Were bound about and voyded' from before; And in his hand a mighty yron club he bore.
This was Disdaine, who led that Ladies horse
Through thick and thin, through mountains and through Compelling her, where she would not, by force,
Haling her palfrey by the hempen raines :
But that same Foole, which most increast her paines, Was Scorne; who, having in his hand a whip, Her therewith yirks 2; and still, when she complaines, The more he laughes, and does her closely quip,3 To see her sore lament and bite her tender lip.
Whose cruell handling when that Squire beheld,
And saw those Villaines her so vildely use,
His gentle heart with indignation sweld,
And could no lenger beare so great abuse
As such a Lady so to beate and bruse;
But, to him stepping, such a stroke him lent,
That forst him th' halter from his hand to loose,
And, maugre 5 all his might, backe to relent 6:
Else had he surely there bene slaine, or fowly shent."
The Villaine, wroth for greeting him so sore,
Gathered himselfe together soone againe,
And with his yron batton which he bore
Let drive at him so dreadfully amaine,
That for his safety he did him constraine
1 Voyded, removed.
2 Yirks, jerks, lashes.
3 Quip, sneer at, insult.
4 Lenger, longer.
Maugre, in spite of.
6 Relent, retire.
7 Shent, disgraced, ill treated.
8 Batton, club.
To give him ground, and shift to every side,
Rather than once his burden 1 to sustaine :
For bootlesse thing him seemed to abide
So mighty blowes, or prove the puissaunce of his pride.
Like as a mastiffe having at a bay
A salvage bull, whose cruell hornes doe threat
Desperate daunger, if he them assay,
Traceth his ground, and round about doth beat,
To spy where he may some advantage get,
The whiles the beast doth rage and loudly rore;
So did the Squire, the whiles the Carle did fret
And fume in his disdainefull mynd the more,
And oftentimes by Turmagant and Mahound swore.
XLVIII.
Nathelesse so sharpely still he him pursewd,
That at advantage him at last he tooke,
When his foote slipt, (that slip he dearely rewd,2)
And with his yron club to ground him strooke;
Where still he lay, ne out of swoune awooke,
Till heavy hand the Carle upon him layd,
And bound him fast: Tho, when he up did looke
And saw himselfe captiv'd, he was dismayd,
powre had to withstand, ne hope of any ayd.
Then up he made him rise, and forward fare,
Led in a rope which both his hands did bynd;
Ne ought that Foole for pitty did him spare,
1 Burden, weight of his club. 2 Rewd, had cause to lament. 3 Tho, then.
XLVII. 9.- By Turmagant and Mahound.] name of a Saracen god; Mahound is Mahomet.
But with his whip him following behynd
Him often scourg'd, and forst his feete to fynd:
And otherwhiles with bitter mockes and mowes 1
He would him scorne, that to his gentle mynd
Was much more grievous then the others blowes: Words sharpely wound, but greatest griefe of scorning growes.
The faire Serena, when she saw him fall
Under that Villaines club, then surely thought
That slaine he was, or made a wretched thrall,
And fled away with all the speede she mought
To seeke for safety; which long time she sought;
And past through many perils by the way,
Ere she againe to Calepine was brought:
The which discourse as now I must delay,
Till Mirabellaes fortunes I doe further say.
XLIX. 5.- Forst his feete to fynd.] Forced him to get up and continue running.
Prince Arthure overcomes Disdaine;
Quites Mirabell from dreed:
Serena, found of Salvages,
By Calepine is freed.
YE gentle Ladies, in whose soveraine powre
Love hath the glory of his kingdome left,
And th' hearts of men, as your eternall dowre,
In yron chaines, of liberty bereft,
Delivered hath unto your hands by gift;
Be well aware how ye the same doe use,
That pride doe not to tyranny you lift;
Least, if men you of cruelty accuse,
He from you take that chiefedome which ye doe abuse.
And as ye soft and tender are by kynde,2
Adornd with goodly gifts of beauties grace,
So be ye soft and tender eeke in mynde ;
But cruelty and hardnesse from you chace,
That all your other praises will deface,
And from you turne the love of men to hate:
Ensample take of Mirabellaes case,
Who from the high degree of happy state
Fell into wretched woes, which she repented late.
Who after thraldome of the gentle Squire,
Which she beheld with lamentable eye,
Was touched with compassion entire,1
And much lamented his calamity,
That for her sake fell into misery;
Which booted nought for prayers nor for threat
To hope for to release or mollify;
For aye the more that she did them entreat,
The more they him misust, and cruelly did beat.
So as they forward on their way did pas,
Him still reviling and afflicting sore,
They met Prince Arthure with Sir Enias,
(That was that courteous Knight, whom he before
Having subdew'd yet did to life restore ;)
To whom as they approcht, they gan augment
Their cruelty, and him to punish more,
Scourging and haling him more vehement;
As if it them should grieve to see his punishment.
The Squire himselfe, whenas he saw his Lord
The witnesse of his wretchednesse in place,
Was much asham'd that with an hempen cord
He like a dog was led in captive case,
And did his head for bashfulnesse abase,2
As loth to see or to be seene at all;
Shame would be hid: But whenas Enias
IV. 4. That was that courteous Knight, &c.] See the twelfth stanza of the preceding canto.
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