Well falls it thee that I am not in plight,1
This day, to wreak the damage by thee done!
Such is thy wont, that still when any knight
Is weak'ned, then thou dost him overrun:
So hast thou to thyself false honour often won."

34 He little answered, but in manly heart

His mighty indignation did forbear;

Which was not yet so secret, but some part
Thereof did in his frowning face appear:
Like as a gloomy cloud, the which doth bear
An hideous storm, is by the northern blast.
Quite overblown, yet doth not pass so clear
But that it all the sky doth overcast

With darkness dread, and threatens all the world to
waste.

35 "Ah! gentle knight," then false Duessa said,
"Why do ye strive for ladies' love so sore,
Whose chief desire is love and friendly aid
Mongst gentle knights to nourish ever more!
Ne 2 be ye wroth Sir Scudamour, therefore,
That she your love list 3 love another knight,
Ne do yourself dislike a whit the more;
For love is free, and led with self-delight,

Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might."

36 So false Duessa: but vile Atè thus:

"Both foolish knights, I can but laugh at both,

1 Well falls it thee, etc., i.e. it is well for you that I am not in condition.

2 Ne, nor.

3 List, likes to, chooses to.
4 Maisterdome, rule, mastery.

That strive and storm with stir outrageous,
For her, that each of you alike doth loth,1
And loves another, with whom now she goth
In lovely wise, .

Whilst both you here with many a cursèd oath
Swear she is yours, and stir up bloody frays,
To win a willow bough, whilst other wears the bays.'

37 "Vile hag," said Scudamour, "why dost thou lie, And falsely seekst a virtuous wight to shame?" "Fond knight," said she, "the thing that with this

eye

I saw, why should I doubt to tell the same?”
"Then tell," quoth Blandamour," and fear no blame;
Tell what thou saw'st, maulgre whoso it hears." 5

Atè then told how she had seen a strange knight making love to Amoret. She did not know his name, but in his shield he bore the heads of many broken spears. And," the hag went on, "I saw him

kiss; I saw him her embrace."

38.

Which when as Scudamour did hear, his heart
Was thrilled with inward grief; as when in chase
The Parthian strikes a stag with shivering dart,
The beast astonished stands in middest of his smart 6;

1 Loth, loathe.

2 To win a willow bough, etc. The willow was the sign of the forsaken lover; the bay was worn by victors. Britomart, of course, appears to be Amoret's lover and her true knight.

3 Fond, foolish.

4 Doubt, fear.

5 Maulgre whoso it hears, i.e. no matter who hears it.

In middest of, etc., i.e. in the midst of his pain.

39 So stood Sir Scudamour when this he heard,
Ne word he had to speak for great dismay,
But looked on Glaucè grim,1 who woxe 2 afeared
Of outrage for the words which she heard say,
Albe3 untrue she wist them by assay.5
But Blandamour, whenas he did espy

His change of cheer that anguish did bewray,7
He woxe full blithe, as he had got thereby,
And gan thereat to triumph without victory.

40 "Lo! recreant," said he, "the fruitless end Of thy vain boast, and spoil of love misgotten, Whereby the name of knighthood thou dost shend,9 And all true lovers with dishonour blotten 10: · All things not rooted well will soon be rotten." "Fie, fie, false knight," then false Duessa cried, "Unworthy life, that love with guile hast gotten; Be thou, wherever thou do go 11 or ride,

Loathed of ladies all, and of all knights defied!"

41 But Scudamour, for passing 12 great despite,
Stayed not to answer; scarcely did refrain
But that in all those knights' and ladies' sight
He for revenge had guiltless Glaucè slain:

42

But, being past, he thus began amain 1;

"False traitor squire,2 false squire of falsest knight, Why doth mine hand from thine avenge3 abstain, Whose lord hath done my love this foul despite ! Why do I not it wreak on thee now in my might!

Discourteous, disloyal Britomart,

Untrue to God, and unto man unjust!

What vengeance due can equal thy desart,5

Let ugly shame and endless infamy

Colour thy name with foul reproaches' rust:
Yet thou, false squire, his fault shalt dear aby,
And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply."

43 The agèd dame, him seeing so enraged,

7

Was dead with fear; nathless as need required

His flaming fury sought to have assuaged
With sober words, that sufferance desired
Till time the trial of her truth expired 9;
And evermore sought Britomart to clear:
But he the more with furious rage was fired,
And thrice his hand to kill her did uprear,

And thrice he drew it back: so did at last forbear.

1 Amain, violently.

2 False traitor squire, i.e. Glaucè. 3 From thine avenge, i.e. from

taking vengeance upon thee. 4 Wreak, avenge.

5 Desart, desert.

6 Aby, pay for.

7 Nathless, nevertheless.

8

Sufferance, patience.

9 Expired, discovered.

X.

Satyrane institutes a tournament. Artegall appears on the scene. Britomart is declared victor in the jousts.

Sir Satyrane, the knight whom Britomart met at the castle of Malbecco in company with Paridell, had by some means come into possesion of the magic girdle belonging to fair Florimell, a lady noted for her beauty. The knight appointed a time and place for a tournament, declaring that the victor should be rewarded by the hand of the fairest lady present, and that she, as the queen of beauty, should receive the magic girdle. Among others, Paridell and Blandamour with their companions among whom was the cowardly Braggadochio - decided to enter the lists.

at length upon th' appointed day

Unto the place of tournament they came;
Where they before them found in fresh array
Many a brave knight and many a dainty dame
Assembled for to get the honor of that game.

2 There this fair crew arriving did divide
Themselves asunder: Blandamour with those
Of his on th' one, the rest on th' other side.
But boastful Braggadochio rather chose,
For glory vain, their fellowship to lose,
That men on him the more might gaze alone.
The rest themselves in troops did else dispose,
Like as it seemèd best to every one;

The knights in couples marched with ladies linked
attone.1

1 Attone, together.