20 The Lady when she saw her champion fall, 21 Shee turning backe with ruefull countenaunce much On silly dame, subject to hard mischaunce, And to your mighty will. Her humblesse low humblene, In so ritch weedes and seeming glorious show, And tel, both who ye be, and who that tooke your part. 22 Melting in teares, then gan she thus lament; Slave, prisoner Hath now made thrall to your commandement, Before that angry heavens list to lowre, it pleases. He that the wide West under his rule has, And high hath set his throne, where Tiberis doth pas. 23 He in the first flowre of my freshest age, Betrothed me unto the onely haire Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage; Was never Prince so faithfull and so faire, Was never Prince so meeke and debonaire; courteous But ere my hoped day of spousall shone, My dearest Lord fell from high honours staire And cruelly was slaine; that shall I ever mone. 24 His blessed body spoild of lively breath, Was afterward, I know not how, convaid O how great sorrow my sad sổule assaid. 25 At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin To meete me wandring; who perforce me led Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans joy; 26 In this sad plight, friendlesse, unfortunate, Craving of you in pitty of my state, To do none ill, if please ye not do well. 27 Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest, Countenance, With chaunge of cheare the seeming simple maid What in daily / parte dious might deceived astounded, 28 Long time they thus together traveiled, His mery oaten pipe, but shund th' unlucky ground. 29 But this good knight, soone as he them can spie, drilly For the cool shade him thither hastly got: For golden Phoebus now ymounted hie, And his new lady it endured not. There they alight, in hope themselves to hide From the fierce heat, and rest their weary limbs a tide. time, whi polite courtesin. 30 Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes, With goodly purposes there as they sit: least and constan To be the fairest wight, that lived yit; wowed fo He pluckt a bough; out of whose rift there came 31 Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard, secured, My tender sides in this rough rynd embard; cured, getarded Least to you hap, that happened to me heare, And to this wretched lady, my deare love, O too deare love, love bought with death too deare. astonished And with that suddein horror could no member move. des note 32 At last whenas the dreadfull passion And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake; Both which fraile men doe oftentimes mistake, This counding 33 Then, groning deep, Nor damned ghost (quoth he) And scorching sunne does dry my secret vaines; 34 Say on Fradubio then, or man, or tree, Quoth then the knight, by whose mischievous arts He oft finds med'cine, who his griefe imparts; But double griefs afflict concealing harts, Is one Duessa, a false sorceresse, That many errant knights hath brought to wretchednesse. 35 In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hot First kindled in my brest, it was my lot ee. 36 Whose forged beauty he did take in hand Le assected/ready li All other dames to have exceeded farre;ight (for it) I in defence of mine did likewise stand, Mine, that did then shine as the morning starre. So both to battell fierce arraunged arre, In which his harder fortune was to fall Under my speare: such is the dye of warre: Did yield her comely person to be at my call. 37 So doubly lov'd of ladies unlike faire, Th' one seeming such, the other such indeede, One day in doubt I cast for to compare which oft Whether in beauties glorie did exceede; A rosy girlond was the victors meede: Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee, Fraelissa was as faire, as faire mote bee, might And ever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee. 38 The wicked witch now seeing all this while And a dull blast that breathing on her face 39 Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight O leave her soone, or let her soone be slaine. The false witch did my wrathfull hand with-hold: So left her, where she now is turnd to treen mould. form of trees. |