So

vp he rose, and thence amounted streight. Which when the carle beheld, and saw his guest Would safe depart, for all his subtill sleight, He chose an halter from among the rest, And with it hung himselfe, vnbid vnblest. But death he could not worke himselfe thereby ; For thousand times he so himselfe had drest, Yet nathelesse it could not doe him die, Till he should die his last, that is eternally.

(4) The Knight and Una at the brazen tower wherein Una's parents are imprisoned by the dragon HIGH time now gan it wex for Vna faire, To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare, And their forwasted kingdome to repaire : Whereto whenas they now approched neare, With hartie words her knight she gan to cheare, And in her modest manner thus bespake;

Deare knight, as deare, as euer knight was deare, That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake, High heauen behold the tedious toyle, ye for me take.

Now are we come vnto my natiue soyle,

And to the place, where all our perils dwell; Here haunts that feend, and does his dayly spoyle, Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well, And euer ready for your foeman fell. The sparke of noble courage now awake, And striue your excellent selfe to excell; That shall ye euermore renowmed make, Aboue all knights on earth, that batteill vndertake. sleight] device,

amounted] mounted, ascended. trickery. wex] to wax, grow, become. renowmed]

renowned.

And pointing forth, lo yonder is (said she)
The brasen towre in which my parents deare
For dread of that huge feend emprisond be,
Whom I from far see on the walles appeare,
Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare :
And on the top of all I do espye

The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare,
That O my parents might I happily

Vnto you bring, to ease you of your misery.
With that they heard a roaring hideous sound,
That all the ayre with terrour filled wide,
And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground.
Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide,
Where stretcht he lay vpon the sunny

side Of a great hill, himselfe like a great hill. But all so soone, as he from far descride

Those glistring armes, that heauen with light did fill,

He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them vntill.

(5) Defeat and Death of the dragon

Then freshly vp arose the doughtie knight,
All healed of his hurts and woundes wide,
And did himselfe to battell readie dight;
Whose early foe awaiting him beside
To haue deuourd, so soone as day he spyde,
When now he saw himselfe so freshly reare,
As if late fight had nought him damnifyde,
He woxe dismayd, and gan his fate to feare;
Nathlesse with wonted rage he him aduaunced

neare.

eftsoones] forthwith. blith] joyfully. vntill] unto, towards. damnifyde] injured. woxe] waxed, became, nathlesse] nevertheless, none the less.

grew.

And in his first encounter, gaping wide,

He thought attonce him to haue swallowd quight, And rusht vpon him with outragious pride; Who him r'encountring fierce, as hauke in flight, Perforce rebutted backe. The weapon bright Taking aduantage of his open iaw,

Ran through his mouth with so importune might, That deepe emperst his darksome hollow maw, And back retyrd, his life bloud forth with all did draw.

So downe he fell, and forth his life did breath,

That vanisht into smoke and cloudes swift;
So downe he fell, that th'earth him vnderneath
Did grone, as feeble so great load to lift;
So downe he fell, as an huge rockie clift,
Whose false foundation waues haue washt away,
With dreadfull poyse is from the mayneland rift,
And rolling downe, great Neptune doth dismay;
So downe he fell, and like an heaped mountaine lay.
The knight himselfe euen trembled at his fall,
So huge and horrible a masse it seem'd;
And his deare Ladie, that beheld it all,
Durst not approch for dread, which she mis-
deem'd,

But yet at last, when as the direfull feend
She saw not stirre, off-shaking vaine affright,
She nigher drew, and saw that ioyous end:
Then God she praysd, and thankt her faithfull
knight,

That had atchieu'd so great a conquest by his

might.

quight] quite.

emperst] penetrated.

importune] heavy, severe, grievous. misdeem'd] misjudged.

(6) Betrothal of Una with the Knight Then forth he called that his daughter faire, The fairest Vn' his onely daughter deare, His onely daughter, and his onely heyre; Who forth proceeding with sad sober cheare, As bright as doth the morning starre appeare Out of the East, with flaming lockes bedight, To tell that dawning day is drawing neare, And to the world does bring long wished light; So faire and fresh that Lady shewd her selfe in sight. So faire and fresh, as freshest flowre in May; For she had layd her mournefull stole aside, And widow-like sad wimple throwne away, Wherewith her heauenly beautie she did hide, Whiles on her wearie iourney she did ride; And on her now a garment she did weare, All lilly white, withoutten spot, or pride, That seemd like silke and siluer wouen neare, But neither silke nor siluer therein did appeare. The blazing brightnesse of her beauties beame, And glorious light of her sunshyny face To tell, were as to striue against the streame. My ragged rimes are all too rude and bace, Her heauenly lineaments for to enchace. Ne wonder; for her owne deare loued knight, All were she dayly with himselfe in place, Did wonder much at her celestiall sight:

Oft had he seene her faire, but neuer so faire dight.

Vn'] Una. heyre] heir. cheare] countenance. bedight] adorned. wimple] covering of linen worn by women on the head, cheeks, and neck. bace] low. enchace] to set, serve as a setting for.

His owne two hands the holy knots did knit,
That none but death for euer can deuide;
His owne two hands, for such a turne most fit,
The housling fire did kindle and prouide,
And holy water theron sprinckled wide;
At which the bushy Teade a groome did light,
And sacred lampe in secret chamber hide,
Where it should not be quenched day nor
night,

For feare of euill fates, but burnen euer bright.

Then gan they sprinckle all the posts with wine, And made great feast to solemnize that day; They all perfumde with frankencense diuine, And precious odours fetcht from far away, That all the house did sweat with great aray : And all the while sweete Musicke did apply Her curious skill, the warbling notes to play, To driue away the dull Melancholy;

The whiles one sung a song of loue and iollity.

During the which there was an heauenly noise Heard sound through all the Pallace pleasantly, Like as it had bene many an Angels voice, Singing before th'eternall maiesty, .

In their trinall triplicities on hye;

Yet wist no creature, whence that heauenly

sweet

Proceeded, yet each one felt secretly

Himselfe thereby reft of his sences meet,

And rauished with rare impression in his sprite.

deuide] divide.

housling] sacramental (transf.).

Teade] torch. trinall] threefold.

triads. sprite] spirit.

triplicities] trinities,