214
The second Booke of
Cant. II.
Braue be her warres, and honorable deeds,By which she triumphes ouer yre and pride,And winnes an Oliue girlond for her meeds:Be therefore, O my deare Lords, pacifide,And this misseeming discord meekely lay aside.
Her gracious words their rancour did appall,And suncke so deepe into their boyling brests,That downe they lett their cruell weapons fall,And lowly did abase their lofty crestsTo her faire presence, and discrete behests.Then she began a treaty to procure,And stablish termes betwixt both their requests,That as a law for euer should endure;Which to obserue in word of knights they did assure.
Which to confirme, and fast to bind their league,After their weary sweat and bloody toile,She them besought, during their quiet treague,Into her lodging to repaire a while,To rest themselues, and grace to reconcile.They soone consent: so forth with her they fare,Where they are well receiud, and made to spoileThemselues of soiled armes, and to prepareTheir minds to pleasure, & their mouths to dainty fare.
And those two froward sisters, their faire louesCame with them eke, all were they wondrous loth,And fained cheare, as for the time behoues,But could not colour yet so well the troth,But that their natures bad appeard in both:For both did at their second sister grutch,And inly grieue, as doth an hidden mothThe inner garment frett, not th'vtter touch;One thought her cheare too litle, th'other thought too mutch.
Elissa
