Well did he tract his steps as he did ryde,
Yet would not neare approch in daungers eye,
But kept aloofe for dread to be defcryde,
Untill fit time and place he mote espy,
Where he mote worke him scath and villeny.
At last he met two knights to him unknowne,
The which were armed both agreeably,
And both combynd whatever chaunce were blowne
Betwixt them to divide, and each to make his owne.
IV.
To whom false Turpine comming courteously,
To cloke the mischiefe which he inly ment,
Gan to complaine of great discourtesie,
Which a ftraunge knight, that neare afore him went,
Had doen to him, and his deare ladie fhent;
Which if they would afford him ayde at need
For to avenge in time convenient,
They should accomplish both a knightly deed, And for their paines obtaine of him a goodly meed.
The knights beleev'd that all he fayd was trew;
And being fresh and full of youthly spright
Were glad to heare of that adventure new,
In which they mote make triall of their might,
Which never yet they had approv'd in fight,
And eke defirous of the offred meed:
Said then the one of them, Where is that wight,
The which bath doen to thee this wrongfull deed,
That we may it avenge and punish him with speed?
He rides, faid Turpine, there not farre afore,
With a wyld man foft footing by his fyde,
That if ye lift to haste a litle more,
him over-take in timely tyde.
Eftfoones they pricked forth with forward pryde;
And ere that litle while they ridden had,
The gentle prince not farre away they spyde,
Ryding a foftly pace with portance fad,
Devizing of his love more then of daunger drad.
Then one of them aloud unto him cryde,
Bidding him turne againe; Falfe traytour knight,
Foule woman-wronger. for he him defyde.
With that they both at once with equall spight
Did bend their speares, and both with equall might
Against him ran; but th' one did miffe his marke,
And being carried with his force forth-right
Glaunft fwiftly by; like to that heavenly sparke,
Which glyding through the ayre lights all the heavens darke.
VIII.
But th'other ayming better did him smite
Full in the shield with fo impetuous powre,
That all his launce in peeces fhivered quite,
And scattered all about fell on the flowre:
But the ftout prince with much more fteddy stowre
Full on his bever did him strike fo fore,
That the cold steele through piercing did devowre
His vitall breath, and to the ground him bore,
Where still he bathed lay in his own bloody gore.
IX.
As when a caft of faulcons make their flight
At an herneshaw that lyes aloft on wing,
The whyles they ftrike at him with heedleffe might,
The warie foule his bill doth backward wring;
On which the first, whofe force her first doth bring,
Herfelfe quite through the bodie doth engore,
And falleth downe to ground like senseleffe thing;
But th'other, not fo fwift as fhe before,
Fayles of her foufe, and paffing by doth hurt no more.
By this the other, which was paffed by,
Himfelfe recovering, was return'd to flight;
Where when he faw his fellow lifeleffe ly,
He much was daunted with so dismall fight;
Yet nought abating of his former spight,
Let drive at him with fo malitious mynd,
As if he would have paffed through him quight:
But the fteele-head no stedfast hold could fynd,
But glauncing by deceiv'd him of that he defynd.
Not fo the prince; for his well-learned speare
Tooke furer hould, and from his horfes backe
Above a launces length him forth did beare,
And gainst the cold hard earth fo fore him ftrake,
That all his bones in peeces nigh he brake.
Where seeing him fo lie, he left his steed,
And to him leaping, vengeance thought to take
Of him, for all his former follies meed,
With flaming sword in hand his terror more to breed.
XII.
The fearfull fwaine beholding death fo nie
Cryde out aloud for mercy him to fave;
In lieu whereof he would to him defcrie
Great treason to him meant, his life to reave.
The prince foone hearkned, and his life forgave.
Then thus faid he, There is a firaunger knight,
The which for promife of great meed us drave
To this attempt, to wreake his hid defpight,
For that himselfe thereto did want fufficient might.
XIII.
The prince much mufed at fuch villenie,
And fayd, Now fure ye well have earn'd your meed,
For th'one is dead, and th'other foone fhall die,
Unleffe to me thou hither bring with Speed
The wretch that hyr'd you to this wicked deed.
He glad of life, and willing eke to wreake
The guilt on him which did this mischiefe breed,
Swore by his fword, that neither day nor weeke
He would furceaffe, but him wherefo he were would feeke.
XIV.
So up he rofe, and forth ftreightway he went
Backe to the place where Turpine late he lore;
There he him found in great aftonishment
To fee him fo bedight with bloodie gore
And griefly wounds, that him appalled fore.
Yet thus at length he faid, How now, fir knight,
What meaneth this which here I fee before?
How fortuneth this foule uncomely plight,
So different from that which earft ye feem'd in fight?
Perdie, faid he, in evill houre it fell,
That ever I for meed did undertake
So hard a taske as life for hyre to fell ;
The which I earft adventur'd for your fake :
Witneffe the wounds, and this wide bloudie lake,
Which ye may fee yet all about me fleeme.
Therefore now yeeld, as ye did promise make,
My due reward, the which right well I deeme
I yearned have, that life fo dearely did redeeme.
XVI.
But where then is, quoth he halfe wrothfully,
Where is the bootie, which therefore I bought,
That curfed caytive, my ftrong enemy,
That recreant knight, whofe hated life I fought?
And where is eke your friend which halfe it ought?
He lyes, faid he, upon the cold bare ground,
Slayne of that errant knight with whom he fought ;
Whom afterwards myfelfe with
many a wound
Did flay againe, as ye may fee there in the found.
Thereof falfe Turpin was full glad and faine,
And needs with him streight to the place would ryde,
Where he himselfe might fee his foeman flaine;
For else his feare could not be fatisfyde.
So as they rode, he faw the way all dyde
With streames of bloud; which tracting by the traile,
Ere long they came, whereas in evill tyde
That other fwayne, like afhes deadly pale,
Lay in the lap of death, rewing his wretched bale.
Much did the craven feeme to mone his cafe,
That for his fake his deare life had forgone;
And him bewayling with affection base
Did counterfeit kind pittie, where was none :
For where's no courage, there's no ruth nor mone.
Thence paffing forth, not farre away he found
Whereas the prince himselfe lay all alone,
Loosely displayd upon the graffie ground,
Poffeffed of sweete fleepe that luld him foft in fwound.
Wearie of travell in his former fight,
He there in shade himselfe had layd to rest,
Having his armes and warlike things undight,
Feareleffe of foes that mote his peace moleft;
The whyles his falvage page, that wont be prest,
Was wandred in the wood another way,
To doe fome thing that seemed to him beft;
The whyles his lord in filver flomber lay,
Like to the evening starre adorn'd with deawy ray.
XX.
Whom whenas Turpin faw fo loosely layd,
He weened well that he indeed was dead,
Like as that other knight to him had fayd:
But when he nigh approcht, he mote aread
Plaine fignes in him of life and livelihead.
Whereat much griev'd against the ftraunger knight,
That him too light of credence did mislead,
He would have backe retyred from that fight,
That was to him on earth the deadliest despight.
XXI.
But that fame knight would not once let him start;
But plainely gan to him declare the cafe
Of all his mischiefe and late luckleffe fmart;
How both he and his fellow there in place
Were vanquished, and put to foule disgrace;
And how that he in lieu of life him lent
Had vow'd unto the victor him to trace
And follow through the world wherefo he went,
Till that he him delivered to his punishment.
He therewith much abashed and affrayd,
Began to tremble every limbe and vaine;
And foftly whispering him, entyrely prayd
T'advize him better then by fuch a traine
Him to betray unto a ftraunger swaine :
Yet rather counfeld him contrarywize,
Sith he likewife did wrong by him sustaine,
To ioyne with him and vengeance to devize,
Whyleft time did offer meanes him fleeping to furprize.
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