Page:Stories from Old English Poetry-1899.djvu/110

88 false Florimel. Already by her subtle arts she had begun to sow discord among them; and although Sir Satyrane had won her love in honorable combat, many of these disputed his right to her. Among these were Paridell, Blandamour, and Braggadochio, who urged his prior claim. At length Satyrane agreed to leave it to the lady’s choice; and moved by her own spritish fancy, she chose the braggart knight, whose temper was of the sort that pleased her best. So, leaving Sir Satyrane alone in his disappointment, she rode away with her chosen knight, and the whole party dispersed far and wide.

It becomes us now to return to the true Florimel, whom all this time we have left in the little boat with the fisherman, afloat upon the bosom of the sea. Several miles had the waves, assisted by the slight oars which the maiden wielded skillfully, borne them from the shore before the aged fisherman awakened. When at first he saw the vision in his boat, with holy face and golden hair, her zone unbound and her garment flowing loosely from her white throat, he believed her a creature of gentler mould than earth, and cowered in his side of the boat, fearing to address her, lest she proved some powerful spirit of the air. But soon, with tearful accents,