But since this Ladie is all desolate, xxxviii And needeth safegard now vpon her way, Ye may doe well in this her needfull state To succour her, from daunger of dismay; That thankfull guerdon may to you repay. The noble ympe of such new seruice fayne, It gladly did accept, as he did say. So taking courteous leaue, they parted twayne, And _Calidore_ forth passed to his former payne. But _Tristram_ then despoyling that dead knight xxxix Of all those goodly implements[435] of prayse, Long fed his greedie eyes with the faire sight Of the bright mettall, shyning like Sunne rayes; Handling and turning them a thousand wayes. And after hauing them vpon him dight, He tooke that Ladie, and her vp did rayse Vpon the steed of her owne late dead knight, So with her marched forth, as she did him behight. There to their fortune leaue we them awhile, xl And turne we backe to good Sir _Calidore_; Who ere he thence had traueild many a mile, Came to the place, whereas ye heard afore This knight, whom _Tristram_ slew, had wounded sore Another knight in his despiteous pryde; There he that knight found lying on the flore, With many wounds full perilous and wyde, That all his garments, and the grasse in vermeill dyde. And there beside him sate vpon the ground xli His wofull Ladie, piteously complayning With loud laments that most vnluckie stound, And her sad selfe with carefull hand constrayning To wype his wounds, and ease their bitter payning. Which sorie sight when _Calidore_ did vew With heauie eyne, from teares vneath refrayning, His mightie hart their mournefull case can rew, And for their better comfort to them nigher drew. Then speaking to the Ladie, thus he sayd: xlii Ye dolefull Dame, let not your griefe empeach To tell, what cruell hand hath thus arayd This knight vnarm’d, with so vnknightly breach Of armes, that if I yet him nigh may reach, I may auenge him of so foule despight. The Ladie hearing his so courteous speach, Gan reare her eyes as to the chearefull light, And from her sory hart few heauie words forth sight. In which she shew’d, how that discourteous knight xliii (Whom _Tristram_ slew) them in that shadow found, Ioying together in vnblam’d delight, And him vnarm’d, as now he lay on ground, Charg’d with his speare and mortally did wound, Withouten cause, but onely her to reaue From him, to whom she was for euer bound: Yet when she fled into that couert greaue, He her not finding, both them thus nigh dead did leaue.