But never let th' enfample of the bad
Offend the good; for good by paragone
Of evill may more notably be rad,

As white feemes fayrer matcht with blacke attone;
Ne all are shamed by the fault of one:
For lo! in heven, whereas all goodnes is,
Emongst the angels a whole legione

Of wicked sprightes did fall from happy blis : What wonder then if one of women all did mis? 111.

Then liften, Lordings! if ye lift to weet
"The caufe, why Satyrane and Paridell
Mote not be entertaynd, as feemed meet,
Into that caftle, as that fquyre does tell.
Therein a cancred crabbed carle does dwell,
That has no skill of court nor courtesie,
Ne cares what men say of him, ill or well;
For all his dayes he drownes in privitie,
Yet has full large to live, and spend at libertie.

IV.

But all his mind is fet on mucky pelfe,
To hoord up heapes of evill-gotten maffe, [felfe;
For which he others wrongs, and wreckes him-
Yet is he lincked to a lovely laffe,

Whose beauty doth his bounty far surpasse:
The which to him both far unequall yeares,
And also far unlike conditions, has;

For the does ioy to play emongst her peares,
And to be free from hard reftraynt and gealous
feares:

But he is old and withered like hay,
Unfit faire ladies fervice to supply,
The privie guilt whereof makes him alway
Sufpect her truth, and keepe continuall spy
Upon her with his other blincked eye;
Ne fuffreth he refort of living wight
Approch to her, ne keep her company,
But in close bowre her mewes from all mens fight,
Depriv'd of kindly iøy and naturall delight.

VI.

Malbecco he, and Hellenore fhe, hight,
Unfitly yokt together in one teeme ;
That is the caufe why never any knight
Is fuffred here to enter, but he seeme
Such as no doubt of him he need misdeeme.
Thereat Sir Satyrane gan fmyle, and fay,

"Extremely mad the man I furely deenie, [ftay "That weenes with watch and hard reftraynt to "A woman's will, which is disposd to go aftray.

And flack attendaunce unto ftraungers call.
The knights were willing all things to excufe,
Though nought belev'd, and entraunce late did
not refuse.

ΧΙΧ.

They beene ybrought into a comely bowre,
And fervd of all things that mote needfull bee,
Yet fecretly their hofte did on them lowre,
And welcomde more for feare then charitee;
But they diffembled what they did not fee,
And welcomed themselves; each gan undight
Their garments wett, and weary armour free,
To dry themfelves by Vulcanes flaming light,
And eke their lately bruzed parts to bring in
plight.

xx.

And eke that ftraunger knight emongst the rest
Was for like need enforst to difaray;
Tho wheanas vailed was her lofty creft,
Her golden locks, that were in tramells gay
Upbounden, did themselves adowne display,
And raught unto her heeles; like funny beames
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded, fhewe their golden gleames,
And through the perfant aire shoote forth their
azure ftreames.

XXI.

Shee alfo dofte her heavy haberieon,
Which the faire feature of her limbes did hyde,
And her well-plighted frock, which she did won
To tucke about her fhort when she did ryde,
Shee low let fall, that flowd from her lanck fide
Downe to her foot with careleffe modestee:
Then of them all the plainly was efpyde
To be a woman wight, (unwift to bee)
The fairest woman wight that ever eie did fee.

XXII.

Like as Minerva, being late returnd
From flaughter of the gyaunts conquered,
(Where proud Encelade, whofe wide nofethrils
burnd

With breathed flames like to a furnace redd,
Transfixed with her speare, down tombled dedd
From top of Hemus, by him heaped hye)
Hath loofd her helmet from her lofty hedd,
And her Gorgonian fhield gins to untye,
From her lefte arme, to rest in glorious victorye.

XXIII.

Which whenas they beheld, they fmitten were
With great amazement of fo wondrous fight,
And each on other, and they all on her
Stood gazing, as if fuddein great affright
Had them furprifd: at last avizing right

Her goodly perfonage and glorious hew,

The wicked engine, through false influence, Paft through his eies, and fecretly did glyde

vew:

XXIV.

Yet note their hongry vew be fatisfide, But feeing, fill the more defir'd to fee, And ever firmely fixed did abide

But nothing new to him was that fame paine,
Ne paine at all; for he fo oft had tryde
The powre thereof, and lov'd fo oft in vaine,
That thing of courfe he counted love to enter,
taine.

Now when of meats and drinks they had their fill,

Purpose was moved by that gentle dame,
Unto thofe knights adventurous, to tell
Of deeds of armes which unto them became,
And every one his kindred and his name.
Then Paridell, in whom a kindly pride
Of gratious fpeach and skill his words to frame
Abounded, being glad of fo fitte tide

When as the noble Britomart heard tell Of Trojan warres, and Priam's citie fackt,

She was empaffiond at that piteous act,
With zelous envy of Greckes cruell fact,
Against that nation, from whose race of old
She heard that fhe was lineally extract;
For noble Britons fprong from Trojans bold,
And Troynovant was built of old Troyes afhes
cold.