The Poetical Works of - OUDL Home

Cant IIII FAERIE QVEENE. 235
45
Whereat full inly wroth was Triamond,
And cast t' auenge theshame doen to his freend
But by his friend himselfe eke soone he fond,
In no lesse neede of helpe, then him he weend
All which when Blandamour from end to end
Beheld, he woxe therewith displeased sore,
And thought in mind it shortly to amend
His speare he feutred, and at him it bore ,
But with no better fortune, then the rest afore
46
Full many others at him likewise ran
But all of them likewise dismounted were,
Ne certes wonder, for no powre of man
Could bide the force of thatenchaunted speare,
The which this famous Brilomart did beare,
With which she wondrous deeds of arms
atchieued,
And ouerthrew, what euer came her neare,
That all those stranger knights full sore
agrieued,
And thatlate weaker band of chalengersreheued
47
Like as in sommers day when raging heat
Doth burne the earth, and boyled nuers drie,
That all brute beasts forst to refraine fro meat,
Doe hunt for shade, where shrowded they may
he,
And missing it, fame from themselues to flie,
All trauellers tormented are with paine
A watry cloud doth ouercast the skie,
And poureth forth a sudden shoure of raine,
That all the wretched world recomforteth againe
48
So did the warlike Bntomart restore
The prize, to knights of Maydenhead that day,
Which else was like to haue bene lost, and bore I
The prayse of prowesse from them all away
Then shrilling trompets loudly gan to bray,
Andbadthemleaue theirlaboursandlongtoyle,
To loyous feast and other gentle play,
Where beauties prize shold win that pretious
spoyle I
Where I with sound of trompe will also rest a
whyle
Cant V
The Ladies for the girdle striue
of famous Florimell
Scudamour comming to Cares house,
doth sleepefrom him expell
It hath bene through all ages euer seene,
That with the praise of armes and cheualrie,
The prize of beautie still hath loyned beene,
And that for reasons speciall priuitie
For either doth on other much relie
For he me seemes most fit the faire to serue,
That can her best defend from villenie ,
And she most fit his seruice doth deserue,
That fairest is and from her faith will neuer
swerue
2
So fitly now here commeth next in place,
After the proofe of prowesse ended well,
The controuerse of beauties souerame grace,
In which to her that doth the most excell,
Shall fall the girdle of faire Florimell
That many wish to win for glone vaine,
And not for vertuous vse, which some doe
tell
That glorious belt did in it selfe containe,
Which Ladies ought to loue, and seeke for to
obtaine
3
That girdle gaue the vertue of chast loue,
And wiuehood true, to all that did it
beare,
But whosoeuer contrarie doth proue,
Might not the same about her middle weare,
But it would loose, or else a sunder teare
Whilome it was (as Faeries wont report)
Dame Venus girdle, by her steemed deare,
What tune she vsd to hue in wiuely sort,
But layd aside, when so she vsd her looser sport
4
Her husband Vulcan whylome for her sake,
When first he loued her with heart entire,
This pretious ornament they say did make,
And wrought in Lemno with vnquenched fire
And afterwards did for her loues first hire,
Giue it to her, for euer to remaine,
Therewith to bind lasciuious desire,
And loose affections streightly to restrame,
Which vertue it for euer after did retaine