NE
may
1, without blot of endleffe blame,
You, fairest Lady, leaue out of this place,
But with remembraunce of your gracious name
Wherewith that courtly garlond most ye grace,
And deck the world, adorne these verses base:
Not that these few lines can in them comprise
Thofe glorious ornaments of heauenly grace
Wherewith you triumph ouer feeble eyes,
And in fubdued harts do tyrannife;
For thereunto doth need a golden quill,
And filuer leaues, them righte to deuife,
But to make humble prefent of good will;
Which, when as timely meanes it purchase may,
In ampler wife itfelfe will forth display.
To all the gratious and beautifull Ladies in the Cour
THE Chian peincter, when he was requird
To pourtraic Venus in her perfect hew,
To make his worke more abfolute, defird
Of all the fairest maides to haue the vew.
Much more me needs to draw the femblant trev
Of Beautie's Queene, the world's fole wodermen
To harpe my fence with fundry beauties vew,
And steale from each some part of ornament.
If all the world to feeke I ouerwent,
A fairer crew yet no where could I fee,
Then that braue Court doth to mine eie prefent,
That the world's pride feems gathered there te
Of each a part I ftole by cunning thefte: [bee
Forgiue it me, fair Dames! fith leffe you haue
not lefte.
E. S
THE LEGEND OF THE KNIGHT OF THE RED-CROSSE, OR of Holinesse.
His lady, fad to fee his fore conftraint, [ye bee; Cride out, "Now, now, Sir Knight, fhew what "Add faith unto your force, and be not faint : "Strangle her, els fhe fure will strangle thee." That when he heard, in great perplexitie, His gall did grate for griefe and high difdaine, And knitting all his force, got one hand free, Wherewith he gript her gorge with fo great paine, That foon to loofe her wicked bands did her cons ftraine.
Therewith fhe fpewd out of her filthie maw A floud of poyfon horrible and blacke,
Bet full of fire and greedy hardiment,
The youthful knight could not for ought be flaide, Full of great lumps of flcfh and gobbets raw,
Which funct fo vildly, that it forft him flacke
Now needeth him no lenger labour spend,
His foes have flaine themselves, with whom he
fhould contend.
His lady, feeing all that chaunst from farre,
Approcht in haft to greet his victorie,
And faide, "Faire Knight, borne under happie starre,
"Who see your vanquifht foes before you lye,
"Well worthie be you of that armory,
"Wherein you have great glory wonne this day.
"And proov'd your strength on a strong enimie,
"Your firft adventure: many such I pray,
"And henceforth ever with that like fucceed it
"may."
Then mounted he upon his fteede againe,
And with the lady backward fought to wend:
That path he kept which beaten was most plaine,
Ne ever would to any by-way bend;
But ftill did follow one into the end,
The which at laft out of the wood them brought :
So forward on his way (with God to frend)
He paffed forth, and new adventure sought :
Long way he traveiled before he heard of ought.
At length they chaunft to meet upon the way
An aged fire, in long blacke weedes yclad,
His feete all bare, his beard all hoarie gray,
And by his belt his booke he hanging had;
Sober be feemde, and very fagely fad,
And to the ground his eyes were lowly bent,
Simple in fhew, and voide of malice bad;
And all the way he prayed as he went,
And often knockt his breft, as one that did repent.
He faire the knight faluted, louting low,
Who faire him quited, as that courteous was;
And after afked him, if he did know
Of ftraunge adventures which abroad did pas ?
"Ah! my dear Sonne," quoth he, "how fhould,
Silly old man, that lives in hidden cell,
"Bidding his beades all day for his trespas,
"Tydings of warre and worldly trouble tell?
"With holy father fits not with fuch thinges to
"mell.
"But if of daunger, which hereby doth dwell,
"And home-bredd evil, ye defire to heare,
"Of a fraunge man I can you tidings tell,
"That wafteth all this countrie farre and neare."
"Of fuch," said he, "I chiefly doe inquere;
"And fhall thee well rewarde to fhew the place
"In which that wicked wig, his dayes doth
"For to all knighthood it is foule disgrace
"That fucha curfed creature lives so long a space."
"Far hence," quoth he," in waftfull wilderneffe "His dwelling is, by which no living wight
May ever paffe, but thorough great diitreffe." "Now," faide the ladie, "draweth toward night; "And well I wote, that of your later fight "Ye all forwearied be: for what fo ftrong,
But wanting reft will also want of might?
|