Forth came that auncient Lord and aged Queene,
  Arayd in antique robes downe to the ground,
  And sad habiliments right well beseene;
  A noble crew about them waited round 40
  Of sage and sober Peres, all gravely gownd;
  Whom farre before did march a goodly band
  Of tall young men,[*] all hable armes to sownd,
  But now they laurell braunches bore in hand;
Glad signe of victorie and peace in all their land. 45

VI

Unto that doughtie Conquerour they came,
  And him before themselves prostrating low,
  Their Lord and Patrone loud did him proclame,
  And at his feet their laurell boughes did throw. 
  Soone after them all dauncing on a row 50
  The comely virgins came, with girlands dight,
  As fresh as flowres in medow greene do grow,
  When morning deaw upon their leaves doth light: 
And in their hands sweet Timbrels all upheld on hight.

VII

And them before, the fry of children young 55
  Their wanton sports and childish mirth did play,
  And to the Maydens[*] sounding tymbrels sung,
  In well attuned notes, a joyous lay,
  And made delightfull musicke all the way,
  Untill they came, where that faire virgin stood; 60
  As faire Diana in fresh sommers day,
  Beholds her Nymphes enraung’d in shadie wood,
Some wrestle, some do run, some bathe in christall flood: 

VIII

So she beheld those maydens meriment
  With chearefull vew; who when to her they came, 65
  Themselves to ground with gracious humblesse bent,
  And her ador’d by honorable name,
  Lifting to heaven her everlasting fame: 
  Then on her head they set a girland greene,
  And crowned her twixt earnest and twixt game; 70
  Who in her self-resemblance well beseene,[*]
Did seeme such, as she was, a goodly maiden Queene.

IX

And after, all the raskall many[*] ran,
  Heaped together in rude rablement,
  To see the face of that victorious man:  75
  Whom all admired, as from heaven sent,
  And gazd upon with gaping wonderment. 
  But when they came where that dead Dragon lay,
  Stretcht on the ground in monstrous large extent,
  The sight with idle feare did them dismay, 80
Ne durst approch him nigh, to touch, or once assay.

X

Some feard, and fled; some feard and well it faynd;
  One that would wiser seeme then all the rest,
  Warnd him not touch, for yet perhaps remaynd
  Some lingring life within his hollow brest, 85
  Or in his wombe might lurke some hidden nest
  Of many Dragonets, his fruitfull seed;
  Another said, that in his eyes did rest
  Yet sparckling fire, and bad thereof take heed;
Another said, he saw him move his eyes indeed. 90