It fortuned (as faire it then befell) Behind his back, vnweeting, where he stood XXX. For, unto life the dead it could restore, 1. 11. 29. And guilt of finful crimes cleane wash away; : And th' English Bath, and eke the German Spau, Ne can Cephife, nor Hebrus match this well Into the fame, the knight (backe overthrowen) fell. 197 da Now gan XXXI. the golden Phoebus for to fleepe His fierie face in billowes of the weft, And his faint fteeds watred in Ocean deep, Whiles from their iournall labours they did reft; His weary foe into that living well, Gan high advaunce his broad difcoloured breaft Aboue Aboue his wonted pitch, with countenance fell, And clapt his iron wings as victor he did dwell. XXXII. Which when his penfiue lady faw from farre, But praying ftill did wake, and waking did lament. XXXIII. The morrow next gan early to appeare, XXXIV. At laft fhe faw, where he vpftarted braue And And deckt himself with feathers youthly gay, And marvailes at himself, still as he flies : So new, this new-borne knight to battell new did rife. Whom, when the damned fiend fo fresh did spy, That to the skull a yawning wound it made: XXXVI. I wote not, whether the reuenging fteele Elfe, never could the force of fleshly arme, Ne molten metall in his bloud embrew: For, till that found could never wight him harme, By fubtiltie, nor fleight, nor might, nor mighty charme. This miraculous manner of healing our author drew from an old poem, entitled, Sir Bevis of Southampton. "What for weary, and what for faint, "Sir Bevis was neer attaint: "The dragon followed on Bevis fo hard, "And he stumbled right therein. Might no venomous worme come therein, "By the virtue of that virgin, "Nor nigh it feven foot and more: "Then Bevis was glad therefore, "When he saw the Dragon fell "And then he leapt out of the well, "Affailed "Affailed the Dragon, I understand: "On the Dragon he ftrucke fo faft, &c 1." After which the Dragon ftrikes the knight with fuch violence, that he falls into a fwoon, and tumbles as it were lifeless into the well, by whose sovereign virtue he is revived. "When Bevis was at the ground "The water made him whole and found, "And quenched all the venim away, "This well faved Bevis that day." And afterwards, "But ever when Bevis was hurt fore, "He went to the well and washed him thore ; "He was as whole as any man, "And ever as fresh as when he began." It may be observed, that this poem of Sir Bevis is in that short measure, which was frequently fung to the harp even in queen Elizabeth's time: a custom which probably defcended from the antient bards. The author of the arte of English poefie, printed 1589, thus speaks of it. "So on the other fide doth the over"bufie and too speedy returne of one manner of tune, "too much annoy, and, as it were, glut the eare, ‡ We have much the fame Miracle in the Seven Champions. 1. 2. |