And with these words heaving aloft his clubb
Into the ayre, he swings the same about:
Then shakes his lockes, and doth his temples rubb,
And, like the Cyclops, in his pride doth strout:[297]
Sirra, sayes hee, I have you at a lift, 125
Now you are come unto your latest shift.
Perish forever: with this stroke I send thee
A medicine, that will doe thy thirst much good;[298]
Take noe more care for drinke before I end thee,
And then wee'll have carouses of thy blood: 130
Here's at thee with a butchers downright blow,
To please my furye with thine overthrow.
Infernall, false, obdurate feend, said Guy,[299]
That seemst a lumpe of crueltye from hell;[300]
Ungratefull monster, since thou dost deny[301] 135
The thing to mee wherin I used thee well:
With more revenge, than ere my sword did make,
On thy accursed head revenge Ile take.
Thy gyants longitude shall shorter shrinke,
Except thy sun-scorcht skin be weapon proof:[302] 140
Farewell my thirst; I doe disdaine to drinke,
Streames keepe your waters to your owne behoof;[303]
Or let wild beasts be welcome thereunto;
With those pearle drops I will not have to do.
Here, tyrant, take a taste of my good-will,[304] 145
For thus I doe begin my bloodye bout:
You cannot chuse but like the greeting ill;
It is not that same clubb will beare you out;
And take this payment on thy shaggye crowne.—
A blowe that brought him with a vengeance downe. 150
Then Guy sett foot upon the monsters brest,
And from his shoulders did his head divide;
Which with a yawninge mouth did gape, unblest;
Noe dragons jawes were ever scene soe wide
To open and to shut, till life was spent. 155
Then Guy tooke keyes and to the castle went.
Where manye woefull captives he did find,
Which had beene tyred with extremityes;
Whom he in freindly manner did unbind,
And reasoned with them of their miseryes:[305] 160
Eche told a tale with teares, and sighes, and cryes,
All weeping to him with complaining eyes.
There tender ladyes in darke dungeons lay,[306]
That were surprised in the desart wood,
And had noe other dyett everye day, 165
But flesh of humane creatures for their food:[307]
Some with their lovers bodyes had beene fed,
And in their wombes their husbands buryed.
Now he bethinkes him of his being there, 169
To enlarge the wronged brethren from their woes;
And, as he searcheth, doth great clamours heare,
By which sad sound's direction on he goes,
Untill he findes a darksome obscure gate,
Arm'd strongly ouer all with iron plate.
That he unlockes, and enters, where appeares, 175
The strangest object that he ever saw;
Men that with famishment of many yeares,
Were like deathes picture, which the painters draw;[308]
Divers of them were hanged by eche thombe;
Others head-downward: by the middle some. 180