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All being guided by Sir Artegall :

Where goodly solace was unto them made,
And daily feasting both in bow'r and hall,
Until that they their wounds well healèd had,
And weary limbs recured 1 after late usage bad.

40 In all which time Sir Artegall made way
Unto the love of noble Britomart.

And with meek service and much suit did lay
Continual siege unto her gentle heart;
Which, being whilom launcht 2 with lovely dart,3
More eath was new impression to receive;
However she her pained 5 with womanish art
To hide her wound, that none might it perceive :
Vain is the art that seeks itself for to deceive.

41 So well he wooed her, and so well he wrought her,6
With fair entreaty and sweet blandishment,
That at the length unto a bay he brought her,
So as she to his speeches was content

To lend an ear, and softly to relent.

At last, through many vows which forth he poured
And many oaths, she yielded her consent

To be his love, and take him for her lord,

Till they with marriage meet might finish that accord.8

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42 Tho, when they had long time there taken rest,
Sir Artegall, who all this while was bound
Upon an hard adventure yet in quest,1
Fit time for him thence to depart it found,
To follow that which he did long propound2;
And unto her his congé3 came to take :
But her therewith full sore displeased he found,
And loath to leave her late betrothèd make 1 ;
Her dearest love full loath so shortly to forsake.

43 Yet he with strong persuasions her assuaged,5
And won her will to suffer him depart;
For which his faith with her he fast engaged,
And thousand vows from bottom of his heart,
That, all so soon as he by wit or art
Could that achieve whereto he did aspire,
He unto her would speedily revert 6:

No longer space thereto he did desire,

But till the hornèd moon three courses did expire."

44 With which she for the present was appeased,
And yielded leave, however malcontent
She inly were and in her mind displeased.
So, early on the morrow next, he went
Forth on his way to which he was ybent;
Ne wight him to attend, or way to guide,
As whilom was the custom ancient

1 Yet in quest, i.e. upon which

he was still bent.

2 Propound, purpose.

3 Congé, farewell.

4 Make, mate.

5 Assuaged, appeased.

6 Revert, return.

7 Expire, wear out.

Mongst knights when on adventures they did ride,
Save that she algates 1 him awhile accompanied.

45 And by the way she sundry purpose 2 found
Of this or that, the time for to delay,

And of the perils whereto he was bound,
The fear whereof seemed much her to affray :
But all she did was but to wear out day.3
Full oftentimes she leave of him did take;
And eft again devised somewhat to say,
Which she forgot, whereby excuse to make :
So loath she was his company for to forsake.

46 At last, when all her speeches she had spent,
And new occasion failed her more to find,
She left him to his fortune's government,
And back returned with right heavy mind.
To Scudamour, who she had left behind;
With whom she went to seek fair Amoret,
Her second care, though in another kind :
For virtue's only sake, which doth beget

True love and faithful friendship, she by her did set.5

47 Back to that desert forest they retired,

Where sorry Britomart had lost her late :

There they her sought, and everywhere inquired

Where they might tidings get of her estate;

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Or hard misfortune she was thence conveyed,
And stol'n away from her beloved mate,
Were long to tell; therefore I here will stay
Until another tide,1 that I it finish may.

1 Tide, time.

XIII.

Prince Arthur, having rescued Amoret, leaves her and goes to the assistance of Britomart and Scudamour.

The poet tells how Amoret was stolen by a monstrous creature, – a wild and salvage man,

Yet was no man, but only like in shape, —

and how she was carried by him to his cave. After much suffering she managed to make her escape, and later fell in with Prince Arthur, the perfect knight. He cared for her most tenderly. As they were journeying together in the hope of meeting Scudamour, Amoret's husband, they saw in the distance a group of knights, among them, — Druon, Claribell, Blandamour, and Paridell.

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I BUT those two other, which beside them stood,
Were Britomart and gentle Scudamour;
Who all the while beheld their wrathful mood,
And wond'red at their implacable stoure,1
Whose like they never saw till that same hour:
So dreadful strokes each did at other drive,
And laid on load with all their might and pow'r,
As if that every dint 2 the ghost 3 would rive 4

Out of their wretched corses,5 and their lives
deprive 6:

2 As when Dan Æolus,' in great displeasure For loss of his dear love by Neptune hent,8

1 Stoure, assault.

2 Dint, blow.

3 Ghost, spirit.

4 Rive, rend, tear.

5 Corses, bodies.

6 Deprive, destroy.

Eolus, the ruler of the winds. 8 Hent, seized, taken away.

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