Thule, or Vertues historie To the honorable and vertuous Mistris Amy Audely. By F.R. The first booke.

CANT. 8. (Book 8)

Fidamour from th'Inchanter fled, With fayre Doledraes King doth fight: She victor doth her foe behead, And to Eumorphos takes her flight, Where at the mariage suddenly, Th'Inchanter downe to bell doth fly.

AS when Ioues lightning on a towre doth fall, No humour can allay his firy might, But with his hungrie iawes consumeth all, On which his rending tallands can alight: So doth this filthie flame vnnaturall, Burne in this witches heart in hearts despight: His thoughts like water in Pyracm••ns forge, Make his fire-breathing throte more flames disgorge.

When in the castle all the night was spent, In morne they hasted to depart away, Which deeply wrought th'inchanters discontent, And by these meanes doth seeke their course delay: He takes a potion from Cocitus sent, Whose force in weakned heart deepe loue will lay: This had he mingled in some fatall wine, Hoping to make her heart in furie pine.

But Epimel her carefull watching page, (Which still about his mistris did attend) Had spide the witches faithles cariage, And quickly bad her on her steed ascend: She kindled with disdaine and mightie rage, Vnto Doledra now her course doth bend: Where come, without in suburbs she doth stay, And to Phucerus thence sends mortall fray.

The king that neuer thought in open fight, He and his kingdome should be ouerthrowne: But that some mayd would by her subtile slight, Or other policie vndermine his throne, Went foorth full fraught with rage and high despight: And though his loues about him still did mone, And curtizans about him euer cry, The sad euent of wofull flight to fly.

Yet he respected not their vaine request, But marched foorth to meete this warlike Dame: And at his sight she kindling in her breast, The Pyramis of an ascending flame, Straight open enmitie to him profest, And with well couched lance toward her came: Their flashing speares that from their breasts rebound, Made eccho tell the horror of the sound.

The flintie flakes drop from the riuen plate, And make the hollow earth from deepe to grone, Whose noyse the trembling spirits did amate, Fearing their couering would haue falne vpon: So angry Ioue inflam'd with ruthles hate, Darts from the heau'ns a mightie thunderstone, And in his rage from out a clowd doth rore, That Atlas limmes doe quake which heau'n vpbore.

But at the first encounter deeply fell On Fidamours left side a heauy blow, Which wofull newes vnto her heart did tell: But at the next she him requited so, His soule was wasted halfe the way to hell, And made his conquerd corps her valour know: Whom from his palfrey fayrely she vpheau'd, And of the greeting earth a kisse receiu'd.

The feeble soule from out his breast was fled, Wandring through gloomy wayes of hellish shade, While with her sword she martyreth his head: The ensigne which her victorie displaide, And with her louing page she homewards sped. But what great ioy this ouerthrow hath made, Let them declare who doe their loue obtaine, This pleasure in my heart did neare remaine.

Goe whistling winds with easie murmuring bring This happy Lady to her hearts desire, And all the way let sweetest musick sing, Melodious concent in loue-carols by her, And goe my thoughts thorow sliding ayre fling, And view the heat of her deepe printed fire: Burne not your selues, nor come the flame too nie, Icarus once drown'd can teach you how to flie.

Thus in triumphing to Eumorphos brought, All doe applaud the fortune of his fight: The ransome which they still before had sought, To free them from Phucorus foule despight: But sudden ioy so much his Lady raught, Her heart drew exhalations of delight, Which kindled by her loue enkindled flame Vnto her Knight, as darted Sunbeames came.

She giues him kisses, pledges of her heart, Sweeter then Ioue receiues of Ganymed, While them betweene sweet Nectar downe doth moue, The hony dew with which fayre loue is fed: Such is the billing of the Cyprian doue, Their mouths in others mouth emprisoned: But she with talke loosing that rosiall binde, Drew back her lips, but left her heart behinde.

Now all things for the Mariage are prepar'd, As when great Perseus maried Andromede, No cost nor any ornament is spar'd, With which the mariage may be beautifide: No Knight nor commer is from hence debard, To see the band which shall these louers wed: Shine bright sweet Sunne, now comes that happy day, That in the port these gladfull loues shall lay.

Now for that holy Hermite haue they sent, With whom Viceina all this while hath stayd, Who both inuited to Eumorphos went, Where stands the Knight and that diuinest mayd, Ready to be conioynd with one consent: The Hermite many holy prayers sayd, While fayre Viceina by the payre doth stand, And holds a torch in her ambrosiall hand.

But Bonauallant, whom ny fortie yeares With foule Geticas date had neere opprest, Thought ere he went to hurt these faithfull pheares, And with his charmes to trouble holy rest: But when this Hermites godly speech he heares, His charmes are frustrate and enchaunting ceast, Thus in despight of enuies stormy wrath, These loues are setled in their quiets path.

Now all things for the tilting ready are, And many Knights are gatherd from about, And fierce Tigranes hitherward doth fare: But poore Anander wraps a filthie clout About his hand, and sayes this cloth he ware, Because a wound hath peare'd his hand throughout: But he receiu'd no wound in field nor fight, This is his cowardise accustom'd slight.

He with Tigranes comes vnto the feast, But saies he cannot runne for grieuous paine: Tigranes doth beleeue the cowards iest, And with him comes vnto the tilting plaine, Where stood two Knights with ready speares in rest To try who could most valours glorie gaine: They runne and fairely breake each others speare, And throughly passe as if no let there were.

After runne many whose part youthfull heat, Drew to expresse the fire of their heart: Others whom loue taught in this warlike feat, To proue before their Ladies loues desart: As if in telling how their loue was great, They begd some easing of impatient smart, Which with emprezaes they doe fairely shew, Fitting their outward to their inward hew.

One hath a Salamander in the fire, The word vpon fayre beautie is the flame: The next a Linnet in a cage of wire, The mot my prisond thoughts still sing the same, To shew the firmnes of his chast desire: The third, small birds that to the fire came, The saying there conioynd: my light my night, To shew he pines consum'd with beauties light.

Thus most had tride their valour and their might, And to Anander all are come anon, Desiring him to doe the Mariage right, And that his fame and credit stood thereon, To proue himselfe a stout and valiant knight, And not in looking let the time be gone: For they perceiu'd not yet his cowardise, Thoughts are not knowen certaine by the eyes.

Anander thus beset as bird of night, Compast with smaller foule in time of day, Began to rub his pulse and pluck his spright, And closely puls his winding cloth away, (Quoth he) I stay not for I feare their fight, For thousands by this right hand conquered lay. But with my valiance to conclude the iust, A thing not ending well, is laide in dust.

Now is he on a gallant Palfrey plaste, And ready to encounter with his foe: The other Knight (good Knight too much debast With coward braggart to encounter so) Spurring with speare in rest toward him past, But forth he empty to the ende doth go, For good Anander meaneth harme to none, But forth another way in haste is gone.

When first the Courser gan to lift his feete, He shuts his locked eyes with all his might; And with his spurres a maine the horse doth greete: The Palfray blindly driuen and vnright, Makes him vnwares, with speare a wall to meete, With whose rebut stands vp the horse on hight, Downe on the earth his carcasse doth rebound, And layde his crauen combe along the ground.

The Knight enraged with his soule disgrace, Tolde to Tigranes t'was no knightly part, To bring such cowards and the iusts deface; Who rending open earths disseuerd hart, Catching pale Stix by her infected face, (Quoth he) by Erebs wife no Knight thou art, That doest impute his cowardise to mee, Which ne're before few dayes his face did see.

Then drawing out his not returning blade, He thought at first his heart to deerely pay: But well defended it no entry made; The other with like load on him doth lay, That each began to reele as ill apayde, And each againe doth straight renew the fray: Their swordes true schollers in this martiall fight, Answer each others arguments aright.

As Vulcanes seruants in the Lemnian caue, VVith restles blowes doe frame a thunderbolt, Or hammering for Ioue an iron claue, VVith mightie terror shake their groaning holt, So these fierce Knights, one at another draue, Nor from their kindled sury will reuolt: But thundring each vpon the others crests, VVrite with their swords the raging of their brests.

But loe a trumpet roares with hollow sound, And deadly skreeches breath from out below: VVhich doe their cooled soules with feare astownd To heare such dumpish notes so gastly blow: But now the cause thereof they trembling sound, Twere winged spirits which from Orcus flow, Sent by the king of hell to apprehend That charming thiefe, and cite him to his end.

Full fortie yeares are past, while here he lookes, And careles viewes these warriors martiall deedes, But Pluto sees his name within his bookes, And to the fiends his doome and iudgement reedes, VVho breaking from the cloudy smoaking nookes, VVhose breath the soule with during torment feedes, Ceaze on his backe, and gripe him with their clawes, And teares him with their iron-rancked iawes.

Out breathes he curses gainst the starry sky, Tearing high Ioue with his still-gnashing teeth, And execrates all mens felicity: Hating the light, and cursing all he seeth: Thus banning in this furious extasy, Vnto the seate of damned soules he fleeth: The wounded earth hells entralls doth vnshroude, Downe sinkes his soule, maskt in a smoaky cloude.

The ende of the first Booke.