ed himself to the
Norman, who straight coped with him, and as a man that would triumph
in the glory of his strength, roused himself with such fury, that not
only he gave him the fall, but killed him with the weight of his
corpulent personage: which the younger brother seeing, leaped
presently into the place, and thirsty after the revenge, assailed the
Norman with such valor, that at the first encounter he brought him to
his knees; which repulsed so the Norman, that, recovering himself,
fear of disgrace doubling his strength, he stepped so sternly to the
young franklin, that taking him up in his arms he threw him against
the ground so violently, that he broke his neck, and so ended his days
with his brother. At this unlooked for massacre the people murmured,
and were all in a deep passion of pity; but the franklin, father unto
these, never changed his countenance, but as a man of a courageous
resolution took up the bodies of his sons without show of outward
discontent.

All this while stood Rosader and saw this tragedy; who, noting the
undoubted virtue[1] of the franklin's mind, alighted off from his
horse, and presently sate down on the grass, and commanded his boy to
pull off his boots, making him ready to try the strength of this
champion. Being furnished as he would, he clapped the franklin on the
shoulder and said thus:

"Bold yeoman, whose sons have ended the term of their years with
honor, for that I see thou scornest fortune with patience, and
thwartest the injury of fate with content in brooking the death of thy
sons, stand awhile, and either see me make a third in their tragedy,
or else revenge their fall with an honorable triumph."

[Footnote 1: courage.]

The franklin, seeing so goodly a gentleman to give him such courteous
comfort, gave him hearty thanks, with promise to pray for his happy
success. With that Rosader vailed bonnet to the king, and lightly
leaped within the lists, where noting more the company than the
combatant, he cast his eye upon the troop of ladies that glistered
there like the stars of heaven; but at last, Love, willing to make him
as amorous as he was valiant, presented him with the sight of
Rosalynde, whose admirable beauty so inveigled the eye of Rosader,
that forgetting himself, he stood and fed his looks on the favor of
Rosalynde's face; which she perceiving blushed, which was such a
doubling of her beauteous excellence, that the bashful red of Aurora
at the sight of unacquain