For all afore that feemed fair and bright,
Now bafe and contemptible did appear,
Compar'd to her that fhone as Phabes light,
Amongst the leffer ftars in evening clear.
All that her faw with wonder ravisht were,
And ween'd no mortal creature she should be,
But fome celeftial shape, that flesh did bear:
Yet all were glad their Florimell to fee:
Yet thought that Florimell was not so fair as fhe.
XV.
As guileful goldfmith that by fecret skill,
With golden foil doth finely overfpred
Some bafer metal, which commend he will
Unto the vulgar for good gold infted,
He much more goodly glofs thereon doth shed,
To hide his falfhood, than if it were trew :
So hard this Idol was to be ared,
That Florimell herfelf in all mens view
She feem'd to pass: fo forged things do faireft fhew.
XVI.
Then was that golden belt by doom of all
Granted to her as to the fairest Dame.
Which being brought, about her middle small
They thought to gird, as beft it her became :
But by no means they could it thereto frame.
For ever as they faftned it it loos'd
And fell away, as feeling fecret blame.
Full oft about her waift fhe it enclos'd;
And it as oft was from about her waist disclos'd.
XVII.
That all men wondred at the uncouth fight,
And each one thought, as to their fancies came.
But fhe herself did think it done for spight,
And touched was with fecret wrath and shame
Therewith, as thing devis'd her to defame.
Then many other Ladies likewise tride,
About their tender loins to knit the fame;
But it would not on one of them abide,
But when they thought it faft, eftfoons it was untide.
Which when that fcornful Squire of Dames did view,
He loudly 'gan to laugh and thus to jest;
Alas for pity that fo fair a crew,
As like cannot be seen from east to west,
Cannot find one this girdle to invest.
Fie on the man that did it first invent,
To fhame us all with this, Ungirt unbleft.
Let never Lady to his love affent,
That hath this day fo many fo unmanly fhent.
XIX.
Thereat all Knights 'gan laugh, and Ladies loure;
Till that at laft the gentle Amoret
Likewife affaid, to prove that girdles powre;
And having it about her middle fet,
Did find it fit, withouten breach or let.
Whereat the rest 'gan greatly to envy :
But Florimell exceedingly did fret,
And fnatching from her hand half angrily
The belt again, about her body 'gan it tie.
XX.
Yet nathemore would it her body fit;
Yet natheless to her, as her due right,
It yielded was by them that judged it:
And the herself adjudged to the Knight,
That bore the hebene fpear, as won in fight.
But Britomart would not thereto affent,
Ne her own Amoret forego fo light
For that ftrange Dame, whofe beauties wonderment She less esteem'd, than th'others vertuous government. XXI.
Whom when the reft did fee her to refuse,
They were full glad, in hope themselves to get her: Yet at her choice they all did greatly mufe. But after that, the Judges did arret her Unto the second beft, that lov'd her better; That was the Salvage Knight: but he was gone In great difpleafure that he could not get her. Then was the judged Triamond his own; But Triamond lov'd Canacee, and other none.
Tho unto Satyrane fhe was adjudgd,
Who was right glad to gain fo goodly meed:
But Blandamour thereat full greatly grudgd,
And little prais'd his labours evil speed,
That for to win the faddle loft the fteed.
Ne less thereat did Paridell complain,
And thought t' appeal from that which was decreed,
To fingle combat with Sir Satyrane
Thereto him Atè stir'd, new difcord to maintain.
XXIII.
And eke with thefe, full many other Knights
She through her wicked working did incense,
Her to demand, and challenge as their rights,
Deferved for their perils recompence,
Amongst the rest, with boastful vain pretence
Stept Braggadochio forth, and as his thrall
Her claim'd, by him in battle won long fince:
Whereto her felf he did to witness call;
Who being afkt accordingly confeffed all.
XXIV.
Thereat exceeding wroth was Satyran;
And wroth with Satyrane was Blandamour; And wroth with Blandamour was Erivan; And at them both Sir Paridell did lour. So all together ftir'd up ftrifeful ftour, And ready were new battle to darrain. Each one profeft to be her paramour, And vow'd with spear and fhield it to maintain; Ne Judges powre, ne reasons rule mote them restrain. XXV.
Which troublous ftir when Satyrane aviz'd,
He 'gan to caft how to appease the same; And to accord them all, this means deviz'd: Firft in the midft to fet that faireft Dame, To whom each one his challenge fhould disclame, And he himself his right would eke release: Then look to whom the voluntary came, He should without disturbance her poffefs: Sweet is the Love that comes alone with willingness.
They all agreed: and then that fnowy maid
Was in the middest plac'd among them all;
All on her gazing wifht, and vowd, and praid,
And to the Queen of beauty clofe did call,
That the unto their portion might befall.
Then when fhe long had lookt upon each one,
As though the wifhed to have pleas'd them all,
At last, to Braggadochio felf alone
She came of her accord, in fpight of all his fone.
XXVII.
Which when they all beheld, they chaft and rag'd,
And wox nigh mad for very hearts defpight,
That from revenge their wills they fcarce affuag'd:
Some thought from him her to have reft by might
Some proffer made with him for her to fight.
But he nought car'd for all that they could fay:.
For he their words as wind esteemed light.
Yet not fit place he thought it there to stay,
But fecretly from thence that night her bore away.
XXVIII.
They which remain'd, fo foon as they perceiv'd,
That she was gone, departed thence with speed,
And follow'd them, in mind her to have reav'd
From wight unworthy of fo noble meed.
In which pursuit how each one did fucceed,
Shall elfe be told in order, as it fell.
But now of Britomart it here doth need
The hard adventures and strange haps to tell; Since with the reft fhe went not after Florimell.
For foon as fhe them faw to difcord fet,
Her lift no longer in that place abide ;
But taking with her lovely Amoret,
Upon her first adventure forth did ride,
To feek her lov'd, making blind Love her guide.
Unlucky maid to feek her enemy!
Unlucky maid to feek him far and wide,
Whom when he was unto her felf moft nigh,
She through his late difguizement could him not defcrie. VOL. II.
So much the more her grief, the more her toil :
Yet neither toil nor grief, fhe once did fpare,
In feeking him, that fhould her pain affoil;
Whereto great comfort in her fad misfare
Was Amoret, companion of her care:
Who likewife fought her lover long mif-went,
The gentle Scudamour, whose heart whilare
That ftrifeful Hag with jealous discontent
Had fill'd, that he to fell revenge was fully bent;
XXXI.
Bent to revenge on blamelefs Britomart
The crime, which curfed Atè kindled earft,
The which like thorns did prick his jealous heart,
And through his foul like poifon'd arrow pierct,
That by no reafon it might be reverst,
For ought that Glaucë could or do or say,
For aye the more that fhe the fame rehearst,
The more it gall'd, and griev'd him night and day, That nought but dire revenge his anger mote defray. XXXII.
So as they travelled, the drooping night
Cover'd with cloudy ftorm and bitter fhowre
That dreadful feem'd to every living wight,
Upon them fell, before her timely houre;
That forced them to feek fome covert bowre,
Where they might hide their heads in quiet rest,
And shroud their perfons from that ftormy ftowre.
Not far away, not meet for any gueft
They fpide a little cottage, like fome poor mans nest.
XXXIII.
Under a fteep hills fide it placed was;
There where the mouldred earth had cav'd the bank; And fast beside a little brook did pass
Of muddy water, that like puddle stank;
By which few crooked fallows grew in rank:
Whereto approaching nigh, they heard the found
Of many iron hammers beating rank,
And answering their weary turns around,
That feemed fome blackfinith dweltinthat defert ground.
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