160
The first Booke of
Cant. XI.
Her flitting parts, and element vnsound,To beare so great a weight: he cutting wayWith his broad sayles, about him soared round:At last low stouping with vnweldy sway,Snatcht vp both horse & man, to beare thē quite away.
Long he them bore aboue the subiect plaine,So far as Ewghen bow a shaft may send,Till struggling strong did him at last constraine,To let them downe before his flightes end:As hagard hauke presuming to contendWith hardy fowle, aboue his hable might,His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend,To trusse the pray too heauy for his flight;Which comming down to ground, does free it selfe by fight.
He so disseized of his gryping grosse,The knight his thrillant speare againe assaydIn his bras-plated body to embosse,And three mens strength vnto the stroake he Iayd;Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glydeClose vnder his left wing, then broad displayd.The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,That with the vncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde.
He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,When wintry storme his wrathful wreck does threat,The rolling billowes beat the ragged shore,As they the earth would shoulder from her seat,And greedy gulfe does gape, as he would eatHis neighbour element in his reuenge:Then gin the blustring brethren boldly threat,To moue the world from off his stedfast henge,And boystrous battaile make, each other to auenge.
The
