XX.

That done, unto the castle he did wen'd,
In which the Paynims daughter did abide,
Guarded of many which did her defend :
Of whom he entrance fought, but was denide,
And with reproachful blafphemy defide,
Beaten with ftones down from the battlement,
That he was forced to withdraw afide;
And bade his fervant Talus to invent
Which way he enter might without endangerment,
XXI.

Eftfoons his Page drew to the caftle gate,
And with his iron flail at it let fly,
That all the Warders it did fore amate,
The which ere while fpake fo reproachfully,
And made them ftoop, that looked earst fo high,
Yet ftill he beat, and bounft upon the dore,
And thundred ftrokes thereon fo hideously,
That all the piece he shaked from the flore,
And filled all the house with fear and great uprore.
XXII.

With noise whereof, the Lady forth appear'd
Upon the castle wall: and when the faw
The dangerous ftate in which fhe ftood, fhe fear'd
The fad effect of her near overthrow;
And 'gan intreat that iron man below,

To cease his outrage, and him fair befought,
Sith neither force of ftones which they did throw,
Nor powre of charms, which she against him wrought,
Might otherwife prevail, or make him ceafe for ought.
XXIII.

But whenas yet fhe faw him to proceed,

Unmov'd with prayers, or with piteous thought,
She meant him to corrupt with goodly meed;
And caus'd great facks, with endless riches fraught,
Unto the battlement to be upbrought,

And poured forth over the castle wall,

That the might win fome time (though dearly bought) Whilft he to gathering of the gold did fall.

But he was nothing mov'd nor tempted therewithall.

XXIV.

But ftill continu'd his affault the more,

And laid on load with his huge iron flail,
That at the length he has yrent the dore,
And made way for his mafter to affail.
Who being entred, nought did then avail
For wight, against his powre themselves to rear:
Each one did fly; their hearts began to fail,

And hid themselves in corners here and there;
And, eke their Dame half dead, did hide her self for fear.
XXV.

Long they her fought, yet no where could they find her,
That fure they ween'd fhe was efcapt away:
But Talus, that could like a lime-hound wind her,
And all things fecret wifely could bewray,
At length found out whereas fhe hidden lay
Under an heap of gold. Thence he her drew
By the fair locks, and foully did array,
Withouten pity of goodly hue,

That Arthegal himself her feemlefs plight did rue.
XXVI.

Yet for no pity would he change the course
Of Justice, which in Talus hand did lie;
Who rudely hall'd her forth without remorfe,
Still holding up her fuppliant hands on high
And kneeling at his feet fubmiffively.

But her fuppliant hands, thofe hands of gold,
And eke her feet, thofe feet of filver try

(Which fought unrighteoufnefs, and justice fold) Chopt off, and naild on high, that all might them behold. XXVII.

Her felf then took he by the flender waist,
In vain loud crying, and into the flood
Over the castle wall adown her caft,

And there her drowned in the dirty mud:
But the stream wafht away her guilty blood.
Thereafter all that mucky pelf he took,
The fpoil of peoples evil gotten good,

The which her fire had fcrapt by hook and crook, And burning all to afhes, pour'd it down the brook.

XXVIII.

And lastly, all that caftle quite he ras'd,
Even from the fole of his foundation,
And all the hewen ftones thereof defac'd,
That there mote be no hope of reparation,
Nor memory thereof to any nation.

All which when Talus throughly had perform'd,
Sir Arthegal undid the evil fashion,

And wicked cuftoms of that bridge reform'd.
Which done, unto his former journey he return'd.
XXIX.

In which they measur'd mickle weary way,
Till that at length nigh to the fea they drew;
By which as they did travel on a day,
They faw before them, far as they could view,
Full many people gather'd in a crew;
Whofe great affembly they did much admire,
For never there the like refort they knew.
So towards them they coafted, to enquire
What thing to many nations met, did there defire.
XXX.

There they beheld a mighty Giant stand
Upon a rock, and holding forth on high
An huge great pair of ballance in his hand,
With which he boasted in his furquedry,
That all the world he would weigh equally,
If ought he had the fame to counterpoys.
For want whereof, he weighed vanity,
And fill'd his ballance full of idle toys:
Yet was admired much of fools, women, and boys.
XXXI.

He said that he would all the earth uptake,

And all the fea divided each from either:
So would he of the fire one ballance make,
And one of th' air, without or wind, or weather:
Then would he ballance heaven and hell together,
And all that did within them all contain;

Of all whofe weight he would not mifs a feather.
And look what furplus did of each remain,
He would to his own part restore the fame again.
VOL. II.

M

XXXII.

For why, he faid, they all unequal were,
And had encroached upon others fhare;
Like as the fea (which plain he fhewed there)
Had worne the earth: fo did the fire the air;
So all the reft did others parts empair.
And fo were realms and nations run awry.
All which he undertook for to repair,
In fort as they were formed anciently;
And all things would reduce unto equality.
XXXIII.

Therefore the vulgar did about him flock,
And clufter thick unto his leafings vain,
Like foolish flies about an honey-crock,

In hope by him great benefit to gain,

And uncontrolled freedom to obtain.

All which, when Arthegal did fee and hear,
How he misled the fimple peoples train,
In 'fdeignful wife he drew unto him near,
And thus unto him fpake, without regard or fear.
XXXIV.

Thou that prefum'ft to weigh the world anew,
And all things to an equal to restore,
Inftead of right, me feems great wrong doft fhew,
And far above thy forces pitch to foare.
For ere thou limit what is lefs or more
In every thing, thou oughteft first to know,
What was the poife of every part of yore:
And look then how much it doth overflow,
Or fail thereof, fo much is more than just I trow.
XXXV.

For at the first, they all created were

In goodly measure, by their makers might;
And weighed out in ballances fo near,
That not a dram was miffing of their right.
The earth was in the middle centre pight,
In which it doth immoveable abide,

Hemd in with waters, like a wall in fight:
And they with air, that not a drop can slide:
All which the heavens contain, and in their courfes guide.

XXXVI.

Such heavenly juftice doth among them reign,
That every one do know their certain bound,
In which they do these many years remain ;

And mongst them all no change hath yet been found.
But if thou now fhould'ft weigh them new in pound,
We are not sure they would fo long remain:
All change is per❜lous, and all chance unfound.
Therefore leave off to weigh them all again,
Till we may be affur'd they fhall their courfe retain.
XXXVII.

Thou foolish Elf faid then the Giant wroth,
Seeft not how badly all things prefent be,
And each eftate quite out of order go'th?
The fea it felf doft thou not plainly fee
Encroach upon the land there under thee;
And th' earth it felf how daily it's increast,
By all that dying to it turned be?

Were it not good that wrong were then furceaft, And from the moft, that fome were given to the leaft. XXXVIII.

Therefore I will throw down thofe mountains high,
And make them level with the lowly plain :
These towring rocks, which reach unto the sky,
I will thruft down into the deepest main,
And as they were, them equalize again.
Tyrants that make men fubject to their law,
I will fupprefs, that they no more may reign;
And Lordings curb, that commons over-awe;
And all the wealth of rich men, to the poor will draw.
XXXIX.

Of things unfeen how canft thou deem aright,
Then anfwered the righteous Arthegal,

Sith thou misdeem'ft fo much of things in fight?
What though the fea with waves continual
Do eat the earth, it is no more at all:
Ne is the earth the lefs, or lofeth ought;
For whatfover from one place doth fall,
Is with the tide unto another brought :

For there is nothing loft, that may be found, if fought.