176
The first Booke of
Cant. XII.
For neuer liuing man, I weene, so foreIn sea of deadly daungers was distrest;But since now safe ye seised haue the shore,And well arriued are, (high God be blest)Let vs deuize of ease and euerlasting rest.
Ah dearest Lord, said then that doughty knight,Of ease or rest I may not yet deuize;For by the faith, which I to armes haue plight,I bownden am streight after this emprize,As that your daughter can ye well aduize,Backe to retourne to that great Faery Queene,And her to serue sixe yeares in warlike wize,Gainst that proud Paynim king, that works her teene:Therefore I ought craue pardon, till I there haue beene.
Vnhappy falls that hard necessity,(Quoth he) the troubler of my happy peace,And vowed foe of my felicity;Ne I against the same can iustly preace:But since that band ye cannot now release,Nor doen vndoe; (for vowes may not be vayne)Soone as the terme of those six yeares shall cease,Ye then shall hether backe retourne agayne,The marriage to accomplish vowd betwixt you twayn.
Which for my part I couet to performe,In sort as through the world I did proclame,That who so kild that monster most deforme,And him in hardy battayle ouercame,Should haue mine onely daughter to his Dame,And of my kingdome heyre apparaunt bee:Therefore since now to thee perteynes the same,By dew desert of noble cheualree,Both daughter and eke kingdome, lo I yield to thee.
Then
