THOUGH vertue then were held in highest price
In those old times of which I doe intreat,
Yet then likewise the wicked feede of vice
Began to fpring, which shortly grew full great,
And with their boughes the gentle plants did beat;
But evermore fome of the vertuous race

Rofe up, infpired with heroicke heat,
That cropt the branches of the fient base,

And from the heritage which she did clame,
Did with ftrong hand withhold; Grantorto was
his name.

IV.

Wherefore the lady, which Irena hight,
Did to the Faery Queene her way addreffe,
To whom complayning her afflicted plight,
She her befought of gratious redreffe:
That foveraine queene, that mightie empereffe,

And with strong hand their fruitfull rancknes did Whofe glorie is to aide all fuppliants pore,
deface.

And of weake princes to be patroneffe,
Chofe Artegall to right her to restore,
For that to her he feem'd beft fkild in righteous
lore.

"He whether mine seem'd fairer in his eye,
"Or that he wexed weary of his owne,
"Would change with me; but I did it denye,

And next herselfe her righteous Ballance hanging" So did the ladies both, as may be knowne;

"But he, whose spirit was with pride upblowne,

1

Would not fo reft contented with his right,
But having from his courfer her downe throwne,
Fro me reft mine away by lawlesse might,
And on his feed her fet, to beare her out of
"fight.

XVIII.

"Which when his ladie faw, fhe follow'd fast, "And on him catching hold, gan loud to crie "Not fo to leave her, nor away to caft,

But rather of his hand befought to die;
"With that his sword he drew all wrathfully,
"And at one stroke cropt off her head with
"fcorne,

"In that fame place where as it now doth lie t
"So he my love away with him hath borne,
And left me here both his and mine owne love
66 to morne."

XIX.

"Aread," fayd he, "which way then did he "make?

"And by what markes may he be knowne againe ?"

To hope," quoth he, " him foone to overtake, "That hence fo long departed, is but vaine; "But yet he pricked over yonder plaine, "And as I marked bore upon his shield,

By which it's eafie him to know againe, "A broken fword within a bloodie field, Expreffing well his nature which the fame did "wield."

XX.

No fooner fayd, but ftreight he after sent
His yron page, who him purfewd fo light,
As that it feenid above the ground he went;
For he was swift as swallow in her flight,
And strong as lyon in his lordly might.
It was not long before he overtooke

Bir sanglier, (fo cleeped was that knight)
Whom at the first he gheffed by his looke,

And by the other markes which of his fhield he
tooke.

XXI.

He bad him stay, and backe with him retire;
Who full of scorne to be commaunded fo,
The lady to alight did eft require,
Whileft he reformed that uncivell fo,
And freight at him with all his force did go;
Who mov'd no more therewith, then when a
rocke

Is lightly stricken with some stone's throw,
Eut to him leaping, lent him fuch a knocke,
That on the ground he layd him like a fenceleffe
bloke.

XXII.

But ere he could himfelfe recure againe,
Him in his iron paw he feized had,
That when he wak't out of his wareleffe paine,
He found himselfe unwist so ill bestad,
That lim he could not wag; thence he him lad,
Bound like a beaft appointed to the stall,
The fight whereof the lady fore adrad,
And fain'd to fly for feare of being thrall;
her quickly fayd, and forft to wend
But he

withall.

XXIII.

When to the place they came where Artegall
By that fame carefull fquire did then abide,
That did betwixt him and that squire betide;
He gently gan him to demaund of all
Who with fterne countenance and indignant pride
Did anfwere, that of all he guiltleffe stood,
And his accufer thereuppon defide;

For neither he did fhed that ladies bloud,
Nor tooke away his love, but his owne proper
good.

XXIV.

Well did the fquire perceive himselfe too weake
To aunfwere his defiaunce in the field,
And rather chofe his challenge off to breake,
Then to approve his right with fpeare and fhield
And rather guilty chofe himselfe to yield:
But Artegall, by fignes, perceiving plaine
That he it was not which that lady kild,
But that ftrange knight, the fairer love to gaine,
Did caft about by fleight the truth thereout to
ftraine;

XXV.

And fayd, "Now fure this doubtfull caufe's right
"Can hardly but by facrament be tride,
ог by bloody fight,
"Or elfe by ordele,
"That ill perhaps mote fall to either fide;
"But if ye please that I your caufe decide,

Perhaps I may all further quarrell end, "So ye will fweare my iudgement to abide." Thereto they both did franckly condifcend, And to his doome with liftfull eares did both attend.

XXVI.

"Sith then," fayd he, " ye both the dead deny, "And both the living lady claime your right, "Let both the dead and living equally

Devided be betwixt you here in fight, "And each or either take his fhare aright. "But looke, who does diffent from this my read, "He for a twelve moneths day fhall in defpight "Beare for his penaunce that fame ladies head, "To witneffe to the world that the by him is "dead."

XXVII.

Well pleafed with that doome was Sangliere,
And offred ftreight the lady to be slaine;
But that fame fquire to whom she was more dere,
Whenas he faw the fhould be cut in twaine,
Did yield the rather should with him remaine
Alive then to himselfe be shared dead;
And rather then his love fhould fuffer paine,
He chofe with fhame to beare that ladies head :
True love defpifeth fhame, when life is cald in
dread.

XXVIII.

Whom when fo willing Artegall perceaved,
"but thine I
"Not fo, thou fquire!" he fayd,
"deeme
"The living lady, which from thee he reaved;
"For worthy thou of her doest rightly feeme.
"And, you, Sir knight, that lovd fo light cf-

66

teeme,

"As that ye would for little leave the fame, Tiij

"Take here your own that doth you beft be- | He tooke it up, and thence with him did beare,
"feeme,
As rated spaniell takes his burden up for feare.

"And with it beare the burden of defame,
"Your owne dead ladies head to tell abrode your
"fhame."

XXIX.

But Sangliere disdained much his doome,
And fternly gan repine at his beheast, ·
Ne would for ought obay, as did become,
To beare that ladies head before his breast,
Untill that Talus had his pride repreft,
And forced him maulgre it up to reare;
Who when he faw it bootleffe to refift,

Much did that squire Sir Artegall adore
For his great iuftice, held in high regard,
And as his fquire him offred evermore
To ferve for want of other meete reward,
And wend with him on his adventure hard;
But he thereto would by no meanes confent,
But leaving him, forth on his iourney far'd;
Ne weight with him but onely Talus went;
They two enough t'encounter an whole regimen

THE FAERY QUEEN E.

Artegall heares of Florimell
Does with the Pagan fight:
Him flaies; drownes lady Munera;
Does race her castle quight.