The end whereof, and all the long event,
They doe to thee in this fame dreame discover; For that fame crocodile doth reprefent
To feeke her love, where he was to be fought,
Ne rested till fhe came without relent
Unto the land of Amazons, as fhe was bent.
Whereof when newes to Radigund was brought,
Not with amaze as women wonted bee,
She was confufed in her troublous thought,
But fild with courage and with ioyous glee,
As glad to heare of armes, the which now the
Had long furceaft, fhe bad to open bold,
That the the face of her new foe might fee;
But when they of that yron man had told,
Which late her folke had flaine, fhe bad them
forth to hold.
So there without the gate, as feemed beft,,
She caused her pavilion be pight,
In which ftout Britomart herfeife did reft,
Whiles Talus watched at the dore all night.
All night likewife they of the towne in fright
Uppon their wall good watch and ward did
keepe;
The morrow next, fo foone as dawning light
Bad doe away the dampe of drouzie fleepe,
The warlike Amazon out of her bowre did peepe:
And caufed freight a trumpet loud to fhrill,
To warne her foe to battell foone be prest,
Who long before awoke (for the full ill
Could fleepe all nigh, that in unquiet breft
Did clofely harbour fuch a iealous gueft)
Was to the battell whylome ready dight.
Eftfoones that warrioureffe with haughty creft
Did forth iffue, all ready for the fight;
On th' other fide her foe appeared foone in fight.
But ere they reared hand, the Amazone
*The righteous knight that is thy faithfull lover, Began the freight conditions to propound,
With which the used ftill to tye her fone
To serve her fo, as fhe the reit had bound;
Which when the other heard, the sternly frownd
For high difdaine of fuch indignity,
And would no lenger treat, but bad them found ;
For her no other termes fhould ever tie
Then what prefcribed were by lawes of chevalrie.
The trumpets found, and they together run
With greedy rage, and with their faulchins fmot;
Ne either fought the other's ftrokes to fhun,
But through great fury both their skill forgot,
And practicke ufe in armes; ne spared not
Their daintie parts, which Nature had created
So faire and tender, without stain or spot,
For other ufes then they them tranflated,
Which they now hackt and hewd, as if fuch use
they hated.
As when a tygre and a lioneffe
Are met at ipoyling of fome hungry pray, Both challenge it with equall greedineffe, But first the tygre clawes thercon did lay, And therefore loth to loofe her right away, Doth in defence thereof full stoutly ftond; To which the lion ftrongly deth guinefay,
Nath'leffe that ftroke fo cruell paffage found,
That glauncing on her shoulder plate, it bit
Unto the bone, and made a griefly wound,
That the her fhield through raging fmart of it
Could fcarfe uphold, yet foone fhe it requit;
For having force increaft through furious paine,
She her fo rudely on the helmet smit,
That it empierced to the very braine,
And her proud perfon low proftrated on the But stood long staring on him mongst uncertaine
So there awhile they afterwards remained,
Him to refresh, and her late wounds to heale;
During which space the there as princes rained;
And changing all that forme of common-weale,
The liberty of women did repeale,
Which they had long ufurpt, and them reftoring
To men's fubiection, did true iuftice deale;
That all they as a goddeffe her adoring,
Full fad and forrowfull was Britomart
For his departure, her new cause of griefe;
Yet wifely moderated her owne smart,
Seeing his honor, which the tendred chiefe,
Confifted much in that adventure's priefe,
The care whereof, and hope of his fucceffe,
Gave unto her great comfort and reliefe,
That womanish complaints fhe did repreffe,
Her wifedom did admire, and hearkned to her And tempred for the time her present heavineffe. loring;
For all those knights, which long in captive fhade
Had throwded bene, fhe did from thraldome free,
And magiftrates of all that city made,
And gave to them great living and large fee;
And that they should for ever faithfull bee,
Made them fweare fealty to Artegall;
Who when himselfe now well recur'd did fee,
He purpofd to proceed, whatso befall,
There the continu'd for a certaine space,
Till through his want her woe did more increase; Then hoping that the change of aire and place Would change her paine, and forrow somewhat
She parted thence, her anguish to appease. Meane while her noble lord, Sir Artegall, Went on his way, ne ever howre did cease, Till he redeemed had that lady thrall;
Uppon his first adventure, which him forth did That for another Canto will more fitly fall.
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