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25 Thereby so fearlesse, and so fell he grew, That his owne sire and maister of his guise Did often tremble at his horrid vew,

And oft for dread of hurt would him advise

The angry beastes not rashly to despise,

Nor too much to provoke; for he would learne
The lyon stoup to him in lowly wise,

(A lesson hard,) and make the libbard sterne Leave roaring, when in rage he for revenge did earne.

26 And for to make his powre approved more,

Wyld beasts in yron yokes he would compell;
The spotted panther, and the tusked bore,
The pardale swift, and the tigre cruell,
The antelope and wolfe, both fierce and fell;
And them constraine in equall teme to draw.
Such joy he had their stubborne harts to quell,
And sturdie courage tame with dreadfull aw,
That his beheast they feared, as a tyrans law.
27 His loving mother came upon a day

Unto the woods, to see her little sonne;
And chaunst unwares to meet him in the way,
After his sportes, and cruell pastime donne;
When after him a lyonesse did runne,
That roaring all with rage, did lowd requere
Her children deare, whom he away had wonne :
The lyon whelpes she saw how he did beare,
And lull in rugged armes, withouten childish feare.

28 The fearefull dame all quaked at the sight,
And turning backe, gan fast to fly away,
Untill with love revokt from vaine affright,
She hardly yet perswaded was to stay,

And then to him these womanish words gan say:
Ah Satyrane, my dearling, and my joy,

For love of me leave off this dreadfull play;

To dally thus with death, is no fit toy:

Go find some other play-fellowes, mine own sweet boy.

29 In these and like delights of bloudy game
He trayned was, till ryper years he raught;
And there abode, whilst any beast of name
Walkt in that forest, whom he had not taught
To feare his force: and then his courage haught
Desird of forreine foemen to be knowne,

And far abroad for straunge adventures sought;
In which his might was never overthrowne;

But through all Faery lond his famous worth was blown.

30 Yet evermore it was his manner faire,

After long labours and adventures spent, Unto those native woods for to repaire, To see his syre and offspring auncient. And now he thither came for like intent; Where he unwares the fairest Una found, Straunge lady, in so straunge habiliment, Teaching the satyres, which her sat around, Trew sacred lore, which from her sweet lips did redound.

31 He wondred at her wisedome heavenly rare,

Whose like in womens wit he never knew;
And when her curteous deeds he did compare,
Gan her admire, and her sad sorrowes rew,
Blaming of fortune, which such troubles threw,
And joyd to make proofe of her cruelty
On gentle dame, so hurtlesse, and so trew.
Thenceforth he kept her goodly company,
And learnd her discipline of faith and verity.

32 But she, all vowd unto the Redcrosse knight,
His wandring perill closely did lament,

Ne in this new acquaintaunce could delight,
But her deare heart with anguish did torment,
And all her wit in secret counsels spent,
How to escape. At last in privy wise

To Satyrane she shewed her intent;

Who, glad to gain such favour, gan devise,

How with that pensive maid he best might thence arise.

33 So on a day, when satyres all were gone
To do their service to Sylvanus old,

The gentle virgin, left behind alone
He led away with courage stout and bold.
Too late it was, to satyres to be told,
Or ever hope recover her againe :

In vaine he seekes that having cannot hold.
So fast he carried her with carefull paine,

That they the woods are past, and come now to the plaine.

34 The better part now of the lingring day
They traveild had, whenas they far espide
A weary wight forwandring by the way,
And towards him they gan in hast to ride,
To weete of newes, that did abroad betide,
Or tidings of her knight of the Redcrosse:
But he them spying, gan to turne aside

For feare as seemd, or for some feigned losse :
More greedy they of newes, fast towards him do crosse.

35 A silly man, in simple weedes forworne,

And soild with dust of the long dried way;
His sandales were with toilsome travell torne,
And face all tand with scorching sunny ray,
As he had traveild many a sommers day
Through boyling sands of Arabie and Ynde;
And in his hand a Jacobs staffe, to stay
His weary limbs upon: and eke behind

His scrip did hang, in which his needments he did bind.

36 The knight approaching nigh, of him inquerd
Tidings of warre, and of adventures new;
But warres, nor new adventures none he herd.
Then Una gan to aské, if ought he knew
Or heard abroad of that her champion trew,
That in his armour bare a croslet red.

Ay me, Deare dame (quoth he) well may I rew
To tell the sad sight which mine eies have red:
These eies did see that knight both living and eke ded.

37 That cruell word her tender hart so thrild,

That suddein cold did runne through every vaine,

And stony horrour all her sences fild

With dying fit, that downe she fell for paine.

The knight her lightly reared up againe,

And comforted with curteous kind reliefe:

Then, wonne from death, she bad him tellen plaine
The further processe of her hidden griefe:

The lesser pangs can beare, who hath endur'd the chief.

38 Then gan the pilgrim thus; I chaunst this day, This fatall day, that shall I ever rew,

To see two knights, in travell on my way,

(A sory sight) arraung'd in battell new,

Both breathing vengeaunce, both of wrathfull hew; My fearefull flesh did tremble at their strife,

To see their blades so greedily imbrew,

That drunke with blood, yet thristed after life: [knife. What more? the Redcrosse knight was slaine with Paynim

39 Ah dearest lord (quoth she) how might that bee,
And he the stoutest knight, that ever wonne ?
Ah dearest dame (quoth he) how might I see
The thing, that might not be, and yet was donne?
Where is (said Satyrane) that Paynims sonne,
That him of life, and us of joy hath reft?

Not far away (quoth he) he hence doth wonne,
Foreby a fountaine, where I late him left

[cleft.

Washing his bloody wounds, that through the steele were

40 Therewith the knight thence marched forth in hast, Whiles Una with huge heavinesse opprest,

Could not for sorrow follow him so fast;
And soone he came, as he the place had ghest,
Whereas that pagan proud him selfe did rest
In secret shadow by a fountaine side:

Even he it was, that earst would have supprest
Faire Una: whom when Satyrane espide,

With foule reprochfull words he boldly him defide;

41 And said, Arise, thou cursed miscreaunt,

That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train
Faire knighthood fowly shamed, and doest vaunt
That good knight of the Redcrosse to have slain:
Arise, and with like treason now maintain
Thy guilty wrong, or els thee guilty yield.
The Sarazin this hearing, rose amain,

And catching up in hast his three-square shield,
And shining helmet, soone him bucked to the field.

42 And, drawing nigh him, said, Ah misborne elfe,
In evill houre thy foes thee hither sent,
Anothers wrongs to wreak upon thy selfe:
Yet ill thou blamest me, for having blent
My name with guile and traiterous intent:
That Redcrosse knight, perdie, I never slew;
But had he beene, where earst his arms were lent,
Th' enchaunter vaine his errour should not rew:
But thou his errour shalt, I hope, now proven trew.

43 Therewith they gan, both furious and fell,

To thunder blowes, and fiersly to assaile

Each other bent his enimy to quell;

That with their force they perst both plate and maile,
And made wide furrowes in their fleshes fraile,

That it would pitty any living eie.

Large floods of blood adowne their sides did raile;
But floods of blood could not them satisfie:

Both hongred after death; both chose to win, or die.

44 So long they fight, and full revenge pursue, That fainting each, themselves to breathen let; And oft refreshed, battell oft renue:

As when two bores with rancling malice met, Their gory sides fresh bleeding fiercely fret, Til breathlesse both them selves aside retire, Where foming wrath, their cruell tuskes they whet, And trample th' earth, the whiles they may respire; Then backe to fight againe, new breathed and entire.

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