XLIII
Who now is left to keepe the forlorne maid
From raging spoile of lawlesse victors
will? 380
Her faithfull gard remov’d, her
hope dismaid,
Her selfe a yielded pray to save or spill.
He now Lord of the field, his pride to
fill,
With foule reproches, and disdainfull
spight
Her vildly entertaines, and will or nill,
385
Beares her away upon his courser light:
Her prayers nought prevaile, his rage is more of might.[*]
XLIV
And all the way, with great lamenting paine,
And piteous plaints she filleth his dull
eares,
That stony hart could riven have in twaine,
390
And all the way she wets with flowing
teares:
But he enrag’d with rancor, nothing
heares.
Her servile beast yet would not leave
her so,
But followes her farre off, ne ought he
feares,
To be partaker of her wandring woe,
395
More mild in beastly kind, then that her beastly foe.
* * * *
*
To sinfull house of Pride,
Duessa
guides the faithfull knight,
Where brother’s death to wreak Sansjoy
doth chalenge him to fight.
I
Young knight whatever that dost armes professe,
And through long labours huntest after
fame,
Beware of fraud, beware of ficklenesse,
In choice, and change of thy deare loved
Dame,
Least thou of her beleeve too lightly
blame, 5
And rash misweening doe thy hart remove:
For unto knight there is no greater shame,
Then lightnesse and inconstancie in love;
That doth this Redcrosse knights ensample plainly
prove.
II
Who after that he had faire Una lorne,
10
Through light misdeeming of her loialtie,
And false Duessa in her sted had borne,
Called Fidess’, and so supposd to
bee;
Long with her traveild, till at last they
see
A goodly building, bravely garnished,
15
The house of mightie Prince it seemd to
bee:
And towards it a broad high way that led,
All bare through peoples feet, which thither traveiled.
III
Great troupes of people traveild thitherward
Both day and night, of each degree and
place,[*] 20
But few returned, having scaped hard,[*]
With balefull beggerie, or foule disgrace;
Which ever after in most wretched case,
Like loathsome lazars,[*] by the hedges
lay.
Thither Duessa bad him bend his pace:
25
For she is wearie of the toilesome way,
And also nigh consumed is the lingring day.
IV
