And seeking all things meete for remedy;
But she resolv'd no remedy to fynde,
Nor better cheare to shew in misery,
Till Fortune would her captive bonds unbynde:
Her sickenesse was not of the body, but the
mynde.
During which space that she thus sicke did [wount
That nothing meet in merchandise to passe: So shew'd them her, to prove how pale and weake she was.
The sight of whom, though now decayd and
mard,
And eke but hardly seene by candle-light,
Yet, like a Diamond of rich regard,
It chaunst a sort of merchants, which were With starrie beames about her shining bright, In doubtfull shadow of the darkesome night
To skim those coastes for bondmen there to
buy,
And by such trafficke after gaines to hunt,
Arrived in this Isle, though bare and blunt,
T inquire for slaves; where being readie met
By some of these same theeves at the instant
brunt,
Were brought unto their Captaine, who was set
By his faire patients side with sorrow full re-
gret.
Mote to them for their most commodity
Be sold, and mongst them shared equally.
This their request the Captaine much appalled,
Yet could he not their just demaund deny,
And willed streight the slaves should forth be
called,
And sold for most advantage, not to be for-
stalled.
These marchants fixed eyes did so amaze,
That what through wonder, and what through
delight.
A while on her they greedily did gaze,
And did her greatly like, and did her greatly
praize.
Therewith some other of the chiefest theeves
Boldly him bad such injurie forbeare;
For that same mayd, how ever it him greeves,
Should with the rest be sold before him
theare,
Then forth the good old Melibo was brought, To make the prises of the rest more deare.
And Coridon with many other moe, [caught; That with great rage he stoutly doth denay
Whom they before in diverse spoyles had
All which he to the marchants sale did showe: And, fiercely drawing forth his blade, doth
Till some, which did the sundry prisoners That who so hardie hand on her doth lay,
It dearely shall aby, and death for handsell
pay.
Gan to inquire for that faire shepherdesse,
Which with the rest they tooke not long agoe;
And gan her forme and feature to expresse,
The more t'augment her price through praise
of comlinesse.
To whom the Captaine in full angry wize Made answere, that the mayd of whom they spake
Thus, as they words amongst them multiply, They fall to strokes, the frute of too much talke,
And the mad steele about doth fiercely fly,
Not sparing wight, ne leaving any balke,
But making way for death at large to walke;
Who, in the horror of the griesly night,
In thousand dreadful shapes doth mongst them
stalke,
[light
Was his owne purchase and his onely prize;
With which none had to doe, ne ought partake,
But he himselfe which did that conquest make: And makes huge havocke; whiles the candle-
Litle for him to have one silly lasse; [weake, Out quenched leaves no skill nor difference of
Besides, through sicknesse now so wan and] wight.
There lay she covered with confused preasse
Of carcases, which dying on her fell. ceasse; Who when he backe returned from the wood,
Tho, when as he was dead, the fray gan And saw his shepheards cottage spoyled
And each to other calling did compell
To stay their cruell hands from slaughter fell, And his love reft away, he wexed wood
Sith they that were the cause of all were gone:
Thereto they all attonce agreed well;
And, lighting candles new, gan search anone,
How many of their friends were slaine, how
many fone.
Their Captaine there they cruelly found kild, And in his armes the dreary dying mayd, Like a sweet Angell twixt two clouds uphild; Her lovely light was dimmed and decayd With cloud of death upon her eyes displayd;
And halfe enraged at that ruefull sight;
That even his hart, for very fell despight,
And his owne flesh he readie was to teare:
He chauft, he griev'd, he fretted, and he
And fared like a furious wyld Beare, [sight,
Whose whelpes are stolne away, she being
otherwhere.
Ne wight he found to whom he might complaine,
Ne wight he found of whom he might inquire,
That more increast the anguish of his paine: Or how those theeves, whilest one sought her He sought the woods, but no man could see there:
to hold, [heare: Fell all at ods, and fought through fury fierce
He sought the plaines, but could no tydings The woods did nought but ecchoes vaine rebound;
The playnes all waste and emptie did appeare: This fatall chaunce, this dolefull accident, 'In that same condict (woe is me!) befell Where wont the shepheards oft their pypes Whose heavy tydings now I have to tell. [he found. First all the captives, which they here had
resound, And feed an hundred flocks, there now not one
Were by them slaine by generall consent:
Old Melibo and his good wife withall
But, when the lot to Pastorell did fall,
These eyes saw die, and dearely did lament;
Their Captaine long withstood, and did her
death forstall.
His hart quite deaded was with anguish great,
When Calidore these ruefull newes had raught,
And all his wits with doole were nigh dis-
That he his face, his head, his brest did beat,
traught,
And death it selfe unto himselfe did threat;
To her, whose name he often did repeat;
Oft cursing th' heavens, that so cruell were
And wishing oft that he were present there
When she was slaine, or had bene to her
And spent it selfe in mourning, he at last
But after griefe awhile had had his course,
Began to mitigate his swelling sourse,
How he might save her life, if life did last:
And in his mind with better reason cast
Or, if that dead, how he her death might
wreake,
Tho, when the Shepheard breathed had a-Sith otherwise he could not mend thing past;
whyle,
[mence Or if it to revenge he were too weake,
He thus began: 'Where shall I then com- Then for to die with her, and his lives threed
This wofull tale? or how those Brigants vyle,
With cruell rage and dreadfull violence,
Spoyld all our cots, and caried us from hence;
Or how faire Pastorell should have bene sold
To marchants, but was sav'd with strong de-To wend with him, and be his con luct trew
Tho Coridon he prayd, sith he well knew The readie way unto that theevish wonne,
| Unto the place, to see what should be donne;
|