Cant. V.
the Faery Queene
247
And shund the marke, at which it should be ment,Therby thine armes seem strong, but manhood frayl:So hast thou ost with guile thine honor blent;But litle may such guile thee now auayl,If wonted force and fortune doe me not much fayl.
With that he drew his flaming sword, and strookeAt him so fiercely, that the vpper margeOf his seuenfolded shield away it tooke,And glauncing on his helmet, made a largeAnd open gash therein: were not his targe,That broke the violence of his intent,The weary sowle from thence it would discharge,Nathelesse so sore a buff to him it lent,That made him reele, and to his brest his beuer bent.
Exceeding wroth was Guyon at that blow,And much ashamd, that stroke of liuing armeShould him dismay, and make him stoup so low,Though otherwise it did him litle harme:Tho hurling high his yron braced arme,He smote so manly on his shoulder plate,That all his left side it did quite disarme;Yet there the steele stayd not, but inly bateDeepe in his flesh, and opened wide a red floodgate.
Deadly dismayd, with horror of that dintPyrrhochles was, and grieued eke entyre;Yet nathemore did it his fury stint,But added flame vnto his former fire,That welnigh molt his hart in raging yre;Ne thenceforth his approued skill, to ward,Or strike, or hurtle rownd in warlike gyre,Remembred he, ne car'd for his saufgard,But rudely rag'd, and like a cruel tygre far'd.
He
