IV.

Within three days, quoth he, as I do hear,
It will be at the caftle of the Strond;

What time, if nought me let, I will be there
To do her fervice, lo as I am bond.

But in my way a little here beyond,

A curfed cruel Sarazin doth wonne,

That keeps a bridges paffage by strong hond,
And many errant Knights hath there fordone;
That makes all men for fear that paffage for to fhone.
V.

What mister wight, quoth he, and how far hence
Is he that doth to travellers fuch harms?
He is faid he, a man of great defence;
Expert in battle and in deeds of arms;
And more emboldened by the wicked charms,
With which his daughter doth him still support;
Having great lordships got and goodly farms,
Through ftrong oppreffion of his powre extort;
By which he still them holds, and keeps with ftrong effort.
VI.

And daily he his wrongs encreaseth more :
For never wight he lets to pafs that way,
Over his bridge, albe he rich or poor,
But he him makes his paffage-penny pay :
Elfe he doth hold him back, or beat away.
Thereto he hath a groom of evil guize,
Whose scalp is bare, that bondage doth bewray,
Which polls and pills the poor in piteous wife;
But he himself upon the rich doth tyrannize.

VII.

His name is hight Pollente, rightly fo
For that he is so puiffant and strong,
That with his powre he all doth overgo,
And makes them fubject to his mighty wrong;
And fome by fleight he eke doth underfong.
For on a bridge he cuftometh to fight,
Which is but narrow, but exceeding long;
And in the fame are many trap-falls pight,
Through which the rider down doth fall through overfight.

VIII.

And underneath the fame a river flows,

That is both fwift and dangerous deep withall
Into the which whomfo he overthrows,
All deftitute of help doth headlong fall:
But he himself through practice ufual,
Leaps forth into the flood, and there affays
His foe, confufed through his fudden fall,
That horfe and man he equally dismays,
And either both them drowns, or traiterously flays.
IX.

Then doth he take the fpoil of them at will,

And to his daughter brings, that dwells thereby :
Who all that comes doth take, and therewith fill
The coffers of her wicked treasury,

Which the with wrongs hath heaped up fo high,
That many Princes the in wealth exceeds,
And purchaft all the country lying nigh
With the revenue of her plenteous meeds;
Her name is Munera, agreeing with her deeds.
X.

Thereto she is full fair, and rich attir'd,
With golden hands and filver feet befide,
That many Lords have her to wife defir'd:
But fhe them all defpifeth for great pride.
Now by my life, faid he, and God to guide,
None other way will I this day betake,
But by that bridge whereas he doth abide :
Therefore me thither lead. No more he fpake,
But thitherward forthright his ready way did make.
XI.

Unto the place he came within a while,
Whereon the bridge he ready armed faw
The Sarazin, awaiting for fome spoil.
Who as they to the paffage 'gan to draw,
A villain to them came with fkull all raw,
That paffage-money did of them require.
According to the cuftom of their law.

To whom he anfwerd wroth, lo, there thy hire; And with that word him ftrook, that ftraight he did expire.

XII.

Which when the Pagan faw he wexed wroth,
And ftraight himself unto the fight addreft;
Ne was Sir Arthegal behind: fo both
Together ran with ready fpears in rest.

Right in the midft, whereas they breast to breast
Should meet, a trap was letten down to fall
Into the flood: ftraight leapt the Carle unbleft,
Well weening that his foe was faln withall:
But he was well aware, and leapt before his fall.
XIII.

There being both together in the flood,"
They each at other tyrannoufly flew ;
Ne ought the water cooled their hot blood,
But rather in them kindled choler new.

But there the Paynim, who that use well knew
To fight in water, great advantage had,
That oftentimes him nigh he overthrew :
And eke the courfer, whereupon he rad,

Could fwim like to a fifh, whiles he his back beftrad.
XIV.

Which odds whenas Sir Arthegal efpide,

He saw no way, but clofe with him in hafte;
And to him driving strongly down the tide,
Upon his iron collar griped faft,

That with the ftraint, his wefand nigh he braft,
There they together ftrove and ftrugled long,
Either the other from his fteed to caft,

Ne ever Arthegal his griple ftrong

For any thing would flack, but ftill upon him hong. XV.

As when a Dolphin and a Sele are met,

In the wide champaign of the ocean plain,
With cruel chaufe their courages they whet,
The mafterdom of each by force to gain,
And dreadful battle 'twixt them do darrain:
They fnuf, they fnort, they bounce, they rage, they rore,
That all the Sea (difturbed with their train)

Doth fry with fome above the furges hore:
Such was betwixt thefe two the troublefome uprore.

XVI.

So Arthegal at length him forc'd forfake
His horfes back, for dread of being drown'd,
And to his handy fwiming him betake.
Eftfoons himself he from his hold unbound,
And then no odds at all in him he found:
For Arthegal in fwimming skilful was,
And durft the depth of any water found.
So ought each Knight, that use of peril has,
In fwiming be expert, through waters force to pass.
XVII.

Then very doubtful was the wars event,
Uncertain whether had the better fide:
For both were skill'd in that experiment,
And both in arms well train'd and throughly tride,
But Arthegal was better breath'd beside,
And towards th'end, grew greater in his might,
That his faint foe no longer could abide
His puiffance, ne bear himself upright,
But from the water to the land betook his flight,
XVIII.

But Arthegal purfu'd him still so near,
With bright Chryfaor in his cruel hand,
That as his head he 'gan a little rear
Above the brink, to tread upon the land,
He fmote it off, that tumbling on the strand,
It bit the earth for very fell defpight,

And gnashed with his teeth, as if he band
High God, whofe goodness he defpaired quight,
Or curft the hand which did that vengeance on him dight,
XIX.

His corps was carried down along the lee,

Whose waters with his filthy blood it stain❜d:
But his blafphemous head, that all might fee,
He pitcht upon a pole on high ordain'd;
Where many years it afterwards remain'd,
To be a mirrour to all mighty men,

In whofe right hands great power is contain'd,
That none of them the feeble over-ren,

But always do their powre within juft compass pen.