The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

CANTO lIU.] THE IAERIE. QUEEN. 451
With double life and grief; which when he felt, Throughwhich advantage, in his strengthherose
As one whose inner parts had been y-thrill'd' And smote the other with so wondrous might,
With point of steel that close 2 is heart-blood That, through the seam which did his hauberk
spill'd, close,
He lightly leap'd out of his place of rest, Into his throat and life it pierced quite,
And, rushing forth into the empty field, That down he fell as dead in all men's sight:
Against Cambello fiercely him addrest; Yet dead he was not; yet he sure did die,
Who, him affronting 3 soon, to fight was ready As all men do that lose the liying sprite:
prest.4 So did one soul out of his body fly
Unto her native home from mortal misery*
Well might ye wonder how that noble knight,
After he had so often wounded been, But natheless, whilst all the lookers-on
Could stand on foot now to renew the fight: Him dead behight,l3 as he to all appear'd,
But had ye then him forth advancing seen, All unawares he started up anon,
Some newborn wight ye would him surely ween; As one that had out of a dream been rear'd,
So fresh he seemed, and so fierce in sight; And fresh assail'd his foe; who, half afear'd
Like as a snake, whom weary winter's teen Of th' uncouth sight, as he some ghost had seen,
Hath worn to naught, now, feeling summer's Stood still amaz'd, holding his idle sweard;14
might, Till, having often by him stricken been,
Casts off his ragged skin and freshly doth him He forc6d was to strike and save himself from
dight.6 teen.15
All was through virtue of the ring he wore; Cambell now fought more warily, "as one in
The which not only did not from him let fear the Stygian gods t' offend;" and Triamond,
One drop of blood to fall, but did restore thinking that his opponent's strength began to
His weaken'd pow'rs, and dullid spirits whet, fail, heaved on high his mighty hand, to end
His weaken'd pow'rs, and dulled spirits whet, h wt o b C a t the
Through working of the stone therein y-set. him with one blow. Caell anticipated the
Else how could one of equal might with most,7 stroke by a thrust which pierced through both
Against so many no less mighty met,. Triamond's sides. But the blow of Triamond in
Once think to match three such on equal cost the same moment descended on Cambell's head;
Three such as able were to match a puissant so that both, seeming dead, fell to the ground
host? together. All believed that the battle was at
an end; the judges rose; the lists were broken
Triamond, nevertheless, fearless and hopeful up; and Canac6 began to wail her dearest friend.
of victory, fiercely assailed Cambell with blows But, suddenly, the combatants started up anew,
"as thick as hail forth poured from the sky," and continued to fight as before.
so that Cambell found it prudent to yield hilst thus te case in doubtful balance hung,
ground, till his foe had spent his breath; then doubtful balance hung,
he forced Triamond to retreat in turn. Unsure to whether side it would incline,
be forced Triamond to retreat in turn.
And all men's eyes and,hearts, which there
Like as the tide, that comes from th' ocean main, among
Flows up the Shannon with contrary force, Stood gazing, filled were with rueful tine,16
And, overruling him in his own reign, And secret fear to see their fatal fine;17
Drives back the current of his kindly 9 course, All suddenly they heard a troublous noise,
And makes it seem to have some other source; That seem'd some perilous tumult to design,i'
But when the flood is spent, then, back again Confus'd with women's cries and shouts of boys,
His borrow'd watersforc'd to redisburse, Such as the troubled theatres ofttimes annoys.
He sends the sea his own with double gain,
He sends the sea his own with do-uble gain, Thereat the champions both stood still a space,
And tribute eke withal, as to his sovereign.
And tribue e withal, as to his sovreign. To weeten 19 what that sudden clamour meant
"Thus did the battle vary to and fro,' till at Lo! where they spied, with speedy whirling
last Triamond waxed faint and feeble through pace,
loss of blood. One in a chariot of strange furniment 20
But Cambell. still more strong and greater grew, Toward them driving like a storm out sent.
Nor felt his blood to waste, nor pow'rs em- The chariot decked was in wondrous wise
~perishid o With gold and many a gorgeous ornament,
After the Persian monarchs' antique g-tise,
Through that ring's virtue, that with vigour new, After the Persian monas' a ue guise,
Still when as he enfeebled was, him cherish'd, Such as the maker's self could best by art de.
And all his wounds and all his bruises guerish'd: vise.
Like as a wither'd tree, through husband's 12 toil, And drawn it was (that wonder is to tell)
Is often seen full freshly to have flourishd, Of 22 two grim lions, taken from the wood,
And fruitful apples to have borne a while, In which their pow'r all others did excel;
As fresh as when it first was planted in the soil. Now made forget their former cruel mood,
1 Pierced. 11 Healed; French, "guerir," to cure.
2 Secretly. 3 Confronting. 12 Husbandman's. 13 Affirmed.
4 Prepared. 5 Pain, affliction. 14 Sword. 15 Injury.
61t.ress, array. 7 Of ordinary strength. 16 Same as "teen;" grief. 17 End.
s Equalterms. 9 Natural. 18 Denote., i9Learn.
8o Decayed, impaired. 20 Furnishing, equipment. 21 Describe. 22 By,
p hin, equpme t