For th’heauens enuying our prosperitie, xxxi Haue not vouchsaft to graunt vnto vs twaine The gladfull blessing of posteritie, Which we might see after our selues remaine In th’heritage of our vnhappie paine: So that for want of heires it to defend, All is in time like to returne againe To that foule feend, who dayly doth attend To leape into the same after our liues end. But most my Lord is grieued herewithall, xxxii And makes exceeding mone, when he does thinke That all this land vnto his foe shall fall, For which he long in vaine did sweat and swinke, That now the same he greatly doth forthinke. Yet was it sayd, there should to him a sonne _Be gotten, not begotten_, which should drinke And dry vp all the water, which doth ronne In the next brooke, by whom that feend shold be fordonne. Well hop’t he then, when this was propheside, xxxiii That from his sides[471] some noble chyld should rize, The which through fame should farre be magnifide, And this proud gyant should with braue emprize Quite ouerthrow, who now ginnes to despize The good Sir _Bruin_, growing farre in yeares; Who thinkes from me his sorrow all doth rize. Lo this my cause of griefe to you appeares; For which I thus doe mourne, and poure forth ceaselesse teares. Which when he heard, he inly touched was xxxiv With tender ruth for her vnworthy griefe, And when he had deuized of her case, He gan in mind conceiue a fit reliefe For all her paine, if please her make the priefe. And hauing cheared her, thus said; Faire[472] Dame, In euils counsell is the comfort chiefe, Which though I be not wise enough to frame, Yet as I well it meane, vouchsafe it without blame. If that the cause of this your languishment xxxv Be lacke of children, to supply your place, Lo[473] how good fortune doth to you present This litle babe, of sweete and louely face, And spotlesse spirit, in which ye may enchace What euer formes ye list thereto apply, Being now soft and fit them to embrace; Whether ye list him traine in cheualry, Or noursle vp in lore of learn’d Philosophy. And certes it hath oftentimes bene seene, xxxvi That of the like, whose linage was vnknowne, More braue and noble knights haue raysed beene, As their victorious deedes haue often showen, Being with fame through many Nations blowen, Then those, which haue bene dandled in the lap. Therefore some thought, that those braue imps were sowen Here by the Gods, and fed with heauenly sap, That made them grow so high t’all honorable hap.