On th’other side, th’assieged Castles ward xv Their stedfast stonds did mightily maintaine, And many bold repulse, and many hard Atchieuement wrought with perill and with paine, That goodly frame from ruine to sustaine: And those two brethren Giants did defend The walles so stoutly with their sturdie maine, That neuer entrance any durst pretend, But they to direfull death their groning ghosts did send. The noble virgin, Ladie of the place[815], xvi Was much dismayed with that dreadfull sight: For neuer was she in so euill cace, Till that the Prince seeing her wofull plight, Gan her recomfort from so sad affright, Offring his seruice, and his dearest life For her defence, against that Carle to fight, Which was their chiefe and th’author of that strife: She him remercied as the Patrone of her life. Eftsoones himselfe in glitterand armes he dight, xvii And his well proued weapons to him hent; So taking courteous conge he behight, Those gates to be vnbar’d, and forth he went. Faire mote he thee, the prowest and most gent, That euer brandished bright steele on hye: Whom soone as that vnruly rablement, With his gay Squire issuing did espy, They reard a most outrageous dreadfull yelling cry. And therewith all attonce at him let fly xviii Their fluttring arrowes, thicke as flakes of snow, And round about him flocke impetuously, Like a great water flood, that tombling low From the high mountaines, threats to ouerflow With suddein fury all the fertile plaine, And the sad husbandmans long hope doth throw A downe the streame, and all his vowes make vaine, Nor bounds nor banks his headlong ruine may sustaine. Vpon his shield their heaped hayle he bore, xix And with his sword disperst the raskall flockes, Which fled a sunder, and him fell before, As withered leaues drop from their dried stockes, When the wroth Western wind does reaue their locks; And vnder neath him his courageous steed, The fierce _Spumador_ trode them downe like docks, The fierce _Spumador_ borne of heauenly seed: Such as _Laomedon_ of _Phœbus_ race did breed. Which suddeine horrour and confused cry, xx When as their Captaine heard, in haste he yode, The cause to weet, and fault to remedy; Vpon a Tygre swift and fierce he rode, That as the winde ran vnderneath his lode, Whiles his long legs nigh raught vnto the ground; Full large he was of limbe, and shoulders brode, But of such subtile substance and vnsound, That like a ghost he seem’d, whose graue-clothes were vnbound.