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XXII.

Soone as the parted thence, the fearfull twayne, That blind old woman, and her daughter dear, Came forth; and, finding Kirkrapine there flayne,

For anguish great they gan to rend their heare, And beat their brefts, and naked flesh to teare: And when they both had wept and wayld their fill,

Then forth they ran, like two amazed deare, Halfe mad through malice and revenging will, To follow her, that was the caufer of their ill:

XXIII.

Whome overtaking, they gan loudly bray,
With hollow houling, and lamenting cry ;
Shamefully at her rayling all the way,
And her accufing of dishonesty,

That was the flowre of faith and chastity:
And ftill, amidst her rayling, she did pray
That plagues, and mischiefes, and long mifery,

XXIII. 1. they gan loudly bray,] Mr. Upton proposes to reject bray, and substitute bay. But perhaps there is no neceffity for the alteration. Bray fignifies the making any kind of noife. See before, C. i. ft. 17." She loudly gan to bray." But there it is applied to the Dragon. It is however applied to perfons. See F. Q. i. vi. 7. And thus, in Sir Bevis of Hampton;

"Yea, faid the Gyant, will he fo?

"A dore barre he tooke in his hand tho;
"And out vnto Bevis he braide,

"And thus vnto him he faid, &c." TODD.

XXIII. 6.

amidft her rayling] See a like change of the number, F, Q. v. xi. 42. CHURCH.

Might fall on her, and follow all the way; And that in endleffe error fhe might ever stray.

XXIV.

But, when she saw her prayers nought prevaile, Shee backe retourned with fome labour loft; And in the way, as fhee did weepe and waile, A Knight her mett in mighty armes embost, Yet Knight was not for all his bragging bost; But fubtill Archimag, that Una fought

By traynes into new troubles to have tofte: Of that old woman tidings he befought, If that of fuch a Lady shee could tellen ought.

XXV.

Therewith fhe gan her paffion to renew,
And cry, and curfe, and raile, and rend her

heare,

Saying, that harlott she too lately knew, That causd her shed fo many a bitter teare; And fo forth told the story of her feare. Much feemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce, And after for that Lady did inquere ;

Which being taught, he forward gan advaunce His fair enchaunted steed, and eke his charmed launce.

XXVI.

Ere long he came where Una traveild flow, And that wilde champion wayting her befyde; Whome feeing fuch, for dread hee durst not

fhow

Him felfe too nigh at hand, but turned wyde Unto an hil; from whence when the him fpyde,

By his like-feeming fhield her Knight by

name ;

Shee weend it was, and towards him gan ride: Approching nigh she wift it was the same ; And with faire fearefull humbleffe towards him fhee came:

XXVII.

And weeping faid, "Ah my long-lacked lord, bene thus long out of my

Where have

fight?

ye

Much feared I to have bene quite abhord,
Or ought have done, that ye difpleafen might;
That should as death unto my deare heart
light:

For fince mine eie your ioyous fight did mis, My chearefull day is turnd to cheareleffe night, And eke my night of death the fhadow is: But welcome now, my light, and fhining lampe of blis !"

XXVIII.

He thereto meeting faid, "My dearest dame, Far be it from your thought, and fro my wil,

XXVI. 9. humbleffe] Humility. Ufed by Chaucer. See Gloff. edit. Urr. And by Spenfer again, F. Q. i. ii. 21. Humbleffe, Fr. See Cotgrave. Spenfer alfo thus ufes nimblesse for nimbleness, F. Q. v. ix. 29. TODD. XXVIII. 1. He thereto meeting faid,] "Talibus occurrit dictis." UPTON.

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Virgil, En. xii. 625.

To thinke that knighthood I fo much should

shame,

As you to leave that have me loved ftil, And chofe in Faery court, of meere goodwil, Where nobleft Knights were to be found on earth.

The earth fhall fooner leave her kindly skil To bring forth fruit, and make eternal derth, Then I leave you, my liefe, yborn of hevenly berth.

XXIX.

And footh to fay, why I lefte you fo long,
Was for to feeke adventure in ftraunge place;
Where, Archimago faid, a felon strong
To many Knights did daily worke difgrace;
But Knight he now shall never more deface:
Good cause of mine excufe that mote ye please
Well to accept, and evermore embrace
My faithfull fervice, that by land and feas

· XXVIII. 7. The earth fhall fooner leave her kindly skil] We ufe the fame word in the fame fenfe in the Litany, "The kindly fruits of the earth." Spenfer feems to have translated Propertius, L. ii. El. xii. 31.

"Terra prius falfo partu deludet arantes,

"Quàm poffim noftros alio transferre calores." UPTON. XXIX. 6. I have here followed the pointing fuggested by Upton, and filently obferved by Church: All other editions retain a femicolon after excufe; but, as Mr. Upton remarks, the verfes may be thus conftrued,

Good caufe of mine excufe that mote ye please

Well to accept

"I hope that ye might pleafe well to accept this fufficient caufe of my excufe: THAT being optatively used." TODD.

Have vowd you to defend now then your plaint appeafe."

XXX.

His lovely words her feemd due recompence
Of all her paffed paines: one loving howre
For many yeares of forrow can difpence ;
A dram of fweete is worth a pound of fowre.
Shee has forgott how many a woeful stowre
For him the late endurd; fhe speakes no more
Of paft: true is, that true love hath no powre
To looken backe; his eies be fixt before.
Before her ftands her Knight, for whom the
toyld fo fore.

XXXI.

Much like, as when the beaten marinere,
That long hath wandred in the ocean wide,
Ofte fouft in fwelling Tethys faltish teare;
And long time having tand his tawney hide
With bluftring breath of heaven, that none
can bide,

And scorching flames of fierce Orions hound;

XXX. 5. a woefull ftowre] Danger, or misfortune. The word is oftener ufed by our poet and others for fight or battle. See Gloff. Douglas's Virgil. And Chaucer, Monkes Tale, 14376. edit. Tyrwhitt.

"And he that helmed was in ftarke floures,

"And wan by force tounes ftronge and toures." And thus, at the opening of Sir Bevis of Hampton; "Liften, Lordings, and hold you still;

"Of doubtie men tell you I will,

"That have bin in many a ftour." TODD.

XXXI. 6.

Orion's hound;] Sirius, or the

Dog-ftar; fo called by Homer. JORTIN.

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