Him well behoved fo; for his three foes
Sought to encompass him on every fide,
And dangerously did round about enclose;
But most of all Defetto him annoy'd,
Creeping behind, him ftill to have destroyd :
So did Decetto eke him circumvent :
But ftout Defpetto, in his greater pride,
Did front him face to face against him bent;
Yet he them all withstood, and often made relent.
XXI.

Till that at length nigh tyr'd with former chace,
And weary now with careful keeping ward,
He 'gan to fhrink, and fomewhat to give place,
Full like ere long to have escaped hard;
Whenas unwares he in the forest heard
A trampling fteed, that with his neighing faft
Did warn his rider be upon his guard;

With noise whereof the Squire, now nigh aghäft,
Revived was, and fad defpair away did caft.
XXII.

Eftfoons he spide a Knight approaching nigh,
Who seeing one in fo great danger fet
'Mongst many foes, himself did fafter hie,
To rescue him, and his weak part abet,
For pity fo to see him overfet.

Whom foon as his three enemies did view,
They fled and faft into the wood did get :
Him booted not to think them to pursue,
The covert was fo thick, that did no paffage fhew,
XXIII.

Then turning to that fwain, him well he knew
To be his Timias, his own true Squire :
Whereof exceeding glad he to him drew,
And him embracing 'twixt his arms entire,
Him thus befpake; My lief, my lifes defire,
Why have ye me alone thus long yleft?
Tell me what worlds defpight, or heavens ire
Hath you thus long away from me bereft?
[weft ?
Where have ye all this while been wandring, where been

XXIV.

With that he fighed deep for inward tyne:
To whom the Squire nought anfwered again;
But fhedding few foft tears from tender eyne,
His dear affect with filence did reftrain,
And shut up all bis plaint in privy pain.
There they awhile fome gracious fpeeches spent,
As to them feemed fit, time t'entertain.

After all which, up to their fteeds they went,
And forth together rode a comely couplement.
XXV.

So now they be arrived both in fight

Of this wild man, whom they full bufy found
About the fad Serena things to dight,

With those brave armours lying on the ground,
That seem'd the spoil of fome right well renown'd.
Which when the Squire beheld, he to them ftept,
Thinking to take them from that hilding hound:
But he it feeing lightly to him lept,

And fternly with ftrong hand it from his handling kept.
XXVI.

Gnafhing his grinded teeth with griefly look,
And sparkling fire out of his furious eyn,
Him with his fift unwares on th'head he ftrook,
That made him down unto the earth encline;
Whence foon upftarting, much he 'gan repine.
And laying hand upon his wrathful blade,
Thought therewithall forthwith to have him flain;
Who it perceiving, hand upon him laid,
And greedily him griping, his avengement ftaid.
XXVII.

With that, aloud the fair Serena cry'd

Unto the Knight them to difpart in twain:
Who to them stepping did them foon divide,
And did from further violence reftrain,
Albe the wild man hardly would refrain.
Then 'gan the Prince of her for to demand,

What and from whence fhe was, and by what train
She fell into that falvage villains hand,

And whether free with him the now were, or in band.

XXVIII.

To whom fhe thus; I am as now ye fee,

The wretchedft Dame that lives this day on ground;
Who both in mind, the which moft grieveth me,
And body, have receiv'd a mortal wound,
That hath me driven to this dreary stound.
I was erewhile, the Love of Calepine :
Who whether he alive be to be found,

Or by fome deadly chance be done to pine,
Since I him lately loft, uneath is to define.
XXIX.

In falvage foreft I him loft of late,

Where I had furely long ere this been dead,
Or else remained in moft wretched ftate,
Had not this wild man in that woeful ftead
Kept and deliver'd me from deadly dread.
In fuch a falvage wight, of brutish kind,
Amongst wild beafts in defert forests bred,
It is most strange and wonderful to find
So mild humanity, and perfect gentle mind.
XXX.

Let me therefore this favour for him find,
That ye will not your wrath upon him wreak,
Sith he cannot exprefs his fimple mind,
Ne yours conceive, ne but by tokens speak:
Small praise to prove your powre on wight fo weak.
With fuch fair words fhe did their heat affuage,
And the strong course of their displeasure break,
That they to pity turn'd their former rage,
And each fought to fupply the office of her Page.
XXXI.

So having all things well about her dight,
She on her way caft forward to proceed;
And they her forth conducted, where they might
Find harbour fit to comfort her great need.
For now her wounds corruption 'gan to breed;
And eke this Squire, who likewife wounded was
Of that fame monfter late, for lack of heed,
Now 'gan to faint, and further could not pafs
Through feeblenefs, which all his limbs oppreffed has.

XXXII.

So forth they rode together all in troop,

To feek fome place, the which mote yield fome ease
To these fick twain, that now began to droop:
And all the way the Prince fought to appease
The bitter anguish of their fharp disease,
By all the courteous means he could invent;
Somewhile with merry purpose fit to please,
And otherwhile with good encouragement,
To make them to endure the pains did them torment.
XXXIII.

'Mongft which Serena did to him relate
The foul difcourt'fies and unknightly parts,
Which Turpine had unto her fhewed late,
Without compaffion of her cruel smarts:
Although Blandina did with all her arts
Him otherwife perfuade, all that she might;
Yet he of malice, without her defarts,
Not only her excluded late at night,

But also trait'roufly did wound her weary Knight.
XXXIV.

Wherewith the Prince fore moved, there avowd,
That foon as he returned back again,

He would avenge th'abuses of that proud
And shameful Knight, of whom she did complain.
This wize did they each other entertain,
To pass the tedious travel of the way;
Till towards night they came into a plain,
By which a little hermitage there lay,

Far from all neighbourhood, the which annoy it may.
XXXV.

And nigh thereto a little chappel stood,
Which being all with ivy overfpread,

. Deckt all the roof; and fhadowing the rood,
Seem'd like a grove fair branched over head :
Therein the Hermit, which his life here led
In ftreight obfervance of religious vow,
Was wont his hours and holy things to bed;
And therein he likewife was praying now,

Whenas thefe Knights arriv'd, they wift not where nor how?

XXXVI.

They stayd not there, but ftraightway in did pafs.
Whom when the Hermit prefent faw in place,
From his devotion ftraight he troubled was;
Which breaking off, he toward them did pace,
With stayed fteps, and grave-befeeming grace:
For well it feem'd, that whylome he had been
Some goodly perfon and of gentle race;

That could his good to all, and well did ween,
How each to entertain with court'fie well befeen.
XXXVII.

And foothly it was faid by common fame,
So long as age unabled him thereto,
That he had been a man of mickle name,
Renowned much in arms and derring do:
But being aged now and weary too

Of wars delight, and worlds contentious toil,
The name of Knighthood he did difavow,
And hanging up his arms and warlike spoil,
From all this worlds incombrance did himself affoil.
XXXVIII.

He thence them led into his hermitage,

Letting their steeds to graze upon the green:
Small was his house, and like a little cage,
For his own turn, yet inly neat and clean,
Deckt with green boughs, and flowers gay befeen.
Therein he them full fair did entertain

Not with fuch forged fhows, as fitter been
For courting fools, that courtefies would fain,
But with intire affection and appearance plain.
XXXIX.

Yet was their fare but homely, fuch as he
Did ufe, his feeble body to fuftain;
The which full gladly they did take in glee,
Such as it was, ne did of want complain,
But being well fuffiz'd, them refted fain.
But fair Serene all night could take no rest,
Ne yet that gentle Squire, for grievous pain
Of their late wounds, the which the Blatant Beat
Had given them, whofe grief through fufferance fore
[increaft.