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XX.

My friend, hight Philemon, I did partake
Of all my love, and all my privity:
Who greatly joyous feemed for my fake,
And gracious to that Lady, as to me:
Ne ever wight that mote fo welcome be,
As he to her, withouten blot or blame,
Ne ever thing, that fhe could think or fee,
But unto him fhe would impart the same;

O wretched man! that would abuse so gentle Dame..
XXI.

At laft, fuch grace I found, and means I wrought,
That I that Lady to my spouse had won;
Accord of friends, confent of parents fought,
Affiance made, my happiness begun,

There wanted nought but few rites to be done,
Which marriage make; that day too far did feem:
Moft joyous man, on whom the fhining fun
Did fhew his face, myself I did efteem,

And that my falfer friend did no lefs joyous deem.
XXII.

But ere that wished day his beam difclos'd,
He, either envying my toward good,
Or of himself to treafon ill difpos'd,
One day unto me came in friendly mood,
And told (for fecret) how he understood,
That Lady whom I had to me affign'd,
Had both diftain'd her honourable blood,
And eke the faith which fhe to me did bind;
And therefore wifht me ftay, till I more truth fhould find.
XXIII.

The gnawing anguish and sharp jealoufie,
Which his fad fpeech infixed in my breast,
Rankled fo fore, and feftred inwardly,
That my engrieved mind could find no reft,
Till that the truth thereof I did outwreft,
And him befought by that fame facred band
Betwixt us both, to counfel me the best..
He then with folemn oath and plighted hand
Affur'd, ere long the truth to let me understand.

XXIV.

Ere long, with like again he boarded me,
Saying he now had boulted all the flour,
And that it was a groom of base degree,
Which of my love was partner paramour:
Who used in a darkfome inner bowre

Her oft to meet: which better to approve,
He promised to bring me at that houre,

When I fhould fee that would me nearer move,
And drive me to withdraw my blind abused love.
XXV.

This graceless man, for furtherance of his guile,
Did court the handmaid of my Lady dear,
Who glad t'embofom his affection vile,
Did all the might more pleafing to appear.
One day to work her to his will more near,
He woo'd her thus: Pryene (fo fhe hight)
What great defpight doth fortune to thee bear,
Thus lowly to abafe thy beauty bright,
That it should not deface all others leffer light?
XXVI.

But if she had her leaft help to thee lent,
T'adorn thy form according thy defart,

Their blazing pride thou wouldeft foon have blent,
And ftain'd their praifes with thy leaft good part;
Ne fhould fair Claribell with all her art

(Though the thy Lady be) approach thee near:
For proof thereof, this evening as thou art,
Array thy felf in her moft gorgeous gear,
That I may more delight in thy embracement dear.
XXVII.

The maiden proud through praife, and mad through love
Him hearkened to, and foon herself arraid,

The whiles to me the treachour did remove

His crafty engin, and as he had faid,

Me leading in a secret corner laid,

The fad fpectator of my tragedy;

Where left, he went, and his own falfe part plaid,

Disguised like that groom of base degree,

Whom he had feign'd th'abufer of my love to be,

XXVIII.

Eftfoons he came unto th' appointed place,
And with him brought Pryene rich array'd,
In Claribella's clothes. Her proper face
I not difcerned in that dark fome fhade,

But ween'd it was my love, with whom he playd.
Ah God! what horrour and tormenting grief,
My heart, my hands, mine eyes, and all affay'd!
Me liefer were ten thousand deathës prief,
Than wound of jealous worm, and fhame of fuch reprief.
XXIX.

I home returning, fraught with foul despight,
And chawing vengeance all the way I went,
Soon as my loathed Love appear'd in fight,
With wrathful hand I flew her innocent;
That after foon I dearly did lament :
For when the caufe of that outrageous deed
Demanded, I made plain and evident,

Her faulty handmaid, which that bale did breed, Confeft how Philemon her wrought to change her weed.

XXX.

Which when I heard with horrible affright
And hellish fury all enrag'd, I fought
Upon my self that vengeable defpight
To punish: yet it better first I thought

To wreak my wrath on him, that firft it wrought.
To Philemon, falfe faytour Philemon,

I caft to pay that I fo dearly bought:
Of deadly drugs I gave him drink anon,
And wafht away his guilt with guilty potion.

XXXI.

Thus heaping crime on crime, and grief on grief,
To lofs of Love adjoyning lofs of friend,
I meant to purge both, with a third mischief,
And in my woes beginner it to end:

That was Pryene; fhe did firft offend,

She laft fhould finart: with which cruel intent,
When I at her my murd'rous blade did bend,
She fled away with ghaftly dreriment,

And I purfuing my fell purpofe, after went.

XXXII.

Fear gave her wings, and rage enforct my flight;
Through woods and plains fo long I did her chace,
Till this mad-man (whom your victorious might
Hath now faft bound) me met in middle space;
As I her, fo he me purfued apace,

And shortly overtook: I breathing ire,
Sore chauffed at my ftay in fuch a cafe,
And with my heat kindled his cruel fire:
Which kindled once, his mother did more rage infpire
XXXIII.

Betwixt them both, they have me doen to dye,
Through wounds and strokes and ftubborn handeling,
That death were better than fuch agony,
As grief and fury unto me did bring;
Of which in me yet sticks the mortal fting,
That during life will never be appeas'd.
When he thus ended had his forrowing,
Said Guyon, Squire, fore have ye been difeas'd;
But all your hurts may foon through temperance be eas'd

XXXIV.

Then 'gan the Palmer thus, moft wretched man,
That to affections does the bridle lend:

In their beginning they are weak and wan,
But foon through fuff'rance grow to fearful end;
Whiles they are weak, betimes with them contend
For when they once to perfect strength do grow,
Strong wars they make, and cruel battry bend
Gainft fort of reafon, it to overthrow:

Wrath, jealoufie, grief, love, this Squire have laid thuslow
XXXV.

Wrath, jealoufie, grief, love, do thus expel:
Wrath is a fire, and jealoufie a weed,
Grief is a flood, and love a monfter fell;
The fire of sparks, the weed of little feed,
The flood of drops, the monster filth did breed:
But sparks, feed, drops, and filth do thus delay;
The fparks foon quench, the fpringing feed outweed,
The drops dry up, and filth wipe clean away:
So fhall wrath, jealoufie, grief, love, die and decay.
VOL. I.

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XXXVI.

Unlucky Squire (faid Guyon) fith thou haft
Faln into mifchief through intemperance,
Henceforth take heed of that thou now haft paft,
And guide thy ways with wary governance,
Left worst betide thee by fome later chance.
But read how art thou nam'd, and of what kin.
Phedon I hight (quoth he) and do advance
Mine ancestry from famous Coradin,

Who first to raise our houfe to honour did begin.
XXXVII.

Thus as he fpake, lo far away they spide
A varlet running towards haftily,

Whofe flying feet fo faft their way applide,
That round about a cloud of duft did fly,
Which mingled all with fweat did dim his eye.
He foon approached, panting, breathlefs, hot,
And all fo foyl❜d, that none could him defcry;
His countenance was bold, and bafhed not
For Guyons looks, but fcornful eye-glance at him shot.
XXXVIII.

Behind his back he bore a brazen shield,
On which was drawen fair, in colours fit;
A flaming fire in midst of bloody field,

And round about the wreath thefe words were writ,
Burnt I do burn. Right well befeemed it,
To be the fhield of fome redoubted Knight;
And in his hand two darts exceeding flit,

And deadly sharp he held, whofe heads were dight In poyfon and in blood of malice and despight, XXXIX.

When he in presence came, to Guyon first

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He boldly fpake, Sir Knight, if Knight thou be,
Abandon this foreftalled place at erft,

For fear of further harm I counsel thee;
Or bide the chance at thine own jeopardy.

The Knight at his great boldness wondered,

And though he fcorn'd his idle vanity,

Yet mildly him to purpose anfwered;

For not to grow of nought he it conjectured.

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