And touched with intire affection nigh him drew;
Saying, “Sir Knight, of pardon I you pray,
That all unweeting have you wrong’d thus sore,
Suffring my hand against my heart to stray;
Which if ye please forgive, I will therefore
Yeeld for amends my selfe yours evermore,
Or what so penaunce shall by you be red.”
To whom the Prince: “Certes me needeth more
To crave the same; whom errour so misled,
As that I did mistake the living for the ded.
“But, sith ye please that both our blames shall die,
Amends may for the trespasse soone be made,
Since neither is endamadg’d much thereby.”
So can they both them selves full eath perswade
To faire accordaunce, and both faults to shade,
Either embracing other lovingly,
And swearing faith to either on his blade,
Never thenceforth to nourish enmity,
But either others cause to maintaine mutually.
Then Artegall gan of the Prince enquire,
What were those knights which there on ground were layd,
And had receiv’d their follies worthy hire,
And for what cause they chased so that Mayd?
“Certes I wote not well,” (the Prince then sayd)
“But by adventure found them faring so,
As by the way unweetingly I strayd:
And lo! the Damzell selfe, whence all did grow,
Of whom we may at will the whole occasion know.”
Then they that Damzell called to them nie,
And asked her what were those two her fone,
From whom she earst so fast away did flie:
And what was she her selfe so woe-begone,
And for what cause pursu’d of them attone.
To whom she thus: “Then wote ye well, that I
Doe serve a Queene that not far hence doth wone,
A Princesse of great powre and majestie,
Famous through all the world, and honor’d far and nie.
“Her name Mercilla most men use to call;
That is a mayden Queene of high renowne,
For her great bounty knowen over all
And soveraine grace, with which her royall crowne
She doth support, and strongly beateth downe
The malice of her foes, which her envy
And at her happinesse do fret and frowne;
Yet she her selfe the more doth magnify,
And even to her foes her mercies multiply.
“Mongst many which maligne her happy state,
There is a mighty man, which wonnes hereby,
That with most fell despight and deadly hate
Seekes to subvert her Crowne and dignity,
And all his powre doth thereunto apply:
And her good Knights, of which so brave a band
Serves her as any Princesse under sky,
He either spoiles, if they against him stand,
Or to his part allures, and bribeth under hand.
“Ne him sufficeth all the wrong and ill,
Which he unto her people does each day;
But that he seekes by traytrous traines to spill
Her person, and her sacred selfe to slay:
That, O ye Heavens, defend! and turne away
From her unto the miscreant him selfe;
That neither hath religion nor fay,
But makes his God of his ungodly pelfe,
And Idols serves: so let his Idols serve the Elfe!
“To all which cruell tyranny, they say,
He is provokt, and stird up day and night
By his bad wife that hight Adicia;
Who counsels him, through confidence of might,
To breake all bonds of law and rules of right:
For she her selfe professeth mortall foe
To Justice, and against her still doth fight,
Working to all that love her deadly woe,
And making all her Knights and people to doe so.
“Which my liege Lady seeing, thought it best
With that his wife in friendly wise to deale,
For stint of strife and stablishment of rest
Both to her selfe and to her common-weale,
And all forepast displeasures to repeale.
So me in message unto her she sent,
To treat with her, by way of enterdeale,
Of finall peace and faire attonement
Which might concluded be by mutuall consent.
“All times have wont safe passage to afford
To messengers that come for causes just:
But this proude Dame, disdayning all accord,
Not onely into bitter termes forth brust,
Reviling me and rayling as she lust,
But lastly, to make proofe of utmost shame,
Me like a dog she out of dores did thrust,
Miscalling me by many a bitter name,
That never did her ill, ne once deserved blame.
“And lastly, that no shame might wanting be,
When I was gone, soone after me she sent
These two false Knights, whom there ye lying see,
To be by them dishonoured and shent:
But, thankt be God, and your good hardiment,
They have the price of their owne folly payd.”
So said this Damzell, that hight Samient;
And to those knights for their so noble ayd
Her selfe most gratefull shew’d, and heaped thanks repayd.
But they now having throughly heard and seene
Al those great wrongs, the which that mayd complained
To have bene done against her Lady Queene
By that proud dame which her so much disdained,
Were moved much thereat; and twixt them fained
With all their force to worke avengement strong
Uppon the Souldan selfe, which it mayntained,
And on his Lady, th’author of that wrong,
And uppon all those Knights that did to her belong.
But, thinking best by counterfet disguise
To their deseigne to make the easier way,
They did this complot twixt them selves devise:
First, that Sir Artegall should him array
Like one of those two Knights which dead there lay;
And then that Damzell, the sad Samient,
Should as his purchast prize with him convay
Unto the Souldans court, her to present
Unto his scornefull Lady that for her had sent.
So as they had deviz’d, Sir Artegall
Him clad in th’armour of a Pagan knight,
And taking with him, as his vanquisht thrall,
That Damzell, led her to the Souldans right:
Where soone as his proud wife of her had sight,
Forth of her window as she looking lay,
She weened streight it was her Paynim Knight,
Which brought that Damzell as his purchast pray;
And sent to him a Page that mote direct his way.
Who bringing them to their
