And on his collar laying puiffant hand,
Out of his wavering feat him pluckt perforce,
Perforce him pluckt, unable to withstand,
Or help himself; and laying thwart her horfe,
In loathly wife like to a carrion corfe,
She bore him faft way. Which when the Knight
That her pursued faw, with great remorfe
He near was touched in his noble spright,
And 'gan increase his fpeed, as fhe increaft her flight.
XLIV.
Whom whenas nigh approching the efpide,
She threw away her burden angrily;
For fhe lift not the battle to abide,
But made her felf more light away to fly:
Yet her the hardy Knight purfu'd fo nigh,
That almoft in the back he oft her ftrake:
But ftill when him at hand fhe did efpy,
She turn'd, and femblance of fair fight did make; But when he staid, to flight again she did her take. XLV.
By this the good Sir Satyrane 'gan 'wake
Out of his dream, that did him long entrance;
And feeing none in place, he 'gan to make
Exceeding mone, and curft that cruel chance,
Which reft him from fo fáir a chevifance:
At length he fpide, whereas that woeful Squire,
Whom he had reskewed from captivance
Of his strong foe, lay tumbled in the mire,
Unable to arife, or foot or hand to stire.
XLVI.
To whom approching, well he mote perceive
In that foul plight a comely perfonage,
And lovely face (made fit for to deceive
Frail Ladies heart with loves confuming rage)
Now in the bloffom of his freshest age:
He rear'd him up, and loos'd his iron bands,
And after 'gan enquire his parentage,
And how he fell into that Giants hands,
And who that was, which chafed her along the lands.
Then trembling yet through fear, the Squire befpake That Giantess Argante is behight,
A daughter of the Titans which did make War against heaven, and heaped hills on height, To scale the skies, and put Jove from his right: Her fire Typhæus was, who (mad through mirth, And drunk with blood of men, flain by his might) Through inceft, her of his own mother Earth Whilome begot, being but half twin of that birth. XLVIII.
For at that birth another babe she bore,
To weet, the mighty Ollyphant, that wrought
Great wreak to many errant Knights of yore,
And many hath to foul confufion brought.
These twins, men say (a thing far paffing thought)
Whiles in their mothers womb enclos'd they were,
Ere they into the lightfome world were brought,
In fleshly luft were mingled both yfere,
And in that monftrous wife did to the world appear.
XLIX.
So liv'd they ever after in like fin,
'Gainft natures law, and good behaviour:
But greatest shame was to that maiden twin,
Who not content fo foully to devour
Her native flefh, and ftain her brothers bowre;
Did wallow in all other fleshly mire,
And fuffred beafts her body to deflowre:
So hot fhe burned in that luftful fire;
Yet all that might not flake her fenfual defire.
L.
But over all the country fhe did range,
To feek young men, to quench her flaming thirst, And feed her fancy with delightful change: Whomfo fhe fitteft finds to ferve her luft,
Through her main ftrength,inwhich fhe most doth trust,
She with her brings into a fecret Isle,
Where in eternal bondage die he must,
Or be the vaffal of her pleafures vile,
And in all shameful fort himself with her defile.
Me feely wretch fhe fo at vantage caught,
After the long in wait for me did lie,
And meant unto her prifon to have brought,
Her loathfome pleasure there to fatisfie;
That thousand deaths me liefer were to die,
Than break the vow, that to fair Columbell
I plighted have, and yet keep fted fastly:
As for my name, it miftreth not to tell;
Call me the Squire of Dames, that me befeemeth well.
LII.
But that bold Knight, whom ye pursuing faw
That Giantess, is not fuch, as fhe feem'd,
But a fair virgin, that in martial law,
And deeds of arms above all Dames is deem'd,
And above many Knights is eke esteem'd,
For her great worth; She Palladine is hight:
She you from death, you me from dread redeem'd.
Ne any may that monfter match in fight,
But fhe, or fuch as fhe, that is so chafte a wight.
LIII.
Her well befeems that queft, quoth Satyrane:
But read, thou Squire of Dames, what vow is this,
Which thou upon thyfelf haft lately ta'en?
That fhall I you recount (quoth he) ywis,
So be ye pleas'd to pardon all amifs.
That gentle Lady, whom I love and ferve,
After long fuit and weary services,
Did ask me, how I could her love deferve,
And how the might be fure, that I would never fwerve.
LIV.
I glad by any means her grace to gain,
Bade her command my life to fave, or spill:
Eftfoons fhe bade me with inceffant pain,
To wander through the world abroad at will,
And every where, where with my powre or skill
I might do fervice unto gentle Dames,
That I the fame should faithfully fulfill,
And at the twelve months end fhould bring theirnames And pledges; as the spoils of my victorious games,
So well I to fair Ladies fervice did,
And found fuch favour in their loving hearts,
That ere the year his courfe had compaffed,
Three hundred pledges for my good defarts,
And thrice three hundred thanks for my good parts
I with me brought, and did to her prefent:
Which when the faw, more bent to eke my fmarts,
Than to reward my trusty true intent,
She 'gan for me devife a grievous punishment;
To weet, that I my travel fhould refume,
And with like labour walk the world around,
Ne ever to her prefence should prefume,
Till I fo many other Dames had found.
The which, for all the fuit I could propound,
Would me refufe their pledges to afford,
And did abide for ever chafte and found.
Ah gentle Squire, quoth he, tell at a word,
How many found'st thou fuch to put in thy record?
LVII.
Indeed Sir Knight, faid he, one word may tell
All that I ever found fo wifely stayd;
For only three they were difpos'd fo well:
And yet three years I now abroad have strayd,
To find them out. Mote I (then laughing faid
The Knight (inquire of thee, what were thofe three,
The which thy proffred courtefie denay'd?
Or ill they feemed fure aviz'd to be,
Or brutishly brought up, that ne'er did fashions fee.
LVIII.
The first which then refused me, faid he,
Certes: was but a common courtisane,
Yet flat refus'd to have a-do with me,
Because I could not give her many a jane.
(Thereat full heartily laught Satyrane)
The fecond was an holy Nun to chose,
Which would not let me be her chapellane,
Because she knew, fhe faid, I would difclofe
Her counsel, if she should her truft in me repose.
The third a damzel was of low degree,
Whom I in country cottage found by chance;
Full little weened I, that chastity
Had lodging in fo mean a maintenance:
Yet was the fair, and in her countenance
Dwelt fimple truth in feemly fashion.
Long thus I wooed her with due obfervance,
In hope unto my pleasure to have won;
But was as far at laft, as when I first begun.
LX.
Save her, I never any woman found,
That chastity did for it self embrace,
But were for other caufes firm and found;
Either for want of handsome time and place,
Or elfe for fear of fhame and foul difgrace.
Thus am I hopeless ever to attain
My Ladies love in such a defperate case, But all my days am like to wafte in vain, Seeking to match the chafte with th'unchafte Ladies train. LXI.
Perdy, faid Satyrane, thou Squire of Dames,
Great labour fondly haft thou hent in hand,
To get small thanks, and therewith many blames,
That may among Alcides labours stand.
Thence back returning to the former land,
Where late he left the beaft he overcame,
He found him not; for he had broke his band,
And was return'd again unto his Dame,
To tell what tidings of fair Florimell became.
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