The First and second part of the history of the famous Euordanus Prince of Denmark With the strange aduentures of Iago Prince of Saxonie: and of both theyr seuerall fortunes in loue.

CHAP. VIII. How the Lord Gwaltero, the Lord of Menew, and Sir He∣nault, with diuers others, were deuided by a strange ad∣uenture: and what hapned vnto the Lord Gwaltero there∣by.

IT is to be remembred before, how the Lord Gwaltero, the Lord of Menew, and Sir He∣nault, with diuers others, taking on them the search of their King, began their iourney from Maiance, resoluing not to returne with out some certaine newes of him whō they sought for: thus trauailing on together through most part of Denmark, they hapned at length cōming into a Forrest, to méet a Squire on horsback, making all the spéede that possibly he might: euer looking backwards, as if some body had pursued him. At length, méeting with the Lord Gwaltero, and the rest of the company, who were in all to the number of twelue Knights, besides their Squires, and thinking by the costly Armor which he ware, him to be the chiefest in the compa∣nie, alighted from his horse, and falling on his knées, with the teares standing in his eyes, spake as followeth.

Most curteous Knight, for so much my minde assureth you to be, I humbly beséech you, and the rest of your com∣pany heere present, for the honour of knight-hood, and the loue that you ought to beare to all distressed Ladies and Damsels, that you wil doe so much as succour and reuenge a most beautifull Lady, who euen now in this Forrest bée∣ing trauailing to a brothers house of hers, some 3. leagues distance from her owne, béeing accompanied with her hus∣band, my Lord and Maister, and some foure or fiue atten∣dants more, whom I feare mee by this time are all neere∣hand slaine, or grieuously wounded, by a ranck Traytor, who hauing long time sued vnto my Lady for lasciuious loue, and not béeing able to maintaine the same, by reason of her chast and honest denials: this morning, knowing

that she was to passe this way, accompanied himselfe with some tenne or twelue, as wickedly disposed as himselfe, whom hee had made acquainted with his villainous pre∣tence, vnawares set vppon vs, & at the first incounter grie∣uously wounded my Lord, by reason he was vnarmed, ha∣uing nothing but his sword to defend himselfe, as not dou∣ting any such euill.

Thus concluding his tale with whole floods of teares, which issued from his sorrowfull eyes, which mooued pitty in all the beholders, especially in the Lord Gwaltero, who not long before had tasted the like mishap: willing y^e squire to stand vp, and comfort himselfe, assuring him, that he had met with those, who would reuenge the wrong which hee had declared vnto them. Wherefore willing him to shewe which way he should take, he set spurres to his horse, and galloped as fast as hee could, hoping to come soone enough to their succour: which when the rest of his companie be∣held, they followed after as fast as they could, but had not rodden long before they had lost sight of him, by reason of the thicknesse of the wood, and the swiftnes of his horse, which was accounted to be the best in all the Kingdome. Thus galloping onwards, at length he came where y^e way deuided it selfe into thrée seuerall paths, and taking that on the right hand, as thinking it to be the right way, hee rode on still, neuer looking backe for his cōpany, so earnest was his mind, set on the rescue of the Lady and her husband. The rest comming after, when they came vnto the place where the way deuided it selfe, knew not well what to doe, nor which way to take, yet at length, béeing directed by the Squire, the most of them, as Sir Henault, and the Lord of Menew, tooke that way which ledde directly foorth betwéen the other two, appointing some to take the other wayes to follow the Lord Gwaltero, if peraduenture he had missed in his way. Amongst which his Squire, & two other Knights, the one named Sir Brewes, the other Sir Cadrus, tooke the way which he before had roden.

The Lorde Gwaltero, as wee haue said before, beeing

pricked on with a desire to rescue those which were distres∣sed, made such hast, that after he had passed the place where the wayes deuided it selfe, and hauing rodden about two miles from the place, met with a peasant driuing of cattell before him, of whom he inquired, whether he had séene any company thereabouts fighting? or any Knights or gentle∣men slaine? The peasant made aunswere he saw no such, but some halfe a mile before, he met foure Knights crossing the way towards a little Castle, some two leagues of, lea∣ding a very faire Lady pittifully wéeping, whō he thought they constrained to goe onwards against her will. When Gwaltero had heard this, he assured himselfe that this was the same Lady whom he went to rescue, wherefore deman∣ding which way they went, the peasant shewed him where they were riding vp a little hill, almost a mile before him, which when he beheld, he spurred on faster then before hée had doone, so that before they were attained vnto the sight of theyr Castle, he had ouertaken them in a fayre meddow, betwéene two small hills. And calling to them, sayd, Tray∣tors turne, and deliuer me that Lady, whom so villainously you haue carried away, or your liues shall pay my sworde her raunsome.

They hearing him call, and looking backe, séeing but one Knight alone persuing them, stayed, and he who ledde the Ladies horse by the raines, being a very bigge and comly Knight, answered: foolish and most simple Knight, thinkest thou me so fond or faint harted, that only at thy threats, who art able to performe nothing but in words, I will de∣liuer this my prize whom I haue gotten so hardly, and with the price of much bloud, or that my loue towards her is so small, so lightly to part from her. No, no, I counsell thée rather for thy owne safegard to depart away, or else this my Launce shall make your passe-port to old Caron. Gwaltero hearing this, and being no longer able to indure those braues, placed his Launce in his rest, and setting spurres to his horse, they ranne together like lightning, and at the encounter their speares slew into y^e aire, Gwal∣tero

passing on without any hurt at all, but the other Knight whose name was Brandoll, being wounded a little in the left side, was so sore astonied with the stroke, that he could hardly containe himselfe, from falling from his horse: which Gwaltero perceauing, his carreare ended, re∣turned againe with his sword in his hand, then méeting the one the other, there beganne a fierce and doubtfull com∣bat, which had foorthwith ended by a stroke that the Lord Gwaltero gaue him on the right shoulder, which was so mighty, that breaking his pouldron, wounded him shrewdly in the shoulder, and sliding downe farther, cut him into the thigh, with paine whereof hée fell from his horse: which when the rest of his companie beheld, all at once they assailed him, charging him so roughly, that hée was likely to haue gone besides his Saddle, had he not ta∣ken hold on the horse maine with his hands, but they had no great cause long to boast thereof, for gathering all his forces together, and raysing himselfe in his stirrup, hée tooke one of them so sound a blow on the Helme, that the stéele not able to kéepe out the stroke, claue his head to the téeth, to the great discomfort of the rest. Who séeing one of their companie slaine, and their Captaine lying on the ground, in little better sort, determined either to bée reuen∣ged, or else to followe them in the like misfortune: raging & chafing, y^e one only Knight should be able to make resistāce against them: assaulted him more fiercely then they had done before. One of them whose Launce remained whole, determined to charge him on the backe, and comming be∣hind him with his full carreare, at such a time as he was raising himselfe in his stirrups, to haue striken one that was before him, gaue him such a cruell stroke, that caused him tumble headlong ouer his horse necke, and had not his Armor beene excéeding good, that blowe had made an end of the combat: but hee who was reserued for other pur∣poses, féeling himselfe so cowardly striken, quickly recoue∣red his féete, and defended himselfe valiently, though with more disaduantage then before, whereby he receaued

many wounds, and was likely to haue béene ouercome, for by this time Brandoll had againe recouered his scences, and séeing the Knight who had brought him into that case, to continue still fighting, against his Knights, and had al∣ready slaine one of them, being vrged forwards, both with shame and griefe, taking his sword in his hand, hée ranne vpon him like a fierce vnskilfull mastiue, who being once tossed by the sturdie bull, commeth on more hastily then before: but Gwaltero perceauing him comming, séeming to méete him lightly, made a thrust at one of the Knights horses, which charged him on horse-backe, which thrust lighted so luckily, that so piercing his belly, hee caused him with his Maister to tumble to the ground, where by reason of one of his féete being in the stirrup, he could not so sud∣denly rise againe, by which meanes Gwaltero the more nasier delt with Brandoll, and the other Knight, who séeing his fellowes mischance, dismounted himselfe for feare of the like mishap: now grew the foote combat more hote and fierce then that on horse-backe, by reason that Gwaltero perceauing himselfe almost wearied, and fearing the com∣ming of the other Knight, whose foote was in the stirrup vnder his horse, layd on with al his might, but Brandoll be∣ing a strong Knight as most in that Country, séemed to set light by his furie, and charged him againe with so ma∣ny mighty blowes, as well hee gaue him to vnderstand, that he knew better how to fight on foote, then on horse-backe.

The good Lady in the meane time sate wéeping on her palfrie, being held by two of Brandolls Squiers, euer praying and beseeching God, to preserue and defend the strange Knight, whose vertue and prowesse she much ad∣mired, and whom she feared was not long able to indure the brunt of the battaile, for that the other Knight hauing recouered himselfe from vnder his horse, came likewise to to the combat, to her great griefe and sorrowe. But casting away her head from the sight of the battaile, as loth to sée the death of him, who had so valiantly fought in her de∣fence,

she espied two Knights with a Squire, come gallo∣ping as fast as their horses could runne, whom shee like∣wise feared to be some of Brandolls companie, but therein she was deceaued as you shall heare in the next Chapter.