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XLV.

He little answer'd, but in manly heart
His mightie indignation did forbeare;
Which was not yet so secret, but some part
Thereof did in his frowning face appeare;
Like as a gloomie cloud, the which doth beare
An hideous storme, is by the northerne blast
Quite over-blowne, yet doth not passe so cleare,
But that it all the skie doth over-cast

With darknes dred, and threatens all the world to

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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;
Ne word he had to speake for great dismay,
But lookt on Glauce grim, who woxe afeard
Of outrage for the words which she heard say,
Albee untrue she wist them by assay:
But Blandamour, when as he did espie
His chaunge of cheere that anguish did bewray,
He woxe full blithe, as he had got thereby,
And gan thereat to triumph without victorie.

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."
"Fy, fy, false Knight!" then false Duessa cryde,
"Unworthy life, that love with guile hast gotten;
"Be thou, whereever thou do go or ryde,
"Loathed of ladies all, and of all knights defyde."
LII.

But Scudamour, for passing great despight,
Staid not to answer; scarcely did refraine,
But that in all those knights and ladies sight
He for revenge had guiltlesse Glauce slaine;
But being past, he thus began amaine;

"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,
"Untrue to God, and unto man uniust,
"What vengeance due can equall thy desart,
"That hast with shamefull spot of sinfull lus
"Defil'd the pledge committed to thy trust?
“Let ugly shame and endlesse infamy

"Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust:
"Yet thou, false Squire, his fault shalt deare aby,
"And with thy punishment his penance shalt
supply."

3

LIV.

The aged dame him seeing so enraged,

Was dead with feare; nathlesse as neede required
His flaming furie sought to have assuaged,
With sober words, that sufferance desired,
Till time the tryall of her truth expyred,
And evermore sought Britomart to cleare;
But he the more with furious rage was fyred,
And thrise his hand to kill her did upreare,
And thrise he drew it backe; so did at last forbeare.

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
By thousand furies, and from thence out-throwen
Into this world to worke confusion,

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,
With heavenly notes, that did all other pas,
The outrage of his furious fit relented.

Such musicke is wise words with time concented,
To moderate stiffe mindes disposd to strive;
Such as that prudent Romane well invented,
What time his people into partes did rive,
Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did drive.

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