Where that proud knight in his presumption The gentle Aladine did earst invade, Being unarm'd and set in secret shade. Whereof she now bethinking, gan t' advize1 How great a hazard she at earst had made Of her good fame; and further gan devize How she the blame might salve with coloured disguize.
9 But Calidore with all good courtesie Fain'd her to frolicke, and to put away The pensive fit of her melancholie ; And that old knight by all meanes did assay To make them both as merry as he may.
So they the evening past till time of rest; When Calidore in seemly good array
Unto his bowre was brought, and there undrest Did sleepe all night through weary travell of his
10 But faire Priscilla (so that lady hight) Would to no bed, nor take no kindely sleepe, But by her wounded Love did watch all night, And all the night for bitter anguish weepe, And with her teares his wounds did wash and steepe. So well she washt them, and so well she wacht him, That of the deadly swound, in which full deepe He drenched was, she at the length dispacht him, And drove away the stound which mortally attacht him.
1 Advize, perceive. 2 Fain'd, desired.
8 Bowre, chamber.
4 Travell, toil.
5 Stound, exigency, peril.
11 The morrow next, when day gan to uplooke, He also gan uplooke with drery eye,
Like one that out of deadly dreame awooke: Where when he saw his faire Priscilla by, He deepely sigh'd, and groaned inwardly, To thinke of this ill state in which she stood; To which she for his sake had weetingly
Now brought herselfe, and blam'd1 her noble blood: For first, next after life, he tendered her good.
12 Which she perceiving did with plenteous teares His care 2 more then her owne compassionate, Forgetfull of her owne to minde his feares: So both conspiring gan to intimate 3
Each others griefe with zeale affectionate, And twixt them twaine with equall care to cast How to save whole her hazarded estate;
For which the onely helpe now left them last Seem'd to be Calidore: all other helpes were past.
13 Him they did deeme, as sure to them he seemed, A courteous knight and full of faithfull trust; Therefore to him their cause they best esteemed Whole to commit, and to his dealing iust. Earely, so soone as Titans beames forth brust Through the thicke clouds, in which they steeped lay All night in darkenesse, duld with yron rust, Calidore rising up as fresh as day
Gan freshly him addresse unto his former way.
1 Blam'd, brought reproach upon. 2 Care, trouble.
8 Intimate, disclose, impart. 4 Brust, burst.
14 But first him seemed fit that wounded knight To visite, after this nights perillous passe; And to salute him, if he were in plight,
And eke that lady, his faire, lovely lasse. There he him found much better then he was And moved speach to him of things of course, The anguish of his paine to over-passe:
Mongst which he namely1 did to him discourse Of former daies mishap, his sorrowes wicked sourse.
15 Of which occasion Aldine taking hold
Gan breake to him the fortunes of his love, And all his disadventures 2 to unfold; That Calidore it dearly deepe did move: In th' end, his kyndly courtesie to prove, He him by all the bands of love besought, And as it mote a faithfull friend behove,
To safe conduct his Love, and not for ought
To leave, till to her fathers house he had her
16 Sir Calidore his faith thereto did plight
It to performe: so after little stay, That she herselfe had to the iourney dight,
He passed forth with her in faire array,
Fearelesse who ought did thinke or ought did say, Sith his own thought he knew most cleare from wite 3:
So, as they past together on their way,
1 Namely, particularly.
2 Disadventures, misfortunes.
He can devize this counter-cast of slight,1 To give faire colour to that ladies cause in sight.
17 Streight to the carkasse of that knight he went, (The cause of all this evill, who was slaine The day before by iust avengëment
Of noble Tristram,) where it did remaine; There he the necke thereof did cut in twaine,
And tooke with him the head, the signe of shame. So forth he passed thorough that daies paine, Till to that ladies fathers house he came ;
Most pensive man, through feare what of his childe became.
18 There he arriving boldly did present The fearefull lady to her father deare, Most perfect pure, and guiltlesse innocent Of blame, as he did on his knighthood sweare, Since first he saw her, and did free from feare Of a discourteous knight, who her had reft And by outragious force away did beare: Witnesse thereof he shew'd his head there left, And wretched life forlorne 2 for vengement of his theft.
19 Most ioyfull man her sire was, her to see, And heare th' adventure of her late mischaunce; And thousand thankes to Calidore for fee
Of his large paines in her deliveraunce Did yeeld; ne lesse the lady did advaunce.3
1 I. e. ingenious counter-project. 2 Forlorne, lost.
Thus having her restored trustily,
As he had vow'd, some small continuaunce He there did make, and then most carefully Unto his first exploite he did himselfe apply.
20 So, as he was pursuing of his quest,
He chaunst to come whereas a iolly Knight In covert shade himselfe did safely rest, To solace with his lady in delight:
His warlike armes he had from him undight; For that himselfe he thought from daunger free, And far from envious eyes that mote him spight: And eke the lady was full faire to see,
And courteous withall, becomming her degree.
21 To whom Sir Calidore approaching nye, Ere they were well aware of living wight, Them much abasht, but more himselfe thereby, That he so rudely did uppon them light, And troubled had their quiet loves delight: Yet since it was his fortune, not his fault, Himselfe thereof he labour'd to acquite, And pardon crav'd for his so rash default, That he gainst courtesie so fowly did default.
22 With which his gentle words and goodly wit He soone allayd that Knights conceiv'd displeasure, That he besought him downe by him to sit, That they mote treat of things abrode at leasure, And of adventures, which had in his measure Of so long waies to him befallen late.
So downe he sate, and with delightfull pleasure
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