Canto 9

ALas what damage cannot Cupid bring
A noble hart once thralled to his lore?
That makes Orlando carelesse of his king,
To whom of late most faithfull loue he bore.
Who earst so gaue & wise in euerie thing,
And of the church a champion was before,
Now that in loues blind pathes, he learns to plod,
Forgets himselfe, his countrie and his God.

Faine would I him disburden of this blame,
Glad in my faults a fellow such to finde,
For to my good I feele me dull and lame,
But prompt to ill, and swifter then the wind:
He not be thinking him how great a shame,
It was to leaue his helplesse friends behind,
Went where the kings of Affricke and of Spaine,
Didly in field encampt with all their traine.

Yet not encampt I can them call, for why
They lay abrode dispersed with the raine,
Some twentie, ten, or eight together lie,
Or sixe, or fiue, or foure, or three, or twaine:
Some farther off, and some are lodged nie,
All weane with their former taken paine:
He might haue kill'd of them a worthie crew,
Ne yet is Durindana once he drew.

The cause was this, so noble was his minde,
To murther men asleepe he thought it base,
He lets them rest, and seekes his loue to finde,
By eu'rie person, and in eu'rie place,
And those he meets, with words and speeches kind,
(Describing her apparell and her face)
He prayes of all good fellowship to shoe,
Or where she is, or whither she did goe.

When light apporcht, and day began to breake,
By day he seekes her in the host of Turkes,
His passions strong, do make his reason weake
Yeeld to the fit that in his fancie workes.
Some helpe it was, he could their language speake,
By which the safer he among them lurkes:
His words, his weeds, so like to theirs were seene,
As though that bred in Tripoly he had beene.

But when he saw his staying was for nought,
At three dayes end away from thence he flang,
He left no towne of France and Spaine vnsought,
Ne yet this paine could ought asswage that pang:
Him Autumne first this wandring humor brought,
When frutes do fade, his fruitlesse loue first sprang,
And lasted still his force and rage renuing,
Both all the spring and summer next ensuing.

Now hauing traueld as his custome was,
From realme to realme, he came vpon a day,
Where as the riuer cleare sometime as glasse,
That twixt the Britans and the Normans lay,
Was growne so high as now he could not passe,
The snow and raine had borne so great a sway,
By force wherof the bridge was ouerthrwowne,
The passage stopt, the foords were ouerflowne.

And looking round about the shore at large,
Deuising how to passe to th' other side,
He saw a little way from thence a barge,
That seemed toward him the course to guide,
Of which a certaine damsell had the charge,
To whom with voice aloud Orlando cride,
Intreating her because his hast was great,
Within the barge him to affoord a seat.

The maid affirm'd no price the barge could hire,
And to command it he had no commission,
But promist she would grant him his desire,
Vpon a certaine cou'nant and condition;
Which was to vndertake by sword and fire,
For to destroy an Ile, without remission,
A cruell Ile, Ebuda cald by name,
The wickedst place where euer creature came.

For know (quoth she) beyond the Irish land,
There lies among the rest this gracelesse Ile,
That yearely sends of wicked wights a band,
To rob, to spoile, to fraud and to beguile:
All women kinde that happen in their hand,
They giue for food vnto a monster vile,
A monster vile that vseth euerie day,
To haue a maid or woman for his pray.

Of merchants and of pyrates that do come,
They get them store, and of the fairest most:
Now guesse by one a day how great a somme,
Of women kinde within this Ile are lost.
If then of loue you euer tasted cromme,
Make one within the king of Irelands host,
That make them readie shortly to proceed,
To take a faire reuenge of this foule deed.

No sooner had Orlando heard her out,
But vowd to be as forward as the first,
To ioyne himselfe with that same worthie rout,
And now (for loue doth euer cast the worst)
Within himselfe begins to cast this doubt,
Least that this wicked monster and accurst,
Had got his Ladie for a daintie bit,
Because he heard no newes of her a[…] yet.

And this conceit his minde so much possest,
And in his heart made such a deepe impression,
(For both in nature he did still detest
All such as vnto others do oppression)
And much he fear'd his loue among the rest,
Might fall into the monsters vile possession,
That straight he shipt, and by their due account,
Within three dayes he past saint Michels mount.

But hauing passed now the milke white sand,
Of which the Ile of Albion takes his name,
The wind that in the South before did stand,
With […]o great furie to the Northwest came,
In vaine it was against the same to stand,
And therefore to retire it was no shame,
Backe in one night the tempest draue them more
Then they had sayl'd three dayes and nights before.

For when they saw it was no boote to striue
Against the furie of so fearce a winde,
They went euen as the weather did them driue
Vntill the streame of Antwerpe they did finde,
Where they to land with safetie did arriue:
There loe, an aged man with yeares halfe blinde,
Who deemd Orlando of that crew the chiefe,
To this effect vtterd to him his griefe.

How that a certaine dame of noble blood,
Of vertue verie great, of beautie rare,
Of sober cheare and of behauiour good,
(Though now opprest with miserie and care)
Requested him, except his hast withstood,
That she to him a matter might declare,
In which to aske his wise aduice she ment,
To which Orlando quickly did consent.

The Ladies pallace stood within the land,
To which the Earle conducted was with speed,
Where at the entrie did the Ladie stand,
In mourning shew, and sorrowfull in deed,
Who brought Orlando sadly by the hand,
Into a chamber hang'd with mournfull weed,
First him by her to sit she doth beseech,
And then in ruefull sort she vs'd this speech.

First (worthy knight) I would you vnderstood,
I was the Earle of Hollands daughter deare,
Who was to me so tender and so good,
That though my brothers both were him as neare,
Yet my desire in nothing he withstood,
Nor spake the word that I was loth to heare:
Thus whiles in state most stedie I did stand,
A certaine Duke arriued in this land.

The Duke of Zeland and his arrant was,
To Bisky there against the Moores to fight,
His age and beautie that did others passe,
Moou'd me that had not tafted loues delight,
Nor arm'd against his darts with steele or brasse,
To yeeld my selfe his prisner without fight,
Beleeuing then as still I do and shall,
That he to me doth carrie loue not small.

For while the windes contrarie here him stay,
Though naught for his, yet exc'lent for my drift,
What time me seem'd each weeke was but a day,
The pleasant houres did slide away so swift,
We kept our selues togither day by day,
Till at the last we made vs so good shift,
That er we parted we had so procured,
Each was to other man and wise assured.

Byreno was from hence but newly gone,
(So is my deare beloued husbands name)
But that a great Ambassador anon:
Directly […]om the king of Friseland came,
To treat a certaine marriage vpon
With other of that nation of good fame,
That to my Sire from Holland did repaire,
That I might marrie with his sonne and haire.

But I in whom faith tooke so deepe a roote,
I could not change my new made choise and tho
I would, to striue with loue it was no boote,
That wounded me so lately with his bow,
To stop the motions newly set on foote,
Before they might to farther matter grow:
I would not go, I flatly told my father,
That I to die a thousand deaths had rather.

My louing sire that chiefest care did take,
That all he did might me his daughter please,
Agreeing to my will, and for my sake,
My griefe so new conceiued to appease,
Straightway the motion of this marriage brake,
Which did so sore the Friseland king displease,
He made sharpe warres on Holland in short space,
By force whereof he ruind all my race.

For first he is of limbes and bodie strong,
To meete his enemies in open field,
And then so politike in doing wrong,
He makes their force vnto his fraud to yeeld:
He hath his other weapons strange among,
A weapon strange, before this seene but seeld,
A trunke of iron hollow made within,
And there he puts powder and pellet in.

All closed saue a little hole behind,
Whereat no sooner taken is the flame,
The bullet flies with such a furious wind,
As though from clouds a bolt of thunder came.
And whatsoeuer in the way it find,
It burnes, it breakes, it teares and spoiles the same.
No doubt some fiend of hell or diuellish wight,
Deuised it to do mankind a spite.

And thus with this deuice and many other,
In open field our battels twise he brake,
And first in fight he slue mine elder brother,
(The bul[…]et through his curat way did make)
And next in flight he tooke and kild the tother,
Which causd my fathers aged heart to quake,
Who notwithstanding stoutly did intend,
His honor and my safetie to defend.

But in a hold that onely now was left him,
They him besieg'd that all the rest had wonne,
And by sharpe battell all the rest had rest him,
Where to a loup one leueld so a gunne,
The blow thereof of life and sense bereft him,
So swift it came as none the same may shun.
A weapon vile, wherewith a foolish boy
May worthy captaines mischiefe and annoy.

Thus was my father and my brothers slaine,
Before this furious king his warre would cease,
And I sole heire of Holland did remaine,
Which made his former fancie more increase:
He thinks by match with me my land to gaine,
And offerd to my people rest and peace,
If I Arbante marry would his sonne,
Which I before refused to haue done.

And I (as well for hatred I did beare,
Most iust to him and all his generation,
By whom my fire and brothers killed were,
By whom was spoild and robbed all our nation,
As that to breake my promise I did feare,
Which I Byreno made with protestation,
That howsoeuer fortunes wheele should turne,
Yet none should marry me till his returne)

Made answer this, that if for euery ill
I now abide I should haue thousands more,
Though they my corpes with cruell torments kill,
I would not breake my promise giuen before.
My countrimen perswade me change this will,
First praying me, then threatning me full sore,
Except I do, to yeeld me and my land
(Desired prey) into mine enemies hand.

But finding still their threats and prayers vaine,
And still that in my former mind I staid,
Me and my country by a priuie traine,
Vnto the king of Friseland they betraid;
Who thinking now with flat[…]ie me to gaine,
First bid me not to feare or be dismaid,
[…] […]red free to giue me lands and life,
[…] would be his sonne Arbantes wife.

Then I that see my selfe inforced so,
Although I meant that death should set me free,
Yet loth as vnreuenged hence to go,
On those that had so greatly iniur'd me:
Did muse on many meanes to helpe my wo,
At last I thought dissembling best to be,
Wherefore I fained that I was relented,
And that to haue his sonne I was contented.

Among some seruants that my father had,
Two brethren strong and hardy I did chuse,
Most apt to do what euer I them bad,
And for my sake no danger to refuse,
For each of them was brought vp of a lad
Within our house, I did their seruice vse
In warre and peace, and found their faiths as great,
As were their hearts to any hardy feat.

To these two men I open made my mind,
They promist me their seruice and their aid,
One into Flanders went a barke to find,
The tother with my selfe in Holland staid:
Now was our day for marriage assingd,
When flying newes the strangers made afraid,
With many sailes Byreno was reported,
Into these parts newly to haue resorted.

For when the first conflict and broile was fought,
Wherein my brother cruelly was slaine,
I straight by letters with Byreno wrought,
To make all speed to succor vs from Spaine.
But while prouision for each thing was sought,
The Friseland king gat all that did remaine,
Byreno hearing not what late was past,
Conducts his nauie hither in great hast.

The Fris[…]land king that heard of his repaire,
D[…]th leaue the marriage for his eldest sonne,
And to the sea he goes with nauie faire,
They meet, they fight the king of Friseland wonne,
And to expell all comfort with despaire,
[…] prisner tane, I quite vndone,
Abrode Byreno captiue like was carried,
At home vnto his en'my I was married.

But when he thought in armes me to embrace,
And haue that due that wiues their husbands ow,
My seruant standing in a secret place,
Which I to him did for this purpose show,
Affoords him to his sport but little space,
And with a P[…]llax strake him such a blow,
That staggring straight, and making little strife,
He left his loue, his liuing and his life.

And thus this youth borne in vnhappie houre,
Came to his death as he deserued well,
In spite of all his sire Cym[…]seas powre,
Whose tyranme all others did excell:
Whose sword my sire and brothers did deuoure,
And from my natiue soile did me expell,
And meant to enter vpon all my lands,
While I by marridge should be in their hands.

But when we once performed had this deed,
And taken things of greatest price away,
Before that any noise or tumult breed,
Out of the window we deni'd a way:
And packing thence with all expedient speed,
We came to sea before the breake of day,
Where as my seruant waited with a barge,
As he before receiu'd of me in charge.

I know not if […] tooke more griefe,
Or wrath or […] kindled in his mind,
To […] his torne that lay past all reliefe,
To find a[…] thing of value left behind,
Then when his pride and glory should be chiefe,
Then when to make a triumph he assignd,
And hoping all were at a wedding glad,
He finds them all as at a buriall sad.

His hate of me and pittie of his sonne,
Torment him night and day with endlesse greefe:
But sith by teares no good the dead is done,
And sharpe reuenge as[…]wageth malice cheese,
From dolefull teares to rage he straight doth runne,
And seeks of all his sorrow this releefe.
To get me in his hands with subtile traines,
Then me to kill with torments and with paines.

Those of my friends or seruants he could find,
Or that to me did any way retaine,
He all destroyd and left not one behind,
Some hang'd, some burn'd, and some with torment slaine,
To kill […] once he had assignd,
O purpose onely to procure my paine,
But that he thought his life would be a net,
The sooner me into his hands to get.

Wherefore he set a hard and cruell law,
Except Byreno could in twelue months space,
Find meanes by fraud or forces me to draw,
To yeeld my selfe a prisner in his place,
(Such Princes are that haue of God no aw)
Then die he should without all hope of grace:
So that to saue his life, my death alone
Must be the meanes, for other can be none.

All that by paine or cost procure I could,
With diligence I haue already done,
Sixe castles faire in Flanders I haue sold,
The mony spent, and yet no profit wonne,
I sought to bribe those that him kept in hold,
But they my craft with greater craft did shunne:
I also mou'd our neighbours neare and farre,
English and Dutch on him to make sharpe warre.

But those I sent when they long time had staid,
I thinke they would not, or they could not speed:
They brought me many words, but little aid,
My store decreast, but greater grew my need:
And now (the thought whereof makes me afraid)
That time drawes nie, when neither force nor meed,
As soone as full expired is the yeare,
From cruell death can safe preserue my deare.

For him my father and his sonnes were slaine,
For him my state and liuing all is lost,
For him those little goods that did remaine,
I haue consum'd to my great care and cost,
For him with hearts disease and bodies paine,
With troublous waues of fortune I am tost,
Now last of all I must lay downe my life,
To saue my spouse from blow of bloudy knife.

And finding that my fortune is so bad,
I must to saue his life lay downe mine owne,
To leese mine owne I shall be faine and glad,
Where sorrow springs of seeds that loue had sowne;
This onely feare and doubt doth make me sad,
Because I know not how it may be knowne,
If I shall sure release Byrenos bands,
By yeelding me into the tyrants hands.

I feare when he hath shut me in this cage,
If all the torments I shall then endure,
His fury to Byreno may asswage,
Whose libertie I study to procure:
I rather feare least following his rage,
When he shall find he hath vs both so sure,
He will not care his oath and vow to breake,
Vpon vs both at once his wrath to wreake.

Behold the cause why I did long so sore
To speake with you, demaunding your aduice,
As I haue oft of others done before.
Yet found I none so hardy nor so wise,
That would assure his freedome to restore,
Whose loue doth me to hate my selfe intice,
The cause no doubt is this, they stand in feare
Of those his guns, whose force no steele can beare.

But if your vertue do not disagree,
With this your comely shape and manly show,
Let me request you sir to go with me,
Where I my selfe in prison shall bestow,
And promise me to set Byreno free,
If so the tyrant from his promise go.
For I shall die with great content and ioy,
If by my death Byreno scape annoy.

Her dolefull tale the damsell here did end,
Which oft was interrupted with her teares:
Orlando louing not the time to spend
In idle talke, all answers long forbeares,
But in his mind he fully doth intend
To foile her foes and rid her of her feares,
He briefly said, that she should him commaund,
To do much more then she did him demaund.

He meanes not tho that she her selfe should yeeld
Vnto the cruell tyrant as a pledge,
Except his sword (that failed him but seeld)
Had on the sodaine lost his force and edge,
He meanes (like common birders in the field)
To catch the birds and neuer hurt the hedge,
And thus resolu'd to do this worthy deed,
From Flanders now by sea they go with speed.

The skilfull Pilot doth the vessell steare,
Sometime on th'one, sometime on th'other side,
The Iles of Zeland some before appeare,
And some behind as fast themselues do hide,
And straight to Holland they approched neare,
Orlando went to land, but bids her bide:
His meaning is that she shall vnderstand,
The tyrants death before she come on land.

Himselfe forthwith was mounted on a steed,
A darke browne bay, with white starre in his face,
Both large and strongly limbd (like Flemish breed)
But not so full of life nor swift of pace,
Yet good enough to serue him at his need,
When as his Briliador was not in place:
And thus he came to Dordreck, where he found
With men of armes the gates enuirond round.

The wayes, the wals, with arm'd men watched were,
For tyrants still are most of such condition,
(And chiefly new) that ay they stand in feare,
And further now some newes had bred suspition,
How that an armie great approched neare,
Well stor'd with men, and stuffed with munition,
The which they said Byrenos cosin brought,
By force his kinsmans freedome to haue wrought.

Orlando wils a watchman carry word
Vnto their King, how that a wandring knight
Desires to proue his force with speare and sword,
Whom if the King could ouercome in fight,
Then he should haue the Ladie by accord,
That slue Arbante on his wedding night:
For he had taken her into protection,
And could deliuer her to his subiection.

But craued eke the King should bounden be,
By promise firme (if he were ouercome)
To let his prisner (cald Byreno free,
And of his message this was all the summe:
And this was told vnto the King, but he
That of true vertue neuer tasted c[…]umme,
Bent all his will and wit against all reason,
To falshood foule, to false deceit and treason.

He makes account if he this knight can stay,
The which to do he meanes great meanes to make,
That then the Ladie quickly get he may,
And make him yeeld her for his safetie sake:
He sendeth thirtie men a priuie way,
Him to inclose about and prisner take,
Who fetching compasse to auoid suspition,
At last arriued where they had commission.

In this meane time with words he foded out,
The worthy Earle, vntill he saw his men,
According as he bad them come about,
Enclosing all the way behind, and then
Out of the gates he rusheth with a rout,
Of men on horse and foot of three times ten,
As hunters do inclose the beasts in woods,
Or fishers do inclose the fish in floods.

So doth the king Cymosco care and striue,
To stop the wayes with all foresight and heed,
And meaneth sure to haue him tane aliue,
And thinks the same is such an easie deed,
That of those guns with which he did depriue
So many liues, he thinks there is no need,
For such a weapon serueth very ill,
Where he did meane to take and not to kill.

As cunning fowlers do the birds reserue,
That first they take in hope of greater pray,
And makes them for a bait and stale to serue,
To take the rest by sport and pretie play,
So meanes the king aliue him to preserue,
But vnto this Orlandos force said nay:
He meanes not to be handled in that sort,
But breakes the nets and marreth all the sport.

The noble Earle with couched speare in hand,
Doth ride where as he finds the thickest prease,
Two, three and foure, that in his way did stand,
The speare doth pierce, nor at the fift doth cease,
It past the sixt the brodenesse of a hand,
Nor that same handbredth maketh any peace,
The seuenth so great a blow therewith he strake,
That downe he fell and neuer after spake.

Eu'n as a boy that shoots abroade for sport,
And finds some frogs that in a ditch haue bred,
Doth pricke them with an arrow in such sort,
One after one vntill such store be dead,
As that for more his shaft may seeme too short,
From fethers fild already to the head,
So with his speare Orlando him besturd,
And that once left, he draweth out his sword.

That sword that neuer yet was drawne in vaine,
Against whose edge doth armour little boote,
At cu'ry thrust or blow he gaue was slaine,
A man on horse, or else a man on foote.
The edge whereof with crimson still doth staine,
And where it lights it pierceth to the roote.
The Fri[…]eland king repents him now too late,
That he for hast his guns behind forgate.

With voice alowd, and many a boistrous thret,
He bids them bring his gun, but none doth heare,
Who once within the gate his foote can get,
He dare not once peepe out againe for feare:
But when he saw none by his words did set,
And that almost they all departed were,
He thought it best to saue himselfe by flight,
From […]o great force of this same furious knight.

He backe retires, ne drawes the bridge for hast,
Because Orlando now approcht so nie,
And had not then his horse him speeded fast,
As though he did not runne but rather flie,
Orlando would haue made him sore agast,
Who caring not to make the poore sort die,
Past by the rest and kept the King in chase,
That sau'd himselfe by his good horses pace.

But yet ere long againe he doth returne,
And brings with him his iron cane and fire,
Wherwith he doth beate down, and bruse and burne
All those whom he to mischiefe doth desire:
He hopes this weapon well shall serue his turne,
Yet for all this he meanes to come no nire,
But like a hunter priuily doth watch,
Where he the heedlesse beast may safest catch.

The King with this his engine ly'th in wait,
A weapon tearing trees and rending rocks,
Whose force no fence can ward with any sleight,
It giues so sound and vnexpected knocks:
Thus hauing layne at little at receit,
And watcht his vantage like a craftie foxe,
When once the Earle within his reach he spide,
He setteth fire vnto his peeces side.

Straight like a lampe of lightning out it flies,
And sendeth forth withall so great a sound,
As seemd to shake the euerlasting skies,
And to remoue the vnremoued ground,
The shot gainst which no armour can suffice,
But breaketh all that in the way is found,
Doth whiz, and sing, and kindles as it went,
Yet did not that effect the tyrant ment.

For whether twere his ouerhastie speed,
And too great will to hurt did make him swerue,
Or whether feare possest him in the deed,
That not to guide his hand his heart could serue,
Or whether God of mercie meere and meed,
Was pleasd his champion longer to preserue:
It onely strake the horse with so great paine,
That downe he […]ell and neuer role againe.

The horse and horseman downe together fell,
Downe lay the horse, vp quickly ro[…]e the knight,
And on his feet was straight recouerd well,
More earnestly bent then before to fight,
And as the stories of Antheus tell,
In whom each fall increased more his might:
So though Orlando with his fall was troubled,
His force and fury seemed to be doubled.

But when the king of Frizland plainly saw,
How this bold knight grew fiercer then before,
He thought it best by flight himselfe withdraw,
His fainting heart with feare was pierst so sore:
A side he turnes the horses foming iaw,
Now full resolu'd to proue his force no more,
Orlando with such speed doth him pursue,
As doth an arrow from a bow of Yue.

And what he could not riding erst atchieue,
He doth the same and more vpon his feet,
And runs so swift as few men would belieue,
Except themselues had present bin to see it,
Vntill at last so hard he him did driue,
He ouertooke him in a narrow street,
And with his sword he cleft his head in twaine,
The senslesse corpes doth on the ground remaine.

Now as Orlando did this feate contriue,
There grew new broiles from thence a litle distance,
For then Byrenos cosin did arriue,
With men on horse and foot for his assistance,
And finding none that durst against him striue,
He entred had the gates without resistance,
So late a feare was in the people bred,
That none of them durst come to make a hed.

The silly Burgers knew not what to say,
Nor who these were, nor what was their desire,
Vntill the Zelanders themselues bewray,
Both by their speech and manner of attire:
Then made they peace, and promist them straightway,
To do what ere the captaine should require,
Against the men of Fri[…]eland them to aid,
Who yet in prison still Byreno staid.

For why that people alwayes had in hate,
The king of Fri[…]eland and his men of warre,
Their Dukes late death, and altring their estate,
Had mou'd their minds, but that that all did marre,
Was ouertaxing them is such a rate,
As alwayes breeds a great dislike and iarre.
Orlando twixt these men made such conclusion,
As turnd vnto the Friseland mens confusion.

For straight to ground they threw the prison gate,
They fetch the prisners out without a kay,
Byreno to the Earle is not vngrate,
With thanks a part of his due debt to pay:
And then they go to shew Byrenos state,
To faire Olympia, that at anchor lay,
For so the call they Lady chast and faire,
That of that country was vndoubted haire.

She that was thither by Orlando brought,
Without all hope of any such successe,
Who lately (silly creature) onely sought,
Her death might bring her louer from distresse:
Now was her […]afetie and Byrenos wrought,
When she supposd and lookt for nothing lesse:
The ioy cannot with many words be told,
Wherewith the tone the tother did behold.

The people do the damsell faire restore,
Vnto the state that vnto her was due:
But she that vowd her selfe for euermore,
To be vnto Byreno louer true,
Persisting now as faithfull as before,
Nor fearing any harme that might ensue,
Doth grant to him for loue and meere affection
Of her and her estate the full protection.

Byreno leaues his cosin in his place,
To guide that countrie with sufficient gard,
His louing wife in Zeland he will place,
That done, with forces marche to Friseland ward:
And hopes to conquer it in little space,
If that his fortune were not ouer hard,
And that which most assur'd him of this thing,
He had in hold the daughter of their king.

Whom he did meane to marrie (as men say)
Vnto a younger brother of his name:
Orlando shipt himselfe that present day,
Byreno with him to his shipping came,
And offerd him a large part of the pray,
Because his valew cheefly won the same,
Who nothing tooke but that same engin rare,
Which we before to lightning did compare.

Ne tooke he this away because he ment,
To proue the force thereof vpon his foe,
Or vse the same when he to battell went,
His courage would not suffer him do so:
To hurle away the same was his intent,
Where it mankinde might neuer damage moe:
He lets nor powder nor the shot remaine,
Nor ought that did vnto the same pertaine.

And when that now the shelues and shallow shore,
Some twentie leagues or there about was left,
No land discernd behind nor yet before,
Vpon the right hand or vpon the left,
Because (said he) hereafter neuer more,
May any knight of life and limb be rest
By thee, or coward vaunt him with the stout,
Lye there alow vntill I fetch thee out.

O curst deuice found out by seme foule fend,
And framd below by Belzebub in hell,
Who by thy meane did purpose and intend,
To ruine all that on the eart[…] do dwell,
From whence thou camst, I thither thee do s[…]nd:
(This said) the peece vnto the bottom fell:
Orlando maketh all the speed he may,
Himselfe vnto Ebuda to conuay.

I say the noble Earle in hast him hide,
Vnto that cruell Ile to finde that wight,
Whom he more lou'd then all the world beside,
On whom his thoughts were running day & night,
Nor would he by the way one whit abide,
Lest of new stay might new occasion light,
And cause him when he had his purpose mist,
To crie with late repentance, had I wist.

His course he meanes of neither side to bend,
Nor South nor North, such hast he meanes to make,
But goes as that blinde archer doth him send,
That deepe with dart of golden head him strake.
And here a while to leaue him I intend,
Returning to the match of which I spake:
For you may thinke I lost it in the carriage,
If you should heare no more news of the marriage.

Great feasts were made in Holland, and great sport,
Because of this new match and copulation;
But greater shall in Zeland by report,
For which there was great care and preparation:
Yet would I not you thither should resort,
Except you knew Byrenos inclination,
For chaunces fell that spoiled all the cheare,
As in the booke ensuing you shall heare.