Which doen, the doughty chalenger came forth,
All arm'd to point, his chalenge to abet,
Gainst whom Sir Priamond with equall worth
And equall armes, himselfe did forward set.
A trompet blew; they both together met,
With dreadfull force and furious intent,
Carelesse of perill in their fiers affret,
As if that life to losse they had forelent,
And cared not to spare that should be shortly spent..
VII.
Right practicke was Sir Priamond in fight,
And throughly skild in use of shield and speare;
Ne lesse approved was Cambelloes might,
Ne lesse his skill in weapons did appeare,
That hard it was to weene which harder were.
Full many mightie strokes on either side
Were sent, that seemed death in them to beare;
But they were both so watchfull and well eyde,
That they avoyded were, and vainely by did slyde.
VIII.
Yet one of many was so strongly bent
By Priamond, that with unluckie glaunce
Through Cambel's shoulder it unwarely went,
That forced him his shield to disadvaunce;
Much was he grieved with that gracelesse chaunce,
Yet from the wound no drop of bloud there fell,
But wondrous paine, that did the more enhaunce
His haughtie courage to avengement fell: [to swell.
Smart daunts, not mighty harts, but makes them more
With that his poynant speare he fierce aventred
With doubled force close underneath his shield,
That through the mayles into his thigh it entred,
And there arresting, readie way did yield
For bloud to gush forth on the grassie field,
That he for paine himselfe n'ote right upreare,
But too and fro in great amazement reel'd;
Like an old oke, whose pith and sap is seare,
At puffe of every storme doth stagger here and theare.
X.
Whom so dismayd when Cambell had espide,
Againe he drove at him with double might,
That nought mote stay the steele, till in his side
The mortall point most cruelly empight;
Where fast infixed, whilest he sought by slight
It forth to wrest, the staffe asunder brake,
And left the head behinde, with which despight
He all enrag'd his shivering speare did shake,
And charging him afresh, thus felly him bespake;
XI.
"Lo! Faitour, there thy meede unto thee take,
"The meede of thy mischalenge and abet;
"Not for thine owne, but for thy sister's sake,
"Have I thus long thy life unto thee let;
"But to forbeare doth not forgive the det."
The wicked weapon heard his wrathfull vow,
And passing forth with furious affret,
Plerst through his bever quite into his brow,
That with the force it backward forced him to bow.
Therewith asunder in the midst it brast,
And in his hand nought but the troncheon left,
The other halfe behind yet sticking fast,
Out of his head-peece, Cambell fiercely reft,
And with such furie backe at him it heft,
That making way unto his dearest life,
His weasand-pipe it through his gorget cleft;
Thence streames of purple bloud issuing rife,
Let forth his wearie ghost,and made an end of strife.
XIII.
His wearie ghost, assoyld from fleshly band,
Did not, as others wont, directly fly
Unto her rest in Plutoes griesly land,
Ne into ayre did vanish presently,
Ne chaunged was into a starre in sky;
But through traduction was eftsoones derived,
Like as his mother prayd the Destinie,
Into his other brethren that survived,
In whom he liv'd anew, of former life deprived..
XIV.
Whom when on ground his brother next beheld,
Though sad and sorrie for so heavy sight,
Yet leave unto his sorrow did not yeeld,
But rather stir'd to vengeance and despight,
Through secret feeling of his generous spright,
Rusht fiercely forth, the battell to renew,
As in reversion of his brother's right,
And chalenging the virgin as his dew;
His foe was soone addrest; the trumpets freshly blew.
With that they both together fiercely met,
As if that each ment other to devoure,
And with their axes both so sorely bet,
'That nether plate nor mayle, whereas their powre
They felt, could once sustaine the hideous stowre,
But rived were like rotten wood asunder, [showre,
Whilest through their rifts the ruddie bloud did
And fire did flash, like lightning after thunder,
That fild the lookers on attonce with ruth and wonder.
XVI.
As when two tygers, prickt with hunger's rage,
Have by good fortune found some beast's fresh spoyle,
On which they weene their famine to asswage,
And gaine a feastfull guerdon of their toyle,
Both falling out doe stirre up strife-full broyle,
And cruell battell twixt themselves do make,
Whiles neither lets the other touch the soyle,
But either sdeigns with other to partake;
So cruelly those knights strove for that ladies sake.
XVII.
Full many strokes, that mortally were ment,
The whiles were enterchaunged twixt them two;
Yet they were all with so good wariment
Or warded, or avoyded, and let goe,
That still the life stood fearelesse of her foe:
Till Diamond, disdeigning long delay
Of doubtfull fortune wavering to and fro,
Resolv'd to end it one or other way,
And heav'd his murdrous axe at him with mighty
The dreadfull stroke, in case it had arrived
Where it was ment, so deadly it was ment,
The soule had sure out of his body rived,
And stinted all the strife incontinent;
But Cambel's fate that fortune did prevent;
For seeing it at hand, he swarv'd asyde,
And so gave way unto his fell intent ;
Who missing of the marke which he had eyde, Was with the force nigh feld, whilst his right foot
[did slyde.
As when a vulture, greedie of his pray,
Through hunger long, that hart to him doth lend,
Strikes at an heron with all his bodies sway,
That from his force seemes nought may it defend;
The warie fowle, that spies him toward bend,
His dreadfull souse avoydes, it shunning light,
And maketh him his wing in vaine to spend,
That with the weight of his owne weeldlesse might,
He falleth nigh to ground, and scarse recovereth flight.
XX.
Which faire adventure, when Cambello spide,
Full lightly, ere himselfe he could recower
From daunger's dread to ward his naked side,
He can let drive at him with all his power,
And with his axe him smote in evill hower,
That from his shoulders quite his head he reft;
The headlesse tronk, as heedlesse of that stower,
Stood still awhile, and his fast footing kept,
Till feeling life to fayle, it fell, and deadly slept.
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