But the bold child that perill well espying,
If he too rafhly to his charret drew,
Gave way unto his horses speedie flying,
And their refiftleffe rigour did eschew :
Yet as he paffed by, the pagan threw
A shivering dart with so impetuous force,
That had he not it fhunn'd with heedfull vew,
It had himselfe transfixed or his horse,
Or made them both one maffe withouten more remorse.
Oft drew the prince unto his charret nigh,
In hope some stroke to fasten on him neare;
But he was mounted in his feat so high,
And his wing-footed courfers him did beare
So faft away, that ere his readie speare
He could advance, he farre was gone and past:
Yet still he him did follow every where,
And followed was of him likewise full fast,
So long as in his steedes the flaming breath did last.
XXXIV.
pagan threw another dart,
Of which he had with him abundant store
On every fide of his embatteld cart,
And of all other weapons leffe or more,
Which warlike ufes had deviz'd of yore:
The wicked shaft guyded through th'ayrie wyde
By fome bad fpirit, that it to mischiefe bore,
Stayd not, till through his curat it did glyde,
And made a griefly wound in his enriven fide.
XXXV.
Much was he grieved with that haplesse throe,
That opened had the welspring of his blood;
But much the more that to his hatefull foe
He mote not come to wreake his wrathfull mood:
That made him rave, like to a lyon wood,
Which being wounded of the huntsmans hand
Cannot come neare him in the covert wood,
Where he with boughes hath built his shady stand,
And fenst himselfe about with many a flaming brand.
VOL. II.
Still when he fought t'approch unto him ny
His charret wheeles about him whirled round,
And made him backe againe as fast to fly;
And eke his steedes, like to an hungry hound
That hunting after game hath carrion found,
So cruelly did him purfew and chace,
That his good steed, all were he much renound
For ncble courage and for hardie race,
Durst not endure their fight, but fled from place to place.
XXXVII.
Thus long they traft and traverst to and fro,
Seeking by every way to make fome breach;
Yet could the prince not nigh unto him goe,
That one fure ftroke he might unto him reach,
Whereby his strengthes affay he might him teach:
At laft from his victorious fhield he drew
The vaile, which did his powręfull light empeach;
And comming full before his horses vew,
As they upon him preft, it plaine to them did shew.
XXXVIII.
Like lightening flash that hath the gazer burned,
So did the fight thereof their sense dismay,
That backe againe upon themselves they turned,
And with their ryder ranne perforce away:
Ne could the Souldan them from flying stay
With raynes or wonted rule, as well he knew:
Nought feared they what he could do or fay,
But th'onely feare that was before their vew;
From which like mazed deer dismayfully they flew.
XXXIX.
Faft did they fly as them there feete could beare
High over hilles and lowly over dales,
As they were follow'd of their former feare:
In vaine the pagan bannes, and fweares, and rayles,
And backe with both his hands unto him hayles
The refty raynes, regarded now no more:
He to them calles and fpeakes, yet nought avayles;
They heare him not, they have forgot his lore;
But
go which way they lift; their guide they have forlore.
As when the firie-mouthed steedes, which drew
The funnes bright wayne to Phaëtons decay.
Soone as they did the monstrous Scorpion vew,
With ugly craples crawling in their
way,
The dreadfull fight did them fo fore affray,
That their well-knowen courfes they forwent;
And leading th'ever burning lampe aftray,
This lower world nigh all to ashes brent,
And left their fcorched path yet in the firmament.
XLI.
Such was the furie of these head-strong steeds,
Soone as the infants funlike shield they saw,
That all obedience both to words and deeds
They quite forgot, and fcornd all former law;
Through woods, and rocks, and mountaines they did draw
The yron charet, and the wheeles did teare,
And toft the paynim without feare or awe;
From fide to fide they toft him here and there,
Crying to them in vaine that nould his crying heare.
Yet still the prince purfew'd him close behind,
Oft making offer him to smite, but found
No eafie meanes according to his mind :
At last they have all overthrowne to ground
Quite topfide turvey, and the pagan hound
Amongst the
yron hookes and graples keene
Torne all to rags, and rent with many a wound;
That no whole peece of him was to be feene,
But fcattred all about, and ftrow'd upon the greene.
Like as the curfed fonne of Thefeus,
That following his chace in dewy morne,
To fly his stepdames love outrageous,
Of his owne steedes was all to peeces torne,
And his faire limbs left in the woods forlorne;
That for his fake Diana did lament,
And all the woody nymphes did wayle and mourne:
So was this Souldan rapt and all to rent,
That of his shape appear'd no litle moniment.
N 2
Onely his fhield and armour, which there lay,
Though nothing whole, but all to brufd and broken,
He
up did take, and with him brought away,
That mote remaine for an eternall token
To all, mongst whom this storie should be spoken,
How worthily by heavens high decree
Iuftice that day of wrong herfelfe had wroken ;
That all men which that spectacle did fee By like enfample mote for ever warned bee. XLV.
So on a tree before the tyrants dore
He caused them be hung in all mens fight,
To be a moniment for evermore.
Which when his ladie from the castles hight
Beheld, it much appald her troubled spright:
Yet not as women wont in dolefull fit
She was dismayd, or faynted through affright,
But gathered unto her her troubled wit,
gan eftfoones devize to be aveng'd for it.
XLVI.
Streight downe she ranne, like an enraged cow
That is berobbed of her youngling dere,
With knife in hand, and fatally did vow
To wreake her on that mayden meffengere,
Whom she had caufd be kept as prisonere
By Artegall, mifween'd for her owne knight,
That brought her backe: and comming present there
She at her ran with all her force and might,
All flaming with revenge and furious defpight.
XLVII.
Like raging Ino, when with knife in hand
She threw her husbands murdred infant out;
Or fell Medea, when on Colchicke ftrand
Her brothers bones she scattered all about ;
Or as that madding mother mongst the rout
Of Bacchus priests her owne deare flesh did teare:
Yet neither Ino, nor Medea ftout,
Nor all the Maenades fo furious were,
As this bold woman when she saw that damzell there.
But Artegall being thereof aware
Did stay her cruell hand ere she her raught;
And as she did herselfe to strike prepare,
Out of her fift the wicked weapon caught:
With that, like one enfelon'd or distraught,
She forth did rome whether her rage her bore,
With franticke paffion and with furie fraught;
And breaking forth out at a posterne dore,
Unto the wilde wood ranne, her dolours to deplore.
XLIX.
As a mad bytch, whenas the franticke fit
Her burning tongue with rage inflamed hath,
Doth runne at randon, and with furious bit
Snatching at every thing doth wreake her wrath
On man and beast that commeth in her path.
There they doe fay that she transformed was
Into a tigre, and that tygres feath
In crueltie and outrage fhe did pas,
To prove her furname true, that she impofed has.
Then Artegall himselfe discovering plaine
Did iffue forth gainst all that warlike rout
Of knights and armed men, which did maintaine
That ladies part, and to the Souldan lout:
All which he did affault with courage ftout,
All were they nigh an hundred knights of name,
And like wyld goates them chaced all about,
Flying from place to place with cowheard shame;
So that with finall force them all he overcame.
Then caused he the gates be opened wyde ;
And there the prince, as victour of that day,
With tryumph entertayn'd and glorifyde,
Prefenting him with all the rich array
And roiall pompe, which there long hidden lay,
Purchaft through lawleffe
and tortious wrong
Of that proud Souldan, whom he earst did slay.
So both for reft there having stayd not long
Marcht with that mayd; fit matter for another song.
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