Cant. III.
the Faery Queene.
33
Yet she most faithfull Ladie all this whileForsaken, wofull, solitarie maydFar from all peoples preace, as in exile,In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd,To seeke her knight; who subtily betraydThrough that late vision, which th'Enchaunter wroughtHad her abandond. She of nought affrayd,Through woods and wastnes wide him daily sought;Yet wished tydinges none of him vnto her brought.
One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way,From her vnhastie beast she did alight,And on the grasse her dainty limbs did layIn secrete shadow, far from all mens sight:From her fayre head her fillet she vndight,And layd her stole aside. Her angels faceAs the great eye of heauen shyned bright,And made a sunshine in the shady place;Did neuer mortall eye behold such heauenly grace.
It fortuned out of the thickest woodA ramping Lyon rushed suddeinly,Hunting full greedy after saluage blood;Soone as the royall virgin he did spy,With gaping mouth at her ran greedily,To haue attonce deuourd her tender corse:But to the pray when as he drew more ny,His bloody rage aswaged with remorse,And with the sight amazd, forgat his furious forse.
In stead thereof he kist her wearie feet,And lickt her lilly hands with fawning tong,As he her wronged innocence did weet.O how can beautie maister the most strong,
And
