Every discourse, and every argument, Which by the houres he measured, besought That all the antique Worthies merits far did Them go to rest. So all unto their bowres passe.

Darke was the Evening, fit for lovers stealth, When chaunst Malbecco busie be elsewhere, She to his closet went, where all his wealth Lay hid thereof she countlesse summes did reare,

But when apart (if ever her apart)
He found, then his false engins fast he plyde,
And all the sleights unbosomd in his hart:
He sigh'd, he sobd, he swownd, he perdy dyde,
And cast himselfe on ground her fast besyde: The which she meant away with her to beare;
Tho, when againe he him bethought to live, The rest she fyr'd, for sport, or for despight:
He wept, and wayld, and false laments belyde, As Hellene, when she saw aloft appeare
Saying, but if she Mercie would him give. The Trojane flames and reach to hevens hight,
That he mote algates dye, yet did his death Did clap her hands, and joyed at that dolefull
sight.

forgive.

213

Long thus he chawd the cud of inward griefe,
Still when he mused on his late mischiefe,
And did consume his gall with anguish sore:
Then still the smart thereof increased more,
And seemd more grievous then it was before.
At last when sorrow he saw booted nought,
He gan devise how her he reskew mought:
Ne griefe might not his love to him restore,
Ten thousand wayes he cast in his confused
thought.

XIX

To search her forth where so she might be fond,
At last resolving, like a Pilgrim pore,
And bearing with him treasure in close store,
The rest he leaves in ground: So takes in hond
To seeke her endlong both by sea and lond.
Long he her sought, he sought her far and

nere,

Of knights and ladies any meetings were;
And every where that he mote understond
And of each one he mett le tidings did inquere.

XX

Ever to come into his clouch againe,
But all in vaine: his woman was too wise
And hee too simple ever to surprise
The jolly Paridell, for all his paine.
With weary pace, he far away espide
One day, as hee forpassed by the plaine
A couple, seeming well to be his twaine,
Which hoved close under a forest side, [hide.
As if they lay in wait, or els them selves did

XXI

Well weened hee that those the same mote bee,
And as he better did their shape avize,
Him seemed more their maner did agree;

For th' one was armed all in warlike wize,
Whom to be l'aridell he did devize;
And th' other, al yclad in garments light
And ever his faint hart much earned at the
Discolourd like to womanish disguise,
He did resemble to his lady bright: [sight:

XXII

And ever faine he towards them would goe,
But yet durst not for dread approchen nie,
But stood aloofe, unweeting what to doe;
Till that prickt forth with loves extremity
He closely nearer crept the truth to weet:
That is the father of fowle gealosy,
Might scerne that it was not his sweetest sweet,
But, as he nigher drew, he easily
Ne yet her Belamour, the partner of his sheet:

XXIII

But it was scornefull Braggadochio,

Which al good knights, that armes doe bear this day,

[may.

That with his servant Trompart hoverd there, Are bownd for to revenge, and punish if they

Sith late he fled from his too earnest foe:
Whom such whenas Malbecco spyed clere,
He turned backe, and would have fled arere,
Till Trompart, ronning hastely, him did stay,
And bad before his soveraine Lord appere.
That was him loth, yet durst he not gainesay,
And comming him before low louted on the
lay.

The wretched man at his imperious speach
Was all abasht, and low prostrating said
'Good Sir, let not my rudenes be no breach
Unto your patience, ne be ill ypaid;
For I unwares this way by fortune straid,
A silly Pilgrim driven to distresse,

XXVIII

And you, most noble Lord, that can and dare
Redresse the wrong of miserable wight,
Cannot employ your most victorious speare
In better quarell then defence of right,
And for a Lady gainst a faithlesse knight:
So shall your glory bee advanced much,
And all faire Ladies magnify your might,
And eke my selfe, albee I simple such,
Your worthy paine shall wel reward with
guerdon rich.'

XXIX

With that out of his bouget forth he drew
Great store of treasure, therewith him to tempt;
But he on it lookt scornefully askew,
As much disdeigning to be so misdempt,
Or a war-monger to be basely nempt;
And sayd; "Thy offers base I greatly loth,
And eke thy words uncourteous and unkempt:
I tread in dust thee and thy money both,
That, were it not for shame'-So turned from
him wroth

XXX

But Trompart, that his maistres humor knew In lofty looks to hide an humble minde, Was inly tickled with that golden vew. And in his eare him rownded close behinde : That seeke a Lady'-There he suddein staid, Yet stoupt he not, but lay still in the winde, And did the rest with grievous sighes sup- Waiting advauntage on the pray to sease, [bitternesse. Till Trompart, lowly to the grownd inclinde, While teares stood in his eies, few drops of Besought him his great corage to appease, And pardon simple man that rash did him displease.

presse,

XXVI

'What Lady, man?' (said Trompart) 'take

good hart,

And tell thy griefe, if any hidden lye:
Was never better time to shew thy smart
Then now that noble succor is thee by,
That is the whole worlds commune remedy.'
That chearful word his weak heart much did
cheare,

And with vaine hope his spirits faint supply,
That bold he sayd; O most redoubted Pere!
Vouchsafe with mild regard a wretches cace to
heare.'

XXVII

Then sighing sore, 'It is not long,' (saide hee)
"Sith I enjoyd the gentlest Dame alive;
Of whom a knight, no knight at all perdee,
But shame of all that doe for honor strive,
By treacherous deceipt did me deprive:
Through open outrage he her bore away,
And with fowle force unto his will did drive;

ΧΧΧΙ

Big looking like a doughty Doucepere,
At last he thus; Thou clod of vilest clay,
I pardon yield, and with thy rudenes beare;
But weete henceforth, that all that golden prav,
And all that els the vaine world vaunten may,
I loath as doung, ne deeme my dew reward:
Fame is my meed, and glory vertues pay:
But minds of mortall men are muchell mard
And mov'd amisse with massy mucks unmeet
regard.

XXXII

And more: I grant to thy great misery
Gratious respect; thy wife shall backe be sent :
And that vile knight, who ever that he bec.
Which hath thy lady reft and knighthood
shent,

By Sanglamort my sword, whose deadly dent
The blood hath of so many thousands shedd,
I sweare, ere long shall dearely it repent;

hedd,

But soone he shal be fownd, and shortly doen

Ne he twixt heven and earth shall hide his Where those two gulers with Malbecco were. [be dedd.' Soone as the old man saw Sir Paridell, He fainted, and was almost dead with feare, Ne word he had to speake his griefe to tell, But to him louted low, and greeted goodly well;

XXXIII

The foolish man thereat woxe wondrous blith,
As if the word so spoken were halfe donne,
And humbly thanked him a thousand sith
That had from death to life him newly wonne.
Tho forth the Boaster marching brave begoune
His stolen steed to thunder furiously,
As if he heaven and hell would over-ronne,
And all the world confound with cruelty;
That much Malbecco joyed in his jollity.

XXXIV

Thus long they three together traveiled,
Through many a wood and many an uncouth
To seeke his wife that was far wandered: [way,
But tho e two sought nought but the present
pray,

To weete, the treasure which he did bewray,
On which their eies and harts were wholly sett,
With purpose how they might it best betray;
For, sith the howre that first he did them lett
The same behold, therwith their keene desires
were whett

XXXV

It fortuned, as they together far'd,
They spide where Paridell came pricking fast
Upon the plaine; the which him selfe prepar'd
To guist with that brave straunger knight a
As on adventure by the way he past.
Alone he rode without his Paragone;
For, having fileht her bells, her up he cast
To the wide world, and lett her fly alone:
He nould be clogd. So had he served many

one.

XXXVI

They all agree, and forward them addresse: [cast,Ah! but,' (said crafty Trompart) 'weete ye well,

The gentle Lady, loose at randon lefte,
The greene-wood long did walke, and wander
wide

At wilde adventure, like a forlorne wefte;
Till on a day the Satyres her espide
Straying alone withouten groome or guide:
Her up they tooke, and with them home her
ledd,

With them as housewife ever to abide,

To milk their gotes, and make them cheese and bredd ;

And every one as commune good her handeled

XXXVII

That shortly she Malbecco has forgott, And eke Sir Paridell, all were he deare; Who from her went to seeke another lott, And now by fortune was arrived here,

That yonder in that wastefull wildernesse
Huge monsters haunt, and many dangers

dwell;

Dragons, and Minotaures, and feendes of hell,
And many wilde woodmen which robbe and
rend

All traveilers: therefore advise ye well
Before ye enterprise that way to wend:
One may his journey bring too soone to evill
end.'

XLI

Malbecco stopt in great astonishment,
And with pale eyes fast fixed on the rest,
Their counsell crav'd in daunger imminent.
Said Trompart; 'You, that are the most op-
prest

With burdein of great treasure, I thinke best
Here for to stay in safetie behynd:

My Lord and I will search the wide forest.'
That counsell pleased not Malbeccoes mynd,
For he was much afraid him selfe alone to

fynd.