Privily moyftening his horrid cheeke:

There was he painted full of burning dartes, And many wide woundes launched through his inner

partes.

45.

Ne did he spare (fo cruell was the Elfe)

His owne deare mother, (ah! why should he fo?)
Ne did he spare fometime to pricke himselfe,
That he might taste the sweet confuming woe,
Which he had wrought to many others moe.
But, to declare the mournfull Tragedyes
And spoiles wherewith he all the ground did ftrow,
More eath to number with how many eyes

High heven beholdes fad lovers nightly theeveryes.

46.

Kings, Queenes, Lords, Ladies, knights, and Damsels

gent,

Were heap'd together with the vulgar fort,
And mingled with the raskall rablement,
Without respect of person or of port,

To fhew Dan Cupids powre and great effort:
And round about a border was entrayld
Of broken bowes and arrowes fhivered fhort;
And a long bloody river through them rayld,
So lively and fo like that living fence it fayld.

47.

And at the upper end of that faire rowme
There was an Altar built of pretious stone
Of paffing valew and of great renowme,
On which there stood an Image all alone

f High beven beholdes fad lovers nightly theeveryes.] The expreffions are pretty and elegant, but borrowed. The theeveryes of lovers, furtivos amores, Catull. p. 17. edit. Voff. :

:

"Aut quàm fidera multa, cum tacet nox,

"Furtivos hominum VIDENT amores." UPTON.

Of maffy gold, which with his owne light shone;
And winges it had with fondry colours dight,
More fondry colours then the proud Pavone
Beares in his boasted fan, or Iris bright,

When her difcolourd bow fhe fpreds through heven bright. 48.

Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fift

A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold, With which he fhot at randon, when him lift, Some headed with fad lead, fome with pure gold; (Ah man! beware how thou those dartes behold.) A wounded Dragon under him did ly, Whofe hideous tayle his lefte foot did enfold, And with a shaft was fhot through either eye, That no man forth might draw, ne no man remedye. 49.

And underneath his feet was written thus,

Unto the Victor of the Gods this bee:
And all the people in that ample hous
Did to that image bowe their humble knee,
And oft committed fowle Idolatree.

That wondrous fight faire Britomart amazd,
Ne feeing could her wonder satisfie,

But ever more and more upon it gazd,

The whiles the paffing brightnes her fraile fences dazd. 50.

Tho, as fhe backward caft her bufie eye

To search each fecrete of that goodly sted,
Over the dore thus written fhe did spye,
Bee bold: fhe oft and oft it over-red,
Yet could not find what fence it figured:
But what fo were therein or writ or ment,
She was no whit thereby discouraged

From profecuting of her first intent,

But forward with bold steps into the next roome went.

Much fayrer then the former was that roome,
And richlier by many partes arayd;

For not with arras made in painefull loome,
But with pure gold it all was overlayd,

Wrought with wilde Antickes, which their follies playd
In the rich metall as they living were.

A thousand monftrous formes therein were made, Such as falfe love doth oft upon him weare; For love in thousand monftrous formes doth oft appeare.

52.

And all about the gliftring walles were hong

With warlike spoiles and with victorious prayes
Of mightie Conquerours and Captaines strong,
Which were whilome captived in their dayes
To cruell love, and wrought their owne decayes.
Their fwerds and fperes were broke, and hauberques

rent,

And their proud girlonds of tryumphant bayes
Troden in duft with fury infolent,

To fhew the victors might and mercileffe intent.

53.

The warlike Mayd, beholding earnestly

The goodly ordinaunce of this rich Place,
Did greatly wonder; ne could fatisfy
Her greedy eyes with gazing a long space:
But more she mervaild that no footings trace
Nor wight appeard, but wastefull emptineffe
And folemne filence over all that place:

Straunge thing it seem'd, that none was to poffeffe So rich purveyaunce, ne them keepe with carefulnesse.

54.

And, as fhe lookt about, fhe did behold

How over that fame dore was likewise writ,
Be bolde, be bolde, and every where, Be bold;

That much she muz'd, yet could not construe it
By any ridling skill, or commune wit.

At last she spyde at that rowmes upper end
Another yron dore, on which was writ,

Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend Her earnest minde, yet wift not what it might intend. 55.

Thus fhe there wayted untill eventyde,

Yet living creature none she saw appeare.
And now fad shadowes gan the world to hyde
From mortall vew, and wrap in darkenes dreare;
Yet nould fhe d'off her weary armes, for feare
Of fecret daunger, ne let fleepe oppreffe
Her heavy eyes with natures burdein deare,
But drew her felfe afide in fickerneffe,"
And her welpointed wepons did about her dreffe.

But drew her felfe afide in fickerneffe.] She drew herself afide for greater fecurity. Spenfer has " doubtfull fickerneffe" in vol. ii. p. 473. In vol. i. p. 96, "ficker" is an adverb. C.

JHO, when as cheareleffe Night ycovered had

Fayre heaven with an univerfall clowd,
That every wight difmayd with darke-
nes fad

In filence and in fleepe themselves did shrowd,
She heard a fhrilling Trompet found alowd,
Signe of nigh battaill, or got victory:

Nought therewith daunted was her courage prowd,
But rather ftird to cruell enmity,

Expecting ever when fome foe fhe might defcry.

2.

With that an hideous ftorme of winde arofe,
With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt,
And an earthquake, as if it ftreight would lofe
The worlds foundations from his centre fixt:
A direfull stench of smoke and fulphure mixt
Enfewd, whofe noyaunce fild the fearefull fted
From the fourth howre of night untill the fixt;
Yet the bold Britoneffe was nought ydred,
Though much emmov'd, but ftedfast still perfevered.