So when that knight from perill cleare was freed,
He drawing neare began to greete them faire,
And yeeld great thankes for their fo goodly deed,
In faving him from daungerous despaire
Of those which fought his life for to empaire :
Of whom Sir Artegall gan then enquere
The whole occafion of his late misfare,
And who he was, and what thofe villaines were, The which with mortall malice him purfu'd fo nere.
But why have ye, faid Artegall, forborne
Your owne good field in daungerous difmay?
That is the greateft fhame and fouleft fcorne,
Which unto any knight behappen may,
To loose the badge that should his deedes difplay.
To whom fir Burbon, blushing halfe for shame,
That shall I unto you, quoth he, bewray;
Leaft ye therefore mote happily me blame,
And deeme it doen of will, that through inforcement came.
True is that I at first was dubbed knight
By a good knight, the knight of the red-crosse;
Who when he gave me armes in field to fight,
Gave me a fhield, in which he did endoffe
His deare Redeemers badge upon the bosse:
The fame long while I bore, and therewithall
Fought many battels without wound or losse;
Therewith Grandtorto felfe I did appall,
And made him oftentimes in field before me fall.
But for that many did that shield envie,
And cruell enemies increafed more;
To flint all ftrife and troubleus enmitie,
That bloudie fcutchin being battred fore
I layd afide, and have of late forbore,
Hoping thereby to have my love obtayned:
Yet can I not my love have nathemore;
For fie by force is ftill fro me detayned,
And with corruptfull brybes is to untruth mis-trayned.
To whom thus Artegall; Certes, fir knight,
Hard is the cafe the which ye doe complaine ;
Yet not fo hard (for nought fo hard may light
That it to fuch a freight mote you conftraine)
As to abandon that which doth containe
Your honours file, that is your warlike shield.
All perill ought be leffe, and leffe all paine
Then loffe of fame in difaventrous field :
Dye rather then doe ought that mote dishonour yield.
Who flocking round about them, as a fwarme
Of flyes upon a birchen bough doth cluster,
Did them affault with terrible allarme,
And over all the fields themselves did muster,
With bils and glayves making a dreadfull lufter;
That forst at first those knights backe to retyre :
As when the wrathfull Boreas doth blufter,
Nought may abide the tempeft of his yre,
Both man and beast doe fly, and fuccour doe inquyre.
LIX.
But whenas overblowen was that brunt,
Those knights began afresh them to affayle,
And all about the fields like fquirrels hunt;
But chiefly Talus with his yron flayle,
Gainst which no flight nor refcue mote avayle,
Made cruell havocke of the baser crew,
And chaced them both over hill and dale:
The rafkall manie foone they overthrew ;
But the two knights themselves their captains did fubdew.
At laft they came whereas that ladie bode,
Whom now her keepers had forfaken quight
To fave themselves, and fcattered were abrode:
Her halfe difmayd they found in doubtfull plight,
As neither glad nor forie for their fight;
Yet wondrous faire fhe was, and richly clad
In roiall robes, and many iewels dight;
But that those villens through their ufage bad
Them fouly rent, and fhamefully defaced had.
LXI.
But Burbon freight difmounting from his steed
Unto her ran with greedie great defyre,
And catching her fast by her ragged weed
Would have embraced her with hart entyre:
But she back-starting, with disdainefull yre
Bad him avaunt, ne would unto his lore
Allured be for prayer nor for meed :
Whom when those knights so froward and forlore
Beheld, they her rebuked and upbrayded fore.
Sayd Artegall, What foule difgrace is this:
To fo faire ladie, as ye feeme in fight,
To blot your beautie, that unblemisht is,
With fo foule blame as breach of faith once plight,
Or change of love for any worlds delight?
Is ought on earth fo pretious or deare,
As prayfe and honour? or is ought so bright
And beautifull, as glories beames appeare,
Whofe goodly light then Phoebus lampe doth shine more cleare?
Why then will ye, fond dame, attempted bee›
Unto a firangers love, fo lightly placed,
For guiftes of gold or any worldly glee,
To leave the love that ye before embraced,
And let your fame with falfhood be defaced?
Fie on the pelfe for which good name is fold,
And honour with indignitie debased:
Dearer is love then life, and fame then gold;
But dearer then them both your faith once plighted bold;
Much was the ladie in her gentle mind
Abasht at his rebuke, that bit her neare;
Ne ought to answere thereunto did find :
But hanging down her head with heavie cheare
Stood long amaz'd, as fhe amated weare:
Which Burbon feeing, her againe affayd,
And clasping twixt his armes, her up did reare
Upon his steede, whiles fhe no whit gaine-fayd:.
So bore her quite away nor well nor ill apayd.
LXV.
Nathleffe the yron man did ftill purfew
That raskall many with unpittied fpoyle;
Ne ceaffed not, till all their scattred crew
Into the sea he drove quite from that foyle,
The which they troubled had with great turmoyle :
But Artegall, seeing his cruell deed,
Commaunded him from flaughter to recoyle,
And to his voyage gan againe proceed,
For that the terme approching faft required speed.
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