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XII.

But when she parted hence the left her groome,
An yron man, which did on her attend
Always to execute her stedfast doome,
And willed him with Artegall to wend,
And doe whatever thing he did intend:
His name was Talus, made of yron mould,
Immoveable, refiftleffe, without end;
Who in his hand an yron flale did hould,

With which he thresht out falfhood, and did truth unfould.

XIII.

He now went with him in this new inqueft,

Him for to aide, if aide he chaunft to neede,
Against that cruell Tyrant, which oppreft
The faire Irena with his foule misdeede,

And kept the crowne in which she thould fucceed:
And now together on their way they bin,
Whenas they faw a fquire in fquallid weed
Lamenting fore his forrowfull fad tyne

With many bitter teares fhed from his blubbred eyne.

XIV.

To whom as they approched, they espide

A forie fight as ever feene with eye,
An headleffe ladie lying him befide
In her owne blood all wallow'd wofully,
That her clothes did in discolour die.
gay

Much was he moved at that ruefull fight;
And flam'd with zeale of vengeance inwardly
He afkt who had that dame fo fouly dight,

Or whether his owne hand, or whether other wight?

XV.

Ab! woe is me, and well away, quoth hee

Bursting forth teares like fprings out of a banke,
That ever I this difmall day did fee!

Full farre was I from thinking fuch a pranke;

Yet litle loffe it were, and mickle thanke,
If I should graunt that I have doen the fame,
That I mote drinke the cup whereof she dranke;
But that I fhould die guiltie of the blame,

The which another did who now is fled with fhame.

XVI. Who

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He, whether mine feem'd fayrer in his eye,
Or that he wexed weary of his owne,
Would change with me; but I did it denye,
So did the ladies both, as may
be knowne:
But be, whofe fpirit was with pride upblowne,
Would not fo reft contented with his right;
But having from his courfer her downe throwne
Fro me reft mine away by lawlesse might,
And on bis freed her fet to beare her out of fight.
XVIII.

Which when his ladie faw, fhe follow'd faft,
And on him catching hold gan loud to crie
Not fo to leave her nor away to caft,
But rather of his hand befought to die:
With that his fword he drew all wrathfully,
And at one ftroke cropt off her head with fcorne,
In that fame place whereas it now doth lie.
So be
with him bath borne,
love away
my
And left me bere both his and mine owne love to morne.

XIX.

Aread, fayd he, which way then did he make?
And by what markes may be be knowne againe?
To hope, quoth he, him foone to overtake,
That bence fo long departed, is but vaine:
But yet be pricked over yonder plaine,
And as I marked bore upon his fhield,
By which it's eafe him to know againe,
A broken fword within a bloodie field;
Expreffing well his nature which the fame did wield.

B 2

XX. No

XX.

No fooner fayd, but ftreight he after fent
His yron page, who him purfew'd fo light,
As that it seem'd above the ground he went:
For he was fwift as swallow in her flight,
And strong as lyon in his lordly might.
It was not long before he overtooke

Sir Sanglier, (fo cleeped was that knight)
Whom at the first he gheffed by his looke,

And by the other markes which of his fhield he tooke.

XXI.

He bad him stay and backe with him retire;
Who full of fcorne to be commaunded fo,
The lady to alight did eft require,

Whileft he reformed that uncivill fo;

And ftreight at him with all his force did go :
Who mov'd no more therewith, then when a rocke
Is lightly ftricken with fome ftones throw;

But to him leaping lent him fuch a knockę,

That on the ground he layd him like a fenceleffe blocke.

XXII.

But ere he could himselfe recure againe,

Him in his iron paw he feized had;

That when he wak't out of his wareleffe paine,

He found himself unwift fo ill beftad,

That lim he could not wag: thence he him lad,
Bound like a beaft appointed to the stall:
The fight whereof the lady fore adrad,
And fain'd to fly for feare of being thrall;

But he her quickly ftayd, and forft to wend withall.

XXIII.

When to the place they came where Artegall
By that fame carefull fquire did then abide,
He gently gan him to demaund of all
That did betwixt him and that squire betide:
Who with sterne countenance and indignant pride
Did aunfwere, that of all he guiltleffe stood,
And his accufer thereuppon defide;

For neither he did fhed that ladies bloud,

Nor tooke away his love, but his
his love, but his owne proper good.

XXIV. Well

XXIV.

Well did the squire perceive himselfe too weake

To aunfwere his defiaunce in the field,
And rather chose his challenge off to breake
Then to approve his right with speare and shield,
And rather guilty chose himselfe to yield.
But Artegall by fignes perceiving plaine
That he it was not which that lady kild,

But that strange knight, the fairer love to gaine,

Did cast about by fleight the truth thereout to ftraine;

XXV.

And fayd, Now fure this doubtfull caufes right
Can hardly but by facrament be tride,
Or elfe by ordele, or by blooddy fight;
That ill perhaps mote fall to either fide :
But if ye pleafe that I your caufe decide,
Perhaps I may all further quarrell end,
So ye will fweare my iudgement to abide.
Thereto they both did franckly condiscend,

And to his doome with liftfull eares did both attend.

XXVI.

Sith then, fayd he, ye both the dead deny,
And both the living lady claime your right,
Let both the dead and living equally
Devided be betwixt you here in fight,
And each of either take his share aright.
But looke who does diffent from this my read,
He for a twelve moneths day fhall in despight
Beare for his penaunce that fame ladies head;
To witnesse to the world that fhe by him is dead.

XXVII.

Well pleased with that doome was Sangliere,
And offred ftreight the lady to be slaine :
But that fame fquire to whom she was more dere,

Whenas he saw she should be cut in twaine,
Did yield the rather should with him remaine
Alive then to himfelfe be shared dead;

And rather then his love fhould fuffer paine,

He chose with shame to beare that ladies head: True love despiseth shame when life is cald in dread.

Whom

XXVIII.

Whom when fo willing Artegall perceaved;
Not fo, thou Squire, he fayd, but thine I deeme
The living lady, which from thee be reaved:
For worthy thou of her doeft rightly feeme.
And you, fir knight, that love fo light esteeme,
As that ye would for little leave the fame,
Take bere your owne that doth you best befeeme,
And with it beare the burden of defame;

Your owne dead ladies head, to tell abrode your shame.
XXIX.

But Sangliere difdained much his doome,
And fternly gan repine at his beheast ;
Ne would for ought obay, as did become,
To beare that ladies head before his breast:
Untill that Talus had his pride represt,
And forced him maulgre it up to reare.
Who when he faw it booteleffe to refift,

He tooke it up, and thence with him did beare;
As rated spaniell takes his burden up for feare.

XXX.

Much did that squire Sir Artegall adore

For his great iuftice held in high regard;
And as his fquire him offred evermore
To ferve, for want of other meete reward,
And wend with him on his adventure hard:
But he thereto would by no meanes confent ;
But leaving him forth on his iourney far'd:
Ne wight with him but onely Talus went;
They two enough t'encounter an whole regiment.

CANTO

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