“Well then,” sayd Artegall, “let it be tride:
First in one ballance set the true aside.”
He did so first, and then the false he layd
In th’other scale; but still it downe did slide,
And by no meane could in the weight be stayd;
For by no meanes the false will with the truth be wayd.
“Now take the right likewise,” sayd Artegale,
“And counterpeise the same with so much wrong.”
So first the right he put into one scale,
And then the Gyant strove with puissance strong
To fill the other scale with so much wrong;
But all the wrongs that he therein could lay
Might not it peise; yet did he labour long,
And swat, and chauf d, and proved every way:
Yet all the wrongs could not a litle right downe way.
Which when he saw he greatly grew in rage,
And almost would his balances have broken;
But Artegall him fairely gan asswage,
And said, “Be not upon thy balance wroken,
For they doe nought but right or wrong betoken;
But in the mind the doome of right must bee:
And so likewise of words, the which be spoken,
The eare must be the ballance, to decree
And judge, whether with truth or falshood they agree.
“But set the truth and set the right aside,
For they with wrong or falshood will not fare,
And put two wrongs together to be tnde,
Or else two falses, of each equall share,
And then together doe them both compare;
For truth is one, and right is ever one.”
So did he; and then plaine it did appeare,
Whether of them the greater were attone;
But right sate in the middest of the beame alone.
But he the fight from thence did thrust away,
For it was not the right which he did seeke,
But rather strove extremities to way,
Th’one to diminish, th’other for to eeke;
For of the meane he greatly did misleeke.
Whom when so lewdly minded Talus found,
Approching nigh unto him, cheeke by cheeke,
He shouldered him from off the higher ground,
And, down the rock him throwing, in the sea him dround.
Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest drives
Upon a rocke with horrible dismay,
Her shattered ribs in thousand peeces rives,
And spoyling all her geares and goodly ray
Does make her selfe misfortunes piteous pray.
So downe the cliffe the wretched Gyant tumbled;
His battred ballances in peeces lay,
His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled:
So was the high-aspyring with huge ruine humbled.
That when the people, which had there about
Long wayted, saw his sudden desolation,
They gan to gather in tumultuous rout,
And mutining to stirre up civill faction
For certaine losse of so great expectation:
For well they hoped to have got great good,
And wondrous riches by his innovation.
Therefore resolving to revenge his blood
They rose in armes, and all in battell order stood.
Which lawlesse multitude him comming too
In warlike wise when Artegall did vew,
He much was troubled, ne wist what to doo:
For loth he was his noble hands t’embrew
In the base blood of such a rascall crew;
And otherwise, if that he should retire,
He fear’d least they with shame would him pursew;
Therefore he Talus to them sent t’inquire
The cause of their array, and truce for to desire.
But soone as they him nigh approching spide,
They gan with all their weapons him assay,
And rudely stroke at him on every side;
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought dismay:
But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,
He like a swarme of flyes them overthrew;
Ne any of them durst come in his way,
But here and there before his presence flew,
And hid themselves in holes and bushes from his vew.
As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight
Flowne at a flush of Ducks foreby the brooke,
The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull sight
Of death, the which them almost overtooke,
Doe hide themselves from her astonying looke
Amongst the flags and covert round about.
When Talus saw they all the field forsooke,
And none appeared of all that raskall rout,
To Artegall he turn’d and went with him throughout.
Canto III
The Spousals of faire Florimell,
Where turney many Knights;
There Braggadochio is uncas’d
In all the Ladies sights.
After long stormes and tempests overblowne
The sunne at length his joyous face doth cleare:
So when as fortune all her spight hath showne,
Some blisfull houres at last must needes appeare;
Else should afflicted wights oftimes despeire:
So comes it now to Florimell by tourne,
After long sorrowes suffered whyleare,
In which captiv’d she many moneths did mourne,
To tast of joy, and to wont pleasures to retourne.
Who being freed from Proteus cruell band
By Marinell was unto him affide,
And by him brought againe to Faerie land,
Where he her spous’d, and made his joyous bride.
The time and place was blazed farre and wide,
And solemne feasts and giusts ordain’d therefore:
To which there did resort from every side
Of Lords and Ladies infinite great store;
Ne any Knight was absent that brave courage bore.
To tell the glorie of the feast that day,
The goodly service, the devicefull sights,
The bridegromes state, the brides most rich aray,
The pride of Ladies, and the worth of knights,
The royall banquets, and the rare delights,
Were worke fit for an Herauld, not for me:
But for so much as to my lot here lights,
That with this present treatise doth agree,
True vertue to advance, shall here recounted bee.
When all men had with full satietie
Of meates and drinkes their appetites suffiz’d,
To deedes of armes and proofe of chevalrie
They gan themselves addresse, full rich aguiz’d
As each one had his furnitures deviz’d.
And first of all issu’d Sir Marinell,
And with him sixe knights more, which enterpriz’d
To chalenge all in right of Florimell,
And to maintaine that she all others did excell.
The first of them was hight Sir Orimont,
A noble Knight, and
