But, when he saw himselfe free from poursute,
He gan make gentle purpose to his dame
With termes of love and lewdnesse dissolute;
For he could well his glozing speaches frame
To such vaine uses that him best became :
But she thereto would lend but light regard,
As seeming sory that she ever came
Into his powre, that used her so hard

For, being fled into the fishers bote
For refuge from the monsters cruelty,
Long so she on the mighty maine did flote,
And with the tide drove forward carelesly;
For th' ayre was milde and cleared was the skie,
And all his windes dan Aeolus did keepe
From stirring up their stormy enmity,
As pittying to see her waile and weepe;

Thus as they two of kindnes treated long,
There them by chaunce encountred on the way
An armed knight upon a courser strong,
Whose trampling feete upon the hollow lay
Seemed to thunder, and did nigh affray
That capons corage; yet he looked grim,
And faynd to cheare his lady in dismay,
Who seemd for feare to quake in every lim,
And her to save from outrage meekely prayed him.
Fiercely that straunger forward came; and, nigh
Approching, with bold words and bitter threat
Bad that same boaster, as he mote on high,
To leave to him that lady for excheat,
Or bide him batteill without further treat.
That challenge did too peremptory seeme,
And fild his senses with abashment great;
Yet, seeing nigh him ieopardy extreme,

He it dissembled well, and light seemd to esteeme;

Saying, "Thou foolish knight, that weenst with words
To steale away that I with blowes have wonne,
And brought through points of many perilous swords!
But if thee list to see thy courser ronne,
Or prove thyselfe; this sad encounter shonne,
And seeke els without hazard of thy hedd."
At those prowd words that other knight begonne
To wex exceeding wroth, and him aredd

To turne his steede about, or sure he should be dedd.

"Sith then," said Braggadochio, “needes thou wilt
Thy daies abridge, through proofe of puissance;
Turne we our steeds; that both in equall tilt
May meete againe, and each take happy chaunce."
This said, they both a furlongs mountenaunce
Retird their steeds, to ronue in even race:
But Braggadochio with his bloody launce
Once having turnd, no more returnd his face,
But lefte his love to losse, and fled himselfe apace.

The knight, him seeing fie, had no regard
Him to poursew, but to the lady rode;
And, having her from Trompart lightly reard,
Upon his courser sett the lovly lode,
And with her fled away without abode:
Well weened he, that fairest Florimell
It was with whom in company he yode,

And so herselfe did alwaies to him tell;

At last when droncke with drowsinesse he woke,
And saw his drover drive along the streame,
He was dismayd; and thrise his brest he stroke,
For marveill of that accident extreame:
But when he saw that blazing beauties beame,
Which with rare light his bote did beautifye,
He marveild more, and thought he yet did dreame
Not well awakte; or that some extasye
Assotted had his sence, or dazed was his eye.

But, when her well avizing hee perceiv'd
To be no vision nor fantasticke sight,
Great comfort of her presence he conceiv'd,
And felt in his old corage new delight
To gin awake, and stir his frosen spright:
Tho rudely askte her, how she thether came?
"Ah!" sayd she, "father, I note read aright
What hard misfortune brought me to this same;
Yet am I glad that here I now in safety ame.

"But thou, good man, sith far in sea we bee,
And the great waters gin apace to swell,
That now no more we can the mayn-land see,
Have care, I pray, to guide the cock-bote well,
Least worse on sea then us on land befell."
Thereat th' old man did nought but fondly grin,
And saide, his boat the way could wisely tell :
But his deceiptfuli eyes did never lin
To looke on her faire face and marke her snowy skin.

The sight whereof in bis congealed flesh
Infixt such secrete sting of greedy lust,
That the drie withered stocke it gan refresh,
And kindled heat, that soone in flame forth brust:
The driest wood is soonest burnt to dust.
Rudely to her he lept, and his rough haud,
Where ill became him, rashly would have thrust;
But she with angry scorne him did withstond,
And shamefully reproved for his rudenes fond.

But he, that never good nor maners knew,
Her sharpe rebuke full litle did esteeme;
Hard is to teach an old horse amble trew:
The inward smoke, that did before but steeme,
Broke into open fire and rage extreme;
And now he strength gan adde unto his will,
Forcying to doe that did him fowle misseeme:
Beastly he threwe her downe, ne car'd to spill

Hell.

But Florimell herselfe was far away,

Driyen to great distresse by fortune straunge,
And taught the carefull mar ner to play,

Sith late mischaunce had her compeld to chaunge
The land for sea, at randon there to raunge:
Yett there that cruell queene avengenesse,
Not satisfyde so far her to estraunge
From courtly blis and wonted happinesse,
Did heape on her new waves of weary wretchednesse.

fill.

The silly virgin strove him to withstand
All that she might, and him in vaine revild;
Shee strugled strongly both-with foote and hand
To save her honor from that villaine vilde,
And cride to Heven, from humane help exild.
O! ye brave knights, that boast this ladies love,
Where be ye now, when she is nigh defild
Of filthy wretch! well may she you reprove
Of falsehood or of slouth, when most it may behove!

But if that thou, sir Satyran, didst weete, Or thou, sir Peridure, her sory state, How soone would yee assemble inany a fleete, To fetch from sea that ye at land lost late! Towres, citties, kingdomes, ye would ruinate In your avengement and dispiteous rage, Ne ought your burning fury mote abate: But, if sir Calidore could it presage,

No living creature could his cruelty asswage.

But, sith that none of all her knights is nye,
See how the Heavens, of voluntary grace
And soveraine favor towards chastity,
Doe succor send to her distressed cace:
So much high God doth innocence embrace!
It fortuned, whilest thus she stifly strove,
And the wide sea importuned long space
With shrilling shriekes, Proteus abrode did rove,
Along the fomy waves driving his finny drove.

Proteus is shepheard of the seas of yore,
And hath the charge of Neptune's mighty heard;
An aged sire with head all frowy hore,
And sprinckled frost upon his deawy beard:
Who when those pittifull outcries he heard
Through all the seas so ruefully resownd,
His charett swifte in hast he thether steard,
Which with a teeme of scaly phocas bownd
Was drawne upon the waves, that fomed him arownd;

And comming to that fishers wandring bote,
That went at will withouten card or sayle,
He therein saw that yrkesome sight, which smote
Deepe indignation and compassion frayle
Into his hart attonce: streight did he hayle
The greedy villein from his hoped pray,
Of which he now did very little fayle;
And with his staffe, that drives his heard astray,
Him bett so sore, that life and sence did much dis-

may.

The whiles the pitteous lady up did ryse,
Ruffled and fowly raid with filthy soyle,
And blubbred face with teares of her faire eyes;
Her heart nigh broken was with weary toyle,
To save herselfe from that outrageous spoyle:
But when she looked up, to weet what wight
Had her from so infamous fact assoyld,
For shame, but more for feare of his grim sight,
Downe in her lap she hid her face, and lowdly
shright.

Herselfe not saved yet from daunger dredd
She thought, but chaung'd from one to other feare:
Like as a fearefull partridge, that is fledd
From the sharpe hauke which her attached neare,
And fals to ground to seeke for succor tneare,
Whereas the hungry spaniells she does spye
With greedy jawes her ready for to teare:
In such distresse and sad perplexity

Was Florimell, when Proteus she did see her by.

But he endevored with speaches milde
Her to recomfort, and accourage bold,
Bidding her feare no more her foeman vilde,
Nor doubt himselfe; and who he was her told:
Yet all that could not from affright her hold,
Ne to recomfort her at all prevayld;
For her faint hart was with the frosen cold
Benumbd so inly that her wits nigh fayld,
And all her sences with abashment quite were quayld.

His bowre is in the bottom of the maine,
Under a mightie rocke gainst which doe rave...
The roring billowes in their proud disdaine,
That with the angry working of the wave
Therein is eaten out an hollow cave,

That seemes rough masons hand with engines kecne
Had long while laboured it to engrave:

There was his wonne; ne living wight was seene
Save one old nymph, hight Panopè, to keepe it cleane:

Thether he brought the sory Florimell,
And entertained her the best he might,
(And Panopè her entertaind eke well)
As an immortall mote a mortall wight,
To winne her liking unto his delight:
With flattering wordes he sweetly wooed her,
And offered faire guiftes t' allure her sight;
But she both offers and the offerer

Despysde, and all the fawning of the flatterer.

Dayly he tempted her with this or that,
And never suffred her to be at rest:
But evermore she him refused flat,
And all his fained kindnes did detest;
So firmely she had sealed up her brest.
Sometimes he boasted that a god he hight;
But she a mortall creature loved best:
Then he would make himselfe a mortall wight;
But then she said she lov'd none but a Faery knight.

Then like a Faerie knight himselfe he drest;
For every shape on him he could endew:
Then like a king he was to her exprest,
And offred kingdoms unto her in vew
To be his leman and his lady trew:
But, when all this he nothing saw prevaile,
With harder meanes he cast her to subdew,
And with sharpe threates her often did assayle;
So thinking for to make her stubborne corage quayle.

To dreadfull shapes he did himselfe transforme:
Now like a gyaunt; now like to a feend;
Then like a centaure; then like to a storme
Raging within the waves: thereby be weend
Her will to win unto his wished eend:
But when with feare, nor favour, nor with all
He els could doe, he saw himselfe esteemd,
Dowpe in a dongeon deepe he let her fall,
And threatned there to make her his eternall
thrall,

Eternall thraldome was to her more liefe
Then losse of chastitie, or chaunge of love:
Dye had she rather in tormenting griefe
Then any should of falsenesse her reprove,
Or loosenes, that she lightly did remove.
Most vertuous virgin! glory be thy meed,

And crowne of heavenly prayse with saintes above,
Where most sweet hymmes of this thy famous deed

"These eyes did see that they will ever rew

T' have seene," quoth he, "whenas a monstrous
The palfrey whereon she did travell slew, [beast
And of his bowels made his bloody feast;
Which speaking token sheweth at the least
Her certein losse, if not her sure decay:
Besides, that more suspicion encreast,
I found her golden girdle cast astray,

Fit song of angels caroled to bee!

But yet whatso my feeble Muse can frame,
Sha! be t' advance thy goodly chastitee,
And to enroll thy memorable name
In th' heart of every honourable dame,
That they thy vertuous deedes may imitate,
And be partakers of thy endlesse fame.
Yt yrkes me leave thee in this wofull state,
To tell of Satyrane where I him left of late:

Who having ended with that Squyre of Dames
A long discourse of his adventures vayne,
The which himselfe then ladies more defames,
And finding not th' hyena to be slayne,
With that same squyre retourned backe againe
To his first way: and, as they forward went,
They spyde a knight fayre pricking on the playne,
As if he were on some adventure bent,
And in his port appeared manly hardiment.

Sir Satyrane him towardes did addresse,

To weet what wight he was, and what his quest:
And, comming nigh, eftsoones he gan to gesse
Both by the burning hart which on his brest
He bare, and by the colours in his crest,
That Paridell it was: tho to him yode,
And, him saluting as beseemed best,
Gan first inquire of tydinges farre abrode :
And afterwardes on what adventure now he rode.

Who thereto answering said; "The tydinges bad,
Which now in Faery court all men doe tell,
Which turned hath great mirth to mourning sad,
Is the late ruine of proud Marinell,
And suddein parture of faire Florimell
To find him forth and after her are gone
All the brave knightes, that doen in armes excell,
To savegard her ywandred all alone;
Emongst the rest my lott (unworthy') is to be one."

"Ah! gentle knight," said then sir Satyrane,
"Thy labour all is lost, I greatly dread,
That bast a thanklesse service on thee ta'ne,
And offrest sacrifice unto the dead:
For dead, I surely doubt, thou maist aread
Henceforth for ever Florimell to bee;
That all the noble knights of Maydenhead,
Which her ador'd, may sore repent with mee,
And all faire ladies may for ever sory bee."

Which wordes when Paridell had heard, his hew
Gan greatly chaung, and seemd dismaid to bee;
Then sayd; "Fayre sir, how may I weene it trew,
That ye doe tell in such uncerteintee?
Or speake ye of report, or did ye see

Just cause of dread, that makes ye doubt so sore?
For perdie eiles how mote it ever bee,
That ever hand should dare for to engore

Her noble blood! the Hevens such crueltie abhore."

"Ah me!" said Paridell, "the signes be sadd; And, but God turne the same to good soothsay, That ladies safetie is sore to be dradd :

Yet will I not forsake my forward way,

Till triall doe more certeine truth bewray."
"Faire sir," quoth he, "well may it you succeed!
Ne long shall Satyrane behind you stay;
But to the rest, which in this quest proceed,
My labour adde, and be partaker of their spedd."

"Yenoble knights," said then the Squyre of Dames,
"Well may yee speede in so prayseworthy payne!
But sith the Sunne now ginnes to slake his beames
In deawy vapours of the westerne mayne,
And lose the teme out of his weary wayne,
Mote not mislike you also to abate
Your zealous hast, till morrow next againe
Both light of Heven and strength of men relate:
Which if ye please, to yonder castle turne your
gate."

That counsell pleased well; so all yfere
Forth marched to a castle them before;
Where soone arriving they restrained were
Of ready entraunce, which ought evermore
To errant knights be commune: wondrous sore
Thereat displeasd they were, till that young squyre
Gan them informe the cause why that same dore
Was shut to all which lodging did desyre:

The which to let you weet will further time requyre.

CANTO IX.

Malbecco will no straunge knights host,
For peevish gealosy :
Paridell giusts with Britomart:

Both shew their auncestry.
REDOUBTED knights, and honorable dames,
To whom I levell all my labours end,
Right sore I feare least with unworthy blames
This odious argument my rymes should shend,
Or ought your goodly patience offend,
Whiles of a wanton lady I doe write,
Which with her loose incontinence doth blend
The shyning glory of your soveraine light;
And knighthood fowle defaced by a faithlesse knight.

But never let th' ensample of the bad
Offend the good: for good, by paragone
Of evill, may more notably be rad;
As white seemes fayrer macht with blacke attone:
Ne all are shamed by the fault of one:
For lo! in Heven, whereas all goodnes is
Emongst the angels, a whole legione
Of wicked sprightes did fall from happy blis;
What wonder then if one, of women all, did mis?

Then listen, lordings, if ye list to weet
The cause why Satyrane and Paridell
Mote not be entertaynd, as seemed meet,
Into that castle, as that squyre does tell.
"Therein a cancred crabbed carle does dwell,
That has no skill of court nor courtesie,
Ne cares what men say of him ill or well:
For all bis dayes he drownes in privitie,
Yet has full large to live and spend at libertie.

"But all his mind is set on mucky pelfe, To boord up heapes of evill-gotten masse,

For which he others wrongs, and wreckes himselfe:
Yet is he lincked to a lovely lasse,

Whose beauty doth her bounty far surpasse;
The which to him both far unequall yeares
And also far unlike conditions has;

For she does joy to play emongst her peares,

And to be free from hard restraynt and gealous feares.

"But he is old, and withered like hay,
Unfit faire ladies service to supply;
The privie guilt whereof makes him alway
Suspect her truth, and keepe continuall spy
Upon her with his other blincked eye;
Ne suffreth he resort of living wight
Approch to her, ne keep her company,
But in close bowre her mewes from all mens sight,
Depriv'd of kindly ioy and naturall delight.

"Malbecco be, and Hellenore she hight;
Unfitly yokt together in one teeme.
That is the cause why never any knight
Is suffred here to enter, but he seeme
Such as no doubt of him he need misdeeme."
Thereat sir Satyrane gan smyle, and say;
"Extremely mad the man I surely deeme
That weenes, with watch and hard restraynt, to stay
A womans will which is disposd to go astray.

"In vaine he feares that which he cannot shonne :
For who wotes not, that womans subtiltyes
Can guylen Argus, when she list misdonne?
It is not yron bandes, nor hundred eyes,
Nor brasen walls, nor many wakefull spyes,
That can withhold her wilfull-wandring feet;
But fast goodwill, with gentle courtesyes,
And timely service to her pleasures meet,
May her perhaps containe that else would algates
fleet."

"Then is he not more mad," sayd Paridell,
"That hath himselfe unto such service sold,
In dolefull thraldome all his dayes to dwell?
For sure a foole I doe him firmely hold,
That loves his fetters, though they were of gold.
But why doe we devise of others ill,
Whyles thus we suffer this same dotard old
To keepe us out in scorne of his owne will,
And rather do not ransack all, and himselfe kill?"

"Nay, let us first," sayd Satyrane, "entreat
The man by gentle meanes, to let us in;
And afterwardes affray with cruell threat,
Ere that we to efforce it doe begin :
Then, if all fayle, we will by force it win,
And eke reward the wretch for his mesprise,
As may be worthy of his haynous sin."
That counsell pleasd: then Paridell did rise,
And to the castle-gate approcht in quiet wise:

Whereat soft knocking, entrance he desyrd.
The good man selfe, which then the porter playd,
Him answered, that all were now retyrd
Unto their rest, and all the keyes convayd
Unto their maister who in bed was layd,
That none him durst awake out of his dreme;
And therefore them of patience gently prayd.
Then Paridell began to chaunge his theme,
And threatned him with force and punishment ex-

treme.

But all in vaine; for nought mote him relent:
And now so long before the wicked fast
They wayted, that the night was forward spent,
And the faire welkin fowly overcast

Gan blowen up a bitter stormy blast,
With showre and hayle so horrible and dred,
That this faire many were compeld at last
To fly for succour to a little shed,

The which beside the gate for swyne was ordered.

It fortuned, soone after they were gone,
Another knight, whom tempest thether brought,
Came to that castle, and with earnest mone,
Like as the rest, late entrance deare besought;
But, like so as the rest, he prayd for nought;
For flatly he of entrance was refusd;
Sorely thereat he was displeasd, and thought
How to avenge himselfe so sore abusd,
And evermore the carle of courtesie accusd.

But, to avoyde th' intollerable stowre,

He was compeld to seeke some refuge neare,
And to that shed, to shrowd him from the showre,
He came, which full of guests he found whyleare,
So as he was not let to enter there:

Whereat he gan to wex cxceeding wroth,
And swore that he would lodge with them yfere
Or them dislodg, all were they liefe or loth;
And so defyde them each, and so defyde them both,

Both were full loth to leave that needfull tent,
And both full loth in darkenesse to debate;
Yet both full liefe him lodging to have lent,
And both full liefe his boasting to abate:
But chiefely Paridell his hart did grate
To heare him threaten so despightfully,
As if he did a dogge in kenell rate
That durst not barke; and rather had he dy
Then, when he was defyde, in coward corner ly.
Tho, hastily remounting to his steed,

He forth issew'd; like as a boystrous winde,
Which in th' Earthes hollow caves hath long ben hid
And shut up fast within her prisons blind,
Makes the huge element, against her kinde,
To move and tremble as it were aghast,
Untill that it an issew forth may finde;
Then forth it breakes, and with his furious blast
Confounds both land and seas, and skyes doth over-

But Satyrane forth stepping did them stay,
And with faire treaty pacifide their yre:
Then, when they were accorded from the fray,
Against that castles lord they gan conspire,
To heape on him dew vengeaunce of his hire.
They beene agreed, and to the gates they goe
To burn the same with unquenchable fire,
And that uncurteous carle, their commune foe,
To doe fowle death to die, or wrap in grievous woe.

Malbecco seeing them resolvd in deed

To flame the gates, and hearing them to call
For fire in earnest, ran with fearefull speed,
And, to them calling from the castle wall,
Besought them humbly him to beare withall,
As ignorant of servants bad abuse

And slacke attendaunce unto straungers call.
The knights were willing all things to excuse,
Though nought belev'd, and entraunce late did not
refuse.

They beene ybrought into a comely bowre,

And servd of all things that mote needfull bee;
Yet secretly their hoste did on them lowre,
And welcomde more for feare then charitee;
But they dissembled what they did not see,
And welcomed themselves. Each gan undight
Their garments wett, and weary armour free,
To dry themselves by Vulcanes flaming light,
And eke their lately bruzed parts to bring in plight.

And eke that straunger knight emongst the rest
Was for like need enforst to disaray:
Tho, whenas vailed was her lofty crest,
Her golden locks, that were in tramells gay
Upbounden, did themselves adowne display
And raught unto her heeles; like sunny beames,
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded, shewe their golden gleames,
And through the persant aire shoote forth their azure

streames.

Shee also dofte her heavy haberieon,
Which the faire feature of her limbs did hyde;
And her well-plighted frock, which she did won
To tucke about her short when she did ryde,
Shee low let fall, that flowd from her lanck syde
Downe to her foot with carelesse modestee.
Then of them all she plainly was espyde
To be a woman-wight, unwist to bee,
The fairest woman-wight that ever eie did see.

Yet n'ote their hungry vew be satisfide,
But, seeing, still the more desir'd to see,
And ever firmely fixed did abide
In contemplation of divinitee:

But most they mervaild at her chevalree
And noble prowesse which they had approv'd,
That much they faynd to know who she mote bee;
Yet none of all them her thereof amov'd;
Yet every one her likte, and every one her lov'd.

And Paridell, though partly discontent
With his late fall and fowle indignity,
Yet was soone wonne his malice to relent,
Through gratious regard of her faire eye,
And knightly worth which he too late did try,
Yet tried did adore. Supper was dight;
Then they Malbecco prayd of courtesy,
That of his lady they might have the sight
And company at meat, to doe them more delight.

But he, to shifte their curious request,
Gan causen why she could not come in place;
Her crased helth, her late recourse to rest,
And humid evening ill for sicke folkes cace:
But none of those excuses could take place;
Ne would they eate, till she in presence came:
Shee came in presence with right comely grace,
And fairely them saluted, as became,
And shewd herselfe in all a gentle courteous dame.

They sate to meat; and Satyrane his chaunce
Was her before, and Paridell beside;
But he himselfe sate looking still askaunce
Gainst Britomart, and ever closely eide
Sir Satyrane, that glaunces might not glide:
But his blinde eie, that sided Paridell,
All his demeasnure from his sight did hide:
On her faire face so did he feede his fill,
And sent close messages of love to her at will:

And ever and anone, when none was ware,
With speaking lookes, that close embassage bore,
He rov'd at her, and told his secret care;
For all that art he learned had of yore:
Ne was she ignoraunt of that leud lore,
But in his eye his meaning wisely redd,
And with the like him aunswerd evermore:
Shee sent at him one fyrie dart, whose hedd
Empoisned was with privy lust and gealous dredd.

Like as Bellona (being late returnd
From slaughter of the giaunts conquered;
Where proud Encelade, whose wide nosethrils
With breathed flames like to a furnace redd,
Transfixed with her speare downe tombled dedd
From top of Hemus by him heaped hye ;)
Hath loosd her helmet from her lofty hedd,
And her Gorgonian shield gins to untye
From her lefte arme, to rest in glorious victorye.

Which whenas they beheld, they smitten were
With great amazement of so wondrous sight;
And each on other, and they all on her,
Stood gazing; as if suddein great affright
Had them surprizd: at last avising right
Her goodly personage and glorious hew,
Which they so much mistooke, they tooke delight
In their first error, and yett still anew

With wonder of her beauty fed their hobgry vew:

Past through his eies, and secretly did glyde
Into his heart, which it did sorely gryde.
But nothing new to him was that same paine,
Ne paine at all; for he so ofte had tryde
The powre thereof, and lov'd so oft in vaine,
That thing of course he counted, love to entertaine

Thenceforth to her he sought to intimate
His inward griefe, by meanes to him well knowne:
Now Bacchus fruit out of the silver plate
He on the table dasht, as overthrowne,
Or of the fruitfull liquor overflowne;
And by the dauncing bubbles did divine,
Or therein write to lett his love be showne;
Which well she redd out of the learned line:
A sacrament prophane in mistery of wine.