XLV. He little answer'd, but in manly heart With darknes dred, and threatens all the world to XLVI. [wast. "Ah, gentle Knight !" then false Duessa sayd, Why do ye strive for ladies love so sore, "Whose chiefe desire is love and friendly aid "Mongst gentle knights to nourish evermore? "Ne be ye wroth, Sir Scudamour, therefore, "That she your love list love another knight, "Ne do yourselfe dislike a whit the more, "For love is free, and led with selfe-delight, "Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might." XLVII. So false Duessa; but vile Até thus ; "Both foolish knights, I can but laugh at both, "That strive and storme with stirre outrageous "For her that each of you alike doth loth, "And loves another, with whom now she goth "In lovely wise, and sleepes, and sports, and playes, "Whilest both you here, with many a cursed oth, "Sweare she is yours, and stirre up bloudie frayes, "To win a willow bough, whilest other weares the bayes." XLVIII. "Vile Hag," sayd Scudamour, "why dost thou lye, "And falsly seekst a virtuous wight to shame ;' "Fond Knight," sayd she, "the thing that with this eye "I saw, why should I doubt to tell the same ?" "Then tell,"quoth Blandamour, "andfeare no blame; "Tell what thou saw'st, maulgre whoso it heares.", "I saw," quoth she, "a stranger knight, whose "I wote not well, but in his shield he beares [name "(That well I wote) the heads of many broken XLIX. [speares ; "I saw him have your Amoret at will, "I saw him kisse, I saw him her embrace, "I saw him sleepe with her all night his fill, "All manie nights, and manie by in place "That present were to testifie the case." Which whenas Scudamour did heare, his heart Was thril'd with inward griefe, as when in chace The Parthian strikes a stag with shivering dart, The beast astonisht stands in middest of his smart. L. So stood Sir Scudamour when this he heard; LI. "Lo, Recreant!" sayd he," the fruitlesse end "Of thy vaine boast, and spoile of love misgotten, "Whereby the name of Knight-hood thou dost shend, "And all true lovers with dishonor blotten: "All things not rooted well will soone be rotten." But Scudamour, for passing great despight, "False traitour Squire, false Squire of falsest knight, "Why doth mine hand from thine avenge abstaine, "Whose lord hath done my love this foule despight? 66 Why do I not it wreake on thee now in my might? LIII. "Discourteous, disloyall Britomart, "Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust: 3 LIV. The aged dame him seeing so enraged, Was dead with feare; nathlesse as neede required Volume IV. H THE FAERY QUEENE. BOOK IV. CANTO II. Blandamour winnes false Florimell, Paridell for her strives; They are accorded: Agape Doth lengthen her sonnes lives. I. FIREBRAND of hell first tynd in Phlegeton And set it all on fire by force unknowen, Is wicked Discord, whose small sparkes once blowen, None but a god or godlike man can slake; Such as was Orpheus, that when strife was growen Amongst those famous ympes of Greece, did take His silver harpe in hand, and shortly friends them [make : II. Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was, That when the wicked feend his lord tormented, Such musicke is wise words with time concented, |