Now turne againe my teme thou iolly swayne, i Backe to the furrow which I lately left; I lately left a furrow, one or twayne Vnplough’d, the which my coulter hath not cleft: Yet seem’d the soyle both fayre and frutefull eft, As I it past, that were too great a shame, That so rich frute should be from vs bereft; Besides the great dishonour and defame, Which should befall to _Calidores_ immortall name. Great trauell hath the gentle _Calidore_ ii And toyle endured, sith I left him last Sewing the _Blatant beast_, which I forbore To finish then, for other present hast. Full many pathes and perils he hath past, Through hils, through dales, throgh forests, and throgh plaines In that same quest which fortune on him cast, Which he atchieued to his owne great gaines, Reaping eternall glorie of his restlesse paines. So sharply he the Monster did pursew, iii That day nor night he suffred him to rest, Ne rested he himselfe but natures dew, For dread of daunger, not to be redrest, If he for slouth forslackt so famous quest. Him first from court he to the citties coursed, And from the citties to the townes him prest, And from the townes into the countrie forsed, And from the country back to priuate farmes he scorsed. From thence into the open fields he fled, iv Whereas the Heardes were keeping of their neat, And shepheards singing to their flockes, that fed, Layes of sweete loue and youthes delightfull heat: Him thether eke for all his fearefull threat He followed fast, and chaced him so nie, That to the folds, where sheepe at night doe seat, And to the litle cots[541], where shepherds lie In winters wrathfull time[542], he forced him to flie. There on a day as he pursew’d the chace, v He chaunst to spy a sort of shepheard groomes, Playing on pypes, and caroling apace, The whyles their beasts there in the budded broomes Beside them fed, and nipt the tender bloomes: For other worldly wealth they cared nought. To whom Sir _Calidore_ yet sweating comes, And them to tell him courteously besought, If such a beast they saw, which he had thether brought. They answer’d him, that no such beast they saw, vi Nor any wicked feend, that mote offend Their happie flockes, nor daunger to them draw: But if that such there were (as none they kend) They prayd high God him[543] farre from them[543] to send. Then one of them him seeing so to sweat, After his rusticke wise, that well he weend, Offred him drinke, to quench his thirstie heat, And if he hungry were, him offred eke to eat.