But Cambel thus did shut up all in iest; "Brave knights and ladies, certes ye doe "To stirre up strife, when most us needeth rest, "That we may us reserve both fresh and strong "Against the turneiment, which is not long : "When whoso list to fight may fight his fill; "Till then your challenges ye may prolong, "And then it shall be tried, if ye will, "Whether shall have the hag, or hold the lady still." XIII.
They all agreed; so turning all to game
And pleasaunt bord, they past forth on their way;
And all that while, whereso they rode or came,
That masked mock-knight was their sport and play:
Till that at length upon th' appointea day,
Unto the place of turneyment they came;
Where they before them found in fresh aray
Manie a brave knight and manie a daintie dame
Assembled, for to get the honour of that game.
XIV.
There this faire crew arriving, did divide
Themselves asunder: Blandamour, with those
Of his, on th' one; the rest on th' other side:
But boastfull Braggadocchio rather chose
For glorie vaine their fellowship to lose,
That men on him the more might gaze alone:
The rest themselves in troupes did else dispose,
Like as it seemed best to every one;
[tone. The knights in couples marcht with ladies linckt at
Then first of all forth came Sir Satyrane,
Bearing that precious relicke in an arke
Of gold, that bad eyes might it not prophane;
Which drawing softly forth out of the darke,
He open shewd, that all men it mote marke;
A gorgeous girdle, curiously embost
With perle and precious stone, worth many a marke;
Yet did the workmanship farre passe the cost:
It was the same which lately Florimel had lost.
XVI.
The same aloft he hung in open vew,
To be the prize of beautie and of might,
The which eftsoones discovered, to it drew
The eyes of all, allur'd with close delight,
And hearts quite robbed with so glorious sight,
That all men threw out vowes and wishes vaine;
Thrise happie ladie, and thrise happie knight,
Them seemd that could so goodly riches gaine,
So worthie of the perill, worthy of the pain.
XVII.
Then tooke the bold Sir Satyrane in hand
An huge great speare, such as he wont to wield,
And vauncing forth from all the other band
Of knights, addrest his maiden-headed shield,
Shewing himselfe all ready for the field:
Gainst whom there singled from the other side
A painim knight that well in armes was skil'd,
And had in many a battell oft bene tride,
Hight Bruncheval the bold, who fiersly forth did ride.
So furiously they both together met,
That neither could the other's force sustaine:
As two fierce buls, that strive the rule to get
Of all the heard, meete with so hideous maine,
That both rebutted tumble on the plainė :
So these two champions to the ground were feld,
Where in a maze they both did long remaine,
And in their hands their idle troncheons held,
Which neither able were to wag or once to weld.
XIX.
Which when the noble Ferramont espide,
He pricked forth in ayd of Satyran,
And him against Sir Blandamour did ride,
With all the strength and stifnesse that he can:
But the more strong and stiffely that he ran,
So much more sorely to the ground he fell,
That on an heape were tumbled horse and man;
Unto whose rescue forth rode Paridell;
[quell. But him likewise with that same speare he eke did XX.
Which Braggadocchio seeing, had no will
To hasten greatly to his parties ayd,
Albee his turne were next; but stood there still,
As one that seemed doubtfull or dismayd;
But Triamond, halfe wroth to see him staid,
Sternly stept forth, and raught away his speare,
With which so sore he Ferramont assaid,
That horse and man to ground he quite did beare,
That neither could in hast themselves againe upreare.
Which to avenge, Sir Devon him did dight,
But with no better fortune then the rest,
For him likewise he quickly downe did smight;
And after him Sir Douglas him addrest,
And after him Sir Palimord forth prest;
But none of them against his strokes could stand,
But all the more, the more his praise increst;
For either they were left upon the land,
Or went away sore wounded of his haplesse hand.
XXII.
And now by this Sir Satyrane abraid
Out of the swowne, in which too long he lay;
And looking round about, like one dismaid,
Whenas he saw the mercilesse affray
Which doughty Triamond had wrought that day
Unto the noble knights of Maidenhead,
His mighty heart did almost rend in tway
For very gall, that rather wholly dead
Himselfe he wisht have beene then in so bad a stead.
Eftsoones he gan to gather up around
His weapons, which lay scattered all abrode,
And as it fell his steed he ready found,
On whom remounting, fiercely forth he rode,
Like sparke of fire that from the andvile glode,
There where he saw the valiant Triamond
Chasing, and laying on them heavy lode,
That none his force were able to withstond;
So dreadfull was his strokes, so deadly was his hond.
With that at him his beamlike speare he aimed,
And thereto all his power and might applide;
The wicked steele for mischiefe first ordained,
And having now Misfortune got for guide,
Staid not, till it arrived in his side,
And therein made a very griesly wound,
That streames of blood his armour all bedide:
Much was he daunted with that direfull stownd,
That scarse he him upheld from falling in a sownd.
XXV.
Yet, as he might, himselfe he soft withdrew
Out of the field, that none perceiv'd it plaine;
Then gan the part of chalengers anew
Το range the field, and victor-like to raine,
That none against them battell durst maintaine.
By that the gloomy evening on them fell,
That forced them from fighting to refraine,
And trumpets sound to cease did them compell;
So Satyrane that day was iudg'd to beare the bell.
XXVI.
The morrow next the turney gan anew,
And with the first the hardy Satyrane
Appear'd in place with all his noble crew:
On th' other side full many a warlike swaine
Assembled were, that glorious prize to gaine;
But mongst them all was not Sir Triamond,
Unable he new battell to daraine
Through grievaunce of his late received wound,
That doubly did him grieve, when so himselfe he
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