Of all things, to dissemble, fouly may befall!”
“Yet let me you of courtesie request”
(Said Burbon) “to assist me now at need
Against these pesants which have me opprest,
And forced me to so infamous deed,
That yet my love may from their hands be freed.”
Sir Artegall, albe he earst did wyte
His wavering mind, yet to his aide agreed,
And, buckling him eftsoones unto the fight,
Did set upon those troupes with all his powre and might.
Who flocking round about them, as a swarme
Of flyes upon a birchen bough doth cluster,
Did them assault with terrible allarme;
And over all the fields themselves did muster,
With bils and glayves making a dreadfull luster,
That forst at first those knights backe to retyre:
As when the wrathfull Boreas doth bluster,
Nought may abide the tempest of his yre;
Both man and beast doe fly, and succour doe inquyre.
But, when as overblowen was that brunt,
Those knights began afresh them to assayle,
And all about the fields like Squirrels hunt;
But chiefly Talus with his yron flayle,
Gainst which no flight nor rescue mote avayle,
Made cruell havocke of the baser crew,
And chaced them both over hill and dale.
The raskall manie soone they overthrew;
But the two knights themselves their captains did subdew.
At last they came whereas that Ladie bode,
Whom now her keepers had forsaken quight
To save themselves, and scattered were abrode.
Her halfe dismayd they found in doubtfull plight,
As neither glad nor sorie for their sight;
Yet wondrous faire she was, and richly clad
In roiall robes, and many jewels dight;
But that those villens through their usage bad
Them fouly rent, and shamefully defaced had.
But Burbon, streight dismounting from his steed,
Unto her ran with greedie great desyre,
And catching her fast by her ragged weed
Would have embraced her with hart entyre;
But she backstarting with disdainefull yre
Bad him avaunt, ne would unto his lore
Allured be for prayer nor for meed:
Whom when those knights so froward and forlore
Beheld, they her rebuked and upbrayded sore.
Sayd Artegall: “What foule disgrace is this
To so faire Ladie, as ye seeme in sight,
To blot your beautie, that unblemisht is,
With so foule blame as breach of faith once plight,
Or change of love for any worlds delight!
Is ought on earth so pretious or deare
As prayse and honour? Or is ought so bright
And beautifull as glories beames appeare,
Whose goodly light then Phœbus lampe doth shine more cleare?
“Why then will ye, fond Dame, attempted bee
Unto a strangers love, so lightly placed,
For guiftes of gold or any worldly glee,
To leave the love that ye before embraced,
And let your fame with falshood be defaced?
Fie on the pelfe for which good name is sold,
And honour with indignitie debased!
Dearer is love then life, and fame then gold;
But dearer then them both your faith once plighted hold.”
Much was the Ladie in her gentle mind
Abasht at his rebuke, that bit her neare,
Ne ought to answere thereunto did find;
But, hanging down her head with heavie cheare,
Stood long amaz’d as she amated weare:
Which Burbon seeing her againe assayd;
And, clasping twixt his armes, her up did reare
Upon his steede, whiles she no whit gainesayd:
So bore her quite away, nor well nor ill apayd.
Nathlesse the yron man did still pursew
That raskall many with unpitied spoyle;
Ne ceassed not, till all their scattred crew
Into the sea he drove quite from that soyle,
The which they troubled had with great turmoyle.
But Artegall, seeing his cruell deed,
Commaunded him from slaughter to recoyle,
And to his voyage gan againe proceed;
For that the terme, approching fast, required speed.
Canto XII
Artegall doth Sir Burbon side,
And blames for changing shield:
He with the great Grantorto fights
And slaieth him in field.
O sacred hunger of ambitious mindes,
And impotent desire of men to raine!
Whom neither dread of God, that devils bindes,
Nor lawes of men, that common-weales containe,
Nor bands of nature, that wilde beastes restraine,
Can keepe from outrage and from doing wrong,
Where they may hope a kingdome to obtaine:
No faith so firme, no trust can be so strong,
No love so lasting then, that may enduren long.
Witnesse may Burbon be; whom all the bands
Which may a Knight assure had surely bound,
Untill the love of Lordship and of lands
Made him become most faithless and unsound:
And witnesse be Gerioneo found,
Who for like cause faire Belgè did oppresse,
And right and wrong most cruelly confound:
And so be now Grantorto, who no lesse
Then all the rest burst out to all outragiousnesse.
Gainst whom Sir Artegall, long having since
Taken in hand th’exploit, (being theretoo
Appointed by that mightie Faerie Prince,
Great Gloriane, that Tyrant to fordoo,)
Through other great adventures hethertoo
Had it forslackt: But now time drawing ny
To him assynd her high beheast to doo,
To the sea-shore he gan his way apply,
To weete if shipping readie he mote there descry.
Tho when they came to the sea coast they found
A ship all readie (as good fortune fell)
To put to sea, with whom they did compound
To passe them over where them list to tell.
The winde and weather served them so well,
That in one day they with the coast did fall;
Whereas they readie found, them to rep ell,
Great hostes of men in order martiall,
Which them forbad to land, and footing did forstall.
But nathemore would they from land refraine:
But, when as nigh unto the shore they drew
That foot of man might sound the bottome plaine,
Talus into the sea did forth issew
Though darts from shore and stones they at him threw;
And wading through the waves with stedfast sway,
Maugre the might of all those troupes in vew,
Did win the shore; whence he them chast away,
And made to fly like doves whom the Eagle doth affray.
The whyles Sir Artegall with that old knight
