Nor feeme too suddeinly him to inuade:
Still as she stood, she heard with grieuous throb
Him grone, as if his hart were peeces made,

And with most painefull pangs to figh and fob,
That pitty did the Virgins hart of patience rob.

At laft forth breaking into bitter plaintes

He faid;

foueraigne Lord that fit'ft on hye, And raignft in blis emongst thy blessed Saintes, 80 How fuffreft thou fuch fhamefull cruelty,

So long vnwreaked of thine enimy?

Or haft, thou Lord, of good mens caufe no heed?

Or doth thy iuftice fleepe, and filent ly?

What booteth then the good and righteous deed, If goodneffe find no grace, nor righteousnesse no meed?

If good find grace, and righteousnesse reward,
Why then is Amoret in caytiue band,

Sith that more bounteous creature neuer far'd
On foot, vpon the face of liuing land?
Or if that heauenly iuftice may withstand
The wrongfull outrage of vnrighteous men,
Why then is Bufirane with wicked hand
Suffred, these feuen monethes day in fecret den
My Lady and my loue fo cruelly to pen?

My Lady and my loue is cruelly pend

In dolefull darkeneffe from the vew of day,
Whileft deadly torments do her chaft breft rend,
And the sharpe fteele doth riue her hart in tway,

90

1. 79, fayd, O fouerayne': 1. 86, righteousnes,' and so 1. 87: 1. 91, 'heuenly,' and so l. 125 : l. 97, 'darkenes': 1. 98, ‘doe.'

All for the Scudamore will not denay.
Yet thou vile man, vile Scudamore art found,
Ne canft her ayde, ne canft her foe difmay:
Vnworthy wretch to tread vpon the ground,
For whom so faire a Lady feeles fo fore a wound.

100

There an huge heape of fingulfes did oppreffe
His ftrugling foule, and fwelling throbs empeach
His foltring toung with pangs of drerinesse,
Choking the remnant of his plaintife speach,
As if his dayes were come to their last reach.
Which when she heard, and faw the ghaftly fit, 110
Threatning into his life to make a breach,

Both with great ruth and terrour she was smit, Fearing least from her cage the wearie foule would flit.

Tho ftooping downe she him amoued light;

Who therewith somewhat starting, vp gan looke,
And seeing him behind a ftraunger knight,
Whereas no liuing creature he mistooke,
With great indignaunce he that fight forfooke,
And downe againe himselfe disdainefully

Abiecting, th'earth with his faire forhead strooke: 120
Which the bold Virgin seeing, gan apply
Fit medcine to his griefe, and spake thus courtesly. /

Ah gentle knight, whofe deepe conceiued griefe
Well feemes t'exceede the powre of patience,
Yet if that heauenly grace fome good reliefe
You fend, submit you to high prouidence,

1. 105, 'fingulfes' is 'fingults' in 1609-see Glossary s.v. l. 116, 'ftranger': 1. 120, ", after 'Abiecting' accepted from '90: 1. 123, 'cenceived' (misprint '96).

And euer in your noble hart prepense,

That all the forrow in the world is leffe,

Then vertues might, and values confidence,

For who nill bide the burden of distresse,

130

Muft not here thinke to liue: for life is wretchedneffe.

Therefore, faire Sir, do comfort to you take,

And freely read, what wicked felon fo

Hath outrag'd you, and thrald your gentle make.
Perhaps this hand may helpe to ease your woe,
And wreake your forrow on your cruell foe,
At least it faire endeuour will apply.

Those feeling wordes fo neare the quicke did goe,
That vp his head he reared easily,

And leaning on his elbow, these few wordes let fly. 140

What boots it plaine, that cannot be redrest,
And fow vaine forrow in a fruitleffe eare,
Sith powre of hand, nor skill of learned brest,
Ne worldly price cannot redeeme my deare,
Out of her thraldome and continuall feare?
For he the tyraunt, which her hath in ward

By strong enchauntments and blacke Magicke leare,
Hath in a dungeon deepe her close embard,
And many dreadfull feends hath pointed to her gard.

There he tormenteth her moft terribly,

150

And day and night afflicts with mortall paine,
Because to yield him loue she doth deny,

Once to me yold, not to be yold againe :

1. 137, ‘At' is misprinted 'And' in '96: 1. 138, 'words': 1. 140, elbowe... lett': 1. 142, 'fruitlee' is misprinted in '96 'fruilesse' : 1. 146, tyrant': 1. 153, 'yolde' (2nd).

But yet by torture he would her constraine
Loue to conceiue in her difdainfull breft;

Till fo fhe do, she must in doole remaine,
Ne may by liuing meanes be thence relest:

What boots it then to plaine, that cannot be redrest ?

With this fad herfall of his heauy stresse,

The warlike Damzell was empaffiond fore,

And faid; Sir knight, your caufe is nothing leffe,
Then is your forrow, certes if not more;
For nothing fo much pitty doth implore,
As gentle Ladies helpleffe mifery.
But yet, if please ye listen to my lore,
I will with proofe of last extremity,

Deliuer her fro thence, or with her for you dy.

160

Ah gentlest knight aliue, (said Scudamore)
What huge heroicke magnanimity

(more,

171

Dwels in thy bounteous breft? what couldst thou
If the were thine, and thou as now am I?
O fpare thy happy dayes, and them apply
To better boot, but let me dye, that ought;
More is more loffe: one is enough to dy.

Life is not loft, (said she) for which is bought Endlesse renowm, that more then death is to be fought.

Thus fhe at length perfwaded him to rise,

And with her wend, to see what new fucceffe

Mote him befall vpon new enterprise;

His armes, which he had vowed to difprofesse,

180

1. 155, ; for,-accepted: 1. 156, 'doe': l. 161, fayd,' and so l. 168: ib.,, for; l. 164, 'Ladyes': 1. 170, 'dwels': 1. 172, 'daies': 1. 173, 'die': 1. 176, 'death'-Jortin suggests 'life': 1. 177, Shee.

...

perfuaded!

She gathered vp and did about him dresse,
And his forwandred steed vnto him got:

190

So forth they both yfere make their progresse, And march not past the mountenaunce of a shot. Till they arriu'd, whereas their purpose they did plot./ There they difmounting, drew their weapons bold And ftoutly came vnto the Castle gate; Whereas no gate they found, them to withhold, Nor ward to wait at morne and euening late, But in the Porch, that did them fore amate, A flaming fire, ymixt with smouldry smoke, And ftinking Sulphure, that with griefly hate And dreadfull horrour did all entraunce choke, Enforced them their forward footing to reuoke. Greatly thereat was Britomart dismayd, Ne in that ftownd wift, how her felfe to beare; For daunger vaine it were, to haue affayd That cruell element, which all things feare, Ne none can suffer to approchen neare : And turning backe to Scudamour, thus fayd; What monftrous enmity prouoke we heare, Foolhardy as th'Earthes children, the which made Battell against the Gods? so we a God inuade.

Daunger without discretion to attempt,

Inglorious and beastlike is: therefore Sir knight,
Aread what course of you is safest dempt,
And how we with our foe may come to fight.

200

1. 182, 'forwarded' is in '96 misprinted as two words: ib., 'gott,' and so double in rhyme-words of the stanza : l. 193, ‘horror' : l. 202,, after 'Foolhardy,' and no 'the': I. 203, 'Batteill': 1. 205, 'and' is removed in 1611 but Spenser was no Purist in either rhyme or rhythm.