4
The first Booke of
Cant. I.
Which of all earthly thinges he most did craue;And euer as he rode his hart did earne,To proue his puissance in battell braueVpon his foe, and his new force to learne;Vpon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne.
A louely Ladie rode him faire beside,Vpon a lowly Asse more white then snow,Yet she much whiter, but the same did hideVnder a vele, that wimpled was full low,And ouer all a blacke stole shee did throw,As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,And heauie sate vpon her palfrey slow:Seemed in heart some hidden care she had;And by her in a line a milkewhite lambe she lad.
So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,She was in life and euery vertuous lore,And by descent from Royall lynage cameOf ancient Kinges and Queenes, that had of yoreTheir scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,And all the world in their subiection held,Till that infernall feend with foule vproreForwasted all their land, and them expeld:Whom to auenge, she had this Knight from far cōpeld.
Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,That lasie seemd in being euer last,Or wearied with bearing of her bagOf needments at his backe. Thus as they past,The day with cloudes was suddeine ouercast,And angry Ioue an hideous storme of raineDid poure into his Lemans lap so fast,That euerie wight to shrowd it did constrain,And this faire couple eke to shroud thēselues were fain.
