Soone as the gates were open to them set, xxxviii They pressed forward, entraunce to haue made. But in the middle way they were ymet With a sharpe showre of arrowes, which them staid, And better bad aduise, ere they assaid Vnknowen perill of bold womens pride. Then all that rout vppon them rudely laid, And heaped strokes so fast on euery side, And arrowes haild so thicke, that they could not abide. But _Radigund_ her selfe, when she espide xxxix Sir _Terpin_, from her direfull doome acquit, So cruell doale[287] amongst her maides diuide[288], T’auenge that shame, they did on him commit, All sodainely enflam’d with furious fit, Like a fell Lionesse at him she flew, And on his head-peece him so fiercely smit, That to the ground him quite she ouerthrew, Dismayd so with the stroke, that he no colours knew. Soone as she saw him on the ground to grouell, xl She lightly to him leapt, and in his necke Her proud foote setting, at his head did leuell, Weening at once her wrath on him to wreake, And his contempt, that did her iudg’ment breake. As when a Beare hath seiz’d her cruell clawes Vppon the carkasse of some beast too weake, Proudly stands ouer, and a while doth pause, To heare the piteous beast pleading her plaintiffe cause. Whom when as _Artegall_ in that distresse xli By chaunce beheld, he left the bloudy slaughter, In which he swam, and ranne to his redresse. There her assayling fiercely fresh, he raught her Such an huge stroke, that it of sence distraught her: And had she not it warded warily, It had depriu’d her mother of a daughter. Nathlesse for all the powre she did apply, It made her stagger oft, and stare with ghastly eye. Like to an Eagle in his kingly pride, xlii Soring through his wide Empire of the aire, To weather his brode sailes, by chaunce hath spide A Goshauke, which hath seized for her share Vppon some fowle, that should her feast prepare; With dreadfull force he flies at her byliue, That with his souce, which none enduren dare, Her from the quarrey he away doth driue, And from her griping pounce the greedy prey doth riue. But soone as she her sence recouer’d had, xliii She fiercely towards him her selfe gan dight, Through vengeful wrath and sdeignfull pride half mad: For neuer had she suffred such despight. But ere she could ioyne hand with him to fight, Her warlike maides about her flockt so fast, That they disparted them, maugre their might, And with their troupes did far a sunder cast: But mongst the rest the fight did vntill euening last.