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286 THE V BOOKE OF THE Cant II
52
Which lawlesse multitude him camming too
In warlike wise, when Ariegall did vew,
He much was troubled, ne wist what to doo
Fox loth he was his noble hands t'embrew
In the base blood of such a rascall crew,
And otherwise, if that he should retire,
He fear'd least they with shame would him
pursew
Therefore he Talus to them sent, t'mquire
The cause of their array, and truce for to desire
53
But soone as they him nigh approchmg spide,
They gan with all their weapons him assay,
And rudely stroke at him on euery side
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought
dismay
But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,
He like a swarme of flyes them ouerthrew,
Ne any of them durst come in his wav,
But here and there before his presence flew,
And hid themselues m holes and bushes from
his vew
54
As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight
Flowne at a flush of Ducks, foreby the brooke,
The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull
sight
Of death, the which them almost ouertooke,
Doe hide themselues from her astonymg looke,
Amongst the flags and couert round about
When Talus saw they all the field forsooke
And none appear'd of all that raskall rout,
To Artegall he turn'd, and went with him
throughout
Cant III
The spousals of jaire Florimell,
where turney many knights
There Braggadochio is vncas'd
tn all the Ladies sights
I
After long stormes and tempests ouerblowne,
The sunne at length his loyous face doth cleare
So when as fortune all her spight hath showne,
Somebhsfull houresatlastmustneedes appeare,
Else should afflicted wights oftimes despeire
So comes it now to Florimell by tourne,
After long sorrowes suffered whyleare,
Inwhichcaptiu'dshemanymonethsdidmourne,
Totastof ioy,and to wont pleasures to retourne
Who being freed from Proteus cruell band
By Martnell, was vnto him affide,
And by him brought agame to Faerie land ,
Where he her spous'd,and madehisioyousbnde
The time and place was blazed farre and wide,
And solemne feasts and giusts ordam'd there
fore
To which there did resort from euery side
Of Lords and Ladies infinite great store ,
Ne any Knight was absent, that braue courage
bore 3
To tell the glone of the feast that day,
The goodly seruice, the deuicefull sights,
The bndegromes state, the brides most rich
aray,
The pride of Ladies, and the worth of knights,
The royall banquets, and the rare delights
Were worke fit for an Herauld, not for me
But for so much as to my lot here lights,
That with this present treatise doth agree,
Truevertuetoaduance,shallhererecountedbee
4
When all men had with full satietie
Of meates and drmkes their appetites suffiz'd,
To deedes of armes and proofe of cheualne
1 hey gan themselues addresse, fullnchaguiz'd,
As each one had his furnitures demz'd
And first of all issu'd Sir Martnell,
And with him sixe knights more, which enter
pnz'd
To chalenge all in right of Florimell,
And to maintaine, that she all others did excell
5
The first of them was hight Sir Orimont,
A noble Knight, and tride in hard assayes
The second had to name Sir Belhsont,
But second vnto none in prowesse prayse ,
The third was Brunell, famous m his dayes ,
The fourth Ecastor, of exceeding might,
The lift Armeddanf skild in louely layes ,
The sixt was Lansack, a redoubted Knight
All sixe well seene in armes, and prou'd in many
a fight 6
And them against came all that list to giust,
From euery coast and cbuntrie vnder sunne
None was debard, but all had leaue that lust
The trompets sound , then all together ronne
Fullmany deedes of armes that day were donne,
And many knights vnhorst,and manywounded,
As fortune fell, yet litle lost or wonne
But all that day the greatest prayse redounded
To Marinell, whose name the Heralds loud
resounded