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360 THE VI BOOKE OF THE C ant V.
37
And soothly it was sayd by common fame,
So long as age enabled him thereto,
That he had bene a man of mickle name,
Renowmed much in armes and derring doe
But being aged now and weary to
Of warresdehght,and worlds contentious toyle,
The name of knighthood he did disauow,
And hanging vp his armes and warlike spoyle,
From all this worlds incombraunce did himselfe
assoyle 38
He thence them led into his Hermitage,
Letting their steedes to graze vpon the greene
Small was his house, and like a little cage,
For his owne turne, yet inly neate and clene,
Deckt with greene boughes, and flowers gay
beseene
Therein he them full faire did entertaine
Not with such forged showes, as fitter beene
For courting fooles, that curtesies would fame,
But with entire affection and appearaunce
plaine
39
Yet was their fare but homely, such as hee
Did vse, his feeble body to sustaine,
The which full gladly they did take in glee,
Such as it was, ne did of want complaine,
But being well suffiz'd, them rested fame
But faire Serene all night could take no rest,
Ne yet that gentle Squire, for grieuous paine
Of their late woundes,the which the blatont Beast
Had giuen them, whose griefe through suf
fraunce sore increast
40
So all that night they past in great disease,
Till that the morning, bringing earely light
To guide mens labours, brought them also ease,
And some asswagement of their painefull plight
Then vp they rose, and gan them selues to dight
Vnto their lourney, but that Squire and Dame
So faint and feeble were, that they ne might
Endure to trauell, nor one foote to frame
Their hearts were sicke, their sides were sore,
their feete were lame
41
Therefore the Prince, whom great afifaires in mynd
Would not permit, to make there lenger stay,
Was forced there to leaue them both behynd,
In that good Hermits charge, whom hedid pray
To tend them well So forth he went his way,
And with him eke the saluage, that whyleare
Seeing his royall vsage and arrav,
Was greatly growne in loue of that braue pere,
Would needes depart, as shall declared be else
where
Cant VI
The Hermtte heales both Squtre and dame
Of their sore maladies
He Turpine doth defeate, and shame
For his late villames
i
No wound, which warlike hand of enemy
Inflicts with dint of sword, so sore doth light,
As doth the poysnous sting, which infamy
Infixeth in the name of noble wight
For by no art, nor any leaches might
It euer can recured be againe,
Ne all the skill, which that immortall spnght
Of Podalyrius did in it retaine,
Can remedy such hurts, such hurts are hellish
paine
2
Such were the wounds, the which that Blatant
Beast
Made in the bodies of that Squire and Dame,
And being such, were now much more increast,
For want of taking heede vnto the same,
That now corrupt and curelesse they became
Howbe that carefull Hermite did his best,
With many kindes of medicines meete, to tame
The poysnous humour, which did most infest
Their ranckling wourds, and euery day them
duely drest
3
For he right well in Leaches craft was seene,
And through the long experience of his dayes,
Which had in many fortunes tossed beene,
And past through many perillous assayes,
He knew the diuerse went of mortall wayes,
And in the mindes of men had great insight,
Which with sage counsell, when they went
astray,
He could enforme, and them reduce aright,
And al the passions heale, which wound the
weaker spnght
4
For whylome he had bene a doughty Knight,
As any one, that liued in his daies,
And proued oft in many penllous fight,
Of which he grace and glory wonne alwaies,
And in all battels bore away the baies
But being now attacht with timely age,
And weary of this worlds vnquiet waies,
He tooke him selfe vnto this Hermitage,
In which he hu'd alone, like carelesse bird in
cage