LIV.

The aged dame him seeing so enraged

Was dead with feare; nathlesse as neede required His flaming furie sought to have assuaged With sober words, that sufferance desired Till time the tryall of her truth expyred; And evermore sought Britomart to cleare: But he the more with furious rage was fyred, And thrise his hand to kill her did upreare, And thrise he drew it backe: so did at last forbeare.

CANTO II.

Blandamour winnes false Florimell;

Paridell for her strives:

They are accorded: Agapé

Doth lengthen her Sonnes lives.

I.

FIREBRAND of hell first tynd in Phlegeton
By thousand Furies, and from thence out-throwen
Into this world to worke confusion

And set it all on fire by force unknowen,

Is wicked Discord; whose small sparkes once blowen None but a god or godlike man can slake:

Such as was Orpheus, that, when strife was growen Amongst those famous ympes of Greece, did take His silver harpe in hand and shortly friends them make:

II.

Or such as that celestiall Psalmist was,

That, when the wicked feend his lord tormented,
With heavenly notes, that did all other pas,

The outrage of his furious fit relented.

Such musicke is wise words with time concented,

To moderate stiffe mindes disposd to strive:
Such as that prudent Romane well invented;
What time his people into partes did rive,

Them reconcyld againe, and to their homes did drive.

III.

Such us'd wise Glaucè to that wrathfull 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.

IV.

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.

V.

Which whenàs 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 reasons 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 ioyous meriment?"

VI.

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 overborne.

VII.

Who, with the sudden stroke astonisht sore,
Upon the ground awhile in slomber lay;
The whiles his Love away the other bore,
And, shewing her, did Paridell upbray;
"Lo! sluggish Knight, the victors 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 peerlesse 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, and all things dooe,

That might her love prepare, and liking win theretoo.

IX.

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, And prov'd himselfe most foole in what he seem'd most

X.

So great a mistresse of her art she was,

[wise.

And perfectly practíz'd in womans 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 overreach 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 Atè 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.