XIV.

But first him feemed fit, that, wounded Knight
To vifit, after this nights per'lous pafs,
And to falute him, if he were in plight,
And eke that Lady his fair lovely Lafs.
There he him found much better than he was,
And moved speech to him of things of course,
The anguifh of his pain to over-pass:

Mongft which he namely did to him difcourse,
Of former days mishap, his forrows wicked fourfe.
XV.

Of which occafion Aldine taking hold,

'Gan break to him the fortunes of his Love, And all his disadventures to unfold; That Calidore it dearly deep did move. In th'end his kindly courtefie to prove, He him by all the bands of love befought, And as it mote a faithful friend behove, To fafe-conduct his Love, and not for ought To leave, till to her Fathers house he had her brought. XVI.

Sir Calidore his faith thereto did plight,

It to perform: fo after little stay,

That the herself had to the journey dight,

He paffed forth with her in fair array,

Fearless, who ought did think, or ought did fay,

Sith his own thought he knew most clear from wite. So as they paft together on their way,

He 'gan devife this counter caft of flight

To give fair colour to that Ladies cause in fight.

XVII.

Straight to the carcafs of that Knight he went,
The caufe of all this evil, who was flain.
The day before by juft avengement
Of noble Triftram, where it did remain :
There he the neck thereof did cut in twain,
And took with him the head, the fign of fhame,
So forth he paffed thorough that day's pain,
Till to that Ladies Fathers houfe he came,

Moft penfive man, through fear, what of his child became.

XVIII.

There he arriving boldly, did prefent
The fearful Lady to her Father dear,
Most perfect pure, and guiltless innocent
Of blame, as he did on his knighthood swear,
Since firft he faw her, and did free from fear
Of a difcourteous Knight, who her had reft,
And by outrageous force away did bear:
Witnefs thereof he fhew'd his head there left,
And wretched life forlorn for vengement of his theft.
XIX.

Moft joyful man her Sire was her to fee,

And hear th' adventure of her late mifchance;
And thousand thanks to Calidore for fee
Of his large pains in her deliverance
Did yield; Ne lefs the Lady did advance.
Thus having her reftored truftily,

As he had vow'd, fome fmall continuance
He there did make, and then most carefully
Unto his first exploit he did himself apply..
XX.

So as he was pursuing of his quest,

He chanc'd to come whereas a jolly Knight,
In covert fhade himself did fafely reft,
To folace with his Lady in delight:

His warlike arms he had from him undight;
For that himself he thought from danger free,
And far from envious eyes that mote him fpight,
And eke the Lady was full fair to fee,
And courteous withall, becoming her degree.
XXI.

To whom Sir Calidore approaching nigh,
Ere they were well aware of living wight,
Them much abafht, but more himfelt thereby,
That he fo rudely did upon them light,
And troubled had their quiet loves delight.
Yet fince it was his fortune, not his fault,
Himself thereof he laboured to acquite,
And pardon crav'd for his fo rafh default,
That he 'gainst courtefy fo fouly did default.

XXII.

With which his gentle words and goodly wit,
He foon allay'd that Knights conceiv'd difpleasure,
That he befought him down by him to fit,
That they mote treat of things abroad at leifure;
And of adventures, which had in his measure
Of fo long ways to him befallen late.

So down he fate, and with delightful pleasure
His long adventures 'gan to him relate,
Which he endured had through dangerous debate.
XXIII.

Of which whilft they difcourfed both together,
The fair Serena (fo his Lady hight)

Allur'd with mildnefs of the gentle weather,
And pleasance of the place, the which was dight
With divers flowres diftinct with rare delight;
Wandred about the fields, as liking led
Her wavering luft after her wandring fight,
To make a girlond to adorn her head,
Without fufpect of ill or dangers hidden dread.
XXIV.

All fudainly out of the foreft near

The Blatant Beaft, forth rufhing unaware,
Caught her thus loofely wandring here and there,
And in his wide great mouth away her bare.
Crying aloud, to fhew her fad misfare
Unto the Knights, and calling oft for ayd;
Who with the horrour of her hapless care
Haftily farting up, like men difmay'd,
Ran after faft, to refcue the diftreffed Maid.
XXV.

The beast with their purfuit incited more,
Into the wood was bearing her apace
For to have spoiled her, when Calidore
Who was more light of foot and fwift in chace,
Him over-took in middeft of his race.
And fiercely charging him with all his might,
Forc'd to forgo his prey there in the place,
And to betake himself to fearful flight;
For he durft not abide with Calidore to fight.

1

XXVI.

Who natheless, when he the Lady faw

There left on ground, though in full evil plight,
Yet knowing that her Knight now near did draw,
Stayd not to fuccour her in that affright,
But follow'd faft the monster in his flight:
Through woods and hills he follow'd him fo faft,
That he n'ould let him breathe nor gather fpright,
But forc'd him gape and gafp, with dread aghaft,
A's if his lungs and lites were nigh afunder braft.
XXVII.

And now by this, Sir Calepine (fo hight)

Came to the place, where he his Lady found
In dolorous difmay and deadly plight,

AH in gore blood there tumbled on the ground,
Having both fides through grip'd with griefly wound.
His weapons foon from him he threw away;
And ftooping down to her in drery fwound,
Up rear'd her from the ground, whereon fhe lay,
And in his tender arms her forced up to stay.
XXVIII.

So well he did his bufie pains apply,

That the faint fprite he did revoke again,
To her frail manfion of mortality.

Then up he took her 'twixt his armës twain,
And fetting on his fteed, her did sustain
With careful hands foft footing her befide,
Till to fome place of reft they mote attain,
Where fhe in fafe affurance mote abide,
Till fhe recured were of thofe her woundes wide.
XXIX.

Now whenas Phabus with his fiery wain
Unto his Inn began to draw apace;
Tho wexing weary of that toilfome pain,
In travelling on foot fo long a space,
Not wont on foot with heavy arms to trace,
Down in a dale forby a rivers fide,

He chanc'd to fpy a fair and ftately place,
To which he meant his weary fteps to guide,
In hope there for his Love fome fuccour to provide.

XXX.

But coming to the rivers fide, he found

That hardly paffable on foot it was:

Therefore there ftill he ftood as in a stound,
Ne wift which way he through the ford mote pafs,
Thus whilst he was in this diftreffed cafe,
Devifing what to do, he nigh espide

An armed Knight approaching to the place,
With a fair Lady linked by his fide,

The which themfelves prepar'd thorough the ford to ride,
XXXI.

Whom Calepine faluting (as became)

Befought of courtefie in that his need
(For fafe conducting of his fickly Dame,
Through that fame per'lous ford with better heed)
To take him up behind upon his steed:
To whom that other did this taunt return;
Perdy thou peasant Knight mightst rightly read
Me then to be full bafe and evil born,

If I would bear behind a burden of such scorn.

XXXII.

But as thou haft thy fteed forlorn with fhame,
So fare on foot till thou another gain,
And let thy Lady like wife do the fame,
Or bear her on thy back with pleafing pain,
And prove thy manhood on the billows vain.
With which rude fpeech his Lady much displeas'd,
Did him reprove, yet could him not restrain,
And would on her own palfrey him have eas'd,
For pity of his Dame, whom the faw fo difeas'd.
XXXIII.

Sir Calepine her thankt; yet inly wroth
Against her Knight, her gentleness refus'd,
And carelefly into the river go'th,
As in defpight to be fo foul abus'd
Of a rude churl, whom often he accus'd
Of foul difcourtefy, unfit for Knight;

And ftrongly wading through the waves unus'd, With fpear in th' one hand, ftayd himself upright, With th' other ftayd his Lady up with fteddy might.