And running unto them with greedy joys,
Fell ftraight about their necks, as they did kneel;
And buriting forth in tears: Ah my fweet boys,.
Said fhe, yet now I 'gin new life to feel;
And feeble fpirits, that 'gan faint and reel,
Now rife again, at this your joyous fight.
Already feems that Fortunes headlong wheel
Begins to turn, and fun to fhine more bright
Than it was wont, through comfort of this noble Knight,
XXI.
Then turning unto him; And you, Sir Knight,
Said fhe, that taken have this toilfome pain
For wretched woman, miferable wight,
May you in heaven immortal guerdon gain
For fo great travel, as you do fuftain:
For other meed may hope for none of me,
To whom nought elfe, but bare life doth remain
And that fo wretched one, as ye do fee
Is liker lingring death, than loathed life to be.
XXII.
Much was he moved with her piteous plight;
And low difmounting from his lofty fteed,
'Gan to recomfort her all that he might,
Seeking to drive away deep-rooted dreed,
With hope of help in that her greatest need.
So thence he wished her with him to wend,
Unto fome place, where they mote rest and feed,
And she take comfort, which God now did fend:
Good heart in evils doth the evils much amend,
XXIII.
Ay me! said she, and whither fhall I go?
Are not all places full of foreign powres ?
My palaces poffeffed of my foe,
My cities fackt, and their fky-threatning towres
Rafed, and made fmooth fields now full of flowres?
Only thefe marifhes, and miry bogs,
In which the fearful Ewftes do build their bowres, Yield me an hoftry 'mongst the croaking Frogs, And harbour here in fafety from thofe ravenous Dogs,
Nath'lefs, faid he, dear Lady with me go:
Some place fhall us receive and harbour yield;
If not, we will it force maugre your foe,
And purchase it to us with spear and fhield:
And if all fail yet farewell open field:
The earth to all her creatures lodging lends.
With fuch his chearful fpeeches he doth wield
Her mind fo well, that to his will the bends;
Andbinding up her locks and weeds, forth with him wends,
XXV.
They came unto a city far up land,
The which whylome that Ladies own had been:
But now by force extort out of her hand,
By her ftrong foe, who had defaced clean
Her ftately towres, and buildings funny fheen
Shut up her haven, mard her merchants trade,
Robbed her people, that full rich had been,
And in her neck a caftle huge had made,
The which did her command, without needing perfuade.
XXVI.
That caftle was the ftrength of all that ftate,
Untill that state by ftrength was pulled down:
And that fame city, fo now ruinate,
Had been the key of all that kingdoms crown;
Both goodly caftle, and both goodly town,
Till that th'offended heavens lift to lowre
Upon their blifs, and baleful fortune frown.
When thofe 'gainft ftates and kingdoms do conjure, Who then can think their headlong ruin to recure? XXVII.
But he had brought it now in fervile bond,
And made it bear the yoke of inquifition,
Striving long time in vain it to withstond;
Yet glad at laft to make most base submission,
And life enjoy for any compofition.
So now he hath new laws and orders new
Impos'd on it, with many a hard condition,
And forced it, the honour that is due
To God, to do unto his Idol most untrue.
To him he hath, before this caftle-green,
Built a fair chappel, and an altar fram'd
Of coftly ivory, full rich befeen,
On which that curfed Idol far proclaim'd,
He hath fet up, and him his God hath nam'd,
Offring to him in finful facrifize
The flesh of men, to Gods own likeness fram'd,
And pouring forth their blood in brutish wize,
That any iron eyes to fee it would agrize.
And for more horrour and more crueltie,
Under that curfed Idols altar-ftone;
An hideous monster doth in darkness lie,
Whose dreadful fhape was never seen of none
That lives on earth; but unto thofe alone
The which unto him facrificed be.
Those he devours they fay, both flesh and bone:
What else they have, is all the tyrants fee;
So that no whit of them remaining one may fee
XXX.
There eke he placed a ftrong garrison
And fet a Senefchal of dreaded might,
That by his powre oppreffed every one,
And vanquished all ventrous Knights in fight;
To whom he wont fhew all the fhame he might,
After that them in battle he had won.
To which when now they 'gan approach in fight, The Lady counsel'd him the place to fhone, Whereas fo many Knights had fouly been fordone. XXXI.
Her fearful speeches nought he did regard;
But riding ftraight under the castle wall,
Called aloud unto the watchful ward,
Which there did wait, willing them forth to call
Into the field their tyrants Senefchal,
To whom when tidings thereof came, he straight
Calls for his arms, and arming him withall,
Eftfoons forth pricked proudly in his might,
And 'gan with courage fierce addrefs him to the fight
They both encounter in the middle plain.
And their fharp fpears do both together fmite
Amid their fhields, with fo much might and main,
That feem'd their fouls they would have riven quight
Out of their breafts with furious defpight.
Yet could the Senefchals no entrance find
Into the Princes fhield, where it empight:
So pure the metal was and well refin'd,
But fhiver'd all about, and scatter'd in the wind.
XXXIII.
Not fo the Prince's; but with reftlefs force,
Into his fhield it ready paffage found,
Both through his haberjeon, and eke his corfe :
Which tumbling down upon the senseiefs ground,
Gave leave unto his ghoft from thraldom bound,
To wander in the griefly fhades of night.
There did the Prince him leave in deadly fwound,
And thence unto the caftle marched right,
To fee if entrance there as yet obtain he might.
XXXIV.
But as he nigher drew, three Knights he fpide,
All arm'd to point, iffuing forth apace,
Which towards him with all their powre did ride;
And meeting him right in the middle race,
Did all their spears attonce on him enchace.
As three great culverings for batt'ry bent,
And leveld all against one certain place,
Do all attonce their thunders rage forth-rent,
That makes the walls to ftagger with aftonishment:
XXXV.
So all attonce they on the Prince did thunder;
Who from his faddle fwerved nought afide,
Ne to their force gave way, that was great wonder,
But like a bulwark firmly did abide;
Rebutting him which in the midft did ride,
With fo huge rigour, that his mortal spear
Paft through his fhield, and pierc'd through either fide,
That down he fell upon his mother dear,
And poured forth his wretched life in deadly drear.
Whom when his other fellows faw, they fled
As faft as feet could carry them away;
And after them the Prince as fwiftly fped,
To be aveng'd of their unknightly play.
There whilft they entring, th'one did th'other stay,
The hindmoft in the gate he overhent,
And as he preffed in, him there did flay:
His carcass tumbling on the threshold, fent
His groaning foul unto her place of punishment.
XXXVII.
The other which was entred, labour'd faft
To fpar the gate; but that fame lump of clay,
Whofe grudging ghoft was thereout fled and past,
Right in the middeft of the threshold lay,
That it the postern did from closing stay :
The whiles, the Prince had preased in between,
And entrance won. Straight th'other fled away,
And ran into the hall, where he did ween
Himfelf to fave: but he there flew him at the screen.
XXXVIII.
Then all the reft which in that caftle were,
Seeing that fad enfample them before,
Durft not abide, but fled away for fear,
And them conveyd out at a postern dore.
Long fought the Prince but when he found no more
T'oppose against his powre, he forth iffu'd
Unto that Lady, where he her had lore,
And her 'gan chear with what fhe there had view'd, And what she had not feen, within unto her fhew'd. XXXIX.
Who with right humble thanks him goodly greeting,
For fo great prowess, as he there had prov❜d,
Much greater than was ever in her weeting,
With great admirance inwardly was mov'd,
And honour'd him, with all that her behov'd.
Thenceforth into that caftle he her led,
With her two fons, right dear of her belov'd,
Where all that night themselves they cherished,
And from her baleful mind all care he banished.
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