Pyrochles does with Guyon fight,
And Furor's chayne untyes;
Who him fore wounds, whiles Atin to
Cymochles for ayd flyes.
WHOEVER doth to temperaunce apply
His ftedfaft life, and all his actions frame,
Trust me, shall find no greater enimy
Than fubborne perturbation to the same,
But lightly fhunned it, and paffing by,
With his bright blade did fmite at him fo fell,
That the sharpe fteele arriving forcibly
On his broad thield bitt not, but glauncing fell,
To which right well the wife doe give that On his hotfe necke before the quilted fell,
Approching nigh, he never staid to greete,
Ne chaffar words, proud corage to provoke,
But prickt fo fiers, that underneath his feete,
The fmouldring dust did rownd about him smoke,
Both horse and man nigh able for to choke;
And fayrly couching his fteele-headed fpeare,
Him firft faluted with a sturdy stroke:
It booted nought Sir Guyon comming neare,
And from the head the body fundred quight:
So him difmounted low he did compell
On foot with him to matchen equall fight;
The truncked beaft faft bleeding did him fow
dight.
With that he drew his flaming fword, and ftrook
At him fo fiercely, that the upper marge
Of his seven-folded fhield away it tooke,
And glauncing on his helmet, made a large
And open gafh therein were not his targe
That broke the violence of his intent,
The weary fowle from thence it would discharge
To thincke fuch hideous puiffaunce on foot to Nathleffe fo fore a buff to him it lent,
That made him reele, and to his breft his beve
And on the other syde a pleasaunt grove
Was fhott up high, full of the ftately tree
That dedicated is t'Olympick love,
And to his fonne Alcides, whenas hee
In Nemus gayned goodly victorce :
Therein the merry birdes of every forte
Chaunted alowd their chearfull harmonee,
And made cmongst themselves a sweete confort,
Then pricking him with his sharpe-pointed dart, He faid," Up, up, thou womanish weake knight! "That here in ladies lap entombed art,
Unmindfull of thy praife and proweft might,
That quickned the dull fpright with muficall" And weetleffe cke of lately-wrought defpight;
There he him found all carelefly displaid,
In fecrete fhadow from the funny ray,
On a fweet bed of lillies foftly laid,
Amidst a flock of damzelles fresh and gay,
That rownd about him diffolute did play
Their wanton follies and light meriment;
Every of which did loosely difaray
Her upper partes of meet babiliments,
And fhewd them naked, deckt with many orna
And every of them strove with most delights
Him to aggrate, and greateft pleasures fhew:
Some framd faire lookes, glancing like evening
Others fweet wordes, dropping like honny dew;
Some bathed kiffes, and did foft imbrew
The fugred licour through his melting lips;
One boaftes her beautie, and docs yield to vew
Her daintie limbes above her tender hips;
Another her out-boaftes, and all for tryall ftrips.
He, like an adder lurking in the weedes,
His wandring thought in deepe defire does fteepe,
And his frayle eye with fpoyle of beautie feedes;
5metimes he falfely faines himfelfe to fleepe,
"Whiles fad Pyrochles lies on fenceleffe ground, "And groneth out his utmost grudging fpright "Thro' many a ftroke and many a streaming "wound,
Calling thy help in vaine that here ioyes art "dround."
Suddeinly out of his delightful dreame,
The man awoke, and would have questiond more;
But he would not endure that wofull theame
For to dilate at large, but urged fore
With percing wordes and pittifull implore
Him hafty to arife: as one affright
With hellish feends, or furies mad uprore,
He then uprofe, inflamd with fell defpight,
And called for his armes, for he would algates
fight.
They bene ybrought, he quickly does him dight,
And lightly mounted paffeth on his way:
Ne ladies loves, ne fweete entreaties, might
Appcafe his heat, or hafty paffage stay;
For he has vowd to beene avengd that day
(That day itfelfe him feemed all too long)
On him that did Pyrochles deare difmay.
So proudly pricketh on his courfer ftrong,
And Atin ay him pricks with fpurs of thame and
wrong.
|