For so must all things excellent begin, xxii And eke enrooted deepe must be that Tree, Whose big embodied braunches shall not lin, Till they to heauens hight forth stretched bee. For from thy wombe a famous Progenie Shall spring, out of the auncient _Troian_ blood, Which shall reuiue the sleeping memorie Of those same antique Peres, the heauens brood, Which _Greeke_[913] and _Asian_ riuers stained with their blood. Renowmed kings, and sacred Emperours, xxiii Thy fruitfull Ofspring, shall from thee descend; Braue Captaines, and most mighty warriours, That shall their conquests through all lands extend, And their decayed kingdomes shall amend: The feeble Britons, broken with long warre, They shall vpreare, and mightily defend Against their forrein foe, that comes from farre, Till vniuersall peace compound all ciuill iarre. It was not, _Britomart_, thy wandring eye, xxiv Glauncing vnwares in charmed looking glas, But the streight course of heauenly destiny, Led with eternall prouidence, that has Guided thy glaunce, to bring his will to pas: Ne is thy fate, ne is thy fortune ill, To loue the prowest knight, that euer was. Therefore submit thy wayes vnto his will, And do by all dew meanes thy destiny fulfill. But read (said _Glauce_) thou Magitian xxv What meanes shall she out seeke, or what wayes take? How shall she know, how shall she find the man? Or what needs her to toyle, sith fates can make Way for themselues, their purpose to partake?[914] Then _Merlin_ thus; Indeed the fates are firme, And may not shrinck, though all the world do shake: Yet ought mens good endeuours them confirme, And guide the heauenly causes to their constant terme. The man whom heauens haue ordaynd to bee xxvi The spouse of _Britomart_, is _Arthegall_: He wonneth in the land of _Fayeree_, Yet is no _Fary_ borne, ne sib at all To Elfes, but sprang of seed terrestriall, And whilome by false _Faries_ stolne away, Whiles yet in infant cradle he did crall; Ne other to himselfe is knowne this day, But that he by an Elfe was gotten of a _Fay_. But sooth he is the sonne of _Gorlois_, xxvii And brother vnto _Cador_ Cornish king, And for his warlike feates renowmed is, From where the day out of the sea doth spring, Vntill the closure of the Euening. From thence, him firmely bound with faithfull band, To this his natiue soyle thou backe shalt bring, Strongly to aide his countrey, to withstand The powre of forrein Paynims, which inuade thy land.