It fortuned (as faire it then befell)

Behind his back, vnweeting, where he stood
Of auncient time there was a springing well,
From which faft trickled forth a filuer flood,
Full of great vertues, and for med'cine good.
Whylome, before that curfed dragon got
That happy land, and all with innocent blood
bas Defil'd thofe facred waves, it rightly hot
The well of life: ne yet his vertues had forgot.

XXX.

For, unto life the dead it could restore,

1. 11. 29.

And guilt of finful crimes cleane wash away;
Those that with fickneffe were infected fore,
It could recure, and ages long decay
Renew, as it were borne that very day.
Both Silo this, and Iordan did excell,

:

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;
When that infernall monster having kest

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,
Great woe and forrow did her foule afsay;
As weening that, the fad end of the warre,
And gan to highest God entirely pray,
That feared chance from her to turne away;
With folded hands and knees full lowely bent
All night she watcht, ne once adowne would lay
Her dainty limbs in her fad dreriment,

But praying ftill did wake, and waking did lament.

XXXIII.

The morrow next gan early to appeare,
That Titan rofe to run his daily race:
But early ere the morrow next gan reare
Out of the fea faire Titans deawy face,
Vp rose the gentle virgin from her place,
And looked all about, if she might spy
Her loued knight to moue his manly pase:
For, fhee had great doubt of his fafety,
Since late the faw him fall before his enemy.

XXXIV.

At laft fhe faw, where he vpftarted braue
Out of the well, wherein he drenched lay,
As Eagle fresh out of the Ocean waue,
Where he hath left his plumes all hoary gray,

And

And deckt himself with feathers youthly gay,
Like eyas hauke vp mounts vnto the skies,
His newly-budded pineons to affay,

And marvailes at himself, still as he flies :

So new, this new-borne knight to battell new did rife.
XXXV.

Whom, when the damned fiend fo fresh did spy,
No wonder if he wondered at the fight,
And doubted, whether his late enemy
It were, or other fresh supplied knight.
He, now to prove his late renewed might,
High brandishing his bright deaw-burning blade,
Vpon his crested fcalpe fo fore did fmite,

That to the skull a yawning wound it made:
The deadly dint his dulled fenfes all difmaid.

XXXVI.

I wote not, whether the reuenging fteele
Were hardened with that holy water dew
Wherein he fell, or fharper edge did feele,
Or his baptized hands now greater grew;
Or other fecret vertue did enfew;

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,
"That as he would have fled backward,
"There was a well as I weene,

"And he stumbled right therein.
"Then was Sir Bevis afraid and woe,
"Left the dragon should him floe:
"Or that he might away paffe,
"When that he in the well was.
"Then was the well of fuch vertu
"Through the might of Chrift Jefu,
"For fometime dwelled in that land
"A virgin full of Christes fand,
"That had been bathed in that well,
"That ever after, as men can tell,

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
"Had no power to come to the well.
"Then was he glad without faile,
"And refted awhile for his availe,
"And drank of the water of his fill,

"And then he leapt out of the well,
"And with Morglay, his brand

"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.