Who with the sudden stroke astonisht sore, vii Vpon the ground a while in slomber lay; The whiles his loue away the other bore, And shewing her, did _Paridell_ vpbray; Lo sluggish Knight the victors happie pray: So fortune friends the bold: whom _Paridell_ Seeing so faire indeede, as he did say, His hart with secret enuie gan to swell, And inly grudge at him, that he had sped so well. Nathlesse proud man himselfe the other deemed, viii Hauing so peerelesse paragon ygot: For sure the fayrest _Florimell_ him seemed, To him was fallen for his happie lot, Whose like aliue on earth he weened not: Therefore he her did court, did serue, did wooe, With humblest suit that he imagine mot, And all things did deuise, and all things dooe, That might her loue prepare, and liking win theretoo. She in regard thereof him recompenst ix With golden words, and goodly countenance, And such fond fauours sparingly dispenst: Sometimes him blessing with a light eye-glance, And coy lookes tempring with loose dalliance; Sometimes estranging him in sterner wise, That hauing cast him in a foolish trance, He seemed brought to bed in Paradise, And prou’d himselfe most foole, in what he seem’d most wise. So great a mistresse of her art she was, x And perfectly practiz’d in womans craft, That though therein himselfe he thought to pas, And by his false allurements wylie draft[24] Had thousand women of their loue beraft, Yet now he was surpriz’d: for that false spright, Which that same witch had in this forme engraft, Was so expert in euery subtile slight, That it could ouerreach the wisest earthly wight. Yet he to her did dayly seruice more, xi And dayly more deceiued was thereby; Yet _Paridell_ him enuied therefore, As seeming plast in sole felicity: So blind is lust, false colours to descry. But _Ate_ soone discouering his desire, And finding now fit opportunity To stirre vp strife, twixt loue and spight and ire, Did priuily put coles vnto his secret fire. By sundry meanes thereto she prickt him forth, xii Now with remembrance of those spightfull speaches, Now with opinion of his owne more worth, Now with recounting of like former breaches Made in their friendship, as that Hag him teaches: And euer when his passion is allayd, She it reuiues and new occasion reaches: That on a time as they together way’d, He made him open chalenge, and thus boldly sayd.