LII.

Then fincé, quoth fhe, the term of each mans life
For nought may leffen'd nor enlarged be,
Grant this, that when ye fhred with fatal knife
His line, which is the eldest of the three,
Which is of them the fhorteft, as I fee,
Eftfoons his life may pafs into the next:
And when the next fhall likewife ended be,
That both their lives may likewise be annext
Unto the third, that his may fo be trebly wext.
LIII.

They granted it; and then that careful Fay
Departed thence with full contented mind;
And coming home, in warlike fresh array
Them found all three according to their kind:
But unto them what deftiny was affign'd,
Or how their lives were ekt, she did not tell
But evermore, when fhe fit time could find,
She warned them to tend their fafeties well,
And love each other dear, what-ever them befell.
LIV.

So did they furely during all their days,

And never difcord did amongst them fall;
Which much augmented all their other praise.
And now, t'encrease affection natural,
In love of Canacee they joined all:

Upon which ground this fame great battle grew
(Great matter growing of beginning small ;)
The which for length I will not here purfue,
But rather will referve it for a canto new.

CANTO IIÍ.

The battle twixt three brethren, with
Cambell for Canacee.

Cambina with true friendships bond
Doth their long strife agree.

I.

why do wretched men so much defiré
To draw their days unto the utmost date,
And do not rather with them foon expire,
Knowing the mifery of their eftate,

And thousand perils which them still await,
Toffing them like a boat amid the main,
That every houre they knock at Deathës gate?
And he that happy feems, and least in pain,
Yet is as nigh his end, as he that most doth 'plain.
II.

Therefore this Fay I hold but fond and vain,
The which in feeking for her children three
Long life thereby did more prolong their pain:
Yet whilst they lived, none did ever fee
More happy creatures than they seem'd to be,
Nor more ennobled for their courtefie:
That made them dearly lov'd of each degree;
Ne more renowned for their chevalry:

That made them dreaded much of all men far and nigh.
III.

These three that hardy challenge took in hand,
For Canacee with Cambell for to fight:
The day was fet, that all might understand,
And pledges pawn'd the fame to keep aright.
That day (the dreddest day that living wight.
Did ever fee upon this world to fhine)
So foon as heavens window fhewed light,
These warlike champions, all in armour fhine,
Affembled were in freld, the challenge to define..
VOL. II.
C

IV.

The field with lifts was all about enclos'd,
To bar the prease of people far away;
And at th❜one fide fix Judges were difpos'd,
To view and deem the deeds of arms that day:
And on the other fide, in fresh array.

Fair Canacee upon a stately stage

Was fet, to fee the fortune of that fray,
And to be feen, as his moft worthy wage,

That could her purchase with his life's adventur'd gage.
V.

Then entred Cambell firft into the lift,

With stately steps, and fearlefs countenance,
As if the conqueft his he furely wist,

Soon after, did the brethren three advance,

In brave array, and goodly amenance,

With fcutchins gilt, and banners broad difplay'd:
And marching thrice in warlike ordinance,

Thrice louted lowly to the noble maid,

The whiles fhrill trumpets and loud clarions fweetly play'd.

VI.

Which doen, the doughty challenger came forth,
All arm'd to point, his challenge to abet;
'Gainft whom, Sir Priamond with equal worth,
And equal arms himself did forward fet.
A trumpet blew; they both together met,
With dreadful force, and furious intent,
Careless of peril in their fierce affret,
As if that life to lofe they had forelent,

And cared not to fpare, that fhould be fhortly spent.
VII.

Right practick was Sir Priamond in fight,

And throughly fkil'd in use of shield and spear;
Ne lefs approved was Cambellos might,
Ne lefs his fkill in weapons did appear,
That hard it was to ween which harder were.
Full many mighty ftrokes on either fide
Were fent, that feemed death in them to bear :
But they were both fo watchful and well eyde,
That they avoided were, and vainly by did fide.

VIII.

Yet one of many was fo ftrongly bent
By Priamond, that with unlucky glance,
Through Cambells fhoulder it unwarely went,
That forced him his fhield to difadvance,
Much was he grieved with that graceless chance
Yet from the wound no drop of blood there fell,
But wondrous pain, that did the more enhance
His haughty courage to avengement fell: [fwell.
Smart daunts not mighty hearts, but makes them more to
IX.

With that his poinant fpear he fierce aventred,
With double force clofe underneath his fhield,
That through the mails into his thigh it entred,
And there arresting ready way did yield,
For blood to gufh forth on the graffie field;
That he for pain himself n'ote right uprear,
But to and fro in great amazement reel'd,
Like an old Oak, whofe pith and fap is fear,
At puff of every storm doth stagger here and there.
X.

Whom fo difmaid when Cambell had efpide,
Again he drove at him with double might,
That nought mote stay the fteel, till in his fide
The mortal point moft cruelly empight:
Where faft infixed, whilft he fought by flight
It forth to wreft, the staff asunder brake,
And left the head behind: with which defpight
He all enrag'd, his fhivering fpear did fhake,
And charging him afresh, thus felly him befpake.
XI.

Lo faitour there thy meed unto thee take,
The meed of thy mifchallenge and abet:
Not for thine own, but for thy fifters fake,
Have I thus long thy life unto thee let:
But to forbear, doth not forgive, the debt.
The wicked weapon heard his wrathful vow;
And paffing forth with furious affret,

Pierc'd through his bever quite into his brow,
That with the force it backward forced him to bow.

XII.

There-with afunder in the midst it brast,

And in his hand nought but the truncheon left,
The other half behind yet fticking faft,
Out of his head-piece Cambell fiercely reft:
And with fuch fury back at him it heft:
That making way unto his deareft life,
His weafand-pipe it through his gorget cleft:
Thence streams of purple blood iffuing rife,

Let forth his weary ghoft, and made an end of ftrife.
XIII.

His weary ghoft, affoil'd from fleshly band,
Did not (as others wont) directly fry
Unto her reft in Plutos griefly land;
Ne into air did vanish presently,
Ne changed was into a ftar in sky:
But through traduction was eftfoons deriv'd,
Like as his mother pray'd the Destiny,

Into his other brethren, that furviv'd;

In whom he liv'd anew, of former life depriv'd.

XIV.

Whom when on ground his brother next beheld,
Though fad and forry for fo heavy fight,
Yet leave unto his forrow did not yield:
But rather ftird to vengeance and defpight,
Through fecret feeling of his generous-fpright,
Rufht fiercely forth, the battle to renew,
As in reverfion of his brothers right;
And challenging the virgin as his due.
His foe was foon addreft: the trumpets freshly blew.
XV.

With that they both together fiercely met,
As if that each meant other to devour;
And with their axes both fo forely bet,

That neither plate nor mail, whereas their powre
They felt, could once fuftain the hideous flowre,
But rived were, like rotten wood afunder,
Whilft through their rifts the ruddy blood did fhowre,
And fire did flafh, like lightning after thunder,
That fill'd the lookers on attonce with ruth and wonder.

5