Torrent of Portyngale Part 12

Now, I{es}u, for thy holy name, Ase I ame but man~ a-lone, Than~ be my helpe to nyght!'

[Linenotes: 532. _thys_] _hys_ (!) MS.

533. _haue_] _or_ add. (!) MS.

_order_] _othere_ (!) MS.]

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[Sidenote: The Dragon's tail is 7 yards long,]

Ase Torrent I{es}u gan~ p{ra}y, 540 He herd the dragon~, ther he lay Vndyr-nethe a clo{w}; Of an{d} on he wase stronge, Hys tayle wase VII yerd{es} long, That aftyr hyme he dr{o}we; 545 Hys wyngg{es} wase long and wyght, To the chyld he toke a flyght W{i}t{h} an howge sw{ow}e; Had he nether~ schyld ne spere, But p{ra}yd to G.o.d, he schold hyme were, 550 For he wase in dred i-nowe.

[Linenotes: 542. _clow_] _colod_ or _colvd_, _l_ corrected from _d_, MS.

543. _and_] _an_ MS.

545. _drewe_ MS.

548. _swowe_] _swayne_ (!) MS.

551. _inowthe_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: and has a fiery head on it. Torrent cuts 4 ells off the Dragon's tail;]

On the tayle an hed ther~ wase, That byrnyd Bryght as anny glase, f. 85b.

In fyer whan {yt} was dyght; A-bowght the schyld he lappyd yt ther~, 555 Torrent the bowght a-sondyr schere Thurrow the g{ra}ce of G.o.d almyght.

As the boke of Rome telly{s}, Of hys taylle he cut IIII ell{es} W{i}t{h} hys swerd so bryght. 560 Than cryed the lothely thyng, That all the dall be-gan to Ryng, That hard the gyant wyght.

[Linenotes: 554. _yt_] _he_ MS.

558. _Tellys_] _tellythe_ MS.

563. _That the gyant hard wyght_ MS.]

[[f. 85b. _Text has anomalous "fol."_]]

[Headnote: TORRENT KILLS THE DRAGON.]

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[Sidenote: and while its Giant-owner is getting ready to help it,]

The gyant seyd: 'I vndyrstond, There ys sum crystyn~ man~ nere hond, 565 My dragon here I cry.

By hym, that schope bothe watyr~ and lond, All that I can se be-fore me stond, Dere schall they a-bye!

Me thynkythe, I here my dragon~ schowt, 570 I deme, ther be svme dowghtty man~ hym a-bowght, I trow, to long I ly.

Yf I dwell in my pyll of ston~, And my cheff-fost{er} were gone, A false mayst{er} were I!' 575

[Linenote: 574. _foster_] _st_ corr. out of _t_.]

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[Sidenote: Torrent kills it. Torrent's Squire]

Be the gyant wase Redy dyght, Torrent had slayne the dragon~ Ryght; Thus gan G.o.d hyme scheld.

To the mownteyne he toke the wey To Rest hyme, all that day, 580 He had myst{er}, to be kyld.

Tyll the day be-gan to spryng, f. 87a.[T1]

Fowllys gan myrre to syng Bothe in~ frethe and in feld.

Leve we now of Torrent th{o}re 585 And speke we of thys squyer~ more: I{es}u hys sole fro h.e.l.l shyld!

[Linenotes: 581. _kyllyd_ MS.

585. _there_ MS.]

[Footnote T1: There is no f. 86 in the paging of the MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT'S SQUIRE IS MET BY A GIANT.]

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[Sidenote: rides all night in a wood,]

Hys squyer~ Rod all nyght In a wod, that wase full tyght, W{i}t{h} meche care and gret fare, 590 For to seke hys lord Torrent, That wy{ght}ly wase frome hyme sent, And he wyst nevyr~ whethyr ne wh{a}r~.

He Durst neuyr~ cry ne schuot, For wy{l}d best{es} were hym a-bowght 595 In~ the holtt{es} h{a}re; A lyty{l} whyll be-fore the day He toke in~ to a Ryde-wey Hyme self to meche care.

[Linenotes: 592. _wysly_ MS.

593. _wher_ MS.

595. _wyld_] _wyd_ MS.

596. _h.o.r.e_ MS.

597. _lyty_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: till he finds a highway,]

Forthe he Rod, I vndyrstond, 600 Tyll he an hey wey fond, W{i}t{h}-owtyn~ any Del{ite}, Also fast ase he myght fare, Fore berrys and apys, {a}t ther w{a}re, Lest they wold hym byght. 605 The sone a-Rose and schone bryght, Of a castyll he had a syght, That wase bothe feyer~ and whyte . . . .

[Linenotes: 602. _Delite_] _delay_ MS.

604. _were_ MS.]

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[Sidenote: and is met by a Giant. The Giant cuts Torrent's Squire into 4 quarters.]

The gyant h{i}m se, & ny yed, And seyd: 'Fellow, so G.o.d me sped, 610 Thow art welcom to me: f. 87b.

What dost thow here in my forest?'

'Lord, to seke an hawkys nest, Yff yt yow{r} wyl be.'

'The be-hovythe to ley a wede.' 615 To an oke he hym led: Gret Ruthe yt wase to se.

In IIII q{uar}ter{es} he hym dr{o}we, And eu{er}y quarter vppon a bowe; Lord, soche weys toke hee! 620

[Linenotes: 609. _hem_ MS.

618. _drewe_ MS.]

[Headnote: TORRENT IS ATTACKT BY THE GIANT ROCHENSE.]

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