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34 THE I. BOOKF OF THE Cant VI
45
So fiersly, when these knights had breathed once,
They gan to fight returne, increasing more
Their puissant force, and cruell rage attonce,
With heaped strokes more hugely, then before,
That with their drene wounds and bloudy gore
They both deformed, scarsely could be known
By this sad Vna fraught with anguish sore,
Led with their noise, which through the aire
was thrown,
Arnu'd, where they in erth their fruitles bloud
had sown
46
Whom all so soone as that proud Sarazin
Espide, he gan reuiue the memory
Of his lewd lusts, and late attempted sin,
And left the doubtfull battell hastily,
To catch her, newly offred to his eie
But Satyrane with strokes him turning, staid,
And sternely bad him other busmesse phe,
Then hunt the steps of pure vnspotted Maid
Wherewith he all enrag'd, these bitter speaches
said
47
0 foolish faeries sonne, what furie mad
Hath thee mcenst, to hast thy dolefull fate ?
Were it not better, I that Lady had,
Then that thou hadst repented it too late ">
Most sencelesse man he, thathimselfedoth hate,
To loue another Lo then for thine ayd
Here take thy louers token on thy pate
So tHey to fight, the whiles the royall Mayd
Fkd farre away, of that proud Paynim sore
arrayd
But that false Pilgrim, which that leasing told,
Being in deed old Archimage, did stay
In secret shadow, all this to behold,
And much reioyced in their bloudy fray
, But when he saw the Damsell passe away
He left his stond, and her pursewd apace,
In hope to bring her to her last decay
But for to tell her lamentable cace,
And eke this battels end, will need another
place.
?
Cant VII.
The Redcrosse knight ts captiue made
By Gyaunt proud opprest,
Prince Arthur meets with Vna great
ly with those newes disirest
I
What man so wise, what earthly wit so ware,
As to descry the crafty cunning trame,
By which deceipt doth maske in visour faire,
And cast her colours dyed deepe in grame,
To seeme like Truth, whose shape she well can
faine,
And fitting gestures to her purpose frame,
Ihe guiltlesse man with guile to entertame ?
Greatmaistresse of herart was that false Dami,
The false Duessa, cloked with Ftdessaes name
2
Who when returning from the drery Night,
She fownd not in that perilous house otrryde,
Where she had left, the noble Redcrosse knight,
Her hoped pray, she would no lenger bide,
But forth she went, to seeke him far and wide
Ere long she fownd, whereas he wearie sate,
To rest him selfe, foreby a fountaine side,
Disarmed all of yron coted Plate,
And by his side his steed the grassy forage ate
3
He feedes vpon the cooling shade, and bayes
His sweatie forehead in the breathing wind,
Which through the trembling leaues full gently
playes
Wherein the cherefull birds of sundry kind
Do chaunt sweet musick, to delight his mind
The Witch approchmg gan him fairely greet,
And with reproch of carelesnesse vnkind
Vpbrayd, for leauing her in place vnmeet,
With fowle words tempring faire, soure gall
with hony sweet
4
Vnkindnesse past, they gan of solace treat,
And bathe in pleasaunce of the loyous shade,
Which shielded them against the boyhng heat,
And with greene boughes decking a gloomy
glade,
About the fountaine like a girlond made,
Whose bubbling waue did euer freshly well,
Ne euer would through feruent sommer fade
The sacred Nymph,which therein wont to dwell,
Was out of Thanes fauour, as it then befell