XXVII.
Below her ham her weed did somewhat train,
And her ftreight legs moft bravely were embayld
In gilden bufkins of coftly cordwain,
All bard with golden bends, which were entaild
With curious anticks, and full fair aumaild:
Before, they faftned were under her knee
In a rich jewel, and therein entraild
The ends of all their knots, that none might fee, How they within their fouldings clofe enwrapped be. XXVIII.
Like two fair marble pillors they were feen,
Which do the temple of the Gods fupport,
Whom all the people deck with girlonds green,
And honour in their feftival refort;
Thofe fame with ftately grace, and princely port
She taught to tread, when the herself would grace:
But with the woody Nymphs when he did play,
Or when the flying Libbard fhe did chace,
She could them nimbly move, and after fly apace.
And in her hand a fharp Bore-fpear fhe held,
And at her back a bow and quiver gay,
Stuft with fteel-headed darts, wherewith fhe queld
The falvage beafts in her victorious play,
Knit with a golden bauldrick, which forelay
Athwart her fnowy breast, and did divide
Her dainty paps; which like young fruit in May
Now little 'gan to fwell, and being tide,
Through her thin weed their places only fignifide.
XXX.
Her yellow locks crifped, like golden wire,
About her fhoulders weren loofely fhed,
And when the wind emongst them did infpire,
They waved like a penon wide difpred,
And low behind her back were fcattered:
And whether art it were, or heedlefs hap,
As through the flowring foreft rafh fhe fled,
In her rude hairs fweet flowres themselves did lap,
And flourishing fresh leaves and bloffoms did enwrap.
Such as Diana by the fandy fhore
Of fwift Eurotas, or on Cynthus green,
Where all the Nymphs have her unwares forlore,
Wandreth alone with bow and arrows keen,
To feek her game: or as that famous Queen
Of Amazons, whom Pyrbus did destroy,
The day that first of Priam she was seen,
Did fhew herself in great triumphant joy,
To fuccour the weak state of fad afflicted Troy.
XXXII.
Such whenas heartlefs Trompart her did view,
He was dismayed in his coward mind,
And doubted, whether he himself should shew,
Or fly away, or bide alone behind:
Both fear and hope he in her face did find,
When fhe at laft him fpying, thus befpake;
Hail Groom; didft not thou fee a bleeding Hind,
Whofe right haunch earst my stedfast arrow ftrake?
If thou didft, tell me, that I may her overtake.
XXXIII.
Wherewith reviv'd, this answer forth he threw,
O Goddess (for fuch I thee take to be)
For neither doth thy face terrestrial shew,
Nor voice found mortal; I avow to thee,
Such wounded beaft, as that, I did not fee,
Sith earft into this foreeft wild I came.
But mote thy goodly-hed forgive it me,
To weet which of the Gods I fhall thee name,
That unto thee due worship I may rightly frame.
XXXIV.
To whom the thus; but ere her words enfew'd,
Unto the bush her eye did fuddain glaunce,
In which vain Braggadochio was mew'd,
And faw it ftir: the left her piercing launce,
And towards 'gan a deadly fhaft advaunce,
In mind to mark the beaft. At which fad ftowre,
Trompart forth ftept, to ftay the mortal chaunce,
Out-crying, o whatever heavenly powre,
Or earthly wight thou be withhold this deadly howre.
XXXV.
Oftay thy hand: for yonder is no game
For thy fierce arrows, them to exercise ;
But lo, my Lord, my liege, whofe warlike name
Is far renown'd through many bold emprise;
And now in fhade he throwded yonder lies.
She ftaid: with that he crawld out of his neft,
Forth creeping on his caitive hands and thighs,
And ftanding ftoutly up, his lofty creft
Did fiercely shake and rowze, as coming late from rest.
XXXVI.
As fearful fowl, that long in fecret cave,
For dread of foaring Hawk herself hath hid,
Not caring how her filly life to fave,
She her gay painted plumes difordered,
Seeing at laft herfelf from danger rid,
Peeps forth, and foon renews her native pride;
She 'gins her feathers foul disfigured
Proudly to prune, and fet on every fide,
So fhakes off fhame, ne thinks how erft fhe did her hide, XXXVII.
So when her goodly vifage he beheld,
He 'gan himself to vaunt: but when he view'd
Thofe deadly tools which in her hand fhe held,
Soon into other fits he was tranfmew'd,
Till fhe to him her gracious fpeech renew'd;
All hail, Sir Knight, and well may thee befall,
As all the like, which honour have purfew'd
Through deeds of arms and prowess martial;
All vertue merits praife: but fuch the most of all.
XXXVIII.
To whom he thus; o faireft under fkye,
True be thy words, and worthy of thy praise,
That warlike feats doft higheft glorifie.
Therein have I spent all my youthly days,
And many battles fought, and many frays
Throughout the world, wherefo they might be found,
Endeavouring my dreaded name to raise
Above the moon, that fame may it refound
In her eternal tromp, with laurel girlond cround.:
But what art thou (O Lady, which doft range
In this wild foreft, where no pleasure is,
And doft not it for joyous court exchange,
Emongst thine equal peers, where happy blifs
And all delight does reign, much more than this?
There thou mayft love, and dearly loved be,
And swim in pleasure, which thou here doft mifs; There mayft thou best be seen, and best mayst see: The wood is best for beasts; the court is fit for thee. XL.
Whofo in pomp of proud eftate (quoth fhe)
Does fwim, and bathes himself in courtly blifs,
Does wafte his days in dark obfcuritee,
And in oblivion ever buried is :
Where ease abounds, it's eath to do amiss;
But who his limbs with labours, and his mind
Behaves with cares, cannot fo eafie mifs.
Abroad in arms, at home in ftudious kind
Who feeks with painful toil, fhall honour fooneft find.
XLI.
In woods, in waves, in wars fhe wonts to dwell,
And will be found with peril and with pain;
Ne can the man that moulds in idle cell,
Unto her happy mansion attain :
Before her gate high God did fweat ordain,
And wakeful watches ever to abide :
But eafie is the way, and paffage plain
To pleafures palace; it may foon be fpide,
And day and night her doors to all stand open wide.
XLII.
In Princes court: The reft fhe would have faid,
But that the foolish man (filld with delight
Of her fweet words, that all his fense dismaid,
And with her wondrous beauty ravisht quight)
'Gan burn in filthy luft; and leaping light,
Thought in his baftard arms her to embrace.
With that, fhe fwarving back, her javelin bright
Against him bent, and fiercely did menace:
So turned her about, and fled away apace.
Which when the Peafant faw, amaz'd he ftood,
And grieved at her flight; yet durst he not
Purfue her steps, through wild unknowen wood;
Befides he fear'd her wrath, and threatned fhot
Whiles in the bush he lay, not yet forgot:
Ne car'd he greatly for her prefence vain;
But turning faid to Trompart, what foul blot
Is this to Knight, that Lady should again
Depart to woods untoucht, and leave fo proud disdain.
XLIV.
Perdie (faid Trompart) let her pass at will,
Leaft by her prefence danger mote befall.
For who can tell (and fure I fear it ill)
But that she is some powre celeftial?
For whiles she spake, her great words did appall
My feeble courage, and my heart opprefs,
That yet I quake and tremble over all.
And I faid Braggadochio) thought no lefs,
When first I heard her horn found with fuch ghaftliness.
XLV.
For from my mothers womb this grace I have
Me given by eternal destiny,
That earthly thing may not my courage brave
Difmay with fear, or caufe one foot to fly,
But either hellish fiends, or powres on high:
Which was the cause, when earft that horn I heard,
Weening it had been thunder in the sky,
I hid my felf from it, as one affeard;
But when I other knew, myfelf I boldly reard.
XLVI.
But now for fear of worfe that may betide,
Let us foon hence depart. They foon agree.
So to his fteed he got, and 'gan to ride
As one unfit therefore, that all might fee
He had not trained been in chevalree.
Which well that valiant courfer did difcern;
For he difpis'd to tread in due degree,
But chauft and foam'd, with courage fierce and ftern And to be eas'd of that bafe burden still did yern.
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