Ne shall the Saxons selues all peaceably xlvi Enioy the crowne, which they from Britons wonne First ill, and after ruled wickedly: For ere two hundred yeares be full outronne[924], There shall a Rauen far from rising Sunne, With his wide wings vpon them fiercely fly, And bid his faithlesse chickens ouerronne The fruitfull plaines, and with fell cruelty, In their auenge, tread downe the victours surquedry. Yet shall a third both these, and thine subdew; xlvii There shall a Lyon from the sea-bord wood Of _Neustria_ come roring, with a crew Of hungry whelpes, his battailous bold brood, Whose clawes were newly dipt in cruddy blood, That from the Daniske Tyrants head shall rend Th’vsurped crowne, as if that he were wood, And the spoile of the countrey conquered Emongst his young ones shall diuide with bountyhed. Tho when the terme is full accomplishid, xlviii There shall a sparke of fire, which hath long-while Bene in his ashes raked vp, and hid, Be freshly kindled in the fruitfull Ile Of _Mona_, where it lurked in exile; Which shall breake forth into bright burning flame, And reach into the house, that beares the stile Of royall maiesty and soueraigne name; So shall the Briton bloud their crowne againe reclame. Thenceforth eternall vnion shall be made xlix Betweene the nations different afore, And sacred Peace shall louingly perswade The warlike minds, to learne her goodly lore, And ciuile armes to exercise no more: Then shall a royall virgin raine, which shall Stretch her white rod ouer the _Belgicke_ shore, And the great Castle smite so sore with all, That it shall make him shake, and shortly learne to fall. But yet the end is not. There _Merlin_ stayd, l As ouercomen of the spirites powre, Or other ghastly spectacle dismayd, That secretly he saw, yet note discoure: Which suddein fit, and halfe extatick stoure When the two fearefull women saw, they grew Greatly confused in behauioure; At last the fury past, to former hew Hee[925] turnd againe, and chearefull looks <as earst>[926] did shew. Then, when them selues they well instructed had li Of all, that needed them to be inquird, They both conceiuing hope of comfort glad, With lighter hearts vnto their home retird; Where they in secret counsell close conspird, How to effect so hard an enterprize, And to possesse the purpose they desird: Now this, now that twixt them they did deuise, And diuerse plots did frame, to maske in strange disguise[927].