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282 THE V BOOKE OF THE Cant II.
Which when the Pagan saw, he wexed wroth,
And streight him selfe vnto the fight addrest,
Ne was Sir Artegall behinde so both
Together ran with ready speares m rest
Right in the midst, whereas they brest to brest
Should meete, a trap was letten downe to fall
Into the floud streight leapt the Carle vnblest,
Well weenmg that his foe was falne withall
But he was well aware, and leapt before his fall
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Then very doubtfull was the warres euent,
Vncertaine whether had the better side
For both were skild m that experiment,
And both in armes well traind and throughly
tride
But Artegall was better breath'd beside,
And towards th'end, grew greater in his might,
That his faint foe no longer could abide
His puissance, ne beare him selfe vpright,
But from the water to the land betooke his flight
There being both together in the floud,
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They each at other tyrannously flew, But Artegall pursewd him still so neare,
Ne ought the water cooled their whot bloud, With bright Chrysaor in his cruell hand,
But rather in them kindled choler new That as his head he gan a litle reare
But there the Paynim, who that vse well knew Aboue the brincke, to tread vpon the land,
To fight in water, great aduantage had, He smote it off, that tumbling on the strand
That oftentimes him nigh he ouerthrew It bit the earth for very fell despight,
And eke the courser, whereuppon he rad, And gnashed with his teeth, as if he band
Could swim like to a fish, whiles he his backe HighGod,whosegoodnessehedespairedquight,
bestrad
Or curst the hand, which did that vengeance on
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him dight
Which oddes when as Sir Artegall espide,
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He saw no way, but close with him in hast, His corps was carried downe along the Lee,
And to him dnuing strongly downe the tide, Whose waters with his filthy bloud it stayned
Vppon his iron coller griped fast,
But his blasphemous head, that all might see,
That with the straint his wesand nigh he brast He pitcht vpon a pole on high ordayned ,
There they together stroue and struggled long, Where many years it afterwards remayned,
Either the other from his steede to cast, To be a mirrour to ail mighty men,
Ne euer Artegall his gnple strong
In whose right hands great power is contayned,
For any thing wold slacke, but still vppon him That none of them the feeble ouerren,
hong
But alwaies doe their powre within lust com
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passe pen
As when a Dolphin and a Sele are met,
20
In the wide champian of the Ocean plaine That done, vnto the Castle he did wend,
With cruell chaufe their courages they whet, In which the Pavnims daughter did abide,
The maysterdome of each by force to game, Guarded of many which did her defend
And dreadfull battailetwixt themdodarrame Of whom he entrance sought, but was denide,
They snuf, they snort, they bounce, they rage, And with reprochfull blasphemy defide,
they rore,
Beaten with stonesdownefrom the battilment,
That all the sea disturbed with their trame, That he was forced to withdraw aside,
Doth frie with fome aboue the surges hore And bad his seruant Talus to muent
Such was betwixt these two the troublesome Which way he enter might, without endanger
vprore
ment
16
21
So Artegall at length him forst forsake Eftsoones his Page drew to the Castle gate,
His horses backe, for dread of being drownd, And with his iron flale at it let flie,
And to his handy swimming him betake That all the warders it did sore amate,
Eftsoones him selfe he from his hold vnbownd, The which erewlitle spake so reprochfully,
And then no ods at all in him he fownd And made them stoupe, that looked earst so hie
For Artegall in swimming skilfull was, Yet still he bet, and bounst vppon the dore,
And durst the depth of any water sownd And thundred strokes thereon so hideoushe,
So ought each Knight, that vse of perill has, That all the peece he shaked from the flore,
In swimming be expert through waters force to And filled all the house with feare and great
pas
vprore