XX.
In prime of youthly years, when firft the flowre
Of beauty 'gan to bud, and bloosm delight,
And Nature me endu'd with plenteous dowre
Of all her gifts that pleas'd each living fight,
I was belov'd of many a gentle Knight,
And fu'd and fought with all the fervice due:
Full many a one for me deep groand, and figh't,
And to the door of death for lorrow drew,
Complaining out on me, that would not on them rew.
XXI.
But let them love that lift, or live or die
Me lift not die for any Lovers dool:
Ne lift me leave my loved liberty,
To pity him that lift to play the fool:
To love myfelf I learned had in school.
Thus I triumphed long in Lovers pain,
And fitting carelefs on the scorners stool,
Did laugh at those that did lament and plain:
But all is now repayd with interest again.
For lo, the winged God, that woundeth hearts,
Caus'd me be called to account therefore :
And for revengement of those wrongful fmarts,
Which I to others did inflict afore,
Addeem'd me to endure this penance fore;
That in this wife, and this unmeet array,
With thefe two lewd companions, and no more, Difdain and Scorn, I through the world fhould ftray, Till I have fav'd fo many as I earst did slay.
Certes, faid then the Prince, the God is juft,
That taketh vengeance of his peoples fpoil:
For were no law in Love, but all that luft
Might them opprefs, and painfully turmoil,
His kingdom would continue but awhile.
But tell me Lady, wherefore do
you bear
This bottle thus before you with fuch toil,
And eke this wallet at your back arear,
That for thefe Carles to carry much more comely were?
Here in this bottle, faid the forry Maid,
I put the tears of my contrition,
Till to the brim I have it full defraid: And in this bag which I behind me don, I put repentance for things paft and gon. Yet is the bottle leak, and bag fo torn, That all which I put in, falls out anon; And is behind me trodden down of Scorn, Who mocketh all my pain, and laughs the more I mourn. XXV.
The Infant hearkned wifely to her tale,
And wondred much at Cupids judgment wife,
That could fo meekly make proud hearts availe,
And wreak himself on them that him despise.
Then fuffred he Difdain up to arife,
Who was not able up himself to rear,
By means his leg, through his late luckless prife, Was crakt in twain; but by his foolish Feer Was holpen up, who him fupported standing near. XXVI.
But being up, he lookt again aloft,
As if he never had received fall;
And with stern eye-brows ftared at him oft,
As if he would have daunted him withall:
And ftanding on his tip-toes to feem tall,
Down on his golden feet he often gaz'd,
As if fuch pride the other could apall;
Who was fo far from being ought amaz'd
That he his looks defpifed, and his boaft difprais'd.
XXVII.
Then turned back unto that captive thrall,
Who all this while ftood there befide them bound, Unwilling to be known, or feen at all,
He from those bands ween'd him to have unwound. But when approaching near, he plainly found, It was his own true Groom, the gentle Squire, He thereat wext exceedingly aftound, And him did oft embrace, and oft admire; Ne could, with feeing, fatisfie his great defire,
XXVIII.
Mean while, the falvage man, when he beheld
That huge great Fool oppreffing th'other Knight,
Whom with his weight unwieldly down he held,
He flew upon him, like a greedy Kight,
Unto fome carrion offer'd to his fight:
And down him plucking, with his nails and teeth
'Gan him to hale and tear, and scratch and bite;
And from him taking his own whip, therewith
So fore him fcourgeth, that the bloud down followeth.
XXIX.
And fure, I ween, had not the Ladies cry
Procur'd the Prince his cruel hand to stay,
He would with whipping him have done to die :
But being checkt, he did abftain straightway,
And let him rife. Then thus the Prince 'gan fay;
Now Lady, fith your fortunes thus difpofe,
That if ye lift have liberty, ye may,
Unto your felf I freely leave to choose,
Whether I fhall you leave, or from these villains loose.
XXX.
Ah! nay, Sir Knight, faid fhe, it may not be,
But that I needs must by all means fulfill
This penance, which enjoined is to me,
Left unto me betide a greater ill;
Yet no less thanks to you for your good will.
So humbly taking leave, fhe turn'd afide:
But Arthur, with the reft, went onward still
On his first queft: in which did him betide
A great adventure, which did him from them divide.
XXXI.
But first, it falleth me by course to tell
Of fair Serena who as earft you heard,
When first the gentle Squire at variance fell
With those two Carles, Hed faft away,
Of villany to be to her inferd :
So fresh the image of her former dread,
Yet dwelling in her eye, to her appeard,
That every foot did tremble, which did tread,
And every body two, and two the four did read.
Through hills and dales, through bushes, and throughbreres
Long thus fhe fled, till that at laft fhe thought
Herself now past the peril of her fears.
Then looking round about, and feeing nought,
Which doubt of danger to her offer mought,
She from her palfrey lighted on the plain;
And fitting down, her felf awhile bethought
Of her long travel, and turmoiling pain;
And often did of love, and oft of luck complain
XXXIII.
And evermore, the blamed Calepine,
The good Sir Calepine, her own true Knight,
As th❜only author of her woeful tine:
For being of his love to her fo light,
As her to leave in fuch a piteous plight.
Yet never Turtle truer to his Make,
Than he was tride unto his Lady bright:
Who all this while endured for her fake,
Great peril of his life, and restless pains did take.
XXXIV.
Tho whenas all her plaints fhe had difplaid,
And well difburden'd her engrieved breast,
Upon the grafs herself adown fhe laid;
Where being tir'd with travel, and opprest
With forrow, fhe betook herself to rest.
There whilft in Morpheus bofom fafe the lay,
Fearless of ought that mote her peace moleft,
Falfe Fortune did her fafety betray,
Unto a strange mifchance, that menac'd her decay.
XXXV.
In these wild defarts, where fhe now abode,
There dwelt a falvage nation, which did live
Of stealth and spoil, and making nightly road
Into their neighbours borders: ne did give
Themselves to any trade (as for to drive
The painful plough, or cattle for to breed,
Or by adventrous merchandize to thrive)
But on the labours of poor men to feed,
And ferve their own neceflities with others need.
C.c
XXXVI.
Thereto they us'd one most accurfed order,
To eat the flesh of men, whom they mote find,
And strangers to devour, which on their border
Were brought by errour, or by wreckful wind,
A monftrous cruelty 'gainst course of kind.
They towards evening wandring every way,
To feek for booty, came (by Fortune blind)
Whereas this Lady, like a Sheep aftray,
Now drowned in the depth of fleep all fearless lay.
XXXVII.
Soon as they spide her, Lord what gladful glee
They made amongst themselves! but when her face
Like the fair ivory fhining they did fee,
Each 'gan his fellow folace and embrace,
For joy of fuch good hap by heavenly grace.
Then 'gan they to devife what course to take:
Whether to flay her there upon the place,
Or fuffer her out of her fleep to wake,
And then her eat attonce; or many meals to make.
XXXVIII.
The best advizement was of bad, to let her
Sleep out her fill, without encomberment :
For fleep (they faid) would make her battil better.
Then when the wak'd, they all gave one confent,
That fith by grace of God the there was fent,
Unto their God they would her facrifize;
Whofe fhare, her guiltlefs blood they would prefent:
But of her dainty flesh they did devize
To make a common feaft, and feed with gormandize.
XXXIX.
So round about her they themselves did place
Upon the grafs, and diverfly difpofe,
As each thought beft to spend the lingring space..
Some with their eyes the daintieft morfels chofe;
Some praise her paps, fome praise her lips and nofe;
Some whet their knives, and strip their elbows bare ;
The Prieft himself a girlond doth compofe
Of fineft flowres, and with full bufie care
His bloody veffels wafh, and holy fire prepare.
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