Book XI, Chapter 63

INexplicable Nature, by the God of Nature wrought,
Makes things seeme Miracles to some, by some not Wonders thought:
And euery Climates People, both as they are Men, and liue,
Do differ: nothing, if obseru'd, She, not admir'd, doth giue.
The Workman rather than the Work extoll we though in her,
Not curiously, and all things to his Prouidence refer.
Who reades Sir Iohn de Mandeuil his Trauels, and his Sights,
That wonders not? and wonder may, if all be true he wrights.
Yeat rather it beleeue (for most, now, modernly approu'd)
Than this our Storie, whence suppose he was to Trauell mou'd:
Not contradicting though such Pens that write, perhaps more trew,
That Pennance him to Pilgrimage hence, of Deuotion, drew.

Of noble Parentage and rich was Mandeuil exact,
To whom nor Feature, Actiuenes, not Peoples fauour lackt.
A Ladie of the royall blood, Third Edwards Cozen say her,
On whom, for rarest Raritie, might Arte-spent Nature stay her,
Inamours him: who held it sinne, if ought he should omit,
Might please and prize his Ladie, coucht in Courage, Coste, or Wi[…].
But quite it quail'd his hopes to thinke he strain'd to reach a Starre:
Oft Reason therefore did with Loue, Loue did with Reason warre.
She is too high: and what of that? it hath, thinks he, bin seene,
As High haue stoopt as Low: For Loue, right-labourd, wins a Queene.
And can I hope that Beautie, which is Adamant to all?
Yea, Beautie, Natures Iuy-bush, each Passenger doth call.
But should she loue (Foole that I am to hope, that should despaire)
Such Births as she not else must loue, but as they licen'st are.
Yeat were it Mandeuil she lou'd, mislike it then that list,
Our vertuous Loue, else-where, as here, should render vs as blist.
O, would she loue, it should suffise: such, not of vulgar Moulds,
Whō once she blesseth with her Loue, for him she Sooth-fast holds:
The only vertue of which Loue, all other Lacks controules.

Such were his Ebbes, & Floods, and down although in Loue he sits,
Yeat, fearing Death and her disdaine, his Heart deuour'd his Fits:
[…] […] […] not meanly passionate, he fared not as those,
Whose melancholy Fooleries be Pylots to their Woes.
Alreadie was he gratious both with her and all the Court,
And, more to be, did exercise Armes, and each actiue Sport,
Nor was he Stoicall in ought, but affable in all,
And apprehends, euen fleelingly, her Humours as they fall.
If sad were she, then sad was he: if merrie, merrie too:
His Senses liable to all, she did, or did not doe
If her he heard to speake, he sayd Cassandra spake lesse trew,
If her he saw, hers praisde he more than Cythereas hew,
If odorifrous Sents he smelt, he fathers them on her,
If but her hand he toucht, that Touch did highly him prefer,
But Deified swore he him her bed-game Sweets might taste,
And swore his Thoughts: for where we loue, euē there our Soules be plaste.
His Vertues and Officiousnes to her wards, so had wrought,
That vnto little lesse than loue she, by Degrees, was brought.

Then errant Knights, & euery Knight, yea Kings, would ost defend
The Beauties of such Damsels as it lik't them to commend:
And Prizes were preposde for such, whose Champions bore thē best
At Tilts and Turnies, and his Dame was Soueraigne ore the rest.
Such Iusts, in England to beheld, were now proclaim'd, and
The Chiualrie of Christendome conuented in our Land.
Three beautious forren Ladies, with Sir […]ohn his Ladie stood
Competitors, to win the Prize, maintain'd with Champions good.
To shew the foure-fold March of Knights, whose Prowse shuld plead ano[…],
Vnder distinguisht Flags her Forme their Fancies waited on,
Their rare Accomplements, and each Deuise to see or reede,
To shew the richnes of the Prize, behight the Victors Meede,
The Damsels richer hew for whom such Triumphs were decreede,
The Cost, and great Concurse was there, were ouer-long to say:
In few, was nothing wanting that might honor such a day:
Now sound they to the Iusts, and now vn-horst was many a Knight:
For Foyles were Foyles: most brauely al their Sides and selues acquite:
And almost grew the day to end, before it could be seene
Who bore him best, whē, moūted well, both Man & Horse in greene,
A Knight appear'd: his Banner had the Picture, and in gold
King Edwards Cozen Elenor was legibly inrould.
Against him ranne right hardie Knights, that thundred on his Beuer:
But he vnhorst the most of them, himselfe vn-horsed neuer:
At least he lost his Stirrops, that incounters him, wherefore
Of Knighthood he, and Elenor the Prize of Beautie bore,
The Iewels set for Victorie, and aduerse Banners three,
Were yeelded him: whilst Elenor did long her Knight to see.
But as they marched to depart, with Beuer shut, he made
To her a Conge: closely then he Thence himselfe conuaide.
Much wonder all, who, and of whence the hardie greene-Knight was:
But secretly, vnknowne of all, he to his Home did pas.

A Womans Loue is Riuer-like, which, stopt, will ouer-flow,
But when the Currant finds no let, it often falls too lowe:
Faire Elenor wish't nothing more than that she might him know:
Meane while the Fier of Loue in her, from sparkes to flame did grow.
But Mandeuil was more discreet, than that for Mens applause,
He would be known: as knowing that from Praise takes Enuie cause.
To moue the King threats death, in vaine to labor her he wist,
Since many mightie Potentates had labord her, and mist.
She, he, and England seem'd too neere, his hopes, thought he, too farre:
He absence therefore poynts to plead vnto his Loue in barre.
Of Ceur-de-Lion, Erigen, William the Pylgrim, who
Wrot Richards Syrian Watres, Curson, Glanuile, and Longe-spee too,
Long-shanks, eare King, his Knights, and of our English many moe,
That through the triple Orbs did Armes and Trauels vnder-goe,
And famous thus aliue, and dead, Here and Abroad, did groe,
He cal'd to minde: resolu'd in minde his Life to finish so.
Bills of Exchange and all things els, prepard for Trauell fit,
Vnto his Friends, grieu'd he would goe, he then imparteth it.
The King did giue him Letters for safe-Conducts, of the Corte
Loth him to leaue, he taketh leaue: But in more speciall forte
Of Elenor: good Sadnes she thus spoke, as if in sporte.
Some discontented humor sends you hence, as I deuine,
Which, be whereso you shall, will be with you, be yours as mine.
Nay, Madam, quoth Sir Iohn, twixt vs this diffrence is to finde,
I both in minde and body, you need trauell not in minde.
Yes yes, quoth she, my Minde I wot meete may you farre away,
If so, then giue to it this Ring, and that I sent it say.
So, with that Riddle, and a Ring she gaue, they kindly parte:
Nor knew she him the Knight she meant, nor he to him her heart:
For, second to the greene-Knight (whom she thought not him) was he
Her Fauoret, of him therefore she would remembred be.

Now let vs say the Lands, the Seas, the People, and their Lore,
This Knight did see: whom, touching which, not storie shall we more:
But to our English Voyages, euen in our times, shall frame
Our Muse: and what you heare of Theirs, of his the like do ame,
For Countries, not for Customes (then, and now, not still the same.)
Yeat interlace we shall, among, the Loue of her and him:
Meane while about the World our Muse is stripped now to swim.