With that, his baleful fpear he fiercely bent
Against the Pagans breaft, and therewith thought
His curfed life out of her lodge have rent:
But ere the point arrived where it ought,
That feven-fold fhield, which he from Guyon brought, He caft between, to ward the bitter ftound:
Through all those folds the steel-head paffage wrought, And through his fhoulder pierct; wherewith to ground He groveling fell, all gored in his gushing wound.
Which when his brother faw, fraught with great grief
And wrath, he to him leaped furiously,
And fouly faid, By Maboune, cursed thief,
That direful stroke thou dearly fhalt aby.
Then hurling up his harmful blade on high
Smote him fo hugely on his haughty creft,
That from his faddle forced him to fly:
Elfe mote it needs down to his manly breast
Have cleft his head in twain, and life thence difpoffeft.
XXXIV.
Now was the Prince in dangerous distress,
Wanting his fword, when he on foot fhould fight:
His fingle fpear could do him fmall redress,
Against two foes of so exceeding might,
The leaft of which was match for any Knight,
And now the other, whom he earft did daunt,
Had reard himself again to cruel fight,
Three times more furious, and more puiffaunt,
Unmindful of his wound, of his fate ignoraunt.
XXXV.
So both attonce him charge on either fide,
With hideous strokes, and importable powre,
That forced him his ground to traverse wide,
And wifely watch to ward that deadly flowre,
For on his fhield as thick as ftormy showre
Their ftrokes did rain: yet did he never quail,
Ne backward fhrink; but as a ftedfaft towre,
Whom foe with double battry doth affail,
Them on her bulwark bears, and bids them nought avail.
XXXVI.
So ftoutly he withstood their strong affay,
Till that at laft, when he advantage spide,
His poinant fpear he thruft with puiffant fway
At proud Cymochles, whiles his fhield was wide.
That through his thigh the mortal steel did gride:
He, fwarving with the force, within his flesh.
Did break the launce, and let the head abide :
Out of the wound the red blood flowed fresh,
That underneath his feet foon made a purple plesh.
XXXVII.
Horribly then he 'gan to rage, and rail,
Curfing his Gods, and himself damning deep : Als when his brother faw the red blood trail Adown fo faft, and all his armour steep, For very felness loud he 'gan to weep, And faid, Caytive, curfe on thy cruel hond, That twice hath fped; yet fhall it not thee keep From the third brunt of this my fatal brond: Lo where the dreadful Death behind thy back doth stond. XXXVIII.
With that he ftrook, and th'other strook withall,
That nothing feem'd mote bear fo monftrous might:
The one upon his cover'd fhield did fall,
And glauncing down, would not his owner bite:
But th'other did upon his troncheon fmite;
Which hewing quite afunder, further way
It made, and on his hacqueton did lite,
The which dividing with importune fway,
It feiz'd in his right fide, and there the dint did stay.
XXXIX.
Wide was the wound, and a large luke-warm flood,
Red as the rofe, thence gushed grievoufly;
That when the Paynim fpide the ftreaming blood,
Gave him great heart, and hope of victory.
On th'other fide, in huge perplexity,
The Prince now ftood, having his weapon broke; Nought could he hurt, but ftill at ward did lie: Yet with his troncheon he fo rudely stroke Cymochles twice, that twice him forct his foot revoke.
Whom when the Palmer faw in fuch diftrefs,
Sir Guyons fword he lightly to him raught,
And faid; Fair Son, great God thy right hand bless, To use that sword fo wifely as it ought.
Glad was the Knight, and with fresh courage fraught, Whenas again he armed felt his hond;
Then like a Lyon, which hath long time fought
His robbed whelps, and at the laft them fond
Emongst the shepherd fwains, then wexed wood and yond:
XLI.
So fierce he laid about him, and dealt blows
On either fide, that neither mail could hold,
Ne fhield defend the thunder of his throws:
Now to Pyrochles many ftrokes he told;
Eft to Cymochles twice fo many fold:
Then back again turning his bufie hond,
Them both attonce compel'd with courage bold,
To yield wide way to his heart-thrilling brond;
And though they both ftood stiff, yet could not both with--
[ftond.
As falvage Bull, whom two fierce maftives bait,
When rancour doth with rage him once engore,
Forgets with wary ward them to await,
But with his dreadful horns them drives afore,
Or flings aloft, or treads down in the flore,
Breathing out wrath, and bellowing disdain,
That all the foreft quakes to hear him rore:
So rag'd Prince Arthur twixt his foemen twain,
That neither could his mighty puiffance fuftain.
XLIII.
But ever at Pyrockles when he fmit
(Who Guyons thield caft ever him before,
Whereon the Fairy Queens pourtraict was writ)
His hand relented, and the stroke forbore,
And his dear heart the picture 'gan adore:
Which oft the Paynim fav'd from deadly ftowre.
But him hence-forth the fame can fave no more;
For now arrived is his fatal howre,
That no'te avoyded be by earthly fkill or powre.
For when Cymocbles faw the foul reproch,
Which them appeached; prickt with guilty fhame,
And inward grief, he fiercely 'gan approch,
Refolv'd to put away that loathly blame,
Or die with honour and defert of fame :
And on the hauberk ftrook the Prince fo fore,
That quite difparted all the linked frame,
And pierced to the skin, but bit no more,
Yet made him twice to reel, that never mov'd afore.
XLV.
Whereat renfierct with wrath and fharp regret,
He ftrook fo hugely with his borrow'd blade,
That it empierct the Pagans burganet,
And cleaving the hard fteel, did deep invade
Into his head, and cruel paffage made
Quite through his brain, He tumbling down on ground,
Breath'd out his ghost; which to th'infernal shade
Faft flying, there eternal torment found,
For all the fins, where-with his leud life did abound.
XLVI.
Which when his german faw, the stony fear
Ran to his heart, and all his fense dismay'd,
Ne thenceforth life ne courage did appear;
But as a man whom hellifh fiends have fray'd,
Long trembling ftill he ftood: at laft thus faid
Traytor what haft thou doen? how ever may
Thy curfed hand fo cruelly have fway'd
Against that Knight? harrow and weal-away!
After fo wicked deed why liv'ft thou longer day!
XLVII.
With that all defperate, as loathing light,
And with revenge defiring foon to die,
Affembling all his force and utmost might,
With his own fword he fierce at him did fly,
And ftrook, and foyn'd, and lafht outrageoufly,
Withouten reafon or regard. Well knew
The Prince, with patience and fufferance fly
So hafty heat foon cooled to fubdue :
Tho when this breathlefs wox, that battle 'gan renue.
As when a windy tempeft bloweth high,
That nothing may withstand his ftormy ftowre,
The clouds (as things afraid) before him fly;
But all fo foon as his outrageous powre
Is layd, they fiercely then begin to showre,
And as in fcorn of his spent ftormy spight,
Now all attonce their malice forth do poure;
So did Prince Arthur bear himself in fight,
And fuffred rash Pyrochles wafte his idle might..
XLIX.
At laft whenas the Sarazin perceiv'd,
How that strange fword refus'd to ferve his need, But when he ftrook most strong, the dint deceiv'd, He flung it from him, and devoi'd of dreed, Upon him lightly leaping without heed, Twixt his two mighty arms engrafped fast, Thinking to overthrow, and down him tred: But him in ftrength and fkill the Prince furpaft, And through his nimble fleight did under him down caft.
Nought booted it the Paynim then to strive;
For, as a Bittur in the Eagles claw,
That may not hope by flight to scape alive,
Still waits for death with dread and trembling awe;
So he now fubject to the victors law,
Did not once move, nor upward caft his eye,
For vile difdain and rancour, which did gnaw
His heart in twain with fad melancholy,
As one that loathed life, and yet defpis'd to dye.
But full of Princely bounty and great mind,
The conquerour nought cared him to flay,
But cafting wrongs and all revenge behind,
More glory thought to give life than decay,
And faid, Paynim, this is thy difmal day;
Yet if thou wilt renounce thy mifcreance,
And my true liegeman yield thy felf for aye,
Life will I graunt thee for thy valiance,
And all thy wrongs will wipe out of my fovenaunce.
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