Wherefore the Lady, which _Irena_[245] hight, iv Did to the Faery Queene her way addresse, To whom complayning her afflicted plight, She her besought of gratious redresse. That soueraine Queene, that mightie Emperesse, Whose glorie is to aide all suppliants pore, And of weake Princes to be Patronesse, Chose _Artegall_ to right her to restore; For that to her he seem’d best skild in righteous lore. For _Artegall_ in iustice was vpbrought v Euen from the cradle of his infancie, And all the depth of rightfull doome was taught By faire _Astræa_, with great industrie, Whilest here on earth she liued mortallie. For till the world from his perfection fell Into all filth and foule iniquitie, _Astræa_ here mongst earthly men did dwell, And in the rules of iustice them instructed well. Whiles through the world she walked in this sort, vi Vpon a day she found this gentle childe, Amongst his peres playing his childish sport: Whom seeing fit, and with no crime defilde, She did allure with gifts and speaches milde, To wend with her. So thence him farre she brought Into a caue from companie exilde, In which she noursled him, till yeares he raught, And all the discipline of iustice there him taught. There she him taught to weigh both right and wrong vii In equall ballance with due recompence, And equitie to measure out along, According to the line of conscience, When so it needs with rigour to dispence. Of all the which, for want there of mankind, She caused him to make experience Vpon wyld beasts, which she in woods did find, With wrongfull powre oppressing others of their kind. Thus she him trayned, and thus she him taught, viii In all the skill of deeming wrong and right, Vntill the ripenesse of mans yeares he raught; That euen wilde beasts did feare his awfull sight, And men admyr’d his ouerruling might; Ne any liu’d on ground, that durst withstand His dreadfull heast, much lesse him match in fight, Or bide the horror of his wreakfull hand, When so he list in wrath lift vp his steely brand. Which steely brand, to make him dreaded more, ix She gaue vnto him, gotten by her slight And earnest search, where it was kept in store In _Ioues_ eternall house, vnwist of wight, Since he himselfe it vs’d in that great fight Against the _Titans_, that whylome rebelled Gainst highest heauen; _Chrysaor_ it was hight; _Chrysaor_ that all other swords excelled, Well prou’d in that same day, when _Ioue_ those Gyants quelled.