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CANTO I.

Guyon encountreth Britomart,
Fair Florimel is chac'd:
Dueffas trains and Malecastaes
Champions are defac'd.

1.

The famous Briton Prince and Fairy Knight,
After long ways, and per❜lous pains endur'd,
Having their weary limbs to perfect plight
Reftor'd, and fory wounds right well recur'd,
Of the fair Alma greatly were procur'd
To make their longer fojourn and abode;
But when thereto they might not be allur'd,
From feeking praife, and deeds of arms abroad,
They courteous conge took, and forth together yode.
II.

But the captiv'd Acrafia he fent

Because of travel long, a nigher way,

With a strong guard, all reskew to prevent,
And her to Fairy-court fafe to convey,
That her for witnefs of his hard affay,
Unto his Fairy Queen he might préfent:
But he himfelf betook another way,
To make, more trial of his hardiment,

And seek adventures, as he with Prince Arthur went.

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Long fo they travelled through wafteful ways,
Where dangers dwelt, and perils most did wonne,
To hunt for glory and renowned praise;
Full many countries they did over-run,
From the uprifing to the fetting fun,
And many hard adventures did atchieve,
Of all the which they honour ever won,
Seeking the weak oppreffed to relieve,

And to recover right for fuch as wrong did grieve,

IV.

At laft, as through an open plain they yode,
They fpide a Knight, that towards pricked fair,
And him befide an aged Squire there rode,
That feem'd to couch under his fhield three-fquare,
As if that age bade him that burden fpare,
And yield it thofe, that ftouter could it wield:
He them efpying, 'gan himfelf prepare,
And on his arm addrefs his goodly fhield,
That bore a Lyon paffant in a golden field,

V.

Which feeing good Sir Guyon, dear befought
The Prince of grace, to let him run that turn.
He granted: then the Fairy quickly raught
His poinant fpear, and fharply 'gan to spurn
His foamy steed, whose fiery feet did burn
The verdant grafs, as he thereon did tread;
Ne did the other back his foot return,

But fiercely forward came withouten dread,
And bent his dreadful fpear against the others head.
VI.

They been ymet, and both their points arriv❜d,
But Guyon drove fo furious and fell,

That feem'd both fhield and plate it would have riv'd;
Natheless it bore his foe not from his fell,

But made him ftagger, as he were not well:
But Guyon felf, ere well he was aware,
Nigh a fpears length behind his crouper
Yet in his fall fo well himself he bare,

fell:

That mischievous mifchance his life and limbs did fpare,
VII.

Great shame and forrow of that fall he took;
For never yet fith warlike arms he bore,
And fhivering fpear in bloody field first shook,
He found himfelf difhonoured fo fore.
Ah gentleft Knight that ever armour bore,
Let not thee grieve difmounted to have been,
And brought to ground, that never waft before;
For not thy fault, but fecret powre unfeen,

That fpear enchanted was, which laid thee on the green,

VIII.

But weenest thou what wight thee overthrew,
Much greater grief and fhamefuller regret
For thy hard fortune then thou wouldst renew,
That of a fingle Damfel thou wert met
On equal plain, and there fo hard befet;
Even the famous Britomart it was,

Whom strange adventure did from Britain fet, To feek her Lover (love far fought alas) Whose image she had feen in Venus looking glafs. IX.

Full of disdainful wrath, he fierce uprofe,
For to revenge that foul reprochful shame,
And fnatching his bright fword, began to close
With her on foot, and ftoutly forward came;
Dye rather would he than endure that fame.
Which when his Palmer faw, he 'gan to fear
His toward peril and untoward blame,

Which by that new rencounter he should rear: For death fate on the point of that enchanted spear. X.

And hafting towards him, 'gan fair perfuade,
Not to provoke misfortune, nor to ween
His fpears default to mend with cruel blade;
For by his mighty fcience he had seen
The fecret virtue of that weapon keen,
That mortal puiffance mote not withstond;
Nothing on earth mote always happy been.
Great hazard were it, and adventure fond,
To lofe long gotten honour with one evil hond.
XI.

By fuch good means he him difcounselled,
From profecuting his revenging rage;
And eke the Prince like treaty handeled,
His wrathful will with reafon to affuage,
And laid the blame, not to his cariage,
But to his starting fteed, that fwerv'd afide,
And to the ill purveyance of his page,
That had his furnitures not firmly tide:
So is his angry courage fairly pacifide.

XII.

Thus reconcilement was between them knit,
Through goodly temp'rance, and affection chafte;
And either vow'd with all their powre and wit,
To let not others honour be defafte
Of friend or foe, who ever it embaste,
Ne arms to bear against the others fide:
In which accord the Prince was also plaste,
And with that golden chain of concord tide.
So goodly all agreed, they forth yfere did ride.
XIII.

O goodly ufage of those antique times!

In which the fword was fervant unto right;
When not for malice and contentious crimes,
But all for praise and proof of manly might,
The martial brood accustomed to fight:
Then honour was the meed of victory,
And yet the vanquished had no defpight:
Let later age that noble use envy,

Vile rancour to avoid, and cruel furquedry.
XIV.

Long they thus travelled in friendly wife,
Through countries wafte, and eke well edifide,
Seeking adventures hard, to exercise

Their puiffance, whylome full dernly tride:
At length they came into a foreft wide,
Whofe hideous horror and fad trembling found
Full griefly feem'd: therein they long did ride,
Yet tract of living creature none they found,
Save Bears, Lyons, and Bulls, which romed them around.
XV.

All fuddainly out of the thickest brush,
Upon a milk-white palfrey all alone,
A goodly Lady did foreby them rush,
Whofe face did feem as clear as chrystal stone,
And eke (through fear) as white as Whales bone:
Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold,
And all her steed with tiniel trappings fhone,
Which fled fo faft, that nothing mote him hold,
And scarce them leifure gave, her paffing to behold.

XVI.

Still as fhe fled, her eye the backward threw,
As fearing evil, that purfu'd her fast;
And her fair yellow locks behind her flew,
Loosely difperft with puff of every blaft:
All as a blazing ftar doth far out-caft
His hairy beams, and flaming locks diffpread,
At fight whereof the people ftand aghaft:
But the fage wifard tells (as he has read).
That it importunes death, and doleful drerihead.
XVII.

So as they gazed after her awhile,

Lo where a griefly Fofter forth did rush,
Breathing out beaftly luft her to defile:
His tireling jade he fiercely forth did push,
Through thick and thin, both over bank and bush,
In hope her to attain by hook or crook,

That from his gory fides the blood did gufh:
Large were his limbs, and terrible his look,
And in his clownish hand a sharp Boar-fpear he shook.
XVIII.

Which outrage when thofe gentle Knights did fee,
Full of great envy, and fell jealoufie,
They ftaid not to avife who firft should be,
But all fpur'd after faft, as they mote fly,
To reskew her from fhameful villany.
The Prince and Guyon equally bylive
Herself purfu'd, in hope to win thereby
Moft goodly meed, the fairest Dame alive :
But after the foul Fofter Timias did ftrive..
XIX.

The whiles fair Britomart, whofe conftant mind,
Would not fo lightly follow beautys chace,
Ne rekt of Ladies love, did ftay behind,
And them awaited there a certain space,
To weet if they would turn back to that place:
But when the faw them gone, the forward went,
As lay her journey, through that per❜lous pace,
With ftedfaft courage and ftout hardiment;
Ne evil thing fhe fear'd, ne evil thing he meant.

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