And faid, Sir Knight, fith ye this Lady clame,
Whom he that hath, were loth to lofe fo light,
(For fo to lose a Lady, were great fhame)
Yee fhall her winne, as I haue done in fight:
And lo fhee fhall be placed here in fight,

Together with this Hag befide her fet,

That who fo winnes her, may her haue by right:
But he shall haue the Hag that is ybet,
And with her alwaies ride, till he another get.

That / offer pleased all the company,

So Florimell with Ate forth was brought,

At which they all gan laugh full merrily:

But Braggadochio faid, he neuer thought

80

For fuch an Hag, that feemed worse then nought, 90 His perfon to emperill fo in fight.

But if to match that Lady they had fought Another like, that were like faire and bright, His life he then would spend to iuftifie his right.

At which his vaine excuse they all gan fmile,
As fcorning his vnmanly cowardize :
And Florimell him fowly gan reuile,
That for her fake refuf'd to enterprize
The battell, offred in fo knightly wife.

And Ate eke prouokt him priuily,

With loue of her, and fhame of fuch mefprize.

But naught he car'd for friend or enemy,

For in bafe mind no friendship dwels nor enmity.

100

1. 82,, for. -accepted: 1. 90, 'worst' in '96, text accepted from 1609:

1. 99, 'refuf'd' for 'refuse '—accepted.

But Cambell thus did fhut vp all in iest,

Braue Knights and Ladies, certes ye doe wrong
To stirre vp ftrife, when most vs needeth reft,
That we may vs referue both fresh and strong,
Against the Turneiment which is not long ;
When who fo lift to fight, may fight his fill;
Till then your challenges ye may prolong;
And then it fhall be tried, if ye will,
Whether fhall haue the Hag, or hold the Lady still.

They all agreed: fo turning all to game,

ΠΙΟ

And pleafaunt bord, they paft forth on their way, And all that while, where fo they rode or came, That masked Mock-knight was their sport and play. Till that at length vpon th'appointed day, Vnto the place of turneyment they came; Where they before them found in fresh aray Manie a braue knight, and manie a daintie dame Affembled, for to get the honour of that game.

There this faire crewe arriuing, did diuide

Them felues afunder: Blandamour with those
Of his, on th'one; the reft on th'other fide.
But boaftfull Braggadocchio rather chofe,
For glorie vaine their fellowship to lose,

That men on him the more might gaze alone.

The reft them felues in troupes did elfe difpose,
Like as it seemed beft to euery one;

120

130

The knights in couples marcht, with ladies linckt attone.

Then first of all forth came Sir Satyrane,
Bearing that precious relicke in an arke

1. 109, ; put for, : 1. 110, ; for,--accepted: 1. 114, : for,-accepted.

Of gold, that bad eyes might it not prophane:
Which drawing foftly forth out of the darke,
He open fhewd, that all men it mote marke.
A gorgeous girdle, curiously embost

With pearle & precious stone, worth many a marke ;

Yet did the workmanship farre paffe the coft :

It was the same, which lately Florimel had loft.

That fame aloft he hong in open vew,

To be the prize of beautie and of might;
The which eftfoones difcouered, to it drew
The eyes of all, allur'd with clofe delight,
And hearts quite robbed with fo glorious fight,
That all men threw out vowes and wishes vaine.
Thrife happie Ladie, and thrise happie knight,
Them feemd, that could fo goodly riches gaine,
So worthie of the perill, worthy of the paine.

Then/tooke the bold Sir Satyrane in hand

140

150

An huge great speare, fuch as he wont to wield, And vauncing forth from all the other band Of knights, addreft his maiden-headed fhield, Shewing him felfe all ready for the field. Gainft whom there fingled from the other fide A Painim knight, that well in armes was skild, And had in many a battell oft bene tride, Hight Bruncheual the bold, who fierfly forth did ride.

So furiously they both together met,

That neither could the others force fuftaine;

160

1. 134, ‘profane': l. 148,, after 'feemd-accepted: 1. 153, for maidenheaded' Church suggested 'fatyr-headed."

As two fierce Buls, that ftriue the rule to get
Of all the heard, meete with fo hideous maine,
That both rebutted, tumble on the plaine:
So these two champions to the ground were feld,
Where in a maze they both did long remaine,
And in their hands their idle troncheons held,
Which neither able were to wag, or once to weld.

Which when the noble Ferramont efpide,

He pricked forth in ayd of Satyran;
And him against Sir Blandamour did ride
With all the ftrength and stifnesse that he can.
But the more ftrong and ftiffely that he ran,

So much more forely to the ground he fell,

That on an heape were tumbled horse and man.

Vnto whofe refcue forth rode Parideil;

170

But him likewife with that fame fpeare he eke did quell.

Which Braggadocchio feeing, had no will

To haften greatly to his parties ayd,

Albee his turne were next; but ftood there still,

As one that seemed doubtfull or difmayd. /
But Triamond halfe wroth to fee him ftaid,

180

Sternly stept forth, and raught away his speare,
With which fo fore he Ferramont assaid,

That horse and man to ground he quite did beare, That neither could in haft themfelues againe vpreare.

Which to auenge, Sir Deuon him did dight,

But with no better fortune then the rest:

For him likewife he quickly downe did fmight,
And after him Sir Douglas him addreft,

And after him Sir Dabumord forth preft,
But none of them against his ftrokes could ftand,
But all the more, the more his praise increst.
For either they were left vppon the land,
Or went away fore wounded of his hapleffe hand.

And now by this, Sir Satyrane abraid,

Out of the fwowne, in which too long he lay;
And looking round about, like one dismaid,
Whereas he saw the mercileffe affray

Which doughty Triamond had wrought that day,
Vnto the noble Knights of Maidenhead,

His mighty heart did almoft rend in tway,

For very gall, that rather wholly dead

190

200

Himfelfe he wifht haue beene, then in so bad a stead.

Eftfoones he gan to gather vp around

His weapons, which lay fcattered all abrode,

And as it fell, his fteed he ready found.
On whom remounting, fiercely forth he rode,
Like fparke of fire that from the anduile glode.
There where he faw the valiant Triamond
Chafing, and laying on them heauy lode,

210

That none his force were able to withstond,

So dreadfull were his ftrokes, fo deadly was his hond.

With that, at him his beam-like speare he aimed,

And thereto all his power and might applide :

1. 190, Palimord': 1. 191, 'them' for 'you'-accepted: 1. 192, 'increaft'-in 1596 printed ‘in creft': 1. 198,. removed : 1. 200,, for period (.): 1. 208,, for. (bad): 1. 210, for-accepted: 1. 213,, after that'accepted ib., misprinted in 1596' brauclike '—' beamlike' accepted.