IV.

To whom falfe Turpine comming courteously, To cloke the mischiefe which he inly ment, Gan to complaine of great difcourtesie, Which a ftraunge Knight, that neare afore him went,

Had doen to him, and his deare Ladie fhent; Which if they would afford him ayde at need For to avenge in time convenient,

They fhould accomplish both a knightly deed, And for their paines obtaine of him a goodly

meed.

V.

The Knights beleev'd that all he fayd was trew; And, being fresh and full of youthly spright, Were glad to heare of that adventure new, In which they mote make triall of their might

Which never yet they had approv'd in fight, And eke defirous of the offred meed:

Said then the one of them; "Where is that wight,

The which hath doen to thee this wrongfull deed,

That we may it avenge, and punish him with speed ?"

V. 2.

of 1751 reads youthfull. CHURCH.

youthly] The edition

VI.

"He rides," faid Turpine, "there not farre

With a Wyld Man soft footing by his fyde; That, if ye lift to hafte a litle more,

Ye may him overtake in timely tyde." Eftfoones they pricked forth with forward pryde;

And, ere that litle while they ridden had, The gentle Prince not farre away they spyde, Ryding a foftly pace with portance fad, Devizing of his Love more then of daunger drad.

Then one of them aloud unto him cryde,
ne of the

Bidding him turne againe; "Falfe tray tour
Knight,

Foule

woman-wronger!"—for he him defyde. With that they both at once with equall fpight Did bend their fpeares, and both with equall

might ot BOLLW

Against him ran; but th' one did miffe his marke, {up

And being carried with his force forthright Glaunft fwiftly by; like to that heavenly fparke,

Which glyding through the ayre lights all the heavens darke.

VII. 8..

like to that heavenly Sparke, Which glyding through the ayre lights all the heavens durke.] The fimile is elegant, and borrowed from Homer, who

VIII.

But th' other, ayming better, did him fmite Full in the shield with fo impetuous powre, That all his launce in peeces fhivered quite, And fcattered all about fell on the flowre: But the ftout Prince with much more fteddy ftowre

Full on his bever did him ftrike fo fore, That the cold fteele through piercing did devowre

His vitall breath, and to the ground him

bore,

Where still he bathed lay in his own bloody gore.

IX.

As when a caft of faulcons make their flight At an herneshaw, that lyes aloft on wing, The whyles they strike at him with heedleffe might,

The warie foule his bill doth backward wring; On which the firft, whofe force her first doth bring,

Herfelfe quite through the bodie doth engore,

compares Minerva's defcent from heaven to a shooting star or glancing meteor, Il. . 75. Ovid compares the fall of Phaëton to a shooting star; and Milton the defcent of Uriel, Par. L. B. iv. 556. UPTON.

IX. 1. As when a caft of faulcons make their flight

hawks.

At an herneshaw,] A caft of faulcons is a couple of CHURCH.

So Sidney, in his Arcadia, p. 108. "A caft of merlins. But the fport, which for that day Bafilius would principally fhew to Zelmane was the mounty at a hearne; &c." UPTON.

And falleth downe to ground like fe thing;

But th' other, not fo fwift as fhe befo Fayles of her foufe, and paffing by do

no more.

X.

By this the other, which was paffed by, Himfelfe recovering, was return'd to Where when he faw his fellow lifeleffe He much was daunted with fo difmal Yet, nought abating of his former fpig Let drive at him with fo malitious my As if he would have paffed throug quight:

But the fteele-head no ftedfaft hold could But glauncing by deceiv'd him of that hed

XI.

Not fo the Prince; for his well-learned
Tooke furer hould, and from his horfes
Above a launces length him forth did
And gainst the cold hard earth fo for
ftrake,

That all his bones in peeces nigh he bi
Where feeing him fo lie, he left his fte
And, to him leaping, vengeance thou
take

Of him, for all his former follies meed, With flaming fword in hand his terror mo breed.

XII.

The fearfull Swayne beholding death fo nie
Cryde out aloud, for mercie, him to fave;
In lieu whereof he would to him defcrie
Great treafon to him meant, his life to reave.
The Prince foone hearkned, and his life
forgave.

Then thus faid he; "There is a ftraunger
Knight,

The which, for promise of great meed, us drave To this attempt, to wreake his hid despight, For that himfelfe thereto did want fufficient

might."

XIII.

The Prince much mufed at fuch villenie,

And fayd; "Now fure ye well have earn'd your meed ;

For th' one is dead, and th' other foone fhall die,

Unleffe to me thou hither bring with fpeed The wretch that hyr'd you to this wicked deed."

He glad of life, and willing eke to wreake The guilt on him which did this mischiefe breed,

Swore by his fword, that neither day nor weeke

He would furceaffe, but him wherefo he were would feeke.