There she began to make her moanfull plaint
Against her Knight, for being fo untrue;
And him to touch with falfhoods foul attaint,
That all his other honour overthrew.
Oft did the blame her felf, and often rue,
For yielding to a strangers love fo light,
Whofe life and manners ftrange fhe never knew;
And evermore fhe did him fharply twight
For breach of faith to her, which he had firmly plight.
XIII.
And then the in her wrathfull will did caft,
How to revenge that blot of honour blent;
To fight with him, and goodly die her laft:
And then again fhe did her felf torment,
Inflicting on her felf his punishment.
Awhile the walkt, and chauft; awhile fhe threw
Her felf upon her bed, and did lament:
Yet did the not lament with loud alew,
As women wont, but with deep fighs, and fingults few.
XIV.
Like as a wayward child, whofe founder fleep
Is broken with fome fearfull dreams affright,
With froward will doth fet himself to weep;
Ne can be ftill'd for all his nurses might,
But kicks, and fquals, and fhrieks for fell defpight: Now fcratching her, and her loofe locks mifufing; Now feeking darkness, and now feeking light; Then craving fuck, and then the fuck refufing: Such was this Ladies fit, in her Loves fond accufing. XV.
But when he had with fuch unquiet fits
Her felf there clofe afflicted long in vain,
Yet found no eafement in her troubled wits,
She unto Talus forth return'd again,
By change of place feeking to eafe her pain;
And 'gan enquire of him, with milder mood,
The certain caufe of Arthegals detain:
And what he did, and in what ftate he stood,
And whether he did woo, or whether he were woo'd
VOL. II.
Ah well-away! faid then the iron man,
That he is not the while in ftate to woo;
But lies in wretched thraldom, weak and wan,
Not by strong hand compelled thereunto,
But his own doom, that none can now undo.
Said I not then, quoth fhe, ere-while aright,
That this is thing compact betwixt you two,
Me to deceive of faith unto me plight,
Since that he was not forc'd, nor overcome in fight?
XVII.
With that, he 'gan at large to her dilate
The whole difcourfe of his captivance fad,
In fort as ye have heard the fame of late.
All which, when fhe with hard endurance had
Heard to the end, fhe was right fore bestad,
With fudden stounds of wrath and grief attone:
Ne would abide, till fhe had anfwer made;
But ftraight her felf did dight, and armour don;
And mounting to her fteed, bade Talus guide her on.
XVIII.
So forth fhe rode upon her ready way,
To feek her Knight, as Talus her did guide:
Sadly fhe rode, and never word did fay,
Nor good nor bad, ne ever lookt afide,
But ftill right down, and in her thought did hide
The felnefs of her heart, right fully bent
To fierce avengement of that womans pride,
Which had her Lord in her base prifon pent,
And fo great honour with fo foul reproach had blent.
XIX.
So as fhe thus melancholick did ride,
Chawing the cud of grief and inward pain,
She chanc'd to meet, toward the even-tide
A Knight, that foftly paced on the plain,
As if himself to folace he were fain.
Well fhot in years he feem'd, and rather bent
To peace, than needlefs trouble to constrain,
As well by view of that his veftiment,
As by his modeft femblant, that no evil meant.
He coming near, 'gan gently her falute
With courteous words, in the moft comely wize;
Who though defirous rather to reft mute,
Than terms to entertain of common guize,
Yet rather than fhe kindness would defpize,
She would her felf difpleafe, fo him requite.
Then 'gan the other further to devize
Of things abroad, as next to hand did light,
And many things demand, to which the anfwer'd light..
For little luft had fhe to talk of ought,
Or ought to hear, that mote delightful be;
Her mind was whole poffeffed of one thought,
That gave none other place. Which whenas he
By outward figns (as well he might) did fee,
He lift no longer to use loathful fpeech,
But her befought to take it well in gree,
Sith fhady damp had dimd the heavens reach,
To lodge with him that night, unless good caufe empeach.
XXII.
The championefs, now feeing night at dore,
Was glad to yield unto his good request:
And with him went without gainfaying more.
Not far away, but little wide by West,
His dwelling was, to which he him addreft,
Where foon arriving they received were
In feemly wife, as them befeemed beft:
For he their Hoft them goodly well did chear, And talkt of pleafant things, the night away to wear. XXIII.
Thus paffing th' evening well till time of reft,
Then Britomart unto a bowre was brought;
Where grooms awaited her to have undreft.
But the ne would undressed be for ought,
Ne doff her arms, though he her much befought.
For fhe had vow'd, fhe faid, not to forgo
Those warlike weeds, till fhe revenge had wrought
Of a late wrong upon a mortal foe;
Which the would fure perform, betide her weal of woe.
Which when her Hoft perceiv'd, right discontent
In mind he grew, for fear left by that art
He fhould his purpofe mifs, which close he ment:
Yet taking leave of her he did depart.
There all that night remained Britomart.
Reftlefs, recomfortlefs, with heart deep griev'd,
Not fuffring the leaft twinkling fleep to start
Into her eye, which th' heart mote have reliev'd;
But if the leaft appear'd, her eyes fhe ftraight repriev'd.
XXV.
Ye guilty eyes, faid fhe, the which with guile
My heart at first betray'd, will ye betray
My life now too, for which a little while
Ye will not watch? falfe watches, weal-away,
I wote when ye did watch both night and day
Unto your lofs and now needs will ye fleep?
Now ye have made my heart to wake alway,
Now will ye fleep? ah! wake, and rather weep,
To think of your nights want, that fhould ye waking keep.
XXVI.
Thus did the watch, and wear the weary night
In wailfull plaints, that none was to appeafe;
Now walking foft, now fitting ftill upright,
As fundry change her feemed beft to eafe.
Ne lefs did Talus fuffer fleep to feize
His eye-lids fad, but watch'd continually,
Lying without her door in great disease,
Like to a Spaniel waiting carefully
Left any fhould betray his Lady treacherously.
XXVII.
What time the native Belman of the night,
The bird that warned Peter of his fall,
First rings his filver bell t' each fleepy wight,
That fhould their minds up to devotion call,
She heard a wondrous noife below the hall.
All fuddenly the bed, where the fhould lie,
By a falfe trap was let adown to fall
Into a lower room, and by and by
The loft was raid again, that no man could it fpie.
With fight whereof fhe was difmayd right fore,
Perceiving well the treafon, which was meant:
Yet stirred not at all for doubt of more,
But kept her place with courage confident,
Waiting what would enfue of that event.
It was not long, before fhe heard the found
Of armed men, coming with close intent
Towards her chamber; at which dreadful stound
She quickly caught her fword, and fhield about her bound,
XXIX.
With that, there came unto her chamber dore
Two Knights, all armed ready for to fight;
And after them full many other more,
A rafcal rout, with weapons rudely dight.
Whom foon as Talus fpide by glimpse of night,
He started up, there where on ground he lay,
And in his hand his threfher ready keight.
They feeing that, let drive at him ftraightway,
And round about him preace in riotous array.
XXX.
But foon as he began to lay about
With his rude iron flail, they 'gan to fly,
Both armed Knights and eke unarmed rout:
Yet Talus after them apace did ply,
Wherever in the dark he could them fpy;
That here and there like fcattred fheep they lay.
Then back returning, where his Dame did lie,
He to her told the ftory of that fray,
And all that treafon there intended did bewray,.
XXXI.
Wherewith though wondrous wroth, and inly burning
To be avenged for fo feul a deed,
Yet being forc'd t' abide the days returning, She there remain'd, but with right wary heed, Left any more fuch practice fhould proceed.. Now mote ye know (that which to Britomart Unknowen was) whence all this did proceed: And for what caufe fo great mifchievous fmart Was meant to her, that never evil meant in heart.
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