Thereof great hurly burly moved was
Throughout the hall for that same warlike horse:
For Braggadochio would not let him pas;
And Guyon would him algates have perforse,
approve upon his carrion corse.
Which troublous stirre when Artegall perceived, He nigh them drew to stay th' Avengers forse; And gan inquire how was that steed bereaved, Whether by might extort, or else by slight deceaved.
Who all that piteous storie, which befell
About that wofull Couple which were slaine,
And their
Bloodie Babe to him
young
With whom whiles he did in the wood remaine,
His horse purloyned was by subtill traine;
For which he chalenged the Thiefe to fight:
But he for nought could him thereto constraine;
For as the death he hated such despight,
And rather had to lose than trie in armes his right.
Which Artegall well hearing, (though no more
By law of armes there neede ones right to trie,
As was the wont of warlike Knights of yore,
Then that his foe should him the field denie,)
Yet further right by tokens to descrie,
He askt, what privie tokens he did beare.
"If that," said Guyon, " may you satisfie,
Within his mouth a blacke spot doth appeare,
Shapt like a horses shoe, who list to seeke it there."
Whereof to make due tryall one did take
The horse in hand within his mouth to looke:
But with his heeles so sorely he him strake,
That all his ribs he quite in peeces broke,
That never word from that day forth he spoke.
Another, that would seeme to have more wit,
Him by the bright embrodered hedstall tooke:
But by the shoulder him so sore he bit,
That he him maymed quite, and all his shoulder split.
Ne he his mouth would open unto wight,
Untill that Guyon selfe unto him spake,
And called Brigadore (so was he hight,)
Whose voice so soone as he did undertake,
Eftsoones he stood as still as any stake,
And suffred all his secret marke to see;
And, whenas he him nam'd, for ioy he brake
His bands, and follow'd him with gladfull glee,
And friskt, and flong aloft, and louted low on knee.
Thereby Sir Artegall did plaine areed,
That unto him the horse belong'd; and sayd,
"Lo there, Sir Guyon, take to you the steed,
As he with golden saddle is arayd;
And let that Losell, plainely now displayd,
Hence fare on foot, till he an horse have gayned."
But the proud Boaster gan his doome upbrayd,
And him revil'd, and rated, and disdayned,
That judgement so uniust against him had or→
dayned.
Much was the Knight incenst with his lewd word,
To have revenged that his villeny;
And thrice did lay his hand upon his sword,
To have him slaine, or dearely doen aby:
But Guyon did his choler pacify,
Saying, "Sir Knight, it would dishonour bee
To you that are our iudge of equity,
To wreake your wrath on such a carle as hee:
It's punishment enough that all his shame doe see."
So did he mitigate Sir Artegall;
But Talus by the backe the Boaster hent,
And drawing him out of the open hall
Upon him did inflict this punishment:
First he his beard did shave, and fowly shent;
Then from him reft his shield, and it renverst,
And blotted out his armes with falshood blent;
And himselfe baffuld, and his armes unherst;
And broke his sword in twaine, and all his armour
sperst.
The whiles his guilefull Groome was fled away;
But vaine it was to thinke from him to flie:
Who overtaking him did disaray,
And all his face deform'd with infamie,
And out of court him scourged openly.
So ought all faytours, that true knighthood shame,
And armes dishonour with base villanie,
From all brave Knights be banisht with defame: For oft their lewdnes blotteth good deserts with
Now when these Counterfeits were thus uncased
Out of the foreside of their forgerie,
And in the sight of all men cleane disgraced,
All
gan to iest and gibe full merilie
At the remembrance of their knaverie:
Ladies can laugh at Ladies, Knights at Knights,
To thinke with how great vaunt of braverie
He them abused through his subtill slights,
And what a glorious shew he made in all their
sights.
There leave we them in pleasure and repast,
Spending their ioyous dayes and gladfull nights,
And taking usurie of time forepast,
With all deare delices and rare delights,
Fit for such Ladies and such lovely Knights:
And turne we here to this faire furrowes end
Our wearie yokes, to gather fresher sprights,
That, whenas time to Artegall shall tend,
We on his first adventure may him forward send.
Artegall dealeth right betwixt
Two brethren that doe strive :
Saves Terpine from the gallow tree,
And doth from death reprive.
WHOSO upon himselfe will take the skill
True iustice unto people to divide,
Had need have mightie hands for to fulfill
That which he doth with righteous doome decide,
And for to maister wrong and puissant pride:
For vaine it is to deeme of things aright,
And makes wrong doers iustice to deride,
Unlesse it be perform'd with dreadlesse might:
For Powre is the right hand of Iustice truely hight.
Therefore whylome to Knights of great emprise
The charge of Iustice given was in trust,
That they might execute her iudgements wise,
And with their might beat downe licentious lust,
Which proudly did impugne her sentence iust:
Whereof no braver president this day
Remaines on earth, preserv'd from yron rust
Of rude oblivion and long times decay,
Then this of Artegall, which here we have to say.
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