Not so; (quoth he) for yet when time doth serue, lvi My former shield I may resume againe: To temporize is not from truth to swerue, Ne for aduantage terme to entertaine, When as necessitie doth it constraine. Fie on such forgerie (said _Artegall_) Vnder one hood to shadow faces twaine. Knights ought be true, and truth is one in all: Of all things to dissemble fouly may befall. Yet let me you of courtesie request, lvii (Said _Burbon_) to assist me now at need Against these pesants, which haue me opprest, And forced me to so infamous deed, That yet my loue may from their hands be freed. Sir _Artegall_, albe he earst did wyte His wauering mind, yet to his aide agreed, And buckling him eftsoones vnto the fight, Did set vpon those troupes with all[380] his powre and might. Who flocking round about them, as a swarme lviii Of flyes vpon a birchen bough doth cluster, Did them assault with terrible allarme, And ouer all the fields themselues did muster, With bils and glayues making a dreadfull luster; That forst at first those knights backe to retyre: As when the wrathfull _Boreas_ doth bluster, Nought may abide the tempest of his yre, Both man and beast doe fly, and succour doe inquyre. But when as ouerblowen was that brunt, lix Those knights began a fresh them to assayle, And all about the fields like Squirrels hunt; But chiefly _Talus_ with his yron flayle, Gainst which no flight nor rescue mote auayle, Made cruell hauocke of the baser crew, And chaced them both ouer hill and dale: The raskall manie soone they ouerthrew, But the two knights themselues their captains did subdew. At last they came whereas that Ladie bode, lx Whom now her keepers had[381] forsaken quight, To saue themselues, and scattered were abrode: Her halfe dismayd they found in doubtfull plight, As neither glad nor sorie for their sight; Yet wondrous faire she was, and richly clad In roiall robes, and many Iewels dight, But that those villens through their vsage bad Them fouly rent, and shamefully defaced had. But _Burbon_ streight dismounting from his steed, lxi Vnto her ran with greedie great desyre, And catching her fast by her ragged weed, Would haue embraced her with hart entyre. But she backstarting with disdainefull yre, Bad him auaunt, ne would vnto his lore Allured be, for prayer nor for meed[382]. Whom when those knights so froward[383] and forlore Beheld, they her rebuked and vpbrayded sore.