So first the right he put into one scale; And then the Gyant ftroue with puiffance ftrong To fill the other scale with fo much wrong. But all the wrongs that he therein could lay, Might not it peise; yet did he labour long, And fwat, and chauf'd, and proued euery way: Yet all the wrongs could not a litle right downe lay.

Which when he faw, he greatly grew in rage,

420

And almost would his balances haue broken :
But Artegall him fairely gan affwage,
And faid; be not vpon thy balance wroken:
For they doe nought but right or wrong betoken;
But in the mind the doome of right must bee;
And fo likewife of words, the which be spoken,
The eare must be the ballance, to decree

And iudge, whether with truth or falfhood they agree.

But fet the truth and fet the right afide,

For they with wrong or falfhood will not fare; 430 And put two wrongs together to be tride, Or elfe two falfes, of each equall fhare; And then together doe them both compare. For truth is one, and right is euer one. So did he, and then plaine it did appeare, Whether of them the greater were attone. But right fate in the middeft of the beame alone./

But he the right from thence did thrust away,

For it was not the right, which he did feeke;

1. 419, 'lay-accepted for 'way,' repeated from former line in '96: 1. 430 within ( ).

But rather ftroue extremities to way,

440

Th'one to diminish, th'other for to eeke. For of the meane he greatly did misleeke. Whom when fo lewdly minded Talus found, Approching nigh vnto him cheeke by cheeke, He shouldered him from off the higher ground, And down the rock him throwing, in the sea him dround.

Like as a ship, whom cruell tempest driues

Vpon a rocke with horrible dismay,

450

Her fhattered ribs in thousand peeces riues,
And spoyling all her geares and goodly ray,
Does make her felfe misfortunes piteous pray.
So downe the cliffe the wretched Gyant tumbled;
His battred ballances in peeces lay,

His timbered bones all broken rudely rumbled:
So was the high aspyring with huge ruine humbled.

That when the people, which had there about
Long wayted, saw his fudden desolation,
They gan to gather in tumultuous rout,
And mutining, to stirre vp ciuill faction,

For certaine loffe of fo great expectation.

For well they hoped to haue got great good,
And wondrous riches by his innouation.
Therefore refoluing to reuenge his blood,
They rofe in armes, and all in battell order stood.

Which lawlesse multitude him comming too

In warlike wife, when Artegall did vew,

460

1. 451, 'makes' '96: l. 454, : for,-accepted: 1. 461,, for ;-accepted.

He much was troubled, ne wift what to doo.
For loth he was his noble hands t'embrew
In the base blood of such a rascall crew;
And otherwise, if that he should retire,

470

He fear'd least they with shame would him purfew. Therefore he Talus to them fent, t'inquire

The cause of their array, and truce for to defire.

But foone as they him nigh approching spide,
They gan with all their weapons him assay,
And rudely stroke at him on euery side :
Yet nought they could him hurt, ne ought difmay.
But when at them he with his flaile gan lay,
He like a fwarme of flyes them ouerthrew ;
Ne any of them durft come in his way,
But here and there before his presence flew,
And hid themfelues in holes and bushes from his vew.

480

As when a Faulcon hath with nimble flight

Flowne at a flush of Ducks, foreby the brooke, The trembling foule dismayd with dreadfull sight Of death, the which them almost ouertooke, Doe hide themfelues from her aftonying looke, Amongst the flags and couert round about. When Talus faw they all the field forfooke And none appear'd of all that raskall rout, To Artegall he turn'd, and went with him throughout. /

490

1. 476, 'Strooke.'

Cant. III.

The fpoufals of faire Florimell,
where turney many knights:
There Braggadochio is vncafd
in all the Ladies fights.

A

Fter long ftormes and tempefts ouerblowne,

The funne at length his ioyous face doth cleare: So when as fortune all her spight hath showne, Some blisfull houres at laft must needes appeare ; Elfe fhould afflicted wights oftimes defpeire. So comes it now to Florimell by tourne, After long forrowes fuffered whyleare,

In which captiu'd fhe many moneths did mourne, To taft of ioy, and to wont pleasures to retourne.

Who being freed from Proteus cruell band

By Marinell, was vnto him affide,

IO

And by him brought againe to Faerie land;
Where he her spouf'd and made his ioyous bride.
The time and place was blazed farre and wide;
And folemne feafts and giufts ordain'd therefore. 20
To which there did refort from euery fide
Of Lords and Ladies infinite great store;

Ne any Knight was absent, that braue courage bore.

VII.

18

To tell the glorie of the feaft that day,

The goodly feruice, the deuicefull fights,
The bridegromes state, the brides most rich aray,
The pride of Ladies, and the worth of knights,
The royall banquets, and the rare delights,
Were worke fit for an Herauld, not for me:
But for fo much as to my lot here lights,
That with this present treatise doth agree,
True vertue to aduance, fhall here recounted bee.
When all men had with full fatietie

Of meates and drinkes their appetites fuffiz'd,
To deedes of armes and proofe of cheualrie
They gan themfelues addreffe, full rich aguiz'd,
As each one had his furnitures deuiz'd.

And first of all iffu'd Sir Marinell,

30

And with him fixe knights more, which enterpriz'd

To chalenge all in right of Florimell,

And to maintaine, that she all others did excell.

The first of them was hight Sir Orimont,

A noble Knight, and tride in hard affayes:
The fecond had to name Sir Bellifont,
But fecond vnto none in prowesse prayse;
The third was Brunell, famous in his dayes;
The fourth Ecaftor, of exceeding might;

40

The fift Armeddan, skild in louely layes;
The fixt was Lanfack, a redoubted Knight:

(fight.

Th

All fixe well feene in armes, and prou'd in many a

But

And them against came all that lift to giuft,
From euery coaft and countrie vnder funne:

51

T

1, 28,, after delights'—accepted,