She hath ordained this law, which we approve,
That every knight which doth this way repair,
In case he have no lady nor no love,

Shall do unto her service, never to remove :

26 "But if he have a lady or a love,

Then must he her forego with foul defame,1
Or else with us by dint of sword approve3
That she is fairer than our fairest dame;
As did this knight, before ye hither came."
"Perdy," said Britomart, "the choice is hard!
But what reward had he that overcame?"
"He should advancèd be to high regard,"
Said they, "and have our lady's love for his reward.

27 "Therefore aread,5 sir, if thou have a love."
"Love have I sure," quoth she, "but lady none;
Yet will I not fro mine own love remove,

Ne to your lady will I service done,6

But wreak your wrongs wrought to this knight alone,
And prove his cause." With that, her mortal spear
She mightily aventred towards one,

And down him smote ere well aware he weare9;
Then to the next she rode, and down the next did
bear.

28 Ne did she stay till three on ground she laid,
That 10
none of them himself could rear again :

1 Defame, dishonor.

2 Dint, stroke.

8 Approve, prove.
4 Perdy, truly.
5 Aread, declare.

6 Done, do.
Mortal, death-giving.

8 Aventred, aimed.

9 Weare, were.

10 That, so that.

The fourth was by that other knight dismayed,

All were he1 weary of his former pain ;

That now there do but two of six remain ;

Which two did yield before she did them smite.

Ah!" said she then, "now may ye all see plain, That truth is strong, and true love most of might, That for his trusty servants doth so strongly fight."

29 "Too well we see," said they, "and prove too well Our faulty weakness, and your matchless might : Forthy,2 fair sir, yours be the damosel,

Which by her own law to your lot doth light,
And we your liegemen faith unto you plight."
So underneath her feet their swords they mard,3
And, after, her besought, well as they might,
To enter in and reap the due reward :

She granted; and then in they all together far'd.1

39 Long were it to describe the goodly frame

And stately port of Castle Joyeous,5

(For so that castle hight by common name),
Where they were entertained with courteous
And comely glee of many gracious

Fair ladies, and of many a gentle knight;
Who, through a chamber long and spacious,
Eftsoones them brought unto their lady's sight,
That of them cleepèdR was the Lady of Delight.

31 But, for to tell the sumptuous array

Of that great chamber, should be labour lost;
For living wit, I ween, cannot display

The royal riches and exceeding cost
Of every pillar and of every post,
Which all of purest bullion framèd were,

And with great pearls and precious stones
embossed1;

That the bright glister of their beamës clear

Did sparkle forth great light, and glorious did appear.

32 These stranger knights, through passing, forth were led

Into an inner room, whose royalty

And rich purveyance2 might uneath3 be read1;
Mote prince's place beseem so decked to be.
Which stately manner whenas they did see,
The image of superfluous riotize,6

Exceeding much the state of mean7 degree,
They greatly wond'red whence so sumptuous guise
Might be maintained, and each gan diversely devise.8

33 The walls were round about apparellèd
With costly cloths of Arras and of Toure9;
In which with cunning hand was portrayed
The love of Venus and her paramour, 10

1 Embossed, ornamented with raised work.

2 Purveyance, furniture.

3 Uneath, with difficulty.

4 Read, imagined.

5 Mote, might.

6 Riotize, extravagance.

7 Mean, moderate.

8 Devise, imagine.

9 Cloths of Arras and of Toure (Tours), tapestry woven at these places.

10 Paramour, lover.

The fair Adonis,1 turned to a flow'r;

A work of rare device and wondrous wit.

First did it show the bitter baleful stour,2

Which her essayed with many a fervent fit,
When first her tender heart was with his beauty smit :

34 Lo! where beyond3 he lieth languishing,
Deadly engorèd of a great wild boar;
And by his side the goddess grovelling
Makes for him endless moan, and evermore
With her soft garment wipes away the gore
Which stains his snowy skin with hateful hue:
But, when she saw no help might him restore,
Him to a dainty flower she did transmew,*
Which in that cloth was wrought, as if it lively grew.

35 And all the while sweet music did divide
Her looser notes with Lydian harmony 5;
And all the while sweet birds thereto applied
Their dainty lays and dulcet melody,

Aye carrolling of love and jollity,

That wonder was to hear their trim consórt.6

36 Thence they were brought to that great lady's view, Whom they found sitting on a sumptuous bed

That glist'red all with gold and glorious shew,
As the proud Persian queens accustomed.
She seemed a woman of great bountihead1
And of rare beauty, saving that askance
Her wanton eyes (ill signs of womanhead)
Did roll too lightly, and too often glance,
Without regard of grace or comely amenaunce.2

3

37 Long work it were, and needless, to devise 3
Their goodly entertainment and great glee :
She caused them be led in courteous wise
Into a bow'r, disarmèd for to be,

And cheered well with wine and spicery:
The Redcross knight was soon disarmèd there;
But the brave maid would not disarmèd be,
But only vented up her umbriëre,4

And so did let her goodly visage to appear.

38 As when fair Cynthia,5 in darksome night, Is in a noyous cloud envelopèd,

Where she may find the substance thin and light,
Breaks forth her silver beams, and her bright head
Discovers to the world discomfitèd,7

Of the poor traveller that went astray
With thousand blessings she is herièd3;
Such was the beauty and the shining ray

With which fair Britomart gave light unto the day.