Exceeding rage inflamed the furious beast
To be avenged of so great despite,
For never felt his impierceable breast
So wondrous force from hand of living
wight,

Yet had he proved the power of many a puissant knight.

Then, with his waving wings displayèd wide,

Himself up high he lifted from the ground, And with strong flight did forcibly divide

The yielding air, which nigh too feeble found

Her flitting' parts and element unsound
To bear so great a weight; he, cutting

way

With his broad sails, about him soarèd round;

At last, low stooping with unwieldy sway, Snatcht up both horse and man, to bear them quite away.

Long he them bore above the subject2 plain

So far as ewghen" bow a shaft may send, Till struggling strong did him at last constrain

To let them down before his flightès end, As hagard' hawk, presuming to contend With hardy fowl above his able might," His weary pounces all in vain doth

He so disseizèds of his griping gross," The Knight his thrillant10 spear again assayed

In his brass-plated body to emboss," And three men's strength unto the stroke he laid;

Wherewith the stiff beam quaked, as afraid,

And, glancing from his scaly neck, did glide

Close under his left wing; then, broad displayed,

The piercing steel there wrought a wound full wide,

That with the úncouth12 smart the monster loudly cried.

2 Lying beneath.

4 Wild.

5 Proper might. 7 Bear aloft.

13 As if.

12 Strange.

14 Hinge.

And quite asunder broke: forth flowèd

fresh

A gushing river of black gory blood,

Yet so extremely did the buff him quell That from thenceforth he shunned the like to take,

plyes,1

That to the ground he is perforce con

strained

To throw his rider, who can quickly rise From off the earth, with dirty blood distained,

For that reproachful fall right foully he disdained;

found.

Then, full of grief and anguish vehement,
He loudly brayed that like was never heard,
And from his wide devouring oven sent
A flake of fire, that, flashing in his beard,
Him all amazed, and almost made afeard;
The scorching flame sore singèd all his face,
And through his armor all his body seared,"
That he could not endure so cruel case,

dwell.

And, gathering up himself out of the mire, With his uneven wings did fiercely fall

That to the earth him drove as stricken

dead,