From off the earth to take his airy flight.
They looked about, but nowhere could espy
Track of his foot; then dead through great affright
They both nigh were, and each bade other fly;
Both fled at once, ne ever back returned eye;

Till that they come unto a forest green,

In which they shrowd themselves from causeless fear;
Yet fear them follows still, whereso they been;
Each trembling leaf and whistling wind they hear
As ghastly bug does greatly them afear;
Yet both do strive their fearfulness to feign.b
At last they heard a horn, that shrilled clear
Throughout the wood, that echoed again,

And made the forest ring, as it would rive in twain.
Eft through the thick they heard one rudely rush,
With noise whereof he from his lofty steed
Down fell to ground, and crept into a bush,
To hide his coward head from dying dreed;
But Trompart stoutly stayed, to taken heed
Of what might hap. Eftsoon there stepped foorth
A goodly lady clad in hunter's weed,

That seemed to be a woman of great worth,
And by her stately portanced born of heavenly birth.
Her face so fair as flesh it seemed not,

But heavenly pourtrait of bright angels' hue,
Clear as the sky, withouten blame or blot,
Through goodly mixture of complexions due;
And in her cheeks the vermeil red did show
Like roses in a bed of lillies shed,

The which ambrosial odours from them threw,
And gazers' sense with double pleasure fed,
Able to heal the sick, and to revive the dead.

In her fair eyes two living lamps did flame,
Kindled above at the heavenly Maker's light,
And darted fiery beams out of the same,
So passing persant and so wondrous bright
That quite bereaved the rash beholder's sight:
In them the blinded god his lustful fire
To kindle oft assayed, but had no might;

a

* Bugbear.

b Conceal.

• Soon.

d Carriage.

For with dread majesty and awful ire

She broke his wanton darts, and quenched base desire.

Her ivory forehead, full of bounty brave,
Like a broad table did itself dispread
For Love his lofty triumphs to engrave,
And write the battles of his great godhead:
All good and honour might therein be read,
For there their dwelling was; and, when she spake,
Sweet words like dropping honey she did shed,
And twixt the pearls and rubinse softly brake
A silver sound, that heavenly music seemed to make.
Upon her eyelids many graces sate,
Under the shadow of her even brows,
Working belgardes and amorous retrate ;8
And every one her with a grace endows,
And every one with meekness to her bows:
So glorious mirror of celestial grace,
And sovereign moniment of mortal vows,
How shall frail pen descrive her heavenly face,

For fear through want of skill her beauty to disgrace?

So fair, and thousand thousand times more fair,
She seemed, when she presented was to sight;
And was yclad, for heat of scorching air,
All in a silken camusi lilly white,
Purfled upon with many a folded plight,
Which all above besprinkled was throughout
With golden aigulets, that glistened bright,
Like twinkling stars; and all the skirt about
Was hemmed with golden fringe.

Below her ham her weedm did somewhat train ;"
And her straight legs most bravely were embailed
In gilden buskins of costly cordwain,

All barred with golden bends, which were entailedr
With curious anticks, and full fair aumailed ;*
Before they fastened were under her knee

In a rich jewel, and therein entrailed"

'Beautiful looks. & Aspect.
* Gathered.

• Enclosed. P Gilded.

h Describe.

Plait.

m Dress. Spanish leather.

Engraved, marked. Figures. Enamelled." Interwoven.

The ends of all the knots, that none might see
How they within their foldings close enwrapped be.
Like two fair marble pillars they were seen,
Which do the temple of the gods support,
Whom all the people deck with girlonds" green,
And honour in their festival resort;

Those same with stately grace and princely port
She taught to tread, when she herself would grace;
But with the woody nymphs when she did sport,
Or when the flying libbard she did. chase,
She could them nimbly move, and after fly apace.
And in her hand a sharp boar-spear she held,
And at her back a bow and quiver gay

Stuffed with steel-headed darts,, wherewith she quelled
The salvage beasts in her victorious play,
Knit with a golden baldric, which forelay
Athwart her snowy breast, and did divide
Her dainty paps; which, like young fruit in May,
Now little, gan to swell, and, being tied,
Through her thin weed their places only signified.
Her yellow locks, crisped like golden wire,
About her shoulders weren loosely shed,
And, when the wind amongst them did inspire,
They waved like a penon wide dispread,
And low behind her back were scattered;
And, whether art it were or heedless hap,
As through the flowering forest rash she fled,

In her rude hairs sweet flowers themselves did lap,
And flourishing fresh leaves and blossoms did enwrap.
Such as Diana, by the sandy shore

Of sweet Eurotas, or on Cynthus green,

Where all the nymphs have her unwares forlore,y
Wandereth alone, with bow and arrows keen,
To seek her game; or as that famous queen
Of Amazons, whom Pyrrhus did destroy,
The day that first of Priam she was seen
Did show herself in great triumphant joy,
To succour the weak state of sad afflicted Troy.

Garlands.

VOL. III.

* Leopard.. y Forsaken.

F

Our next extract shall be part of the Masque of Cupid displayed to Britomart the Fair and Bold, the representative of Chastity, in the house of the enchanter Busyranc, from the Twelfth Canto of the Third Book; being the conclusion of the first-published portion of the poem :—

All suddenly a stormy whirlwind blew
Throughout the house, that clapped every door,
With which that iron wicket open flew
As it with mighty levers had been tore;
And forth issued, as on the ready floor
Of some theatre, a grave personage,
That in his hand a branch of laurel bore,
With comely haveour and count'nance sage,
Yclad in costly garments, fit for tragic stage.
Proceeding to the midst he still did stand,
As if in mind he somewhat had to say,
And, to the vulgar beckoning with his hand,
In sign of silence, as to hear a play,
By lively actions he gan bewray
Some argument of matter passioned;
Which done, he back retired soft away,
And, passing by, his name discovered,
Ease, on his robe in golden letters cyphered.

The noble maid still standing all this viewed,
And mervelled at his strange intendiment :
With that a joyous fellowship issued
Of minstrels making goodly merriment,
With wanton bards and rhymers impudent;
All which together sung full cheerfully
A lay of love's delight with sweet consent;
After whom marched a jolly company,
In mauner of a masque, enranged orderly.

The whiles a most delicious harmony

In full strange notes was sweetly heard to sound,
That the rare sweetness of the melody
The feeble senses wholly did confound,

And the frail soul in deep delight nigh drowned;
And, when it ceased, shrill trumpets loud did bray,
That their report did far away rebound;

And, when they ceased, it gan again to play,

The whiles the masquers marched forth in trim array.

The first was Fancy, like a lovely boy,
Of rare aspect, and beauty without peer,
Matchable either to that imp of Troy

Whom Jove did love, and chose his cup to bear,
Or that same dainty lad which was so dear
To great Alcides, that whenas he died

He wailed womanlike with many a tear,

And every wood and every valley wide

He filled with Hylas' name; the nymphs eke Hylas cried.

His garment neither was of silk nor say,
But painted plumes in goodly order dight,
Like as the sunburnt Indians do array
Their tawny bodies in their proudest plight:

As those same plumes so seemed he vain and light,
That by his gate might easily appear;

For still he fareda as dancing in delight,

And in his hand a windy fan did bear,

That in the idle air he moved still here and there.

And him beside marched amorous Desire,

Who seemed of riper years than the other swain,
Yet was that other swain this elder's sire,

And gave him being, common to them twain:
His garment was disguised very vain,

And his embroidered bonnet sat awry;

"Twixt both his hands few sparks he close did strain,

Which still he blew and kindled busily,

That soon they life conceived, and forth in flames did fly.

Next after him went Doubt, who was yclad
In a discoloured coat of strange disguise,
That at his back a broad capuccio had,
And sleeves dependent Albanese-wise;
He looked askew with his mistrustful eyes,
And nicely trod, as thorns lay in his way,
Or that the floor to shrink he did avize;b
And on a broken reed he still did stay

His feeble steps, which shrunk when hard thereon he lay.

a Moved forward.

b Think.