Who fitting with his lady then at bord,
Not onely did not his demaund approve,
But both himfelfe revil'd and eke his love;
Albe his lady, that Blandina hight,
Him of ungentle ufage did reprove,
And earnestly entreated that they might
Wherefore he stayd, till that he nearer drew,
To weet what iflue would thereof betyde;
Tho whenas he approched nigh in vew,
By certaine fignes he plainly him defcryde
To be the man that with fuch fcornfull pryde
Find favour to be lodged there for that fame Had him abufde and fhamde yefterday;
Yet would he not perfwaded be for ought,
Ne from his currifh will awhit reclame :
Which answer when the groome returning brought
To Calepine, his hart did inly flame
With wrathfull fury for fo foule a shame,
That he could not thereof avenged bee;
But moft for pitty of his deareft dame,
Who now in deadly daunger he did fee;
Yet had no meanes to comfort, nor procure her
glee.
But all in vaine; for why? no remedy
He faw the prefent mifchiefe to redresse,
But th' utmoft end perforce for to aby,
Therefore mildoubting leaft he should mifguyde
His former malice to fome new affay,
He caft to keepe himselfe so safely as he may.
Yet he him ftill purfew'd from place to place,
Which that night's fortune would for him ad- With full intent him cruelly to kill,
And like a wilde goate round about did chace,
Flying the fury of his bloudy will;
But his best fuccour and refuge was fill
Behinde his ladies backe, who to him cryde,
And called oft with prayers loud and fhrill,
As ever he to lady was affyde,
To fpare her knight, and reft with reafon paci
fyde:
But he the more thereby enraged was,
And with more eager felneffe him purfew'd;
So that at length, after long weary chace,
Having by chaunce a clofe advantage vew'd,
He over-raught him, having long efchew'd
His violence in vaine, and with his fpere
Strooke through his fhoulder, that the blood en-
few'd
In great aboundance, as a well it were,
That forth out of an hill fresh gufhing did appere.
Yet ceaft he not for all that cruell wound,
But chafte him ftill for all his ladies cry,
Not fatisfyde till on the fatall ground
He faw his life powrd forth difpiteously;
The which was certes in great ieopardy,
Had not a wondrous chaunce his refkue wrought,
And faved from his cruell villany:
Such chaunces oft exceed all humaine thought;
That in another Canto fhall to end be brought.
The ladie hearkning to his fenfefull fpeach,
Found nothing that he faid unmeet nor geason,
Having oft feene it tryde as he did teach;
Therefore inclyning to his goodly reason,
Agreeing well both with the place and feason,
She gladly did of that fame babe accept,
As of her owne by liverey and seifin,
And having over it a little wept,
She bore it thence, and ever as her owne it
kept.
Right glad was Calepine to be fo rid
Of his young charge, whereof he skilled nought;
Ne fhe leffe glad; for fhe fo wifely did,
And with her husband under hand so wrought,
That when that infant unto him she brought,
She made him thinke it furely was his owne;
And it in goodly thewes fo well up-brought,
That it became a famous knight well knowne,
And did right noble deedes, the which elsewhere
are fhowne.
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