Of massy gold, which with his owne light | Such as false love doth oft upon him weare; For love in thousand monstrous formes doth oft appeare.
And winges it had with sondry colours dight,
More sondry colours then the proud Pavone
Beares in his boasted fan, or Iris bright,
When her discolourd bow she spreds through
hevens hight.
Blyndfold he was; and in his cruell fist
A mortall bow and arrowes keene did hold,
With warlike spoiles and with victorious pray es
And all about the glistring walles were hong
Of mightie Conquerours and Captaines strong,
Which were whilome captived in their dayes
To cruell love, and wrought their owne decayes.
Their swerds and speres were broke, and hau-
berques rent,
With which he shot at randou, when him list, And their proud girlonds of tryumphant bayes Some headed with sad lead, some with pure Troden in dust with fury insolent,
gold; Ah man! beware how thou those dartes be- To shew the victors might and mercilesse inA wounded Dragon under him did ly, Whose hideous tayle his lefte foot did enfold, And with a shaft was shot through either eye, That no man forth might draw, ne no man remedye.
And underneath his feet was written thus, Unto the Victor of the Gods this bee: And all the people in that ample hous Jid to that image bowe their humble knee, And oft committed fowle Idolatree. That wondrous sight faire Britomart amazd, Ne seeing could her wonder satisfie, ut ever more and more upon The whiles the passing brightnes her fraile gazd, sences dazd.
Tho, as she backward cast her busie eye
To search each secrete of that goodly sted,
Over the dore thus written she did spye,
Bee bold: she oft and oft it over-red,
Tet could not find what sence it figured:
But what so were therein or writ or ment,
She was no whit thereby discouraged
from prosecuting of her first intent,
But forward with bold steps into the next
The warlike Mayd, beholding earnestly
The goodly ordinaunce of this rich Place,
Did greatly wonder; ne could satisfy
Her greedy eyes with gazing a long space:
But more she mervaild that no footings trace
Nor wight appeard, but wastefull emptinesse
And solemne silence over all that place:
Straunge thing it seem'd, that none was to
So rich purveyaunce, ne them keepe with care-
[fulnesse.
And, as she lookt about, she did behold
How over that same dore was likewise writ.
Be bolde, be bolde, and every where, Be bold;
That much she muz'd, yet could not construe it
By any ridling skill, or commune wit.
At last she spyde at that rowmes upper end
Another yron dore, on which was writ,
Be not too bold; whereto though she did bend
Her earnest minde, yet wist not what it might
intend.
Thus she there wayted untill eventyde,
And now sad shadowes gan the world to hyde
Yet living creature none she saw appeare.
From mortall vew, and wrap in darkenes dreare;
Yet nould she d'off her weary armes, for feare
Her heavy eyes with natures burdein deare,
Of secret daunger, ne let sleepe oppresse
And her wel-pointed wepons did about her
But drew her selfe aside in sickernesse,
The maske of Cupid, and th' enchant-
ed Chamber are displayd;
Whence Britomart redeemes faire A-
moret through charmes decayd.
THO, whenas chearelesse Night ycovered had
Fayre heaven with an universall clowd,
That every wight dismayd with darkenes sad
In silence and in sleepe themselves did shrowd,
She heard a shrilling Trompet sound alowd,
Signe of nigh battaill, or got victory:
Nought therewith daunted was her courage A lay of loves delight with sweet concent:
[prowd, After whom marcht a jolly company.
But rather stird to cruell enmity,
Expecting ever when some foe she might des-In manner of a maske, enranged orderly.
The noble Mayd still standing all this verl
And merveild at his straunge intendiment.
With that a joyous fellowship issewd
Of Minstrales making goodly meriment,
With wanton Bardes, and Rymers impudent:
All which together song full chearefully
With that an hideous storme of winde arose,
With dreadfull thunder and lightning atwixt.
And an earthquake, as if it streight would lose
The worlds foundations from his centre fixt:
A direfull stench of smoke and sulphure mixt
Ensewd, whose noyaunce fild the fearefull sted
From the fourth howre of night untill the sixt:
Yet the bold Britonesse was nought ydred,
Though much emmov'd, but stedfast still per-
The whiles a most delitious harmony [sous)
In full straunge notes was sweetly heard te
That the rare sweetnesse of the melody
The feeble sences wholy did confound.
And the fray le soule in deepe delight nigh
drownd:
And, when it ceast, shrill trompets lowd C
That their report did far away rebound; br
And, when they ceast, it can againe to pay,
The whiles the maskers marched forth in the
aray.
And in his hand a windy fan did beare,
That in the ydle ayre he mov'd still here and An holy-water-sprinckle, dipt in deowe, She alway smyld, and in her hand did hold
And him beside marcht amorous Desyre,
Who seemd of ryper yeares then th' other
Swayne,
Yet was that other swayne this elders syre,
And gave him being, commune to them twayne:
His garment was disguysed very vayne,
And his embrodered Bonet sat awry: [strayne,
Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did
Which still he blew and kindled busily,
That soone they life conceiv'd, and forth in
flames did fly.
Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a discolour'd cote of straunge disguyse,
That at his backe a brode Capuccio had,
And sleeves dependaunt Albanese-wyse:
He lookt askew with his mistrustfull eyes,
And nycely trode, as thornes lay in his way,
Or that the flore to shrinke he did avyse;
And on a broken reed he still did stay
His feeble steps, which shrunck when hard
thereon he lay.
With which she sprinckled favours manifold
On whom she list, and did great liking sheowe,
Great liking unto many, but true love to feowe.
Marcht in one rancke, yet an unequall paire ;
And after them Dissemblaunce and Suspect
Courteous to all and seeming debonaire,
Goodly adorned and exceeding faire:
For she was gentle and of milde aspect,
And her bright browes were deckt with bor-
Yet was that all but paynted and pourloynd,
rowed haire;
Her deeds were forged, and her words false
And alwaies in her hand two clewes of silke
[coynd,
she twynd.
But he was fowle, ill favoured, and grim,
Under his eiebrowes looking still askaunce;
And ever, as Dissemblaunce laught on him,
He lowrd on her with daungerous eyeglaunce,
Shewing his nature in his countenaunce:
His rolling eies did never rest in place,
But walkte each where for feare of hid mis-
chaunce,
Through which he stil did peep as forward he
Holding a lattis still before his face,
did pace.
Griefe all in sable sorrowfully clad,
Next him went Griefe and Fury, matcht yfere;
With him went Daunger, cloth'd in ragged
weed
Made of Beares skin, that him more dreadfull
Yet his owne face was dreadfull, ne did need
[made;
Straunge horrour to deforme his griesly shade:
A net in th' one hand, and a rusty blade
In th' other was; this Mischiefe, that Mishap: Yet inly being more then seeming sad:
With th' one his foes he threatned to invade, A paire of Pincers in his hand he had,
With th' other he his friends ment to enwrap; With which he pinched people to the hart,
Downe hanging his dull head with heavy chere,
For whom he could not kill he practizd to en-That from thenceforth a wretched life they
Next him was Feare, all arm'd from top to toe,
Yet thought himselfe not safe enough thereby,
But feard each shadow moving too or froe;
And, his owne armes when glittering he did spy
Or clashing heard, he fast away did fly,
As ashes pale of hew, and winged heeld,
And evermore on Daunger fixt his eye,
Gainst whom he alwayes bent a brasen shield,
Which his right hand unarmed fearefully did
But Fury was full ill appareiled
In rags, that naked nigh she did appeare,
And from her head ofte rente her snarled heare:
With ghastly looks and dreadfull drerihed;
In her right hand a firebrand shee did tosse
And from her backe her garments she did teare,
Forgetfull of his safety, hath his right way
About her head, still roming here and there;
As a dismayed Deare in chace embost,
He looking lompish and full sullein sad,
After them went Displeasure and Pleasaunce,
And hanging downe his heavy countenaunce; And did survay his goodly company;
She chearfull, fresh, and full of joyaunce glad, And, marshalling the evill-ordered trayne,
With that the darts which his right hand did.
As if no sorrow she ne felt ne drad;
straine
That evill matched paire they seemd to bee:
An angry Waspe th' one in a viall had,
Th' other in hers an hony-laden Bee.
Thus marched these six couples forth in faire
degree.
After all these there marcht a most faire Dame,
Led of two grysie Villeins, th' one Despight,
The other cleped Cruelty by name:
She, dolefull Lady, like a dreary Spright
Cald by strong charmes out of eternall night,
Had Deathes owne ymage figurd in her face,
Full of sad signes, fearfull to living sight;
Yet in that horror shewd a seemely grace,
And with her feeble feete did move a comely
pace.
Her brest all naked, as nett yvory
Without adorne of gold or silver bright,
Wherewith the Craftesman wonts it beautify,
Of her dew honour was despoyled quight;
And a wide wound therein (O ruefull sight!)
Entrenched deep with knyfe accursed keene,
Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting spright,
(The worke of cruell hand) was to be seene,
That dyde in sanguine red her skin all snowy
Full dreadfully he shooke, that all did quake.
And clapt on hye his coulourd winges twaine,
That all his many it affraide did make :
Tho, blinding him againe, his way he forth
did take.
Behinde him was Reproch, Repentance, [behuale: Shame ;
Repent
Reproch the first, Shame next,
Repentaunce feeble, sorrowfull, and lame;
Reproch despightfull, carelesse. and unkinde;
Shame most ill-favourd, bestiall, and blinde:
Shame lowrd, Repentaunce sighd, Reproch d
[entwinde.
scould;
Reproch sharpe stings, Repentaunce whije
Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand thi
[mould
hold:
All three to each unlike, yet all made in one
Unquiet Care, and fond Unthrifty head;
Lewd Losse of Time, and Sorrow seeming dead.
Inconstant Chaunge, and false Disloyalty;
Consuming Riotise, and guilty Dread
Of heavenly vengeaunce; faint Infirmity;
Vile Poverty; and, lastly, Death with infamy.
Whose names and natures I note readen we
So many moe, as there be phantasies
In wavering wemens witt, that none can tell
All which disguized marcht in masking wise
Or paines in love, or punishments in hell:
About the chamber by the Damozell;
And then returned, having marched thrise.
Into the inner rowme from whence they first
did rise.
There were full many moe like maladies,
So soone as they were in, the dore streight
Fast locked, driven with that stormy blast
Which first it opened, and bore all away.
Then the brave Maid, which al this while
plast
In secret shade, and saw both first and last.
Issewed forth, and went unto the dore
To enter in, but fownd it locked fast:
Of which ful prowd, him selfe up rearing hye It vaine she thought with rigorous uprore {2}}>>>>>>>>»» »»» sterne disdayne, For to efforce, when charmes had closed it al
Where force might not availe, there sleights
and art
She cast to use, both fitt for hard emprize:
Forthy from that same rowme not to depart
Till morrow next shee did her selfe avize,
When that same Maske againe should forth
arize.
The morrowe next appeard with joyous cheare,
Calling men to their daily exercize:
Then she, as morrow fresh, her selfe did reare
Out of her secret stand that day for to outweare.
From her, to whom his fury first he ment,
Unwares it strooke into her snowie chest,
The wicked weapon rashly he did wrest,
And, turning to herselfe, his fell intent,
Exceeding wroth therewith the virgin grew,
That litle drops empurpled her faire brest.
And fiercely forth her mortall blade she drew,
Albe the wound were nothing deepe imprest,
To give him the reward for such vile outrage
So mightily she smote him, that to ground He fell halfe dead: next stroke him should have slaine,
All that day she outwore in wandering And gazing on that Chambers ornament, Till that againe the second evening Her covered with her sable vestiment, [blent : Dernly unto her called to abstaine Had not the Lady, which by him stood bound, Wherewith the worlds faire beautie she hath From doing him to dy. For else her paine Then, when the second watch was almost past, Should be remedilesse; sith none but hee That brasen dore flew open, and in went Bold Britomart, as she had late forecast, Which wrought it could the same recure againe. Nether of ydle showes, nor of false charmes Therewith she stayd her hand, loth stayd to aghast.
So soone as she was entred, rownd about
Shee cast her eies to see what was become
Of all those persons which she saw without:
But lo! they streight were vanisht all and some:
Ne living wight she saw in all that roome,
Save that same woefull Lady, both whose hands
Were bounden fast, that did her ill become,
And hersmall waste girt rownd with yron bands
Upon a brasen pillour, by the which she stands.
For life she him envyde, and long'd revenge to [see:
For so huge mischiefe and vile villany [meed
Is death, or if that ought doe death exceed;
And to him said: 'Thou wicked man, whose
But if that thou this Dame do presently
Be sure that nought may save thee from to dy
This doe, and live, els dye undoubtedly.'
He, glad of life, that lookt for death but late,
Restore unto her health and former state:
Did yield him selfe right willing to prolong
Full dreadfull thinges out of that balefull booke
He red, and measur'd many a sad verse,
And her faire locks up stared stiffe on end,
That horrour gan the virgins hart to perse,
Hearing him those same bloody lynes reherse;
And, all the while he red, she did extend
Her sword high over him, if ought he did
offend.
Yet all that did not her dismaied make, [dout :
Anon she gan perceive the house to quake,
And all the dores to rattle round about:
But still with stedfast eye and courage stout
Abode, to weet what end would come of all.
Nor slack her threatfull hand for daungers
At last that mightie chaine, which round about
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