"Nathlesse," said he, "deare ladie, with me goe;
Some place shall us receive and harbour yield;
If not, we will it force, maugre your foe,
And purchase it to us with speare and shield:
And if all fayle, yet farewell open field!
The earth to all her creatures lodging lends."
With such his chearefull speaches he doth wield
Her mind so well, that to his will she bends;
And, bynding up her locks and weeds, forth with
him wends.
They came unto a citie farre up land,
The which whylome that ladies owne had bene;
But now by force extort out of her hand
By her strong foe, who had defaced cleene
Her stately towres and buildings sunny sheene,
Shut up her haven, mard her marchants trade,
Robbed her people that full rich had beene,
And in her necke a castle huge had made,
The which did her commaund without needing per-
swade.
That castle was the strength of all that state,
Untill that state by strength was pulled downe;
And that same citie, so now ruinate,
Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne;
Both goodly castle, and both goodly towne,
Till that th' offended heavens list to lowre
Upon their blisse, and balefull fortune frowne.
When those gainst states and kingdomes do coniure,
Who then can thinke their hedlong ruine to recure!
But he had brought it now in servile bond,
And made it beare the yoke of inquisition,
Stryving long time in vaine it to withstond;
Yet glad at last to make most base submission,
And life enioy for any composition:
So now he hath new lawes and orders new
Imposd on it with many a hard condition,
And forced it, the honour that is dew
To God, to doe unto his idole most untrew.
To him he hath before this castle greene
Built a faire chappell, and an altar framed
Of costly ivory full rich beseene,
On which that cursed idole, farre proclamed,
He hath set up, and him his god liath named;
Ofiring to him in sinfull sacrifice
The flesh of men, to Gods owne likenesse framed,
And powring forth their bloud in brutishe wize,
That any yron eyes, to see, it would agrize.
There eke he placed a strong garrisone,
And set a seneschall of dreaded might,
That by his powre oppressed every one,
And vanquished all venturous knights in fight;
To whom he wont shew all the shame he might,
After that them in battell he had wonne :
To which when now they gan approch in sight,
The ladie counseld him the place to shonne,
Whereas so many knights had fouly bene fordonne.
Her fearefull speaches nought he did regard;
But, ryding streight under the castle wall,
Called aloud unto the watchfull ward
Which there did wayte, willing them forth to call
Into the field their tyrants seneschall:
To whom when tydings thereof came, he streight
Cals for his armes, and arming him withall
Eftsoones forth pricked proudly in his might,
And gan with courage fierce addresse him to the
fight.
They both encounter in the middle plaine,
And their sharpe speares doe both together smite
Amid their shields with so huge might and maine
That seem'd their soules they would have ryven
Out of their breasts with furious despight: [quight
Yet could the seneschals no entrance find
Into the princes shield where it empight,
(So pure the metall was and well refynd,)
But shivered all about, and scattered in the wynd
Not so the princes; but with restlesse force
Into his shield it readie passage found,
Both through his haberieon and eke his corse;
Which tombling downe upon the senselesse ground
Gave leave unto his ghost from thraldome bound
To wander in the griesly shades of night:
There did the prince him leave in deadly swound,
And thence unto the castle marched right,
To see if entrance there as yet obtaine he might.
But, as he nigher drew, three knights he spyde,
All arm'd to point issuing forth apace,
Which towards him with all their powre did ryde,
And meeting him right in the middle race
Did all their speares attonce on him enchace.
As three great culverings for batterie bent,
And leveld all against one certaine place,
Doe all attonce their thunders rage forthrent,
That makes the wals to stagger with astonishment:
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