XII.

The fearful swain, beholding death fo nigh,
Cry'd out aloud for mercy him to fave;
In lieu whereof, he would to him defcrie
Great treafon to him meant, his life to reave.
The Prince foon hearkned, and his life forgave.
Then thus, faid he; There is a stranger Knight,
The which for promife of great meed, us drave
To this attempt, to wreak his hid defpight,
For that himself thereto did want fufficient might.
XIII.

The Prince much mufed at fuch villany,

And faid; Now fure ye well have earn'd your meed:
For th'one is dead, and the other foon fhall dye,
Unless to me thou hither bring with speed
The wretch that hir'd you to this wicked deed.
He glad of life, and willing eke to wreak
The guilt on him, which did this mifchief breed,
Swore by his fword, that neither day nor week
He would furceafe, but him, wherefo he were would seek.
XIV.

So up he rofe, and forth ftraightway he went
Back to the place where Turpine late he lore;
There he him found in great aftonishment,
To fee him fo bedight with bloody gore,
And griefly wounds that him appalled fore.
Yet thus at length he faid; How now, Sir Knight?
What meaneth this which here I fee before?
How fortuneth this foul uncomely plight,
So different from that which earft ye feem'd in fight?

XV.

Perdy, faid he, in evil hour it fell,

That ever I for meed did undertake
So hard a task, as life for hire to fell;
The which I earft adventur'd for your fake.
Witness the wounds, and this wide bloody lake,
Which ye may fee yet all about me fteem.
Therefore now yield, as ye did promise make,
My due reward; the which right well I deem
I earned have, that life fo dearly did redeem.

XVI.

But where then is, quoth he, half wrathfully,
Where is the booty which therefore I bought;
That curfed caitive, my ftrong enemy,

That recreant Knight, whofe hated life I fought?
And where is eke your friend, which half it ought?
He lies, faid he, upon the cold bare ground,
Slain of that errant Knight, with whom he fought;
Whom afterwards, my felf with many a wound
Did flay again, as ye may fee there in the ftound.
XVII.

Thereof falfe Turpine was full glad and fain,

And needs with him ftraight to the place would ride,
Where he himself might fee his foeman flain;
For else his fear could not be fatisfide.

So as they rode, he faw the way all dide

With streams of blood; which tracking by the trail,
Ere long they came, whereas in evil tide,
That other fwain, like afhes deadly pale,
Lay in the lap of death, rueing his wretched bale.
XVIII.

Much did the Craven seem to moan his case,
That for his fake his dear life had forgone;
And him bewailing with affection base,
Did counterfeit kind pity, where was none;
For where's no courage, there's no ruth nor moan.
Thence paffing forth, not far away he found,
Whereas the Prince himself lay all alone,

Loofly display'd upon the graffie ground,
Poffeffed of fweet fleep, that lull'd him soft in fwound.
XIX.

Weary of travel in his former fight,

He there in fhade himself had laid to reft,
Having his arms and warlike things undight,
Fearless of foes that mote his peace moleft;
The whiles his falvage Page, that wont be preft,
Was wandred in the wood another way,

To do fome thing that feemed to him beft,
The whiles his Lord in filver flumber lay,

Like to the evening ftar, adorn'd with dewy ray.

XX.

Whom whenas Turpine faw fo loosely laid,

He weened well that he indeed was dead,
Like as that other Knight to him had said:
But when he nigh approacht, he mote aread
Plain figns in him of life and livelyhead.
Whereat much griev'd against that ftranger Knight,
That him too light of credence did mislead,
He would have back retired from that fight,
That was to him on earth the deadliest defpight.
XXI.

But that fame Knight would not once let him ftart,
But plainly 'gan to him declare the cafe
Of all his milchief, and late luckless smart:
How both he and his fellow the e in place
Were vanquished, and put to foul difgrace,
And how that he in lieu of life him lent,
Had vow'd unto the victor, him to trace
And follow through the world, wherefo he went,
Till that he him deliver'd to his punishment.
XXII.

He therewith much abashed and affrayd,
Began to tremble every limb and vein;
And foftly whifp'ring him, entirely prayd,
T'advise him better, than by fuch a train
Ilim to betray unto a stranger fwain,
Yet rather counfel'd him contrariwife,
Sith he likewife did wrong by him sustain,
To join with him, and vengeance to devife,
Whilst time did offer means him fleeping to furprise.
XXIII.

Nath'lefs, for all his speech, the gentle Knight
Would not be tempted to fuch villany,
Regarding more his faith, which he did plight;
All were it to his mortal enemy,

Than to entrap him by false treachery :
Great fhame in Lieges blood to be embru❜d.
Thus whilft they were debating diverfly,
The Salvage forth out of the wood iffu'd

Back to the place, whereas his Lord he fleeping view'd.

VOL. II.

Bb

XXIV.

There when he saw those two so near him ftand,
He doubted much what mote their meaning be:
And throwing down his load out of his hand
(To weet, great store of forest fruit, which he
Had for his food late gather'd from the tree)
Himself unto his weapon he betook,

That was an oaken plant, which lately he
Rent by the root; which he fo fternly shook,
That like an hazel wand it quivered and quook.
XXV.

Whereat the Prince awaking, when he spide
The traytour Turpine with that other Knight,
He started up; and fnatching near his fide
His trufty fword, the fervant of his might,
Like a fell Lion leaped to him light,
And his left hand upon his collar laid.
Therewith the coward deaded with affright,
Fell flat to ground, ne word unto him fayd,
But holding up his hands, with filence mercy prayd.

XXVI.

But he fo full of indignation was,

That to his prayer nought he would incline,
But as he lay upon the humbled grafs,
His foot he fet on his vile neck, in fign
Of fervile yoke, that nobler hearts repine.
Then letting him arise like abject thrall,
He 'gan to him object his hainous crime,
And to revile, and rate, and recreant call,
And lastly to defpoil of Knightly banneral.
XXVII.

And after all for greater infamy,

He by the heels him hung upon a tree,
And baffuld fo, that all which paffed by,
The picture of his punishment might fee,
And by the like enfample warned be,
However they through treafon do trefpafs.
But turn we now back to that Lady free,
Whom late we left riding upon an Ass,

Led by a Carle and Fool, which by her fide did pass.

XXVIII.

She was a Lady of great dignity,

And lifted up to honourable place, Famous through all the land of Faery, Though of mean parentage and kindred bafe, Yet deckt with wondrous gifts of natures grace, That all men did her perfon much admire, And praise the feature of her goodly face, The beams whereof did kindle lovely fire In th'hearts of many a Knight, and many a gentle Squire, XXIX.

But the thereof grew proud and infolent,

That none the worthy thought to be her Feer,
But fcorn'd them all that love unto her meant:
Yet was the lov'd of many a worthy peer;
Unworthy fhe to be belov'd fo dear,
That could not weigh of worthiness aright.
For beauty is more glorious, bright and clear,
The more it is admir'd of many a wight,
And nobleft fhe, that ferved is of nobleft Knight.
XXX.

But this coy Damzel thought contrariwise,

That fuch proud looks would make her praised more;
And that the more fhe did all Love defpife,
The more would wretched Lovers her adore.
What cared the who fighed for her fore,
Or who did wail or watch the weary night?
Let them that lift, their luckless lot deplore;
She was born free, not bound to any wight,
And fo would ever live, and love her own delight.
XXXI.

Through fuch her stubborn stiffness, and hard heart,
Many a wretch, for want of remedy,

Did languish long in life-confuming fmart,

And at the laft, through dreary dolour die :
Whilft fhe (the Lady of her liberty)

Did boaft, her beauty had fuch foverain might,

That with the only twinkle of her eye,

She could or fave, or fpill, whom he would hight.

What could the Gods do more, but do it more aright?