Ah my dear dread (faid then the faithful maid)
Can dread of ought your dreadlefs heart withhold,
That many hath with dread of death dismay'd,
And dare even Deaths most dreadful face behold?
Say on, my foveraine Lady, and be bold.
Doth not your handmaids life at your foot lie?
Therewith much comforted, the 'gan unfold
The cause of her conceived malady,
As one that would confefs, yet fain would it deny.
XXXII.
Clarind', faid fhe, thou feeft yond Fairy Knight,
Whom not my valour, but his own brave mind
Subjected hath to my unequal might;
What right is it, that he should thraldom find,
For lending life to me a wretch unkind,
That for fuch good him recompenfe with ill?
Therefore I caft, how I may him unbind,
And by his freedom get his free good-will;
Yet fo, as bound to me he may continue ftill.
XXXIII.
Bound unto me, but not with fuch hard bands
Of ftrong compulsion, and streight violence,
As now in miferable ftate he ftands;
But with fweet Love and fure benevolence,
Void of malicious mind, or foul offence.
To which if thou canst win him any way,
Without discovery of my thoughts pretence,
Both goodly meed of him it purchase may,
And eke with grateful fervice me right well apay.
XXXIV.
Which that thou mayft the better bring to pass,
Lo here this ring, which fhall thy warrant be,
And token true to old Eumenias,
From time to time, when thou it beft fhalt fee,
That in and out thou mayft have paffage free.
Go now, Clarinda, well thy wits advise,
And all thy forces gather unto thee;
Armies of lovely looks, and fpeeches wife,
With which thou canft even Jove himself to love entice;
XXXV.
The trufty maid conceiving her intent,
Did with fure promise of her good endeavour, Give her great comfort, and fome hearts content. So from her parting, fhe thenceforth did labour By all the means fhe might, to curry favour With th❜Elfin Knight, her Ladies best belov'd; With daily fhew of courteous kind behaviour, Even at the mark-white of his heart the rov'd, And with wide glancing words, one day fhe thus him prov'd.
Unhappy Knight, upon whofe hopeless state
Fortune envying good, hath felly frown'd,
And cruel heav'ns have heapt an heavy fate;
I rue that thus thy better days are drown'd
In fad defpair, and all thy fenfes swoun'd
In ftupid forrow, fith thy jufter merit
Might elfe have with felicity been crown'd:
Look up at last, and wake thy dulled fpirit
To think how this long death thou mightest difinherit.
XXXVII.
Much did he marvel at her uncouth fpeech,
Whose hidden drift he could not well perceive; And 'gan to doubt, left fhe him fought t'appeach Of treafon or fome guileful train did wear, Through which fhe might his wretched life bereave. Both which to bar, he with this anfwer met her; Fair Damzell, that with ruth (as I perceive) Of my mishaps, art mov'd to wish me better, For fuch your kind regard, I can but reft your debtor, XXXVIII.
Yet weet ye well, that to a courage great
It is no lefs befeeming, well to bear
The ftorm of Fortunes frown, or heavens threat,
Than in the funfhine of her count'nance clear,
Timely to joy, and carry comely chear.
For though this cloud have now me overcaft,
Yet do 1 not of better times despair;
And though (unlike) they fhould for ever laft,
Yet in my truths affurance I reft fixed faft.
But what fo ftony mind (fhe then replide)
But if in his own powre occafion lay,
Would to his hope a window open wide,
And to his fortunes help make ready way ?
Unworthy fure quoth he, of better day,
That will not take the offer of good hope,
And eke pursue if he attain it may.
Which speeches fhe applying to the scope
Of her intent, this further purpose to him fhope.
Then why doft not, thou ill advized man,
Make means to win thy liberty forlorn,
And try if thou by fair entreaty can
Move Radigund? who though the still have worn
Her days in war, yet (weet thou) was not born
Of Bears and Tigers, nor fo falvage minded,
As that albe all love of men fhe fcorn,
She yet forgets that fhe of men was kinded:
And footh oft feen, that proudeft hearts base love hath
Certes Clarinda, not of cancred will,
Said he, nor obstinate disdainful mind,
I have forbore this duty to fulfill :
For well I may this ween, by that I find,
That she a Queen and come of Princely kind,
Both worthy is for to be fu'd unto,
Chiefly by him, whofe life her law doth bind,
And eke of powre her own doom to undo,
And als' of Princely grace to be enclin'd thereto.
But want of means hath been mine only let
From feeking favour, where it doth abound
Which if I might by your good office get,
I to your felf should reft for ever bound,
And ready to deferve what grace I found.
She feeling him thus bite upon the bait,
Yet doubting left his hold was but unfound,
And not well faften'd, would not strike him ftrait,
But drew him on with hope, fit leifure to await.
But foolish Maid, whiles heedlefs of the hook,
She thus oftimes was beating of and on,
Through flippery footing, fell into the brook,
And there was caught to her confufion.
For feeking thus to falve the Amazon,
She wounded was with her deceits own dart,
And 'gan thenceforth to caft affection,
Conceived close in her beguiled heart,
To Arthegal, through pity of his causeless smart,
XLIV.
Yet durft fhe not difclofe her fancies wound,
Ne to himself, for doubt of being 'fdayned,
Ne yet to any other wight on ground,
For fear her miftrefs fhould have knowledge gain'd,
But to herself it fecretly retain'd,
Within the clofet of her covert breast:
The more thereby her tender heart was pain'd.
Yet to await fit time fhe weened beft,
And fairly did diffemble her fad thoughts unreft.
XLV.
One day her Lady calling her apart,
'Gan to demand of her fome tidings good,
Touching her loves fuccefs, her lingring fmart.
Therewith the 'gan at first to change her mood,
As one adaw'd and half confused stood;
But quickly fhe it overpaft, fo foon
As the her face had wip'd, to fresh her blood:
Tho'gan fhe tell her all, that she had done,
And all the ways fhe fought his love for to have won :
XLVI.
But faid that he was obftinate and fstern,
Scorning her offers and conditions vain;
Ne would be taught with any terms, to learn
So fond a leffon as to love again.
Die rather would he in penurious pain,
And his abbridged days in dolour waste,
Than his foes love or liking entertain :
His refolution was both firft and laft,
His body was her thrall, his heart was freely plafte.
Which when the cruel Amazon perceiv'd,
She 'gan to ftorm, and rage, and rend her gall,
For very fell defpight, which fhe conceiv'd,
To be fo fcorned of a bafe born thrall,
Whose life did lie in her least eyelids fall;
Of which the vow'd with many a curfed threat,
That the therefore would him ere long foreftal.
Nath'lefs when calmed was her furious heat,
She chang'd that threatful mood, and mildly 'gan intreat.
XLVIII.
What now is left Clarinda? what remains,
That we may compass this our enterprize?
Great fhame to lofe fo long employed pains;
And greater fhame t'abide fo great mifprize,
With which he dares our offers thus defpize.
Yet that his guilt the greater may appear,
And more my gracious mercy by this wize,
I will awhile with his firft folly bear,
Till thou have tride again, and tempted him more near.
XLIX.
Say and do all, that may thereto prevail ;
Leave nought unpromift, that may him perfuade
Life, freedom, grace, and gifts of great avail,
With which the Gods themselves are milder made:
Thereto add art, even womens witty trade,
The art of mighty words, that men can charm;
With which in cafe thou canft him not invade,
Let him feel hardness of thy heavy arm:
Whowill not stoopwith good,fhall bemadestoopwith harm.
L.
Some of his diet do from him withdraw;
For I him find to be too proudly fed.
Give him more labour and with ftreighter law,
That he with work may be forwearied.
Let him lodge hard, and lie in strawen bed,
That may pull down the courage of his pride;
And lay upon him for his greater dread,
Cold iron chains, with which let him be tide;
And let whatever he defires, be him denide.
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