S

CANTO VIII.

The Witch creates a fnowy Lady,
Like to Florimell,

Who wrong'd by Carle, by Proteus fav'd,
Is fought by Paridell.

1.

O oft as I this hiftory record,

My heart doth melt with meer compaffion,
To think how causeless of her own accord
This gentle damzel whom I write upon,
Should plunged be in fuch affliction,
Without all hope of comfort or relief,
That fure I ween, the hardeft heart of ftone,
Would hardly find to aggravate her grief;
For mifery craves rather mercy, than reprief.

II.

But that accurfed Hag, her hoftess late,
Had fo enrankled her malicious heart,
That the defir'd th'abridgment of her fate,
Or long enlargement of her painful fmart.
Now when the beaft, which by her wicked art
Late forth fhe fent, fhe back returning fpide,
Tide with her golden girdle; it, a part

Of her rich spoils, whom he had earft destroyd,
She weend, and wondrous gladness to her heart applide.
III.

And with it running haft'ly to her fon,

Thought with that fight him much to have reliev'd;
Who thereby deeming fure the thing as done,
His former grief with fury fresh reviv'd

Much more than earft, and would have algates riv'd
The heart out of his breaft: for fith her dead
He furely dempt, himself he thought depriv'd
Quite of all hope, wherewith he long had fed
His foolish malady, and long time had misled.

IV.

With thought thereof, exceeding mad he
grew,
And in his rage his mother would have flain,
Had the not fled into a fecret mew,
Where the was wont her fprights to entertain
The mafters of her art: there was fhe fain
To call them all in order to her ayd,
And them conjure upon eternal pain,
To counsel her fo carefully difmayd,

How the might heal her fon, whofe fenfes were decayd.

V.

By their advice, and her own wicked wit,

She there deviz'd a wondrous work to frame,
Whofe like on earth was never framed yet,
That even nature felf envide the fame,
And grudg'd to see the counterfeit should shame
The thing it felf. In hand fhe boldly took
To make another like the former Dame,
Another Florimell, in fhape and look
So lively and fo like, that many it mistook.
VI.

The fubftance, whereof the the body made,
Was pureft fnow in maffie mould congeal'd,
Which she had gather'd in a fhady glade
Of the Riphaan hills, to her reveal'd

By errant fprights, but from all men conceal'd:
The fame the tempred with fine mercury,
And virgin wax, that never yet was feal'd,
And mingled them with perfect vermily,
That like a lively fanguine it feem'd to the eye.
VII.

Inftead of eyes, two burning lamps fhe fet
In filver fockets, fhining like the skies,
And a quick moving fpirit did arret

To ftir and roll them, like to womans eyes:
Inftead of yellow locks fhe did devise,
With golden wire to weave her curled head;
Yet golden wire was not fo yellow thrice
As Florimells fair hair: and in the ftead

Of life, the put a Spright to rule the carcafs dead;

VIII.

A wicked Spright yfraught with fawning guile,
And fair refemblance above all the reft,

Which with the Prince of darkness fell fomewhile,
From heavens blifs and everlasting reft;

Him needed not inftruct, which way were best
Himself to fashion likeft Florimell,

Ne how to speak, ne how to use his geft:
For he in counterfeifance did excel;

And all the wiles of womens wits knew paffing well.
IX.

Him shaped thus fhe deckt in garments gay,
Which Florimell had left behind her late,
That whofo then her faw, would furely fay,
It was her felf, whom it did imitate,
Or fairer than her felf, if ought algate.

Might fairer be. And then the forth her brought
Unto her fon, that lay in feeble state;

Who feeing her 'gan straight upftart, and thought She was the Lady felf, whom he fo long had fought.

Tho faft her clipping 'twixt his armës twain,
Extreamly joyed in fo happy fight,

And foon forgot his former fickly pain;
But fhe, the more to feem fuch as the hight,
Coyly rebutted his embracement light;
Yet ftill with gentle countenance retain❜d,
Enough to hold a fool in vain delight :
Him long fhe fo with fhadows entertain❜d,
As her creatre's had in charge to her ordain'd.
XI.

Till on a day, as he difpofed was

To walk the woods with that his Idol fair,
Her to difport, and idle time to pafs,
In th'open freshness of the gentle air,
A Knight that way there chanced to repair;
Yet Knight he was not, but a boastful swain,
That deeds of arms had ever in despair,
Proud Braggadochio, that in vaunting vain
His glory did repofe, and credit did maintain.

XII.

He seeing with that Chorle fo fair a wight,
Decked with many a coftly ornament,
Much merveiled thereat, as well he might,
And thought that match a foul difparagement:
His bloody fpear eftfoons he boldly bent
Against the filly clown, who dead through fear,
Fell ftraight to ground in great aftonishment.
Villain, faid he, this Lady is my dear;
Dye, if thou it gainfay: I will away her bear.
XIII.

The fearful Chorle durft not gainfay, nor do,
But trembling ftood, and yielded him the prey;
Who finding little leifure her to wooe,
On Tromparts steed her mounted without stay,
And without refkew led her quite away.
Proud man himself then Braggadocbio deem'd,
And next to none, after that happy day,
Being poffeffed of that fpoil, which feem'd
The fairest wight on ground, and most of men efteem'd,
XIV.

But when he faw himself free from purfute,
He 'gan make gentle purpose to his Dame,
With terms of love and lewdnefs diffolute;
For he could well his glozing fpeeches frame
To fuch vain ufes, that him beft became :
But she thereto would lend but light regard;
As feeming forry that fhe ever came
Into his powre, that ufed her fo hard,

To reave her honour, which the more than life prefard.
XV.

Thus as they two of kindness treated long,

There them by chance encountred on the way
An armed Knight, upon a courfer strong,
Whofe trampling feet upon the hollow lay
Seemed to thunder, and did nigh affray
That capons courage: yet he looked grim,
And feign'd to chear his Lady in difinay;
Who feem'd for fear to quake in every limb,
And her to fave from outrage, meekly prayed him.

ין

XVI.

Fiercely that stranger forward came, and nigh
Approching, with bold words, and bitter threat,
Bade that fame boafter, as he mote, on high
To leave to him that Lady for excheat,
Or bide him battle without further treat.
That challenge did too peremptory seem,
And fill'd his fenfes with abashment great;
Yet feeing nigh him jeopardy extream,
He it diffembled well, and light feem'd to esteem;
XVII.

Saying, thou foolish Knight, that ween'ft with words
To fteal away that I with blows have won,

And brought through points of many per❜lous fwords:
But if thee lift to fee thy courfer run,

Or prove thy felf, this fad encounter fhun,
And seek else without hazard of thy head.

At those proud words that other Knight begun
To wex exceeding wroth, and him aread.
To turn his fteed about, or fure he fhould be dead.
XVIII.

Sith then, faid Braggadochio, needs thou wilt
Thy days abridge, through proof of puiffance,
Turn we our steeds, that both in equal tilt
May meet again, and each take happy chance.
This faid, they both a furlongs mountenance
Retir'd their steeds, to run in even race:
But Braggadochio with his bloody lance

Once having turn'd, no more return'd his face,
But left his Love to lofs, and fled himself apace.
XIX.

The Knight him feeing fly, had no regard
Him to pursue, but to the Lady rode;
And having her from Trompart lightly reard,
Upon his courfer fet the lovely lode,
And with her fled away without abode.
Well weened he, that fairest Florimell
It was, with whom in company he yode,
And fo her felf did always to him tell;

So made him think himself in heaven, that was in hell.