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XXXII.

So forth they rode together all in troupe

To feeke fome place, the which mote yeeld fome ease
To these ficke twaine that now began to droupe;
And all the way the prince fought to appease
The bitter anguish of their sharpe disease
By all the courteous meanes he could invent,
Somewhile with merry purpose, fit to please,
And otherwhile with good encouragement,
To make them to endure the pains did them torment.
XXXIII.

Mongst which Serena did to him relate

The foule difcourt'fies and unknightly parts,
Which Turpine had unto her shewed late
Without compaffion of her cruell smarts;
Although Blandina did with all her arts
Him otherwise perfwade all that she might;
Yet he of malice, without her defarts,
Not onely her excluded late at night,

But also trayterously did wound her weary knight.

XXXIV.

Wherewith the prince fore moved there avoud

That foone as he returned backe againe,
He would avenge th'abuses of that proud
And shameful knight, of whom she did complaine.
This wize did they each other entertaine

To paffe the tedious travell of the

way;

Till towards night they came unto a plaine,
By which a little hermitage there lay,
Far from all neighbourhood, the which annoy
XXXV.

it may.

And nigh thereto a little chappel stoode,
Which being all with yvy overfpred
Deckt all the roofe and fhadowing the roode,
Seem'd like a grove faire braunched over hed:
Therein the hermite, which his life here led

In ftreight obfervaunce of religious vow,

Was wont his howres and holy things to bed;
And therein he likewife was praying now,

Whenas these knights arriv'd, they wift not where nor how.

XXXVI. They

XXXVI.
in did

They stayd not there, but streight way pas:
Whom when the hermite present saw in place,
From his devotion streight he troubled was;
Which breaking off he toward them did pace
With stayed steps and grave-befeeming grace:
For well it feem'd that whilome he had beene
Soome goodly person and of gentle race,

That could his good to all; and well did weene
How each to entertaine with curt'fie well befcene:
XXXVII.

And foothly it was fayd by common fame,

So long as age enabled him thereto,
That he had bene a man of mickle name,
Renowmed much in armes and derring doe:
But being aged now and weary to

Of warres delight and worlds contentious toyle,
The name of knighthood he did difavow,

And hanging up his armes and warlike spoyle,
From all this worlds incombrance did himselfe affoyle.

XXXVIII.

He thence them led into his hermitage,

the

gay

befeene:

Letting their steedes to graze upon greene:
Small was his house and like a little cage,
For his owne turne, yet inly neate and clene,
Deckt with greene boughes, and flowers
Therein he them full faire did entertaine
Not with fuch forged fhowes, as fitter beene
For courting fooles, that curtefies would faine,
But with entire affection and appearaunce plaine,
XXXIX,

Yet was their fare but homely, fuch as hee

Did use his feeble body to sustaine;
The which full gladly they did take in glee,
Such as it was, ne did of want complaine,
But being well fuffiz'd, them refted faine:
But faire Serene all night could take no rest,
Ne yet that gentle squire, for grievous paine

Of their late woundes, the which the Blatant beast
Had given them, whose griefe through fuffraunce fore increast.

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XL.

So all that night they past in great disease,
Till that the morning, bringing early light
To guide mens labours, brought them also ease,
And fome affwagement of their painefull plight.
Then up they rofe, and gan themselves to dight
Unto their journey; but that squire and dame
So faint and feeble were, that they ne might
Endure to travell, nor one foote to frame:

Their hearts were ficke, their fides were fore, their feete were lame.

XLI.

Therefore the prince, whom great affaires in mynd
Would not permit to make there longer stay,
Was forced there to leave them both behynd,
In that good hermits charge, whom he did pray
To tend them well: fo forth he went his way,
And with him eke the salvage (that whyleare
Seeing his royall usage and array

Was greatly growne in love of that brave pere)
Would needes depart, as fhall declared be elsewhere.

CANTO

Ni

CANTO VI.

The bermite beales both fquire and dame
Of their fore maladies:
He Turpine doth defeate and shame
For his late villanies.

1.

O wound, which warlike hand of enemy
Inflicts with dint of fword, fo fore doth light

As doth the poysnous fting, which infamy
Infixeth in the name of noble wight:

For by no art nor any leaches might

It ever can recured be againe ;

Ne all the skill, which that immortall spright

Of Podalyrius did in it retaine,

Can remedy fuch hurts; such hurts are hellish paine.

II.

Such were the wounds the which that Blatant beast
Made in the bodies of that squire and dame ;
And being fuch, were now much more increaft
For want of taking heede unto the fame,
That now corrupt and cureleffe they became:
Howbe that carefull hermite did his best

With many kindes of medicines meete to tame
The poyfnous humour, which did most infeft

Their ranckling wounds, and every day them duely dreft:

III.

For he right well in leaches craft was feene;

And through the long experience of his dayes,
Which had in many fortunes toffed beene,
And past through many perillous afsayes,
He knew the diverfe went of mortall wayes,'
And in the mindes of men had great infight;
Which with fage counfell, when they went aftray,

He could enforme, and them reduce aright;

And all the paffions heale, which wound the weaker spright:

IV. For

IV.

For whylome he had bene a doughty knight,
As any one that lived in his daies,
And proved oft in many perillous fight;
Of which he grace and glory wonne alwaies,
And in all battels bore away the baies:
But being now attacht with timely age,
And weary of this worlds unquiet waies,
He tooke himselfe unto this hermitage,

In which he liv'd alone like careleffe bird in cage.
V.

One day as he was fearching of their wounds,
He found that they had feftred privily;
And ranckling inward with unruly stounds,
The inner parts now gan to putrify,

That quite they seem'd past helpe of surgery;
And rather needed to be difciplinde

With holesome reede of fad fobriety,

To rule the stubborne rage of paffion blinde:
Give falves to every fore, but counfell to the minde.

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