The coffers of her wicked threafury; Which the with wrongs hath heaped up fo hy That many princes fhe in wealth exceedes, And purchaft all the countrey lying ny With the revenue of her plenteous meedes: Her name is Munera, agreeing with her deedes.

X.

"Thereto she is full faire, and rich attired,

With golden hands and filver feete befide, That many lords have her to wife defired; But she them all despiseth for great pride." "Now by my life," fayd he, " and God to guide,

None other

way will I this day betake, But by that bridge whereas he doth abide : Therefore me thither lead." No more he fpake,

But thitherward forthright his ready way did

make.

XI.

Unto the place he came within a while,
Where on the bridge he ready armed faw
The Sarazin, awayting for fome fpoile:
Who as they to the paffage gan to draw,
A Villaine to them came with fcull all raw,

XI. 4. Who] So all the editions. Perhaps, Tho.

CHURCH.

XI. 5. with "whofe fcalp is bare," ft. 6. See alfo F. Q. iv. xii. 20.

with fcull all raw,] The fame

CHURCH.

That paffage-money did of them require,
According to the custome of their law:
To whom he aunfwerd wroth, "Loe there
thy hire;"

And with that word him strooke, that streight he did expire.

XII.

Which when the Pagan faw he wexed wroth, And ftreight himselfe unto the fight addreft; Ne was Sir Artegall behinde: fo both Together ran with ready fpeares in rest. Right in the midft, whereas they breft to breft Should meete, a trap was letten downe to fall Into the floud: ftreight leapt the Carle unbleft, Well weening that his foe was falne withall: But he was well aware, and leapt before his fall.

XIII.

There being both together in the floud,
They each at other tyrannously flew ;
Ne ought the water cooled their whot bloud,
But rather in them kindled choler new:
But there the Paynim, who that use well knew
To fight in water, great advantage had,
That oftentimes him nigh he overthrew :
And eke the courfer whereuppon he rad
Could fwim like to a fifh whiles he his backe
beftrad.

XIV.

Which oddes whenas Sir Artegall espide,

He faw no way but clofe with him in haft; And to him driving ftrongly downe the tide Uppon his iron coller griped faft,

That with the straint his wefand nigh he brast. There they together ftrove and struggled long, Either the other from his fteed to caft; Ne ever Artegall his griple strong For any thinge wold flacke, but ftill hong.

XV.

upon him

As when a dolphin and a fele are met
In the wide champian of the ocean plainė,
With cruell chaufe their courages they whet,
The mayfterdome of each by force to gaine,
And dreadfull battaile twixt them do dar-

raine;

They fnuf, they fnort, they bounce, they rage, they rore,

That all the fea, disturbed with their traine, Doth frie with fome above the furges hore: Such was betwixt these two the troublesome

uprore.

XVI.

So Artegall at length him forst forfake

His horfes backe for dread of being drownd, And to his handy fwimming him betake. Eftfoones himselfe he from his hold unbownd, And then no ods at all in him he fownd; For Artegall in fwimming fkilfull was,

And durft the depth of any water fownd. So ought each Knight, that use of perill has, In fwimming be expert, through waters force

to pas.

XVII.

Then doubtfull was the warres event,

very

Uncertaine whether had the better fide:

For both were fkild in that experiment,

And both in armes well traind and throughly

tride.

But Artegall was better breath'd befide, And towards th' end grew greater in his might,

That his faint foe no longer could abide ́ His puiffance, ne beare himselfe upright; But from the water to the land betooke his

flight.

XVIII.

But Artegall purfewd him still so neare
With bright Chryfaor in his cruell hand,
That, as his head he gan a litle reare
Above the brincke to tread upon the land,

XVI. 8. So ought each Knight, that ufe of perill has,

Hence

In fwimming be expert] Swimming was always efteemed the neceffary qualification of a foldier. Horace by way of reproach fays,

"Cur timet flavum Tiberim tangere ?"

And by way of praise,

"Nec quifquam citus æquè

"Tufco denatat alveo."

XVII. 3.

in fwimming. CHURCH.

UPTON.

in that experiment,] That is,

He finote it off, that tumbling on the strand It bit the earth for very fell defpight,

And gnafhed with his teeth, as if he band High God, whofe goodneffe he despaired quight,

Or curft the hand which did that vengeance on

him dight.

XIX.

His corps was carried downe along the lee, Whose waters with his filthy bloud it stayned: But his blafphemous head, that all might fee, He pitcht upon a pole on high ordayned; Where many years it afterwards remayned, To be a mirrour to all mighty men,

In whofe right hands great power is contayned,

That none of them the feeble over-ren, But alwaies doe their powre within iuft com

paffe pen.

XX.

That done, unto the Castle he did wend,
In which the Paynims Daughter did abide,
Guarded of many which did her defend:
Of whom he entrance fought, but was denide,
And with reprochfull blafphemy defide,
Beaten with ftones downe from the battilment,

XIX. 1.

the lee,] Or, as he elsewhere fays, "the watry lea," i. e. the stream, F. Q. iv.

ii. 16.

CHURCH.