The Night at Malbecco's Castle.
Satyrane and Paridell, two of Gloriana's champions, found themselves on a dark and stormy night outside the castle of a man known as Malbecco. As admittance was not readily granted, Paridell wished to force an entrance.
I "NAY, let us first," said Satyrane," entreat
The man, by gentle means, to let us in;
And afterwards affray1 with cruel threat,
Ere that we to efforce 2 it do begin :
Then, if all fail, we will by force it win,
And eke3 reward the wretch for his mesprise,1
As may be worthy of his heinous sin."
That counsel pleased: then Paridell did rise,
And to the castle-gate approached in quiet wise:
2 Whereat soft knocking, entrance he desired. The good man self, which then the porter played, Him answered, that all were now retired
Unto their rest, and all the keys conveyed
Unto their master who in bed was laid,
That none him durst awake out of his dream;
And therefore them of patience gently prayed.
Then Paridell began to change his theme,
And threat'ned him with force and punishment
1 Affray, frighten.
2 Efforce, force.
8 Eke, also.
4 Mesprise, contempt.
3 But all in vain; for nought mote him relent1:
And now so long before the wicket fast
They waited, that the night was forward spent,
And the fair welkin 2 foully overcast
Gan blowen up a bitter stormy blast,
With show'r and hail so horrible and dread,
That this fair many 3 were compelled at last
To fly for succour to a little shed,
The which beside the gate for swine was ordered.
4 It fortunèd, soon after they were gone,
Another knight, whom tempest thether brought,
Came to that castle, and with earnest moan,
Like as the rest, late entrance dear 5 besought;
But, like so as the rest, he prayed for nought;
For flatly he of entrance was refused:
Sorely thereat he was displeased, and thought
How to avenge himself so sore abused,
And evermore the carle 6 of courtesy accused.7
5 But, to avoid th' intolerable stowre,8
He was compelled to seek some refuge near,
And to that shed, to shroud him from the show'r,
He came, which full of guests he found whilere,9
So as he was not let 10 to enter there :
Whereat he gan to wex1 exceeding wroth,
And swore that he would lodge with them yfere,2 Or them dislodge, all were they lief or loath 3;
And so defied them each, and so defied them both.
6 Both were full loath to leave that needful tent,1
And both full loath in darkness to debate;
Yet both full lief him lodging to have lent,
And both full lief his boasting to abate:
But chiefly Paridell his heart did grate 5
To hear him threaten so despitefully,
As if he did a dog in kennel rate
That durst not bark; and rather had he die
Then, when he was defied, in coward corner lie.
7 Tho, hastily remounting to his steed,
He forth issued; like as a boistrous wind,
Which in th' earth's hollow caves hath long been hid
And shut up fast within her prisons blind,
Makes the huge element,7 against her kind,8
To move and tremble as it were aghast,
Until that it an issue forth may find;
Then forth it breaks, and with his 9 furious blast
Confounds both land and seas, and skies doth over-
8 Their steel-head spears they strongly couched, and
Together with impetuous rage and force,
That with the terror of their fierce affret 1
They rudely drove to ground both man and horse,
That each awhile lay like a senseless corse.
But Paridell, sore bruisèd with the blow,
Could not arise, the counterchange to scorse 2;
Till that young squire him reared from below;
Then drew he his bright sword, and gan about him
throw.
9 But Satyrane, forth stepping, did them stay,
And with fair treaty pacified their ire:
Then, when they were accorded 3 from the fray,
Against that castle's lord they gan conspire,
To heap on him due vengeance for his hire.
They been agreed, and to the gates they go
To burn the same with únquenchable fire,
And that uncourteous carle, their common foe,
To do foul death to die, or wrap in grievous woe.
10 Malbecco seeing them resolved indeed
To flame the gates, and hearing them to call
For fire in earnest, ran with fearful speed,
And, to them calling from the castle wall,
Besought them humbly him to bear with all,
As ignorant of servants' bad abuse
And slack attendance unto strangers' call.
1 Affret, encounter.
2 Scorse, exchange, give back. 3 Accorded, made to agree.
4 To do foul death to die, i.e. to cause him to die a foul death.
The knights were willing all things to excuse,
Though nought believed, and entrance late did not
II They been ybrought into a comely bow'r,1
And served of all things that mote needful be ;
Yet secretly their host did on them low'r,
And welcomed more for fear than charitee ;
But they dissembled what they did not see,2
And welcomed themselves. Each gan undight
Their garments wet, and weary armour free,
To dry themselves by Vulcan's flaming light,
And eke their lately bruisèd parts to bring in
plight.
12 And eke that stranger knight amongst the rest Was for like need enforced to disarray:
Tho, whenas vailèd was her lofty crest,8
Her golden locks, that were in trammels gay
Upbounden, did themselves adown display,
And raught 10 unto her heels; like sunny beams,
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded,11 show their golden gleams,
And through the persant 12 air shoot forth their
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