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208 THE III BOOKE OF THE Cant XII
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Of which full proud, himselfe vp rearing hye, Where force might not auaile, there sleights and
He looked round about with sterne disdaine , art
And did suruay his goodly company She cast to vse, both fit for hard emprize ,
And marshalling the euill ordered traine, For thy from that same roome not to depart
With that the darts which his nght hand did Till morrow next, she did her selfe auize,
straine,
When that same Maskeagaine should forth arize
Full dreadfully he shooke that all did quake, The morrow next appeard with loyous cheare,
And clapt on hie his coulourd winges twaine, Calling men to their daily exercize,
That all his many it affraide did make Then she, as morrow fresh, her selfe did reare
Tho blinding him againe, his way he forth did Out of her secret stand, that day for to out
take
weare
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Behinde him was Reproch, Repentance, Shame , All that day she outwore in wandering,
Reproch the first, Shame next, Repent behind And gazing on that Chambers ornament,
Repentance feeble, sorrowfull, and lame Till that againe the second euening
Reproch despightfull, carelesse, and vnkmd , Her couered with her sable vestiment,
Shame most ill fauourd, bestiall, and blind Wherewith the worlds faire beautie she hath
Shame lowrd, Repentance sigh'd, Reproch did blent
scould [twind, Then when the second watch was almost past,
Reproch sharpe stings, Repentance whips en That brasen dore flew open, and in went
burning brond yronsin her hand did hold Bold Britomart, as she had late forecast,
All three to each vnlike, yet all made in one Neither of idle shewes, nor of false charmes
mould
aghast
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And after them a rude confused rout So soone as she was entred, round about
Of persons flockt, whose names is hard to read She cast her eies, to see what was become
Emongst them was sterne Strife, and Anger Of all those persons, which she saw without
Vnqulet Care, and fond Vnthriftihead, [stout, Butlo,they streight werevanisht all and some,
Lewd Losse of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead, Ne humg wight she saw in all that roome,
Inconstant Chaunge, and false Disloyatiie, SauethatsamewoefullLadie,both whose hando
Consuming Riolise, and guilty Dread Were bounden fast, that did her ill become,
Of heauenly vengeance, faint Infirmttie, And her small wastgirt round with yron bands,
Vile Pouertie, and lastly Death with infamie Vnto a brasen pillour, by the which she stands
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There were full many moe like maladies, And her before the vile Enchaunter sate,
Whose names and natures I note readen well, Figuring straunge characters of his art,
So many moe, as there be phantasies With huing bloud he those characters wrate,
In wauenng wemens wit, that none can tell, Dreadfully dropping from her dying hart,
Or paines in loue, or punishments in hell, Seeming transfixed with a cruell dart,
All which disguized marcht in masking wise, And all perforce to make her him to loue
About the chamber with that Damozell, Ah who can loue the worker of her smart ?
And then returned, hauing marched thrise, A thousand charmes he formerly did proue ,
Into the inner roome, from whence they first did Yet thousand charmes could not her stedfast
rise
heart remoue
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So soone as they were in, the dore streight way Soone as that virgin knight he saw in place,
Fast locked, dnuen with that stormy blast, His wicked bookes in hast he ouerthrew,
Which first it opened , and bore ail away Not carmg his long labours to deface,
Then the braue Maid, which all this while was And fiercely ronning to that Lady trew,
plast
A murdrous knife out of his pocket drew,
In secret shade, and saw both first and last, The which he thought, for villeinous despight,
Issewed forth, and went vnto the dore, In her tormented bodie to embrew
To enter in, but found it locked fast But the stout Damzell to him leaping light,
It vaine she thought with rigorous vprore His cursed hand withheld, and maistered his
For to efforce,when charmes hadclosed it afore might