The Poetical Works of - OUDL Home

26o THE IIII BOOKE OF THE Cant IX.
To whom the Prince thus goodly well replied ,
Certes sir Knight, ye seemen much to blame,
To np vp wrong, that battell once hath tried ,
Wherein the honor both of Armes ye shame,
And eke the loue of Ladies foule defame ,
To whom the world this franchise euer yeelded,
That of their loues choise they might freedom
clame,
And in that right should by all knights be
shielded
Gainst which me seemes this war ye wrongfully
haue wielded
38
And yet (quoth she) a greater wrong remaines
For I thereby my former loue haue lost,
Whom seeking euer since with endlesse pames,
Hath me much sorrow and much trauell cost,
Aye me to see that gentle maide so tost
But Scudamour then sighing deepe, thus saide,
Certes her losse ought me to sorrow most,
Whose right she is, where euer she be straide,
Through many perils wonne, and many fortunes
waide
39
For from the first that I her loue profest,
Vnto this houre, this present lucklesse howre,
I neuer loyed happinesse nor rest,
But thus turmoild from one to other stowre,
I wast my life, and doe my daies deuowre
In wretched anguishe and incessant woe,
Passing the measure of my feeble powre,
That huing thus, a wretch and loumg so,
I neither can my loue, ne yet my life forgo
40
Then good sir Clanbell him thus bespake,
Now were it not sir Scudamour to you
Dibhkefull paine, so sad a taske to take,
Mote we entreat you, sith this gentle crew
Is now so well accorded all anew ,
That as we ride together on our way,
Ye will recount to vs in order dew
All that aduenture, which ye did assay
For that faire Ladies loue pastpenls wellapay
41
So gan the rest him likewise to require,
But Britomart did him importune hard,
To take on him that pame whose great desire
He glad to satisfie, him selfe prepar'd
To tell through what misfortune he had far'd,
In that atchieuement, as to him befell
And all those daungers vnto them declar'd,
Which sith they cannot in this Canto well
Comprised be, I will them m another tell
Cant X.
Scudamour doth his conquest tell,
Ojvertuous Amoret
Great Venus Temple is described,
And loners life forth set
I
True he it said, what euer man it sayd,
That loue with gall and hony doth abound,
But if the one be with the other wayd,
For euery dram of hony therein found,
A pound of gall doth ouer it redound
That I too true by tnall haue approued
For since the day that first with deadly wound
My heart was launcht, and learned to haue loued,
I neuer loyed howre, but still with care was
moued
And yet such grace is giuen them from aboue,
That all the cares and euill which they meet,
May nought at all their setled mmdes remoue,
But seeme gainst common sence to them most
sweet,
As bostmg in their martyrdome vnmeet
So all that euer yet I haue endured,
I count as naught, and tread downe vnder feet,
Since of my loue at length I rest assured,
That to disloyalty she will not be allured
3
Long were to tell the trauell and long toile,
Through which this shield of loue I late haue
wonne,
And purchased this peerelesse beauties spoile,
That harder may be ended, then begonne
But since ye so desire, your will be donne
Then hearke ye gentle knights and Ladies free,
My hard mishaps, that ye may learne to
shonne,
For though sweet loue to conquer glorious bee,
Yet is the pame thereof much greater then the
fee
4
What time the fame of this renowmed prise
Flew first abroad, and all mens eares possest,
I hauing armes then taken, gan auise
To winne me honour by some noble gest,
And purchase me some place amongst the best
I boldly thought (so young mens thoughts are
bold)
That this same braue emprize for me did rest,
And that both shield and she whom I behold,
Might be my lucky lot, sith all by lot we hold.