Who streight her leading with meete maiestie xxv Vnto the pallace, where their kings did rayne, Did her therein establish peaceablie, And to her kingdomes seat restore agayne; And all such persons, as did late maintayne That Tyrants part, with close or open ayde, He sorely punished with heauie payne; That in short space, whiles there with her he stayd, Not one was left, that durst her once haue disobayd. During which time, that he did there remaine, xxvi His studie was true Iustice how to deale, And day and night employ’d his busie paine How to reforme that ragged common-weale: And that same yron man which could reueale All hidden crimes, through all that realme he sent, To search out those, that vsd to rob and steale, Or did rebell gainst lawfull gouernment; On whom he did inflict most grieuous punishment. But ere he could reforme it thoroughly, xxvii He through occasion called was away, To Faerie Court, that of necessity His course of Iustice he was forst to stay, And _Talus_ to reuoke from the right way, In which he was that Realme for to redresse. But enuies cloud still dimmeth vertues ray. So hauing freed _Irena_ from distresse, He tooke his leaue of her, there left in heauinesse. Tho as he backe returned from that land, xxviii And there arriu’d againe, whence forth he set, He had not passed farre vpon the strand, When as two old ill fauour’d Hags he met, By the way side being together set, Two griesly creatures; and, to that their faces Most foule and filthie were, their garments yet Being all rag’d and tatter’d, their disgraces Did much the more augment, and made most vgly cases. The one of them, that elder did appeare, xxix With her dull eyes did seeme to looke askew, That her mis-shape much helpt; and her foule heare Hung loose and loathsomely: Thereto her hew Was wan and leane, that all her teeth arew, And all her bones might through her cheekes be red; Her lips were like raw lether, pale and blew, And as she spake, therewith she slauered; Yet spake she seldom, but thought more, the lesse she sed. Her hands were foule and durtie, neuer washt xxx In all her life, with long nayles ouer raught, Like puttocks clawes: with th’one of which she scracht Her cursed head, although it itched naught; The other held a snake with venime fraught, On which she fed, and gnawed hungrily[394], As if that long she had not eaten ought; That round about her iawes one might descry The bloudie gore and poyson dropping lothsomely.