1

But the thereat was wroth, that for defpight

The glauncing sparkles through her beuer glared,
And from her eies did flafh out fiery light,

Like coles, that through a filuer Cenfer sparkle bright.

She ftayd not to aduife which way to take;

But putting fpurres vnto her fiery beast,

Thorough the midft of them fhe way did make. 350 The one of them, which moft her wrath increast, Vppon her speare fhe bore before her breast, Till to the Bridges further end the past, Where falling downe, his challenge he releast : The other ouer fide the Bridge she caft Into the riuer, where he drunke his deadly laft,

As when the flashing Leuin haps to light

Vppon two ftubborne oakes, which stand so neare,
That way betwixt them none appeares in fight; ¡
The Engin fiercely flying forth, doth teare 360
Th'one from the earth, & through the aire doth beare;
The other it with force doth ouerthrow,

Vppon one fide, and from his rootes doth reare.

So did the Championeffe those two there ftrow, And to their fire their carcaffes left to beftow. /

O

Britomart comes to fis Church,
Where fe ftrange vifions fees:
She fights with Radigund, her flaies,
And Artegall thence frees.

¤0000000000

N°

Ought is on earth more facred, or diuine, That Gods and men doe equally adore, Then this fame vertue, that doth right define: For th'heuens thefelues, whence mortal men implore Right in their wrongs, are rul'd by righteous lore 10 Of higheft Ioue, who doth true iuftice deale

To his inferiour Gods, and euer more

Therewith containes his heauenly Common-weale, The fkill whereof to Princes hearts he doth reueale.

Well wherefore did the antique world inuent,
That Iuftice was a God of foueraine grace,
And altars vnto him, and temples lent,
And heauenly honours in the highest place;
Calling him great Ofyris, of the race

Of th'old Ægyptian Kings, that whylome were ;
With fayned colours, fhading a true cafe:
For that Ofyris, whileft he liued here,
The iufteft man aliue, and trueft did appeare.

20

His wife was Ifis, whom they likewise made
A Goddeffe of great powre and fouerainty
And in her person cunningly did fhade
That part of Iuftice, which is Equity,
Whereof I haue to treat here presently.
Vnto whose temple when as Britomart
Arriued, shee with great humility

Did enter in, ne would that night depart;
But Talus mote not be admitted to her part.

There fhe receiued was in goodly wize

Of many Priests, which duely did attend.
Vppon the rites and daily facrifize,

All clad in linnen robes with filuer hemd;
And on their heads with long locks comely kemd,
They wore rich Mitres fhaped like the Moone,
To fhew that Ifis doth the Moone portend;
Like as Ofyris fignifies the Sunne.

For that they both like race in equall iuftice runne.

The Championeffe them greeting, as fhe could,
Was thence by them into the Temple led;
Whofe goodly building when she did behould,
Borne vppon stately pillours, all dispred
With fhining gold, and arched ouer hed,
She wondred at the workemans paffing skill,
Whose like before fhe neuer faw nor red;

And thereuppon long while stood gazing still,

30

40

But thought, that she thereon could neuer gaze her fill.

Thence forth vnto the Idoll they her brought,

The which was framed all of filuer fine,

51

So well as could with cunning hand be wrought,
And clothed all in garments made of line,
Hemd all about with fringe of filuer twine.
Vppon her head she wore a Crowne of gold,
To fhew that she had powre in things diuine;
And at her feete a Crocodile was rold,

That with her wreathed taile her middle did enfold. /

One foote was fet vppon the Crocodile,

And on the ground the other fast did stand,
So meaning to fuppreffe both forged guile,
And open force and in her other hand
She ftretched forth a long white fclender wand.
Such was the Goddeffe; whom when Britomart
Had long beheld, her selfe vppon the land
She did proftrate, and with right humble hart,
Vnto her felfe her filent prayers did impart.

To which the Idoll as it were inclining,

Her wand did moue with amiable looke,
By outward fhew her inward fence defining.
Who well perceiuing, how her wand she shooke,
It as a token of good fortune tooke.

By this the day with dampe was ouercast,
And ioyous light the house of Ioue forfooke:
Which when she faw, her helmet she vnlaste,
And by the altars fide her felfe to flumber plaste.

For other beds the Priests there vfed none,

But on their mother Earths deare lap did lie,

60

70

1. 59, 'her' Church suggests 'his'; but all such finicalness is antithetic to Spenser's use and wont: 1. 64, 'fender,' as before: 1. 71, query 'defining'?

VII.

22

And bake their fides vppon the cold hard ftone, So
T'enure them felues to fufferaunce thereby,

And proud rebellious flesh to mortify.
For by the vow of their religion

They tied were to stedfast chastity,
And continence of life; that all forgon,
They mote the better tend to their deuotion.

Therefore they mote not taste of fleshly food,

90

Ne feed on ought, the which doth bloud containe,
Ne drinke of wine, for wine they fay is blood,
Euen the bloud of Gyants, which were flaine,
By/thundring Ioue in the Phlegrean plaine.
For which the earth (as they the story tell)
Wroth with the Gods, which to perpetuall paine
Had damn'd her fonnes, which gainst them did rebell,
With inward griefe and malice did against them fwell.

And of their vitall bloud, the which was shed
Into her pregnant bofome, forth fhe brought
The fruitfull vine, whofe liquor blouddy red
Hauing the mindes of men with fury fraught,
Mote in them stirre vp old rebellious thought,
To make new warre against the Gods againe :
Such is the powre of that same fruit, that nought
The fell contagion may thereof restraine,

Ne within reafons rule, her madding mood containe.

There did the warlike Maide her felfe repose,

Vnder the wings of Ifis all that night,

And with sweete reft her heauy eyes did close,
After that long daies toile and weary plight.

1. 81,, added in 1609; : 1. 85, ; for,-accepted.

100