Then panting foft, and trembling every joint,
Her fearful feet towards the bowre the mov'd;
Where the for fecret purpose did appoint
To lodge the warlike maid unwifely lov'd,
And to her bed approching, firft fhe prov'd
Whether she slept or wakt, with her foft hand
She foftly felt, if any member mov'd,
And lent her weary ear to understand,
If any puff of breath, or fign of fense she fand.
LXI.
'Which whenas none fhe found, with eafie fhift,
For fear left her unwares fhe should abraid,
Th'embroidred quilt fhe lightly up did lift,
And by her fide her felf fhe foftly laid,
Of ev'ry finest fingers touch affraid ;
Ne any noise fhe made, ne word the spake,
But inly figh'd. At laft the royal maid
Out of her quiet flumber did awake,
And chang'd her weary fide, the better eafe to take.
LXII.
Where feeling one clofe couched by her fide,
She lightly leapt out of her filed bed,
And to her weapon ran, in mind to gride
The loathed leachour. But the Dame, half dead
Through fuddain fear and ghaftly drerihed,
Did fhriek aloud, that through the houfe it rong,
And the whole family therewith adred,
Rafhly out of their rouzed couches fprong,
And to the troubled chamber all in arms did throng.
LXIII.
And thofe fix Knights, that Ladys champions,
And eke the Redcrofs knight ran to the stound,
Half arm'd and half unarm'd, with them attons:
Where when confufedly they came, they found
Their Lady lying on the fenfelefs ground;
On th' other fide, they faw the warlike maid.
All in her fnow-white fmock, with locks unbound,
Threatning the point of her avenging blade,
That with fo troublous terror they were all difmayd.
About their Lady firft they flockt around:
Whom having laid in comfortable couch,
Shortly they rear'd out of her frozen fwound;
And afterwards they 'gan with foul reproach
To stir up ftrife, and troublous contecke broach
But by enfample of the laft days lofs,
None of them rafhly durft to her approach,
Ne in fo glorious fpoil themfelves emboss;
Her fuccourd eke the champion of the bloody crofs.
LXV.
But one of those fix Knights, Gardante hight,
Drew out a deadly bow and arrow keen,
Which forth he fent with felonous defpight,
And fell intent against the virgin fheen:
The mortal steel staid not, till it was seen
To gore her fide; yet was the wound not deep,
But lightly rafed her foft filken skin,
That drops of purple blood there-out did weep, Which did her lilly fmock with ftains of vermeil fteep, LXVI.
Where-with enrag'd, fhe fiercely at them flew,
And with her flaming fword about her laid,
That none of them foul mischief could efchew,
But with her dreadful ftrokes were all difmaid:
Here, there, and every where about her swaid
Her wrathful fteel, that none mote it abide ;
And eke the Redcrofs Knight gave her good aid,
Ay joining foot to foot, and fide to fide,
That in short space their foes they have quite terrifide.
Tho whenas all were put to fhameful flight,
The noble Britomartis her arraid,
And her bright arms about her body dight:
For nothing would fhe longer there be ftaid,
Where fo loofe life, and fo ungentle trade
Was us'd of Knights and Ladies feeming gent:
So early, ere the grofs earths griefie fhade,
Was all difperft out of the firmament,
They took their sfteeds, and forth upon their journey went.
The Redcrofs Knight to Britomart
Defcribeth Arthegall:
The wondrous mirrour by which she
In love did with him fall,
ere have I cause in men juft blame to find, That in their proper praife too partial be, And not indifferent to woman-kind,
To whom, no fhare in arms and chevalrie
They do impart, ne maken memorie
Of their brave gefts and prowess martiall;
Scarce do they fpare to one, or two, or three,
Room in their writs; yet the fame writing small
Does all their deeds deface, and dims their glories all:
But by record of antique times I find,
That women wont in wars to bear most sway,
And to all great exploits themselves inclin❜d:
Of which they ftill the girlond bore away,
Till envious men (fearing their rules decay)
Gan coin ftraight laws to curb their liberty;
Yet fith they warlike arms have laid away,
They have exceld in arts and policy,
That now we foolish men that praise 'gin eke t'envy.
III.
Of warlike puiffance in ages spent,
Be thou fair Britomart, whofe praise I write; :
But of all wifdom be thou precedent,
O foveraine Queen, whofe praife I would endite,
Endite I would as duty doth excite;
But ah! my rhimes too ride and rugged are,
When in fo high an object they do light,
And ftriving fit to make fear do mar:
Thyfelf thy praifes tell, and make them knowen farr.
She travelling with Guyon by the way,
Of fundry things fair purpose 'gan to find,
T'abridge their journey long, and lingring day;
Mongft which it fell into that Fairys mind,
To ask this Briton maid, what uncouth wind
Brought her into thofe parts, and what inqueft
Made her diffemble her difguifed kind:
Fair Lady fhe him feemd, like Lady dreft; But fairest Knight alive, when armed was her breast. V.
Thereat fhe fighing foftly had no powre
To fpeak awhile, ne ready anfwer make;
But with heart-thrilling throbs and bitter ftowre,
As if he had a fever fit, did quake,
And ev'ry dainty limb with horrour shake;
And ever and anon the rofy red
Flasht through her face, as it had been a flake
Of lightning, through bright heaven fulmined;
At laft, the paffion paft, fhe thus him answered.
VI.
Fair Sir, I let you weet, that from the houre
I taken was from nurfes tender pap,
I have been trained up in warlike flowre,
To toffen fpear and fhield, and to affrap
The warlike rider to his most mifhap;
Sithence I loathed have my life to lead,
As Ladies wont in pleafures wanton lap:
To finger the fine needle and nice thread,
Me liefer were with point of foe-mans fpear be dead.
VII.
All my delight on deeds of arms is fet,
To hunt out perils and adventures hard,
By fea, by land, where-fo they may be met,
Only for honour and for high regard,
Without refpect of riches or reward.
For fuch intent into thefe parts I came,
Withouten compafs, or withouten card,
Far from my native foil, that is by name
The greater Britain, here to feek for praife and fame.
VIII.
Fame blazed hath, that here in Fairy lond
Do many famous Knights and Ladies wonne,
And many strange adventures to be fond,
Of which great worth and worship may be won;
Which I to prove, this voyage have begun.
But mote I weet of you, right courteous Knight,
Tidings of one, that hath unto me done
Late foul dishonour and reprochful fpight,
The which I feek to wreak, and Artbegal he hight.
IX.
The word gone out, fhe back again would call,
As her repenting fo to have miffay'd,
But that he it up-taking ere the fall,
Her fhortly anfwered; Fair martial maid
Certes ye misavised been, t'upbraid
A gentle Knight with fo unknightly blame:
For weet ye well, of all that ever plaid
At tilt or tourney, or like warlike game,
The noble Arthegal hath ever borne the name,
For thy great wonder were it, if fuch shame
Should ever enter in his bounteous thought,
Or ever do that mote deserven blame :
The noble courage never weeneth ought,
That may unworthy of it felf be thought.
Therefore, fair Damzel, be ye well aware,
Left that too far he have your forrow fought;
You and your country both I wish welfare,
And honour both; for each of other worthy are.
XI.
The royal maid wox inly wondrous glad,
To hear her Love fo highly magnifide,
And joyed that ever fhe affixed had
Her heart on Knight fo goodly gloryfide,
How ever finely fhe it feignd to hide :
The loving mother, that nine months did bear,
In the dear closet of her painful fide,
Her tender babe, it feeing fafe appeare,
Doth not fo much rejoyce, as fhe rejoyced there.
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