where Chinon casting off his disfiguring maske begins now to shew himselfe in his owne likenes and with a watch word calling for his fellowes brauely sets vpon these their enemies where in short time they had sent to hell all the rest saue the Soldan himselfe and taking him prisoner carries him away bounde when Triamore now once againe reuelling in the treasury of his loue gins with all humble submission attribute to the honour of Chinon all the fore passed proofe of this their fortunate seâ—uice which they had performed But Celestina that nowe like the Thracian Damosell returned with the Lorde of her loue from the dismall Gates of Hell beginnes with the teares of true ioy to prostrate her selfe at his honorable féete whose force had againe restored her from the tedious slauerie of loathsome captiuitie to the pleasant presence of life féeding libertie vowing deuoted seruice for this her second life But Chinon disdayning that the foule faced earth shoulde enioy so much as touch of her heauenly hew with gentle intreatie rayses her vp and thus replied to her suppliant spéech Fairer quoth he than is the common composition of earthly creatures and therfore of more worth than millions if I haue ought done in this that hath bred thy content it is no more than the beséemeth the dutie of my degrée Then doe not thus attribute more honor for my méede than is due by deserts to my deed more is thy smile towards the reward of a well deseruing worke than the rich rewards of many millions of an others vowes more pleasant is the sight of an houres sunne than the show of twenty shadowed daies but thy sight excéeding the brightest shining sunne that day is at the mid dayes height the pearcing beames of euery bright eyes sight more welcome to vs than day to the wearie watch or the repose of a quiet Inne to a tyred trauailer gracest our paines with thy presence More worth is his worke that rifles in the rich bowels of the gold growne earth than hee that drudges in the bottome of a dunghill ditch and yet the last labor is more than the first but that the subiect excéeding in worth excels the reward of his work more than the trauaile graces the thing but the worth of the subiect dignifies the desert of the déede whereby our credit by thee is maintayned and not thy matchles selfe by our might magnified Looke on hym that for thy loue aduentured his life and the rewarde of my paynes is this that they redound to thy pleasure and for thée Triamore fish â—ew againe thou hast thy hearts content remember the estate of thy old father as thou toldest mee is compassed within the circle of yonder beséedged walles still expecting the spéedy help of his forward friends but yet hath this nights worke so weakned hysfues as that there is no doubt of further danger By this with such like that had they chased awaie the sable show of this silent night and next the sunne gins with chearefull countenance to looke vpon the honorable actes of their thrise prayse worthy exployts when by this time they were wandred farre from the place where they first gaue the onset to atchiue this honour where Chinon calling to him his two countrymen giues this carefull charge You two quoth he whose honors accents is euerie where blayed for your valours shal hencefoorth leaue these wandring wayes and returne with me into our Countrie where I will present to my longing Father this Pagan Prince the first frints of my Mayden manhood dooing all my humble dutie to hys Honorable age but first in safety let vs conueye these Fayre friends to their fathers Court and set them there safe from further sorrow at home that haue sustained the hard brunt of fell misfortune abroad where may as many pleasures attend them there in peace as honorable accidents happen to me in warres CHAP. VI. Of Chinons returne into England accompanied with Sir Lancelot and Sir Tristram with their most honorable entertainment there AFter that hee had thus aduentured for the recouerie of beauteous Celestina from the handes of the Soldan that had traiterously tane her away from Syr Triamore sent them home to her fathers Court to solemnize their marriage Lancelot Tristram and himselfe tooke the direct way that led then home into theyr own country that there they might in quiet tell those thinges with pleasure amongst theyr friendes which they had in trouble performed with lâ—bour amongst their foes In which iâ—uâ—nie no occasion of further let encountered them anie more but as fareth with ordinary trauailers they peaceablie passe ouer their iournie till they came home into Corne wall to Earle Cadors Court that was not a little glad to sée the returne of his sonne with good hap to answere the long expectation of hys faire hope he entertaines them with such curtesie as commonly passe betwixt lost friends at theyr vnacquainted méetings Chinon discoursing to hys old father the storie of their trauailes whose very wordes bréedes new life in the dryed sinnowes of hys old limmes as deeth the approaching sunne cherrish the decayed winter worne strength of the earths increase Lancelot hee presents to hys loue the Trophies of his victorie with many perswasions how for her loue hee had aduentured his life in winning those Princely Prizes the chiefe wherof whose worth exceeded all except herselfe he had bounteously bestowed vppon sir Triamore Tristram he followes on his friends with the praises of them both first how by their meanes the Lady was atchieued then how by Chinoâ—s deuise she was secondly attained with all the whole History of their former fortunes where what ioy was generally receaued as well of the King himselfe and her that whose life still lasts in the euerliuing acts of succéeding ages famoused as much for the renowne of his round table as Alcides for his twelue labors Iason for hys iournie to Caicos or the Gréekes for theyr triumphes at Troy Hee now in the winter of hys waning age affecting to heare that now of others which before in his youth he had effected the like himselfe welcomes home all these wearie wanderers that had béene so long abroad writing in the Registers of other realmes the courage of their own country as also the poore inhabitants of this pappy Kingdome that ioyed to sée their neighboring lands dispoyled of such riche rewardes as was brought home by their countrymen Thus when euery man had filled his eares with tâ—â— report Aâ—thur willing also to further the courage of this young Caualéer summons a solemne méeting of all the Nobles and Péeres of his country to his Court where when at the time apointed all were gathered together the King at a Royall banket gins to declare the cause of this their calling together that themselues should sée how Princely he had and would still pay the rewards of such deserts as by the aduentures of their yong countryman Chinon had béene prosperously performed and
of his prize the other seueral rewardes he determined to send ouer into England to present to his Laura for whose conueyance he adressed a trustie Esquire of his owne that from a childe had followed him in all hys actions of honor where awhile we must leaue him to his further aduentures and prosecute the presentment of his Prize to his peareles Parramour which by his Page was quickly performed who flying with the fauorable fortune of well wishing windes in shorter space than commonly acompanieth such tired trauellers ariued in England at the olde Earle Cadors Court where was then a Royal assembly of Courtlike company to whom when it was knowne that there was arriued one ready to tell straunge tydings of the admirable atchiuements of their late fortune finding friends assembled all together to heare those welcome wordes into the Earles great Hall where both himselfe his daughter and his vnséemely sonne as also the rest of that Royall resort orderlie placed with attentiue diligeÌ„ce quieted themselues to heare expressed these straunge exploits to whose presence did prease a comely Esquire attended by a drudging Dwarffe that was loaded with a rich Armour who after he had in order rendred deseruing duty to euery seuerall assemblant thus deliuered hys message Great Earle to whose honor wholly submites it selfe the whole worth of his worke that from the fierce furie of Alians armes hath brauely born away these Princely rewards Grant pardoÌ„ to my rash resort and giue licence to my truth telling tonge in few wordes to disclose the especial cause of my hastie comming and then with the honorable accidents of these worth worthie wars gins he to paint forth the praises of that famous fight wherein from the stil flowing force of many furious foes had his matchles master brauely borne away the home brought booties Which tale hee so furnished with fitting Epethites and true titles of aduenterous valour as neuer sung the swéet tuned tongue of heauenly Tullie in the famous Capitoll of still renowmed Roome with more applausiue spéeches of a truth vrging tale extolling the eternized honor of those thrice famous aduenterours with the heauen scaling stile of a more than earthly Oration and then with the blacke tragicke tunes of strange misfortune sâ—ch as was the Art framed action of that Thracian Knight when he described to doleful Dido the true story of Troys estate To whose powerfull spéech listned the attentiue care of that pitty mouing Prince of whom we before told wheÌ„ the happy heauens dispersing now the sable vale of sad faced follie that so long in the darke dungeon of ignominy had lockt vp the happines of his after hopes being now able in himselfe to sée that which before in another he could not discerne euen as the Eagle after her age casts her bill the Serpent slides off his skin or the wanton Bucke his harmles head So he to the great admiration of all those worthy witnesses suddainely starting at the strange tale of this well spoken Page griuouslie be wailed the lucklesse date of his forespent dayes that had so sluggishly ouer slipt the young yeares of his youthfull iollitie in the fabling fancies of childish follie wherein hee neyther had discharged the duty of a sonne satisfied the honour owing to hys countries seruice nor won the least part of that worth that by due desert he saw generally attributed to many men of far meaner byrth therefore nowe turning his former foolish demeanors to more Princely promising â—ndeuours he suddainelie sollicited his old sorrow tyred sire that hee would thus far further his intent as to graunt him leaue a while to forsake his natiue soyle and learne thus to aduenture for honor in far forraine lands whose instant intreatie not brooking the deferring of further delay earnestly vrged his now more fortunate Father to further so his forward Sonne as that presently prouiding all such necessaries as to him was most néedefull without any more meanes made for his bootlesse abode fitly furnished him in euery point for such a purpose where euery necessary being prouided and himselfe now readie to depart blessed with the many praiers of hys ioyful father to sée hys forward sonne recouered from the helples horror of darke ignorance to the approuing prowesse of Princely pusance and with the well willing wishes of all his friendly fauorites he departs his home to séeke his so long lost glorie abroad Meane while whilest thus Lancelot has sent ouer to hys Mistris the afore named fauors spéedy preparation was prouided in Fraunce for the solemnezing of this Royall marriage betwixt Sir Triamore and faire Celestina which for that his father then resident vpon his Dukedome was desirous to content his old conceit with the sight of his sonnes marriage Syr Triamore earnestly intreated of the King that he would so farre further his olde fathers request as to licence their departure home into Brittanie whereto the old King willingly condiscended and most Royally furnished this their ioyfull iourney whither being attended with sir Lancelot du Lake and sir Tristram du Lions besides many other aswell valiant Knights as beauty brauing Dames drawen out from the chiefest choice of all that Countrie merrily sets forward on their way In the meane time the Soldan hearing of the disgraced death of his sonne and certefied by some of his â—spials of the pretended purpose of these Christian Princes were the onely sharers of that glorie gins presently to leuy what forces his Countrie in so short a time was able to lend and imbarking with all spéede his Armie in short time landed all his men vppon the vnhappy Coast of Britanie where orderly incamping themselues about the warlike walls of that strong defended Towne where the Duke with all his attendants kept then a puisant Court for the welcomming of his sonne and his beauteous Bride cutting off all those conueying passages that leades any way to their neighbour compassing Confines remoouing all semblance of succour from their longing fight And being further certefied of the néere approach of that triumphant troope of valiant Victors that fearing nothing lesse than such trothlesse treason weares out their iourney with such ioy as experience in farre meaner mens matters proues passing all other pleasure Whose purpose the subtle Soldan purposing to preuent in an old ouergrowne wood scituate some foure miles from the Citie flily insconseâ— a great Scout both of horse and foote who as sooâ—e as they had encompassed this carelesse company within their ill intending Armes rudely rusht out vpon them who for because their comming somewhat too sudden in with the other Knights could hardly prouide to resist their foreplotted purpose and the numbers so far different as scarcely might they afford one Christian to twenty Pagans whereby they were forced to a furious sight In which sane onely Lancelot Tristram and Triamore all were slaine and Celestina maugre all their force conueyed away in the sight Which when they perceaued like three inraged Lions amidst the troopes
yet his forward endeuour hath alway showne he would much more ere this haue merited had not enuious fortune crost him in this sort To whom the King and all his Nobles present did most willingly condiscend Then calling together al the Knightly companie of his Round Table declared to them Duke Cadors request and his owne readinesse to haue it vndertaken who all were not onely to goe in Quest of Chinon but each man manifested his more than common earnestnes by taking offence if anie one were named beside himselfe To ende this controuersie the King thus prouided that euerie man should drawe his Lot and on whom soeuer it fell that Knight should foorthwith chuse hym two Fellowes from the rest of the Companie and so they thrée shuld take vpon them this desired trauaile The Lots accordingly were made and euerie one of the Knights drew and the Lot fell vpon Sir Calor who was Sonne vnto Sir Lancelot du Lake and the beauteous Celestina Daughter to the King of France whose Parents Chinon before valiantly rescued being betraid and taken in the hands of the trecherous Souldan But before their departure it was thought conuenient for the better furtherance of their Journey to take some counsell of Merlin who then liued accounted as a Prophet in England and by his skill I could tell of secrete things forepast and hidden mysteries to come Merlin beeing sent for by the Kings commandement came to the Court and shewes them in a speculatiue Glasse the manner of his departure out of England the manie troubles hee had endured in hys Journey and now at last opens at large the whole manner of that great miserie whereuntoo he is now brought by the meanes of that subtill Inchauntresse telling them further that except they made verie excéeding great spéed for to procure his release hee was likely to dye there for want of reléefe being there detained from all necessaries fit to sustaine a man or at least hauing of those necessaries a verie short pittance allowed him Merlin hastening them forward on their iourney promised al the cunning he could affoord for their spéedie conueyance which he effectually perfourmed so that in short time they were arriued in this perillous Iland where after long search for the place wherein Merlin did promise they should finde their friend at last they might espie this monstrous man iaylour to that unfortunate Knight stretching himselfe at the mouth of the Caue wherein in Chinon was kept To him they made all possible spéede and first of all Syr Calor addressing himselfe to fight gins before hee offered violence with curteous gréetings to salute hym gently demaunding what he was that liued so desolately in that vnfrequented Iland To whom the detested and currish Carle made this vnmannerly aunswere I am quoth hee as thou séest one within whose clawes thou and the rest of thy sawcie companions haue compassed your selues if therefore you will submit your selues to my mercy then will I thus dispose of you héere within a hollow Caue hewne out of this craggie Rock wherein lyes inclosed a knight such a one as you are who for the like offence that you now haue offered is condemned to the eternall slauerie of perpetuall imprisonment within shall you spend your hatefull liues and when for hunger you are welnie starued fall freshly then to eate one anothers flesh but if you stubbornely stand out against mee thus will I dispoyle you in renting your cursed limmes péece meale a sunder or els fastning you seuerall to the big bulks of some of these trées where when the imperiall punishment of hastning hunger shall seaze vpon your selues you shall there be inforced to eate your owne flesh that might here haue fed vpon another to whome Syr Calor thus answered Foule vglie fiend wee come not to knéele to thée but to force thy subiection to vs and for the release of a Christian Knight thay thou kéepest Captiue within thy power At which wordes the Giant séeing them addresse themselues to fight presently be stirs himselfe and taking an Iron mace which to that ende the Witch had prouided lets driue at Sir Calor with all the might he could from which he nimbly leaping away eschued the force of the fall whē as the other Knights comming in to rescue sir Calor before the Giant could againe get vp his weapon from the grounde they had so mangled hys limmes as he was now far vnable to fight but falling prostrate downe before them humblie intreats for his life which they were willing to graunt as not séeking the losse of him but the life of their friend to whome the Giant gins relate all the manner of the imprisonment of Chinon and at the last opens the doore of the Caue and calles him out to his friends who resaluting one another with such friendly gréetings as are vsuall at such aduenturos accidents take their iournie from thence vp into the Countrie and for that the Giant had told◠them in hys former discouse of the manner of Chinons imprisonment how that Perosus for whose loue all this had come about had in Egipt taken Armes against the King for that his treason béeing discouered he intended to recal old Bessarian from his banishment and that his power so daylie increased as that it was now far greater than the Kings they intended to shape their iournie thetherwards and help the king in his warres against this traiterous rebbell where wee must let them goe forward a while in their iourny and returne againe to our thrée aduenturers for their sisters libertie CHAP. XIII How Bessarians sonnes met with their Father in the shape of a Beare AFter that these thrée yong men were againe restored to their former estate Terpander the first of them trauailing homewards to séeke againe his sister méetes by the way his transformed Father who not a little glad to see his sonne though the other taking him for no lesse than he séemed made some hast to fly from him till looking backe and perceauing the scroule about his necke for the regaining of his harts desire strikes his poore father with such a blow as breaking his sword vpon the scalpe of his head he was forced to flie for want of weapons fearing least the Beare should haue fallen freshly vppon him béeing tyred when as God knowes the sillie man astonished with the stroke was rather afraid of an vnnaturall deaths wound by his sonne then willing to prosecute any reuenge for the same Not long after Terpander had thus hurt his Father comes that way the second brother who in like case méeting with the Beare and hoping by his death to obtaine his desire gins with a Borespeare hee had in his hand eagerly to assayle him in so much shal in short time hee had grieuously wounded hym but the head of his weapon by chance breaking off hee was forced to flie as did his brother to be short the Witch that intended by the meanes of some of these sonnes to make