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1245

1246

1247

LANCELOT OVERTHROWN BY HIS OWN KIN

THEY

HEY couched their spears and pricked their steeds and thus,

their plumes driven backwards by the wind they made
in moving, all together down upon him

bare, as a wild wave in the wide North-sea,
green-glimmering toward the summit, bears, with all
its stormy crests that smoke against the skies,
down on a bark and overbears the bark,
and him that helms it, so they overbore
Sir Lancelot and his charger, and a spear
down-glancing lamed the charger, and a spear
pricked sharply his own cuirass, and the head
pierced through his side and there snapt and remained.

THE

A. TENNYSON

'HEN with a rushing sound, th' assembly bend
diverse their steps: the rival rout ascend

the royal dome: whilst sad the Prince explores
the neighbouring main, and sorrowing treads the
shores:

there, as the waters o'er his hands he shed,
the royal suppliant to Minerva prayed:

'O Goddess! who descending from the skies
vouchsafed thy presence to my wondering eyes;
by whose commands the raging deep I trace,
and seek my sire through storms and rolling seas;
hear from the heavens above, O warrior-maid,
descend once more propitious to my aid:
without thy presence, vain is thy command:
Greece and the rival train thy voice withstand.'

MAMMON

YOR was his name unheard or unadored,

NOR

in ancient Greece: and in Ausonian land
men called him Mulciber: and how he fell
from Heaven they fabled, thrown by angry Jove
sheer o'er the crystal battlements: from morn
to noon he fell, from noon to dewy eve,
a summer's day; and with the setting sun

dropt from the zenith like a falling star,
on Lemnos, the Ægean isle. Thus they relate,
erring; for he with this rebellious rout

fell long before: nor aught availed him now

to have built in Heaven high towers, nor did he

'scape

by all his engines, but was headlong sent

with his industrious crew to build in Hell.

J. MILTON

1248

CAMBELL AND CAMBELLO

ONG while they then continued in that wize,

LON

as if but then the battell had begonne:

strokes, wounds, wards, weapons, all they did despise ;
ne either cared to ward, or perill shonne,
desirous both to have the battell donne;
ne either caréd life to save or spill,

ne which of them did winne, ne which were wonne;
so wearie both of fighting had their fill,

that life itselfe seemd loathsome, and long safetie ill. Whilst thus the case in doubtfull ballance hong, unsure to whether side it would incline,

and all mens eyes and hearts, which there among stood gazing, filled were with rufull tine and secret feare, to see their fatall fine; all suddenly they heard a troublous noyes, that seemd some perilous tumult to desine, confused with womens cries and shouts of boyes, such as the troubled theatres ofttimes annoyes.

E. SPENSER

1249

I1

THE IDLE LAKE

T was a chosen plott of fertile land,
emongst wide waves sett, like a litle nest,

as if it had by Natures cunning hand

bene choycely picked out from all the rest,
and laid forth for ensample of the best:

no dainty flowre or herbe that growes on grownd,
no arborett with painted blossomes drest

and smelling sweete, but there it might be fownd,

to bud out faire, and her sweete smels throwe al

arownd.

No tree, whose braunches did not bravely spring;
no braunch, whereon a fine bird did not sitt;
no bird, but did her shrill notes sweetly sing;
no song, but did containe a lovely ditt.

Trees, braunches, birds, and songs, were framéd fitt for to allure fraile mind to carelesse ease. Carelesse the man soone woxe, and his weake witt was overcome of thing that did him please; so pleased did his wrathfull purpose faire appease.

1250

E. SPENSER

THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN ARTEGALL AND

RADIGUND

HE trumpets sounded, and the field began;

She at the first encounter on him ran, with furious rage, as if she had intended out of his breast the very heart have rended; but he, that had like tempests often tride, from the first flaw himselfe right well defended. The more she raged, the more he did abide; she hewd, she foynd, she lasht, she laid on every side.

Yet still her blows he bore, and her forbore
weening at last to win advantage new;

yet still her crueltie increased more

and, though powre faild, her courage did accrew;

which fayling, he gan fiercely her pursew:

like as a smith, that to his cunning feat
the stubborne metall seeketh to subdew,

soon as he feells it mollifide with heat,

with his great yron sledge doth strongly on it beat.

1251

ARTEGALL DISARMS RADIGUND

E. SPENSER

HAVING her thus disarmed of her shield, upon her helmet he againe her strooke, that downe she fell upon the grassie field in sencelesse swoune, as if her life forsooke, and pangs of death her spirit overtooke: whom when he saw before his foote prostrated, he to her lept with deadly dreadfull looke, and her sun-shynie helmet soone unlaced, thinking at once both head and helmet to have raced.

But, when as he discovered had her face,
he saw, his senses straunge astonishment,
a miracle of natures goodly grace
in her faire visage voide of ornament,
but bathed in blood and sweat together ment.
which, in the rudenesse of that evill plight,
bewrayd the signes of feature excellent:

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like as the moone, in foggie winters night, doth seeme to be herselfe, though darkned be her light.

At sight thereof his cruell minded hart
empierced was with pittifull regard,

that his sharpe sword he threw from him apart,
cursing his hand that had that visage mard:
no hand so cruell, nor no hart so hard,
but ruth of beautie will it mollifie.

By this, upstarting from her swoune she star'd
a while about her with confuséd eye;

like one that from his dreame is wakéd suddenlye.

E. SPENSER

1252

Now

MEMNON TO ACHILLES

OW shalt thou surely fall beneath my might, wretch! who hast slain the bravest youths of Troy,

boasting that thou of heroes art the chief,

and from a Nereid born; but thou to-day
shalt cease thy vaunts for ever, for I spring
from blest Aurora, goddess of the dawn,
and me th' Hesperides, as lilies fair,

rear'd in their bowers beside the ocean-streams.
I hold thy strength in war but slight, thy birth
being than mine less noble, since I know
how much an heavenly goddess doth excel
a Nereid of the deep. My mother gives
the rosy light (a precious benefit)

to Gods and men, who in the gift rejoice,
but still inglorious doth thy mother sit

low in the sunless caverns of the sea

amid the wallowing fishes; therefore I

deem her most worthless, when compared to them who tread th' Olympian floor.

A. DYCE

1253

1254

SHEPH

CLOE'S SUIT TO THENOT

HEPHERD, I pray thee stay. Where hast thou been?

Or whither goest thou? Here be woods as green
as any; air likewise as fresh and sweet

as where smooth Zephyrus plays on the fleet
face of the curléd streams; with flowers as many
as the young spring gives, and as choice as any;
here be all new delights, cool streams and wells,
arbours o'ergrown with woodbines, caves, and dells:
choose where thou wilt, whilst I sit by and sing,
or gather rushes, to make many a ring

for thy long fingers; tell thee tales of love,—
how the pale Phoebe, hunting in a grove,
first saw the boy Endymion, from whose eyes
she took eternal fire that never dies;
how she convey'd him softly in a sleep,
his temples bound with poppy, to the steep
head of old Latmus, where she stoops each night,
gilding the mountain with her brother's light,
to kiss her sweetest.

J. FLETCHER

THE THREE CHAMPIONS OF ROME AGAINST

PORSENA

M

EANWHILE the Tuscan army,
right glorious to behold,

came flashing back the noonday light,
rank behind rank, like surges bright
of a broad sea of gold.

Four hundred trumpets sounded

a peal of warlike glee,

as that great host, with measured tread,
and spears advanced, and ensigns spread,
rolled slowly towards the bridge's head,
where stood the dauntless Three.

The Three stood calm and silent,
and looked upon the foes,
and a great shout of laughter

from all the vanguard rose:

and forth three chiefs came spurring

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