An oath she took, whenever call'd, to leave

The fort, and each new challenger receive.

Struck with her gallant deeds, the castle's lord
To her such welcome as his walls afford,
With every honour gave: the noble dame
Who with the three from far Perduta came
To distant France, receiv'd with courteous air
The warrior-maid, for courteous was the fair.
Now each saluting each, with smiling look
Th' ambassadress arising gently took
The martial hand of Bradamant, and led

The new-come guest, where sparkling deepest red,
A genial warmth the glowing embers shed.
Now to disarm, the virgin cast aside

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565

570

Her glittering shield, and next her helm unty'd;
When with her helm she rais'd a cawl of gold
Where hid beneath her braided locks were roll'd:

575

Her wavy tresses now, no more confin'd,

Fell o'er her neck and hung in curls behind:

And now to all she stood a dame reveal'd,

In beauty first, as in the martial field.

580

As when, the scene undrawn, with sudden light

The stage gay rushes on the dazzled sight;

Ver. 573. Now to disarm,-] The discovery of Britomartis in Spenser is a close copy of Ariosto.

.......when as vailed was her lofty crest,
Her golden locks, that were in trammels gay
Upbounden, did themselves adown display,
And raught unto her heels; like sunny beams,
That in a cloud their light did long time stay,
Their vapour vaded shew their golden gleams,

And thro' the persent air shoot forth their azure streams.

Book iii. c. ix. st. 20.

Where many a sumptuous pile and arch is plac'd,
With gold, with painting, and with sculpture grac'd:
Or as the sun is wont from clouds, that spread
Their envious mist, to lift his radiant head:
So when her shining helm the virgin rears,
Her charms shine forth and Paradise appears!
Full soon the lord of that fair dwelling knew
In her, who oft before had met his view,
The noble Bradamant, and graceful paid
His praise and homage to the glorious maid.

Plac'd round the blazing hearth their moments roll
In sweet discourse, the banquet of the soul;

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590

While for the board the menial train prepare

595

Their limbs to strengthen with corporeal fare.
Then of her host enquir'd the martial dame
How first this custom, new, or ancient, came,
With strangers us'd; by whom and when devis'd;
And in these words her host his tale compriz'd.

When Pharamond the sceptre sway'd, his son
The youthful Clodio to his nuptials won
A beauteous dame, in pride of bloomy prime,
Of manners rare in that uncultur'd time,
Gentle beyond her sex! her dear he lov'd,
So dear he scarcely from her sight remov❜d.
Not less from Io went the watchful swain,
For equal to his love was Clodio's jealous pain.

600

605

Ver. 607.---from Io went the watchful swain,] Juno having found means to get into her power Io, the mistress of Jupiter, after she was turned into a cow by her lover to conceal her from his wife, gave her in charge to Argus, who had a hundred eyes, and watched her day and night.

Here in this lone retreat, which to his care
His father gave, he kept the treasur'd fair.
He seldom issu'd hence; and with him dwell'd
Ten knights, who first for arms in France excell'd.
It chanc'd, while here he stay'd, Sir Tristram came
Before the gate, with him a lovely dame,
Who by a giant fierce in fetters bound,

610

615

Late from his valorous force deliverance found.
Sir Tristram hither came, what time the sun
Oppos'd to Seville's shores, had nearly run

His evening stage, and here besought to rest,
(No other place t' admit a wandering guest
For ten long miles) for doting Clodio us'd
To jealous fears, his earnest suit refus'd;
Resolv'd, whate'er his rank, no stranger there
Should enter while his walls contain'd the fair:
Long urg'd the knight his just request in vain,
Not prayer, nor reason could admittance gain.
Since mild intreaty fails (enrag'd he cries)
Force shall compel what thy base heart denies.
With bold defiance then the gallant knight
Call'd Clodio and his ten to mortal fight,
And offer'd with his pointed spear to show

That deeds like this from recreant spirits flow:

Such terms propos'd-should he his seat maintain,

And Clodio with his warriors press the plain,

620

625

630

Himself would there (though now refus'd a guest) - 635 Abide, and from the gates exclude the rest,

Ver. 614.a lovely dame,] Isotta--The loves of Tristram and Isotta are famous in romance.

See Note to Book iv. ver. 373.

The son of Pharamond, impell'd by shame,

At risk of life, essay'd the list of fame,

Where, in the joust, he lost his luckless seat,

Where all his ten receiv'd a like defeat

From conquering Tristram, who the portal clos'd
Against its master, with the ten expos'd
To lie unshelter'd: entering now he view'd
The beauty that had Clodio's heart subdu'd;
Whom Nature (what to numbers she deny'd)
With every gift of female grace supply'd.
Her Tristram fair bespoke: meanwhile without
Her consort rag'd with fear and jealous doubt;
Nor ceas'd to urge the knight with humble prayer,
Forth from the lodge to send his wedded fair.
But Tristram, though he little seem'd to prize
His lovely captive, though with careless eyes
All charms but his Isotta's he beheld,
So well the magic potion had repell'd
Each other love; yet now, with just return
Resolv'd to wreak discourteous Clodio's scorn,
Reply'd--To knighthood must I deem it shame,
From sheltering roof t' expel so fair a dame.
If Clodio murmurs thus abroad to lie

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645

650

655

Alone, unpair'd, beneath the open sky;

660

A dame I have, that like a rose new blown

In beauty blooms, yet equals not his own,

Her will I bid (if such his wish) to wait

Without the walls, and soothe his luckless fate.

But just it seems the fair of brightest charms

665

Should rest with him who bravest shines in arms.

Ver. 654. So well the magic potion-] See Note to Book iv. ver,'$73.

The wretched Clodio thus compell'd to stay
Without his gate, for slow-returning day,
Less felt the chilling damp and freezing air

Than sad reflection of his absent fair:

670

Listening he stood, while jealous fancy brought

Full many an image to aistract his thought,
Of those that now with gentle sleep opprest
Pass'd all the quiet night in guiltless rest.

The light was ris'n, when to his arms again
Sir Tristram gave the dame, and eas'd his pain,
With faith exchang'd upon his knightly word,
Her, as she was, uninjur'd he restor❜d.

For though he deem'd his base discourteous mind
Deserv'd from him the heaviest scourge to find,
Yet this alone his vengeance should suffice,
That all night long beneath unshelter❜d skies
The youth he kept; nor would he yet approve
That plea, which call'd his crime the crime of love.

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680

Ver. 682.---beneath unshelter'd skies] Spenser has an imitation of this passage, on which Mr. Upton observes thus:

"If the reader takes any pleasure in seeing how one poet imitates or rivals another, he may have an agreeable task in comparing the episode, where the fair company Satyrane, Paridel, Britomart, and the Squire of dames, are excluded, in a tempestuous night, from old Malbecco's castle, with a like disaster in Ariosto, where Bradamant (whom Britomart in many circumstances resembles) arriving at the castle of Sir Tristram, battles it with three knights, and afterwards discovers her sex. Let the reader compare old Lidgate's Canterbury tale, where Polemite and Tydeous arrive at the palace of king Adrastus in a stormy night. Is it worth while to mention here that silly romance, named, the History of Prince Arthur, and his Knights of the Round Table, which has the same kind of adventure? See Part ii. Book i. c. 65. How Sir Tristram and Sir Dinadon came to a lodging, where they must joust with two knights."

Upton's Notes on Spenser, Book iii, c. ix. st. 11.