But they, now having throughly heard and feen
All thofe great wrongs, the which that maid complain'd
To have been done against her Lady Queen,
By that proud Dame, which her fo much difdain'd,
Were moved much thereat, and 'twixt them fain'd,
With all their force to work avengement ftrong
Upon the Souldan felf, which it maintain'd;
And on his Lady, th' author of that wrong,
And upon all thofe Knights that did to her belong.
XXV.
But thinking beft by counterfeit difguife,
To their defign to make the easier way,
They did this complot 'twixt themselves devife;
First that Sir Arthegal fhould him array,
Like one of thofe two Knights which dead there lay.
And then that Damzel, the fad Samient,
Should as his purchaft prize with him convey
Unto the Souldans court, her to present
Unto his fcornful Lady, that for her had fent.
XXVI.
So as they had deviz'd, Sir Arthegal
Him clad in th' armour of a Pagan Knight;
And taking with him, as his vanquifht thrall,
That Damzel, led her to the Souldans right.
Where foon as his proud wife of her had fight
(Forth of her window as fhe looking lay)
She weened ftraight it was her Paynim Knight; Which brought that Damzel, as his purchaft prey; And fent to him a Page that mote direct his way. XXVII.
Who bringing them to their appointed place,
Offred his fervice to difarm the Knight;
But he refufing him to let unlace,
For doubt to be difcover'd by his fight,
Kept himself still in his ftrange armour dight.
Soon after whom, the Prince arrived there;
And fending to the Souldan in defpight
A bold defiance, did of him requere
That Damzel, whom he held as wrongful prifonere.
Wherewith, the Souldan all with fury fraught,
Swearing, and banning most blafphemously,
Commanded straight his armour to be brought;
And mounting ftraight upon a charet high,
With iron wheels and hooks arm'd dreadfully,
And drawn of cruel steeds, which he had fed
With flesh of men, whom through fell tyranny
He flaughtred had, and ere they were half dead,
Their bodies to his beafts for provender did spread.
XXIX.
So forth he came all in a coat of plate,
Burnifht with bloody ruft; whiles on the green
The Briton Prince him ready did await,
In gliftering arms right goodly well befeen,
That fhone as bright, as doth the heaven fheen;
And by his ftirrup Talus did attend,
Playing his Pages part, as he had been
Before directed by his Lord; to th' end
He fhould his flail to final execution bend.
XXX.
Thus go they both together to their gear,
With like fierce minds, but meanings different:
For the proud Souldan with prefumptuous chear,
And countenance fublime and infolent,
Sought only flaughter and avengement:
But the brave Prince for honour and for right,
Gainft tortious powre and lawless regiment,
In the behalf of wronged weak did fight :
More in his caufes truth he trusted than in might.
XXXI.
Like to the Thracian tyrant, who they fay
Unto his horfes gave his guefts for meat,
Till he him felf was made their greedy prey,
And torn in pieces by Alcides great.
So thought the Souldan in his follies threat,
Either the Prince in pieces to have torne
With his fharp wheels in his firft rages heat,
Or under his fierce horfes feet have borne
And trampled down in duft his thoughts difdained fcorn.
But the bold child that peril well efpying,
If he too rafhly to his charet drew,
Gave way unto his horses speedy flying,
And their refiftlefs rigour did efchew.
Yet as he paffed by, the Pagan threw
A fhivering dart with fo impetuous force,
That had he not it fhun'd with heedful view,
It had himself transfixed, or his horse,
Or made them both one maffe withouten more remorse.
XXXIII.
Oft drew the Prince unto his charet nigh,
In hope fome stroke to faften on him near;
But he was mounted in his feat fo high,
And his wing-footed courfers him did bear
So faft away, that ere his ready spear
He could advance, he far was gone and past.
Yet ftill he him did follow every where,
And follow'd was of him likewife full faft;
So long as in his fteeds the flaming breath did laft.
XXXIV.
Again the Pagan threw another dart,
Of which he had with him abundant ftore,
On every fide of his embattled cart,
And of all other weapons lefs or more,
Which warlike ufes had deviz'd of yore.
The wicked fhaft guided through th' ayrie wide,
By fome bad fprite, that it to mischief bore,
Stayd not till through his cuiras it did glide,
And made a griefly wound in his enriven fide.
XXXV.
Much was he grieved with that hapless throe,
That open'd had the well-fpring of his blood,
But much the more that to his hateful foe
He mote not come, to wreak his wrathful mood.
That made him rave, like to a Lion wood,
Which being wounded of the huntsmans hand
Cannot come near him in the covert wood,
Where he with boughs hath built his fhady stand,
And fenc'd himfelf about with many a flaming brand.
Still when he fought t' approach unto him nigh,
His charet wheels about him whirled round,
And made him back again as faft to fly;
And eke his steeds, like to an hungry hound,
That hunting after game hath carrion found,
So cruelly did him pursue and chace,
That his good steed, all were he much renown'd
For noble courage, and for hardy race,
Durft not endure their fight, but fled from place to place.
XXXVII.
Thus long they trac'd, and traverft to and fro,
Seeking by every way to make fome breach:
Yet could the Prince not nigh unto him go,
That one fure ftroke he might unto him reach,
Whereby his ftrengths affay he might him teach.
At laft from his victorious fhield he drew
The veil, which did his powreful light empeach;
And coming full before his horfes view,
As they upon him preft, it plain to them did fhew.
XXXVIII.
Like lightning flash, that hath the gazer burn'd,
So did the fight thereof their fense dismay,
That back again upon themselves they turn'd,
And with their rider ran perforce away :
Ne could the Souldan them from flying stay,
With reins, or wonted rule, as well he knew.
Nought feared they, what he could do or fay,
But th' only fear that was before their view;
From which like mazed Deer, difmayfully they flew.
XXXIX.
Faft did they fly, as them their feet could bear,
High over hills, and lowly over dales,
As they were follow'd of their former fear.
In vain the Pagan banns, and swears, and rails,
And back with both his hands unto him hails
The refty reins, regarded now no more:
He to them calls and fpeaks, yet nought avails;
They hear him not, they have forgot his lore,
But go which way they lift, their guide they have forlore.
As when the firy mouthed fteeds, which drew
The Suns bright wain to Phaetons decay,
Soon as they did the monstrous Scorpion view,
With ugly craples crawling in their way,
The dreadful fight did them fo fore affray,
That their well knowen courfes they forwent;
And leading th' ever burning lamp aftray,
This lower world nigh all to afhes brent,
And left their scorched path yet in the firmament.
XLI.
Such was the fury of thefe headftrong steeds,
Soon as the Infants funlike fhield they faw,
That all obedience both to words and deeds
They quite forgot and fcorn'd all former law;
Through woods and rocks, and mountains they did draw
The iron charet, and the wheels did tear,
And toft the Paynim, without fear or awe;
From fide to fide they toft him here and there,
Crying to them in vain, that n'ould his crying hear.
XLII.
Yet ftill the Prince purfu'd him close behind,
Oft making offer him to fmite, but found
No eafie means according to his mind.
At laft they have all overthrown to ground
Quite topfide turvey, and the Pagan hound
Amongst the iron hooks and grapples keen,
Torn all to rags, and rent with many a wound:
That no whole piece of him was to be seen,
But fcattred all about, and strow'd upon the green.
XLIII.
Like as the curfed Son of Thefeus,
That following his chace in dewy morn,
To fly his ftepdames love outrageous,
Of his own fteeds was all to pieces torn,
And his fair limbs left in the woods forlorn ;
That for his fake Diana did lament,
And all the woody Nymphs did wail and mourn :
So was this Souldan rapt and all to rent,
That of his fhape appear'd no little monument.
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