XXIII. "He, in the first flowre of my freshest age, Of a most mighty king, most rich and sage; And cruelly was slaine; that shall I ever mone. 66 XXIV. 'His blessed body, spoild of lively breath, Was afterward, I know not how, convaid, And fro me hid: of whose most innocent death When tidings came to mee, unhappy maid, O, how great sorrow my sad soule assaid! Then forth I went his woefull corse to find, And many yeares throughout the world I straid, A virgin widow; whose deepe wounded mind With love long time did languish, as the striken hind. XXV. "At last it chaunced this proud Sarazin To meete me wandring; who perforce me led There lies he now with foule dishonor dead, Who, whiles he livde, was called proud Sans foy, The eldest of three brethren; all three bred Of one bad sire, whose youngest is Sans joy; And twixt them both was born the bloudy bold Sans loy. XXVI. "In this sad plight, friendlesse, unfortunate, Now miserable I Fidessa, dwell, Craving of you, in pitty of my state, To doe none ill, if please ye not doe well.” He in great passion al this while did dwell, XXVII. "Henceforth in safe assuraunce may ye rest, Having both found a new friend you to aid, And lost an old foe that did you molest; Better new friend then an old foe is said." With chaunge of chear the seeming simple maid. Let fall her eien, as shamefast, to the earth, And yeelding soft, in that she nought gainsaid, So forth they rode, he feining seemely merth, And shee coy lookes: so dainty, they say, maketh derth. XXVIII. Long time they thus together traveiled; Til, weary of their way, they came at last Where grew two goodly trees, that faire did spred Their armes abroad, with gray mosse overcast ; And their greene leaves, trembling with every blast, Made a calme shadowe far in compasse round: The fearefull shepheard, often there aghast, Under them never sat, ne wont there sound His mery oaten pipe; but shund th' unlucky ground. XXIX. But this good knight, soone as he them can spie, For the coole shade him thither hastly got: For golden Phoebus, now ymounted hie, From fiery wheeles of his faire chariot Hurled his beame so scorching cruell hot, That living creature mote it not abide; 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. XXX. Faire seemely pleasaunce each to other makes, To be the fairest wight that lived yit; Which to expresse, he bends his gentle wit; He pluckt a bough; out of whose rifte there came XXXI. Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard, O too deare love, love bought with death too deare! XXXII. At last whenas the dreadfull passion Yet musing at the straunge occasion, And doubting much his sence, he thus bespake : 66 What voice of damned ghost from Limbo lake, Or guilefull spright wandring in empty aire, Both which fraile men doe oftentimes mistake, Sends to my doubtful eares these speaches rare, And ruefull plaints, me bidding guiltlesse blood to spare?" XXXIII. Then, groning deep; "Nor damned ghost," quoth he, "Nor guileful sprite to thee these words doth speake; But once a man Fradubio, now a tree; Wretched man, wretched tree! whose nature weake A cruell witch, her cursed will to wreake, And scorching sunne does dry my secret vaines; 66 XXXIV. 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; As raging flames who striveth to suppresse." 66 The author then," said he, 66 of all my smarts, Is one Duessa, a false sorceresse, That many errant knights hath broght to wretchednesse. XXXV. "In prime of youthly yeares, when corage hott The fire of love, and joy of chevalree First kindled in my brest, it was my lott XXXVI. "Whose forged beauty he did take in hand All other dames to have exceeded farre; I in defence of mine did likewise stand, Mine, that did then shine as the morning starre. 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, XXXVII. "So doubly lov'd of ladies, unlike faire, Th' one seeming such, the other such indeede, Whether in beauties glorie did exceede; Both seemde to win, and both seemde won to bee; Frælissa was as faire as faire mote bee, And ever false Duessa seemde as faire as shee. XXXVIII. "The wicked witch, now seeing all this while Then was she fayre alone, when none was faire in place. XXXIX. "Then cride she out, Fye, fye, deformed wight, Whose borrowed beautie now appeareth plaine To have before bewitched all mens sight: XL. "Thensforth I tooke Duessa for my dame, |