MESSENGER

From him, and the rest His friends and enemies; whose stern fight I saw, And herd their words before, and in the fray. I saw fierce D'Ambois, and his two brave friends Enter the Field, and at their heals their foes; Which were the famous soldiers; Barrisor, L'Anou, and Pyrrhot, great in deeds of Arms: All which arrived at the evenest piece of earth The field afforded; The three Challengers Turned head, drew all their rapiers, and stood ranked: When face to face the three Defendants met them, Alike prepared, and resolute alike, Like bonfires of Contributory wood: Every men look showed, Fed with either's spirit, As one had been a mirror to another, Like forms of life and death, each took from other; And so were life and death mixed at their heights, That you could see no fear of death, for life; Nor love of life, for death: But in their brows Pyrrho's Opinion in great letters shone; That life and death in all respects are one. As Hector, betwixt the Hosts of Greece and Troy (When Paris and the Spartan King should end The nine years war) held up his brazen lance For signal, that both Hosts should cease from Arms, And hear him speak: So Barrisor (advised) Advanced his Naked Rapier betwixt both sides, Ripped up the Quarrel, and compared six lives; Then laid in balance with six idle words, Offered remission and contrition too; Or else that he and D'Ambois might conclude The others dangers. D'Ambois liked the last; But Barrisors friends (being equally engaged In the main Quarrel) never would expose His life alone, to that they all deserved. And (for the other offer of remission) D'Ambois (that Like a Laurel put in fire, Sparkled and spit) did much much more than scorn, That his wrong should incense him so Like chaff, To go so soon out; and Like lighted paper, Approve his spirit at once both fire and ashes: So drew they lots, and in them Fates appointed, That Barrisor should fight with firy D'Ambois; Pyrhot with Melynell; with Brissac L'Anou: And then Like flame and Powder they commixed, So spritely, that I wished they had been spirits, That the never shutting wounds, they needs must open, Might as they opened, shut, and never kill: But D'Ambois sword (that lightened as it flew) Shot Like a pointed Comet at the face Of manly Barrisor; and there it stuck: Thrice plucked he at it, and thrice drew on thrusts, From him, that of himself was free as fire; Who thrust still as he plucked, yet (passed belief!) He with his subtle eye, hand, body, scaped; At last the deadly bitten point tuggd'd off, On fell his yet undaunted Foe so fiercely, That (only made more horrid with his wound) Great D'Ambois shrunk, and gave a little ground; But soon returned, redoubled in his danger, And at the heart of Barrisor sealed his anger: Then, as in Arden I have seen and Oak Long shook with tempests, and his lofty top Bent to his root, which being at length made lose (Even groaning with his weight) he gan to Nod This way and that: as loath his curled Brows (Which he had oft wrapped in the sky with storms) Should stoop: and yet, his radical fivers burst, Stormlike he fell, and hid the fear-cold Earth. So fell stout Barrisor, that had stood the shocks Often set Battles in your Highness war, Gainst the sole soldier of the world, Navarre. Sorrow and fury, Like two opposite fumes, Met in the upper Region of a Cloud, At the report made by this worthies fallen, Brake from the earth, and with them rose Revenge, Entering with fresh powers his two noble friends; And under that ods fell surcharged Brissac, The friend of D'Ambois, before fierce L'Anou; Which D'Ambois seeing, as I once did see In my young travels through Armenia, And angry Unicorn in his full carrier Charge with too quick and eye a Jeweller, That watched him for the Treasure of his brow; And ere he could get shelter of a tree, Nail him with his rich Antler to the Earth: So D'Ambois ran upon revenged L'Anou, Who eyeing eager point born in his face, And giving back, fell back, and in his fallen His foes uncurbed sword stopped in his heart: By which time all the life strings of the tw'other Were cut, and both fell as their spirits flew Upwards: and still hunt Honour at the view. And now (of all the six) sole D'Ambois stood Untouched, save only with the others blood. All slain outright but he, Who kneeling in the warm life of his friends, (All feebled with the blood, his Rapier reigned) He kissed their pale cheeks, and bade both farewell; And see the bravest man the French earth bears.