Stories From the Faerie Queene - M Macleod (1905)

The Sultan's Horses
Artegall refused to take off his
discovered.
Soon after,
armour, fearing to be
Prince Arthur arrived, and sent a bold
defiance to the Sultan, requiring of him the damsel
whom he held as a wrongful prisoner. The Sultan,
filled with fury, swearing and cursing, commanded his
armour to be brought at once, and mounted straight
upon a high chariot, dreadfully armed with iron wheels
and hooks, and drawn by cruel steeds, whom he fed
with the flesh of slaughtered men.
Thus he came forth, clad in a coat of mail, all red
with rust.
The Prince waited ready for him in glistering
armour, right goodly to see, that shone like the
sun. By the stirrup Talus attended, playing his page's
part,
as his master had directed.
So they went forth to battle, both alike fierce,
but with different motives. For the proud and presumptuous
Sultan, with insolent bearing, sought only
slaughter and revenge ; but the brave Prince fought
for right and honour against lawless tyranny, on behalf
of wronged weakness, trusting more to the truth of
his cause than in his own strength.
The Sultan in his folly thought either to hew the
Prince in pieces with his sharp wheels, or to bear
him down under his fierce horses' feet, and trample
him in the dust. But the bold Knight, well spying that
peril if he came too near the chariot, kept out of the way
of the flying horses. Yet as he passed by, the Pagan
threw a dart with such force that, had he not shunned
it needfully, it would have transfixed either himself or
his horse.
Often Prince Arthur came near, hoping to
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