Cant. II.

Blandamour winnes falfe Florimell,

Paridell for her firiues,

They are accorded: Agape

doth lengthen her fonnes liues.

F

Irebrand of hell, first tynd in Phlegeton,

By thousand furies, and from thence out throwen

Into this world, to worke confusion,

And fet it all on fire by force vnknowen,

Is wicked difcord, whose small sparkes once blowen 10 None but a God or godlike man can slake ;

Such as was Orpheus, that when ftrife was growen Amongst those famous ympes of Greece, did take His filuer Harpe in hand, and shortly friends them make.

Or fuch as that celeftiall Pfalmift was,

That when the wicked feend his Lord tormented,
With heauenly notes, that did all other pas,

The outrage of his furious fit relented.

Such Muficke is wife words with time concented,

To moderate stiffe minds, difpofd to striue :
Such as that prudent Romane well inuented,

20

1. 6,, after 'hell'—accepted: 1. 9, 'by

...

vnknown' in ( ).

What time his people into partes did riue,

Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did driue.

Such vf'd wife Glauce to that wrathfull knight,
To calme the tempeft of his troubled thought:
Yet Blandamour with termes of foule defpight,
And Paridell her scornd, and fet at nought, /
As old and crooked and not good for ought.
Both they vnwife, and wareleffe of the euill,
That by themfelues vnto themfelues is wrought, 30
Through that falfe witch, and that foule aged dreuill,
The one a feend, the other an incarnate deuill.

With whom as they thus rode accompanide,
They were encountred of a lustie Knight,
That had a goodly Ladie by his fide,
To whom he made great dalliance and delight.
It was to weete the bold Sir Ferraugh hight,
He that from Braggadocchio whilome reft
The fnowy Florimell, whofe beautie bright
Made him feeme happie for fo glorious theft ;
Yet was it in due triall but a wandring weft.
Which when as Blandamour, whose fancie light
Was alwaies flitting as the wauering wind,
After each beautie, that appeard in fight,
Beheld, eftfoones it prickt his wanton mind
With fting of luft, that reafons eye did blind,
That to Sir Paridell these words he sent ;
Sir knight why ride ye dumpish thus behind,
Since fo good fortune doth to you present
So fayre a spoyle, to make you ioyous meriment?

II. 42-44, whofe . . . fight' in ( ).

40

50

But Paridell that had too late a tryall
Of the bad iffue of his counfell vaine,
Lift not to hearke, but made this faire denyall;
Laft turne was mine, well proued to my paine,
This now be yours, God fend you better gaine.
Whofe fcoffed words he taking halfe in fcorne,
Fiercely forth prickt his steed as in difdaine,
Against that Knight, ere he him well could torne
By meanes whereof he hath him lightly ouerborne.

Who with the fudden ftroke aftonifht fore,

Vpon the ground a while in flomber lay;
The whiles his loue away the other bore,
And fhewing her, did Paridell vpbray ;

Lo fluggish Knight the victors happie pray:
So fortune friends the bold: whom Paridell
Seeing fo faire indeede, as he did fay,

His hart with fecret enuie gan to fwell,

And inly grudge at him, that he had fped fo well.

Nathleffe proud man himselfe the other decmed,
Hauing fo peereleffe paragon ygot:
For fure the fayreft Florimell him feemed,
To him was fallen for his happie lot,

Whofe like aliue on earth he weened not:
Therefore he her did court, did ferue, did wooe,
With humbleft fuit that he imagine mot,

бо

70

And all things did deuife, and all things dooc, That might her loue prepare, and liking win theretoo,

She in regard thereof him recompenft

With golden words, and goodly countenance,

1. 62, Loue': 1. 66, 'as . . . fay' in ( ).

And fuch fond fauours fparingly dispenst:

Sometimes him bleffing with a light eye-glance,
And coy lookes tempring with loofe dalliance;
Sometimes eftranging him in sterner wise,
That hauing caft him in a foolish trance,

He seemed brought to bed in Paradise,

80

And prou'd himselfe most foole, in what he seem'd moft wife.

So great a mistreffe of her art she was,

And perfectly practiz'd in womans craft,

That though therein himselfe he thought to pas,
And by his falfe allurements wylie draft,/
Had thousand women of their loue beraft,

Yet now he was furpriz'd: for that false spright,
Which that fame witch had in this forme engraft,
Was fo expert in euery subtile flight,

That it could ouerreach the wifeft earthly wight.

Yet he to her did dayly feruice more,

And dayly more deceiued was thereby ;
Yet Paridell him enuied therefore,

As feeming plaft in fole felicity:

So blind is luft, falfe colours to defcry.
But Ate foone discouering his desire,
And finding now fit opportunity

To stirre vp ftrife, twixt loue and spight and ire,
Did priuily put coles vnto his secret fire.

90

100

By fundry meanes thereto fhe prickt him forth,
Now with remembrance of thofe fpightfull fpeaches,

1. 103,, after 'frife, loue,' 'Spight,' and 'ire.'

Now with opinion of his owne more worth,
Now with recounting of like former breaches
Made in their friendship, as that Hag him teaches:
And euer when his passion is allayd,

She it reuiues and new occafion reaches :

That on a time as they together way'd,

He made him open chalenge, and thus boldly fayd.

Too boaftfull Blandamour, too long I beare

ΠΙΟ

The open wrongs, thou doeft me day by day;
Well know'ft thou, whe we friendship first did sweare,
The couenant was, that euery fpoyle or pray
Should equally be fhard betwixt vs tway :
Where is my part then of this Ladie bright,
Whom to thy felfe thou takest quite away?
Render therefore therein to me my right,

Or answere for thy wrong, as fhall fall out in fight.

Exceeding / wroth thereat was Blandamour,

And gan this bitter answere to him make;
Too foolish Paridell, that fayrest floure

120

Wouldft gather faine, and yet no paines wouldft take:
But not fo eafie will I her forfake;

This hand her wonne, this hand fhall her defend. With that they gan their fhiuering speares to shake, And deadly points at eithers breast to bend, Forgetfull each to haue bene euer others frend.

130

Their firie Steedes with fo vntamed forse
Did beare them both to fell auenges end,
That both their speares with pitilesse remorse,
Through fhield and mayle, and haberieon did wend,

1. 115, ; for,-accepted; 1. 135, 'haberjeon.'