Far better I it deem to die with speed,
Then1 waste in woe and wailful 2 misery:
Who dies, the utmost dolour doth abye3;
But who that lives is left to wail his loss :
So life is loss, and death felicity:

Sad life worse than glad death; and greater cross
To see friend's grave, then dead the grave self to

engross.4

39 But if the heavens did his day envý,5

And my short bliss malign, yet mote they well
Thus much afford me, ere that he did die,
That the dim eyes of my dear Marinell

I mote have closèd, and him bed farewell,
Sith other offices for mother meet

They would not grant

Yet, maulgre9 them, farewell, my sweetest sweet! Farewell, my sweetest son, sith we no more shall meet!"

40 Thus when they all had sorrowèd their fill,
They softly gan to search his grisly10 wound:
And, that they might him handle more at will,
They him disarmed; and, spreading on the ground
Their watchet 11 mantles fringed with silver round,
They softly wiped away the jelly blood

1 Then, than.

2 Wailful, mournful.

3 Abye, endure.

4 Engross, occupy.

5 Envy, begrudge.

6 Malign, begrudge.

7 Mote, might.

8 Bed, bade.

9 Maulgre, in spite of. 10 Grisly, dreadful.

11 Watchet, pale blue.

From th' orifice; which, having well upbound,
They poured in sovereign balm and nectar good,
Good both for earthly med'cine and for heavenly
food.

41 Tho,1 when the lily-handed Liagore

(This Liagore whilom 2 had learned skill
In leech's craft, by great Apollo's lore,1
Sith her whilom upon high Pindus hill 5
He loved,).

Did feel his pulse, she knew there stayed still
Some little life his feeble sprites among ;

Which to his mother told, despair she from her flung.

42 Tho, up him taking in their tender hands, They easily unto her charett7 bear:

8

Her team at her commandment quiet stands,
Whiles they the corse into the waggon rear,
And strow with flow'rs the lamentable beare 9:
Then all the rest into their coaches clim,10

And through the brackish waves their passage
shear 11;

Upon great Neptune's neck they softly swim,
And to her wat'ry chamber swiftly carry him.

43 Deep in the bottom of the sea, her bow'r1
Is built of hollow billows heaped high,

Like to thick clouds that threat a stormy show'r,
And vauted all within like to the sky,
In which the gods do dwell eternally:

There they him laid in easy couch well dight,3
And sent in haste for Tryphon, to apply

Salve to his wounds, and medicines of might:
For Tryphon of sea-gods the sovereign leech is hight.5

44 The whiles the nymphs sit all about him round,
Lamenting his mishap and heavy plight;

And oft his mother, viewing his wide wound,
Cursed the hand that did so deadly smite
Her dearest son, her dearest heart's delight:
But none of all those curses overtook

The warlike maid, th' ensample of that might ";
But fairly well she thrived, and well did brook
Her noble deeds, ne her right course for ought
forsook.

45 Yet did false Archimage her still pursue, To bring to pass his mischievous intent,

1 Bower, chamber, dwelling. 2 Vauted, vaulted.

3 Dight, arranged.

4 Tryphon. There is no leech of the sea-gods in classical mythology. Hillard.

5 Hight, called.

6 The warlike maid, th' ensample of that might, i.e. Britomart, who

had in the overthrow of Marinell given a specimen of her power.

And well did brook her noble deeds, i.e. she did not suffer in consequence of her noble deeds.

8 Archimage, or Archimago, a wicked enchanter described in the first book of the " Faery Queene," the chief enemy of the Redcross knight and Una.

Now that he had her singled from the crew

Of courteous knights, the prince and faery gent,1
Whom late in chase of beauty excellent

She left, pursuing that same foster 2 strong;

Of whose foul outrage they impatient,

And full of fiery zeal, him followed long,

To rescue her3 from shame, and to revenge her

wrong.

1 The prince and faery gent, i.e. Prince Arthur and the noble faery, or faery knight, Sir Guyon, who left Britomart to go to the

rescue of the lady "upon a milkwhite palfrey."

2 Foster, forester.

8 Her, i.e. the lady pursued by the forester.

V.

The Night at Malbecco's Castle.

Satyrane and Paridell, two of Gloriana's champions, found themselves on a dark and stormy night outside the castle of a man known as Malbecco. As admittance was not readily granted, Paridell wished to force an entrance.

I "NAY, let us first," said Satyrane, "entreat
The man, by gentle means, to let us in;
And afterwards affray1 with cruel threat,
Ere that we to efforce 2 it do begin :
Then, if all fail, we will by force it win,
And eke reward the wretch for his mesprise,1
As may be worthy of his heinous sin."

That counsel pleased: then Paridell did rise,
And to the castle-gate approached in quiet wise:

2 Whereat soft knocking, entrance he desired.
The good man self, which then the porter played,
Him answerèd, that all were now retired
Unto their rest, and all the keys conveyed
Unto their master who in bed was laid,
That none him durst awake out of his dream;
And therefore them of patience gently prayed.
Then Paridell began to change his theme,

And threat'ned him with force and punishment

extreme.

1 Affray, frighten.

2

Efforce, force.

8 Eke, also.

4 Mesprise, contempt.