And he tooke off those ringès five,
As bright as fyre and brent.

Home then pricked' syr Cauline
As light as leafe on tree :
I-wys he neither stint ne blanne,2
Till he his ladye see.

Then downe he knelt upon his knee
Before that lady gay:

O ladye, I have bin on the Eldridge hills:
These tokens I bring away.

Now welcome, welcome, syr Caulìne,
Thrice welcome unto mee,

For now I perceive thou art a true knighte,
Of valour bolde and free.

O ladye, I am thy own true knighte,
Thy hests for to obaye :

And mought I hope to winne thy love!
Ne more his tonge colde say.

The ladye blushed scarlette redde,
And fette3 a gentill sighe:
Alas! syr knight, how may this bee,
For my degree's soe highe?

But sith thou hast hight, thou comely youth,
To be my batchilere,

Ile promise if thee I may not wedde

I will have none other fere."

Then shee held forthe her lilly-white hand
Towards that knighte so free;
He gave to it one gentill kisse,

[1 spurred.

4

2 neither stopped nor lingered.

since thou hast engaged.

150

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160

165

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3 fetched.

5

mate.]

His heart was brought from bale to blisse,
The teares sterte1 from his ee.

But keep my counsayl, syr Caulìne,
Ne let no man it knowe;

For and ever my father sholde it ken,
I wot he wolde us sloe.2

From that daye forthe that ladye fayre
Lovde syr Cauline the knighte:
From that daye forthe he only joyde
Whan shee was in his sight.

Yea and oftentimes they mette
Within a fayre arbòure,

Where they in love and sweet daliaunce
Past manye a pleasaunt houre.]

"But as extremes are short of ill and good,
And tides at highest mark regorge their flood;
So Fate, that could no more improve their joy,
Took a malicious pleasure to destroy
Tancred, who fondly loved," &c.

[1 started.

2 I know he would slay us.]

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185

In this conclusion of the First Part, and at the beginning of the Second, the reader will observe a resemblance to the story of Sigismunda and Guiscard, as told by Boccace and Dryden. See the latter's description of the lovers meeting in the cave; and those beautiful lines, which contain a reflection so like this of our poet, "everye white," &c., viz.:

PART THE SECOND.

VERYE white will have its blacke,
And everye sweete its sowre:
This founde the ladye Christabelle
In an untimely howre.

For so it befelle, as syr Caulìne
Was with that ladye faire,

The kinge her father walked forthe
To take the evenyng aire :

And into the arboure as he went
To rest his wearye feet,

He found his daughter and syr Cauline
There sette in daliaunce sweet.

The kinge hee sterted forthe, i-wys,'
And an angrye man was hee:
Nowe, traytoure, thou shalt hange or drawe,
And rewe shall thy ladìe.

Then forthe syr Cauline he was ledde,
And throwne in dungeon deepe :
And the ladye into a towre so hye,
There left to wayle and weepe.

The queene she was syr Caulines friend,
And to the kinge sayd shee:

I

praye you save syr Caulines life, And let him banisht bee.

Now, dame, that traitor shall be sent
Across the salt sea fome :

But here I will make thee a band,'

If ever he come within this land,
A foule deathe is his doome.

[1 verily.

• bond or covenant.]

All woe-begone was that gentil knight
To parte from his ladyè;
And many a time he sighed sore,
And cast a wistfulle eye :
Faire Christabelle, from thee to parte,
Farre lever' had I dye.

Faire Christabelle, that ladye bright,
Was had forthe of the towre;
But ever shee droopeth in her minde,
As nipt by an ungentle winde

Doth some faire lillye flowre.

And ever shee doth lament and weepe
To tint her lover soe:
Syr Cauline, thou little think'st on mee,
But I will still be true.

Manye a kynge, and manye a duke,
And lorde of high degree,

Did sue to that fayre ladye of love;
But never shee wolde them nee.3

When manye a daye was past and gone,
Ne comforte she colde finde,

The kynge proclaimed a tourneament,
To cheere his daughters mind :

And there came lords, and there came knights,
Fro manye a farre countryè,

To break a spere for theyr ladyes love
Before that faire ladyè.

And many a ladye there was sette
In purple and in palle :*

But faire Christabelle soe woe-begone
Was the fayrest of them all.

[1 rather.

3

nigh.

2 lose.

4 fine cloth.]

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35

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Then manye a knighte was mickle of might
Before his ladye gaye;

But a stranger wight, whom no man knewe,
He wan the prize eche daye.

His acton' it was all of blacke,

His hewberke,' and his sheelde,
Ne noe man wist whence he did come,
Ne noe man knewe where he did gone,
When they came from the feelde.

And now three days were prestlye' past
In feates of chivalrye,

When lo upon the fourth morninge
A sorrowfulle sight they see.

A hugye giaunt stiffe and starke,
All foule of limbe and lere :*
Two goggling eyen like fire farden,"
A mouthe from eare to eare.

Before him came a dwarffe full lowe,
That waited on his knee,
And at his backe five heads he bare,
All wan and pale of blee."

Sir, quoth the dwarffe, and louted' lowe,
Behold that hendR Soldàin!

Behold these heads I beare with me!
They are kings which he hath slain.
The Eldridge knight is his own cousine,

Whom a knight of thine hath shent:"
And hee is come to avenge his wrong,
And to thee, all thy knightes among,
Defiance here hath sent.

[1 leather jacket. 2 coat of mail.
5 flashed. complexion. 7 bowed

6

quickly.
9 courteous.

65

70

75

80

85

90

4 countenance.

9 injured.]