"The caufe, they fay, of this her cruell hate, "Is for the fake of Bellodant the Bold, "To whom she bore moft fervent love of late, "And wooed him by all the waies the could; "But when the faw at laft that he ne would "For ought or nought be wonne unto her will, "She turn'd her love to hatred manifold, "And for his fake vow'd to doe all the ill "Which she could doe to knights, which now she "doth fulfill.
"Now fure," said he, " and by the faith that I "To Maydenhead and noble knighthood owe, "I will not reft it till I her might doe trie, "And venge the shame that the to knights doth "show:
"Therefore, Sir Terpin, from you lightly throw "This fqualid weede, the patterne of defpaire, "And wend with me, that ye may fee and "know
"How fortune will your ruin'd name repaire, "And knights of Maidenhead, whose praise fhe "would empaire."
With that like one that hopeleffe was repryv'd
From Deathes dore at which he lately lay,
Those yron fetters wherewith he was gyv'd,
The badges of reproch, he threw away,
And numbly did him dight to guide the way
Unto the dwelling of that Amazone;
Which was from thence not past a mile or tways
A goodly citty and a mighty one,
The which of her owne name the called Reda gone.
Where they arriving, by the watchmen were
Defcried ftreight, who all the citty warned
How that three warlike perfons did appeare,
Of which the one him feem'd a knight all arm'
And th' other two well likely to have harmed.
Eftfoones the people all to harnesse ran,
And like a fort of bees in clusters swarmed;
Ere long their queene herfelfe, arm'd like a man,
Came forth into the rout, and them t'array be
gan.
T'avenge that shame they did on him commit,
All fodainely enflam'd with furious fit,
Like a fell lioneffe at him fhe flew,
And on his head-piece him fo fiercely fmit,
That to the ground him quite the overthrew,
Difmayd fo with the ftroke that he no colours
knew.
Soone as the faw him on the ground to grovell,
She lightly to him leapt, and in his necke
Her proud foote fetting, at his head did levell,
Weening at once her wrath on him to wreake,
And his contempt, that did her iudg'ment breake:
As when a beare hath seiz'd her cruell clawes
Uppon the carkasse of some heast too weake,
Proudly stands over, and a while doth paufe
To heare the piteous beaft pleading her pleintiffe
cause.
Whom whenas Artegall in that diftreffe
By chaunce beheld, he left the bloody flaughter
In which he fwam, and ranne to his redreffe;
There her affayling fiercely fresh, he raught her
Such an huge stroke, that it of sense distraught
her,
And had the not it warded warily,
It had depriv'd her mother of a daughter:
Nathleffe for all the powre fhe did apply
It made her stagger oft, and ftare with ghaftly eye.
Like to an eagle, in his kingly pride,
Soring through his wide empire of the aire,
To weather his, brode failes, by chaunce hath fpide
A gofhauke, which hath feized for her share
Uppon fome fowle that should her feast pre-
pare;
With dreadfull force he flies at her bylive,
That with his fouce, which none enduren dare,
Her from the quarrey he away doth drive,
And from her griping pounce the greedy prey
But foone as the her fence recover'd had,
She fiercely towards him herfelfe gan dight,
Through vengeful wrath and fdeignfull pride half
mad,
For never had the fuffred fuch defpight;
But ere he could ioyne hand with him to fight, Her warlike maides about her flockt fo faft, That they difparted them, maugre their might, And with their troupes did far afunder caft
But mongst the reft the fight did untill evening laft.
And every while that mighty yron man
With his ftraunge weapon, never wont in warre,
Them forely vext, and courft, and over-ran,
And broke their bowes, and did their fhooting
That none of all the many once did darre Him to affault, nor once approach him nie;
But like a fort of sheepe difperfed farre,
For dread of their devouring enemie,
Through all the fields and vallies did before him
flie.
But whenas daies faire fhinie beame yclowded
With fearefull fhadowes of deformed night,
Warn'd man and beast in quiet rest be shrowded,
Bold Radigund, with found of trompe on hight,
Caufd all her people to furceafe from fight,
And gathering them unto her citties gate,
Made them all enter in before her fight,
And all the wounded, and the weake in flate,
To be convayed in, ere fhe would once retrate.
When thus the field was voided all away,
And all things quieted the Elfin knight,
Wearie of toile and traveil of hat day,
Caufd his pavilion to be richly pight
Before the city-gate in open fight,
Where he himselfe did reft in fafety,
Together with Sir Terpin, all that night;
But Talus ufde in times of ieopardy
| To kcepe a nightly watch for dread of treachery.
But Radigund, full of heart-gnawing griefe
For the rebuke which the fuftain'd that day,
Could take no reft, ne would receive reliefe,
But toffed in her troublous minde what way.
She mote revenge that blot which on her lay.
There the refolv'd herfelfe in single fight
To try her fortune, and his force affay,
Rather then fee her people fpoiled quight,
As he had feene that day, a difadventerous
fight.
Unto the wall his way did' fearelesse take,
To weeten what that trumpet's founding ment;
Where that fame damzell lowdly him befpake,
And fhewd that with his lord she would emper-
launce make.
So he them freight conducted to his lord,
Who as he could, them go dly well did greete,
Till they had told their message word by word;
Which he accepting well, as he could weete, Them fairely entertayned with curt'fies meete, And gave them gifts and things of deare delight; So backe againe they homeward turn'd their feete;
But Artegall himfelfe to reft did dight,
That he mote fresher be against the nixt daies fight.
And on her legs fhe painted bufkins wore,
Bafted with bends of gold on every fide,
And mailes betweene, and laced clofe afore;
Uppon her thigh her cemitare was tide
With an embroidered belt of mickle pride;
And on her shoulder hung her fhield bedeckt
Uppon the boffe with ftones that shined wide,
As the faire moone in her moft tull aspect,
That to the moone it mote be like in each refpect.
So forth fhe came out of the citty-gate
With ftately port and proud magnificence,
Guarded with many damzeils that did waite
Uppon her person for her fure defence,
Playing on haumes and trumpets, that from hence
Their found did reach unto the heavens hight;
So forth into the field fhe marched thence,
Where was a rich pavillion ready pight
Her to receive, till time they should begin the
fight.
Then forth came Artegall out of his tent,
All arm'd to point, and firft the lifts did enter;
Soone after eke came fhe with fell intent,
And countenaunce fierce, as having fully bent
That battel's utmoft triall to adventer.
The lifts were clofed fast, to barre the rout
From rudely preffing to the middle center;
Which in great heapes them circled all about,
Wayting how Fortune would refolve that dange-
rous dout.
The trumpets founded and the field began :
With bitter ftrokes it both began and ended.
She at the first encounter on him ran
With furious rage, as if he had intended
Out of his breast the very heart have rended;
But he, that had like tempefts often tride,
|