And said, Sir knight, these idle termes forbeare, xvi And sith it is vneath to find his haunt, Tell me some markes, by which he may appeare, If chaunce I him encounter parauaunt; For perdie one shall other slay, or daunt: What shape, what shield, what armes, what steed, what sted, And what so else his person most may vaunt? All which the _Redcrosse_ knight to point ared, And him in euery part[888] before her fashioned. Yet him in euery part before she knew, xvii How euer list her now her knowledge faine, Sith him whilome in _Britaine_ she did vew, To her reuealed in a mirrhour plaine, Whereof did grow her first engraffed paine; Whose root and stalke so bitter yet did tast, That but the fruit more sweetnesse did containe, Her wretched dayes in dolour she mote wast, And yield the pray of loue to lothsome death at last. By strange occasion she did him behold, xviii And much more strangely gan to loue his sight, As it in bookes hath written bene of old. In _Deheubarth_ that now South-wales is hight, What time king _Ryence_ raign’d, and dealed right, The great Magitian _Merlin_ had deuiz’d, By his deepe science, and hell-dreaded might, A looking glasse, right wondrously aguiz’d, Whose vertues through the wyde world soone were solemniz’d. It vertue had, to shew in perfect sight, xix What euer thing was in the world contaynd, Betwixt the lowest earth and heauens hight, So that it to the looker appertaynd; What euer foe had wrought, or frend had faynd, Therein discouered was, ne ought mote pas, Ne ought in secret from the same remaynd; For thy it round and hollow shaped was, Like to the world it selfe, and seem’d a world of glas. Who wonders not, that reades so wonderous worke? xx But who does wonder, that has red the Towre, Wherein th’Ægyptian _Phao_ long did lurke From all mens vew, that none might her discoure, Yet she might all men vew out of her bowre? Great _Ptolomæe_ it for his lemans sake Ybuilded all of glasse, by Magicke powre, And also it impregnable did make; Yet when his loue was false, he with a peaze it brake. Such was the glassie globe that _Merlin_ made, xxi And gaue vnto king _Ryence_ for his gard, That neuer foes his kingdome might inuade, But he it knew at home before he hard Tydings thereof, and so them still debar’d. It was a famous Present for a Prince, And worthy worke of infinite reward, That treasons could bewray, and foes conuince; Happie this Realme, had it remained euer since.