His blindfold eyes he bad a while vnbind,
That his proud spoyle of that fame dolorous
Faire Dame he might behold in perfect kind;
Which feene, he much reioyced in his cruell mind.

Of which full proud, himselfe vp rearing hye,
He looked round about with fterne difdaine;
And did furuay his goodly company :

And marshalling the euill ordered traine,

200

With that the darts which his right hand did ftraine,
Full dreadfully he fhooke that all did quake,
And clapt on hie his couloured winges twaine,
That all his many it affraide did make :

Tho blinding him againe, his way he forth did take.

210

Behinde him was Reproch, Repentance, Shame;
Reproch the first, Shame next, Repent behind:
Repentance feeble, forrowfull, and lame:
Reproch defpightfull, careleffe, and vnkind;
Shame moft ill fauourd, beftiall, and blind:
Shame lowrd, Repentance figh'd, Reproch did fcould;
Reproch fharpe ftings, Repentance whips entwind,
Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand did hold:
All three to each vnlike, yet all made in one mould. 221

And after them a rude confused rout

Of perfons flockt, whofe names is hard to read :

1. 200, 'eies . . . vnbinde,' and so 'e' in stanza's rhyme-words: 1. 201, 'Spoile' 1. 204, 'ful prowd, him felfe': 1. 205, ‘difdayne, and so ‘y' for 'i' in l. 207: 1. 208, 'hand' dropped in '90 and '96, but placed among 'Faults escaped' of the former: 1. 210, hye': 1. 213, 'Repentaunce,' and so ll. 215, 218, 219:1 214, 'behinde,' and so 'e' in stanza's rhyme-words: 1. 216, defpightful

Emongst them was fterne Strife, and Anger ftout,
Vnquiet Care, and fond Vnthriftihead,

Lewd Loffe of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead,
Inconftant Chaunge, and false Disloyaltie,
Confuming Riotife, and guilty Dread

Of heauenly vengeance, faint Infirmitie,
Vile Pouertie, and laftly Death with infamie.

There were full many moe like maladies,

Whose names and natures I note readen well;
So many moe, as there be phantafies

230

In wauering wemens wit, that none can tell, Or paines in loue, or punishments in hell; And which difguized marcht in masking wise, About the chamber with that Damozell, And then returned, hauing marched thrife, Into the inner roome, from whence they first did rise.

So foone as they were in, the dore ftreight way
Faft locked, driuen with that stormy blast,
Which first it opened; and bore all away.

240

Then the braue Maid, which all this while was plaft,

In fecret fhade, and faw both first and laft,

Iffewed forth, and went vnto the dore,

To enter in, but found it locked faft :

It vaine she thought with rigorous vprore

For to efforce, when charmes had closed it afore. /

1. 225, Vnthriftyhead': 1. 227, Disloyalty: 1. 229, vengeaunce. Infirmity: 1. 230, 'Pouerty. infamy: 1. 234, 'witt': 1. 237, by the': 1. 239, 'rowme': 1. 241, ‘flormy-blast': 1. 242,'opened; nothing did remayne'-sic, and no notice in 'Faults escaped': ib., . added after 'away': 1. 243, al': 1. 246, 'fownd': 1. 247, 'It' is 'In' in 1611.

Where force might not auaile, their fleights and art
She caft to vfe, both fit for hard emprize;
For thy, from that fame roome not to depart
Till morrow next, she did her felfe auize,
When that fame Maske againe should forth arize.
The morrow next appeard with ioyous cheare,
Calling men to their daily exercize,

Then fhe, as morrow fresh, her felfe did reare
Out of her secret stand, that day for to out weare.

All that day fhe outwore in wandering,

And gazing on that Chambers ornament,
Till that againe the fecond euening
Her couered with her fable veftiment,

250

260

Wherewith the worlds faire beautie fhe hath blent : Then when the second watch was almost past, That brafen dore flew open, and in went Bold Britomart, as she had late forecast, Neither of idle fhewes, nor of falfe charmes aghaft.

So foone as she was entred, round about

She caft her eies, to see what was become

Of all those perfons, which fhe faw without :
But lo, they ftreight were vanifht all and fome, 270
Ne liuing wight fhe faw in all that roome,
Saue that fame woefull Ladie, both whofe hands.
Were bounden faft, that did her ill become,
And her small waft girt round with yron bands,

Vnto a brasen pillour, by the which she stands.

1. 249, their' is there' in 1609: 1. 250, 'fitt': 1. 251, 'rowme': ib., added after 'thy: 1. 252, 'free': l. 254, 'morrowe': 1. 258, 'wandering' is 'wondering 1611 1. 266, Nether. . . ydle showes': 1. 267, ‘rownd'; 1. 268, Shee': 1. 272, 'Lady': I. 274. 'wafle rownd.

·

:

.

And her before the vile Enchaunter fate,
Figuring ftraunge characters of his art,
With liuing bloud he those characters wrate,
Dreadfully dropping from her dying hart,
Seeming transfixed with a cruell dart,
And all perforce to make her him to loue.

280

Ah who can loue the worker of her fmart?

A thousand charmes he formerly did proue ; Yet thousand charmes could not her ftedfaft heart remoue.

Soone as that virgin knight he saw in place,

His wicked bookes in haft he ouerthrew,
Not caring his long labours to deface,
And fiercely ronning to that Lady trew,
A murdrous knife out of his pocket drew,
The which he thought, for villeinous defpight,

In her tormented bodie to embrew:
But the ftout Damzell to him leaping light,
His cursed hand withheld, and maistered his might.

From her, to whom his fury first he ment,

The wicked weapon rafhly he did wreft,
And turning to her felfe his fell intent,
Vnwares it ftrooke into her snowie cheft,
That little drops empurpled her faire breft.
Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew,
Albe the wound were nothing deepe impreft,
And fiercely forth her mortall blade fhe drew,

To giue him the reward for fuch vile outrage dew.

290

300

1. 278, 'blood': 1. 288, 'running': 1. 296, 'to the next': 1. 298, litle.'

So mightily she smote him, that to ground

He fell halfe dead; next stroke him should haue flaine,

Had not the Lady, which by him stood bound,

Dernely vnto her called to abstaine,

From doing him to dy. For elfe her paine
Should be remedileffe, fith none but hee,

Which wrought it, could the fame recure againe. Therewith fhe ftayd her hand, loth ftayd to bee; 310 For life the him enuyde, and long'd reuenge to fee. /

And to him faid, Thou wicked man, whofe meed
For fo huge mischiefe, and vile villany

Is death, or if that ought do death exceed,
Be sure, that nought may faue thee from to dy,
But if that thou this Dame doe presently
Reftore vnto her health, and former ftate;
This doe and liue, elfe die vndoubtedly.

He glad of life, that lookt for death but late,
Did yield himselfe right willing to prolong his date.

And rifing vp, gan ftreight to ouerlooke,

321

Thofe curfed leaues, his charmes backe to reuerfe;. Full dreadfull things out of that balefull booke

He red, and meafur'd many a fad verfe,

That horror gan the virgins hart to perse,

And her faire lockes vp ftared ftiffe on end,
Hearing him those same bloudy lines reherse;
And all the while he red, fhe did extend

Her fword high ouer him, if ought he did offend.

:

1. 306, Dernly': ib., ' him' in both 'ço and '96, but 'her' accepted from 1609 ib., ' called'—misprinted 'called in '96 : 1. 314,' doe` : 1. 318, els dye': 1. 323, 'thinges': 1. 325, 'horreur': 1. 326, ‘locks': 1. 327, 'bloody.'