Both Scudamour and Arthegall
Doe fight with Britomart:
He sees her face; doth fall in love,
And soone from her depart.
WHAT equall torment to the griefe of mind
And pyning anguish hid in gentle hart,
That inly feeds itselfe with thoughts unkind,
And nourisheth her owne consuming smart!
What medicine can any leaches art
Yeeld such a sore, that doth her grievance hide,
And will to none her maladie impart!
Such was the wound that Scudamour did gride; For which Dan Phebus selfe cannot a salve pro
Who having left that restlesse House of Care,
The next day, as he on his way did ride,
Full of melancholie and sad misfare
Through misconceipt, all unawares espide
An armed Knight under a forrest side
Sitting in shade beside his grazing steede ;
Who, soone as them approaching he descride,
Gan towards them to pricke with eger speede,
That seem'd he was full bent to some mischievous
Which Scudamour perceiving forth issewed
To have rencountred him in equall race;
But, soone as th' other nigh approaching vewed
The armes he bore, his speare he gan abase
And voide his course; at which so suddain case
He wondred much: but th' other thus can say;
"Ah! gentle Scudamour, unto your grace
I me submit, and you of pardon pray,
That almost had against you trespassed this day."
Whereto thus Scudamour; " Small harme it were
For any Knight upon a ventrous Knight
Without displeasance for to prove his spere.
But reade you, Sir, sith ye my name have hight,
What is your owne, that I mote you requite."
Certes," sayd he, "ye mote as now excuse
Me from discovering you my name aright:
For time yet serves that I the same refuse;
But call
ye me the Salvage Knight, as others use."
"Then this, Sir Salvage Knight," quoth he, "areede;
Or doe here within this forrest wonne,
That seemeth well to answere to your weede,
Or have ye it for some occasion donne?
That rather seemes, sith knowen armes ye shonne." "This other day," sayd he, "a stranger Knight Shame and dishonour hath unto me donne ;
On whom I waite to wreake that foule despight, Whenever he this way shall passe by day or night."
"Shame be his meede," quoth he, "that meaneth shame!
But what is he by whom ye shamed were?" "A stranger Knight," sayd he, "unknowne by
But knowne by fame, and by an hebene speare With which he all that met him downe did beare. He, in an open turney lately held,
Fro me the honour of that game did reare;
And having me, all wearie earst, downe feld, The fayrest Ladie reft, and ever since withheld.”
When Scudamour heard mention of that speare,
He wist right well that it was Britomart,
The which from him his fairest Love did beare.
Tho gan he swell in every inner part
For fell despight, and gnaw his gealous hart,
That thus he sharply sayd; "Now by my head,
Yet is not this the first unknightly part,
Which that same Knight, whom by his launce I [him dread:
Hath doen to noble Knights, that many makes
"For lately he my Love hath fro me reft,
And eke defiled with foule villanie
The sacred pledge which in his faith was left,
In shame of knighthood and fidelitie;
The which ere long full deare he shall abie:
And if to that avenge by you decreed
This hand may helpe, or succour ought supplie,
It shall not fayle whenso ye shall it need,”
So both to wreake their wrathes on Britomart
Whiles thus they communed, lo! farre away
A Knight soft ryding towards them they spyde,
Attyr'd in forraine armes and straunge aray:
Whom when they nigh approcht, they plaine
descryde
To be the same for whom they did abyde.
Sayd then Sir Scudamour, "Sir Salvage Knight,
Let me this crave, sith first I was defyde,
That first I may that wrong to him requite:
And, if I hap to fayle, you shall recure my right."
Which being yeelded, he his threatfull speare
Gan fewter, and against her fiercely ran.
Who soone as she him saw approching neare
With so fell rage, herselfe she lightly gan
To dight, to welcome him well as she can;
But entertaind him in so rude a wise,
That to the ground she smote both horse and man;
Whence neither greatly hasted to arise,
But on their common harmes together did devise.
But Artegall, beholding his mischaunce,
New matter added to his former fire;
And, eft aventring his steele-headed launce,
Against her rode, full of despiteous ire,
That nought but spoyle and vengeance did require :
But to himselfe his felonous intent
Returning disappointed his desire,
Whiles unawares his saddle he forwent,
And found himselfe on ground in great amazë-
Lightly he started up out of that stound,
And snatching forth his direfull deadly blade
Did leape to her, as doth an eger hound
Thrust to an hynd within some covert glade,
Whom without perill he cannot invade :
With such fell greedines he her assayled,
That though she mounted were, yet he her made
To give him ground, (so much his force prevayled,)
And shun his mightie strokes, gainst which no
armes avayled.
So, as they coursed here and there, it chaunst
That, in her wheeling round, behind her crest
So sorely he her strooke, that thence it glaunst
Adowne her backe, the which it fairely blest
From foule mischance; ne did it ever rest,
Till on her horses hinder parts it fell;
Where byting deepe so deadly it imprest,
That quite it chynd his backe behind the sell,
And to alight on foote her algates did compell:
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