him litle harme:
Tho hurling high his yron braced arme,
He smote so manly on his shoulder plate,
That all his left side it did quite disarme;
Yet there the steel stayd not, but inly bate
Deepe in his flesh, and opened wide a red floodgate.
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