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358 THE VI BOOKE OF THE Cant V.
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Securely he did after him pursew,
Eftsoones he spide a Knight approching nye,
Thinking by speed to ouertake his flight, Who seeing one in so great daunger set
Who through thicke woods and brakes and Mongst many foes, him selfe did faster hye ,
briers him drew,
To reskue him, and his weake part abet,
To weary him the more, and waste his spight, For pitty so to see him ouerset
So that he now has almost spent his spright Whom soone as his three enemies did vew,
Till that at length vnto a woody glade They fled, and fast into the wood did get
He came, whose couert stopt his further sight, Him booted not to thinke them to pursew,
There his three foes shrowded in guilefull shade, The couert was so thicke, that did no passage
Out of their ambush broke, and gan him to shew
inuade
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Then turning to that swaine, him well he knew
Sharpely they all attonce did him assaile, To be his Timias, his owne true Squire,
Burning with inward rancour and despight, Whereof exceeding glad, he to him drew,
And heaped strokes did round about him haile And him embracing twixt his armes entire,
With so huge force, that seemed nothing might Him thus bespake , My liefe, my lifes desire,
Beare off their blowes, from percing thorough Why haue ye me alone thus long yleft ?
quite
Tell me what worlds despight, or heauens yre
Yet he them all so warily did ward,
Hath you thus long away from me bereft ?
That none of them in his soft flesh did bite, Where haue ye all this while bin wandring,
And all the while his backe for best safegard, where bene weft ?
He lent against a tree, that backeward onset
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bard
With that he sighed deepe for inward tyne
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To whom the Squire nought aunswered againe,
Like a wylde Bull, that being at a bay, But shedding few soft teares from tender eyne,
Is bayted of a mastiffe, and a hound, His deare affect with silence did restraine,
And a curre dog, that doe him sharpe assay And shut vp all his plunt in pnuy paine
On euery side, and beat about him round , There they a whilesome gracious speach esspent,
But most that curre barking with bitter sownd, As to them seemed fit time to entertaine
And creeping still behinde,doth him incomber, After all which vp to their steedes they went,
That in his chauffe hedigs the trampled ground, And forth together rode a comely couplement
And threats his horns, and bellowes like the
thonder,
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So did that Squire his foes disperse, and driue So now they be arriued both in sight
asonder
Of this wyld man, whom they full busie found
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About the sad Serena things to dight,
Hun well behoued so, for his three foes With those braue armours lying on the ground,
Sought to encompasse him on euery side, That seem'd the spoile of some right well
And dangerously did round about enclose renownd
But most of all Defello him annoyde, Which when that Squire beheld, he to them
Creeping behinde him still to haue destroyde stept,
So did Decelto eke him circumuent, Thinking to take them from that hyldinghound
But stout Despetlo in his greater pryde, But he it seeing, lightly to him fept,
Did front him face to face against him bent, And sternely with strong hand it from his
Ye the themall withstood,and of ten made relent handling kept
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Gnashing his grinded teeth with griesly looke,
Till that at length nigh tyrd with former chace, And sparkling fire out of his furious eyne,
And weary now with carefull keeping ward, Him with his fist vnwares on th'head hestrooke,
He gan toshrinke,and somewhat to giue place, That made him downe vnto the earth encline ,
Full like ere long to haue escaped hard , Whence soone vpstarting much he gan repine,
When as vnwares he in the forrest heard And laying hand vpon his wrathfull blade,
A trampling steede, that with his neighing fast Thought therewithall forthwith him to haue
Did warne his rider be vppon his gard, slaine,
With noise whereof the Squire now nigh aghast, Who it perceiuing, hand vpon him layd,
Reuiued was, and sad dispaire away did cast And greedily him griping,his auengement stayd