began to roar such an infernal and harsh melody that the inchanted Rock burst in twain and then Kalyb's Charms lost their effect Her Magick no longer endured than the term of an hundred years the which as then was fully finished and brought to an end then the Obligation which she subscribed with her dearest blood and sealed with her own hands brought up a Witness against her by which she knew and fully perswaded her self that her Life was fully finished therefore in this most fearful manner she began to make her last Will and Testament First welcome said she my sad Executors welcome my Grave and everlasting Tomb for you have digged it in the fiery Lakes of Phlegeton my winding sheet wherein to shrowd both my Body and contemned Soul is a Cauldron of boiling Lead and Brimstone and the Worms that should consume my Carkass are fiery Forks which toss burning Fire-brands from place to place from Furnace to Furnace and from Cauldron to Cauldron therefore attend to Kalyb's woful Testament and engrave the Legacy she gives in Brass Rolls upon the burning Banks of Acheron First These eyes that now too late weep hapless tears I give unto the Watry Spirits for they have wrackt the treasures hidden in the deepest Seas to satisfie their most unsatiable looks Next I bequeath these hands which did subscribe the bloody Obligation of my perpetual banishment from Joy unto those Spirits that hover in the Air my Tongue that did conspire against the Majesty of Heaven I give to those Spirits which have their being in the fire my earthly heart I bequeath to those gross Demons that dwell in the Dungeon of the Earth and the rest of my Condemned Body to the Torments due to my deservings Which strange and fearful Testament beeing no sooner ended but all the Spirits generally at one instant seized upon the Enchantress and dismembred her Body in a thousand pieces and divided her Limbs to the four Elements one Member to the Air another to the Water another to the Fire and another to the Earth which were carried away in a moment by the Spirits that departed with such a horror that all things within the hearing thereof suddenly died both Beasts Birds and all creeping Worms which remained within the compass of those inchanted Woods the trees which before were wont to flourish with green leaves withered away and died the blâ—des of graâ—s perished for want of natural moisture which the watry Clouds deâ—ied to nourish in so wicked a place Thus by Iudgment of the Heavens sensless things perished for the wickedness of Kalyb whom we leave to her endless Torments and return to the Seven worthy Champions of Christendom whose laudable Adventures Fame hath inâ—olled in the Books of Memory CHAP. III. How St. George slew the burning Dragon in Egypt and Redeemed Sabra the King's Daughter from Death How he was betray'd by Elmido the black King of Morocco and sent to the Soldan of Persia where he slew two Lions and remained seven years in Prison AFter the Seven Champions departed from the Enchanted Cave of Kalyb they made their abode in the City of Coventry for the space of nine Months in which time they erected a costly Monument over the Herse of S. George's Mother and â—o in that time of the Year when the Spring had overspread the Earth with the Mantles of Flota they Armed themselves like wandring Knights and took their Iourney to seek for Foreign Adventures accounting no Dishonour so great as to spend their days in Idleness Atchieving no Memorable Accident So travelling for the space of thirty days without any Adventure worthy the noting at length they came to a broad Plain whereon stood a Brazen Pillar where seven several ways met which caused the seven Knighis to forsake each others Company and to take every one a contrary way where we leave six of the Champions to their contented Travels and wholly discourse upon the Fortunate Success of our Worthy English Knight who after some few Months Travel happily arrived within the Territories of Aegypt which Country as then was then was greatly annoyed with a dangerous Dragon but before he had Iournied fully within the distance of a Mile the silent Night approached and solitary stillness took possession of all living things at last he espied an old poor Hermitage wherein he purposed to rest his Horse and to take some repast after his weary Iourney till the Sun had renewed his Morning Light that he might fall to his Travel again but entring the Cottage he found an Ancient Hermit overworn with years and almost consumed with Grief with whom in this manner he began to confer Father said he for so you seem by your Gravity may a Traveller for this Night crave Entertainment within your Cottage not only for himself but his Horse or is there some City near at hand where unto I may take my Journey without danger The old Man starting at the sudden approach of St. George replyed unto him in this order Sir Knight quoth he of thy Country I need not demand for I know it by thy Burgonet for indeed thereon was graven the Arms of England but I sorrow for thy hard Fortune that it is thy Destiny to arrive in this our Country of Egypt wherein is not left sufficient alive to bury the Dead such is the Distress of this Land through a Dangerous and Terrible Dragon now ranging up and down the Country which if he be not every day appeased with the Body of a true Virgin which he devoureth down his Venomous Bowels that day so neglected will he breathe such a stink from his Nostrils whereof grows a most grievous Plague and Mortality of all things which use hath been observed four and twenty years and now there is not left one true Virgin but the King's Daughter throughout Egypt which Damsel to morrow must be offered up in Sacrifice to the Dragon therefore the King hath made Proclamation that if any Knight dare prove so adventurous as to Combat with the Dragon and preserve his Daughter's Life he shall in Reward have her to his Wife and the Crown of Egypt after his Decease This large proffer so encouraged the English Knight that he vowed either to Redeem the King's Daughter or else to lose his Life in that honourable Enterprize So taking his repose and nightly rest in the old Man's Hermitage till the chearful Cock being the true Messenger of Day gave him warning of the Sun's uprise which caused him to buckle on his Armour and to furnish his Steed with strong Habiliments of War the which being done he took his Journey guided only by the old Hermit to the Valley where the King's Daughter should be offered up in Sacrifice But when he approached the sight of the Valley he espied afar off a most fair and beautiful Damsel attired in pure Arabian Silk going to Sacrifice guarded to the place of Death only by â—age and modest Matrons Which woful sight encouraged the
Legions of his Devils could ever after loose him where we leave him to his Lamentations filling the Air with ecchoes of Cries and speak how St. George redeemed the Champions from their Enchantments First When we beheld them discoved of their warlike Attire their Furniture hung up and themselves secretly Sleeping upon the laps of Ladies he fell into these discontented Speeches O Heavens said he how my Soul abhors this Spectace Champions of Christendom arise brave Knights stand up I say and look about like Men Are you the chosen Captains of your Countries and will you bury all your Honours up in Ladies Laps For shame arise I say they have the Tears of Crocodiles the Songs of Syrens to enchant To Arms brave Knights let Honour be your Loves Blush to behold your Friends in Arms and blush to see your Native Country-men steeping the Fields of Mavors with their Bloods Champions arise St. George calls the Victory will tarry till you come Arise and tear the womanish Attire surfeit not in silken Robes put on your steely Corslets your glistering Burgonets and unsheath your conquering Weapons that Mavors Fields may be converted into a purple Ocean These heroical Speeches were no sooner finished but the champions like Men amazed rose from their Ladies bosoms and being ashamed of their follies they submissively crabed Pardou and vowed by Protestations never to sleep in Beds of Down nor never unbuckle their Shields from their weary arms till they had won their Credits in the Fields again nor never would be counted his deserved followers till their Triumphe were enroâ—led amongst the Deeds of Partial Knights So arming themselves with approved Corslets and taking to them their trustp Swords they accompanted St. George to the thickest of their Enemies and left the Necromancer chained to the Trée which at their depature breathed forth these bitter Curses Let Hell's Horror and tormenting Pains quoth he be their eternal Punishment let flaming Fire deseend the Elements and consume them in their warlike Triumphs and let their ways be strowed with venemous Thorns that all their Legs may rancle to the Knees before they march to their Native Country But why exclaim I thus in vain when Heaven itself preserves their Happiness Now all my Magick Charms are ended and all my Spirits forsaken me in my need and here am I fast chained up to starve and dye Have I had power to rend the Vales of Earth and shake the mighty Mountains with my Charms Have I had power to raise up dead Mens shapes from kingly Tombs and can I not unchain myself from this accursed Tree O no for I am fettered up by the immortal Power of the Christians God against whom because I did rebel I am now condemned to everlasting Fire Come all ye Necromancers in the World come all you Sorcerers and Charmers come all you Schollars from the learned Universities come all you Witches Beldams and Fortune-tellers and all that practice devilish Arts come take example by the story of my Eyes This being said he violently with his own hands tore his Hair from his Head as a sufficient revenge because by the direction of their Wills he was first trained in that damned Art then betwixt his Teeth he hit in two his loathsome Tongue because it muttered forth so many Charms then into his thirsty Bowels he devoured his Hands because they had so often held the â—â—â—lver Wand wherewith he had made his charmed Circles and for every Letter Mark and Character that belonged to his Conjutations he inflicted a several Torment upon himself and at last with sightless Eyes speechless Tongue handless Arms and dismembred Body he was forced to give up his condemned Ghost where after his art of Lift was vanished from his earthly Trunck the Heavens seemed to smile at his sudden Fall and Hell began to roar at the conquest of his Death the Ground whereon he died was ever after that time unfortunate and to this present time it is called in that Country A Vale of walking-Walking-Spirits Thus have you heard the damnable Life and miserable Fall of this accursed Necromancer Osmond whom we will now leave to the Punishments due to such a wicked Offender and to speak of the seven noble and magnanimous Christian Champions After St. George had ended these Enchantments they never â—â—â—athed up their Swords nor unlocked their Armour till the Subversion of Persia was accomplished and the Souldan with his-petty Rings was taken Prisoners Seven days the Battle continued without ceasing they slew two hundred thousand Souldiers besides a number that fled away and drownded themselves some cast themselves headlong down from the top of high Trees some made slaughter of themselves and yielded to the mercies of the Christians but the Souldan with his Princes riding in their Iron Chariots endured the Christians Encounters till the whole Army was discomfitted and then by force and violence they were compelled to yield The Souldan hapned into the hands of St. George and six Uice-roys to the other six Champions where after they had sworn Allegiance to the Christian Knights and had promised to forsake their Mahomet they were not only set at liberty but used most honourably but the Souldan himself having a Heart fraught with despight and tyranny contemned the Champions Courtesies and utterly disdained their Christian Governments protesting that the Heavens should first lose their wonted Brightness and the Seas forsake their sooelling Tides before his Heart should yield to their intended Desires whereupon St. George being resolved to revenge his Injuries commanded that the Souldan should be disrobed from all his princely Attire and in base Apparel sent to Prison then to the Dungeon where he himself had endured so long Imprisonment as you heard in the beginning of this History which strict Commandment was presently performed in which Dungeon the Souldan had not long continued sufficing his hungry Stomach with the Bread of musty Bran and stanching his thirst with Channel-water but he began to grow desperate and weary of his Life and at last fell into this woful Lamentation O Heavens quoth he now have you thrown a deserved Plague upon my Head and all those guiltless Souls that in former times my Tyranny have murthered may now be fully satisfied for I that was wont to have my Table beautified with Kings am now constrained to feed alone in a Dungeon where Sorrow is my Food and Despair my Servitor I that have famished thousands up in Walls of Stone am now constrained to feed upon mine own Flesh or else to starve and die yet shall these cruel Christians know that as I lived in Tyranny so will I die for I will make a Murther of myself that after this Life my angry Ghost may fill their Sleeps with ghastly Visions This being said he desperately ran his head against a Marble pillar standing in the middle of the Dungeon and dasht his Brains from out of his hateful Head the news of whose death when it was bruited in the
numbring the minutes of his long appointed punishment with the Flowers of the Field Ten thousand sighs he daily breathed from his Breast and still when the black and pitchy mantle of dark night overspread the azured Firmamenâ—s and had drawn her Sable Curtains before the brightsome Windows of the Heavens all Creatures took their sweet reposed rest and committed their tyred Eyes to quiet sleep All things were silent except the murmuring of the running Warers whose sounding Musick was the chiefest comfort this distressed Champion enjoyed the glistering Queen of Night clad in her Crystal Robes three hundred times a year was witness of his nightly Lamentations the wandring Howlet that never sings but in the night sate yelling over his head the ruâ—ul weeping Nightingale with mournful melody chearfully attending on his Person for during the limitation of his seven years misery his trusty Stood never forsook him but with all Love and true Diligence attended on him Day and Night never wandring away but ever keeping him Company If the extream heat of Summer grew intolerable or theÌ„ pinching cold of Winter violent his Horse would be a shelter to defend him At last when the term of seven years was fully finished and that he should recover his former substance and humane shape his good Horse which he tendred as the Apple of his Eye clambred a high and steep Mountain which Nature had beautified with all kind of fragrant Flowers as Odoriferous as the Garden of Hesperides from whence he pulled a branch of purple Roses and brought them betwixt his teeth to his distressed Master and being in his former Passions of Discontent under the Mulberry-tree The which the Champion of France no sooner beheld but he remembred that by a purple Rose he should recover his former similitude and so joyfully received the Roses from his trusty Steed then casting his Eyes up to the Caelestical Throne of Heaven he conveyed these Eonsecrated Flowers into his empty Stomach After which he laid him down upon the bosome of his Mother Earth where he fell into such a sound sleep that all his Senses and vital Spirits were without moving for the space of four and twenty hours In which time the Windows and Doors of Heaven were opened from whence descended such a shower of Rain tâ—at it washed away his hairy Form and Beastlike shape his hornâ—d head and long visage were turned again into a lively Countenance and all the rest of his Members both Arms Legs Hands Feet Fingers Toes with all the rest of Nature's Gifts received their former shape But when the good Champion awaked from his sleep and perceived the wonderfull workmanship of the Heavens in transforming him to his humane likeness First he gave honour to Almighty God next kissed the Ground whereon he had lived so long in misery then beho lding his Armour which lay hard by him bestainedand almost spoiled with Rust his Burgonet and keen edged Cuttle-axbesmeared over with dust Then lastly pondring in mind thefaithful Service his trusty Steed had done him during the time ofhis Calamity whose sable-coloured Maine hung frizling down hisbrawny Neck which before was wont to be pleated curiously with artificial knots and his forehead which was wont to be beautified with a Tawny Plume of Feathers now disfigured with over-grown hair whereat the good Champion St Denis of France somuch grieved that he stroaked down his jetty back fill the hair ofhis body lay as smooth as Arabian Silk then pulled he outhis trusty Faulchion which in so many fierce Assaults and dangerous Combats had been bathed in the blood of his Enemies which by thelong continuance of time lying idle was almost consumed with Eankered Rust but by his Labour and industrious pains he recoveredthe former Beauty and brightness again Thus both his Sword his Horse his Martial Furniture and all other Habiliments of War being brought to their first and proper qualities the Noble Champion intended to persevere and go forward in the Adventure incutting down the Mulberry-tree So taking his Sword which was of thepurest Spanish Steel gave such a stroak at the Root thereof that atone blow he cut it quite in sunder whereout presently flashed such amighty Flame of Fire that the Mane from his Horse Neck was burned and likewise the Hair of his Head had been fired if his Helmet hadnot preserved him and no sooner was the flame extinguished butthere ascended from the hollow Tree a naked Uirgin in shape like Daphne which Apollo turned into a Bay-tree fairerthen Pigmalion's Ivory Image or the Northern driven Snow her Eyes more clear than the Icy-Mountains her Cheeks like Rosesdipped in Milk her Lips more Lovely than the Turkish Rubies her Alabaster Teetâ— like Indian Pearls her Neck seemed an Ivory Tower her dainty Breasts a Garden where Milk-white Doves sate and sungâ— therest of Nature's Lineamenâ—s a stain to Juno Pallas or Venus at whose excellent Beauty this Ualiant and Undaunted Champion more admired than her wonderful Transformation for his Eyes were so Ravished with such exceeding Pleasure that his Tonguecould endure no longer Silent but was forced to unfold the Secretsof his Heart and in these Terms began to utter his Mind Thou most Divine and Singular Ornament of Nature said he fairer than the Feathers of the Silvan Swans that swim upon Mâ—ander's Crystal Streams and far more Beautiful than Aurora's Morning Countenance to thee the fairest of all Fairs most humbly and only to thy Beauty do I here submit my Affections Also I swear by the Honour of my Knighthood and by the Love of my Country of France which Uow I will not Uiolate for all the Treasures of Rich America or the Golden Mines of higher India whether thou beest an Angel descended from Heaven or a Fury ascended from the vast Dominions of Proserpine whether thou beest some Fairy or Silvan Nymph which inhabits in the fatal Woods or else an Earthly Creature for thy Sins Transformed into this Mulberry-tree I am not therefore Iudge Therefore sweet Saint to whom my heart must pay its due Devotion unfold to me thy Birth Parentage and Name that I may the bolder presume upon thy Courtesies At which demand this new-born Uirgin with a shainefac'd look modest gesture sober grace and blushing countenance began thus to Reply Sir Knight by whom my Life my Love and Fortunes are to be commanded and by whom my Humane Shape and natural Form is recovered First know you Magnanimous Champion that I am by Birth the King of Thessaly 's Daughter and my Name was called for my Beauty proud Eglantine For which contemptuous Pride I was transformed into this Mulberry-tree in which green substance I have continued Fourteen years As for my Love thou hast deserved it before all Knights in the World and to thee do I plight that true Promise before the Omnipotent Judger of all things and before that secret Promise shall be infringed the Son shall cease to shine by Day and the Moon by Night and all the Planets
Swans in which likeness we remained seven years but at last recovered by a worthy Christian Knight named St. Andrew the Champion of Scotland after whom we have Travelled many a weary step never crossed by any Violence until it was our angry Fates to arrive in this unhappy Wilderness where your eyes have been true witnesses of our Misfortunes Which sad Discourse was no sooner finished but the Worthy Champion thus began to comfort the distressed Ladies The Christian Champion after whom you take in hand this weary Travel said the Irish Champion is my approved Friend for whose Company and wished for Sight I will go more weary miles than there be Trees in this vast Wilderness and number my steps with the Sands hidden in the Seas Therefore most excellent Ladies true Ornaments of Beauty be sad Companions in my Travels for I will never cease till I have found our Honourable Friend the Champion of Scotland or some of those brave Knights whom I have not seen these seven Summers These words so contented the sorrowful Ladies that without any exception they agréed and with as much willingness consented as the Champion demanded So after they had recreated themselves eased their weariness and cured their Wounds which was by the secret Uertues of certain Herbs growing in the same Woods they took their Iourneys anew under the Conduct of this Worthy Champion St. Patrick where after some days Travel the obtained the â—ight of a broad beaten way where committing their Fortunes to the Fatal Sisters and setting their Faces toward the East they merrily Iourneyed together In whose Fortunate Travels we will leave them and speak of the seventh Christian Champion whose Adventurous Exploitâ— and Knightly Honours deserve a Golden Den dipt in Ink of truâ— Fame to Discourse at Large CHAP. IX How St. David the Champion of Wales slew the Count Palatine in the Tartarian Court and after how he was sent to the Enchanted Garden of Drmandine wherein by Magick Art he slept seven years SAint David the most Noble Champion of Wales after his departure from the Brazen Pillar whereat the other Champions of Christendom divided themselves severally to seek Foreign Adventures he atchieved many memorable things as well in Christendom as in those Nations that acknowledged no true God which as for this time I omit and only discourse what hapned unto him among the Tartarians for being in the Emperor of Tartary's Court a place very much honoured with Ualorous Knights highly graced with a Train of Beautiful Ladies where the Emperor upon a time Drdained a Solemn Iust and Tournament to be holden in the honour of his Birth-day whither resorted at the time appointed from all the Borders of Tartary the best and the hardiest Knights there remaining In which Honourable and Princely Exercise the Noble Knight St. David was appointed Champion for the Emperor who was Mounted upon a Morocco Stéed betrapped in a rich Eaparison wrought by the curious work of Indian Women upon whose Shield was set a Golden Griffen rampant in a Field of Blue Against him came the Count Palatine Son and Heir apparent to the Tartarian Emperor brought in by twelve Knights Richly furnished with Habiliments of Honour who paced thrée times about the Lists before the Emperor and many Ladies that were present to behold the honourable Tournament The which being done the twelve Knights departed the Lists and the Count Palatine prepared himself to Encounter with the Christian Knight being appointed chief Champion for the Day who likewise prepared himself and at the Trumpet 's Sound by the Herald's appointment they ran so fiercely each against other that the Ground séemed to shake under them and the Skies to resound Ecchoes of their mighty strokes At the second Race the Champions ran St. David had the worst and was constrained through the forcible strength of the Count Palatine to lean backward almost beside his Saddle whereat the Trumpets began to sound in sign of Uictory but yet the Ualiant Christian nothing dismayed but with a Courage within whose eyes sate Knightly Revenge ran the third time against the Count Palatine and by the Uiolence of his Strength he overthrew both Horse and Man whereby the Count's Body was so extreamly bruised with the fall of his Horse that his heart-blood issued forth by his mouth and his vital spirits pressed from the mansion of his breast so that he was forced to give the World Farewell This fatal Overthrow of the Count Palatine abashed the whole Company but especially the Tartarian Emperor who having no more Sons but him caused the Lists to be broken up the Knights to be unarmed and the murdered Count to be brought by four Esquires into his Palace where after he was despoiled of his Furniture and the Christian Knight received in honour of his Uictory the woeful Emperor bathed his Son's Body with Tears which dropped like Crystal Pearls from the congealed blood and after many sad sighs he breathed forth this woful Lamentation Now are my Triumphs turned into Everlasting Woes from a Comical Pastime to a direful and Bloody Tragedy O most unkind Fortune never Constant but in Change why is my Life deferred to see the downfall of my dear Son the Noble Count Palatine Why rends not this accursed Earth whereon I stand and presently swallow up my Body into her hungry Bowels Is this the use of Christians For true Honour to repay Dishonour Could not base blood serve to stain his deadly hands withall but the Royal blood of my dear Son in whose Revenge the face of the Heavens is stained with Blood and cries for Vengeance to the Majesty of Mighty Jove The dreadful Furies the direful daughters of dark Night and all the baleful company of burning Acheron whose Loins shall be girt with Serpents and Hair be hanged with Wreaths of Snakes shall haunt pursue and follow that accursed Christian Champion that hath bereaved my Country Tartary of so precious a Jewel as my dear Son the Count Palatine was whose Magnanimous Prowess did surpass all the Knights of our recovery Thus sorrowed the woful Emperor for the Death of his Noble Son Sometimes making the Ecchoes of his Lamentations pierce the Elements Another while forcing his bitter Curses to sink to the deep Foundations of Acheron One while intending to be Revenged on St. David the Christian Champion then presently his intent was crossed with a contrary imagination thinking it was against the Law of Arms and a great Dishonour to his Country by Uiolence to Oppress a strange Knight whose Anions had ever been guided by true Honour but yet at last this firm Resolution entred into his Mind There was adjoyning upon the Borders of Tartary an Enchanted Garden kept by Magick Art from whence never any returned that attempted to enter the Governour of which Garden was a Notable and Famous Necromancer named Ormandine to which Magician the Tartarian Emperor intended to send the Adventurous Champion St. David thereby to Revenge the Count Palatine's Death
of his armour and the hotness of the weather sweat so abundantly that it ran into his eyes and quite blinded him Sir Alexander taking the best of the opportunity gave him such a blow â—n the head as made him to stagger and redoubling his stroak at the next blow fetcht him down headlong who in his fall gave such a hideous â—â—ll as made a noise like to the Cataracts of Nilâ—s This overthrow of the Gyant in whom they put so much confidence so discouraged the Souldiers that notwithstanding Predo and Pandaphilo did what they could to perswade them they would no longer abide by it so that they were forced to retreat unto their Castle for shâ—â—ter whom the Siciliansbeing over-wearied with fighting did not instantly persue but contented themselves at present with what they had gotten Sir Alexander after the flight of the Thracians cut off the Gyant Brandamores head and dispoyling him of his Armour sent it as a â—rophy to the City of â—arissa to be presented to his Lady the Princess Mariana who received the same very joyfully wondring at the large proportion thereof and causing it to be hanged up in one of the principal Temples of their City as a monument to posterity and having richly rewarded the Messenger she returned Sir Alexander thanks by him in this following Letter Most Dear Knight THat good Fortune is always attendant upon Vertue your actions demonstrate and for your Valour shewed against my Enemies I shall over stand obliged to you For the Present you sent me I could not but view it with admiration as by the same having a porspect of the vast bulk of that unweildly Monster and therein your invincible courage to encounter with him and happy success in his overthrow May the Heavens prosper your future endeavours with good success and that your actions may be crowned with victory which to effect shall be the hearty Prayers of Your Dearest Lady and Mistress Mariana But to return again to speak of the Army After they had sufficiently refreshed themselves and taken care of the wounded Souldiers they marched up to the Inchanted Castle wherein now the Desendants had strongly enclosed themselves trusting more to the strength of the place then to their own supposed invincible valour which now they saw was overmatcht by the three victorious Knights And now no opposition was made till they came to the Castle-gate on the top of which were two Gyants with massy stones in their hands to tumble on the heads of any who should ofâ—er to scale the Walls The three Brothers approaching near thereunto espyed the Brazen Pillar as also the Rock of Alabaster and having read the several Writings enscribed on them with an undaunted resolution resolved to try the adventure and first the undaunted venturous Knight Sir Guy putting his hand to the Pummel of the first sword he drew it out with much ease notwithstanding he had no sooner laid his hand thereon but he was encountred with a terrible Griffin but Sir Guy so nimbly behaved himself that having déeply wounded the Griffin he flow from him and immediately was heard a sound out of the Inchanted Castle as if it had been noise of Thunder The thrée Brothers were much amazed at this terrible noise expecting some dreadful encounter to ensue presently thereupon but having waited a time and séeing nothing follow they proceeded on in the adventure and next Sir Alexander attempted to draw â—â—t the second Sword but ere he could well fasâ—en his hand â—n the pummel there came flying against him a most dreadful burning Dragon which sinote him with such a force that he could hardly stand upright on his Legs but having once drawn the sword the Dragon immediately vanished away and at that instant proceeded a more terrible noise from the Castle which made the very foundation thereof to shake and the walls to sâ—agger and toâ—ter about This terrible noise being ended the valiant and undaunted â—â— Sir David went to pull out the third Sword but in his passage was assailed by a most furious dreadful Sagitary betwixt whom began a cruel combat which lasted long but in the end Sir David cutting off one of the Sagitaries Legs he then nimbly stepped to the sword and as nimbly drew it out which was no sooner done but presently the Heavens seemed to be rent asunder with dreadful claps of Thunder entermixed with terrible flashes of Lightening the earth quaked and terrible groans and yells were heard of damned Spirits then fell a horrible stinking smoak and all on a sudden the Castle together with the Brazen Pillar and Alabaster Rock were vanished away The two Gyants which before appeared so terrible now down on their Knées to the three Brothers begging for mercy The Negromancer Soto who knew by this that his Charms were at an end sought to fly from his deserved veâ— geance but all in vain for his spells now would do him no good but was forced to yield up his loathed Carcass to the mercy of the Conquerors The Thessalian King who had slept for so long a space now awaked wondring at what had happened not knowing whether he were in the hands of friends or foes Also the Messenger that came from the Princess Urania who as we told you before was sent in Embassage to the Byant Predo With them also awaked many others who by the Negromancers charmes coming within the compass of the Castle were there cast into this lasting sleep The first thing the three Princely Brothers did was by the help of some of the Thessalians then in the Camp to find out their King which being known he was entertained with all respects due to so Princely Majesty The two Gyants were committed unto safe custody under a Guard of valiant Souldiers but as for the Negromancer Soto notwithstanding he pleaded with much Rhetorick to have his Life saved his practices were so notorious and diabolical as would admit of no pardon whereupon by the Commandment of the three Brothers he had his head dissevered from his Body At which instant appeared a great number of Fiends come from Hell some of which siezed upon his Body and some upon his Head which they carried away with them leaving behind them such an intollerable â—â—ink of Sulpher and Brunestone as was able to have suffocated all that were near them had they not ran from the place as falt as their Legs would bear them All things being thus ordered for the present and no enemy appearing against them they left this accursed place where the Castle stood which had for a long space been the Habitation of Devils and wicked persons and marched to the City of Galata there to refresh their wearied Army from whence they sent Letters both into Thessaly and also to Sicily to certifie them of their good success and intention to return as â—â—on as opportunity would permit them Amongst others which by finishing this Inchantment were awaked out of their long sleeping there was only one Gentlewoman
and other timber-work of the purest Ebony the covering thereof of pure Silk cross-barr'd with pure staves of Gold likewise an hundred of the Noblest Peers of Egypt Attired in Crimson Uelvet Mounted on Milk-white Coursers with Rich Caparisons attended the coming of St. George Thus were all appointed for his Honourable Entertainment which they performed in such Solemn Order that I lack Eloquence to describe it for when he first entred the Gates of the City he heard such a melodious Harmony of Heavenly sounding Mulick that it seemed in his conceit to surpass the sweetness of all that ever he had heard before Then they most Royally Presented him with a sumptuous and costly Ball of Gold and after invested him in that Ebony Chariot wherein he was Conducted to the Palace of King Ptolomy where this Noble and Princely-minded Champion surrendred up his Conquest and Uictory to the hands of the Beauteous Sabra where she with like Courtesie and more Humility requited his Bounty For at the first sight of the English Knight she was so Ravished with his Princely Countenance that for a time she was not able to speak Yet at last taking him by the hand she led him to a Rich Pavillion where she Unarmed him and with most Precious Salves imbalmed his Wounds and with her Tears washed away the Blood which being done she furnished a Table with all manner of Delicates for his repast where her Father was present who enquired of his Country Parentage and Name After the Banquet was ended he enstalled him with the Honour of Knighthood and put upon his feet a pair of Golden Spurs But Sabra who fed upon the Banquet of his Love conducted him to his Nights Repose where she sate upon his Bed and warbled forth most Heavenly Melody upon her Lute till his Senses were overcome with a swéet and sileÌ„nt sleep where she left him for that Night after his late dangerous Battel No sooner did Aurora's Radiant Blush display the Beauty of the East and the Sun shew his Morning Countenance but Sabra repaired to the English Champion's Lodging and at his first uprising presented him with a Diamond of most rare and excellent Uertue the which he wore upon his finger The next that entred his Lodging was the Treacherous Almidor the Black King of Morocco having in his Hand a Bowl of Graekish Wine which he offered to the Noble Champion St. George of England but at the receit thereof the Diamond the Lady gave him which he wore upon his finger waxed pale and from his Nose fell three drops of Blood whereat he started which sudden Accident caused the King's Daughter to suspect some secret Poison compounded in the Wine and thereupon so vehemently shrieked that a sudden Uproar presently overspread the whole Court whereby it came to the King's Intelligence of the proffered Treachery of Almidor against the English Champion but so dear was the Love of the Egyptian King to the Black King of Morocco that no belief of Treachery could enter into his mind Thus Almidor the second time was prevented of his practice whereat in Mind he grew more enraged than a chased Bore yet thinking the third should pay for all he expected a time wherein to work his wicked purpose which he brought to pass in this manner Many a day remained St. George in the Egyptian Court sometimes Revelling among the Gentlemen Dancing and Sporting with Ladies other times in Tilts and Tournaments with other Honourable Exercises Likewise long and extream was the Love that Beauteous Sabra bore to the English Champion of the which this Treacherous Almidor had Intelligence by many secret practises and many times his Ears were witnesses of their Discourses So upon an Evening when the Gorgeous Sun lay level with the Ground it was his Fortune to wander under a Garden Wall to take the coolness of the Evenings Air where unseen of the two Lovers he heard their Amorous Discourses as they sate dallying under a Bower of Roses Courting one another in this manner My Soul's delight my Heart 's chief comfort sweet George of England said the Love-sick Sabra Why art thou more obdurate than the Flint whom the Tears of my true Heart can never mollifie how many thousand sighs have I breathed for thy sweet sake which I have sent to thee as true Messengers of my Love yet never wouldst thou requite me with a smiling Countenance Refuse not her dear Lord of England that for thy Love will forsake Parents Country and Inheritance which is the Crown of Egypt and like a Pilgrim follow thee throughout the wide World On therefore knit that Gordian knot of Wedlock that none but Death can afterwards untie that I may then say The Sun shall lose his brightness the Moon her splendant beams the Sea her tydes and all things under the Cope of Heaven grow centrary to Kind before Sabra the Heir of Egypt prove Unconstant to sweet George of England These words so fired the Champion's heart that he was almost intangled in the snares of Love which before-time only affected Martial Discipline he yet to try her Patience a little more made her this Answer Lady of Egypt Can'st thou not be content that I have ventured my Life to free thee from Death but I should link my future Fortunes in a Woman's Lap and so bury all my Honours in Oblivion No no Sabra George of England is a Knight born in a Country where true Chivalry is nourisht and hath sworn to search the World so far as ever the Lamp of Heaven doth lend his Light before he tie himself in the troublesome State of Marriage therefore attempt me no more that am a Stranger and a Wanderer from place to place but seek to aim at higher states as the King of Morocco who will attempt to climb to Heaven to gain thy Love and good Liking At which speeches she suddenly replied in this manner The King of Morocco is as bloody minded as a Serpent but thou more gentle then a Lamb his Tongue as ominous as the screeching Night Owl but thine more sweet than the Morning Lark his kind embracings like the stinging Snakes but thine more pleasant than the creeping Vine What if thou beest a Knight of a strange Country thy Body is more precious to mine Eves than Kingdoms to mine Heart There stay Reply'd the English Champion I am a Christian thou a Pagan I Honour God in Heaven thou Earthly Shadows here below therefore if thou â—â—ilt obtain my Love and Liking thou must forsake thy Mahomet and be Christned in our Christian Faith With all my Soul answered the Egyptian Lady I will forsake my Countrey Gods and for thy Love become a Christian and therewithal she burst a Ring in twain the one half she gave to him in pledge of Love and kept the other half for her self and so for that time departed the Garden During all the time of their Discourse the Treacherous minded Almidor stood listning to their speeches and fretted inwardly to
which always kneeled down untill she had ascended the Saddle and likewise her Eunuch was mounted upon another Steed whereon all their rich Furniture with costly Iewels and other Treasures was born So these three worthy Personages committed their Travels to the Guide oâ— Fortune who preserved them from the dangers of pursuing Enemies which at the King's return from hunting sollowed a main to every Port and Haven that divided the Kingdom of Barbary from the Confines of Christendom but kind Destiny so guided their steps that they Travelled another way contrary to their expectations for when they looked to arrive upon the Territories of Europe they were cast upon the fruitful Banks of Grecia In which Countrey we must tell what hapned to the three Travellers and omit the vain pursuit of the Morocco Knights the wrathful Melancholy of the King and the bruited Rumor that was amongst the Commons at the Queens departure who caused the Larum Bells to be Rung out and the Beacons set on Fire as though the Enemy had entred their Countrey But now Melpomene thou Tragick Sister of the Muses report what unlucky Crosses hapned to these three Travellers in the Confines of Grecia and how their smiling Comedy was by ill hap turned into a weeping Tragedy for when they had journeyed some three or four Leagues over many a lofty Hill they came nigh unto a Mighty and Uast Wilderness through which the way seemed so long and the Sun-Beams so exceedingly glowed that Sabra what for weariness in Travel and the extream heat of the Day was constrained to rest under the shelter of a mighty Oak whose Branches had not been lopt in many a year Where the had not long remained but her heart began to faint for hunger and her Colour that was but a little before as fair as any Ladies in the World began to change for want of a little drink Whereat the most famous Champion St. George half dead with very grief comforted her as well as he could after this manner Faint not my dear Lady said he here is that good Sword that once preserved thee from the burning Dragon and before thou shalt die for want of Sustenance it shall make way to every corner of the Wilderness where I will either kill some Venison to refresh thy hungry Stomach or make my Tomb in the Bowels of some Monstrous Beast Therefore abide thou here under this Tree in company of thy faithful Eunuch till I return either with the flesh of some wild Deer to else some flying Bird to refresh thy Spirits for a new Travel Thus left he his beloved Lady with the Eunuch to the mercy of the Woods and Travelled up and down the Wilderness till he espied a Herd of fatted Deer from which company he fingled out the fairest and like a tripping Satyr coursed her to Death then with a keen-edged Sword cut out the goodliest Haunch of Uenison that ever Hunters eye beheld which Gift he supposed to be most welcome to his beloved Lady But mark what hapned in his absence to the two weary Travellers under the Tree Where after St. George's departure they had not long sitten discoursing one while of their long Iourneys another while of their safe Delivery from the Blackamoor King spending the stealing time away with many an ancient Story but there appeared out of a Thicket two huge and monstrous Lions which came directly pacing towards the two Travellers Which fearful spectacle when Sabra beheld having a heart over-charged with the extream fear of Death wholly committed her Soul into the hands of God and her Body almost Famished for want of Food to suffice the hunger of the two furious Lions who by the appointment of Heaven proffered not so much as to lay their wrathful paws upon the smallest part of her Garment but with eager mood assailed the Eunuch until they had buried his Body in the empty Uaults of their hungry Bowels Then with their Teeth lately imbrued in Blood rent the Eunuch's Steed into small pieces Which being done they came to the Lady which sate quaking half dead with fear and like two Lambs couched their Heads upon her Lap where with her hands she stroaked down their bristled hairs not daring almost to breathe till a heavy sleep had over-mastered their furious Senses by which time the Princely-minded Champion St. George returned with a piece of Uenison upon the point of his Sword Who at that unexpected sight stood in a Maze whether it was best to flie for safeguard of his Life or to venture his Fortune against the Furious Lions But at last the Love of his Lady encouraged him to a forwardness whom he beheld quaking before the dismal Gates of Death So laying down his Uenison he like a Uictorious Champion sheathed his approved Faulchion most furiousty in the Bowels of one of the Lions Sabra kept the other sleeping in her Lap till his prosperous hand had likewise dispatched him Which Adventure being performed he first thanked Heaven for Uictory and then in this kind manner saluted his Lady Now Sabra said he I have by this sufficiently proved â—â—iy true Virginity for it is the Nature of a Lion be he never so furious not to harm the unspotted Virgin but humbly to lay his bristled Head upon a Maidens Lap. Therefore Divine Paragon thou art the World 's chief wonder for Love and Chastity whose honoured Vertues shall ring as far as Phebus sends his Lights and whose Constancy I will maintain in every Land where I come to be the truest under the Circuit of the Sun At which words he cast his eyes aside and beheld the bloody spectacle of the Eunuch's â—â—agedy which by Sabra was wofully discoursed to the grief of St. George where sad sighs served for a doleful Knell to bewail his untimely death But having a noble mind not subject to vain Sorrow where all hope of Life is past ceased his grief and prepared the Uenison in readiness for his Ladies Repast which in this order was dressed He had in his Pocket a Firelock wherewith he struck fire and kindled it with Sun-burnt Moss and encreased the Flame with other dry wood which he gathered in the Wilderness Against which they Roasted the Uenison and sufficed themselves to their own contentments After which joyful Repast these two Princely Persons set forward to their wonted Travels whereby the happy Guide of Heaven so conducted their steps that before many days passed they arrived in the Grecian Court even upon that day when the Marriage of the Grecian Emperor should be solemnly holden Which Royal Nuptials in former times had been bruited into every Nation in the World as well in Europe as Africa and Asia At which honourable Marriage the bravest Knights then living on Earth were present For Golden Fame had bruited the Report thereof to the Ears of the Seven Champions In Thessaly to S. Denis the Champion of France there remaining with his beauteous Eglantine into Sevil to St. James the Champion of
whom they likewise tyed round about him then one of the Moors being crueller than the rest proffened to desloue the Merchant's Wife before his face but she in Chastity like Camma choosing rather an honourable death than an infamous life spit in the Negro's â—ace and most bitterly reviled him yielding neither to his force nor his bloody threats but snatching a Knife from his Girdle vowed to sheath it in her Bosom before the would lose her precious Gem of Honour that once being gone could not be recovered for all the Worlds Treasure This Resolution of the English Merchant's Wife caused the stern Negro to exceed in Cruelty but the Principal of that wicked company being a bloody and merciless Tyrant stabbed one of the silly Children before the Mother's face Now stubborn Dame quoth he wilt thou yield to my desires and preserve the lives of the other six Children Otherwise shalt thou behold them Butchered in the same manner To sell my Honour for the lives of my Children replyed she will be an Offence to God and a continual corrosive to my Husband's heart if we live together Therefore accursed Monster prosecute your Tyranny it is not all your threats and bloody dealings shall convert my chaste mind nor once enforce my thoughts to give any consent thereunto These words being no sooner ended but the lustful Moor took another of her Children and stabbed before her Husband's face thinking thereby to force the Merchant to intreat his Wife to consent to the wicked Negro's determinations but he being as resolute as his vertuous Wife spake in this manner O you cursed black Dogs of Barbary more worse in quality than bloody Tygers and more merciless than wicked Canibals think you that the Murder of our Children shall enforce our hearts to yield to your Lustful desires No no persevere in your Tyrannies Iâ— I had an hundred Children twice the number of King Priam's yet would I lose them all before I would endure to see my Wife's Dishonour Children may be begotten again but her honour never recovered These words pricked the Negro's to the gall and caused them to commit the wickedest Deed that ever was practised under the Celestial Globe of Heaven First they sheathed their Poniards in the Breasts of all the Merchant's Children whose guiltless blood stained all the Chamber with a crimson colour then with their Faulchions did they cut their Bodies in sunder and caused seven Pies to be made of their flesh and after served in a Banquet to their woful Parents whom the merciless Moors set at a square Table the Merchant placed directly opposite against his Wife where they were constrained either to feed upon their own Children or starve for want of other Sustenance This woful spenacle struck such a Grief into the English Merchant's heart that he could scarce endure to speak for weeping his Wife when she beheld the heads of her lovely Sons lying upon the Table as it were looking to Heaven for Revenge breathed forth this dying Lamentation O silly Babes would you had been strangled in my Womb at your first conception then should not these accursed Infidels have triumph'd thus in your unhappy Tragedies nor your unfortunate Parents beheld this luckless day whereon I pray that never Sun may shine again but be accounted an ominous day throughout the whole World for Heaven I hope poor Babes will Rain a showre of Uengeance on their heads that have caused this our untimely death and with this Prayer I bid the Word farewel At which words her Grief so exceeded the bounds of Reason that it stayed the passage of her breath whereby she was forced to yield her Soul to the Paradice of Peace She being no sooner dead but the sorrowful Merchant likewise bitterly exclaimed against the Injustice of Fortune and the Tyranny of the Barbarous Moors accounting his Destiny more hapless than the Thracian Kings that buried his Children in his own Bowels and the cruelty of these Infidels to exceed the Tyranny of Nero that caused his Mother's Womb to be opened that he might behold the place of his conception But when the Merchant had sufficiently bewail'd the murder of his Children the Death of his Wife and his own Misery he yielded his Soul to the furious stroke of Death The end of whose long languishments when the wicked Moors had intelligence of they caused their dead Bodies to be carried to the top of a high Mountain and there left for the prey of hungry Ravens But the Sun consumed them like the morning dew And by the wonderful Workmanship of Heaven in the same place sprung a Bower of Roses to signifie the unspotted honour of the Merchant and his Uertuous Wife which Miracle we leave to the wonder of the Moors and speak of the Christian Champions Proceeding that by this time were arrived in the Kingdom of Aegypt CHAP. XV. How the Christians arrived in Egypt and what hapned to them there The Tragedy of the Lustful Earl of Coventry How Sabra was bound to a Stake to be burnt And how St. George Redeemed her Lastly How the Egyptian King cast himself from the top of a Tower and broke his Neck DUring the time of the bloody Murder wrought by the Barbarous Moors upon the English Merchant and his Wife with his seven Children as you heard in the former Chapter the Champions of Christendom arrived upon the Territories of Egypt where they supposed to have adventured their lives upon the chance of War but all things fell out contrary to their expectations they found the Gates of every City set open and every Uillage and Town unpeopled for the Commons at the report of the Christians arrival secretly hid their Treasure in the Caves of the Earth in deep Wells and such like obscute places and a general fear and extream terror assailed the Egyptians as well the Peers of the Land as the simple Country People Many fled into Woods and Wildernesses and closely hid themselves in hollow Trees many digged Caves in the Ground where they thought best to remain in safety and many fled to high Mountains where they long time lived in great extremity fooding upon the Grass of the Ground so greatly the Egyptâ—ans feared the Army of the Christians that they expected nothing but the Auine of their Countrey with the loss of their own lives and the murder of their Wives and Children But to speak of the Christian Champions who finding the Countrey desolate of People suspected some deep policy of the Egyptian thinking them to have Mustred their Warlike Forces to bid them Battel Therefore St. George gave commandment through the whole Camp that not a Man upon pain of Death should break his Rank but March Advisedly with their Weapons ready prest to encounter Battel as though the Enemies had directly placed themselves opposite against them Which special charge the Christian Soldiors duly observed looking neither after the Wealth of Cities nor the Spoil of Uillages but circumspectly Marched according to their
's unkind and Tyrant-like doth deal You Fairy Nymphs of Lovers much ador'd And gracious Damsels which in evenings fair Your Closets leave with heavenly beauty stor'd And on your shoulders spread your golden hair Record with me that Sabra is unkind Within whose Breast remains a double mind Ye Savage Bears in Caves and Dens that lie Remain in Peace if you may sorrows hear And be not moved at my misery Tho' too extream my passions do appear England farewel and Coventry adieu But Sabra Heaven above still prosper you These Uerses being no sooner finished and engraven about the â—ark of a Walnut-tree but with a grisly look and wrathful countenance he lift up his hand intending to strike the poiniard up to the Hilt in his Breast but at the same instant he beheld Sabra entring the Orchard to take her wonted Walks of pleasure whose sight hindred his purpose and caused other bloody cogitations to enter into his mind The Furies did incense him to a wicked Deed the which my trembling tongue faints to report For after she had walked to the farthest side of the melancholy Orchard he rigorously ran unto her with his Dagger drawn and catching her about the slender wast thus frightfully threatned her Now stubborn Dame quoth he will I obtain my long desired purpose and Revenge by Violence thy former proud Denials first I will wrap this Dagger in thy Locks of Hair and nail it fast into the ground then will I Ravish thee by Force and Violence and triumph in the Conquest of thy Chastity which being done I will cut thy tongue out of thy mouth because thou shalt not reveal nor desery thy bloody Ravisher Likewise with this Poiniard will I chop off both thy hands whereby thou shalt never write with Pen thy stain of Honour nor in Sampler sow this proffered Disgrace Therefore except thou wilt yield to quench my desired Love with the pleasures of thy Marriage Bed I will by force and violence inflict those vowed punishments upon thy delicate Body be not too resolute in denials for if thou bee'st the gorgeous Sun shall not glide the compass of an hour before I obtain my long desired purpose And thereupon he stepped to the Orchard-door and with all expedition locked it and put the Key in his Pocket Then returned he like an hunger-starved Wolf to seize upon the silly Lamb Or like the chased Boar when he is wounded with the Hunter's Launce came running to the helpless Lady intending her present Rape and foul Dishonour But she thinking all hope of aid and succour to be void fell into a dead Swoon being not able to move for the space of a quarter of an hour But yet at last having recovered her dead senses to their former vital moving she began in this pitiful manner to defend her assailed Chastity from the wicked Earl that stood over her with his bloody Dagger threatning most cruelly her final Confusion My Lord of Coventry said she with weeping Tears and kneeling upon the Ground is Vertue banished from your breast have you a mind more tyrannous than the Tygers in Hycoania that nothing may suffice to satisfie Your Lustful desires but the stain of mine Honour and the Conquest of my Chastity If it be my Beauty that hath inticed you I am content to have it converted to a loathsome Leprosie whereby to make me odious in your Eyes If it be my rich and costly Garments that make me Beautiful and so intangle you henceforth I will attire my Body in poor and simple array and for evermore dwell in Countrey Caves and Cottages so that I may preserve my Chastity unspotted If none of these may suffice to abase your Tyrannous Intent but that your Lust will make me Time's wonder and pointing stock and scorn of vertuous Ladies then will the Heavens revenge my wrongs to whom I will uncessantly make my petitions The Birds in the Air after their kind will evermore exclaim against your wickedness the Silvane Beasts that abide in Woods and Desarts will breathe forth clamours of your wickedness the creeping worms that live within the crevices of the Earth will give dumb signs and tokens of your wickedness The running Rivers will murmur at your wickedness The Woods and Trees Herbs and Flowers with every sensless thing will sound some motions of your wickedness Return return my Noble Lord unto your former Vertues banish such fond desires out of your mind stain not the Honour of your House with such black Scandals and Disgrace bear this in mind before you do attempt so vile a sin What became of Hellen's Ravishment but the Destruction of Renowned Troy What of Roman Lucretia 's Rape but the Banishment of Tarquin And what of Progne 's foul Deflourment by her Sister's Husband the Lustful King of Thrace but the bloody Banquet of his young Son Itis whose tender body they served to his Table baked in a Pye At which speeches the â—â—eful Earl wrapped his hands within her Locks of Hair which was covered with a costly Caul of Gold and in this manner presently replied unto her What tellest thou me of Poets Tales said he of Progne's Rape and Terius 's bloody Banquet thy Ravishment shall be an Induction to thy Tragedy which if thou yield not willingly I will obtain by Force and Violence therefore prepare thy self either to entertain the Sentence pronounced or yield thy Body to my pleasure This unrecanting and vowed Resolution of the Earl added grief upon grief and heaped Mountains of Sorrow upon her Soul Twice did the hapless Lady cast her eyes to Heaven in hopes the Gods would pity her Distress and twice unto the Earth wishing the Ground might open and devour her and so deliver her from the sury of the wicked Homicide but at last when she saw that neither Tears Prayers nor Wishes could prevail she gave an outward sign of consenting upon some Conditions under colour to devise a present means to preserve her Chastity and deliver her self from his Lustful Assailments There is no condition said the Earl but I would yield unto so thou wilt grant my desire and make me chief commander of thy Love First my Lord quoth she shall you suffer me to sit some certain hours upon this bed of Violets and bewail the loss of my good name which shortly shall be yielded up to your pleasure then shall you lie and dally in my Lap thereby to make my Affections yet freezing cold to flame with burning brands of Love that being done you shall receive your wished desires Those words caused the Earl to convert his furious wrath to smiling joy and casting down his Dagger he gave her a courteous kiss which she in his conceit graciously accepted whereby his mind was brought into such a vain opinion that he thought no Heaven but in her presence no comfort but in her sight and no pleasure but in her then caused he Sabra to sit down upon a bed of Uiolets beset about with divers sorts
of Flowers whose Lap he made his Pillow whereupon he laid his head intending as he thought to increase desire but Women in extremity have the quickest wits so Sabra busied her self by all means possible either now or never to remove the cause of her deep distress by practising his death and so quit her self from her importunate Suitor one while she told him pleasant Tales of Love in hope to bring his Senses to a slumber the better to accomplish her desires other while she play'd and sported with his hair that hung dangling below his Shoulders like to threds of Silk but at last when neither tales discourses nor dallying pastime with his hair could not bring him asleep she strained forth the Organs of her Uoice and over his head sung this woful Ditty Thou God of Sleep and Golden Dreams appear That bring'st all things to Peace and quiet Rest Close up the glasses of his eyes so clear Thereby to make my Fortune ever blest His Eyes his Heart his Senses and his Mind In Peaceful sleep let them some comfort find Sing sweet you pretty Birds in tops of Trees With warbling tunes and many a pleasant note Till your sweet Musick close his watchful eyes That on my Love with vain desires doth dote Sleep on my dear sleep on my Love's delight And let this sleep be thy eternal night You gentle Bees the Muses lovely Birds Come aid my doleful tunes with silver sound Till your inspiring melody records Such Heavenly Musick that may quite confound Both Wit and Sense and tire his eyes with sleep That on my Lap in sweet content I keep You silver streams which murmuring Musick make And fill each dale with pleasant harmony Whereat the floating Fiâ—h much pleasure take To hear your sweet recording melody Assist my tunes his slumbring eyes to close That on my Lap now takes a sweet repose Let whispering Winds in every sensless Tree A solemn sad and doleful Musick sing From Hills and Dales and from each Mountain high Let some Inspiring sound or Eccho ring That he may never walle from sleep again Which sought my Marriage Bed with Lust to stain This delightful Song rocked his Senses to such a careless slumber that he slept as soundly upon her Lap as on the softest Bed of Down whereby she found a fit opportunity to deliver her undefiled Body from his Lustful Desires So taking the Poiniard in her hand which he had cast a little aside and gazing thereon with an ireful look she made this tad Complaint Grant you Immortal Powers of Heaven said she that of these two Extreams I choose the best either must I yield my Body to be dishonoured by his unchaste desires or stain my hands with the trickling streams of his heart-blood If I yield unto the first I shall be then accounted for a Vicious Dame but if I commit the last I shall be guilty of a wilfull Murther and for the same the Law will adjudge me a shameful death What shall I fear to die or lose my Vertue and Renown No my heart shall be as Tyrannous as Danaus his Daughters that slew their Fifty Husbands in a night or as Medea 's Cruelty which scattered her Brother's bloody Joynts upon the Sea Shore thereby to hinder the swift pursuit of her Father when Iason got the Golden Fleece from Calcos Isle Therefore stand still you glistring Lamps of Heaven stay wandring Time and let him sleep eternally Where art thou sad Melpomene that speakest of nothing but of Murders and Tragedies where be those Dames that evermore delight in Blood Come come assist me with your Cruelties let me exceed the hate of Progne for her Ravishment rage heart and take delight in Blood banish all thoughts of pity from thy breast be thou as merciless as King Priam 's Queen that in Revenge of five and twenty Murdered Sons that with her own hands stained the Pavements of Agamemnon 's Court with purple Gore These words were no sooner ended but with a wrathful and pale Countenance she sheathed the Poiniard up to the Hilt in the closure of his Breast whereat he started and would have got upon his feet but the streams of blood so violently gushed from his Wound that he declined immediately to the Earth and his Soulwas forced to give the World a doleful Adieu When Sabra beheld the Bed of Uiolets stained with blood and every Flower converted to a crimson colour she sighed grievously but when she saw her Garments all to be sprinkled with her Enemies blood and he say â—allowing at her feet in purple gore she ran speedily unto a flowing Fountain that stood in the farther side of the Orchard and began to wash the Blood out of her Cloaths but the more she washed the more it encreased a Sign that Heaven will never suffer wilful Murder to be hid for what cause soever it is done This strange Spectacle or rather wonderful Accident so amazed the sorrowful Lady that she began anew to complain Oh that this wicked Murder had never béen done said she or that my hand had been struck lame by some unlucky Planet when first it did attempt the déed whither shall I flye to shrowd me from the company of Uertuous Women which will for evermore shun me as a detested Murderer If I should go into some foreign Country there Heaven will cast down Uengeance for my guilt if I should hide my self in Woods and solitary Wildernesses yet would the Winds discover me and blow this bloody Crime to every corner of the World or if I should go live in Caves or dark Dens within the deep Foundations of the Earth yet will his Ghost pursue me there and haunt me day and night so that in no place a Murderer can live in rest such discontented thoughts shall still oppress his mind After she had breathed forth this comfortless Lamentation to the Air she tore her blood-stained Garment from her back and cast it into the Fountain where it turned the water into the colour of blood so heinous is Murder in the sight of Heaven Thus being Disrobed 〈◊〉 her Petticoat she turned to the slaughtered Earl whose face she â—ound covered with Moss which added more grief unto her Soul for she greatly feared her Murder was descryed but it fell not out as she mistrusted for it is the nature and kind of Robin Red-breast and other Birds always to cover the face of any dead man and those were they that bred this fear in the Ladies heart By this time the day began to shut up his bright windows and fable night entred to take possession of the Earth yet durst not the woful distressed Sabra make her repair homewards left she should be descryed without her upper Garment During which time there was a general search made for the Earl by his Servants for they greatly suspected some danger had befaln him considering that they heard him the night before so wofully complain in his Chamber At last with Torch-lights
called Argenia for it seemed to be of Argenâ— that is as much as to say of Silver During the time of the Champion's pleasurable walk which continued from the break of day to the closing of the Evening happened a woful Tragedy near unto the Queens Pavilion committed by the Monstrous Gyant whom St. George brought from the Enchanted Tower For that same Morning when the Sun had mounted some few Degrées unto the Firmament seven of the Quéens Uirgins in Sabra's Company walked into a pleasant Thicket of Trees adjoyning to her Pavilion not only to take the pleasure of the Morning Air but to hear the chirping melody of Birds in which Thicket or Grove under a Pine-tree this Gyant Lodged the passed Night but no sooner came these Beautiful Ladies under the Branches of the Trees but the Gyant cast his Eyes upon them whose rare Perfections so fired the heart of the Lustful Gyant that he must either quench his desires with the spoils of their Chastities or end his days in some Monstrous manner therefore he started up from the place where he lay and with a wrathful Countenance ran amongst the Ladies and catching them all eight at once betwixt his Arms he bore them to the further side of the Grove where he Ravished seven of the Queens Maidens and afterwards devoured them alive into his loathsome Bowels Sabra being the eighth of that woful number which in her sight she beheld Butchered by that bloody Wolf but continuing the time of their Ravishment she made her supplication to the Gods that they would in mercy defend her Chastity from the Lustful Rape of so wicked a Monster and immediately upon these words the saw an ugly Toad come crawling before her through which by Policy she saved her life and preserved her Honour For she took the Toad betwixt her hands and crushed the Uenom from her impoisoned Bowels wherewith she all besprinkled her Face so that presently her fair Beauty was changed into loathsome Blisters for she seemed more like a Creature deâ—ormed with Leprosie than a Lady of excellent Feature At length she being the last of all her time came that she should be Deâ—loured and the Lustful Gyant came to fetch her but when he beheld her Uisage so envenomed he loathed her sight seeking neither to Ravish her nor proffering to Devour her but discontentedly wandring away greatly grieved at the committed Crime and sorely repenting himself of so wicked a Deed not only for the spoil of the seven Uirgins but for the wrong proffered to so Noble a Knight who not only granted him liberty of Life but received him into his Service therefore he raged up and down the Grove making the Earth to tremble at his Exclamations one while cursing his Fortune and hour of Creation another while banning his Sire and Devillish Dam but when he remembred the Noble Champion St. George whose angry Frown he would not see for all the World then to prevent the same he ran his Head most furiously against a knobbed Oak and brained himself where we will leave him now weltring in his Blood and speak what became of Sabra after this bloody Accident for after she had wandred up and down the Thicket many a weary step incensing Heaven against the Gyant 's Cruelty the Sun began to set and the dark Night grew on which caused her thus to complain Oh you Immortal Powers of Heaven and you Coelestial Planets being the true Guiders of the Firmament open your bright Coelestial Gates and send some fatal Planet or some burning Thunder-bolt to rid me from the Vale of Misery for I will nevermore return to my Lord since I am thus deformed and made an ugly Creature my loathsome face will prove a Corrosive to his heart and my Body a torment to his Soul my sight will be unpleasant my Company hated my Presence loathed and every one will shun my sight as from a Crocodile therefore I will remain within this Grove till Heaven either bring me to my former Beauty or end my Languishing Misery yet witness Heaven of my Loyalty unto my Lord and in what extremity I have maintained my Chastity in remembrance of my true Love here will I leave this Chain of Gold for my beloved Lord to find that he may know for his sake I have endured a World of Woe At which Speeches she took her Chain which was doubled twenty times about her Neck and left it lying all besmeared in the blood of those Uirgins whom the Gyant had Ravished and slain and so betook her self to a sad solitary Life intending never to come in the sight of Men but to spend her days wandring in the Woods where we will likewise leave her for a time and speak of St. George who by this was returned to the Queen's Pavilion where he missed his Lady and had intelligence how that she in company of seven other Ladies walked in the Morning into a pleasant Grove to hear the Melody of Birds and since that time no News hath been heard of them for as then it grew toward night which caused St. George greatly to mistrust that some Mischance had befallen his Lady Then he demanded what was become of the Gyant but answer was made that he was never seen nor heard of since Morning which caused him greatly to suspect the Gyant 's Treachery and how by his means the Ladies were prevented of their purposed pleasures Therefore in all haste like a frantick man he ran into the Thicket filling every corner with Clamors and resounding Ecchoes of her name and calling for Sabra through every Bramble Bush but there he could neither hear the voice of Sabra nor the answer of any other Lady but the woful Ecchoes of his Exclamations which ratled through the leaves of the Trees Then began he to wax somewhat Melancholy and Passionate passing the time away till bright Cynthia mounted on the Hemisphere by whose glistring Beams he saw the ground besprinkled with purple gore and found the Chain that Sabra was wont to wear about her Neck all besmeared in Blood he bitterly complained against his own Fortune and his Ladies hapless Destiny for he supposed then that the Gyant had Murdered her O discontented sight said he here lies the blood of my beloved Lady the truest Woman that ever Knight enjoyed that Body which for Excellency deserved a Monument of Gold more rich than the Tomb of Angelica I fear lies buried in the Bowels of that Monstrous Gyant whose Life unhappily I granted Here is the chain besmeared in blood which at our first Acquaintance I gave her in a Courtly Mask this Golden Chain I say stained with the blood of my dear Lady shall for evermore be kept within my Bosome near unto my bleeding heart that I may still remember her true Love Faith and Constancy But fond fool that I am why do I talk in vain it will not recompence her murthered Soul the which methinks I hear how it calls for Revenge in every
the secrets of a Woman in such a case stay not I say dear Lord to see the Infant now sprawling in my Womb to be delivered from the Bed of his Creation forsake my presence for a time and let me like the Noble Queen of France obtain the favour of some Fairy to be my Midwife that my Babe may be as happily born in this Wilderness as was her Valiant Sons Ualentine and Orson the one of them was cherishâ—d by a King and the other by a Bear yet both of them grew famous in their Deeds my pain is great dear Lord therefore depart my Cabinet and before Phoebus lodgeth in the West I shall either be a happy Mother or a lifeless Body thou a joyful Father or aâ— sorrowful Widower At which words St. George sealed the Agreement with a kiss and departed silently without any reply but with a thousand sighs he bad her adieu and so took his way to the top of a Mountain being in distance from his Lady's aviding a quarter of a Mile there kneeled he during the time of her Travel with his bare knees upon the bosome of the Earth never ceasing Prayers but continually soliciting the Majesty of God to grant his Lady a speedy and easie Delivery at whose Divine Orisons the Heavens seemed to relent and all the time of her pain covered the place with a vale of darkness by great flights of Birds with Troops of untamed Beasts that came flocking about the Mountain where he kneeled and in their their kinds assisted his Celestial Contemplations where I will leave him for a time and speak what hapned to Sabra in the middle of her pains and extremity of her Travel for after St. George's departure the fury of her Grief so raged in her Womb that it exceeded the bounds of Reason whereby her heart was constrained to breathe so many scorching sighs that they seemed to blast the leaves of Trees and to wither the Flowers which beautified her Cabinet her burthened Torments caused her Star-bright Eyes like Fountains to distill down silver drops and all the rest of her Body to tremble like a Castle in a terrible Earthquake so grievous were her pains and ruâ—ul were her cries that she caused merciless Tygers to relent and untamed Lyons with other wild Beasts like silly Lambs to sit and bleat her grievous cries and bitter moans caused the Heavens as it were to bleed their Uapours down and the Earth to weep a spring of Tears both Herbs and Trees did seem to drop hard stâ—ny Rocks to sweat when she complained At last her pitiful cries pierced down to the lowest Uaults of direful Dis where Proserpine sits Crowned amongst her Fairies and so prevailed that in all hast she ascended from her Regiment to work this Ladies safe Delivery and to make her Mother of three goodly Boys who no sooner arrived in Sabra's Lodging but she practised the Duty of a Midwife eased the burden of her Womb and safely brought her Babes into the World at whose first sight the Heavens began to smile and the Earth to rejoyce as a sign and token that in times to come they would prove three of the Noblest Knights in the World This courteous Dâ—â—d of Proserpine was no sooner performed but she laid the three Boys in three sumptuous Cradles the which she caused the Fairies to fetch invisibly from three of the Richest Knights in the World and therewithal Mantles of Silk with other things thereunto belonging likewise she caused a winged Satyr to fetch from the farthest Borders of India a covering of Damask Taffaty embroidered with Gold the most richest Ornament that ever Mortal eye beheld for thereon was wrought and lively pourtrayed by the curious skill of Indian Weavers how God Created Heaven and Earth the wandring Courses both of Sun and Moon and likewise how the Golden Planets daily do predominate also there is no Story in any Age remembred since the beginning of the World but it was thereon most perfectly wrought So excellent it was that Art her self could never devise a cunninger With this rich and sumptuous Ornament she covered the Ladies Child-bed whereby it seemed to surpass in bravery the gorgeous Bed of Juno the brave Queen when first she entertained imperious Jove After this Proserpine laid under every Child's Pillow a Silver Tablet whereon were written in Letters of Gold their good and happy Fortunes Under the first was these Uerses Charactered who at that time lay frowning in his Cradle like the God of War A Soldier bold a Man of wondrous Might A King likewise this Royal Babe shall die Three Golden Diadems in bloody Fight By this brave Prince shall also Conquered be The Towers of old Ierusalem and Rome Shall yield to him in happy time to come Under the Pillow of the second Babe was Charactered these Uerses following who lay in his Cradle smiling like Cupid upon the Lap of Dido whom Venus transformed to the likeness of Ascanius This Child shall likewise live to be a King Time's Wonder for Device and Courtly sport His Tilt and Tournaments abroad shall ring To every Coast where Noble Knights resort Queens shall attend and humble at his feet Thus Love and Beauty shall together meet Lastly Under the Pillow of the third was these Uerses likewise Charactered who blushed in his Cradle like Pallas when she strove for the Golden Apple with Venus and the Queen of Heaven The Muses Darling for true Sapience In Princes Courts this Babe shall spend his days Kings shall admire his Learned Eloquence And write in brazen Books his endless Praise By Pallas's gifts he shall atchieve a Crown Advance his Fame and lift him to Renown Thus when the Fairy Queen had ended her Prophecy upon the Children and had left them Golden Fortunes lying in their Cradles she vanished away leaving the Lady rejoycing at her safe Delivery and wondring at the Gifts of Proserpine which she conjectured to be but shadows to dazle her eyes and things of fading substance but when she had laid her hands upon the rich Covering of Damask Taffaty which covered her Mossie Bed and felt that it was the self-same form that it seemed she cast her eyes with a chearful look up to the Majesty of Heaven and not only gave thanks to immortal Jove for her rich received benefits but for his merciful kindness in making her the happy Mother of three such goodly Children But we will now return again to the Noble Champion St. George whom we left Praying upon the Mountain top and as you heard before the Skies were overspread with sable Clouds as though they had been Mourning Witnesses of his Ladies Torment but before the Golden Sun had dived into watry Thetis's Lap the Element began to clear and to withdraw her former mourning Mantles by which he supposed that Heaven had pitied his Ladies pains and granted her a safe Delivery therefore in all haste he retired back to the Silvan Cabine the which he found most strangely deckt with
sumptuous Habiliments his Lady lying in her Child-bed as glorious as if she had been the greatest Empress in the World and thrée Princely Boys swéetly sleeping in their several Cradles at whose first fight his heart was so Ravished with joy that for a time it with-held the passage of his Tongue but at last when he found the Silver Tablets lying under the Pillows and read the happy Fortunes of his Children he ran unto his Lady embracing her lovingly and kindly demanded the true discourse of this Accident and by whose means the Bower was beautified so gorgeously and the propounder of his Childrens Prophesie who with a countenance blushing like purple morning replied in this manner My most dear and well beloved Lord the pains I have endured to make you the happy Father of three lovely Boys hath not been more painful than the stroke of Death but yet my Delivery more joyful than the pleasures of this World the Winds carried my groans to every corner of this Wilderness whereby both Trees and Herbs assisted my complaints Beasts Birds and feathered Fowls with every seâ—sless thing that Nature framed on this Earth seem'd to pity my moans but in the midst of my Torments when my Soul was ready to forsake this worldly habitation there appeared to me a Queen Crowned with a Golden Diadem in State and Gesture like Imperious Iuno and in Beauty to Divine Diana her Garments for Bravery seemed to stain the Rain-Bow in her brightest hue and for diversity of Colours to surpass the Flowers of the Field on her attended many beautiful Nymphs some clad in Garments in colour of the Crystal Ocean some in Attire as gallant as the pleasant Rose and some more glorious than the Azured Firmaments her Wisdom might compare with Apollo's her Judgment with Pallas and her skill with Lucina's for no sooner entred she my presence but my Travels ceased and my Womb delivered up my grievous Burden my Babes being brought to light by the virtue of her skill she prepared these rich and sumpthou Cradles the which were brought invisibly to my Cabine likewise these Mantles and this Imbroidered Coverlet she frankly bestowed upon me and so immediately vanished away At which words St. George gave her so many kind imbraces and kissed her so lovingly as though it had been the first day of their Nuptials At last her hunger increased and her desire thirsted so much after food that except she received some comfortable sustenance her life were in danger This extream desire of Sabra caused St. George to buckle on his Armour and to unsheath his trusty sword ready to goar the Intrails of some Deer who swore by the honour of true Knighthood never to rest in peace till he had purchased her hearts content My Love said he I will adventure for thy sake more dangers then Iason did for Medea 's Love I will search the thickest Groves and chase the nimble Doe to Death the flying Fowl I 'll follow up and down from Tree to Tree till over-wearied they do fall down and die for love of thee and these my tender Babes whom I esteem more dear than the Conquest of rich Babylon I will adventure more dangers than did Hercules for the Love of Dejanira and more extreams than Turnus did in his bloody Battels And thereupon with his Fauchion ready charged he traced the Woods leaving no Thorny Brake nor Mossie Cave unsearched till he had found a Herd of Fallow Deer from which number he singled out the fattest to make his Lady a bountiful Banquet but in the time of his absence there hapned to Sabra a strange and wonderful Accident for there came weltring into the Cabine three most Wild and Monstrous Beasts a Lioness a Tygress and a she Wolf which took the Babes out of their Cradles and bore them to their secret Dens At which sight Sabra like one berest of Sense started from her Bed and to her weak power offered to follow the Beasts but all in vain for before she could get without her Cabine they were past fight and the Childrens cry without her hearing then like a Discontented Woman she turned back beating her Breast rending her Hair and Raging up and down her Cabine using all the Rigour she could devise against her self and had not St. George return'd the sooner she had most violently committed her own slaughter but at his return when he beheld her face stained with tears her head disrobed of Ornaments and her Ivory Breast all to be-rent he cast down his Uenison in all hast and asked the cause of her Sorrow Oh said she this is the wofullest day that ever hapned to me for in the time of your unhappy Hunting a Lioness a Tygress and a Wolf came into the Cabin and took my Children from their Cradles what is become of them I know not but greatly I fear by this time they are intombed within their hungry Bowels Oh simple Monuments quoth he for such sweet Babes Well Sabra if the Monsters have bereaved me of my Children this bloody Sword that dived into the Entralls of the fallow Deer shall rive my woful heart in twain Accursed be this fatal day the Planets that predominate and Sun that shines thereon Heaven blot it from the year and let it never more be numbred but accounted for a dismal day throughout the World let all the Trees be blasted in those accursed Woods let Herbs and Grass consume away and die and all things perish in this Wilderness But why breathe I out these Curses in vain when as methinks I hear my Children in untamed Lions Dens crying for help and succour I come sweet Babes I come either to redeem you from Tygers wrathful Jaws or make my Grave within their hungry Bowels Then took he up his Sword besmeared all in blood and like a man bereaved of Wit and Sense ranged up and down the Wilderness searching every corner for his Children but his Lady remained still in her Cabine lamenting for their loss â—â—ashing their Cradles with her pearled Tears that run down her stained Cheeks like silver drops Many ways wandred St. George sometimes in Ualleys where Wolves and Tygers lurk sometimes in Mountain tops where Lyons whelps do sport and play and many times in dismal Thickets where Snakes and Serpents live Thus wandred St. George up and down the Wilderness for the space of two days hearing no news of his unchristened Children At last he approached the sight of a pleasant River which smoothly glided down betwixt two Mountains into whose streams he purposed to cast himself and so by a desperate death give end to his Sorrows but as he was committing his body to the mercy of the Waters and his Soul to the pleasure of the Heavens he heard afar off the rusul shriek as he thought of a comfortless Babe which sudden noise caused him to refrain from his desperate purpose and with more discretion to tender his own safety then casting his eyes aside it was his happy
or Exclamations could any whit abate their Cruelties but grim Dogs of Barbary in they left my Father fast bound unto the Tree and like egregious Vipers took me by the Trammels of my golden Hair draging me like a silly Lamb unto this flaughtering place intending to satisfie their Luftwith the flower of my Chastity Being used thus I made my humble Supplication to the highest Majesty to be revenged upon their Cruelties I reported to them the rewards of â—â—oudy Ravishments by the Example of Tereus sometime King of Thrace and his furious Wife that in revenge of her Sister's Ravishment caused her Husband to eat the Flesh of his own Son Likewise to preserve my undefiled Honour I told them that for the Rape of Lucroce the Roman Matron Tarquiâ—ius and his whole Name was ever banished out of Rome with many other Examples thus like the Nightingale recorded I nothing but Rape and Murther yet neither the Fears of Heaven nor the terrible Threats of Hell could mollifie their bloudy Minds but they protested to persevere in that Wickedness and vowed that if all the Leaves of the Trees that grew within the Wood were turned into Indian Pearls and that place made as wealthy as the golden Streams of Paâ—tâ—lus where M. das washtâ—her golden Wish away yet should they not redeem my Chastity from the stain of their insatiable and lustful Desires This being said they bound me with the Trammels of mine own Hair to this Orange tree and at the very instant they proffered to defile my unspotted Body you happily approached and not only redeemed me from their tyrannous Desires but quit the World from three of the wickedest Creatures that ever Nature framed for which most noble and invincible Knights if ever Virgin 's Prayers may prevail humbly will I make my Supplications to the Deities that you may prove as valliant Champions as ever put on Helmet and that your Fames may ring to every Prince's Ear as far as bright Niperion doth shew his golden Face This tragical Tale was no sooner ended but the three Knights with remorseful Hearts sobbing with Sighs imbraced the sorrowful Maiden betwixt their Arms and earnestly requested her to conduct them unto the place whereas she left her Father bound unto the withered Oak to which she willingly consented and thanked them â—ighly to their kindness but before they approached to the old Man's presente what for the grief of his Banishment and violent Usage of his Daughter he was forced to yield up his miserable Life to the mercy of unavoidable Death When St. George's valiant Sons in company of this sorrowful Maiden came to the Tree and contrary to their Expectations found her Father cold and 〈◊〉 devoid of Sense and Feeling also his Hands and Face covered with green Moss which they supposed to be done by the Robin Red-breast and other litâ—le Birds who do use naturally to cover the bare parts of any Body that they find dead in the Field they all fell into a new confused extremity of grief but especially his Daughter having lost all Ioy and Comfort in this World made both Heaven and Earth resound with her exceeding Lamentations and mourned without Comfort like weeping Niobe that was turned into a Rock of Stone Lamenting for the loss of her Children thus when the three young Knights perceived the comfortless Sorrow of the Uirgin and how she had vowed never to depart from those solitary Groves but to spend the remnant of her days in company of her Father's dead Body they courteously assisted her to bury him under a Chesnut-tree where they left her behind them bathing his senseless Grave with her Tears and returned back to their Horses where they left them at the entry of the Forrest tyed to a lofty Pine and so departed on their Iourney where we will leave them for a time and speak of the Seven Champions of Christendom that were gone on Pilgrimage to the City of Jerusalem and what strange Adventures hapned to them in their Travel CHAP. IV. Of the Adventures of the Golden Fountain in Damaseâ— how six of the Christian Champions were taken Prisoners by a mighty Giant and how after they were delivered by St. George and also how he redeemed fourteen Jews out of Prison with divers other strange Accidents that hapned LEt us now speak of the favourable Clementy that smiling Fortune shewed to the Christian Champions in their Travels to Jerusalem for after they were departed from England and had journyed in their Pilgrims Attire through many strange Countries at last they arrived upon the Constnes of Damasco which is a Country not only beautified with Cumptuous costly Buildings framed by the curious Architecture of Man's Device but also furnished with all the precious Gifts that Nature in her greatest liberality could bestow In this fruitful Dominion long time the Christian Champions rested their weacy Steps and made their abode in the House of a rich and courteous Jew a Man that spent his Wealth chiefly for the Succour and Comfort of Travelers and Wandring Pilgrims his House was not curiously erected up of carved Timber work but framed with quarries of blew Stones and supported with many stately Pillars of the purest Mâ—rble the gates and entry of his House were continually kept open in sign of his bountiful Mind over the Portal thereof did hang a brazen Table whereon was most curiously engraven the Picture of Ceres the Goddess of Plenty deck'd with Garlands of Wheat wreaths of Olivâ—s bunches of Usnes and with all manner of fruitful things the Chamber wherein these Champions took their nightly Reposes and golden Sleep was garnished with as many Windows of crystal Glass as there were Days in the Year and the Walls painted with as many Stories as were Years since the World's Creation it was likewise Built four square after the manner of Pyramids in Greece at the East end thereof was most lively portrayed bright Phoebus rising from Aurora's golden Bed with a glistering Countenance distaining the Element for her departure at the West side was likewise portrayed how Thetis tripped upon the silver Sands when as Hiperion's Car drives to the watry Ocean and takes his night's Repose upon his Lover's Bosom on the North side was paintted high Mountains of Snow whose tops did seem to reach the Clouds and mighty Woods over-hung with silver Isikles which is the nature of the Northern Climate Lastly Upon the West side of the Chamber sat the God of the Seas riding upon a Dolphin's back a troop of Mermaids following him with their golden Trammels floating upon the silver Waves there the Trytons seemed to dance about the crystal Streams with a number of the other silver scaled Fishes that made it seem delightful for Pleasure Over the Roof of the Chamber was most perfectly portrayed the four Ages of the World which seemed to over-hang the rest of the curious Works First The Golden Age was pendant over the East The second being the Silver a Mettle some what
mist before his Helmet so that almost it could not be seen Then thus furious Devil blaspheming against his hard hap having his sharp Sword very fast in his hand ran towards his enemy who without any fear of his Fury went forth to receive him and when they met together they discharged their â—lows at once but it fortuned that the Amazonians Blow did first fasten with so great strength that for all the Helmet of the Magician which was wrought of the strongest Steel it was not sufficient to make defence but with the rigorous force wherewith it was charged it bended in such sort that it brake into pieces and the Magicians head was so grievously wounded that streams of blood ran down his Armour and he was forced for want of strength to yield to the mercy of the valiant Lady who quickly condescended to his request upon this condition that he would be a means to convey her Fathers dead Body to an Island near adjoyning to the Borders of Armenia and there to Intomb it in her Mothers Grave as she promised when that his Ayr of life fleeted from his body The Magician for safeguard of his life presently agreed to perform her Desires and protested to accomplish whatsoever she demanded Then presently by his Art he prepared his Iron Charriot with his flying Dragons in a readiness wherein he laid the murthered Body of Leoger upon a pillow of Mysâ—etoe and likewise placed themselves therein wherein they were no sooner entred with necessaries belonging to their Travels but they fled thorow the Air more swift than a Whirl-wind or a Ship sailing on the Seas in a stormy tempest The Wonders that he performed by the way be so many and miraculous that I want an Orators Eloquence to describe them and a Poets skill to express them But to be short when Rosana was desirous to eat and that her hunger encreased by his Charms he would procure Birds of their own accords to fall out of the Skies and yield themselves unto their pleasure with all things necessary to suffice their wants Thus Rosana with her Fathers dead Body carryed through the air by Magick Art over Hills and Dales Mountains and Ualleys Woods and Forrests Towns and Cities and through many both wonderful and strange Places and Countries And at last they arrived near unto the Confines of Armenia being the place of their long desired rest But when they approached near unto the Queen of Armenia's Grave they descended from their Enchanted Chariot and bore Leoger's body to his burying place the which they found since Rosana departed overgrown with Moss and withered Brambles Yet for all that they opened the Sepulchre and laid his Body yet freshly bleeding upon his Ladies consumed Carkass which being done the Magician covered the Grave again with earth and laid thereon green Turfs which made it seem as though it never had been opened All the time that the Magician was performing the Ceremonious Funeral Rosana watered the Earth with her Tears never with drawing her Eyes from looking upon the Grave and when it was finished she sell into a sorrowful lamentation following Oh cruel Destinies said she sith your rigours have bereaved me of both my Parents and left me to the World a comfortless Orphan receive the Sacrifice to my Chastity in payment of your Vengeance and let my blood here shed upon this Grave shew the singleness of my heart And with the like Solemnity may all their hearts be broken in pieces that seek the downfall and dishonour of Ladies As she was uttering these and the like sorrows she took forth a naked Sword which she had ready for the fame effect and purâ—ing the Pummel to the ground cast her Breast upon the point The which she did with such furious violence and exceeding haste that the Magician although he was there present could not succour her nor prevent her from committing on her self so bloody a Fact This sudden mischance so amazed him and so grieved his Soul that his Heart for a time would not consent that his Tongue should speak one word to express his Passion But at last having taken truce with Sorrow and recovering his former Speech he took up the dead Body of Rosana bathed all in Blood and likewise buried her in her Parents Grave and over the same hung an Epitaph that did declare the occasion of all their Deaths This being done to express the sorrows of his heart for the desperate Death of such a magnanimous Lady and the rather to exempt himself from the company of all humane creatures he erected over the Grave by Magick Art a very stately Tomb which was in this order framed First there were fixed four Pillars every one of a very fine Rubie upon which was placed a Sepulchre of Crystal within the Sepulchre there seemed to be two fair Ladies the one having her breast pierced thorow with a Sword and the other with a Crown of Gold upon her Head and so lean of body that she seemed to pine away and upon the Sepulchre there lay a Knight all along with his Face looking up to the Heavens and armed with a Corsset of fine Steell of a russet Enamelling under the Sepulchre there was spread abroad a great Carpet of Gold and upon it two Pillars of the samâ— and upon them lay an old Shepherd and his Sheep-hook lying at his féet his eyes were shut and out of them were diffilled many pearled tears at either Pillar there was a Gentlewoman of a comely Feature the one of them seemed to be murthered and the other ravished And near unto the Sepulchre there lay a terrible great Beast heâ—ded like a Lian his Breast and Body like a Wolf and his tail like a Scorpion which seemed to spir continually flames of fire The Sepulchre was compassed about with a Wall of Iron with four Gates for to enter in thereat the Gates were after the manner and colour of fine Diamonds and directly over the top of the chiefest Gate stood a Marble Pillar whereon hung a Table written with red Letters the Contents whereof were as follow So long shall breathe upon this brittle Earth The Framer of this stately Monument Till that three Children of a wondrous Birth Out of a Northern Climate shall be sent They shall obscure his Name as Fates agree And by his fall the Fiends shall tamed be This Monument was no sooner framed by the assistance of Pluto's Legions and maintained by their Devillish Powers but the Necromancer inclosed himself within the Walls where he consorted chiefly with Furies and walking Spirits that continually fed upon his blood and left their damnable seals sticking upon his left side as a sure token and witness that he had given both his Soul and Body to their Governments after the date of his mortal Life was finished In which enchanted Sepulchre we will leave him for a time conferring with his damnable Mates and return to the Christian Knights where we left them travelling towards Babylon
bestow upon thee Farewel Knighthood farewel honourable Adventures and Princely Atchievments Never may this dauntless arm brandish Weapon more in honour of the Christian Cross For death awaiteth at my back to cut off all such noble hopes and I by Tyranny am betrayed thereto These Speeches being uttered he was forced to stand silent and in the presence of the King with many hundreds more was constrained to yield his Body to the fatal stroak where his Head being laid upon the Block was by a base Eâ—ecutioner quickly dissevered from the rest of his manly Members Which being no sooner done and the Champion lifeless but the Elements beset with cloudy exhalations sent down such a terrible Thunder-clap that struck presently dead the Knight of Saint Michael that accused him the Executioner with others that were at his Attachment at which strange and fearful spectacle the King himself grew so amazed that he deemed him to be a blessed Creature and that he had suffered wrongfully and how his cause for which he so willingly rendred up his life was the true cause which all must have a desire to die in Wherefore incontinent from a Pagan the King turned Christian and caused the same to be proclaimed through all his Provinces ordaining Churches to be built in remembrance of this great Man And likewise in the place where he suffered he caused with all speed to be built an Hermitage of relief for poor Pilgrims to find succour in and such as travelled in the honour of that God in whose Name this good Champion dyed Thus received France the true Faith in which we leave it flourishing and speak of Saint James the Spanish Champion and how he dyed CHAP. XX. Of the Tyrannous Death that the Spanish Champion was put unto and how God revenged the same in a strange manner and of other things that hapned HEre gentle Reader with a sad eye prepare to give Entertainment to the dolorous manner of the Spanish Champions Death who by Tyranny and cruel Dealing of the Intidels was likewise made away For Age and Time as upon the former grew upon him and so enfeebled his strength that he was no longer able to manage the Adventures of Chivalry nor sight the Battels of his Saviour Wherefore resolving to spend the remnant of his days in peace he desired leave likewise to commit his Fortunes to the Queen of Chance which as the other did he quickly obtained and so leaving Constantinople he put himself to travel towards the Country of his first Being not decked in his shining Armour nor mounted on his Spanish Gennet but poor and bare in outward habit though inwardly furnished with Gold and Jewels of an inestimable value which he had sowed up in the patches of a russet Gaberdine the better to travel with where instead of a bright shining Curtle-Axe his Pilgrims Staff served him to walk with and for his Burgonet of glistring Steel he covered his head now as white Thistle-down with Age with a Hat of gray colour broached with a broad Scallop-shell his Princely Lodgings were changed to green Pastures and his Canopies to the Skies azured covering where the Nightingale and Lark told the times passage These were now his best contents and comforts that time and age bestowed upon him In which manner travelling many days and nights giving still as he went the poor and needy such small pieces of Silver as he well could spare he arrived at last upon the Consines of Spain Where in honour of that God for whom he had fought so many Battels he builded up at his own charge a most sumptuous Chappel to this day bearing the Name of Saint Jacque's Chappel and for the maintenance thereof purchased divers Lands adjoining with Quiristers to sing a Day and Night therein Allelujah to his Redeemer This Celestial gift and glorious customs so prepared begot such love of the meaner sort of People that they esteemed him more than a Man with a reverence of such regard bestowed upon him that the very Name of this Noble Champion won greater admirations than the high Tilts of their Countries King who being then a cruel Tyrant and proud King maintaining Atheism by his Government grew so envious thereat that he caused good Saint Jacques with the whole Quire of his Celestial Singers to be closed up together in the Chappel which the Champion had erected so starved them to death Oh bloody butchery and inhumane cruelty a death of more terrour than ever was heard of Nero in ripping up his Mothers Womb to see the Bed of his Creation was not half so cruel But to be short hunger prevailed and they dead their Bodies purrified and in time consumed away to dust and mould whereupon the Lord to shew how they died in his favour and the love of Heaven inflicted such a light in the Chappel that it shined Day and Night with such a glorious brightness as if it had been the glorious Palace of the Sun and likewise continually was heard therein though no Creature remaining such a Quire of melodious Harmony as if it had been the sound of Celestial Musick Which strange pleasures both to the eyes and ear bred so great an amazement to the whole Countrey that all with the common consent accused their King for the tyrannous putting to death of these good men so cruelly murthered but especially the noble S. Jacques that they purposed to hold him for their Countrys Saint and Champion till the Worlds dissolution The proud King perceiving now his own rashness and his common hate against him for this deed doing took an inward conceit of grief that without taking any food ever after he languished away and died Thus have you heard the Tragedy of the Spanish Champion whom we likewise commit to the sweet sleeps of Eternity and pass on further to more dreadful Accidents CHAP. XXI Of the Honourable and Worthy Death of the Italian Champion how in the height of pleasure in his own Countrey death by a Prophecy seized upon him AFter all these aforesaid Proceedings Nature the common Nurse of us all so wrought in the heart of Saint Anthony the Champion for Italy that he undertook the next Tragical Enterprize and leaving Saint George with Saint Andrew resting their crazed Bones in the Emperours Court of Constantinople where they lately atchieved so many Praises of Knighthood he took his Journey towarns Italy and knowing by the course of Nature that his Days were not many he purposed there to set up his lives rest and in Death to finish up all Earthly Troubles So coming after a long Journey to the City of Rome where the Emperour Domitian kept his Court and the City being then in her chiefest Pomp and Glory won great desire in the Champions Mind to see the Monuments of the same So upon the Morning going from his Lodging he walked up and down the streets with admiration and fed his eyes with many delightful Objects First with great wonder he stood gazing upon
with them the Scythian Dog to whose swiftness they trusted more then any thing else knowing that catching of him was half the Uictory Marching in this Equipage more like to Hunters than Soldiers they spread themselves about but the chiefest of them kept together going in that Road they were directed by the affrighted Women when at last they spyed him upon a Hillock whose barking Stomach was gurmandizing upon a Sheep which he had newly siezed on but having a sight of his persuers he left his â—rey and run away as swift as a Stag who scorning the Earth with his hâ—â—â—s runs from the shrill cryes of the full mouthed Pound but the Scythian Dog having gotten a sight of him 〈◊〉 after as swift as the slight of Ligthening through the Air so that in an instant he had nigh overtaken him which the Tartar perceiving turned about and seeing he must dye resolved yet to give one breath of Ualour before his expiring and with his Ebon Iavelin ran against the dog with all his might and gave him a wound upon the shoulder whereupon the dog nimbly turning about slew upon his face and catching hold of his â—aâ— made him bellow most hideously and rising up on their hind féet tumbled over one another in which fall the Tartar got his ear lose from the dog and withal gave him a wound on the flank but then the dog catched him by the leg and there held him till the Company came up to him who siezed on him and sending for the wooden Cage wherein he was before put him into the same again and carrying him back to the Palace hung it upon one of the arms of a stately Oak where he remained for a spectacle for the people to gare on Whilst they were thus busâ—ed about the Tartar another Party who had béen out in search for him returned bringing with them the Negromancer Orpine whose Charms and Spells upon Sir Davids conquering his Inchanted Castle became of no effect so that now instead of riding in his burning Chariot drawn by Dragons he vagabond like wandered about upon his fort being almost starved for want of suâ—â—enance dreading to come near any Habitation his wicked life being so notorious as deserved no pity nor compassion Antenor seeing him could hardly forbear running him through with his sword such a deep impression had the wrongs he received imprinted on him Nor would the Negromancer have been unwilling to dye had not the fear of going to a worser place made him willing to enjoy the priviledg of breath a little longer But that they might make his life as uncomfortable to him as he had made others to them they clogged him with Irons and casting him into a Dungeon there sustained him with bran and water and now lying in this deplorable condition he breathed forth this doleful lamentation O Heavens why do you thus prolong my life in misery what heart so flinty that will not grieve to hear my mones being the direst Tragedy that ever challenged wonder which who so hears his Eyes may spare to weep and learn to bleed Carnation tears VVho can look upon my woes but must there in behold the prospect of consuming grief for there is nothing can sooner make a worker of miracles then to see that there is any thing like to my ill fortune Come then death and end my miseries if so be that death could end it but how can he think to come to Heaven that always travelled the road to Hell how can he think to converse with the Heavenly Hierarchy of Angels whose practise was only to converse with infernal Spirits O the horrors of a guilty Conscience the pains of Sisiphon Ixion nor Tantalus are not comparable unto mine and yet should I end this misery alas it is but the beginning of a worse and this momentary death but an entrance into eternal death O what hath my wicked ambition brought me to what my desire of revenge but a worse plague upon my own head In this manner complained the woful Orpine wishing for death yet afraid to dye loathing life yet desirous to live such was the miserable condition of this wicked wretch fréezing in fire and burning in ice feeling greivous tortures without and more within through the horrour that he had deserved it And now that the Monster and Negromancer were both secured for joy thereof Antenor prepared a costly Banquet to which were invited King David and Queen Rosetta with Sir Pandrasus and the chief of the English and Danish Captains After the Banquet was ended King David desired Sir Pandrasus to give him a relation of his Travels after they had parted from the Christian Army to which he readily condescended and began as followeth Know then most worthy audience that after we had taken our â—eave of those Magnanimous Heroes the seven Champions of Christendom whose names shall live for ever inroled in the Books of Fame we intended to steer our course directly for Denmark whose fruitful Banks we greatly longed to behold but Fates had otherwise decréed for our Pilot being unskilful in those Seas after much wandrings to and fro we at last arrived in an Island named Barâ—ona the VVarlike for that both King and People of the same inure themselves continually to the exercise of Arms and whither people from all places resort as unto a school of War Here were we courteously entertained the next day was held a solemn Iusts wherein the King and twelve others where Challengers against a Prince of a bordering Island and twelve of his partners in these conflicts were broken betwixt the parties five hundred and eight Spears On the next day was kept a Turnament for all persons to try their Ualour which was done with great Courage and Magnanimity on both sides this bring done â—â—ey fought with much eagerness and Courage at the Brariers and in these exercises did they commonly spend their time After some Communication had with the King of our Travels and Adventures he knowing us to be Soldiers and that I was Commander in chief challenged me to Iust with him and to that purpose furnished me with Horse and Arms at these Iusts it chanced by shivering of a Spear that one of the spiâ—nters entering the Kings Helmet pierced his Brain so that he fell down presently dead The Nobles seeing their King thus killed were in a marvellous rage and vowing revenge sought to lay their hands upon me but I perceiving their intentions defended my self as well as I could so that some blowes began to be dealt amongst us when my men seeing what danger I was in armed themselves and stoutly stood in my defence And now much mischief might have ensued had not one of the ancient Noblemen stept in betwixt them and us and desiring us to forbear until such time as he had spoken a few words he then delivered himself in this manner Let not Dear Friends sudden Passions so prevail over Reason as without Causes throughly weighed and mature