Ne each of other feared fraud or tort,
But did in safe securitie abide,
Withouten perill of the stronger pride: [old,
But when the world woxe old, it woxe warre
(Whereof it hight) and, having shortly tride
'The traines of wit, in wickednesse woxe bold,
And dared of all sinnes the secrets to unfold.
Then beautie, which was made to represent
The great Creatours owne resemblance bright,
Unto abuse of lawlesse lust was lent,
And made the baite of bestiall delight:
Then faire grew foule, and foule grew faire in
sight:
[man.
And that, which wont to vanquish God and
Was made the vassall of the victors might;
Then did her glorious flowre wex dead and
Despisd and troden downe of all that over-ran.
And now it is so utterly decayd,
That any bud thereof doth scarse remaine,
But-if few plants, preserv'd through heavenly
ayd,
In Princes Court doe hap to sprout againe,
Dew'd with her drops of bountie Soveraine,
Which from that goodly glorious flowre pro- At length they spide where towards them
ceed, Sprung of the auncient stocke of Princes A Squire came gallopping, as he would flie, Now th' onely remnant of that royall breed. Bearing a litle Dwarfe before his steed, Whose noble kind at first was sure of heavenly That all the way full loud for aide did crie, seed. That seem'd his shrikes would rend the brasen skie:
Tho, soone as day discovered heavens face
To sinfull men with darknes overdight,
This gentle crew gan from their eye-lids chace
The drowzie humour of the dampish night,
And did themselves unto their journey dight.
So forth they yode, and forward softly paced,
That them to view had bene an uncouth sight,
How all the way the Prince on footpace traced.
The Ladies both on horse, together fast em-
braced.
Soone as they thence departed were afore, That shamefull Hag, the slaunder of her sexe, Them follow'd fast, and them reviled sore, Him calling theefe, them whores; that much
His noble hart: thereto she did annexe
*False crimes and facts, such as they never ment,
That those two Ladies much asham'd did wexe:
The more did she pursue her lewd intent,
And rayl'd and rag'd, till she had all her poyson
spent.
Whom after did a mightie man pursew,
Ryding upon a Dromedare on hie,
of stature huge, and horrible of hew,
That would have maz'd a man his dreadfull
face to vew:
For from his fearefull eyes two fierie beames,
More sharpe then points of needles, did proceede,
Shooting forth farre away two flaming streames,
Full of sad powre, that poysnous bale did
breede
To all that on him lookt without good heed,
And secretly his enemies did slay:
Like as the Basiliske, of serpents seede,
From powrefull eyes close venim doth convay
Into the lookers hart, and killeth farre away.
He all the way did rage at that same Squire,
And after him full many threatnings threw,
With curses vaine in his avengefull ire;
But none of them (so fast away he flew)
Yet hath he left one daughter that is hight
The faire Poana, who seemes outwardly
So faire as ever yet saw living eie;
And were her vertue like her beautie bright,
She were as faire as any under skie:
But ah! she given is to vaine delight,
And walke about her gardens of delight,
Having a keeper still with him in place;
Which keeper is this Dwarfe, her dearling base,
To whom the keyes of every prison dore
By her committed be, of speciall grace,
And at his will may whom he list restore,
And eke too loose of life, and eke of love too And whom he list reserve to be afflicted more. light.
'So, as it fell, there was a gentle Squire
That lov'd a Ladie of high parentage;
But, for his meane degree might not aspire
To match so high, her friends with counsell
Dissuaded her from such a disparage: [sage
But she, whose hart to love was wholly lent,
Out of his hands could not redeeme her gage,
But, firmely following her first intent,
Resolv'd with him to wend, gainst all her
friends consent.
So twixt themselves they pointed time and place:
'Whereof when tydings came unto mine eare,
Full inly sorie, for the fervent zeale
Which I to him as to my soule did beare,
thether went; where I did long conceale
My selfe, till that the Dwarfe did me reveale,
And told his Dame her Squire of low degree
Did secretly out of her prison steale;
For me he did mistake that Squire to bee,
For never two so like did living creature see.
'Then was I taken and before her brought,
Who, through the likenesse of my outward
Being likewise beguiled in her thought, [hew,
Gan blame me much for being so untrew
To seeke by flight her fellowship t' eschew,
That lov'd me deare, as dearest thing alive.
Thence she commaunded me to prison new;
To which when he according did repaire,
An hard mishap and disaventrous case
Him chaunst: instead of his Emylia faire,
This Gyants sonne, that lies there on the laire
An headlesse heape, him unawares there caught; Whereof I glad did not gaine say nor strive,
And all dismayd through mercilesse despaireBut suffred that same Dwarfe me to her don-
Him wretched thrall unto his dongeon brought,
Where he remaines, of all unsuccour'd and
"This Gyants daughter came upon a day
Unto the prison, in her joyous glee,
To view the thrals which there in bondage lay:
Amongst the rest she chaunced there to see
This lovely swaine, the Squire of low degree;
To whom she did her liking lightly cast,
And wooed him her paramour to bee:
From day to day she woo'd and prayd him fast,
And for his love him promist libertie at last.
'He, though affide unto a former love,
To whom his faith be firmely ment to hold,
Yet seeing not how thence he mote remove,
But by that meanes which fortune did unfold,
Her graunted love, but with affection cold, -
To win her grace his libertie to get:
Yet she him still detaines in captive hold,
Fearing, least if she should him freely set,
He would her shortly leave, and former love
forget.
'Yet so much favour she to him hath hight Above the rest, that he sometimes may space
There did I finde mine onely faithfull frend
In heavy plight and sad perplexitie;
Whereof I sorie, yet myselfe did bend
Him to recomfort with my companie,
But him the more agreev'd I found thereby :
For all his joy, he said, in that distresse
Was mine and his Emylias libertie.
Emylia well he lov'd, as I mote ghesse,
Yet greater love to me then her he did professo
But I with better reason him aviz'd,
And shew'd him how, through error and mis-
thought
Of our like persons, eath to be disguiz'd,
Or his exchange or freedom might be wrought.
Whereto full loth was he, ne would for ought
Consent that I, who stood all feareles free,
Should-wilfully be into thraldome brought,
Till fortune did perforce it so decree:
Yet, over-ruld at last, he did to me agree.
'The morrow next, about the wonted howre,
The Dwarfe cald at the doore of Amyas
To come forthwith unto his Ladies bowre:
Insteed of whom forth came I, Placidas,
And undiscerned forth with him did pas. And me pursew'd; but nathemore would I
There with great joyance and with gladsome Forgoe the purchase of my gotten pray,
Of faire Poana I received was,
And oft imbrast, as if that I were hee,
And with kind words accoyd, vowing
love to mee.
But have perforce him hether brought away.'
Thus as they talked, loe! where nigh at hand
Those Ladies two, yet doubtfull through dis
In presence came, desirous t'understand Tydings of all which there had hapned on the land.
And forth to bring those thrals which there he held.
Or love of fairest Ladie could constraine;
For though Poeana were as faire as morne,
Yet did this trustie squire with proud disdaine Thence forth were brought to him above a score
For his friends sake her offred favours scorne, Of Knights and Squires to him unknowne afore:
And she her selfe her syre of whom she was All which he did from bitter bondage free,
yborne,
And unto former liberty restore.
Amongst the rest that Squire of low degree
Came forth full weake and wan, not like him
Now, after that Prince Arthur graunted had
To yeeld strong succour to that gentle swayne,
Who now long time had lyen in prison sad;
He gan advise how best he mote darrayne
That enterprize for greatest glories gayne.
That headlesse tyrants tronke he reard from
ground,
And, having ympt the head to it agayne,
Upon his usuall beast it firmely bound,
And made it so to ride as it alive was found.
Whom soone as faire Emylia beheld
And Placidas, they both unto him ran,
And him embracing fast betwixt them held,
Striving to comfort him all that they can,
And kissing oft his visage pale and wan:
That faire Pana, them holding both,
Gan both envy, and bitt rly to ban;
Through jealous passion weeping inly wroth,
To see the sight perforce that both her eyes
were loth.
Then did he take that chaced Squire, and layd
Before the ryder, as he captive were, [ayd,
And made his Dwarfe, though with unwilling But when awhile they had together beene,
To guide the beast that did his maister beare, And diversly conferred of their case,
Till to his castle they approched neare; [ward, She, though full oft she both of them had
Whom when the watch, that kept continuall Asunder, yet not ever in one place,
Saw comming home, all voide of doubtfull feare,
He, running downe, the gate to him unbard;
Whom straight the Prince ensuing in together
far'd.
There did he find in her delitious boure
The faire Poana playing on a Rote
Complayning of her cruell Paramoure,
And singing all her sorrow to the note,
As she had learned readily by rote;
That with the sweetnesse of her rare delight
The Prince halfe rapt began on her to dote;
Till better him bethinking of the right,
He her unwares attacht, and captive held by
might,
Whence being forth produc'd, when she per
Began to doubt, when she them saw embrace,
Which was the captive Squire she lov'd so
Deceived through great likenesse of their face:
For they so like in person did appeare,
That she uneath discerned whether whether
And eke the Prince, when as he them avized,
Their like resemblance much admired there,
And mazd how nature had so well disguized
Her worke, and counterfet her selfe so nere,
She had them made a paragone to be,
As if that by one patterne, scene somewhere,
Or whether it through skill or errour were.
Thus gazing long at them much wondred he:
So did the other Knights and Squires which
Her owne deare sire, she cald to him for aide;
But when of him no auns were she received,
But saw him sencelesse by the Squire upstaide,
Then gan they ransacke that same Castle
She weened well that then she was betraide: In which he found great store of hoorded threa-
strong,
[sure,
Then gan she loudly cry, and weepe, and waile, The which that tyrant gathered had by wrong
And that same Squire of treason to upbraide; And tortious powre, without respect or mea-
But all in vaine: her plaints might not prevaile,|
Ne none there was to reskue her, ne none to
baile.
Upon all which the Briton Prince made seasure,
And afterwards continu'd there a while
To rest him selfe, and solace in soft pleasure
Then tooke he that same Dwarfe, and him Those weaker Ladies after weary toile;
To open unto him the prison dore,
To whom he did divide part of his purchast spoile.
|