this distressed doubtfull agony When him his dearest Vna did behold Disdeining life desiring leaue to dye She found her selfe assayld with great perplexity And came to Coelia to declare her smart Who well acquainted with that commune plight Which sinfull horror workes in wounded hart Her wisely comforted all that she might With goodly counsell and aduisement right And streightway sent with carefull diligence To fetch a Leach the which had great insight In that disease of grieued conscience And well could cure the same His name was Patience Who comming to that sowle-diseased knight Could hardly him intreat to tell his grief Which knowne and all that noyd his heauie spright Well searcht 〈◊〉 he gan apply relief Of salues and med'cines which had passing prief And there to added wordes of wondrous might By which to ease he him recured brief And much aswag'd the passion of his plight That he his paine endur'd as seeming now more light But yet the cause and root of all his ill Inward corruption and infected sin Not purg'd nor heald behind remained still And festring sore did ranckle yett within Close creeping twixt the marow and the skin Which to extirpe he laid him priuily Downe in a darksome lowly place far in Whereas he meant his corrosiues to apply And with streight diet tame his stubborne malady In ashes and sackcloth he did array His 〈◊〉 corse proud humors to abate And dieted with fasting euery day The swelling of his woundes to mitigate And made him pray both earely and eke late And euer as superfluous flesh did rott Amendment readie still at hand did wayt To pluck it out with pincers fyrie whott That soone in him was lefte no one corrupted iott And bitter Penaunce with an yron whip Was wont him once to disple euery day And sharpe Remorse his hart did prick and nip That drops of blood thence like a well did play And sad Repentance vsed to embay His blamefull body in salt water sore The filthy blottes of sin to wash away So in short space they did to health restore The man that would not liue but erst lay at deathes dore In which his torment often was so great That like a Lyon he would cry and rore And rend his flesh and his owne synewes 〈◊〉 His owne deare Vna hearing euermore His ruefull shriekes and gronings often tore Her guiltlesse garments and her golden heare For pitty of his payne and anguish sore Yet all with patience wisely she did beare For well she wist his cryme could els be neuer cleare Whom thus recouer'd by wise Patience And trew Repentaunce they to Vna brought Who ioyous of his cured conscience Him dearely kist and fayrely eke besought Himselfe to chearish and consuming thought To put away out of his carefull brest By this Charissa late in child-bed brought Was woxen strong and left her fruitfull nest To her fayre Vna brought this vnacquainted guest She was a woman in her freshest age Of wondrous beauty and of bounty rare With goodly grace and comely personage That was on earth not easie to compare Full of great loue but Cupids wanton snare As hell she hated chaste in worke and will Her necke and brests were euer open bare That ay thereof her babes might sucke their fill The rest was all in yellow robes arayed still A multitude of babes about her hong Playing their sportes that ioyd her to behold Whom still she fed whiles they were weak young But thrust them forth still as they wexed old And on her head she wore a tyre of gold Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous fayre Whose passing price vneath was to be told And by her syde there sate a gentle payre Of turtle doues she sitting in an yuory chayre The knight and Vna entring fayre her greet And bid her ioy of that her happy brood Who them requites with court'sies seeming meet And entertaynes with friendly chearefull mood Then Vna her besought to be so good As in her vertuous rules to schoole her knight Now after all his torment well withstood In that sad house of Penaunce where his spright Had past the paines of hell and long enduring night She was rightioyious of her iust request And taking by the hand that Faeries sonne Gan him instruct in euerie good behest Of loue and righteousnes and well to donne And wrath and hatred warely to shonne That drew on men Gods hatred and his wrath And many soules in dolours had fordonne In which when him she well instructed hath From thence to heauē she teacheth him the ready path Wherein his weaker wandring steps to guyde An auncient matrone she to her does call Whose sober lookes her wisedome well descryde Her name was Mercy well knowne ouer all To be both gratious and eke liberall To whom the carefull charge of him she gaue To leade aright that he should neuer fall In all his waies through this wide worldes waue That Mercy in the end his righteous soule might saue The godly Matrone by the hand him beares Forth from her presence by a narrow way Scattred with bushy thornes and ragged breares Which still before him she remou'd away That nothing might his ready passage stay And euer when his feet encombred were Or gan to shrinke or from the right to stray She held him fast and firmely did vpbeare As carefull Nourse her child from falling oft does reare Eftsoones vnto an holy Hospitall That was fore by the way she did him bring In which seuen Bead-men that had vowed all Their life to seruice of high heauens king Did spend their daies in doing godly thing There gates to all were open euermore That by the wearie way were traueiling And one sate wayting euer them before To call in-commers by that needy were and pore The first of them that eldest was and best Of all the house had charge and gouernement As Guardian and Steward of the rest His office was to giue entertainement And lodging vnto all that came and went Not vnto such as could him feast againe And double quite for that he on them spent But such as want of harbour did constraine Those for Gods sake his dewty was to entertaine The second was as Almner of the place His office was the hungry for to feed And thristy giue to drinke a worke of grace He feard not once him selfe to be in need Ne car'd to hoord for those whom he did breede The grace of God he layd vp still in store Which as a stocke he left vnto his seede He had enough what need him care for more And had he lesse yet some he would giue to the pore The third had of their wardrobe custody In which were not rich tyres nor garments gay The plumes of pride and winges of vanity But clothes meet to keepe keene cold away And naked nature seemely to aray With which bare wretched wights he dayly clad The images of God in earthly clay And if that no spare clothes to giue he had His
did him beseme In slouthfull sleepe his molten hart to steme And quench the brond of his conceiued yre Tho vp he started stird with shame extreme Ne staied for his Damsell to inquire But marched to the Strond their passage to require And in the way he with Sir Guyon mett Accompanyde with Phaedria the faire Eftsoones he gan to rage and inly frett Crying Let be that Lady debonaire Thou recreaunt knight and soone thy selfe prepaire To batteile if thou meane her loue to gayn Loe loe already how the fowles in aire Doe flocke awaiting shortly to obtayn Thy carcas for their pray the guerdon of thy payn And therewith all he fiersly at him flew And with importune outrage him assayld Who soone prepard to field his sword forth drew And him with equall valew counteruayld Their mightie strokes their haberieons dismayld And naked made each others manly spalles The mortall steele despiteously entayld Deepe in their flesh quite through the yron walles That a large purple stream adown their giambeux falles Cymocles that had neuer mett before So puissant foe with enuious despight His prowd presumed force increased more Disdeigning to bee held so long in fight Sir Guyon grudging not so much his might As those vnknightly ray linges which he spoke With wrathfull fire his corage kindled bright Thereof deuising shortly to be wroke And doubling all his powres redoubled euery stroke Both of them high attonce their hands enhaunst And both attonce their huge blowes down did sway Cymochles sword on Guyons shield yglaunst And there of nigh one quarter sheard away But Guyons angry blade so fiers did play On th 'others helmett which as Titan shone That quite it cloue his plumed crest in tway And bared all his head vnto the bone Wherewith astonisht still he stood as sencelesse stone Still as he stood fayre Phaedria that beheld That deadly daunger soone atweene them ran And at their feet her selfe most humbly feld Crying with pitteous voyce and count'nance wan Ah well away most noble Lords how can Your cruell eyes endure so pitteous sight To shed your liues on ground wo worth the man That first did teach the cursed steele to bight In his owne flesh and make way to the liuing spright If euer loue of Lady did empierce Your yron brestes or pittie could find place Withhold your bloody handes from battaill fierce And sith for me ye fight to me this grace Both yield to stay your deadly stryfe a space They stayd a while and forth she gan proceed Most wretched woman and of wicked race That am the authour of this hainous deed And cause of death betweene two doughtie knights do breed But if for me ye fight or me will serue Not this rude kynd of battaill nor these armes Are meet the which doe men in bale to sterue And doolefull sorrow heape with deadly harmes Such cruell game my scarmoges disarmes Another warre and other weapons I Doe loue where loue does giue his sweet Alarmes Without bloodshed and where the enimy Does yield vnto his foe a pleasaunt victory Debatefull strife and cruell enmity The famous name of knighthood fowly shend But louely peace and gentle amity And in Amours the passing howres to spend The mightie martiall handes doe most commend Of loue they euer greater glory bore Then of their armes Mars is Cupidoes frend And is for Venus loues renowmed more Then all his wars and spoiles the which he did of yore Therewith she sweetly smyld They though full bent To proue extremities of bloody fight Yet at her speach their rages gan relent And calme the sea of their tempestuous spight Such powre haue pleasing wordes such is the might Of courteous clemency in gentle hart Now after all was ceast the Faery knight Besòught that Damzell suffer him depart And yield him ready passage to that other part She no lesse glad then he desirous was Of his departure thence for of her ioy And vaine delight she saw he light did pas A foe of folly and immodest toy Still solemne sad or still disdainfull coy Delighting all in armes and cruell warre That her sweet peace and pleasures did annoy Troubled with terrour and vnquiet iarre That she well pleased was thence 〈◊〉 amoue him farre Tho him she brought abord and her swift bote Forthwith directed to that further strand The which on the dull waues did lightly flote And soone arriued on the shallow sand Where gladsome Guyon salied forth to land And to that Damsell thankes gaue for reward Vpon that shore he spyed Atin stand Thereby his maister left when late he far'd In Phaedrias flitt barck ouer that perlous shard Well could he him remember sith of late He with 〈◊〉 sharp debatement made Streight gan he him reuyle and bitter rate As Shepheards curre that in darke eueninges shade Hath tracted forth some saluage beastes trade Vile Miscreaunt said he whether dost thou flye The shame and death which will thee soone inuade What coward hand shall doe thee next to dye That art thus fowly fledd from famous enimy With that he stifly shooke his steelhead dart But sober Guyon hearing him so rayle Though somewhat moued in his mightie hart Yet with strong reason maistred passion fraile And passed fayrely forth He turning taile Backe to the strond retyrd and there still stayd Awaiting passage which him late did faile The whiles Cymochles with that wanton mayd The hasty heat of his auowd reuenge delayd Whylest there the varlet stood he saw from farre An armed knight that towardes him fast ran He ran on foot as if in lucklesse warre His forlorne steed from him the victour wan He seemed breathlesse hartlesse faint and wan And all his armour sprinckled was with blood And soyld with durtie gore that no man can Discerne the hew thereof He neuer stood But bent his hastie course towardes the ydle flood The varlett saw when to the flood he came How without stop or stay he fiersly lept And deepe him selfe beducked in the same That in the lake his loftie crest was stept Ne of his safetie seemed care he kept But with his raging armes he rudely flasht The waues about and all his armour swept That all the blood and filth away was washt Yet still he bet the water and the billowes dasht Atin drew nigh to weet what it mote bee For much he wondred at that vncouth sight Whom should he but his own deare Lord 〈◊〉 His owne deare Lord Pyrrhochles in sad plight Ready to drowne him selfe for fell despight Harrow now out and well away he cryde What dismall day hath lent but this his cursed light To see my Lord so deadly damnifyde Pyrrhochles O Pyrrhochles what is thee betyde I burne I burne I burne then lowd he cryde O how I burne with implacable fyre Yet nought can quench mine inly flaming syde Nor sea of licour cold nor lake of myre Nothing but death can doe me to respyre Ah be it said he from Pyrrhochles farre After pursewing death once to
forward footing for an hidden shade Vertue giues her selfe light through darkenesse for to wade Yea but quoth she the perill of this place I better wot then you though nowe too late To wish you backe returne with foule disgrace Yet wisedome warnes whilest foot is in the gate To stay the steppe ere forced to retrate This is the wandring wood this Errours den A monster vile whom God and man does hate Therefore I read beware Fly fly quoth then The fearefull Dwarfe this is no place for liuing men But full of fire and greedy hardiment The youthfull knight could not for ought be staide But forth vnto the darksom hole he went And looked in his glistring armor made A litle glooming light much like a shade By which he saw the vgly monster plaine Halfe like a serpent horribly displaide But th' other halfe did womans shape retaine Mostlothsom filthie foule and full of vile disdaine And as she lay vpon the durtie ground Her huge long taile her den all ouerspred Yet was in knots and many boughtes vpwound Pointed with mortall sting Of her there bred A thousand yong ones which she dayly fed Sucking vpon her poisnous dugs eachone Of sundrie shapes yet all ill fauored Soone as that vncouth light vpon them shone Into her mouth they crept and suddain all were gone Their dam vpstart out of her den effraide And rushed forth hurling her hideous taile About her cursed head whose folds displaid Were stretcht now forth at length without entraile She lookt about and seeing one in mayle Armed to point sought backe to turne againe For light she hated as the deadly bale Ay wont in desert darknes to remaine Where plain none might her see nor she see any plaine Which when the valiant Elfe perceiu'd he lept As Lyon fierce vpon the flying pray And with his trenchand blade her boldly kept From turning backe and forced her to stay Therewith enrag'd she loudly gan to bray And turning fierce her speckled taile aduaunst Threatning her angrie sting him to dismay Who nought aghast his mightie hand enhaunst The stroke down frō her head vnto her shoulder glaunst Much daunted with that dint her sence was dazd Yet kindling rage her selfe she gathered round And all attonce her beastly bodie raizd With doubled forces high aboue the ground Tho wrapping vp her wrethed sterne arownd Lept fierce vpon his shield and her huge traine All suddenly about his body wound That hand or foot to stirr he stroue in vaine God helpe the man so wrapt in Errours endlesse traine His Lady sad to see his sore constraint Cride out Now now Sir knight shew what ye bee Add faith vnto your force and be not faint Strangle her els she sure will strangle thee That when he heard in great perplexitie His gall did grate for griefe and high disdaine And knitting all his force got one hand free Wherewith he grypther gorge with so great paine That soone to loose her wicked bands did her cōstraine Therewith she spewd out of her filthie maw A floud of poyson horrible and blacke Full of great lumps of flesh and gobbets raw Which stunck so 〈◊〉 that it forst him slacke ' His grasping hold and 〈◊〉 her turne him backe Her vomit full of bookes and papers was With loathly frogs and toades which eyes did lacke And creeping sought way in the weedy gras Her filthie parbreake all the place defiled has As when old father Nilus gins to swell With timely pride aboue the Aegyptian vale His fattie waues doe fertile slime outwell And ouerflow each plaine and lowly dale But when his later ebbe gins t'auale Huge heapes of mudd he leaues wherin there breed Ten thousand kindes of creatures partly male And partly femall of his fruitful seed Such vgly monstrous shapes elswher may no man reed The same so sore annoyed has the knight That welnigh choked with the deadly stinke His forces faile ne can no lenger fight Whose corage when the feend pereeiud to shrinke She poured forth out of her hellish sinke Her fruitfull cursed spawne of serpents small Deformed monsters fowle and blacke as inke Which swarming all about his legs did crall And him encombred sore but could not hurt at all As gentle Shepheard in sweete euentide When ruddy Phebus gins to welke in west High on an hill his flocke to vewen wide Markes which doe byte their hasty supper best A cloud of cumbrous gnattes doe him molest All striuing to infixe their feeble stinges That from their noyance he no where can rest But with his clownish hands their tender wings He brusheth oft and oft doth mar their murmurings Thus ill bestedd and fearefull more of shame Then of the certeine perill he stood in Halfe furious vnto his foe he came Resolud in minde all suddenly to win Or soone to lose before he once would lin And stroke at her with more then manly force That from her body full of filthie sin He raft her hatefull heade without remorse A streame of cole black blood forth gushed frō her corse Her scattred brood soone as their Parent deare They saw so rudely falling to the ground Groning full deadly all with troublous feare Gathred themselues about her body round Weening their wonted entrance to haue found At her wide mouth but being there withstood They flocked all about her bleeding wound And sucked vp their dying mothers bloud Making her death their life and eke her hurt their good That detestable sight him much amazde To see th'vnkindly Impes of heauen accurst Deuoure their dam on whom while so he gazd Hauing all satisfide their bloudy thurst Their bellies swolne he saw with fulnesse burst And bowels gushing forth well worthy end Of such as drunke her life the which them nurst Now needeth him no lenger labour spend His foes haue slaine themselues with whom he should contend His Lady seeing all that chaunst from farre Approcht in hast to greet his victorie And saide Faire knight borne vnder happie starre Who see your vanquisht foes before you lye Well worthie be you of that Armory Wherein ye haue great glory wonne this day And proou'd your strength on a strong enimie Your first aduenture many such I pray And henceforth euer wish that like succeed it may Then mounted he vpon his Steede againe And with the Lady backward sought to wend That path he kept which beaten was most plaine Ne euer would to any byway bend But still did follow one vnto the end The which at last out of the wood them brought So forward on his way with God to frend He passed forth and new aduenture sought Long way he traueiled before he heard of ought At length they chaunst to meet vpon the way An aged Sire in long blacke weedes yclad His feete all bare his beard all hoarie gray And by his belt his booke he hanging had Sober he seemde and very sagely sad And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent Simple in shew and voide of malice bad And all the way
to haue slaine But wist and wary was that noble Pere And lightly leaping from so monstrous maine Did fayre auoide the violence him nere It booted nought to thinke such thunderbolts to beare Ne shame he thought to shonne so hideous might The ydle stroke enforcing furious way Missing the marke of his misaymed sight Did fall to ground and with his heauy sway So deepely dinted in the driuen clay That three yardes deepe a furrow vp did throw The sad earth wounded with so sore assay Did grone full grieuous vnderneath the blow And trembling with strange 〈◊〉 did like an erthquake show As when almightie Ioue in wrathfull mood To wreake the guilt of mortall sins is bent Hurles forth his thundring dart with deadly food Enrold in flames and smouldring dreriment Through riuen cloudes and molten firmament The fiers threeforked engin making way Both loftie towres and highest trees hath rent And all that might his angry passage stay And shooting in the earth castes vp a mount of clay His boystrous club so buried in the grownd He could not rearen vp againe so light But that the knight him at aduantage fownd And whiles he stroue his combred clubbe to quight Out of the earth with blade all burning bright He smott of his left arme which like a block Did fall to ground depriu'd of natiue might Large streames of blood out of the truncked stock Forth gushed like fresh water streame from riuen rocke Dismayed with so desperate deadly wound And eke impatient of vnwonted payne He lowdly brayd with beastly yelling sownd That all the fieldes rebellowed againe As great a noyse as when in Cymbrian plaine An heard of Bulles whom kindly rage doth sting Doe for the milky mothers want complaine And fill the fieldes with troublous bellowing The neighbor woods arownd with hollow murmuring That when his deare Duessa heard and saw The euill stownd that daungerd her estate Vnto his aide she hastily did draw Her dreadfull beast who swolne with blood of late Came ramping forth with proud 〈◊〉 gate And threatned all his heades like flaming brandes But him the Squire made quickly to retrate Encountring fiers with single sword in hand And twixt him and his Lord did like a bulwarke stand The proud Duessa full of wrathfull spight And fiers disdaine to be affronted so Enforst her purple beast with all her might That stop out of the way to ouerthroe Scorning the let of so vnequall foe But nathemore would that corageous swayne To her yeeld passage gainst his Lord to goe But with outrageous strokes did him restraine And with his body bard the way atwixt them twaine Then tooke the angrie witch her golden cup Which still she bore replete with magick artes Death and despeyre did many thereof sup And secret poyson through their inner partes Th' eternall bale of heauie wounded harts Which after charmes and some enchauntments said She lightly sprinkled on his weaker partes Therewith his sturdie corage soone was quayd And all his sences were with suddein dread dismayd So downe he fell before the 〈◊〉 beast Who on his neck his bloody clawes did seize That life nigh crusht out of his panting brest No powre he had to stirre nor will to 〈◊〉 That when the carefull knight gan well auise He lightly left the foe with whom he fought And to the beast gan turne his enterprise For wondrous anguish in his hart it wrought To see his loued Squyre into such thraldom brought And high aduauncing his blood-thirstie blade Stroke one of those deformed heades so sore That of his puissaunce proud ensample made His monstrous scalpe downe to his teeth it tore And that misformed shape misshaped more A sea of blood gusht from the gaping wownd That her gay garments staynd with filthy gore And ouerflowed all the field arownd That ouer shoes in blood he waded on the grownd There at he rored for excecding paine That to haue heard great horror would haue bred And scourging th' emptie ayre with his long trayne Through great impatience of his grieued hed His gorgeous ryder from her loftie sted Would haue cast downe and trodd in durty myre Had not the Gyaunt soone her succoured Who all enrag'd with smartand frantick yre Came hurtling in full fiers and forst the knight retyre The force which wont in two to be disperst In one alone left hand he now vnites Which is through rage more strong then both were erst With which his hideous club aloft he dites And at his foe with furious rigor smites That strongest Oake might seeme to ouerthrow The stroke vpon his shield so heauie lites That to the ground it doubleth him full low What mortall wight could euer beareso monstrous blow And in his fall his shield that couered was Did loose his vele by chaunce and open flew The light whereof that heuens light did pas Such blazing brightnesse through the ayer threw That eye mote not the same endure to vew Which when the Gyaunt spyde with staring eye He downe let fall his arme and foft withdrew His weapon huge that heaued was on hye For to haue slain the man that on the ground did lye And eke the fruitfull-headed beast amazd At flashing beames of that sunshiny shield Became stark blind and all his sences dazd That downe he tumbled on the durtie field And seemd himselfe as conquered to yield Whom when his maistresse proud perceiu'd to fall Whiles yet his feeble feet for faintnesse reeld Vnto the Gyaunt lowdly she gan call O helpe Orgoglio helpe or els we perish all At her so pitteous cry was much amo ou'd Her champion stout and for to ayde his frend Againe his wonted angry weapon proou'd But all in vaine for he has redd his end In that bright shield and all their forces spend Them selues in vaine for since that glauncing sight He hath no poure to hurt nor to defend As where th' Almighties lightning brond does light It dimmes the dazed eyen and daunts the sences quight Whom when the Prince to batteill new addrest And threatning high his dreadfull stroke did see His sparkling blade about his head he blest And smote off quite his right leg by the knee That downe he tombled as an aged tree High growing on the top of rocky clift Whose hartstrings with keene steele nigh hewen be The mightie trunck halfe rent with ragged rift Doth roll adowne the rocks and fall with fearefull drift Or as a Castle reared high and round By subtile engins and malitious slight Is vndermined from the lowest ground And her foundation forst and feebled quight At last downe falles and with her heaped hight Herhastie ruine does more heauie make And yields it selfe vnto the victours might Such was this Gyaunts fall that seemd to shake The stedfast globe of earth as it for feare did quake The knight then lightly leaping to the pray With mortall steele him smot againe so sore That headlesse his vnweldy bodie lay All wallowd in his owne fowle bloody gore Which flowed from
Who then can striue with strong necessitie That holds the world in his still chaunging state Or shunne the death ordaynd by destinie Whē houre of death is come let none aske whence nor why The lenger life I wote the greater sin The greater sin the greater punishment All those great battels which thou boasts to win Through strife and blood-shed and auengement Now praysd hereafter deare thou shalt repent For life must life and blood must blood repay Is not enough thy euill life forespent For he that once hath missed the right way The further he doth goe the further he doth stray Then doe no further goe no further stray But herely downe and to thy rest betake Th' ill to preuent that life ensewen may For what hath life that may it loued make And giues not rather cause it to forsake Feare sicknesse age losse labour sorrow strife Payne hunger cold that makes the hart to quake And euer fickle fortune rageth rife All which and thousands mo do make a loathsome life Thou wretched man of death hast greatest need If in true ballaunce thou wilt weigh thy state For neuer knight that dared warlike deed More luckless dissauentures did amate Witnes the dungeon deepe wherein of late Thy life shutt vp for death so oft did call And though good lucke prolonged hath thy date Yet death then would the like mishaps forestall Into the which heareafter thou maist happen fall Why then doest thou O man of sin desire To draw thy dayes forth to their last degree Is not the measure of thy sinfull hire High heaped vp with huge 〈◊〉 Against the day of wrath to burden thee Is not enough that to this Lady mild Thou falsest hast thy faith with periuree And sold thy selfe to serue Duessa vild With whom in al abuse thou hast thy selfe defild Is not he iust that all this doth behold From highest heuen and beares an equall eie Shall he thy sins vp in his knowledge fold And guilty be of thine impietie Is not his lawe Let euery sinner die Die shall all flesh what then must needs be donne Is it not better to doe willinglie Then linger till the glas be all out ronne Death is the end of woes die soone O faries sonne The knight was much enmoued with his speach That as a swords poynt through his 〈◊〉 did perse And in his conscience made a secrete breach Well knowing 〈◊〉 all that he did reherse And to his fresh remembraunce did reuerse The vgly vew of his deformed crimes That all his manly powres it did disperse As he were charmed with inchaunted rimes That oftentimes he quakt and fainted oftentimes In which amazement when the Miscreaunt Perceiued him to wauer weake and fraile Whiles trembling horror did his conscience daunt And hellish anguish did his soule assaile To driue him to despaire and quite to quaile Hee shewd him painted in a table plaine The damned ghosts that doe in torments waile And thousand feends that doe them endlesse paine With fire and brimstone which for euer shall remaine The sight whereof so throughly him dismaid That nought but death before his eies he saw And euer burning wrath before him laid By righteous sentence of th' Almighties law Then gan the villein him to ouercraw And brought vnto him swords ropes poison fire And all that might him to perdition draw And bad him choose what death he would desire For death was dew to him that had prouokt Gods ire But whenas none of them he saw him take He to him raught a dagger sharpe and keene And gaue it him in hand his hand did quake And tremble like a leafe of Aspin greene And troubled blood through his pale face was seene To come and goe with tidings from the heart As it a ronning messenger had beene At last resolu'd to worke his finall smart He lifted vp his hand that backe againe did start Which whenas Vna heard through euery vaine The crudled cold ran to her well of life As in a swowne but so one reliu'd againe Out of his hand she snatcht the cursed knife And threw it to the ground enraged rife And to him said Fie fie faint hearted knight What meanest thou by this reprochfull strife Is this the battaile which thou vauntst to fight With that fire-mouthed Dragon horrible and bright Come come away fraile feeble fleshly wight Ne let vaine words bewitch thy manly hart Ne diuelish thoughts dismay thy constant spright In heauenly mercies hast thou not a part Why shouldst thou then despeire that chosen art Where iustice growes there grows eke greter grace The which doth quench the brond of hellish smart And that accurst hand-writing doth deface Arise Sir knight arise and leaue this cursed place So vp he rose and thence amounted streight VVhich when the carle beheld and saw his guest VVould safe depart for all his subtile sleight He chose an halter from among the rest And with it hong him selfe vnbid vnblest But death he could not worke himselfe thereby For thousand times he so him selfe had drest Yet nathelesse it could not doe him die Till he should die his last that is eternally Cant. X. Her faithfull knight faire Vna brings To house of Holinesse Where he is taught repentaunce and The way to heuenly blesse What man is he that boasts of fleshly might And vaine assuraunce of mortality Which all so soone as it doth come to fight Against spirituall foes yields by and by Or from the fielde most cowardly doth fly Ne let the man ascribe it to his skill That thorough grace hath gained victory If any strength we haue it is to ill But all the good is Gods both power and eke will By that which lately hapned Vna saw That this her knight was feeble and too faint And all his sinewes woxen weake and raw Through long enprisonment and hard constraint Which he endured in his late restraint That yet he was vnfitt for bloody fight Therefore to cherish him with diets daint She cast to bring him where he chearen might Till he recouered had his late decayed plight There was an auncient house not far away Renowmd throughout the world for sacred lore And pure vnspotted life so well they say It gouernd was and guided euermore Through wisedome of a matrone graue and hore Whose onely ioy was to relieue the needes Of wretched soules and helpe the helpelesse pore All night she spent in bidding of her bedes And all the day in doing good and godly deedes Dame Caelia men did her call as thought From heauen to come or thether to arise The mother of three daughters well vpbrought In goodly thewes and godly exercise The eldest two most sober chast and wise Fidelia and Speranza virgins were Though spousd yet wanting wedlocks solemnize But faire Charissa to a louely fere Was lincked and by him had many pledges dere Arriued there the dore they find fast lockt For it was warely watched night and day For feare of many foes but when they