Seeking aduentures, where they anie knew.
Which when their mother faw, fhe gan to dout
Their fafetie, leaft by searching daungers new,
And rafh prouoking perils all about,

Their days mote be abridged through their corage stout.

Therefore defirous th'end of all their dayes

420

To know, and them t'enlarge with long extent, By wondrous skill, and many hidden wayes, To the three fatall fifters house she went. Farre vnder ground from tract of liuing went, Downe in the bottome of the deepe Abysse, Where Demogorgon in dull darknesse pent, Farre from the view of Gods and heauens blis, The hideous Chaos keepes, their dreadfull dwelling is.

There the them found, all fitting round about
The direfull diftaffe ftanding in the mid,
And with vnwearied fingers drawing out
The lines of life, from liuing knowledge hid.

430

Sad Clotho held the rocke, the whiles the thrid
By griefly Lachefis was spun with paine,

That cruell Atropos eftfoones vndid,

With curfed knife cutting the twist in twaine :

Moft wretched men, whofe dayes depend on thrids fo vaine. /

She them faluting, there by them fate ftill,
Beholding how the thrids of life they fpan:
And when at laft she had beheld her fill,
Trembling in heart, and looking pale and wan,

1. 437,!' after 'vaine.'

440

Her cause of comming fhe to tell began.

To whom fierce Atropos, Bold Fay, that durft
Come fee the fecret of the life of man,

Well worthie thou to be of Ioue accurft,
And eke thy childrens thrids to be asunder burst.

Whereat she fore affrayd, yet her befought

To graunt her boone, and rigour to abate,

That she might fee her childrês thrids forth brought,
And know the measure of their vtmoft date,
To them ordained by eternall fate.

Which Clotho graunting, fhewed her the fame :
That when she saw, it did her much amate,

To fee their thrids fo thin, as fpiders frame,

450

And eke fo fhort, that feemd their ends out shortly

came.

She then began them humbly to intreate,

To draw them longer out, and better twine,
That fo their liues might be prolonged late.
But Lachefis thereat gan to repine,

460

And fayd, fond dame that deem'ft of things diuine As of humane, that they may altred bee,

And chaung'd at pleasure for those impes of thine. Not fo; for what the Fates do once decree,

Not all the gods can chaunge, nor Ioue him felf can free.

Then fince (quoth fhe) the terme of each mans life

For nought may leffened nor enlarged bee,
Graunt this, that when ye fhred with fatall knife
His line, which is the eldest of the three, /

1. 465, 'fith.'

Which is of them the fhorteft, as I fee,
Eftfoones his life may paffe into the next;
And when the next fhall likewise ended bee,
That both their liues may likewise be annext
Vnto the third, that his may fo be trebly wext.

They graunted it; and then that carefull Fay
Departed thence with full contented mynd;
And comming home, in warlike fresh aray
Them found all three according to their kynd :
But vnto them what deftinie was afsynd,
Or how their liues were eekt, she did not tell;
But euermore, when fhe fit time could fynd,
She warned them to tend their fafeties well,
And loue each other deare, what euer them befell.

So did they furely during all their dayes,

And neuer difcord did amongst them fall;
Which much augmented all their other praise.
And now t'increase affection naturall,
In loue of Canacee they ioyned all :

Vpon which ground this fame great battell grew,
Great matter growing of beginning small;
The which for length I will not here purfew,
But rather will referue it for a Canto new.

1. 473, 'So be'-Dr. Morris queries 'be fo (?)': 1. 489 in ( ).

470

480

490

Cant. III.

The battell twixt three brethren, with
Cambell for Canacee.

Cambina with true friendships bond
doth their long firife agree.

O

Why doe wretched men fo much defire,

To draw their dayes vnto the vtmoft date,
And doe not rather with them foone expire,
Knowing the miferie of their estate,
And thousand perills which them still awate,
Toffing them like a boate amid the mayne,
That euery houre they knocke at deathes gate?
And he that happie feemes and least in payne,
Yet is as nigh his end, as he that moft doth playne.

Therefore this Fay I hold but fond and vaine,
The which in seeking for her children three
Long life, thereby did more prolong their paine.
Yet whileft they liued none did euer see
More happie creatures, then they feem'd to bee,
Nor more ennobled for their courtefie,

That made them dcarely lou'd of each degree;

Ne more renowmed for their cheualrie,

ΙΟ

20

That made them dreaded much of all men farre and nie.

1. 2,, after 'brethren'-accepted, and period (.) 1. 3.

These three that hardie chalenge tooke in hand,
For Canacee with Cambell for to fight:
The day was fet, that all might vnderstand,
And pledges pawnd the fame to keepe a right, /
That day, the dreddeft day that liuing wight
Did euer fee vpon this world to shine,
So foone as heauens window fhewed light,
These warlike Champions all in armour shine,
Affembled were in field, the chalenge to define.

30

The field with liftes was all about enclof'd,
To barre the prease of people farre away;
And at th'one fide fixe iudges were difpof'd,
To view and deeme the deedes of armes that day;
And on the other fide in fresh aray,

Fayre Canacee vpon a stately stage

Was fet, to fee the fortune of that fray,

And to be feene, as his moft worthie wage,

40

That could her purchase with his liues aduentur'd

gage.

Then entred Cambell first into the lift,

With stately steps, and feareleffe countenance,

As if the conqueft his he surely wist.

Soone after did the brethren three aduance,

In braue aray and goodly amenance,

With fcutchins gilt and banners broad difplayd:
And marching thrife in warlike ordinance,
Thrife lowted lowly to the noble Mayd,

The whiles fhril trompets & loud clarions sweetly