Canto 36

TIs meete a gentle heart should euer show,
By curtesie the fruites of true gentilitie,
Which will by practise to an habite grow,
And make men do ye same with great facilitie:
Likewise ye dunghil blood a man shall know,
By churlish parts and acts of inciuilitie,
Whose nature apt to take each lewd infection,
Custome confirmes, and makes ill in perfection.

Of courteous acts, old stories he that reeds,
In auncient times shall find there hath bene store,
But in our dayes of bloudy cruell deeds,
Is greater plentie then hath bene before;
For charitie brings forth but barren seeds,
And hatred still is sowd in so great store,
That when the fruits of both come to be reaped,
The tone is scarce, the tother ouer heaped.

What fierce Barbarian Tartar, Moore or Turke,
Could vse more crueltie then now of late,
In Latin land Venetian force did worke?
Not by consent of the wise men of state,
But by the filthy nature that did lurke
In wicked hirelings, and a hidden hate;
I speake not of the damage and defaces,
They did by fire in all our pleasant places.

Though that reuenge was foule and to to cruell,
And chiefe against Hippolito, who late,
When Caesar sieged Padoa, as they knew well,
And brought it to low ebbe and wofull state,
He both withdrew the matter all and fewell,
And quencht the fires kindled by deadly hate,
Preseruing many a Church and many a village,
By his rare clemencie from fire and pillage.

Not those I meane, nor many actions more,
That cannot be excused or defended,
But such an act as stones might weepe therefore,
As oft as it is talkt of or reinembred:
Then when my Lord his houshold sent before,
There where his foes were secretly assembled,
And left their vessels on the saltish land,
While in ambushment close they lay on land.

As Hector and Aeneas did by fire
Assault the Greekish fleet with hardie fight,
So saw I two, whose hearts to fame aspire,
(One Alexander, tother Hercles hight)
Assault their foes, and driue them to retire,
Vnto their trenches, nay within them quite,
But one of them returned thence full hard,
The tother of returning cleane was bard.

For Ferussine scapt, Cantelmo stayd,
O Duke of Sore, what sore griefe didst thou find,
To see thy noble sonne lo soule betrayd,
Among a thousand blades left there behind?
His naked necke on side of gally layd,
And chopped off: now surely in my mind,
When that same bloudie stroke his necke smit off,
You felt like stroke eu'n with the fight thereof.

Slauonian vile, where didst thou learne to know
Such lawes of warre? within what Scuthian land,
Vse men to kill a prisner taken so,
That yeelds, and hath no weapon in his hand?
Or was it such a grieuous sinne you trow,
The foes of his deare country to withstand?
Why hast thou Sunne, so long on this age shinde,
That breeds of Atrews and Thiestes kinde?

Barbarian vile, that kild so sweet a youth,
To satisfie thy rancor and thy rage,
So rare a youth, as to confesse the truth,
His match could not be found in this our age;
Whose beautie might haue bred sufficient ruth,
Fierce Poliphemus anger to asswage,
But not fierce thee, more cruell and more fell,
Then any monsters that in deserts dwell.

The valiant men did studie in time past,
With clemencie their honors to increase,
And hate no longer then the fight did last,
With victorie reuenge did euer cease:
So Bradamant, of whom I told you last,
The prisners she had tane, did still release,
And staid their horses when themselues were downe,
And sent them backe againe into the towne.

And praid them but her challenge to deliuer,
Vnto Rogero, and to call him out,
Who meant with speare in rest her answer giue her,
Vnto her challenge that she sent so stout.
Now when the other knights were all togither,
In presence of the kings, they cast a doubt,
Who this should be, and then they aske Ferraw,
That talkt with her, and her bare visage saw.

Sure (said Ferraw) it is not tone nor tother,
Of those on whom before your thoughts were set;
I tooke it first it was Renaldos brother,
Who is in yeares a very youth as yet:
But now I rather iudge it is another,
For so much force is not in 'Richardet,
I thinke it is his sister by her vsage,
Who I haue heard is like him much in visage.

She hath ere this of value had great fame,
Renaldo and the Palladins among,
I must confesse I found it to my shame,
Her, then her brothers to be farre more strong:
Rogero, when he heard them her to name,
Was guiltie straight that he had done her wrong,
And blusht in countenance with bashfull grace,
And oft his heart shot blood into his face.

Yea feare inuaded him, not feare of danger,
For force he feared not of any wight,
Of Turke nor Christen, countryman or stranger;
The very cause of this his dolefull plight
Was loue, for loue feares nothing more then anger,
He doubts least she conceiu'd not of him right:
Thus wauing thoughts his mind do both waies cary,
If so he better were to go or tary.

The while Marfisa that was present there,
And euer had a forward will to iust,
Could now no longer from the same forbeare,
Though seeing some before her lie on dust.
For all their fals did breed in her no feare,
So much in her great value she did trust,
Wherefore least good Rogero might preuent her,
First she rides forth, and in the lists doth enter.

And mounted on her horse came swiftly running,
Vnto the place where Bradamant did stay,
With panting heart to wait Rogeros comming,
With mind to take him prisner if she may,
She thinks how she might guide her staffe with cunning,
As with her stroke do him least hurt she may:
Thus commeth out Marfisa, nothing fearing,
Vpon her loftie crest the Phenix bearing.

Or that thereby to bost her strength she ment,
Of her rare strength, of which the tooke some pride,
Or else thereby to note her chast intent
She had, a warlike virgine still to bide;
But Bradamant, who first to meet her went,
And not to be Rogero now espide,
Did aske her name, and by her name she knew
That this was she that made her loue vntrew.

Or to say better, whom she did surmise,
To be the sole withholder of her deare,
Her whom she hates, gainst whom her blood doth rise,
And minding now to make her buy it deare,
With furie great and rage at her she flies;
And that she may make all suspitions cleare,
With couched speare she fiercely runneth on her,
And meanes to kill her, or to die vpon her.

Marfisa was constrained with the stroke,
To kisse the ground as those before her had,
Which to such rage her courage did prouoke,
That with disdaine she seemd as one halfe mad;
Nor knowing how so great a foile to cloke,
She drawes her sword with an intention bad,
But Bradamant cry'th out with lostie hart,
What dost thou traitor? thou my prisner art.

And though I vsed curtsie to the rest,
To vse it vnto thee I am not tide,
Whosemind (as I haue heard) is eu'n a nest,
Wherein is bred all villanie and pride:
Looke how great waters rage and do not rest,
When as the winds do striue against the tide,
So rag'd Marfisa rather more then lesse,
And for meere spite could not a word expresse.

But hurles about her blade with all her force,
Not caring what she strikes, nor where, nor how,
Vpon the horseman or vpon the horse,
Her rage in her no reason did allow:
And Bradamant as void of all remorse,
With mind to breake that, that refuld to bow,
Ranne at her with the speare that would not misse,
And made her once againe the ground to kisse.

But once againe vpon her feet she getteth,
And with her sword reuengement she intends,
Each fall she hath, her furie sharper whetteth,
Yet still she fals, and can haue none amends,
Nor goldelance his wonted force forgetteth,
For all it touches, to the ground it sends;
Had not the speare bene (as it was) inchaunted,
It could not so Marfisas force haue daunted.

Some of our men were hither come the while,
I meane some of the Christen host, that lay
Encamped neare the towne within a mile,
So as the wals of Arlie see they may,
And thinking (for her sex did them beguile)
Some knight of theirs maintaind so great a fray,
They thither came with will and with delight,
To see so fierce and well maintaind a fight.

Whom when as Agramant from far espide,
And thinks they came to bring their knight assistance
He thought it best in wisedome to prouide,
If they should offer force to make resistance;
Wherefore he pointed some that of their side,
May stand from that same place a little distance,
Of this last crew Rogero was the first,
With whom the damsell so to fight did thirst.

And seeing now how fierce the combat gro'th,
Betwixt these two, to whom he wisht none ill,
Although in sundry kinds he fauord both,
For tone was loue, the tother bare good will;
To suffer them to fight he was full loth,
Although for honors sake he must be still,
Else sure he could haue found it in his hart,
To step betweene them, and the fray to part.

But they that with him from the citie came,
And saw the Christen champion was so strong,
Stept in betwixt her and the tother dame,
And so withdrew Marfisa them among,
Which act the other Christens did inflame,
So that with mind to venge so foule a wrong,
They stept in to: thus both sides cride alarme,
And soone the skirmish waxed fresh and warme.

Such as before were armed, out do runne,
They that vnarmed were, their armor take,
And some runne out on foot, on horseback some,
Each to his standerd doth himselfe betake;
The diuers sound of trumpet and of drum,
That doth the horsemen, this the footmen wake,
But Bradamant is malcontent and wrath,
To thinke Marfisa thus escaped hath.

Then lookt she wishly all about the place,
To find out him that caused all her care,
At last she knew him though not by his face,
Yet by the argent […]agle that he bare,
And viewing well his person and good grace,
His goodly stature and his feature rare,
She rag'd to thinke another should possesse it,
And in these secret words she doth expresse it.

Shall any other then that sweetlip kisse?
And I in loue thereof stil mourne and pine?
Shall any other then possesse my blisse:
Shalt thou anothers be if none of mine?
No certes, rather then to suffer this,
Thou by my hand shalt die, or I by thine,
If in this life we shall be ioyned neuer,
Death onely be the meane to ioyne vs euer.

Although that thou shouldst fortune me to kill,
Thy death by right should pacifie my spirit,
For lawes appoint, who guiltlesse blood do spill,
Shall for reward the doome of death inherit;
Yet still I shall sustaine the greater ill,
For I should guiltlesse die, but thou by merit,
I killing thee, kill one that hates me meerly,
Thou killing me, kilst one that loues thee deerly.

Why shouldst not thou (my hand) be strong and bold,
That by thy stroke his hard heart may be riuen?
Who vnto me sharpe wounds and manifold,
In time of loues sweet peace and truce hath giuen,
And doth eu'a now with stonie heart behold
The wofull state to which poore I am driuen,
Heart now be stout to take thy iust reuenge,
Let this one death thy thousand deaths auenge.

With that at him she runs, but first aloud,
Defend thy selfe (Rogero false) she said,
And think not thou shalt scape with spoiles so proud,
Of heart subdued of a silly maid.
Rogero, who to her himselfe had vowd,
And to offend her greatly was afraid,
Held vp his gantlet vnto her in token,
That he with her desired to haue spoken.

He would her wrath with kind words haue appeased,
And shewd her how the cause he brake his day,
Was that with grieuous wounds he lay diseased,
Which forced him against his will to stay;
But at this time she was so sore displeased,
She would not hearken what he had to say,
But with her speare in rest, on him she runneth,
Who such vnkind encounter greatly shunneth.

But when he saw she was so rash and headie,
And that her choler now so great did grow,
That she was in her full careere alreadie,
He puts his speare in rest, at least for show,
And forward set[…], but when she was eu'n readie,
Him to haue giu'n a sharpe disgracefull blow,
(Or that it were that she eu'n then recanted,
Or that her heart to harme him courage wanted)

She bare her launce alost quite ore his crest,
And so of purpose that same course she mist,
Yet so, as by the manner might be guest,
She could haue hit him furer, had she list,
And wrath and rage still boiling in her brest,
To bend her force gainst him she did desist,
But in that mood no little harme she workes,
Vnto the other souldiers of the Turkes.

In little time, she with her gilded lance
Had causd three hundred men on ground to lie,
So that the conquest to the part of France,
Was thought to haue bene gained sole thereby:
Rogero seeks her out, and last by chance,
He speakes to her, and faith, my deare I die,
But I may talke with you, what haue I done
Alas, that you my conference should shunne?

As when the Southerne wind with luke-warme blast,
Doth breath on hils where winter long had dwelt,
Resolues the rocks of ice that hung so fast,
And all the new made mounts of snow doth melt:
So with this gentle prayre, though spoke in hast,
The damsell such an inward motion felt,
That sodainly her hardned heart did soften,
As vnto women kind it chanceth often.

Yet answer made she none, but held her peace,
She onely turned Rabican aside,
And hasting to get out of that same prease,
She beckned him that after her he ride:
Thus went she thence, with mind inclind to peace,
Vnto a valley, where on either side,
A groue of Cypres so eu'n set was seene,
As if they all of one false stampe had beene.

Amid this groue a goodly sepulture
Was built, which these faire Cypres trees did shade,
Of Porphyrie and marble white and pure,
And faire engrau'n, to shew why it was made;
But of the tombe she tooke no care nor cure,
But there expected in the open glade,
Vntill Rogero hauing made good hast,
Approcht the wood and damsel at the last.

[…]ut of Marfisa now I must you tell,
Who hauing got by this her hor'e againe,
Her loftie heart with rancor great did swell,
To be reueng'd of this foule sufferd staine,
And seeing where she went, as it befell,
And how Rogero followd her amaine,
She little thinketh that it is for loue,
But rather that they may the combat prone.

Wherefore to follow them she thinks it best,
So as she came almost as soone as they,
But what a redious and vnwelcome guest
She seemd to both, one soone coniecture may:
Much sure it did the Dordon dame molest,
Who sole to her Rogeros faults did lay,
She deemd that to come thither nothing mou'd her,
But that Rogero in ill sort had lou'd her.

And false, Rogero she againe doth name,
And was it not enough false man, said she,
That of thy falshood I should here by same,
But that I with these eyes the same should see?
But sith I find thou dost thy actions frame,
To driue me with vnkindnesses from thee,
I am content to die, but ere I die yet,
She that did cause it, dearly shall abuy it.

Thus as a Viper angrie and malicious,
With mind indeed to do her best to kill
Her, that was come in manner so suspitious,
(Though she came more for wrath, the for goodwil)
With gilded launce she giues a blow pernicious,
That quite vnhorsed her for all her skill,
Backward Marfisa fell, and in the durt,
Her beauer stucke, but had no further hurt.

Duke Ammons daughter that resolues to die,
Or kill her fo, so much her selfe forgetteth,
That thinking to dispatch her by and by,
Before her head out of the mire she getteth,
The golden launce she will no farther trie,
But throwes it downe, as wrath her courage whetteth,
And to performe the feate, her sword she drawes,
Therewith of feare to cut away the cause.

But ere she came so neare, Marfisa met her,
Like one with rage, with spite and scorne halse mad,
To thinke that now againe she sped no better,
And that a while before she sped so bad;
So that Rogero could by no meanes let her
From fighting, which to stop great will he had,
But both of them with choler were so blinded,
They fought like bedlem folk, and desprat minded.

They came vnto the halfe sword at the first,
And with their rage forgetting rules of skill,
Their ouermuch desire to do their worst,
Was onely cause that they could do none ill;
Their hearts were readie for despite to burst,
And either purposing to die or kill,
Did leaue her sword aside, in mind supposing,
With stab to kill each other at the closing.

Rogero sunders them, and both intreateth,
To pacifie themselues, but all in vaine,
Then of their daggers he them both defeateth,
And by perswasions mou'd them both againe;
Sometime he speaketh faire, sometime he threateth,
Except they wil at his request abstaine;
But these viragoes wil not thoe desist,
Though weapons want, they fight with feet and fist.

He steps betweene againe, and back he drawes,
Now one, and then the tother by the sleeues,
And makes them both against their wils to pause,
At which Marfisa not a little greeues;
Her selfe too greatly wronged in the cause,
And him to be too partiall she beleeues;
Wherefore his friendship she doth quite disclaime,
And open warres with him she doth proclaime.

And taking vp her sword, in termes most vile,
She saith he playes the churlish villens part,
And that he greatly doth himselfe beguile,
To thinke her fight against her wil to part,
She sweares she wil, within a little while,
Of his owne folly make him feele the smart;
And that she wil henceforth so short him curbe,
He shall not dare her combat to disturbe.

Rogero still bare all her words as words,
And sought by speech her to haue pacified;
But seeing that it needs must come to swords,
And that with blowes, not speeches she replied,
No longer time to walking he affords,
But to his weapon he himselfe applied,
And being moued now with rightfull anger,
To saue himselfe, he oft put her in danger.

But nere did spectacle breed more delight,
In stately Rome or Athens so well learned,
Then Bradamant did take to see this fight,
In which she now apparently discerned,
That of their loue she had not iudged right;
Now iealousie, and all that it concerned,
Suspition, feare, mistrust, and wrath, and franzie,
Are of the sodaine quite put from her fancie.

And taking vp her sword she stands not farre,
With mind not yet awhile the fray to part,
She thinkes in him she sees the God of warre,
Such grace Rogero vsd, such skill such art:
And tother seemd in that vnpleasant iarre,
Some hellish furie, (so she playd her part)
Yet true it is that he awhile forbare her,
Nor did his worst, but did of purpose spare her.

He knew the secret vertue of his blade,
Which he had tride in many battels well,
That euermore a way and entrance made,
Whose charme all charmed armes did far excell;
Wherefore he doth not fiercely her inuade.
With bloudy blowes, nor fearfull thrusts and full,
But flatling still he cauld his blowes to light,
Till once he was of patience put out quite.

For once Marfisa, with intention shrowd,
Strake with such furie at Rogeros beauer,
That with that blow she very plainly showd,
That to haue kild him she did her endeuer,
Rogero with his argent Eagle trowd,
From danger of the stroke himselfe to seuer,
But though the shield brake not, gramercy charme,
Yet vnderneath the shield it stound his arme.

It happie was Don Hectors shield was there,
Else had she put him vnto further paine,
Scarce could he now the massie target beare,
Scarce now the siluer bird he could sustaine:
Now he intends no longer to forbeare,
But hurleth out a foyne with force so maine,
In rage with that late blow so fierce and bitter,
Wo vnto poore Marsisa, had it hit her.

I know not what good Angell did her keepe,
The thrust mist her, and in a tree it strake,
And enterd in the same a shastman deepe,
And on the sodaine all the hill did quake:
A secret horror on them all did creepe,
They see the hill, the trees and tombe to shake,
Till from that sepulcher a voice proceeding,
Spake vnto them, all humane voice exceeding.

The voice to them with no small terror cride,
File not your hands nor hearts with so great sin,
It is a kind of cruell parracide,
To seeke to kill, and be so neare of kin:
Wherefore I charge you lay all hate aside,
And marke my speech, and all containd therein,
I say you both were gotten of one seed,
One wombe you bare, one brest you both did feed.

My deare Rogero, my Marfisa deare,
Let not the sister seeke to kill the brother,
But learne of me some things that touch you neare,
Which former times in ignorance did smother;
Your sire Rogero hight, who that same yeare,
He gat you of dame Gallacell your mother,
Was by your vncles of his life depriued,
Who also your destruction thus contriued.

They put your mother in a steerlesse bote,
Who was as then of you twaine great with child,
And in the Ocean wide they let her flote,
There to be staru'd or drownd in waters wild:
But lo how fortune holpe the lucklesse lot,
And ere you yet were borne, vpon you smild,
For why against all hope or expectation,
Your mother made a happie nauigation.

And being safe arriu'd at Syrtee shore,
There at one burden she brought forth both you,
And then (as if she ought this world no more)
Her blessed soule to Paradise vp flew;
But there by hap (to God be thanks therefore)
Was I at hand, and when the cause I knew,
I did as much, ere I the place did leaue,
As such a barren soile would giue me leaue.

Your mother then in dust of earth I lapt,
(Our auncient mother) whereto all must go,
And in my cloke your little selues I wrapt,
To seeke some meanes to nourish you, when lo,
A Lionesse that late had whelpt there hapt,
To come in sight while I went to and fro,
Her did I make to leaue her proper whelpes,
And giue you sucke, then wanting other helpes.

Ten months and ten in forrests wilde and moorish,
The Lions tets you vsed were to sucke,
I after learnd with wilde flesh you to nourish,
Such as I could, of Bea[…]es, or Stag and Bucke;
But when you now began in strength to flourish,
One day while I was lacke, by euill lucke,
A band of fierce Arabians comming thither,
Wold haue conuaid you both from thence togither.

But thou Rogero when thou sawst them comming,
Didst saue thy selfe from that mishap by flight,
But thou Marfisa, not so swiftly running,
Wert tane, and quickly carrid out of sight,
To fetch thee backe againe I wanted cunning,
For which I soride many day and night,
But as the losse of tone did make me sad,
So of the tother greater care I had.

Ah my Rogero, thou thy selfe canst tell,
If thine Atlanta lou'd thee while he liued,
I saw the starres some euill haps foretell,
That thou shouldst haue which me not litle grieued:
Yet I endeuord still, as thou knowst well,
That by my meanes thou mightst haue bin relieued,
But finding thee still contrary inchned,
For very griefe at last I dide and pined.

But here I built this tombe afore I died,
Where I foresaw you two should make this fray;
And being dead, to Charon lowd I cried,
To suffer in this wood my ghost to stray,
Vntill this fight, to me foresignified,
Should happen, which was done this present day,
Now shall my soule from hence depart in peace,
Now Bradamant thy iealousie may cease.

Thus said the voice, and left them all amazed,
With wonder great, and strangenesse of the case,
And when a while each had on other gazed,
They met in kindest manner, and embrace;
Nor Bradamant her selfe, who erst was crazed
With iealousie, now tooke it in disgrace,
To see her spouse, when he most kindly kist her,
Now well assured that she was his sister.

Thus they agreed at last, and either twin,
Do call to mind some acts of childish yeares,
What they had sayd and done, where they had bin,
Which eu'n with tender heart did moue their teares;
At last the worthy brother doth begin
To tell Marfisa what great loue he beares
To Bradamant, whom he to wed intends,
And so at length he made them faithfull frends.

Then all parts pacifide so well at length,
Marfisa doth intreate her noble brother,
To tell to her the storie more at length,
Or that so strange exiling of her mother,
And if their fire were slaine by fraud or strength,
And who it was that wrought the tone or tother,
For sure (said she) I thinke I neuer heard it,
Or childishnesse did make me not regard it.

Rogero tels her, how of Troian race,
From Hector they be lineally descended,
By meanes Astianax (of speciall grace,
That scapt Viysses and the snares intended,
Did leaue a child of like yeares in his place)
And from that country to the sea descended,
And came to Sicill after trauell long,
And tooke Mesina, and grew very strong.

His offspring still increasing in renowne,
Calabria rul'd in part, and thence to Phare,
And came at last to dwell in Mars his towne,
And many a noble Emperour and rare,
In stately Rome haue worne th'Imperiall crowne,
Of such as from this stocke descended are,
From Constance and from Constantine accounting,
To Pepin and his sonne, them all surmounting.

Rogero first, and Iambaron of these,
Rouus, Rambaldus, and Rogero againe,
Of whom (as Atlant told) sau'd from the seas,
Our mother by the shore brought forth vs twaine,
Their acts in auncient stories they that please
To looke, may find them there recorded plaine;
Then tels he how there came king Agolant,
With Almont, and the fire of Agramant.

How that Kings daughter, a most noble maid,
In feates of armes so valorous did proue,
That diuers Palladines she ouerlaid;
And then with that Rogero fell in loue,
And of her fathers anger not afraid,
Did match in Christen state, as did behoue,
How after this one Beltram sought by treason,
Incestuous loue of her without all reason.

And for that cause his brothers and his sire,
And his owne natiue soile he did betray,
And open Risa at his foes desire;
Which being tane, and leizd on as a pray,
Fierce Agolant and his inflamd with ire,
Tooke Gallacell our mother where she lay,
Six months with child, and put her in a bote,
And in the Ocean wide they let her flote.

Marfisa all this while with gladsome cheare,
Vnto her new knowne brothers tale attended,
And in her mind reioyced much to heare,
That of so noble house she was descended,
From which Mongrana came, as doth appeare,
And that of Clarimount so much commended,
Which houses both, long in great fame had flourished,
For diuers noble persons they had nourished.

But when of Agramant she heard him say,
How both his grandsire, vncle, and some other,
Consented had their father to betray,
And in so cruell sort to vse their mother,
She could not suffer any longer stay,
But breaking off his tale, said noble brother,
(With your good fauor) you haue too much wrong
To leaue your father vnreueng'd so long.

If not in Almont nor Traianos blood,
You can auenge this ill sith they be gone,
Yet ought you to auenge it on their brood;
Liue you, and let you Agramant alone?
This blot, except it quickly be withstood,
Will shame you euer, if it once be knowne,
That he that did this wrong not onely liueth,
But that to you he entertainment giueth.

But for my part (said she) by Christ I vow,
(Whom as my father did, so serue I will)
That I will not leaue armes, till I know how
To venge my fathers and my mothers ill;
And much I shall lament, and do eu'n now,
If in that Pagan campe you tarry still,
Or euer should be seene therein hereafter,
Except it were to worke their harme and slaughter.

Oh how did Bradamant at this reioyce,
Aduising him to follow that direction,
And to giue eare vnto his sisters voice,
To leaue so vile a place, and base subiection,
And cleaue to Charles as to the better choice,
Who gladly would receiue him in protection,
Of which (she said) one sure signe she did gather,
She heard him often so extoll his father.

Rogero answers thus with great regard,
(My deare) to haue done this at first I ought,
But then indeed the troth I had not hard,
Whereby I might my dutie haue bin tought:
Now sith that Agramant hath me prefard,
If his destruction should by me be sought,
That am his seruant and a daily waitor,
The world might iustly deeme I were a traitor.

But this my meaning was, and so it is,
To find some meanes I may (with honor) part,
Which when I haue, then sure I will not misse,
To come and to requite your great desart;
And that (quoth he) I had performd ere this,
Saue that a cause (of which I felt the smart)
Enforst my stay, the wounds the Tartar gaue me,
So as my friends had much to do to saue me.

As she knowes well that holpe me at my need,
And eu'ry day did sit by my beds side:
Thus much he said, but they that tooke good heed
To all he said, in earnest sort replide,
Howbeit at the last it was agreed,
That he so long with Agramant should bide,
Till he some honorable cause might find,
To leaue his master and to change his mind.

Well (quoth Marfisa) if he needs will go,
Then let him go, but I will you assure,
That shortly I will vse the matter so,
He shall not long with Agramant endure:
This said she vnto Bradamant, but tho
She told not how she would the same procure:
Thus for that time Rogero brake this parlie,
And turnd his horse to turne againe to Arlie.

When lo they chanc'd a sodaine crie to heare,
Proceeding from the next adioyning vale,
The voice did seeme, when they approched neare,
To be some damsels that for helpe did call:
But who it was, hereafter you shall heare,
For now of force I must cut off my tale,
And pray you my abruptnesse to excuse,
For in the next you shall heare further newes.