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

456 THE FER~E QUEEN. [BOOK IV.
Some baser- etal, which, commend.he -will - so unworthy..- btut. Britomart, taking with her
Unto.the ulgar for good gold instead, Amoret, rode forth on her first adventure-" to
He much more goodly gloss thereon doth shed seek her lov'd, making blind Love her guide."
To hide his falsehood, than it it were true: Amoret "also sought her lover long miswent,"
So hard this idoll was to be aread, the gentle Scudamour; to whose fortunes, after
That Florimell herself in all men's view he had heard Ate's false account of Amoret's
She seem'd to pass: so forged things do fairest infidelity, the poet now returns. Attended. by
shew. Glauce, the Knight went about to seek "revenge on blameless Britomart."
By the verdict of all, the golden belt was vee on blameless Britomart."
awarded to the false Florimell; it would, how- So as they travelled, the drooping Night,
ever, by no means meet "about her middle Cover'd with cloudy storm and bitter show'r,
small"-but constantly loosened itself, " as That dreadful seem'd to ev'ry living wight,
feeling secret blame," to the general amazement. Upon them fell, before her timely hour;
Many other ladies likewise tried to fasten it on That forcid them to seek some covert bow'r.
themselves, but to no purpose. Where they might hide thei;'heads in quiet rest,
And shroud their person,'oom that stormy
Which when that scornful Squire of Dames did stowre.6
view, Not far away, not meet for any guest,
He loudly gan to laugh, and thus to jest; They spied a little cottage, like some poor man's
" Alas! for pity that so fair a crew, nest.
As like cannot be seen from east to west,
Cannot find one this girdle to invest!3 Under a steep hill's side it placed was,
Fy on the man that did it first invent 3There where the moulder'd earth had cav'd 7 the
Fy on the man that did it first invent,
To shame us all with this Ungirt unbiest! bank;
Let never lady to his love assent, And fast beside a little brook did pass
That hath this day so many so unmanly shen." 4 Of muddy water, that like puddle stank,
By which few crooked sallows 8 grew in rank; 9
"Thereat all knights gan laugh, and ladies Whereto approaching nigh,they heard the sound'lour," until Amoret's turn came; and then the Of many iron hammers beating rank,l1
girdle fitted her waist " without breach or let" And answering their weary turns around,;
-much to the envy of all the rest, especially of That seemed some blacksmith dwelt in that deFlorimell, who snatched the belt, and again sert ground.
vainly attempted to tie it on her body. Never
ainy a d to tie it on hr by. There ent'ring in, they found the goodman's self
theless the belt was adjudged to her, and she to Full busily unto his work y-bent;
Britomart; but Britomart would not forego her Who was, to wit a wretched wearish 2 elf,
Aoret"for that strangedame, whose beauty.' X,
Aroret "for that strange dame, whose beauty's Withholloweyes andraw-bone cheeksforspent,l1
wonderment she less esteem'd than th' other's As if he had in prison long been pent
As if he had in prison long been pent:
virtuous government." Florimell was then ad- Full black and grisly did his face appear,
judged to the Salvage Knight; but he had Besmear'd with smoke that nigh his eye-sight
already departed, "in great displeasure that he blent
could not get her;,then to Triamond, "but With rugged beard, and hoary shagged hair,
Triamond lov'd Canac6 and other none;" then never w
to Satyrane, "who was right glad to gain so shear
goodly meed." But Blandamour thereat greatly
grudged; Paridell appealed from the decision Rude was his garment, and to rags all rent;
of the judges to single combat; and many Nor better had he, nor for beiter cared:
other knights, impelled by At6, advanced claims With blister'd hands amongstthecindersbrent,l5
to Florimell. Among them was Braggadocio, And fngers filthy, with long nails unpared,
whose claim Florimell herself confessed; much Right fit to rend the food on which he fared.
to the wrath of the knights, who were about to His name was Care'; a blacksmith by his trade,
fight for her, when Satyrane interfered, and, That neither day nor night from working spared,
reminding- them that "sweet is the love that But to small purpose iron wedges made;
comes alone with willingness," proposed that Those be Unquiet Thoughts, that careful minds
the lady should herself choose her lover. All invade.
agreed, and each secretly prayed to Venus that In which his work he had six servants prest,16
she might fall to his lot; but she.chose Bragga- About the anvil standing evermore
docio; and the boaster secretly stole away with With huge great hammers, that did never rest
her that same night, while the knights were From heaping strokes which thereon sousd 17
quarrelling and fuming over their mortification, sore:
After the pair went all the remaining knights, All six strong grooms, but one than other more;
in hope to save such a noble prey from a wight For by degrees they all were disagreed;
1 Image, imitation. 2 Detected. 11 Being beaten in measure. 12 Worn out, wasted.
-3 Put on. 4 Disgraced. 13 Utterly spent or pined away.
5 Before her usual time. 14 Blinded. 15 Burnt.
6 Onset (of the elements). 7 Hollowed. 16 Ready at hand; French, "pret."
8 Willows. 9 In a row. lo Violently. 17 Struck, descended, forcibly.