III.

So long as breath, and able puiffance
Did native courage unto him fupply,
His pace he freshly forward did advance,
And carried her beyond all jeopardy:
But nought that wanteth reft, can long aby.
He having through inceffant travel spent
His force, at laft perforce adown did lye,
Ne foot could further move: The Lady gent
Thereat was fuddain ftrook with great aftonishment.
IV.

And forc'd t'alight, on foot mote algates fare,
A traveller unwonted to fuch way:

Need teacheth her this leffon hard and rare,
That fortune all in equal lance doth sway,
And mortal miferies doth make her play.
So long the travel'd, till at length fhe came
To an hills fide, which did to her bewray
A little valley, fubject to the fame,

All cover'd with thick woods, that quite it overcame.

V..

Through th' tops of the high trees fhe did defcry
A little fmoke, whofe vapour thin and light,
Reeking aloft uprolled to the fky:

Which chearful fign did fend unto her fight,
That in the fame did wonne fome living wight.
Eftfoons her steps fhe thereunto applide.
And came at last in weary wretched plight
Unto the place, to which her hope did guide,
To find fome refuge there, and reft her weary fide.
VI.

There in a gloomy hollow glen fhe found
A little cottage, built of sticks and reeds
In homely wize, and wall'd with fods around,
In which a Witch did dwell, in loathly weeds,
And wilful want, all careless of her needs:
So choofing folitary to abide,

Far from all neighbours, that her divelish deeds And hellish arts from people fhe might hide. And hurt far off unknown, whom-ever the envide.

VII.

The damzel there arriving entred in;

Where fitting on the floor the Hag fhe found,
Bufie (as feem'd) about fome wicked gin;
Who, foon as the beheld that fuddain ftound,
Lightly upftarted from the dufty ground,
And with fell look, and hollow deadly gaze
Stared on her awhile, as one aftound,

Ne had one word to fpeak, for great amaze;
But fhew'd by outward figns, that dead her sense did daze.
VIII.

At laft, turning her fear to foolish wrath,

She afkt, what devil had her thither brought,
And who she was, and what unwonted path
Had guided her, unwelcomed, unfought?
To which the damzel full of doubtful thought,
Her mildly anfwer'd: Beldame, be not wroth
With filly virgin by adventure brought
Unto your dwelling, ignorant and loth,
That crave but room to reft, while tempeft overblo'th.
IX..

With that, adown out of her chrystal eyn,
Few trickling tears fhe foftly forth let fall,
That like two orient pearls, did purely fhine
Upon her fnowy cheek; and therewithall
She fighed foft, that none so bestiall,

Nor falvage heart, but ruth of her fad plight
Would make to melt, or pitiously appall;

And that vile Hag, all were her whole delight
In mifchief, was much moved at fo pitious fight.
X.

And 'gan recomfort her in her rude wife,
With womanish compaflion of her plaint,
Wiping the tears from her fuffufed eyes,
And bidding her fit down, to rest her faint
And weary limbs awhile. She nothing quaint
Nor 'fdeignful of fo homely fashion,

Sith brought the was now to fo hard constraint,
Sate down upon the dufty ground anon,

As glad of that fmall reft, as bird of tempeft gone.

XI.

Tho, 'gan fhe gather up her garments rent,
And her loofe locks to dight in order due,
With golden wreath, and gorgeous ornament;
Whom fuch when-as the wicked Hag did view,
She was aftonisht at her heavenly hue

!And doubted her to deem an earthly wight,
But or fome goddefs, or of Dians crew,

And thought her to adore with humble spright;
T'adore thing fo divine as beauty, were but right.
XII.

This wicked woman had a wicked fon,
The comfort of her age and weary days,
A lafie loord, for nothing good to done,
But ftretched forth in idleness always,
Ne ever caft his mind to covet praise,
Or ply himself to any honeft trade;
But all the day before the funny rays
He us'd to flug, or fleep in flothful fhade:
Such laziness both lewd and poor attonce him made.
XIII.

He coming home at undertime, there found
The fairest creature that he ever faw,
Sitting befide his mother on the ground;
The fight whereof did greatly him adaw,
And his bafe thought with terror and with awe
So inly fmote, that as one which had gaz'd
On the bright fun unwares, doth foon withdraw
His feeble eyn, with too much brightness daz'd;
So ftared he on her, and stood long while amaz'd.
XIV.

Softly at laft he 'gan his mother ask,

What mifter wight that was, and whence deriv'd,
That in fo ftrange difguizement there did mask,
And by what accident fhe there arriv'd ::
But fhe, as one nigh of her wits depriv'd,
With nought but ghaftly looks him anfwered, H
Like to a ghoft, that lately is reviv'd i

From Stygian fhores, where late it wandered;
So both at her, and each at other wondered.. . di

XV.

But the fair virgin was fo meek and mild,
That the to them vouchfafed to embase
Her goodly port, and to their fenfes vild
Her gentle fpeech applide, that in short space
She grew familiar in that defert place.

During which time, the chorle through her fo kind
And courteous ufe conceiv'd affection base,

And caft to love her in his brutish mind;
No love, but brutish luft, that was fo beastly tin'd.
XVI.

Closely the wicked flame his bowels brent,
And thortly grew into outrageous fire;
Yet had he not the heart, nor hardiment,
As unto her to utter his defire;

His caitive thought durft not fo high afpire:
But with foft fighs, and lovely femblances,
He ween'd that his affection entire

She should aread; many refemblances
To her he made, and many kind remembrances.
XVII.

Oft from the foreft wildings he did bring,
Whofe fides empurpled were with fmiling red,
And oft young birds, which he had taught to fing
His mistress praises fweetly caroled:

Girlonds of Howres fometimes for her fair head
He fine would dight; fometimes the fquirrel wild
He brought to her in bands, as conquered

To be her thrall, his fellow fervant vild;

All which fhe of him took with count'nance meek and mild. XVIII.

But paft awhile, when fhe fit feafon faw

To leave that defert manfion, the caft
In fecret wife her felf thence to withdraw,
For fear of mifchief, which, fhe did forecaft
Might by the Witch or by her fon compaft:
Her weary palfrey, clofely as fhe might,
Now well recover'd after long repast,
In his proud furnitures the freshly.dight,
His late mifwandred ways now to temeafure right.

XIX.

And early ere the dawning day appear'd,
She forth iffu'd, and on her journey went;
She went in peril, of each noife affeard,
And of each fhade, that did it felf prefent;
For ftill fhe feared to be over-hent

Of that vile Hag, or her uncivil fon : Who when too late awaking well they kent That their fair gueft was gone, they both begun To make exceeding mone, as they had been undone. XX.

But that lewd lover did the most lament

For her depart, that ever man did hear; He knockt his breaft with defperate intent, And fcratcht his face, and with his teeth did tear His rugged flesh, and rent his ragged hair: That his fad mother feeing his fore plight, Was greatly woe-begone, and 'gan to fear Left his frail fenfes were emperisht quight, And Love to frenzy turn'd, fith Love is frantick hight. XXI.

All ways fhe fought, him to reftore to plight,

With herbs, with charms, with counfel, and with Tears:
But tears, nor charms, nor herbs, nor counsel might
Affuage the fury, which his entrails tears:
So ftrong is paffion, that no reason hears.
Tho when all other helps fhe saw to fail,
She turn'd her self back to her wicked lears,
And by her develish arts thought to prevail
To bring her back again, or work her final bale.
XXII.

Eftfoons out of her hidden cave she call'd
An hideous beaft, of horrible afpect,
That could the ftouteft courage have appalld
Monstrous misfhap'd, and all his back was spect
With thousand fpots of colours queint elect;
Thereto so swift, that it all beafts did pafs:
Like never yet did living eye detect;
But likeft it to an Hyana was,

That feeds on womens flesh, as others feed on grafs.

VOL. I.

Ff