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

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CANTOIV. T E EQUEEN. 489
By what good right do you withhold-this day?'
CANTO IV. " What other right," quoth he, "should you
esteem,
Artegall dealeth right betwixt esteem,
Two breethren that do strive But that the sea it to my share did lay?"
Saves Terpine from the gallows tree, " Your right is good," said he," and so I deem
And dothfrom death reprive. That what the sea unto you sent your own
should seem."
SETEING out with some reflections on the neThen turning to the elder, thus he said:
cessity that whoso would, divide true justice to T t t t
Cessity that whoso would divide true ustie to " Now, Bracidas, let this likewise be shown;
the people should have mighty hands to fulilour brother's treasure, which from him is
the judgment he has given-" for Power is the'
right hand of Justice truly hight "-the poeteing the dowry ofhis wife well known
resumes the story of Artegall's adventure. B t d o
~resumesi the story of Artegatl's adventure. By what right do you claim to be your own?"
Quitting the Castle of the Strand, attended by "What other right," quoth he, "should you
Talus only, he encountered on the sea-shore e
two comely squires, brothers, who strove to- But thattheseahathituntomethrown
But that the sea hath it unto me thrown?"'
gether;and by them stood two seemly damsels,. -
gether; and by them stood two seemly damsels,,, Your right is good," said he,' and so I deem.
seeking, now by fair words and now by threats, That the sea unt you sent your own
to assuage their ire. Between them, seeming should seem..to be the object of their strife, "stood a coffer
strong fast bound on ev'ry side with iron " For equal right in equal things doth stand:
bands," that had suffered much injury either For what the mighty sea hath once possest,
by being wrecked upon the sands, or by being And plucked quite from all possessors' hand,
carried far from foreign lands. The squires Whether by rage of waves that never rest,
were ready for the combat, with sword in hand, Or else by wreck that wretches hath distrest,
when Artegall arrived, and inquired the cause He may dispose by his imperial might,
of strife. The elder replied that their father, As'thing at random left, to whom he list.
Milesio, had equally divided his lands between So, Amidas, the land was yours first hight; 1
himself and a younger brother-two islands not And so the treasure yours is, Bracidas, by right."
far off, one of which was now " but like a little "So was their discord by this doom appeas'd,
mount of small degree," the sea having washed and each one had his right." Prosecuting his
away the most of the elder brother's, and journey, Artegall espied "a rout of many peothrown it up to the younger's share. The elder ple far away," whom, on drawing near, he found
had before that time loved " that farther maid, to be a troop of armed women, leading along,
hight Philtera the fair," who had a goodly amid taunts and reproaches, a knight with both
dower; while the younger, Amidas, loved the his hands pinioned behind him, and a halter
other damsel, Lucy bright, who had but little round his neck, groaning inwardly that he
wealth. But Philtera, seeing the lands of Bra- should die so base a death at women's hands.
cidas (the elder brother) decay, eloped to The Amazons would have laid hands on ArteAmidas, who received her and left his own love gall also; but he drew back, and, ashamed to
to go astray. Lucy, in despair, threw herself raise his own mighty hand against womankind,
into the sea; and as she wavered between life sent Talus to disperse the crowd with a few blows
and death, having half seen the ugly visage of of his flail. They left behind them their- capthe latter, but not relishing the sight, she lighted tive-whom, brought to him by Talus, Artegall
upon the coffer, and, catching hold of it, at last recognised as Sir Terpine, and interrogated as
came ashore on the diminished island of Braci- to the cause of his disgraceful plight. Much
das-to whom, in recompense for her salvation, ashamed and confounded, Terpine laid the
she presented the coffer, "together with herself blame on fate, and continued:
in dowry free." But Philtera claimedthe coffer, " Being desirous (as all knights are wont)
and the treasure which it contained, as her Through hard adventures deeds of arms to try,
property, lost by shipwreck on the way to her And after fame and honour for to hunt,
new husband; while Bracidas declared his in- I heard report that far abroad did fly,
tention to hold his own-for though his brother That a proud Amazon did late defy
had won away his land, and then his love, he All the brave knights that hold of Maidenhead,
should not likewise make a prey of his good And unto them wrought all the villainO
luck. Amidas maintained that Philtera's claim That she could forge in her malicious head,
to the coffer could be proved " by good marks Which some hath put to shame, and many done
and perfect good espial;" but both brothers be dead.2
agreed to accept Artegall's decision, and laid The cause they say, of this her cruel hate,
their swords under his foot.
their swords under his foot. Is for the sake of Bellodant the bold,
Then Artegall thus to the younger said: To whom she bore most fervent love of late,
C "Now tell me, Amidas, if that ye may, And wooed him by all the ways she co:ld:
Your brother's land, the which the sea hath laid But, when she saw at last that he not wo'ld
lUnto your part, and pluck'd from his away, For aught or naught be won unto her will,
1 Called, declared. 2 Slain.