And to your selfe doe it returne againe. So from the Ocean all rivers spring, And tribute backe repay as to their King: Right so from you all goodly vertues well
Into the rest which round about you ring, Faire Lords and Ladies which about you dwell, And doe adorne your Court where courtesies excell.
And from her head her lockes he nigh did teare, His hope of refuge used to remaine : Ne would he spare for pitty, nor refraine for Whom Calidore perceiving fast to flie, feare.
He him pursu'd and chaced through the plaine, That he for dread of death gan loude to crie Unto the ward to open to him hastilie.
They, from the wall him seeing so aghast, The gate soone opened to receive him in; But Calidore did follow him so fast, And cleft his head asunder to his chin. That even in the Porch he him did win, Did choke the entrance with a lumpe of sin, The carkasse tumbling downe within the dore That it could not be shut; whilest Calidore Did enter in, and slew the Porter on the flore.
With that the rest the which the Castle kept About him flockt, and hard at him did lay; But he them all from him full lightly swept, As doth a Steare, in heat of sommers day, With his long taile the bryzes brush away. Thence passing forth into the hall he came, Where of the Lady selfe in sad dismay He was ymett, who with uncomely shame Gan him salute, and fowle upbrayd with faulty
'False traytor Knight!' (said she) 'no Knight But scorne of armes, that hast with guilty hand at all, Murdred my men, and slaine my Seneschall, Now comest thou to rob my house unmand, And spoile my selfe that can not thee withYet doubt thou not, but that some better Knight Then thou, that shall thy treason understand, And if none do, yet shame shal thee with shame Will it avenge, and pay thee with thy right; requight.'
Yet answer'd thus: Not unto me the shame, Much was the Knight abashed at that word But to the shamefull doer it afford.
Bloud is no blemish, for it is no blame To punish those that doe deserve the same; But they that breake bands of civilitie, And wicked customes make, those doe defame No greater shame to man then inhumanitie. Both noble armes and gentle curtesie.
'Then doe your selfe, for dread of shame, for- goe
This evil manner which ye here maintaine, And doe instead thereof mild curt'sie showe To all that passe: That shall you glory gaine
More then his love, which thus ye seeke t'ob-` taine.'
Thereof full blyth the Lady streight became. Wherewith all full of wrath she thus replyde: And gan t' augment her bitternesse much 'Vile recreant ! know that I doe much disdaine Thy courteous lore, that doest my love deride, Yet no whit more appalled for the same, Who scornes thy ydle scoffe, and bids thee be Ne ought di-mayed was Sir Calidore,
To take defiaunce at a Ladies word
(Quoth he) I hold it no indignity;
|But rather did more chearetull seeme there- fore:
And having soone his armes about him dight, Did issue forth to meete his foe afore:
But were he here, that would it with his sword Where long he stayed not. when as a Knight Abett, perhaps he mote it deare aby.' He spide come pricking on with all his powre and might.
'Cowherd!' (quoth she) were not that thou wouldst fly
Ere he doe come, he should be soone in place. 'If I doe so,' (sayd he) then liberty
I leave to you for ave me to disgrace
Well weend he streight that he should be the
Which tooke in hand her quarrell to maintaine;
With all those shames, that erst ye spake me Ne stayd to aske if it were he by name,
With that a Dwarfe she cald to her in hast, And taking from her hand a ring of gould, A privy token which betweene them past, Bad him to flie with all the speed he could To Crudor; and desire him that he would Vouchsafe to reskue her against a Knight, Who through strong powre had now her self in hould.
Having late slaine her Seneschall in fight, And all her people murdred with outragious might:
But coucht his speare, and ran at him amaine. They bene ymett in middest of the plaine With so fell fury and dispiteous for se, That neither could the others stroke sustaine, But rudely rowld to ground. both man and horse.
Neither of other taking pitty nor remorse.
But Calidore uprose againe full light, Whiles yet his foe lay fast in sencelesse swound; Yet would he not him hurt although he might; For shame he weend a sleeping wight to wound. But when Briana saw that drery stound,
The Dwarfe his way did hast, and went all There where she stood uppon the Castle wall. She de m'd him sure to have bene dead on night; ground;
But Calidore did with her there abyde The comming of that so much threatned And made such piteous mourning therewithall, That from the battlements she ready seem d to fall.
Knight; [pryde Where that discourteous Dame with scornfull And fowle entreaty him indignifyde, That yron heart it hardly could sustaine: Yet he, that could his wrath full wisely guyde, Did well endure her womanish disdaine, And did him selfe from fraile impatience re- fraine.
The morrow next, before the lampe of light Above the earth upreard his flaming head, The Dwarfe, which bore that message to her knight, [bread Brought answere backe, that ere he tasted He would her succour, and alive or dead Her foe deliver up into her hand: Therefore he wild her doe away all dread; And, that of him she mote assured stand, He sent to her his basenet as a faithfull band.
Nathlesse at length him selfe he did upreare In lustlesse wise; as if against his will, Ere he had slept his fill, he wakened were, And gan to stretch his limbs; which feeling ill Of his late fall, awhile he rested still: But, when he saw his foe before in vew, He shooke off luskishne-se: and courage chill Kindling afresh, gan battell to renew. [ensew. To prove if better foote then horsebacke would
There then began a fearefull cruell fray Betwixt them two for maystery of might; For both were wondrous practicke in that play, And passing well expert in single fight, And both inflam'd with furious despight: Which as it still encreast, so still increast Their cruell strokes and terrible affright;
Ne once for ruth their rigour they releast, Ne once to breath awhile their angers tempest
However strong and fortunate in fight, Then the reproch of pride and cruelnesse. In vaine he seeketh others to suppresse, Who hath not learnd him selfe first to subdew: All flesh is frayle and full of ficklenesse,
Thus long they trac'd and traverst to and fro, And tryde all waies how each mote entrance Subject to fortunes chance, still chaunging new: What haps to day to me to morrow may to you.
Into the life of his malignant foe: [brake, They hew'd their helmes, and plates asunder As they had potshares bene; for nought mote slake
Their greedy vengeaunces but goary blood, That at the last like to a purple lake Of bloudy gore congeal'd about them stood, Which from their riven sides forth gushed like a flood.
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