"Henceforth, Sir Knight, take to you wonted " ftrength,

"And maister these mishaps with patient might: "Loe where your foelies ftretcht in monitrous "length;

"And loe that wicked woman in your fight, "The roote of all your care and wretched plight, "Now in your powre, to let her live or die." "To doe her die," quoth Una, "were defpight, "And fhame t'avenge fo weake an enimy; "But fpoile her of her scarlot robe, and let her fly."

XLVI.

So as the bad, that witch they difaraid,
And rob'd of roiall robes, and purple pall,
And ornaments that richly were displaid;
Ne fpared they to strip her naked all :
Then, when they had defpoyld her tire and call,
Such as the was their eies might her behold,
That her misshaped parts did them appall,
A loathly, wrinckled hag, ill favoured, old,
Whofe fecret filth good manners biddeth not be
told.

XLVII.

Her crafty head was altogether bald,
And, as in hate of honourable eld,
Was overgrowne with fcurfe and filthy fcald;
Her teeth out of her rotten gummes were feld,
And her fowre breath abhominably fmeld;
Her dried dugs, lyke bladders lacking wind,
Hong downe, and filthy matter from them weld;
Her wrizled skin, as rough as maple rind,

So fcabby was, that would have loath'd all womankind.

XLVIII.

Her neather parts, the shame of all her kind,
My chaster Muse for shame doth blush to write;
But at her rompe fhe growing had behind
A foxes taile, with dong all fowly dight:
And eke her feete most monftrous were in fight;
For one of them was like an eagles claw,
With griping talaunts armd to greedy fight;
The other like a beares uneven paw.
More ugly fhape yet never living creature faw.

XLIX.

Which when the knights beheld,amaz'd they were, And wondred at fo fowle deformed wight. "Such then," faid Una, " as she seemeth here, "Such is the face of Falfhood, fuch the fight "Of fowle Dueffa, when her borrowed light "Is laid away, and counterfefaunce knowne." Thus when they had the witch disrobed quight, And all her filthy feature open fhowne,

They let her goe at will, and wander waies unknowne.

L.

She flying fast from heaven's hated face,
And from the world that her discovered wide,
Fled to the waftfull wilderneffe apace,
From living eies her open shame to hide,
And lurkt in rocks and caves long unefpide.
But that faire crew of knights, and Una faire,
Did in that castle afterwards abide,

To reft themselves, and weary powres repaire,
Where ftore they fownd of al that dainty was and

rare.

O GOODLY golden chayne, wherewith yfere
The virtues linked are in lovely wize,
And noble mindes of yore allyed were,
In brave pourfuit of chevalrous emprize,
That none did others fafety defpize,
Nor aid envy to him in need that stands;
But friendly each did others praise devize,
How to advaunce with favourable hands,

As this good prince redeemd the Red-croffe knight from bands.

II.

IV.

"Unto old Timon he me brought bylive; "Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath bee "In warlike feates th' expertest man alive, "And is the wisest now on earth I weene: "His dwelling is low in a valley greene, "Under the foot of Rauran moffy hore, "From whence the river Dee, as filver cleene "His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore: "There all my daies he trained me up in vertu ❝lore.

V.

"Thether the great magicien Merlin came, "As was his ufe, oft-times to visit mee; "For he had charge my difcipline to frame, "And tutor's nouriture to oversee. "Him oft and oft I afkt in privity, "Of what loines and what lignage I did fpring "Whofe aunfwere bad be still affured bee, "That I was fonne and heir unto a king, "As Time in her iuft term the truth to li "fhould bring."

VI.

"Well worthy Impe," said then the lady gent, "And pupil fit for fuch a tutor's hand; "But what adventure, or what high intent, "Hath brought you hether into Fary Land, "Aread, Prince Arthure, crowne of mart "band."

"Full hard it is," quoth he, " to read aright "The courfe of heavenly caufe, or understand "The fecret meaning of th' eternall might, "That rules mens waics, and rules the thought living wight:

Canto IX.

VII.

« For whether he, through fatal deepe forefight, "Me hether fent, for caufe to me unghest,

*Or that fresh bleeding wound, which day and "night

"Whilome doth rancle in my riven breft,

"With forced fury following his behest,

Me hether brought by wayes yet never found, "You to have helpt I hold myself yet bleft." "Ah! courteous Knight," quoth fhe, "what " fecret wound

"Could ever find to grieve the gentleft hart on 61 ground?"

VIII.

"Dear Dame," quoth he, “you sleeping sparkes « awake,

Which, troubled once, into huge flames will grow;

"Ne ever will their fervent fury flake,

"Till living moisture into smoke do flow, "And wafted life doe lye in afhes low. "Yet fithens filence leffeneth not my fire, "But told it flames, and hidden it does glow, "I will revele what you so much defire. "Ah! Love, lay down thy bow, the whiles I may refpyre.

IX.

"It was in fresheft flowre of youthly yeares, "When corage first does creepe in manly cheft; " Then first that cole of kindly heat appeares "To kindle love in every living breft; "But me had warned old Timon's wife behest, "Thofe creeping flames by reason to subdew, "Before their rage grew to fo great unreft, "As miferable lovers ufe to rew,

"Which still wex old in woe, whiles woe ftill "wezeth new.

X.

"That ydle name of love, and lovers life, "As loffe of time, and vertues enimy, "I ever fccrn'd, and ioyd to stirre up ftrife, "In middeft of their mournful tragedy;

XI.

"But all in vaine; no fort can be fo ftrong, "Ne fleshly breft can armed be so sownd, "But will at last be wonne with battrie long, * Or unawares at difadvantage fownd:

XII.

"When I awoke, and found her place devoyd, "And nought but preffed gras where he had "lyen,

"I forrowed all fo much as erft I ioy'd, "And washed all her place with watry cyen. "From that day forth I lov'd that face divyne, "From that day forth I caft in careful mynd, "To feeke her out with labor and long tyne, "And never vow to reft till her I fynd: "Nyne monthes I seek in vain, yet ni'll that vow unbynd."

"O happy Queen of Facries, that haft fownd, Mongit many, one that this great proweffe may "Defend thine honour, and thy foes confownd. "True lovers are often fown, but feldom grow " on ground." [knight, "Thine, O!" then faid the gentle Red-crofle "Next to that ladies love fhal be the place, "O fayreft Virgin! full of heavenly light, "Whofe wondrous faith, exceeding earthly race, "Was firmeft fixt in myne extremest case. "And you, my Lord, the patrone of my life, "Of that greate quecne may well gaine worthie grace;

"For cnely worthie you, through prowes priefe, (Yf living man mote worthie be) to be her "liefe."

And fad remembraunce now the prince amoves
With fresh defire his voyage to purfew;
Als Una earnd her traveill to renew.
Then those two knights, fast friendship for to bynd,
And love establish each to other trew,

Gave goodly gifts, the fignes of gratefull mynd, And eke the pledges firme, right hands together ioynd.

XIX.

Prince Arthur gave a box of diamond sure,
Embowed with gold and gorgeous ornament,
Wherein were closd few drops of liquor pure,
Of wondrous worth, and vertue excellent,
That any wownd could heale incontinent.
Which to requitte, the Red-croffe knight him gave
A booke, wherein his Saveour's testament
Was writt with golden letters rich and brave;
A worke of wondrous grace, and hable foules to
fave

XX.

Thus beene they parted; Arthur on his way
To feeke his love, and th' other for to fight
With Unaes foe that all her realme did pray.
But she now weighing the decayed plight,
And thrunken fynewes of her chofen knight,
Would not a while her forward course purfew,
Ne bring him forth in face of dreadful fight,
Till he recovered had his former hew;
For him to be yet weak and wearie well fhe
know.

XXI.

So as they traveild, lo they gan efpy
An armed knight towards them gallop fast,
That feemed from fome feared foe to fly,
Or other griefly thing that him aghast.
Still as he fledd his eye was backward caft,
As if his feare ftill followed him behynd:
Als flew his feed, as he his bandes had braft,
And with his winged heeles did tread the wynd,
As he had been a fole of Pagafus his kind.

XXII.

Nigh as he drew, they might perceive his head
To be unarmd, and curld uncombed hares
Upftaring stiffe, difmaid with uncouth dread:
Nor drop of blood in all his face appeares,
Nor life in limbe; and, to increase his feares,
(In fowle reproach of knighthood's fayre degree)
About his neck an hempen rope he weares,
That with his gliftring armes does ill agree;
But he of rope, or armes, has now no memorce.

XXIII.

The Red-croffe knight toward him crossed fast, To weet what mifter wight was so dismay'd; There him he findes all fenceleffe and aghaft, That of himselfe he feemd to be afrayd; Whom hardly he from flying forward stayd, Till he thefe wordes to him deliver might; "Sir Knight, aread who hath ус thus arayd, "And eke from whom make ye this hafty flight? "For never knight I faw in fuch miffeeming plight."

XXIV.

He anfwerd nought at all; but adding new Feare to his firft amazement, ftaring wide

"And am I now in fafetie fure," quoth he, "From him that would have forced me to dye? "And is the point of death now turnd fro mee, ❝hat I may tell this hapleffe history?" "Feare nought," quoth he, " no daunger now is nye."

"Then fhall I you recount a ruefull cace," Said he, "the which with this unlucky eye "I late beheld, and, had not greater grace Me reft from it, had bene partaker of the place.