76
The first Booke of
Cant. VI.
Yet sad he was, that his too hastie speedThe fayre Duess' had forst him leaue behind;And yet more sad, that Vna his deare dreedHer truth had staynd with treason so vnkind:Yet cryme in her could neuer creature find,But for his loue, and for her own selfe sake,She wandred had from one to other Ynd,Him for to seeke, ne euer would forsake,Till her vnwares the fiers Sansloy did ouertake.
Who after Archimagoes fowle defeat,Led her away into a forest wilde,And turning wrathfull fyre to lustfull heat,With beastly sin thought her to haue defilde,And made the vassall of his pleasures vilde.Yet first he cast by treatie, and by traynes,Her to persuade, that stubborne fort to yilde:For greater conquest of hard loue he gaynes,That workes it to his will, then he that it constraines.
With fawning wordes he courted her a while,And looking louely, and oft sighing sore,Her constant hart did tempt with diuerse guile:But wordes, and lookes, and sighes she did abhore,As rock of Diamond stedfast euermore.Yet for to feed his fyrie lustfull eye,He snatcht the vele, that hong her face before;Then gan her beautie shyne, as brightest skye,And burnt his beastly hart t'efforce her chastitye.
So when he saw his flatt'ring artes to fayle,And subtile engines bett from batteree,With greedy force he gan the fort assayle,Whereof he weend possesse soone to bee,
And
