XXIX

At last she chaunced by good hap to meet
  A goodly knight,[*] faire marching by the way
  Together with his Squire, arrayed meet:  250
  His glitterand armour shined farre away,
  Like glauncing light of Phoebus brightest ray;
  From top to toe no place appeared bare,
  That deadly dint of steele endanger may: 
  Athwart his brest a bauldrick brave he ware, 255
That shynd, like twinkling stars, with stons most pretious rare.

XXX

And in the midst thereof one pretious stone
  Of wondrous worth, and eke of wondrous mights,
  Shapt like a Ladies head,[*] exceeding shone,
  Like Hesperus[*] emongst the lesser lights, 260
  And strove for to amaze the weaker sights: 
  Thereby his mortall blade full comely hong
  In yvory sheath, ycarv’d with curious slights;
  Whose hilts were burnisht gold, and handle strong
Of mother pearle, and buckled with a golden tong. 265

XXXI

His haughtie helmet, horrid all with gold,
  Both glorious brightnesse, and great terrour bred;
  For all the crest a Dragon[*] did enfold
  With greedie pawes, and over all did spred
  His golden wings:  his dreadfull hideous hed 270
  Close couched on the bever, seem’d to throw
  From flaming mouth bright sparkles fierie red,
  That suddeine horror to faint harts did show,
And scaly tayle was stretcht adowne his backe full low.

XXXII

Upon the top of all his loftie crest, 275
  A bunch of haires discolourd diversly,
  With sprincled pearle, and gold full richly drest,
  Did shake, and seemd to daunce for jollity,
  Like to an Almond tree ymounted hye
  On top of greene Selinis[*] all alone, 280
  With blossoms brave bedecked daintily;
  Whose tender locks do tremble every one
At every little breath that under heaven is blowne.

XXXIII

His warlike shield[*] all closely cover’d was,
  Ne might of mortall eye be ever seene; 285
  Not made of steele, nor of enduring bras,
  Such earthly mettals soone consumed beene;
  But all of Diamond perfect pure and cleene
  It framed was, one massie entire mould,
  Hewen out of Adamant rocke with engines keene, 290
  That point of speare it never percen could,
Ne dint of direfull sword divide the substance would.

XXXIV

The same to wight he never wont disclose,
  But when as monsters huge he would dismay,
  Or daunt unequall armies of his foes, 295
  Or when the flying heavens he would affray;
  For so exceeding shone his glistring ray,
  That Phoebus golden face it did attaint,
  As when a cloud his beames doth over-lay;
  And silver Cynthia[*] wexed pale and faint, 300
As when her face is staynd with magicke arts constraint.