With which he shot at random when him list,1
Some headed with sad 2 lead, some with pure gold ;
(Ah! man, beware how thou those darts behold!)
A wounded dragon under him did lie,

Whose hideous tail his left foot did enfold,
And with a shaft was shot through either eye,

That no man forth might draw, ne no man remedy.

34 And underneath his feet was written thus:
Unto the victor of the gods this be;

And all the people in that ample house
Did to that image bow their humble knee,
And oft committed foul idolatree.

That wondrous sight fair Britomart amazed,
Ne seeing could her wonder satisfy,

But ever more and more upon it gazed,

The whiles the passing brightness her frail senses dazed.

35 Tho, as she backward cast her busy eye
To search each secret of that goodly stead,1
Over the door thus written she did spy:
She oft and oft it over read,
Yet could not find what sense it figurèd:

Be bold.

But whatso were therein or writ or meant,

She was no whit thereby discouragèd

From prosecuting of her first intent,

But forward with bold steps into the next room went.

1 When him list, i.e. when he

desired.

2 Sad, heavy.

3 Tho, then.

4 Stead, place.

36 Much fairer then the former was that room.
And richlier, by many parts1 arrayed;
For not with arras made in painful loom,
But with pure gold, it all was overlaid,

Wrought with wild antics 2 which their follies played
In the rich metal, as they living were:

A thousand monstrous forms therein were made,
Such as false Love doth oft upon him wear;

For Love in thousand monstrous forms doth oft

appear.

37 And, all about, the glist'ring walls were hong
With warlike spoils and with victorious praise
Of mighty conquerors and captains strong,
Which were whilóm captivèd in their days
To cruel Love, and wrought their own decays 3:
Their swerds and spears were broke, and hauberks 5

rent,

And their proud girlonds of triumphant bays

Trodden in dust with fury insolent,

To show the victor's might and merciless intent.

38 The warlike maid, beholding earnestly
The goodly ordinance 6 of this rich place,
Did greatly wonder; ne could satisfy
Her greedy eyes with gazing a long space :
But more she marvelled that no footing's trace
Nor wight appeared, but wasteful emptiness

1 By many parts, i.e. by many

times.

2 Antics, fantastic figures.

8 Decays, ruins.

4 Swerds, swords.

5 Hauberks, coats of mail.
6 Ordinance, orderly arrange-

ment.

And solemn silence over all that place:

Strange thing it seemed, that none was to possess
So rich purveyance,1 ne them keep with carefulness.

39 And, as she looked about, she did behold

How over that same door was likewise writ,
Be bold, Be bold, and everywhere, Be bold;
That much she mused, yet could not construe it
By any riddling skill or common wit.

At last she spied at that room's upper end
Another iron door, on which was writ,

Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend
Her earnest mind, yet wist not what it might
intend.

40 Thus she there waited until eventide,
Yet living creature none she saw appear.
And now sad shadows gan the world to hide
From mortal view, and wrap in darkness drear;
Yet nould she d'off her weary arms, for fear
Of secret danger, ne let sleep oppress
Her heavy eyes with nature's burden dear,
But drew herself aside in sickerness,5

And her well pointed weapons did about her dress.6

1 Purveyance, furniture.

2 Wist, knew.

3 Sad, heavy.

Nould she d'off, i.e. she would not take off.

5 Sickerness, safety.

6 Dress, dispose.

VIII.

Britomart witnesses the Mask of Cupid and frees Amoret from the power of the enchanter.

I THO, whenas cheerless night ycovered had

Fair heaven with an universal cloud,

That every wight dismayed with darkness sad 2
In silence and in sleep themselves did shroud,
She heard a shrilling trumpet sound aloud,
Sign of nigh battaill, or got victory:

Nought therewith daunted was her courage proud,
But rather stirred to cruel enmity,

Expecting ever when some foe she might descry.

2 With that, an hideous storm of wind arose,
With dreadful thunder and lightning atwixt,
And an earthquake, as if it straight would lose 3
The world's foundations from his centre fixed:
A direful stench of smoke and sulphur mixed
Ensued, whose noyance 5 filled the fearful stead
From the fourth hour of night until the sixt;
Yet the bold Britoness was nought ydread,7
Though much emmoved, but steadfast still persé-
verèd.

1 That, so that.
2 Sad, heavy.
8 Lose, loosen.

4 Ensued, followed.

5 Noyance, annoyance.

6 Stead, place.

7 Ydread, terrified.

8 Emmoved, moved.

3 All suddenly a stormy whirlwind blew
Throughout the house, that clappèd every door,
With which that iron wicket open flew,
As it with mighty levers had been tore;
And forth issúed, as on the ready floor
Of some theatre, a grave personage,
That in his hand a branch of laurel bore,
With comely haviour1 and count'nance sage,
Yclad in costly garments fit for tragic stage.

4 Proceeding to the midst he still did stand,
As if in mind he somewhat had to say;
And to the vulgar 2 beck'ning with his hand,
In sign of silence, as to hear a play,3
By lively actions 4 he gan bewray 5
Some argument of matter passionèd7;
Which done, he back retirèd soft away,
And, passing by, his name discovered,
EASE, on his robe in golden letters cipherèd.8

5 The noble maid, still standing, all this viewed, And marvelled at his strange intendiment 9: With that a joyous fellowship issued

1 Haviour, behavior.

2 Vulgar, common people.

3 As to hear a play. In Elizabeth's time each act of a tragedy was usually preceded by a dumb show in which the argument of the act was given. The play acted before the king in Shakespeare's "Hamlet" is preceded by a dumb show.

4 Actions, pronounced as a word

of three syllables.

5 Bewray, disclose.

6

Argument, subject.

7 Passioned, represented.

8 Ciphered, written in occult characters.

9 Intendiment, meaning.