"Palmer," him answered the Red-croffe knight, "His be the praife that this atchiev'ment wrought, "Who made my hand the organ of his might; "More than goodwill to me attribute nought, "For all I did, I did but as I ought.' "But you, faire Sir! whofe pageant next en"fewes, "Wellmote yee thee, as well can wish your thought, "That home ye may report thrife happy newes; "For well ye worthy bene for worth and gentle "thewes." XXXVI. "But if that careleffe hevens," quoth she, “de"spise "The doome of iuft revenge, and take delight "To fee fad pageaunts of men's miferies, "As bound by them to live in lives defpight, "Yet can they not warne death from wretched "wight. "Come then, come foone, come, sweetest Death, to me, "And take away this long lent loathed light: "Sharpe be thy wounds, but fweete the medicines "be, "That long captived foules from weary thraldome "free. XXXVII. "But thou, fweete Babe! whom frowning froward "Fate "Hath made fad witneffe of thy father's fall, "Sith heven thee deignes to hold in living state, Long maift thou live, and better thrive withall, "Then to thy luckleffe parents did befall: "Live thou, and to thy mother dead attest, "That cleare she dide from blemish criminall; "Thy little hands embrewd in bleeding brest "Loe I for pledges leave. So give me leave to "reft." XXXVIII. With that a deadly fhricke she forth did throw, Whiles the fad pang approaching she does feele, Braies out her latest breath, and up her eies doth feele. XXXIX. Which when that warriour heard, difmounting ftraict From his tall feed, he rusht into the thick, That all her goodly garments ftaind arownd, XL. Pitifull spectacle of deadly fmart, XLI. Befides them both, upon the foiled gras, Whofe armour all with blood befprincled was; But that fiers Fate did crop the bloffome of his age. Whom when the good Sir Guyon did behold, "Ah! far be it," said he, " deare Dame, fro mee, "To hinder foule from her defired reft, "Or hold fad life in long captivitee; "For all I feeke is but to have redrest "The bitter pangs that doth your heart infest. "Tell then, O Lady! tell what fatall priefe "Hath with fo huge misfortunes you oppreft, "That I may caft to compas your reliefe, "Or die with you in forrow, and partake your griefe." (Weake wretch) I wrapt myfelfe in palmer's "weed, [great dreed. "And caft to feek him forth through danger and ག། "Now had fayre Cynthia by even tournes "Robs Reason of her dew regaletie, LVIII. "Whenas my wombe her burdein would forbeare, "And bad me call Lucina to me neare. "Lucina came: a manchild forth I brought; "But Temperaunce," faid he, " with golden fquire, "The woods, the nymphes, my bowres, my mid-" Betwixt them both can meafure out a meane, "wives I weare, "Nether to melt in pleasures whott defyre, "Hard help at need. So deare thee, Babe! I" Nor frye in hartlesse griefe and dolefull tene: "bought; "Thrife happy man! who fares them both atweene. "Yet nought too dear I deemd, while fo my deare" But fith this wretched woman, overcome "Of anguish, rather than of crime hath bene, He washt them oft and oft, yet nought they" By great Dame Nature, from whose fruitfull beene For all his washing cleaner: ftill he strove, And into diverfe doubt his wavering wonder clove. 66 pap [deawd, "Their wel-heads spring, and are with moisture "Which feeds each living plant with liquid fap, "And filles with flowres fayre Floraes painted "But other fome by guifte of later grace, [lap: "Or by good prayers, or by other hap, "Low now fhe is that ftone; from whofe two 66 heads, [flow, "As from two weeping eyes, fresh ftreames do Yet calde through feare and old conceived "dreads: "And yet the ftone her femblance fecmes to "show, [know; "Shapt like a maide, that fuch you may her "And yet her vertues in her water byde, "For it is chafte and pure as pureft fnow, Ne lets her waves with any filth be dyde, [tryde. "But ever, like herselfe, unstayned hath been X. "From thence it comes, that this babe's bloody "hand "May not be clenfd with water of this well : "Ne certes, Sir, ftrive you it to withstand, "But let them ftill be bloody, as befell, "That they his mother's innocence may tell, "As the bequeathd in her laft teftament; "That as a facred symbole it may dwell "In her fonnes flesh, to mind revengement, "And be for all chafte dames an endleffe moni"ment." ΧΙ. He hearkned to his reafon; and the childe XII. Which when Sir Guyon faw, all were he wroth, Yet algates mote he soft himselfe appease, And fairly fair on foot, however loth; XIII. Therein three fifters dwelt of fundry fort, woe. XIV. Where when the knight arriv'd, he was right we XV. She led him up into a goodly bowre, XVI. Whileft the herfelfe thus bufily did frame vaunce. XVIL. He that made love unto the eldest dame XVIII. But he that lov'd the youngest was Sanfloy, He that faire Una late fowle outraged, |