And, for more joy, that captive Lady faire,
The faire Poana, he enlarged free,
And by the rest did set in sumptuous chaire
To feast and frollicke; nathemore would she
Shew gladsome countenaunce nor pleasaunt
glee;
But grieved was for losse both of her sire,
And eke of Lordship with both land and fee:
But most she touched was with griefe entire
For losse of her new love, the hope of her de-
sire.
Of his old love conceav'd in secret brest,
Resolved to pursue his former quest;
And, taking leave of all, with him did beare
Faire Amoret, whom Fortune by bequest
Had left in his protection whileare,
Exchanged out of one into another feare.
Feare of her safety did her not constraine;
For well she wist now in a mighty hond
Her person, late in perill, did remaine,
Who able was all daungers to withstond :
But now in feare of shame she more did stond,
But her the Prince, through his well wonted Seeing her selfe ail soly succourlesse,
Thus when the Prince had perfectly com-
pylde,
[rest,
Left in the victors powre, like vassall bond,
Whose will her weakenesse could no way re-
presse,
[excesse.
In case his burning lust should breake into
These paires of friends in peace and setled
Him sélte, whose minde did travell as with Put those two other, which beside them stoode,
..Were Britomart and gentle Scudamour;
Cause of their discord and so fell debate Was for the love of that same snowy maid, Whome they had lost in Turneyment of late; And, seeking long to weet which way she straid, [braide
Eftsoones all burning with a fresh desire Of fell revenge, in their malicious mood [ire, Met here together, where, through lewd up-They from them selves gan turne their furious Of Atè and Duessa, they fell out; And cruell blades, yet steeming with whot bloud, And each one taking part in others aide This cruell conflict raised thereabout, [doubt: Whose dangerous successe depended yet in
Against those two let drive, as they were wood:
Who wondring much at that so sodaine fit,
Yet nought dismayd, them stoutly well with-
stood;
Ne yeelded foote, ne once abacke did flit,
But being doubly smitten likewise doubly smit.
For sometimes Paridell and Blandamour
The better had, and bet the others backe;
Eftsoones the others did the field recoure,
And on his foes did worke full cruell wracke:
Yet neither would their fiendlike fury slacke,Of
But evermore their malice did augment;
Till that uneath they forced were, for lacke
Of breath, their raging rigour to relent,
And rest themselves for to recover spirits spent.
The warlike Dame was on her part assaid
Claribell and Blandamour attone;
And Paridell and Druon fiercely laid
At Scudamour, both his professed fone:
Foure charged two, and two surcharged one;
Yet did those two them selves so bravely beare,
That th' other litle gained by the lone,
But with their owne repayed duely weare,
Then gan they change their sides, and new And usury withall: such gaine was gotten
For Paridell did take to Druons side,
For old despight which now forth newly brake
Gainst Blandamour, whom alwaies he envide;
And Blandamour to Claribell relide:
So all afresh gan former fight renew.
Full oftentimes did Britomart assay
To speake to them, and some emparlance mové: But they for nought their cruell hands would [tide, stay,
As when two Barkes, this caried with the Ne lend an eare to ought that might behove. That with the wind. contrary courses sew, As when an eager mastiffe once doth prove
If wind and tide doe change, their courses The tast of bloud of some engored beast,
No words may rate, nor rigour him remove
From greedy hold of that his blouddy feast: In open turney, and by wrongfull fight So litle did they hearken to her sweet beheast. Both of their publicke praise had them despoyled,
And also of their private loves beguyled,
Of two full hard to read the harder theft:
But she that wrongfull challenge soone assoyled,
And shew'd that she had not that Lady reft,
(As they suppos'd) but her had to her liking
left.
To whom the Prince thus goodly well replied:
Certes, sir Knight, ye seemen much to blame
To rip up wrong that battell once hath tried;
Wherein the honor both of Armes ye shame,
And eke the love of Ladies foule defame;
To whom the world this franchise ever veelded,
That of their loves choise they might freedom
clame,
[shielded:
And in that right should by all knights be
Gainst which, me seemes, this war ye wrong-
fully have wielded.'
'And yet' (quoth she) 'a greater wrong re-
maines :
For I thereby my former love have lost;
Whom seeking ever since with endlesse paines
Hath me much sorrow and much travell cost:
Ave me, to see that gentle maide so tost!'
But Scudamour, then sighing deepe, thus saide:
Certes, her losse ought me to sorrow most.
Whose right she is, where ever she be straide,
Through many perils wonne, and many for-
tunes waide.
For from the first that her I love profest,
Unto this houre, this present lucklesse howre,
I never joyed happinesse nor rest;
But thus turmoild from one to other stowre
I wast my life, and doe my daies devowre
In wretched anguishe and incessant woe,
Passing the measure of my feeble powre:
That living thus a wretch, and loving so,
I neither can my love ne yet my life forgo.'
Then good Sir Claribell him thus bespake: Now were it not, sir Scudamour, to you Dislikefull paine so sad a taske to take, Mote we entreat you, sith this gentle crew Is now so well accorded all anew,
That as we ride together on our way,
Ye will recount to us in order dew
All that adventure which ye did assay
For that faire Ladies love: past perils well
apay.'
'That was to weet the Porter of the place,
Unto whose trust the charge thereof was lent:
His name was Doubt, that had a double face,
Th' one forward looking, th' other backeward
Therein resembling Janus auncient
Which hath in charge the ingate of the yeare:
[bent,
And evermore his eyes about him went,
As if some proved perill he did feare,
'On th' one side he, on th' other sate Delay,
Whose manner was all passengers to stay
Behinde the gate that none her might espy;
And entertaine with her occasions sly:
Which never they recover might againe;
Through which some lost great hope unheedily,
And others, quite excluded forth, did ly
Long languishing there in unpittied paine,
And seeking often entraunce afterwards in
vaine.
Bearing the shield which I had conquerd late,
Me when as he had privily espide
He kend it streight, and to me opened wide.
So in I past, and streight he closd the gate:
But being in, Delay in close awaite
Feigning full many a fond excuse to prate,
Caught hold on me, and thought my steps to
[stay,
And time to steale, the threasure of mans day,
Whose smallest minute lost no riches render
may.
But by no meanes my way I would forslow
For ought that ever she could doe or say;
But from my lofty steede dismounting low
The goodly workes, and stones of rich assay,
Past forth on foote, beholding all the way
Cast into sundry shapes by wondrous skill,
And underneath, the river rolling still
That like on earth no where I recken may:
With murmure soft, that seem'd to serve the
workmans will.
'Thence forth I passed to the second gate,
The Gate of Good Desert, whose goodly pride
And costly frame were long here to relate.
But in the Porch did evermore abide
The same to all stoode alwaie open wide;
An hideous Giant, dreadfull to behold,
That stopt the entraunce with his spacious
stride,
Full many did affray, that else faine enter
And with the terrour of his countenance bold
would.
'His name was Daunger, dreaded over-all. From fearefull cowards entrance to forstall Who day and night did watch and duely ward And faint-heart-fooles, whom shew of perill
For oftentimes faint hearts, at first espiall
Could terrifie from Fortunes faire adward:
Of his grim face, were from approaching scard;
Unworthy they of grace, whom one deniall
Or did misdoubt some ill whose cause did not Excludes from fairest hope withouten further
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