VI.

To which folke-mote they all with one consent,
Sith each of them his Ladie had him by,
Whose beautie each of them thought excellent,
Agreed to travell, and their fortunes try.
So as they passed forth, they did espy

One in bright armes with ready speare in rest,
That toward them his course seem'd to apply;
Gainst whom Sir Paridell himselfe addrest,
Him weening, ere he nigh approcht, to have represt.

VII.

Which th' other seeing gan his course relent,
And vaunted speare eftsoones to disadvaunce,
As if he naught but peace and pleasure ment,
Now falne into their fellowship by chance;
Whereat they shewed curteous countenance:
So as he rode with them accompanide,
His roving eie did on the Lady glaunce
Which Blandamour had riding by his side:

Whom sure he weend that he somwhere tofore had eide.

VIII.

It was to weete that snowy Florimell,

Which Ferrau late from Braggadochio wonne;
Whom he now seeing, her remembred well,
How having reft her from the Witches sonne,
He soone her lost: Wherefore he now begunne
To challenge her anew, as his owne prize,
Whom formerly he had in battell wonne,
And proffer made by force her to reprize:

Which scornefull offer Blandamour gan soone despize;

IX.

And said; "Sir Knight, sith ye this Lady clame,
Whom he that hath were loth to lose so light,
(For so to lose a Lady were great shame,)
Yee shall her winne, as I have done, in fight:
And lo! shee shall be placed here in sight
Together with this Hag beside her set,

That whoso winnes her may her have by right;
But he shall have the Hag that is ybet,

And with her alwaies ride, till he another get."

X.

That offer pleased all the company:

So Florimell with Atè forth was brought,
At which they all gan laugh full merrily:
But Braggadochio said, he never thought
For such an Hag, that seemed worst then nought,
His person to emperill so in fight:

But if to match that Lady they had sought
Another like, that were like faire and bright,
His life he then would spend to iustifie his right.

XI.

At which his vaine excuse they all gan smile,

As scorning his unmanly cowardize :
And Florimell him fowly gan revile,
That for her sake refus'd to enterprize
The battell, offred in so knightly wize;

And Atè eke provokt him privily

With love of her, and shame of such mesprize.
But naught he car'd for friend or enemy;

For in base mind nor friendship dwels nor enmity.

XII.

But Cambell thus did shut up all in iest;

"Brave Knights and Ladies, certes ye doe wrong
To stirre up strife, when most us needeth rest,
That we may us reserve both fresh and strong
Against the Turneiment which is not long,
When whoso list to fight may fight his fill:
Till then your challenges ye may prolong;
And then it shall be tried, if ye will,

Whether shall have the Hag, or hold the Lady still.”

XIII.

They all agreed; so, turning all to game

And pleasaunt bord, they past forth on their way; And all that while, whereso they rode or came, That masked Mock-Knight was their sport and play. Till that at length upon th' appointed day Unto the place of Turneyment they came; Where they before them found in fresh aray Manie a brave Knight and manie a daintie Dame Assembled for to get the honour of that game.

XIV.

There this faire crew arriving did divide
Themselves asunder: Blandamour with those
Of his on th❜one, the rest on th' other side.
But boastful Braggadocchio rather chose,
For glorie vaine, their fellowship to lose,
That men on him the more might gaze alone.
The rest themselves in troupes did else dispose,
Like as it seemed best to every one;

The Knights in couples marcht with Ladies linckt attone.

XV.

Then first of all forth came Sir Satyrane,
Bearing that precious relicke in an arke
Of gold, that bad eyes might it not prophane;
Which drawing softly forth out of the darke,
He open shewd, that all men it mote marke;
A gorgeous Girdle, curiously embost

With pearle and precious stone, worth many a mark
Yet did the workmanship farre passe the cost :
It was the same which lately Florimel had lost.

XVI.

The same aloft he hung in open vew,

The

To be the prize of beautie and of might; The which, eftsoones discovered; to it drew eyes of all, allur'd with close delight, And hearts quite robbed with so glorious sight, That all men threw out vowes and wishes vaine. Thrise happie Ladie, and thrise happie Knight, Them seemd that could so goodly riches gaine, So worthie of the perill, worthy of the paine.

XVII.

Then tooke the bold Sir Satyrane in hand
An huge great speare, such as he wont to wield,
And, vauncing forth from all the other band
Of Knights, addrest his maiden-headed shield,
Shewing himselfe all ready for the field:
Gainst whom there singled from the other side
A Painim Knight that well in armes was skil'd,
And had in many a battell oft bene tride,
Hight Bruncheval the bold, who fiersly forth did ride.

XVIII.

So furiously they both together met,

That neither could the others force sustaine :
As two fierce buls, that strive the rule to get
Of all the heard, meete with so hideous maine,
That both rebutted tumble on the plaine;

So these two Champions to the ground were feld;
Where in a maze they both did long remaine,
And in their hands their idle troncheons held,
Which neither able were to wag, or once to weld.

XIX.

Which when the noble Ferramont espide,
He pricked forth in ayd of Satyran;
And him against Sir Blandamour did ride
With all the strength and stifnesse that he can:
But the more strong and stiffely that he ran,
So much more sorely to the ground he fell,
That on an heape were tumbled horse and man:
Unto whose rescue forth rode Paridell;

But him likewise with that same speare he eke did quell.

XX.

Which Braggadocchio seeing had no will

To hasten greatly to his parties ayd,

Albee his turne were next; but stood there still,

As one that seemed doubtfull or dismayd:

But Triamond, halfe wroth to see him staid,
Sternly stept forth and raught away his speare,
With which so sore he Ferramont assaid,

That horse and man to ground he quite did beare, That neither could in hast themselves again upreare.