Yet his owne love, the noble Britomart, IV. Sometime the feared leaft fome hard mishap V. One while fhe blam'd herselfe, another 'whyle few; Yet when the reckned them still drawing neare, Each hour did seeme a moneth, and every moneth a yeare. VI. But whenas yet she saw him not returne, A thousand feares, that love-ficke fancies faine to And then both knights envide, and ladies eke did And ftud ftill mute as one in great fufpence, As if that by his filence he would make And evermore fhe did him fharpely twight For breach of faith to her, which he had firmely plight. XIII. And then the in her wrathfull will did caft XIV. Like as a wayward childe, whose founder sleepe Now feratching her, and her loofe locks mifufing, XV. But when she had with fuch unquiet fits Herfelfe there clofe afflicted long in vaine, Yet found no easement in her troubled wits, She unto Talus forth return'd againe, Her rather reade his meaning then himfelfe it By change of place feeking to cafe her paine, fpake. X. Till the againe thus fayd; "Talus, be bold, "And tell whatever it be, good or bad, "That from thy tongue thy heart's intent doth "hold." To whom he thus at length; The tidings fad, "That I would hide, will needs I fee be rad. "My lord (your love) by hard mishap doth lie "In wretched bondage, wofully beftad." "Ay me," quoth fhe, "what wicked deftinie! "And is he vanquifht by his tyrant enemy?" And gan enquire of him, with mylder mood, XVI. "Ah! wellaway!" fayd then the yron man, "That he is not the while in flate to woo, "But lies in wretched thraldome, weak and wan, "Nor by ftrong hand compelled thereunto, "But his owne doome, that none can now undoo.” Sayd I not then," quoth fhe, "ere-while aright, "That this is things compacte betwixt you two, "Me to deceive of faith unto me plight, "Since that he was not forft, nor overcome in "fight?" Wherewith though wondrous wroth, and inly Streight was the paffage, like a ploughed ridge, That if two met, the one mote needes fall o'er the lidge. As when the flashing levin haps to light The other it with force doth overthrow And comming down to fecke them where they So did the championeffe thofe two there ftrow, wond, And to their fire their carcaffes left to bestow. |