Artegall heares of Florimell,
Does with the Pagan fight:
Him flaies, drownes Lady Munera,
Does race her caftle quight.
Ought is more honorable to a knight,
Ne better doth befeeme braue cheualry,
Then to defend the feeble in their right,
And wrong redresse in such as wend awry.
Whilome those great Heroes got thereby
Their greatest glory, for their rightfull deedes,
And place deferued with the Gods on hy.
Herein the nobleffe of this knight exceedes,
Who now to perils great for iuftice fake proceedes.
To which as he now was vppon the way,
He chaunft to meet a Dwarfe in hafty course;
Whom he requir'd his forward haft to stay,
Till he of tidings mote with him discourse.
Loth was the Dwarfe, yet did he stay perforse,
And gan of fundry newes his store to tell,
As to his memory they had recourse :
1. 3, ‘Munera'—obvious correction of ‘Momera' of '96, 1609, etc. : 1. 5, 'rafe': l. 21, 'As' accepted for 'And' of '96.
But chiefely of the fairest Florimell,
How she was found againe, and fpoufde to Marinel!.
For this was Dony, Florimels owne Dwarfe,
Whom hauing loft (as ye haue heard whyleare)
And finding in the way the scattred scarfe,
The fortune of her life long time did feare.
But of her health when Artegall did heare,
And safe returne, he was full inly glad,
And afkt him where, and when her bridale cheare 30 Should be folemniz'd: for if time he had,
He would be there, and honor to her spoufall ad.
Within three daies (quoth hee) as I do here,
It will be at the Caftle of the ftrond;
What time if naught me let, I will be there
To doe her feruice, fo as I am bond.
But in my way a little here beyond
A curfed cruell Sarazin doth wonne,
That keepes a Bridges passage by strong hond,
And many errant Knights hath there fordonne; 40 That makes all men for feare that paffage for to shonne.
What mister wight (quoth he) and how far hence
Is he, that doth to trauellers such harmes ?
He is (faid he) a man of great defence;
Expert in battell and in deedes of armes ;
And more emboldned by the wicked charmes,
With which his daughter doth him ftill fupport;
Hauing great Lordships got and goodly farmes,
Through ftrong oppression of his powre extort;
By which he stil them holds, & keepes with strong effort.
1. 33, 'hee' for 'Shee' of '96: 1. 35, 'nought,' as before.
And dayly he his wrongs encreaseth more,
For neuer wight he lets to passe that way,
Ouer his Bridge, albee he rich or poore,
But he him makes his paffage-penny pay:
Else he doth hold him backe or beat away.
Thereto he hath a groome of euill guize,
Whose scalp is bare, that bondage doth bewray,
Which pols and pils the poore in piteous wize;
But he him felfe vppon the rich doth tyrannize. /
His name his hight Pollente, rightly fo
For that he is so puiffant and strong,
That with his powre he all doth ouergo,
And makes them fubiect to his mighty wrong;
And fome by fleight he eke doth vnderfong.
For on a Bridge he custometh to fight,
Which is but narrow, but exceeding long;
And in the fame are many trap fals pight, Through which the rider downe doth fall through ouer
And vnderneath the fame a riuer flowes,
That is both swift and dangerous deepe withall; 70
Into the which whom fo he ouerthrowes,
All deftitute of helpe doth headlong fall,
But he him felfe through practise vsuall,
Leapes forth into the floud, and there affaies.
His foe confused through his fodaine fall,
That horse and man he equally dismaies,
And either both them drownes, or trayterously flaies.
Then doth he take the spoile of them at will,
And to his daughter brings, that dwels thereby :
Who all that comes doth take, and therewith fill 80
The coffers of her wicked threasury;
Which the with wrongs hath heaped vp fo hy,
That many Princes fhe in wealth exceedes,
And purchaft all the countrey lying ny
With the reuenue of her plenteous meedes:
Her name is Munera, agreeing with her deedes.
Thereto fhe is full faire, and rich attired,
With golden hands and filuer feete befide,
That many Lords haue her to wife defired:
But she them all despiseth for great pride.
Now / by my life (sayd he) and God to guide,
None other way will I this day betake,
But by that Bridge, whereas he doth abide :
Therefore me thither lead. No more he spake,
But thitherward forthright his ready way did make.
Vnto the place he came within a while,
Where on the Bridge he ready armed faw
The Sarazin, awayting for fome spoile.
Who as they to the paffage gan to draw,
A villaine to them came with fcull all raw,
That paffage money did of them require,
According to the cuftome of their law.
To whom he aunswerd wroth, loe there thy hire; And with that word him ftrooke, that freight he did expire.
Which when the Pagan faw, he wexed wroth,
And ftreight him felfe vnto the fight addrest,
1. 85, for : 1. 99, Who'-sic. Church suggested' Tho' = then ; Dr. Morris reads 'when.'
Ne was Sir Artegall behinde: fo both
Together ran with ready fpeares in rest.
Right in the midft, whereas they breft to brest
Should meete, a trap was letten downe to fall
Into the floud: ftreight leapt the Carle vnblest,
Well weening that his foe was falne withall:
But he was well aware, and leapt before his fall.
There being both together in the floud,
They each at other tyrannously flew ;
Ne ought the water cooled their whot bloud, But rather in them kindled choler new. But there the Paynim, who that vse well knew To fight in water, great aduantage had, That oftentimes him nigh he ouerthrew : And eke the courfer, whereuppon he rad, Could swim like to a fish, whiles he his backe beftrad. /
Which oddes when as Sir Artegall efpide,
He saw no way, but close with him in haft;
And to him driuing ftrongly downe the tide,
Vppon his iron coller griped fast,
That with the ftraint his wefand nigh he braft.
There they together ftroue and struggled long,
Either the other from his fteede to caft;
Ne euer Artegall his griple ftrong
For any thing wold slacke, but still vppon him hong.
As when a Dolphin and a Sele are met,
In the wide champian of the Ocean plaine:
With cruell chaufe their courages they whet,
The maysterdome of each by force to gaine,
1. 116, 'hot.'
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