O! WHY doe wretched men so much desire To draw their dayes unto the utmost date, And doe not rather wish them soone expire, Knowing the miserie of their estate,
Long life, thereby did more prolong their
paine:
Yet whilest they lived none did ever see
More happie creatures then they seem'd to bee;
Nor more ennobled for their courtesie,
Ne more renowmed for their chevalrie,
That made them dreaded much of all men farre
And thousand perills which them still awate,That made them dearely lov'd of each degree;
Tossing them like a boate amid the mayne,
That every houre they knocke at deathes gate?
And he that happie seemes, and least in payne,
Yet is as nigh his end as he that most doth
playne.
These three that hardie chalenge tooke in hand,
For Canacee with Cambell for to fight.
The day was set, that all might understand,
And pledges pawnd the same to keepe aright:
That day, the dreddest day that living wight Much was he grieved with that gracelesse
Did ever see upon this world to shine,
So soone as heavens window shewed light,
These warlike Champions, all in armour shine,
Assembled were in field the chalenge to define.
The field with listes was all about enclos'd,
To barre the prease of people farre away;
And at th' one side sixe judges were dispos'd,
To view and deeme the deedes of armes that
And on the other side, in fresh aray, [day:
Fayre Canacee upon a stately stage
Was set, to see the fortune of that fray,
And to be seene, as his most worthie wage
Yet from the wound no drop of bloud there fell, But wondrous paine, that did the more enhaunce
His haughtie courage to avengement fell: Smart daunts not mighty harts, but makes them more to swell.
With that, his poynant speare he fierce aventred
With doubled force close underneath his shield, That through the mayles into his thigh it entred,
That could her purchase with his lives adven-And, there arresting, readie way did yield
For bloud to gush forth on the grassie field;
That he for paine himselfe n'ote right upreare,
But too and fro in great amazement reel'd;
Like an old Oke, whose pith and sap is seare,
At puffe of every storme doth stagger here
and theare.
Which faire adventure when Cambello spide, From daungers dread to ward his naked side, Full lightly, ere himselfe he could recower And with his axe him smote in evill 'hower, He can let drive at him with all his power, That from his shoulders quite his head he reft: The headlesse tronke, as heedlesse of that stower,
As when two Tygers prickt with hungers rage Stood still awhile, and his fast footing kept,
Have by good fortune found some beasts fresh Till, feeling life to fayle, it fell, and deadly
spoyle,
On which they weene their famine to asswage,
And gaine a feastfull guerdon of their toyle,
Both falling out doe stirre up strifefull broyle,
And cruell battell twixt themselves doe make,
Whiles neither lets the other touch the soyle,
But either sdeignes with other to partake:
So cruelly these Knights strove for that Ladies
Full many strokes, that mortally were ment, The whiles were enterchaunged twixt them two;
Yet they were all with so good wariment
Or warded, or avoyded and let goe,
That still the life stood fearelesse of her foe;
Till Diamond, disdeigning long delay
Of doubtfull fortune wavering to and fro,
Were much amaz'd the headlesse tronke to see
They which that piteous spectacle beheld
Stand up so long, and weapon vaine to weld,
Unweeting of the Fates divine decree
For lifes succession in those brethren three.
For notwithstanding that one soule was reft,
Yet had the bodie not dismembred bee,
It would have lived, and revived eft;
But, finding no fit seat, the lifelesse corse it left.
It left; but that same soule which therein
dwelt
Streight entring into Triamond him fild
With double life and griefe; which when he felt,
As one whose inner parts had bene ythrild
Much was Cambello daunted with his blowes:
So thicke they fell, and forcibly were sent,
That he was forst from daunger of the throwes
Backe to retire, and somewhat to relent,
Till th' heat of his fierce furie he had spent ;
Which when for want of breath gan to abate,
He then afresh with new encouragement
Did him assayle, and mightily amate,
And over-ruling him in his owne rayne,
Drives backe the current of his kindly course,
And makes it seeme to have some other sourse;
But when the floud is spent, then backe againe,
His borrowed waters forst to redisbourse,
He sends the sea his owne with double gaine,
And tribute eke withall, as to his Soveraine.
Thus did the battell varie to and fro,
With diverse fortune doubtfull to be deemed:
Now this the better had, now had his fo;
Then he halfe vanquisht, then the other seemed,
Yet victors both them selves alwayes esteemed:
And all the while the disentrayled blood
Adowne their sides like litle rivers stremed,
That with the wasting of his vitall flood,
Sir Triamond at last full faint and feeble stood.
But nathelesse, whilst all the lookers-on Ilim dead behight, as he to all appeard, All unawares he started up anon,
As one that had out of a dreame bene reard, And fresh assayld his foe: who halfe affeard As fast as forward erst now backward to Of th' uncouth sight, as he some ghost had
Stood still amaz'd, holding his idle sweard;
Till, having often by him stricken beene,
He forced was to strike, and save himselfe
from teene.
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