The Salvage ferves Serena well,
Till fhe Prince Arthur find;
Who her together with his Squire
With th' Hermit leaves behind.
What an easy thing is to defcry
The gentle blood, however it be wrapt
In fad misfortunes fould deformity,
And wretched forrows, which have often hapt?
For howfoever it may grow mifhapt
(Like this wild man, being undifciplin❜d)
That to all vertue it may feem unapt,
Yet will it fhew fome fparks of gentle mind,
And at the last break forth in his own proper kind.
II.
That plainly may in this wild man be read,
Who though he were ftill in this defert wood
Mongft falvage beasts, both rudely born and bred,
Ne ever faw fair guize, ne learned good,
Yet fhew'd fome token of his gentle blood,
By gentle ufage of that wretched Dame.
For certes he was born of noble blood,
However by hard hap he hither came:
As ye may know, when time shall be to tell the fame.
Who whenas now long time he lacked had
The good Sir Calepine, that far was ftray'd,
Did wex exceeding forrowful and fad,
As he of fome misfortune were afrayd :
And leaving there this Lady all difmay'd,
Went forth ftraightway into the forest wide,
To feek if he perchance afleep were laid,
Or whatfo elfe were unto him betide:
He fought him far and near, yet him no where he fpide.
Tho back returning to that forry Dame,
He fhewed semblant of exceeding moan,
By speaking signs, as he them beft could frame;
Now wringing both his wretched hands in one,
Now beating his hard head upon a stone,
That ruth it was to fee him fo lament,
By which the well perceiving what was done, Gan tear her hair, and all her garments rent, And beat her breast, and piteously herself torment. V.
Upon the ground herself fhe fiercely threw,
Regardlefs of her wounds yet bleeding rife,
That with their blood did all the floor imbrew,
As if her breaft, new launc'd with murdrous knife,
Would straight diflodge the wretched weary life.
There the long groveling, and deep groaning lay,
As if her vital powers were at ftrife
With stronger death, and feared their decay :
Such were this Ladies pangs and dolorous assay.
VI.
Whom when the Salvage faw fo fore diftref,
He reared her up from the bloody ground,
And fought by all the means that he could beft
Her to recoure out of that ftony swound,
And ftaunch the bleeding of her dreary wound.
Yet n'ould fhe be recomforted for ought,
Ne cease her forrow and impatient ftound,
But day and night did vex her careful thought,
And ever more and more her own affliction wrought.
VII.
At length whenas no hope of his return
She faw now left, fhe caft to leave the place,
And wend abroad, though feeble and forlorn,
To feek fome comfort in that forry cafe.
His fteed, now ftrong through reft fo long a space,
Well as fhe could, fhe got, and did bedight:
And being thereon mounted, forth did pace,
Withouten guide her to conduct aright,
Or guard her to defend from bold oppreffors might.
Whom when her Hoft faw ready to depart,
He would not suffer her alone to fare,
But 'gan himself addrefs to take her part.
Thofe warlike arms, which Calepine whylear
Had left behind, he 'gan eftfoons prepare,
And put them all about himself unfit,
His fhield, his helmet, and his cuirass bare;
But without sword upon his thigh to fit:
Sir Calepine himself away had hidden it.
So forth they travel'd, an uneven pair,
That mote to all men feem an uncouth fight; A falvage man matcht with a Lady fair, That rather feem'd the conqueft of his might, Gotten by spoil, than purchased aright. But he did her attend most carefully, And faithfully did serve both day and night, Withouten thought of fhame or villany, Ne ever fhewed fign of foul difloyalty.
Upon a day as on their way they went,
It chaunc'd fome furniture about her steed
To be diforder❜d by fome accident:
Which to redrefs, fhe did th' affistance need
Of this her Groom: which he by signs did read;
And straight his combrous arms afide did lay
Upon the ground, withouten doubt or dread,
And in his homely wize began t' affay
T'amend what was amifs, and put in right array.
XI.
'Bout which whilft he was bufied thus hard,
Lo where a Knight together with his Squire,
All arm'd to point, came riding thitherward,
Which feemed by their portance and attire,
To be two errant Knights, that did enquire
After adventures, where they mote them get,
Those were to weet (if that ye it require)
Prince Arthur and young Timias, which met
By frange occafion, that here needs forth be fet.
After that Timias had again recour'd
The favour of Belphabe, (as ye heard)
And of her grace did ftand again affur'd,
To happy blifs he was full high uprear'd,
Neither of envy, nor of change afeard,
Though many foes did him malign therefore,
And with unjuft detraction him did beard;
Yet he himself fo well and wifely bore,
That in her foveraine liking he dwelt evermore.
XIII.
But of them all which did his ruin feek,
Three mighty en'mies did him moft defpight;
Three mighty ones, and cruel minded eke,
That him not only fought by open might
To overthrow, but to fupplant by flight.
The first of them by name was call'd Defpetto,
Exceeding all the reft in powre and height;
The second not fo ftrong, but wife, Decetto;
The third, nor ftrong nor wife, but fpightfulleft, Defetto.
XIV.
Oft-times their fundry powres they did employ,
And several deceits, but all in vain :
For neither they by force could him destroy,
Ne yet entrap in treafons fubtil train.
Therefore confpiring all together plain,
They did their counfels now in one compound;
Where fingled forces fail, conjoin'd may gain.
The Blatant Beaft the fitteft means they found,
To work his utter fhame, and throughly him confound.
XV.
Upon a day, as they the time did wait,
When he did range the wood for falvage game,
They fent that Blatant Beaft to be a bait,
To draw him from his dear beloved Dame,
Unwares into the danger of defame.
For well they wift that Squire to be fo bold,
That no one beaft in foreft wild or tame,
Met him in chace, but he it challenge would,
And pluck the prey oft times out of their greedy hold.
The hardy boy, as they devised had,
Seeing the ugly monster paffing by,
Upon him fet, of peril nought adrad,
Ne fkilful of the uncouth jeopardy;
And charged him fo fierce and furiously,
That (his great force unable to endure)
He forced was to turn from him and fly:
Yet ere he fled, he with his tooth impure
Him heedlefs bit, the whiles he was thereof secure.
XVII.
Securely he did after him pursue,
Thinking by speed to overtake his flight; [drew,
Who through thick wood and brakes and briers him
To weary him the more, and waste his fpight;
So that he now has almoft spent his fpright.
Till that at length unto a woody glade
He came, whofe covert stopt his further fight: There his three foes, fhrowded in guileful shade, Out of their ambush broke, and 'gan him to invade. XVIII.
Sharply they all attonce did him affail,
Burning with inward rancour and defpight,
And heaped ftrokes did round about him hail
With fo huge force, that seemed nothing might
Bear off their blows from piercing thorough quite.
Yet he them all fo warily did ward,
That none of them in his foft flesh did bite,
And all the while his back for beft fafeguard,
He leant against a tree, that backward onfet bar'd.
XIX.
Like a wild Bull, that being at a bay,
Is baited of a Maftiff and a Hound, And a Cur-dog; that do him fharp affay On ev'ry fide, and beat about him round; But molt that Cur, barking with bitter found, And creeping still behind, doth him incomber, That in his chauff he digs the trampled ground, And threats his horns, and bellows like the thunder; So did that Squire his foes difperfe, and drive asunder.
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