Cap. XXXVI. How He Made Oblacyon to the Godes Pallas, and Sayled over the Tempestuous Flode

So long we rode over hill and valey, Tyll that we came into a wyldernes, On every syde there wylde beastes laye, Ryght straunge and fierce in sundry likenes; It was a place of dissolute darkenes. The ladies and I were in feare and doubt, Tyll at the last that we were gotten out

Of the great woode upon a craggy roche, When cleare Dyana in the Scorpion Agaynst fayre Phebus began to approche, For to be at her whole opposition, We sawe from farre a goodly region, Where stode a palayce hye and precious, Beyonde an haven full tempestuous.

Then sayd Perceveraunce; Beholde ye and se, Yonder is the palays gay and glorious Of La Bell Pucelles great humilitie; A place of pleasure most solacious. But then we spied a fende fallicious, Beyond the haven at sure entres Blowyng out fyre by marveilous wydnes.

The fyre was great, it made the ylande lyght, He rored loude, it semeth lyke the thonder; But, as me thought, he was of great myght, To knowe his likenes we were farre asonder; But of the fyre we did often wonder; We asked Perceveraunce what that it myght be. Alas! quod she, with fraude and subtiltie

Of dame Strangenes and of dame Disdayne When La Bell Pucell did them so abjecte, Because that they myght not revert agayne, With mortall Envie they did then conjecte To make a fende in lykewyse to directe Syr Graunde Amoure, with the fervent fyre Of evill treason to let his desyre.

For dame Disdayne, the crafty sorceres, With arte magyke hath wrought full craftely Of the vii. metalles a dragon doubtles, And dame Strangenes, by her nygromancy, Hath closed therin a fende ryght subtilly, That the fyre encenseth by great outrage. But Graunde Amoure shall it well asswage.

Benethe this roche there is well fortified An olde temple, to the laude and glory Of wyse dame Pallas it was so edified; We will ryde unto it full lyghtly, And do oblacion unto her truely; She wyll us tell by good experience Howe we may scape the brennynge vyolence.

So to the temple of dame Pallas Anone we rode, and did lyght adowne. Of depured cristall her whole ymage was, The temple walles were ryght olde and browne; And then ryght sone before her hyghe renowne Prostrate we fell mekely to the grounde, And sodaynly we were cast in a sounde.

Thus as we laye in a deadly chaunce, We thought to her we made peticion, And all in Englyshe with long circumstaunce She shewed us all the whole condicion Of the marveylous serpentes operacion, And did shewe us a perfyte remedy To withstande all the crafte of sorcery.

And in lykewyse as the maner foloweth, In depured verses of crafty eloquence, Every thyng unto us she sheweth; And first of all with all our diligence These verses we sayed unto her excellence, But she with crafty verses eloquent Gave us an aunswere full expedient.

When golden Phebus in the first houre Of his owne daye began to domine, The sorceresse, the false roote of doloure, All of golde that was so pure and fyne, Of the best made the head serpentyne, And eke therof she dyd make his face; Full lyke a mayde it was, a wonders case!

And every houre, as the planettes raygned, She made the serpent of the metalles seven; Till she her purpose had fully attayned, And when fyve bodies above on the heaven Wente retrogarde, marveylously to neven, With divers quartils and the more combust, In the dragons tayle, to let a lovers lust.

These cursed witches, Disdayne and Straungenes, Made the monster of a subtile kynde, To let my purpose and all my gladnes, But that dame Pallas of her gentle mynde Of marveylous herbes a remedy did fynde; And anone a boxe of marveylous oyntment She toke to me to withstande the serpent.

Thus al esmarveyled we dyd then awake, And in my hande I had the oyntment, Closed in a boxe, of whiche I should take To anoynt my harneis for the serpent, Whiche shall devoyde his fyre so fervent, And my swerde also to cause to departe Astrothe the fende, so set with magykes arte.

Then when the sunne with his beames mery Began to ryse in the fayre morowe gray, All about lightyng our emispery, Exiling mistes and darke clowdes away, And when we sawe that it was bryght daye, Nere by the ryvage at the last we spied A goodly shyppe whiche unto us fast hied.

And ryght by anone the rivage syde, She cast an anker and did us than hayle With a peale of gunnes, at the morowe tyde Her bonet she vayled, and gan to stryke sayle. She was right large, of thre toppes without fayle; Her boate she made out, and sent to the lande, What that we were to knowe and understande,

That so did walke by the ryver coast. And with two ladyes we sodaynly mette; So when that they were come to us almoste, From their shyppe boate curiously counterfayte, Hayle, knyght! they sayde, nowe from a lady great, Called dame Pacience, we are hether sent, To knowe your name and all the whole entent

What you make here, and the ladies all? Truely, quod I, over this stormy flowde We woulde have passage nowe in speciall. Tary, she sayde, it were to you not good: There is a serpent evill, ryght fierce and woode, On the other syde, whiche will you devoure. Nay then, quod I, my name is Graunde Amoure:

I have disconfited the giauntes terrible, For La Bell Pucell the most fayre ladye; And for her sake shalbe invincible Of this great monster to have the victory. You have, quod they, demeaned you nobly, And we anone to our lady Pacience Will geve of you perfyte intelligence.

Thus they departed, and to their boate they went, And the royall shyppe, yclipped Perfitenes, They dyd aborde and then incontinent Unto dame Pacience they gan to expresse Myne name, mine actes, and all my prowes. Ha, ha! quod she, howe glad may I nowe be, Whiche in this place may him both heare and se.

And in great haste she made them rowe agayne Towarde the lande, with all due reverence For to receyve me and the ladies certayne. And so we then, with all our diligence, Entred the boate without resistence, And did aborde then perfitenes so sure, Whiche the great waves might ryght well endure.

And Pacience, with great solemnitie, Did me receyve, and the ladies also. Welcome! she sayd, by hye aucthoritie, I am ryght gladde that it hath happened so, That La Bell Pucell must redresse your wo, And on your selfe, with your worthy dedes, Of fame and her hath wonne ryght hie medes.

And then their anker they weyed in haste, And hoyst their sayle, when many a clarion Began to blowe; the mornyng was past, But Afrycus Auster made surreccion, Blowyng his bellowes by great occasion; So forthe we sayled right playne southwest, On the other syde where the serpent did rest.