"Certes," fayd then the prince," the god is 66 juft,
"That taketh vengeaunce of his peoples fpoile; "For were no law in love, but all that luft "Might them oppreffe, and painefully turmoile, "His kingdome would continue but awhile, "But tell me, Lady, wherefore doe you beare "This bottle thus before you with fuch toile, "And eeke this wallet at your backe arreare, "That for these carles to carry much more come"ly were?"
"Here in this bottle," fayd the fory mayd "I put the tears of my contrition, "Till to the brim I have it full defrayd; "And in this bag, which I behinde me don, "I put repentaunce for things past and gon: "Yet is the bottle leake, and bag fo torne, "That all which I put in falls out anon, "And is behinde me trodden downe of Scorne, "Who mocketh all my paine, and laughs the "more i mourn.'
The infant hearked wifely to her tale,
And wondred much at Cupid's iudg'ment wife,
That could fo meekly make proud hearts avale,
And wreake himselfe on them that him despise:
Then fuffred he Difdaine up to arife,
Who was not able up himselfe to reare,
By meanes his leg, through his late luckleffe
prife,
Was crackt in twaine, but by his foolith feare Was holpen up, who him fupported standing
But being up, he lookt againe aloft,
As if he never had received fall,
And with sterne eye-brows stared at him oft,
As if he would have daunted him withall;
And standing on his tiptoes, to seeme tall,
Downe on his golden feete he often gazed,
As if fuch pride the other could appall,
Who was fo far from being ought amazed,
That he his lookes defpifed, and his boast dif-
praized.
Then turning backe unto that captive thrall,
Who all this while ftood there befide them bound,
Unwilling to be knowne or feene at all,
He from those bands weend him to have unwound;
But when approaching neare he plainely found
It was his owne true groome, the gentle fquire;
He thereat wext exceedingly aftound,
And him did oft embrace, and oft admire,
Ne could with feeing fatisfic his great defire.
Meane while the falvage man, when he beheld
That huge great foole opprefling th' other knight,
Whom with his weight unweldy downe he held,
He flew upon him like a greedy knight
Unto fome carrion offered to his fight,
Bb iiij
In these wylde deferts, where she now abode,
There dwelt a falvage nation, which did live
Of stealth and spoile, and making nightly rode
Into their neighbours borders, ne did give
Themselves to any trade (as for to drive
The paincfull plough, or cattell for to breed,
Or by adventrous merchandize to thrive)
But on the labours of poor men to feed,
And serve their owne necefiities with others need.
XXXVI.
Thereto they ufde one moft accursed order,
To eate the flesh of men whom they mote fynde,
And ftraungers to devoure, which on their bor-
He firft her bands beginneth to unbind,
And then to question of her prefent woe,
And afterwards to cheare with fpeaches kind;
But fhe, for nought that he could fay or doe,
One word durft fpeake, or answere him a whit
thereto.
So inward shame of her uncomely case
She did conceive, through care of womanhood,
That though the night did cover her disgrace,
Yet fhe in fo unwomanly a mood
Would not bewray the state in which the stood,
So all that night to him unknown the past;
But day, that doth discover bad and good,
Enfewing, made her knowen to him at laft,
The end whereof lle keepe untill another caff.
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