Did all that youthly rout fo much appall,

That none of them durft vndertake the fight; 360
More wife they weend to make of loue delight,
Then life to hazard for faire Ladies looke;

And yet vncertaine by fuch outward fight,

Though for her fake they all that perill tooke,

Whether she would them loue, or in her liking brooke.

Amongst thofe knights there were three brethren bold,
Three bolder brethren neuer were yborne,

Borne of one mother in one happie mold,
Borne at one burden in one happie morne ;

Thrife happie mother, and thrife happie morne, 370
That bore three fuch, three fuch not to be fond;
Her name was Agape whofe children werne
All three as one, the first hight Priamond,
The fecond Dyamond, the youngest Triamond.
Stout Priamond, but not so strong to strike,
Strong Diamond, but not so ftout a knight,
But Triamond was ftout and strong alike:
On horfebacke vfed Triamond to fight,
And Priamond on foote had more delight,

But horse and foote knew Diamond to wield: 380

With curtaxe vfed Diamond to smite,

And Triamond to handle fpeare and shield,

But speare and curtaxe both vid Priamond in field.

These three did loue each other dearely well,

And with fo firme affection were allyde,
As if but one foule in them all did dwell,
Which did her powre into three parts diuyde;

11. 362 and 369,; for,—accepted: 1. 364 in ( ), and so 1. 367. VII.

ΙΟ

Like three faire branches budding farre and wide, That from one roote deriu'd their vitall sap: And like that roote that doth her life diuide, Their mother was, and had full blessed hap, These three fo noble babes to bring forth at one clap.

Their mother was a Fay, and had the skill

390

Of fecret things, and all the powres of naturé, Which the by art could vse vnto her will, And to her feruice bind each liuing creature : Through secret vnderstanding of their feature. Thereto fhe was right faire, when so her face She lift difcouer, and of goodly ftature; But fhe as Fayes are wont, in priuie place Did fpend her dayes, and lov'd in forefts wyld to space.

There on a day a noble youthly knight

Seeking aduentures in the faluage wood,
Did by great fortune get of her the fight;

As fhe fate careleffe by a criftall flood,/

Combing her golden lockes, as feemd her good :

And vnawares vpon her laying hold,

That ftroue in vaine him long to haue withstood,
Oppreffed her, and there (as it is told),

400

Got these three louely babes, that prov'd three chàpions

bold.

Which the with her long foftred in that wood,
Till that to ripeneffe of mans ftate they grew :
Then fhewing forth fignes of their fathers blood,
They loued armes, and knighthood did enfew,

410

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

Their days mote be abridged through their corage ftout.

Therefore defirous th'end of all their dayes

To know, and them t'enlarge with long extent,
By wondrous fkill, 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 Abyffe,
Where Demogorgon in dull darknesse pent,

420

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 span :
And when at laft fhe 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 see the secret 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 childrès 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 faw, 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 thofe 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 shred 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 likewife 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 affynd,
Or how their liues were eekt, fhe 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, Jo be'-Dr. Morris queries 'be fo (?)': 1. 489 in ().

470

480

490