The whiles faire _Britomart_, whose constant mind, xix Would not so lightly follow beauties chace, Ne reckt of Ladies Loue, did stay behind, And them awayted there a certaine space, To weet if they would turne backe to that place: But when she saw them gone, she forward went, As lay her iourney, through that perlous Pace, With stedfast courage and stout hardiment; Ne euill thing she fear’d, ne euill thing she ment. At last as nigh out of the wood she came, xx A stately Castle farre away she spyde, To which her steps directly she did frame. That Castle was most goodly edifyde, And plaste for pleasure nigh that forrest syde: But faire before the gate a spatious plaine, Mantled with greene, it selfe did spredden wyde, On which she saw sixe knights, that did darraine Fierce battell against one, with cruell might and maine. Mainly they all attonce vpon him laid, xxi And sore beset on euery side around, That nigh he breathlesse grew, yet nought dismaid, Ne euer to them yielded foot of ground All had he lost much bloud through many a wound, But stoutly dealt his blowes, and euery way To which he turned in his wrathfull stound, Made them recoile, and fly from dred decay, That none of all the sixe before, him durst assay. Like dastard Curres, that hauing at a bay xxii The saluage beast embost in wearie chace, Dare not aduenture on the stubborne pray, Ne byte before, but rome from place to place, To get a snatch, when turned is his face, In such distresse and doubtfull ieopardy, When _Britomart_ him saw, she ran a pace Vnto his reskew, and with earnest cry, Bad those same sixe forbeare that single enimy. But to her cry they list not lenden eare, xxiii Ne ought the more their mightie strokes surceasse, But gathering him round about more neare, Their direfull rancour rather did encreasse; Till that she rushing through the thickest preasse, Perforce disparted their compacted gyre, And soone compeld to hearken vnto peace: Tho gan she myldly of them to inquyre The cause of their dissention and outrageous yre. Whereto that single knight did answere frame; xxiv These sixe would me enforce by oddes of might, To chaunge my liefe, and loue another Dame, That death me liefer were, then such despight, So vnto wrong to yield my wrested right: For I loue one, the truest one on ground, Ne list me chaunge; she th’_Errant Damzell_ hight, For whose deare sake full many a bitter stownd, I haue endur’d, and tasted many a bloudy wound.