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16 THE I BOOKE OF THE Cant III.
18
And all that he by right or wrong could find,
Vnto this house he brought, and did bestow
Vpon the daughter of this woman blind,
Aessa daughter of Corceca slow, [know,
With whom he whoredome vsd, that few did
And fed her fat with feast of offerings,
And plentie, which in all the land did grow,
Ne spared he to giue her gold and rings
And now he to her brought part of his stolen
things
19
Thus long the dore with rage and threats he bet,
Yet of those fearefull women none durst rize,
The Lyon frayed them, him in to let
He would no longer stay him to aduize,
But open breakes the dore in furious wize,
And entring is, when that disdainfull beast
Encountring herce,him suddaine doth surprize,
And seizing cruell clawes on trembling brest,
Vnder his Lordly foot him proudly hath sup
prest
20
Him booteth not resist, nor succour call,
His bleeding hart is in the vengers hand,
Whostreight him rent in thousand peecessmall,
And quite dismembred hath the thirstie land
Drunke vp his life, his corse left on the strand
His fearefull friends weare out the wofull night,
Ne dare to weepe, nor seeme to vnderstand
The heauie hap, which on them is alight,
Afiraid, least to themselues the like mishappen
might
21
Now when broad day the world discouercd has,
Vp Vna rose, vp rose the Lyon eke,
And on their former lourney forward pas,
In wayes vnknowne, her wandrmg knight to
seeke, [Greeke,
With paines farre passing that long wandrmg
That for his loue refused deitie ,
Such were the labours of this Lady meeke,
Still seeking him, that from her still did flie,
Then furthest from her hope, when most she
weened me
22
Soone as she parted thence, the fearefull twaine,
That blind old woman and her daughter deart
Came forth,and finding Kirkrapine there slaine,
For anguish great they gan to rend their heare,
And beat their brests, and naked flesh to teare
And when they both had wept and wayld their
fill,
Then forth they ranne like two amazed deare,
Halfe mad through malice, and reutnging will,
To follow her, that was the causer of their ill
23
Whom ouertaking, they gan loudly bray,
With hollow howling, and lamenting cry,
Shamefully at her rayling all the way,
And her accusing of dishonesty,
That was the flowre of faith and chastity ,
And still amidst her rayling, she did pray
That plagues, and mischiefs, and long misery
Might fall on her, and follow all the way,
And that in endlesse error she might euer stray
24
But when she saw her prayers nought preuaile,
She backe returned with some labour lost,
And in the way as she did weepe and waile,
A knight her met in mighty armes embost,
Yet knight was not for all his bragging bost,
But subtili Archimag, that Vna sought
By traynes into new troubles to haue tost
Of that old woman tydings he besought,
If that of such a Ladie she could tellen ought
25
There with she gan her passion to renew,
And cry, and curse, and raile, and rend her
heare,
Saying, that harlot she too lately knew,
That causd her shed so many a bitter teare,
And so forth told the story of her feare
Much seemed he to mone her haplesse chaunce,
And after for that Ladie did inquere,
Which being taught, he forward gan aduaunce
His fair enchaunted steed, and eke his charmed
launce
26
Ere long he came, where Vna traueild slow,
And that wilde Champion way ting her besy de
Whom seeing such, for dread he durst not show
Himselfc too nigh at hand, but turned wydc
Vnto an hill, from whence when she him spyde,
By his like seeming shield,her knight by name
She weend it was, and towards him gan ryde
Approchmg nigh, she wist it was the same,
And with faire fearefull humblesse towards him
shec came
And weeping said, Ah my long lacked Lord,
Where haue ye bene thus long out of my sight'*
Much feared I to haue bene quite abhord,
Or Aught haue done, that ye displeasen might,
That should as death vnto my deare hart light
For since mine eye your loyous sight did mis,
Mychearefull day is turnd to chearelesse night,
And eke my night of death the shadow is,
But welcome now my light, and shining lampe
of bhs