Such us'd wise Glauce to that wrathful knight,
To calme the tempest of his troubled thought;
Yet Blandamour, with termes of foule despight,
And Paridell her scornd, and set at nought,
As old and crooked, and not good for ought;
Both they unwise and warelesse of the evill
That by themselves unto themselves is wrought,
Through that false witch and that foule aged drevill;
The one a feend, the other an incarnate devill.
With 'whom as they thus rode accompanide,
They were encountred of a lustie knight,
That had a goodly ladie by his side,
To whom he made great dalliance and delight;
It was to weet the bold Sir Ferraugh hight,
He that from Braggadocchio whilome reft
The snowy Florimell, whose beautie bright
Made him seeme happie for so glorious theft ;
Yet was it in due triall but a wandring weft.
Which whenas Blandamour (whose fancie light Was alwaies flitting as the wavering wind, After each beautie that appeard in sight) Beheld, eftsoones it prickt his wanton mind With sting of lust, that Reason's eye did blind, That to Sir Paridell these words he sent; “Sir Knight, why ride ye dumpish thus behind, "Since so good fortune doth to you present "So fayre a spoyle, to make you joyous meriment ?”
But Paridell, that had too late a tryall
Of the bad issue of his counsell vaine,
List not to hearke, but made this faire denyall;
"Last turne was mine, well proved to my paine;
"This now be yours; God send you better gaine."
Whose scoffed words he taking halfe in scorne,
Fiercely forth prickt his steed, as in disdaine,
Against that knight, ere he him well could torne,
By meanes whereof he hath him lightly over-borne.
VII.
Who with the sudden stroke astonisht sore,
Upon the ground a while in slomber lay,
The whiles his love away the other bore,
And shewing her, did Paridell upbray;
"Lo, sluggish Knight, the victor's happie pray :
"So fortune friends the bold." Whom Paridell
Seeing so faire indeede, as he did say,
His hart with secret envie gan to swell,
And inly grudge at him that he had sped so well.
VIII.
Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed,
Having so peereless paragon ygot;
For sure the fayrest Florimell him seemed
To him was fallen for his happie lot,
Whose like alive on earth he weened not;
Therefore he her did court, did serve, did wooe,
With humblest suit that he imagine mot,
And all things did devise, all things dooe
That might her love prepare, and liking win theretoo.
She in regard thereof him recompenst
With golden words and goodly countenance,
And such fond favours sparingly dispenst;
Sometimes him blessing with a light eye-glance,
And coy lookes tempring with loose dalliance;
Sometimes estranging him in sterner wise,
That having cast him in a foolish trance,
He seemed brought to bed in Paradise, [most wise.'
And prov'd himselfe most foole in what he seem'd
X.
So great a mistresse of her art she was,
And perfectly practiz'd in woman's craft,
That though therein himselfe he thought to pas,
And by his false allurements wylie draft
Had thousand women of their love beraft,
Yet now he was surpriz'd; for that false spright,
Which that same witch had in this forme engraft,
Was so expert in every subtile slight,
That it could over-reach the wisest earthly wight.
XI.
Yet he to her did dayly service more,
And dayly more deceived was thereby;
Yet Paridell him envied therefore,
As seeming plast in sole felicity;
So blind is lust false colours to descry:
But Até soone discovering his desire,
And finding now fit opportunity
To stirre up strife, twixt love, and spight, and ire,
Did privily put coles unto his secret fire.
By sundry meanes thereto she prickt him forth,
Now with remembrance of those spightfull speaches,
Now with opinion of his owne more worth,
Now with recounting of like former breaches
Made in their friendship, as that hag him teaches
And ever when his passion is allayd
She it revives, and new occasion reaches,
That on a time, as they together way'd,
He made him open chalenge, and thus boldly sayd; XIII.
"Too boastfull Blandamour, too long I beare "The open wongs thou doest me day by day; "Well know'st thou when we friendship first did
"The covenant was, that every spoyle or pray "Should equally be shard betwixt us tway: "Where is my part, then, of this ladie bright, "Whom to thyselfe thou takest quite away? "Render, therefore, therein to me my right, "Or answere for thy wrong as shall fall out in fight.” XIV.
Exceeding wroth thereat was Blandamour, And gan this bitter answere to him make; "Too foolish Paridell, that fayrest floure [take: "Wouldst gather faine, and yet no paines wouldst "But not so easie will I her forsake ;
"This hand her wonne, this hand shall her defend." With that they gan their shivering speares to shake, And deadly points at either's breast to bend, Forgetfull each to have been over other's frend.
Their firie steedes with so untamed forse
Did beare them both to fell avenge's end,
That both their speares with pitilesse remorse
Through shield, and mayle, and haberieon, did wend,
And in their flesh a griesly passage rend,
That with the furie of their owne affret
Each other horse and man to ground did send;
Where lying still awhile, both did forget
The perilous present stownd in which their lives were XVI.
As when two warlike brigandines at sea,
With murdrous weapons arm'd to cruell fight,
Do meete together on the watry lea,
They stemme ech other with so fell despight,
That with the shocke of their owne heedlesse might
Their wooden ribs are shaken nigh asonder ;
They which from shore behold the dreadfull sight
Of flashing fire, and heare the ordenance thonder,
Do greatly stand amaz'd at such unwonted wonder.
XVII.
At length they both upstarted in amaze,
As men awaked rashly out of dreme,
And round about themselves awhile did gaze,
Till seeing her, that Florimell did seeme,
In doubt to whom she victorie should deeme,
Therewith their dulled sprights they edgd anew,
And drawing both their swords with rage extreme,
Like two mad mastiffes, each on other flew,
And shields did share, and mailes did rash, and helmes did hew.
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