Who having lately left that lovely pair,
Enlinked faft in wedlocks loyal bond,
Bold Marinell with Florimell the fair,
With whom great feaft and goodly glee he fond,
Departed from the caftle of the frond,
To follow his adventures first intent,
Which long ago he taken had in hond:
Ne wight with him for his affiftance went,
But that great iron groom, his guard and government."
IV.
With whom as he did pafs by the fea fhore,
He chanc'd to come, whereas two comely Squires,
Both brethren, whom one womb together bore,
But stirred up with different defires,
Together ftrove, and kindled wrathful fires :
And them befide, two feemly damzels stood,
By all means feeking to affuage their ires,
Now with fair words but words did little good: [mood. Now with sharp threat; but threats the more increas'd their
And there before them ftood a coffer ftrong,
Fast bound on every fide with iron bands,
But feeming to have fuffred mickle wrong,
Either by being wreckt upon the fands,
Or being carried far from foreign lands,
Seem'd that for it thefe Squires at odds did fall,
And bent against themselves their cruel hands.
But evermore thofe damzels did foreftall
Their furious encounter, and their fierceness pall.
VI.
But firmly fixt they were, with dint of sword,
And battles doubtful proof their rights to try,
Ne other end their fury would afford,
But what to them fortune would juftify.
So ftood they both in readiness thereby,
To join the combat with cruel intent;
When Arthegal arriving happily,
Did stay awhile their greedy bickerment,
Till he had questioned the cause of their diffent,
To whom the elder did this anfwer frame;
Then weet ye Sir, that we two brethren be,
To whom our Sire, Milefio by name,
Did equally bequeath his lands in fee,
Two inlands, which ye there before ye
Not far in fea; of which the one appears
But like a little mount of fmall degree;
Yet was as great and wide ere many years,
As that fame other ifle, that greater breadth now bears.
VHF.
But tract of time, that all things doth decay,
And this devouring fea that nought doth fpare,
The most part of my land hath washt away,
And thrown it up unto my brothers share :
So his encreased, but mine did empair.
Before which time I lov'd as was my lot,
That further maid hight Philtera the fair,
With whom a goodly dowre I fhould have got,
And fhould have joined been to her in wedlocks knot.
IX.
Then did my younger brother Amidas,
Love that fame other damzel Lucy bright, To whom but little dowre allotted was: Her vertue was the dowre that did delight. What better dowre can to a Dame be hight? But now when Philtra faw my lands decay, And former livel'od fail, fhe left me quight, And to my brother did elope ftraightway; Who taking her from me, his own Love left aftray. X.
She feeing then herself forfaken fo,
Through dolorous defpair, which the conceiv'd, Into the fea herself did headlong throw, Thinking to have her grief by death bereav'd. But fee how much her purpose was deceiv'd. Whilft thus, amidst the billows beating of her, Twixt life and death, long to and fro the weav'd, She chanc'd unwares to light upon this coffer, Which to her in that danger hope of life did offer.
The wretched maid, that erft defir'd to die,
Whenas the pain of death fhe tafted had,
And but half feen his ugly vifnomie,
Gan to repent that she had been so mad,
For any death to change life though most bad:
And catching hold of this fea-beaten cheft,
The lucky Pilot of her paffage fad,
After long toffing in the feas diftreft,
Her weary bark at last upon mine Ifle did reft.
Where I by chance then wandring on the fhore,
Did her efpy, and through my good endeavour,
From dreadful mouth of death, which threatned fore
Her to have swallow'd up, did help to fave her..
She then in recompence of that great favour,
Which I on her beftow'd, beftow'd on me
The portion of that good which Fortune gave her,
Together with her felf in dowry free;
Both goodly portions; but of both the better fhe.
XIII.
Yet in this coffer, which the with her brought,
Great treasure fithence we did find contain'd:
Which as our own we took, and fo it thought.
But this fame other damzel fince hath feign'd,
That to her felf that treasure appertain'd;
And that she did tranfport the fame by fea,
To bring it to her husband new ordain'd,
But fuffred cruel fhipwreck by the way.
But whether it be fo or no, I cannot fay.
XIV.
But whether it indeed be fo or no,
This do I fay, that what fo good or ill,
Or God or Fortune unto me did throw
(Not wronging any other by my will)
I hold mine own and fo will hold it ftill.
And though my land he first did win away,
And then my Love (though now it little skill)
Yet my good luck he shall not likewise prey s
But I will it defend whilft ever that I may.
So having faid, the younger did enfue;
Full true it is, whatfo about our land
My brother here declared hath to you:
But not for it this odds twixt us doth ftand,
But for this treasure thrown upon his strand;
Which well I prove, as fhall appear by trial,
To be this maids, with whom I fastned hand,
Known by good marks and perfect good efpial:
Therefore it ought be rendred her without denial.
XVI.
When they thus ended had, the Knight began;
Certes your ftrife were eafie to accord,
Would ye remit it to fome righteous man.
Unto your felf, faid they, we give our word,
To bide that judgement ye fhall us afford.
Then for affurance to my doom to stand,
Under my foot let each lay down his fword,
And then you fhall my fentence understand.
So each of them laid down his fword out of his hand.
XVII.
Then Arthegal thus to the younger faid;
Now tell me Amidas, if that ye may,
Your brothers land the which the fea hath laid
Unto your part, and pluckt from his away,
By what good right do you withhold this day?
What other right, quoth he, fhould you efteem,
But that the fea it to my fhare did lay?
Your right is good, faid he, and so I deem,
That what the fea unto you fent, your own fhould feem.
XVIII.
Then turning to the elder thus he faid;
Now Bracidas, let this likewise be shown;
Your brothers treasure, which from him is ftraid,
Being the dowry of his Wife well known,
By what right do you claim to be your own?
What other right, quoth he, fhould you esteem,
But that the fea hath it unto me thrown?
Your right is good, faid he, and so I deem,
That which the fea unto you fent, your own fhould feem.
XIX.
For equal right in equal things doth ftand;
For what the mighty fea hath once poffeft,
And plucked quite from all poffeffors hand,
Whether by rage of waves, that never reft,
Or elfe by wreck that wretches hath distrest,
He may difpofe by his imperial might,
As thing at random left, to whom he lift.
So Amidas, the land was yours first hight,
And fo the treasure yours is Bracidas by right.
XX.
When he his fentence thus pronounced had,
Both Amidas and Philtra were difpleas'd:
Bat Bracidas and Lucy were right glad,
And on the treasure by that judgment feiz'd.
So was their difcord by this doom appeas'd,
And each one had his right. Then Arthegall,
Whenas their sharp contention he had ceas'd,
Departed on his way as did befall,
To follow his old queft, the which him forth did call. XXI.
So as he travelled upon the way,
He chanc'd to come, where happily he fpide]
A rout of many people far away;
To whom his courfe he haftily applide,
To weet the cause of their affemblance wide.
To whom when he approached near in fight
(An uncouth fight) he plainly then descride
To be a troop of women, warlike dight,
With weapons in their hands, as ready for to fight.
XXII.
And in the midft of them he faw a Knight,
With both his hands behind him piniond hard,
And round about his neck an halter tight,
As ready for the gallow tree prepar'd:
His face was cover'd, and his head was bar'd,
That who he was uneath was to descry;
And with full heavy heart with them he far'd,
Griev'd to the foul, and groaning inwardly,
That he of Womens hands fo base a death should dye,
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