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XL.

And all the while, fweet mufick did divide
Her loofer notes with Lydian harmony;
And all the while, fweet birds thereto applide
Their dainty lays and dulcet melody,
Ay caroling of love and jollity,

That wonder was to hear their trim confort. :
Which when thofe Knights beheld, with fcornful eye,
They 'fdeigned fuch lafcivious difport,

And loath'd the loofe demeanure of that wanton fort.
XLI.

Thence they were brought to that great Ladies view,
Whom they found fitting on a fumptuous bed,
That gliftred all with gold and glorious fhew,
As the proud Perfian Queens accustomed:
She feem'd a woman of great bountihed,
And of rare beauty, faving that afcaunce
Her wanton eyes, ill figns of womanhed,
Did roll too lightly, and too often glaunce,
Without regard of grace, or comely amenance.
XLII.

Long work it were, and needless to devife
Their goodly entertainment and great glee:
She caufed them be led in courteous wife
Into a bowre, difarmed for to be,

And cheared well with wine and fpiceree :
The Redcross Knight was foon difarmed there;
But the brave maid would not disarmed be,
But only vented up her umbriere,
And fo did let her goodly vifage to appear.
XLIII.

As when fair Cynthia, in darkfome night,
Is in a noyous cloud enveloped,

Where the may find the substance thin and light,
Breaks forth her silver beams, and her bright head
Discovers to the world difcomfited;

Of the poor traveller that went astray,
With thousand bleffings fhe is heried;

Such was the beauty and the fhining ray,

With which fair Britomart gave light unto the day.

XLIV.

And eke thofe fix, which lately with her fought,
Now were difarm'd, and did themselves prefent
Unto her view, and company unfought;
For they all feemed courteous and gent,
And all fix brethren born of one parent,
Which had them train'd in all civilitee,
And goodly taught to tilt and turnament;
Now were they liegemen to this Lady free,
And her Knights-fervice ought, to hold of her in fee.
XLV.

The firft of them by name Gardante hight,
A jolly perfon, and of comely view;
The fecond was Parlante, a bold Knight,
And next to him Jocante did ensue ;
Bafciante did himself moft courteous fhew;
But fierce Bacchante, feem'd too fell and keen;
And yet in arms Nottante greater grew:

All were fair Knights, and goodly well befeen;
But to fair Britomart they all but fhadows been.
XLVI.

For fhe was full of amiable grace,

And manly terrour mixed there-withall,
That as the one stir'd up affections base,
So th'other did mens rafh defires appall,
And hold them back, that would in errour fall;
As he that hath espy'd a vermeil Rose,

To which sharp thorns and breres the way forftall,
Dare not for dread his hardy hand expofe;
But wishing it far off, his idle wifh doth lofe.

XLVI.

Whom when the Lady faw fo fair a wight,
All ignorant of her contrary fex

(For the her weend a fresh and lufty Knight)
She greatly 'gan enamoured to wex,

And with vain thoughts her falfed fancy vex:
Her fickle heart conceived hafty fire,

Like fparks of fire which fall in flender flex,
That shortly brent into extream defire,

And ranfackt all her veins with paffion entire.

XLVIII.

Eftfoons fhe grew to great impatience,
And into terms of open outrage brust,
That plain discover'd her incontinence,
Ne reckt fhe who her meaning did mistrust;
For fhe was given all to Refhly luft,
And poured forth in fenfual delight,
That all regard of fhame fhe had difcuft,
And meet respect of honour put to flight;
So shameless beauty foon becomes a loathly fight.
XLIX.

Fair Ladies, that to love captived are,

And chafte defires do nourish in your mind,
Let not her fault your sweet affections mar,
Ne blot the bounty of all woman kind,
Mongft thousands good, one wanton Dame to find:
Emongst the Rofes grow fome wicked weeds;
For this was not to love, but luft inclin'd;

For love does always bring forth bounteous deeds, And in each gentle heart defire of honour breeds.

L.

Nought fo of love this loofer Dame did skill,
But as a coal to kindle fleshly flame,
Giving the bridle to her wanton will,
And treading under foot her honeft name:
Such love is hate, and fuch defire is fhame.
Still did fhe rove at her with crafty glance
Of her false eyes, that at her heart did aim,
And told her meaning in her countenance;
But Britomart diffembled it with ignorance.
LI.

Supper was shortly dight, and down they fat,
Where they were ferved with all fumptuous fare,
Whiles fruitful Ceres, and Lyaus fat

Pourd out their plenty, without fpight or spare: Nought wanted there, that dainty was and rare; And aye the cups their banks did overflow, And aye between the cups fhe did prepare Way to her love, and fecret darts did throw; But Britomart would not fuch guileful meffage know.

*LII.

So when they flaked had the fervent heat
Of appetite with meats of every fort,
The Lady did fair Britomart entreat
Her to difarm, and with delightful sport
To loose her warlike limbs and ftrong effort:
But when the mote not thereunto be won,
(For fhe her fex under that ftrange purport
Did use to hide, and plain appearance shun :)
In plainer wife to tell her grievance the begun.
LIII.

And all attonce difcover'd her defire

With fighs, and fobs, and plaints, and pitious grief,
The outward sparks of her in-burning fire;

Which spent in vain, at laft, fhe told her brief,
That but if she did lend her short relief,
And do her comfort, fhe mote algates dye.
But the chafte Damzel, that had never prief
Of fuch malengine and fine forgery,
Did easily believe her strong extremity.
LIV.

Full eafie was for her to have belief,

Who by felf-feeling of her feeble fex,
And by long trial of the inward grief,
Wherewith imperious love her heart did vex,
Could judge what pains do loving hearts perplex.
Who means no guile, be guiled foonest shall,
And to fair femblance doth light faith annex;
The Bird, that knows not the falfe Fowlers call,
Into his hidden net full eafily doth fall.

LV.

Forthy fhe would not in difcourteous wife,
Scorn the fair offer of good will profest;
For great rebuke it is, love to defpife,
Or rudely 'fdeign a gentle hearts request,
But with fair count'nance, as beseemed best,
Her entertain'd, nath'lefs, the inly deem'd
Her love too light, to wooe a wandring gueft:
Which the mifconftruing, thereby esteem'd

That from like inward fire that outward fmoke had fteem'd..

LVI.

Therewith awhile fhe her flit fancy fed,
Till fhe mote win fit time for her defire:
But yet her wound ftill inward freshly bled,
And through her bones the falfe inftilled fire
Did fpread it felf, and venom close inspire.
Tho were the tables taken all away,

And every Knight, and every gentle Squire Gan choose his Dame with Bafciomani gay, With whom he meant to make his fport and courtly play.

LVII.

Some fell to dance, fome fell to hazardry,

Some to make love, fome to make merriment,
As diverfe wits to diverfe things apply i
And all the while fair Malecafta bent
Her crafty engines to her clofe intent.
By this th'eternal lamps, wherewith high Jove
Doth light the lower world, were half yfpent,
And the moist Daughters of huge Atlas ftrove
Into the ocean deep to drive their weary drove.
LVIII.

High time it seemed then for every wight
Them to betake unto their kindly reft;
Eftfoons long waxen torches weren light,
Unto their bowres to guiden ev'ry guest:
Tho when the Britoneis faw all the reit
Avoided quite, fhe 'gan her felt defpoil,
And fafe commit to her foft feathred neft;
Where through long watch, and late days weary toil,
She foundly flept, and careful thoughts did quite affoil.

LIX.

Now whenas all the world in filence deep
Yfhrouded was, and every mortal wight
Was drowned in the depth of deadly fleep,
Fair Malecafta, whofe engrieved spright
Could find no reft in fuch perplexed plight,
Lightly arofe out of her weary bed,
And under the black veil of guilty night,
Her with a scarlet mantle covered,

That was with gold and ermines fair enveloped.

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