XL.

Then like a Fairy Knight himself he dreft;
For every fhape on him he could endue:
Then like a King he was to her exprest,
And offred kingdoms unto her in view,
To be his Leman and his Lady true:
But when all this he nothing faw prevail,
With harder means he caft her to fubdue,
And with fharp threats her often did affail,
So thinking for to make her stubborn courage quail.
XLI.

To dreadful fhapes he did himself transform,
Now like a Giant, now like to a Fiend,
Then like a Centaur, then like to a storm,
Raging within the waves: thereby he weend
Her will to win unto his wifhed end.

But when with fear, nor favour, nor with all
He elfe could do, he saw himself esteem'd,
Down in a dungeon deep he let her fall,
'And threatned there to make her his eternal thrall.
XLII.

Eternal thraldom was to her more lief,

Than lofs of chastity, or change of Love: Dye had she rather in tormenting grief, Than any should of falfenefs her reprove, Or looseness, that the lightly did remove. ! Moft virtuous virgin, glory be thy meed, And crown of heavenly praife with faints above, Where most sweet hymns of this thy famous deed Are still emongst them fung, that far my rhimes exceed. XLIII.

Fit fong, of Angels caroled to be;

But yet what fo my feeble muse can frame,
Shall be t'advance thy goodly chastity,
And to enroll thy memorable name,
In th❜heart of every honourable Dame,
That they thy vertuous deeds may imitate,
And be partakers of thy endless fame.
It irkes me leave thee in this woeful state,
To tell of Satyrane, where I him left of late:

XLIV.

Who having ended with that Squire of Dames,
A long difcourfe of her adventures vain,
The which himself, than Ladies more defames,
And finding not th' Hyena to be flain,

With that fame Squire, returned back again
To his first way. And as they forward went,
They spide a Knight fair pricking on the plain,
As if he were on fome adventure bent,
And in his port appeared manly hardiment.
XLV.

Sir Satyrane him towards did addrefs,

To weet what wight he was, and what his quest: And coming nigh, eftfoons he gan to guess Both by the burning heat, which on his breaft He bare, and by the colours in his creft, That Paridell it was. Tho to him yode, And him faluting, as befeemed beft, Gan firft inquire of tidings far abrode; And afterwards, on what adventure now he rode. XLVI.

Who thereto answering, faid; The tidings bad, Which now in Fairy Court all men do tell, Which turned hath great mirth, to mourning fad, Is the late ruin of proud Marinell,

And fuddain 'parture of fair Florimell,
To find him forth and after her are gone
All the brave Knights, that doen in arms excell,
To fafeguard her, ywandred all alone;
Emongst the rest, my lot (unworthy) 's to be one.
XLVII.

Ah gentle Knight, faid then Sir Satyrane,
Thy labour all is loft, I greatly dread,
That haft a thanklefs fervice on thee ta'en,
And offreft facrifice unto the dead:
For dead, I furely doubt thou mayst aread
Henceforth for ever Florimell to be;
That all the noble Knights of Maydenhead,
Which her ador'd, may fore repent with me,
And all fair Ladies may for ever forry be.

XLVIII.

Which words, when Paridell had heard, his hue Gan greatly change, and feem'd dismayd to be; Then faid, fair Sir, how may I ween it true That ye do tell in fuch uncertainty?

Or fpeak ye of report, or did ye fee

Juft caufe of dread, that makes ye doubt so fore? For perdy else how mote it ever be

That ever hand fhould dare for to engore Her noble blood? the heavens fuch cruelty abhor. XLIX.

These eyes did fee, that they will ever rew

T'have feen, quoth he, whenas a monftrous beaft The palfrey, whereon fhe did travel, flew, And of his bowels made his bloody feaft: Which speaking token fheweth at the leaft Her certain lofs, if not her fure decay : Befides, that more fufpicion encreaft, I found her golden girdle caft aftray, Diftain'd with dirt and blood, as relique of the prey. L.

Aye me, faid Paridell, the figns be fad,

And but God turn the fame to good foothfay,
That Ladies fafety is fore to be drad:
Yet will I not forfake my forward way,
Till trial do more certain truth bewray.
Fair Sir, quoth he, well may it you fucceed,
Ne long fhall Satyrane behind you stay,
But to the reft, which in this quest proceed
My labour add, and be partaker of their speed.

LI.

Ye noble Knights, faid then the Squire of Dames,
Well may ye speed in fo praife-worthy pain:
But fith the fun now 'gins to flake his beams,
In dewy vapours of the western main,
And loofe the team out of his weary wain,
Mote not mislike you alfo to abate

Your zealous hafte, till morrow next again

Both light of heaven, and strength of men relate: Which if ye pleafe, to yonder caftle turn your gate.

LII.

That counsel pleased well fo all yfere
Forth marched to a caftle them before;
Where soon arriving, they reftrained were
Of ready entrance, which ought evermore
To errant Knight be common: wondrous fore
Thereat difpleas'd they were, till that young Squire
Gan them inform the caufe, why that fame dore
Was fhut to all, which lodging did defire:
The which to let you weet, will further time require

CANTO IX.

Malbecco will no ftrange Knights hoft,
For peevish jealousy:
Paridel giufts with Britomart;
Both fhew their auncestry.

I.

Redoubted Knights, and honourable Dames,

whom I level all my labours end,

Right fore I fear, left with unworthy blames
This odious argument my rhimes fhould fhend,
Or aught your goodly patience offend,
Whiles of a wanton Lady I do write,

Which with her loofe incontinence doth blend
The fhining glory of your foveraine light,
And knighthood foul defaced by a faithlefs Knight.
II.

But never let th'en fample of the bad

Offend the good: for good by paragone
Of evil, may more notably be rad,

As white feems fairer, matcht with black attone;
Ne all are fhamed by the fault of one:
For lo in heaven, whereas all goodness is,
Emongst the Angels, a whole legione
Of wicked fprights did fall from happy blifs,
What wonder then, if one of women all did miss?

III.

Then liften lordings, if ye lift to weet
The caufe, why Satyrane and Paridell
Mote not be entertain'd, as feemed meet,
Into that caftle (as that Squire does tell.)
Therein a cancred crabbed Carle does dwell,
That has no skill of court nor courtesie,
Ne cares, what men say of him, ill or well;
For all his days he drowns in privity,
Yet has full large to live, and spend at liberty.
IV.

But all his mind is fet on mucky pelf,

To hoard up heaps of evil gotten mass,

For which he others wrongs, and wrecks himself;
Yet is he linked to a lovely Lafs,

Whose beauty doth his bounty far furpass,
The which to him both far unequal years,
And alfo far unlike conditions has;

For fhe does joy to play amongst her pears,
And to be free from hard restraint and jealous fears,
V.

But he is old, and withered like hay,
Unfit fair Ladies fervice to supply;
The privy guilt whereof makes him alway
Sufpect her truth, and keep continual spy
Upon her with his other blinked eye;
Ne fuffreth he refort of living wight

Approch to her, ne keep her company,

But in close bowre her mews from all mens fight, Depriv'd of kindly joy and natural delight.

VI.

Malbecco he, and Helenore fhe hight,
Unfitly yokt together in one team:
That is the caufe, why never any Knight
Is fuffred here to enter, but he seem

Such as no doubt of him he need mifdeem.
Thereat Sir Satyrane 'gan fmile and fay;

Extreamly mad the man I furely deem,

That weens with watch and hard restraint to stay A womans will which is difpos'd to go aftray.