So being clad, she brought him from the field, xxi In which he had bene trayned many a day, Into a long large chamber, which was sield With moniments of many knights decay, By her subdewed in victorious fray: Amongst the which she causd his warlike armes Be hang’d on high, that mote his shame bewray; And broke his sword, for feare of further harmes, With which he wont to stirre vp battailous alarmes. There entred in, he round about him saw xxii Many braue knights, whose names right well he knew, There bound t’obay that Amazons proud law, Spinning and carding all in comely rew, That his bigge hart loth’d so vncomely vew. But they were forst through penurie and pyne, To doe those workes, to them appointed dew: For nought was giuen them to sup or dyne, But what their hands could earne by twisting linnen twyne. Amongst them all she placed him most low, xxiii And in his hand a distaffe to him gaue, That he thereon should spin both flax and tow; A sordid office for a mind so braue. So hard it is to be a womans slaue. Yet he it tooke in his owne selfes despight, And thereto did himselfe right well behaue, Her to obay, sith he his faith had plight, Her vassall to become, if she him wonne in fight. Who had him seene, imagine mote thereby, xxiv That whylome hath of _Hercules_ bene told, How for _Iolas_ sake he did apply His mightie hands, the distaffe vile to hold, For his huge club, which had subdew’d of old So many monsters, which the world annoyed; His Lyons skin chaungd to a pall of gold, In which forgetting warres, he onely ioyed In combats of sweet loue, and with his mistresse toyed. Such is the crueltie of womenkynd, xxv When they haue shaken off the shamefast band, With which wise Nature did them strongly bynd, T’obay the heasts of mans well ruling hand, That then all rule and reason they withstand, To purchase a licentious libertie. But vertuous women wisely vnderstand, That they were borne to base humilitie, Vnlesse the heauens them lift to lawfull soueraintie. Thus there long while continu’d _Artegall_, xxvi Seruing proud _Radigund_ with true subiection; How euer it his noble heart did gall, T’obay a womans tyrannous direction, That might haue had of life or death election: But hauing chosen, now he might not chaunge. During which time, the warlike Amazon, Whose wandring fancie after lust did raunge, Gan cast a secret liking to this captiue straunge.