The Red Romance Book

(for such was the name of Sansfoy’s companion), by whom he was led to the gates of a splendid palace. The broad road up to it was worn by the feet of hosts of travel

y in front of the knight’s page, then snatched from his arm a shield like his own, bearing the name ‘Sansfoy.’ The page, overcome by

y lay till the queen of that place came by, and bade them cease

unsel of the false Duessa. Short would have been his shrift had not thick darkness fallen about h

he shield and glory yours;’ but the knight did not heed her, for his eye was ever bent on the wall of thick darkness which shut in his foe. Indeed, so busy were his

Sansjoy lay, still covered with the enchanted cloud. Then, in an iron chariot, borrowed from the Queen of Darkness, she drove him down to the underworld, and across the river which d

of darkness; for in her absence the dwarf, wandering through the palace, had come

se. Which the young knight gladly did, creeping away through a secret postern, though it was hard to find a

neeling at her feet, surround

D BY THE

with fear that he galloped right away, leaving Una behind him. But she, not knowing what to fear the most, stood shaking with dread, till the wood folk pressed around her, and, kneeling on the ground stroked lovingly her hands and feet. Then she understood that she was safe amongst them, and let

ile they in their turn showed her how to play on their pipes

g the woodfolk. He wondered greatly to find so lovely a maid among them, and still more to see how eagerly they listen

p in her search for the Red Cross Knight. It was not easy to escape from the kind people who always thronged about her, and her heart was s

. Towards evening they met a weary pilgrim, whose clothes were worn and soiled, and so true a pilgrim did he look, that Una did not know him to be the wizard Archimago. The knig

eyes did see that knight, both living and eke

shed, it was Sat

us of joy hath reft?’ And the pilgrim made answer t

nged instantly to fight. Sansloy hastily buckled on his armour, and cried that, though he had not slain the Re

she galloped away, not knowing that her deadli

it was bitter to her to see any escape, who had ever been under her thrall. Her good fortune, which never seemed to f

stream was enchanted. But in a moment his strength seemed to fail, and his arms grew weak as a child’s, though he felt nothing till a horrible bellowi

giant, who, accompanied by the false Duessa, carried his captive to a dungeon of his castle. After the d

k Duessa. Her robes were purple, and a triple crown of gold was on her head, a

saw him borne away senseless by the giant, he took up the armour which

ould fain have died, till the thought sprang suddenly into her mind that perhaps she might still rescue him. So with fresh hope she took the road to the giant’s castle, but the way was far, and she was woefully tired before even its towers were in sight. Brave though she was, the maiden’s courage failed her at last, and she began to weep afresh, when her eyes happened to

n distress, he reined in his horse, and with

ended, ‘and take comfort; for never will I fors

mise Una took heart of grace, and bade t

castle. Bidding Una to await him outside, and calling to his squire to come with him,

the sound, the gates flew open, and the giant came foaming from h

a, ‘high mounted on her many-headed beast’; and at this sigh

body, and studded with iron points besides. Luckily for the knight, this was not the first giant to whom he had given battle, and ere the mighty blow could fall he spra

to fight a seve

S THE SEVEN-

ne foot would the squire move till, beside herself with anger, the witch drew out her cup and sprinkled him with the poisonous water. Then the strength went out of his arms and the courage from his heart, and he sank helpless on the ground before the snake, who fain would have trampled the life out of him, and it would have fared ill with him had not the

flowed from it burnt into the eyes of the giant, so that he was ‘blinded by excess of light,’ and sank sightless on the ground. At a fresh cry from Duessa he struggled to his feet, bu

whom the world went ill, and she was stealing awa

rd,’ he said, and, holdin

words, but when she saw Duessa a clou

is who has worked all this ill, and thrown my dearest lord in

quire, ‘and beware of her wiles, for they are many;’ and, leaving the

his arm. The knight asked him in gentle speech whence had gone all the people who dwelt in the castle,

ay thick upon the floors, while the walls were covered with cloth of gold and splendid tapestry. No signs wer

y on the bunch would open it. On one side was a little grating, and th

for a while he could not make out any words. Then f

oons have waxed and waned since I beheld the face of heaven? Oh

a mighty heave, and the hinges gave way. Nothing could he see, for the darkness was terrible, and his foot, which he

. He knotted three or four together and let the rope down, but even when a faint cry from the captive told him that it had reached the bottom, his labours were not ended yet. Twice the knots gave way, by good fortune, before the man was more than a foot or two from the ground, and other pieces of rope had to be fetched. Then, when

nown him for their child, but Una’s heart lea

the knight, who knew that men love not to speak of their sorrows, begged her to tend the captive carefully, so that his forces might come to him again. Fur

answered Una, ‘but strip her robe of scarlet f

rought so much havoc in the world, there stood before them an old bald-headed shaking crone, that seemed as ancient as the ear

n, and had ridden far and long in quest of the Faerie Queen. And having fulfilled his vow to Una, in delivering the Red Cross Knight out of the power of the giant, he bade

on who held captive Una’s royal parents. For some weeks therefore he rested in the c

d thing behind. His matted hair streamed in the wind and the fingers which grasped the reins were like the claws of an eagle. Stranger than all, round his ne

but patiently he repeated them over and over again,

e;’ and as he spoke he urged on his horse afresh. But the Red Cross Knight caught his bridle and ba

s, and bade them seek death, the one with a rope, the other with a knife. His friend, whose love had been disdained by a proud lady, fell an easy prey to the persuasions of the giant, and it was the sight of his corpse lying weltering in his blood that drove this man to ride awa

till he had seen with his own eyes that baleful being, and beg

illingly, ‘but not for all the gold in the world will I stay with you w

will follow,’ answered

n owl and the wails and howls of wandering ghosts; the only sights were the corpses of men hanging on trees or lying sta

confidently, and the other, wh

l nigh as much a skeleton as any of his victims. On the grass beneath him lay a body that was still warm, and in its bleeding wound

his life, why should he then prolong it? Is it not the part of a friend to free his feet when they stick fast in the mud, and to point to the door that leads t

listened wonderingl

to watch nor leave his st

r punishment. Therefore, I pray you go no further, but lie down and betake you to your rest. A longer life

in front of them is a kneeling man

CAVE OF

th he brought forth a store of swords, ropes, poisons, and a brazier of fire, and bade him choose what manner of death he would prefer. The knight gazed at them all, like one who walks in sleep, but touched none of them, and th

d him to drop his arm again, and in an instant she had snatc

to do with despair, after all the brave deeds you have done? Arise, Sir knight, a

d rode away by Una’s side without ever looking behind him. If he had, he would have seen that the miscreant had placed a rope round

ff her parents he needed yet more repose, and luckily she knew of a house not far off where they would be made welcome for as long as they chose to stay. Hither they fared, and for many weeks the knight’s armour was laid away, and the ladies who dwelt in that place gave him a

d Una, pointing to it with her hand, ‘and I see the watchman watchin

ng their heads, they beheld on their right a huge dragon, lying stretched upon the sunny side of a great hill, himself lik

the fight without herself being in danger. Crouching behind a rock, she watched the dreadful be

his wings were like two sails, and at the tip of each huge feather was a many-pronged claw; while his back was hidden with the folds of his tail,

rge he could not turn himself about quickly. So, getting a little behind his head, he tried to pierce his neck between the scal

n standing in fron

ils and rose heavily above the earth, till, suddenly and swiftly darting down his head, he snatched both horse and man off the ground. But he

gony, the beast snapped the spear asunder with his claws, and pulled out the head. At that a sea of blood gushed f

e brazen scales were still unpierced. Though his courage was as great as ever, the young man began to lose patience, when of a sudden he noticed that the monster could no longer rise into the air by reason of his wounded wing. That sight gave him h

nly known, it was the beginning, for the well into which the knight had f

er eyes dropping by chance on the well, she was sore amazed to see him rise out of it fairer and mightier than before. With a rush he fell upon the dragon, who had gone to sleep, safe in the knowledge of his victory, and, tak

ght was still hanging in the balance, the dragon thrust his head forward with wide-open jaws, thinking to swallow his enemy and make an end o

strils — down he fell, and men thought some migh

direful fiend should stir. But when at last she knew him dead, she came joyfully forth

to be told of Una and

n that the dragon was dead and that they were free. Then the king commanded the trumpets to sound a

of the maiden. Once more Duessa and Archimago sought to prevent the betrothal of the Red Cross Knight and Una by a plot to send the wizard in the guise of a messeng

ir were not long left together. A vow the knight had made when he received his spurs to do the Faerie Queen six years of

rie Queene.]<