Ne other grace vouchsafed them to showe Of Princesse worthy; scarse them bad arise.

Her Lordes and Ladies all this while devise

Themselves to setten forth to straungers sight:

Some frounce their curled heare in courtly guise;

Some prancke their ruffes; and others trimly dight

Their gay attyre; each others greater pride does spight.

XV

Goodly they all that knight doe entertayne,

Right glad with him to have increast their

crew;

But to Duess' each one himselfe did

payne

All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew, For in that court whylome her well they knew:

Yet the stout Faery mongst the middest crowd

Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly

vew,

And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd,

That to strange knight no better countenance allowd.

XVI

Suddein upriseth from her stately place The roiall Dame, and for her coche doth

call:

3

So forth she comes; her brightnes brode doth blaze.

The heapes of people, thronging in the hall,

Doe ride each other upon her to gaze: Her glorious glitterand light doth all mens eies amaze.

XVII

So forth she comes, and to her coche does clyme,

Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay, That seemd as fresh as Flora in her

prime;

And strove to match, in roiall rich array, Great Junoes golden chayre; the which, they say,

The gods stand gazing on, when she does ride

To Joves high hous through heavens braspaved way,

Drawne of fayre Pecocks, that excell in pride,

And full of Argus eyes their tayles dispredden wide.

XVIII

But this was drawne of six unequall

beasts,

On which her six sage Counsellours did

ryde,

Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts, With like conditions to their kindes

applyde:

Of which the first, that all the rest did guyde,

repaire,

So, having solaced themselves a space With pleasaunce of the breathing fields yfed,

They backe retourned to the princely Place;

Whereas an errant knight in armes ycled, And heathnish shield, wherein with letters red,

Was writt Sansjoy, they new arrived find: Enflam'd with fury and fiers hardy hed, He seemd in hart to harbour thoughts unkind,

And nourish bloody vengeaunce in his bitter mind.

XXXIX

Who, when the shamed shield of slaine Sansfoy

He spide with that same Faery champions page,

Bewraying him that did of late destroy His eldest brother; burning all with rage, He to him lept, and that same envious

gage

4

Of victors glory from him snacht away: But th' Elfin knight, which ought that warlike wage,

Disdaind to loose the meed he wonne in fray;

And, him rencountring fierce, reskewd the noble pray.

XL

Therewith they gan to hurtlen greedily, Redoubted battaile ready to darrayne, And clash their shields, and shake their swerds on hy,