Canto VIII
Prince Arthure overcomes Disdaine;
Quites Mirabell from dreed:
Serena, found of Salvages,
By Calepine is freed.
Ye gentle Ladies, in whose soveraine powre
Love hath the glory of his kingdome left,
And th’hearts of men, as your eternall dowre,
In yron chaines of liberty bereft,
Delivered hath into your hands by gift,
Be well aware how ye the same doe use,
not to tyranny you lift;
Least, if men you of cruelty accuse,
He from you take that chiefedome which ye doe abuse.
And as ye soft and tender are by kynde,
Adornd with goodly gifts of beauties grace,
So be ye soft and tender eeke in mynde;
But cruelty and hardnesse from you chace,
That all your other praises will deface,
And from you turne the love of men to hate:
Ensample take of Mirabellaes case,
Who from the high degree of happy state
Fell into wretched woes, which she repented late.
Who after thraldome of the gentle Squire,
Which she beheld with lamentable eye,
Was touched with compassion entire,
And much lamented his calamity,
That for her sake fell into misery;
Which booted nought for prayers nor for threat
To hope for to release or mollify,
For aye the more that she did them entreat,
The more they him misust, and cruelly did beat.
So as they forward on their way did pas,
Him still reviling and afflicting sore,
They met Prince Arthure with Sir Enias,
(That was that courteous Knight, whom he before
Having subdew’d yet did to life restore;)
To whom as they approcht, they gan augment
Their cruelty, and him to punish more,
Scourging and haling him more vehement;
As if it them should grieve to see his punishment.
The Squire him selfe, when as he saw his Lord
The witnesse of his wretchednesse in place,
Was much asham’d that with an hempen cord
He like a dog was led in captive case,
And did his head for bashfulnesse abase,
As loth to see or to be seene at all:
Shame would be hid. But whenas Enias
Beheld two such, of two such villaines thrall,
His manly mynde was much emmoved therewithall;
And to the Prince thus sayd: “See you, Sir Knight,
The greatest shame that ever eye yet saw,
Yond Lady and her Squire with foule despight
Abusde, against all reason and all law,
Without regard of pitty or of awe?
See, how they doe that Squire beat and revile!
See, how they doe the Lady hale and draw!
But, if ye please to lend me leave awhile,
I will them soone acquite, and both of blame assoile.”
The Prince assented; and then he, streightway
Dismounting light, his shield about him threw,
With which approching thus he gan to say:
“Abide, ye caytive treachetours untrew,
That have with treason thralled unto you
These two, unworthy of your wretched bands,
And now your crime with cruelty pursew!
Abide, and from them lay your loathly hands,
Or else abide the death that hard before you stands.”
The villaine stayd not aunswer to invent,
But with his yron club preparing way,
His mindes sad message backe unto him sent;
The which descended with such dreadfull sway,
That seemed nought the course thereof could stay,
No more then lightening from the lofty sky:
Ne list the Knight the powre thereof assay,
Whose doome was death; but, lightly slipping by,
Unwares defrauded his intended destiny:
And, to requite him with the like againe,
With his sharpe sword he fiercely at him flew,
And strooke so strongly, that the Carle with paine
Saved him selfc but that he there him slew;
Yet sav’d not so, but that the bloud it drew,
And gave his foe good hope of victory:
Who therewith flesht upon him set anew,
And with the second stroke thought certainely
To have supplyde the first, and paide the usury.
But Fortune aunswerd not unto his call;
For, as his hand was heaved up on hight,
The villaine met him in the middle fall,
And with his club bet backe his brondyron bright
So forcibly, that with his owne hands might,
Rebeaten backe upon himselfe againe,
He driven was to ground in selfe despight;
From whence ere he recovery could gaine,
He in his necke had set his foote with fell disdaine.
With that the foole, which did that end awayte,
Came running in; and, whilest on ground he lay,
Laide heavy hands on him and held so strayte,
That downe he kept him with his scornefull sway,
So as he could not weld him any way:
The whiles that other villaine went about
Him to have bound and thrald without delay;
The whiles the foole did him revile and flout,
Threatning to yoke them two and tame their corage stout.
As when a sturdy ploughman with his hynde
By strength have overthrowne a stubborne steare,
They downe him hold, and fast with cords do bynde,
Till they him force the buxome yoke to beare:
So did these two this Knight oft tug and teare.
Which when the Prince beheld, there standing by,
He left his lofty steede to aide him neare;
And, buckling soone him selfe, gan fiercely fly
Upon that Carle to save his friend from jeopardy.
The villaine, leaving him unto his mate
To be captiv’d and handled as he list,
Himselfe addrest unto this new debate,
And with his club him all about so blist,
That he which way to turne him scarcely wist:
Sometimes aloft he layd, sometimes alow,
Now here, now there, and oft him neare he mist;
So doubtfully, that hardly one could know
Whether more wary were to give or ward the blow.
But yet the Prince so well enured was
With such huge strokes, approved oft in fight,
That way to them he gave forth right to pas;
Ne would endure the daunger of their might,
But wayt advantage when they downe did light.
At last the caytive, after long discourse,
When all his strokes he saw avoyded quite,
Resolved in one t’assemble all his force,
And make one end of him without ruth or remorse.
His dreadfull hand he heaved up aloft,
And with his
