Therewith a while she her flit fancy fed, lvi
Till she mote winne fit time for her desire,
But yet her wound still inward freshly bled,
And through her bones the false instilled fire
Did spred it selfe, and venime close inspire.
Tho were the tables taken all away,
And euery knight, and euery gentle Squire
Gan choose his dame with Basciomani[878] gay,
With whom he meant to make his sport and courtly play.
Some fell to daunce, some fell to hazardry, lvii
Some to make loue, some to make meriment,
As diuerse wits to diuers things apply;
And all the while faire Malecasta bent
Her crafty engins to her close intent.
By this th’eternall lampes, wherewith high Ioue
Doth light the lower world, were halfe yspent,
And the moist daughters of huge Atlas stroue
Into the Ocean deepe to driue their weary droue.
High time it seemed then for euery wight lviii
Them to betake vnto their kindly rest;
Eftsoones long waxen torches weren light,
Vnto their bowres to guiden euery guest:
Tho when the Britonesse saw all the rest
Auoided quite, she gan her selfe despoile,
And safe commit to her soft fethered nest,
Where through long watch, and late dayes weary toile,
She soundly slept, and carefull thoughts did quite assoile.
Now whenas all the world in silence deepe lix
Yshrowded was, and euery mortall wight
Was drowned in the depth of deadly sleepe,
Faire Malecasta, whose engrieued spright
Could find no rest in such perplexed plight,
Lightly arose out of her wearie bed,
And vnder the blacke vele of guilty Night,
Her with a scarlot mantle couered,
That was with gold and Ermines faire enueloped.
Then panting soft, and trembling euerie ioynt, lx
Her fearfull feete towards the bowre she moued;
Where she for secret purpose did appoynt
To lodge the warlike mayd vnwisely loued,
And to her bed approching, first she prooued,
Whether she slept or wakt, with her soft hand
She softly felt, if any member mooued,
And lent her wary[879] eare to vnderstand,
If any puffe of breath, or signe of sence she fond[880].
Which whenas none she fond, with easie shift, lxi
For feare least her vnwares she should abrayd,
Th’embroderd quilt she lightly vp did lift,
And by her side her selfe she softly layd,
Of euery finest fingers touch affrayd;
Ne any noise she made, ne word she spake,
But inly sigh’d. At last the royall Mayd
Out of her quiet slomber did awake,
And chaungd her weary side, the better ease to take.
Where feeling one close couched by her side, lxii
She lightly lept out of her filed bed,
And to her weapon ran, in minde to gride
The loathed leachour. But the Dame halfe ded
Through suddein feare and ghastly drerihed,
Did shrieke alowd, that through the house it rong,
And the whole family therewith adred,
Rashly out of their rouzed couches sprong,
And to the troubled chamber all in armes did throng.
And those six Knights that Ladies Champions, lxiii
And eke the Redcrosse knight ran to the stownd,
Halfe armd and halfe vnarmd, with them attons:
Where when confusedly they came, they fownd
Their Lady lying on the sencelesse grownd;
On th’other side, they saw the warlike Mayd
All in her snow-white smocke, with locks vnbownd,
Threatning the point of her auenging blade,
That with so troublous terrour they were all dismayde.
About their Lady first they flockt arownd, lxiv
Whom hauing laid in comfortable couch,
Shortly they reard out of her frosen swownd;
And afterwards they gan with fowle reproch
To stirre vp strife, and troublous contecke broch:
But by ensample of the last dayes losse,
None of them rashly durst to her approch,
Ne in so glorious spoile themselues embosse;
Her succourd eke the Champion of the bloudy Crosse.
But one of those sixe knights, Gardante hight, lxv
Drew out a deadly bow and arrow keene,
Which forth he sent with felonous despight,
And fell intent against the virgin sheene:
The mortall steele stayd not, till it was seene
To gore her side, yet was the wound not deepe,
But lightly rased her soft silken skin,
That drops of purple bloud thereout did weepe,
Which did her lilly smock with staines of vermeil steepe.
Wherewith enrag’d she fiercely at them flew, lxvi
And with her flaming sword about her layd,
That none of them foule mischiefe could eschew,
But with her dreadfull strokes were all dismayd:
Here, there, and euery where about her swayd
Her wrathfull steele, that none mote it abide;
And eke the Redcrosse knight gaue her good aid,
Ay ioyning foot to foot, and side to side,
That in short space their foes they haue quite terrifide.
Tho whenas all were put to shamefull flight, lxvii
The noble Britomartis her arayd,
And her bright armes about her body dight:
For nothing would she lenger there be stayd,
Where so loose life, and so vngentle trade
Was vsd of Knights and Ladies seeming gent:
So earely ere the grosse Earthes gryesy shade[881]
Was all disperst out of the firmament,
They tooke their steeds, and forth vpon their iourney went.
FOOTNOTES:
[861] Arg. 3 Malecastaes] Materastaes 1590 &c.: corr. F. E.
[862] vii 2 sith] since 1609
[863] xiv 8 creature 1590
[864] xxx 6 mard] shard 1590 &c.: corr. F. E.
[865] xxxi 6 of om. 1596, 1609
[866] 8 sight. 1596
[867] xxxiii 4 be seeme 1596
[868] xxxvii 8 scathe 1609
[869] xli 8 lightly] highly 1590, 1596
[870] xlvi 7 briers 1609
[871] xlvii 1 wight. 1596
[872] 7 which] that 1590
[873] slender 1609
[874] xlviii 2 burst 1609
[875] 9 loathy 1596, 1609
[876] sight, 1596
[877] liv 6 beguiled 1596 be ’guiled 1609
[878] lvi 8 Bascimano 1590
[879] lx 8 weary 1590, 1596
[880] 9 fand 1609
[881] lxvii 7 shade, 1590 &c.