(I)
A
TRUE RELATION
OF THE
Dreadful Combate
BETWEEN
More of More-Hall,
AND THE
DRAGON of WANTLEY.
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1.
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OLd Stories tell how Hercules
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A Dragon slew at Lerna,
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With seven Heads and fourteen Eyes
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To see and well discerna;
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But he had a Club
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This Dragon to drub,
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Or he had ne'r don't, I warrant ye
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But More of More-Hall,
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With nothing at all,
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He slew the Dragon of Wantley.
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2.
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This Dragon had two furious Wings,
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Each one upon each Shoulder,
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With a sting in his Tayl
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As long as a Flayl,
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Which made him bolder and bolder.
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He had long Claws,
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And in his Jaws,
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Four and forty Teeth of Iron,
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With a Hide as Tough as any Buff,
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Which did him round Inviron.
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3.
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Have you not heard that the Trojan Horse,
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Held seventy men in his Belly?
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This Dragon was not quite so big,
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But very near, I'll tell ye,
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Devour did he,
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Poor Children Three,
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That could not with him grapple;
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And at one Sup,
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He eat them up,
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As one should eat an Apple.
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4.
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All sorts of Cattle this Dragon did eat,
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Some say he'd eat up Trees,
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And that the Forrest sure he would
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Devour up by degrees.
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For Houses and Churches
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Were to him Gorse and Buirches:
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He eat all, and left none behind,
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But some Stones, dear Jack,
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Which he could not crack,
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Which on the Hills you will find.
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5.
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In Yorkshire near fair Rotheram,
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The Place I know it well,
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Some two or three Miles, or thereabouts,
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I vow I cannot tell;
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But there is a Hedge,
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Just on the Hill Edge,
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And Mathews House hard by it:
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Oh there and then,
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Was this Dragon's Den,
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You could not choose but spy it.
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6.
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Some say this Dragon was a Witch;
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Some say he was the Devil,
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For from his Nose, a smoke arose,
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And with it burning Snivil,
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Which he cast off,
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When he did Cough,
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In a Well, that he did stand by,
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Which made it look,
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Just like a Brook,
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Running with burning Brandy.
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7.
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Hard by a furious Knight there dwelt,
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Of whom all Towns did Ring;
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For he could wrestle, play at Quarter-Staff,
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Kick, Cuff, Box, Huff,
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Call Son of a Whore:
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Do any kind of thing;
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By the Tail, and the Main,
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With his hands twain,
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He swong a Horse till he was dead,
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And that which was stranger,
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He for very Anger,
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Eat him all up but his Head.
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8.
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These Children as I told being eat,
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Men, Women, Girles, and Boyes,
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Sighing and sobbing, came to his Lodging,
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And made a hideous Noyse.
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Oh save us all, More of More-Hall,
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Thou pearless Knight of these Woods;
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Do but slay this Dragon,
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We won't leave us a Rag on,
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Wee'l give thee all our Goods.
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9.
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Tut, Tut, quoth he, no Goods I want,
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But I want, I want insooth,
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A fair Maid of Sixteen that's brisk,
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And smiles about the Mouth:
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Hair as black as a Sloe,
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Both above and below,
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With a Blush her Cheekes adorning;
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To 'noynt me o're Night,
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E're I go to fight,
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And to dress me in the Morning.
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10.
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This being done, he did engage
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To hew this Dragon down;
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But first he went New Armour to
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Bespeak, at Sheffield Town,
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With Spikes all about,
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Not within, but without,
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Of Steel so sharp and strong,
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Both behind and before,
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Arms, Legs, all o're,
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Some five or six Inches long.
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11.
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Had you but seen him in this Dress,
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How fierce he look't, and big,
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You would have thought him for to be
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An Egyptian Porcu-Pig:
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He frighted all,
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Cats, Dogs, and all;
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Each Cow, each Horse, and each Hog,
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For fear did flee,
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For they took him to be
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Some strange outlandish Hedghogg.
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12.
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To see this Fight, all People there
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Got upon Trees and Houses,
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On Churches some, and Chimneys too;
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But they put on their Trowzes,
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Not to spoyl their Hose.
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As soon as he rose,
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To make him strong and mighty,
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He drank by the Tayl,
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Six pots of Ale,
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And a Quart of Aqua-vitae.
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13.
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It is not Strength that always wins,
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For Wit doth Strength excel,
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Which made our cunning Champion
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Creep down into a Well,
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Where he did think
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This Dragon would drink,
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And so he did in Truth;
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And as he stoop't low,
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He rose up and cry'd boe,
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And hit him in the Mouth.
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14.
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Oh, quoth the Dragon, pox take you come out,
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Thou that disturb'st me in my Drink,
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And then he turn'd and shit at him,
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Good lack how he did stink:
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Beshrew thy Soul,
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Thy Body is foul,
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Thy Dung smells not like Balsome:
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Thou Son of a Whore,
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Thou stink'st so sore,
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Sure thy Dyet it is unwholesome.
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15.
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Our Politick Knight, on the other side
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Crep't out upon the Brink,
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And gave the Dragon such a doust,
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He knew not what to think:
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By Cock, quoth he,
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Say you so, do you see,
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And then at him he let flie;
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With Hand and with Foot,
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And so they went to't,
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And the Word it was, Hey Boyes hey.
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16.
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Your Word, quoth the Dragon, I don't understand
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Then to't they fell at all,
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Like two Wild Bears, so fierce I may
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Compare great things with small:
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Two Dayes and a Night,
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With this Dragon did fight,
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Our Champion on the Ground,
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Tho' their Strength it was great,
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Yet their Skill it was neat.
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They never had one Wound,
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17.
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At length the hard Earth began for to quake,
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The Dragon gave him such a knock,
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Which made him to Reel,
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And strait way he thought
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To lift him as high as a Rock;
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And thence let him fall,
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But More of More-Hall,
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Like a Valiant Son of Mars;
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As he came like a Lout,
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So he turn'd him about,
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And hit him a kick on the Arse.
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18.
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Oh, quoth the Dragon, with a Sigh,
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And turn'd six times together,
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Sobbing, and tearing, cursing and swearing
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Out of his Throat of Leather.
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Oh, thou Raskal,
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More of More-Hall,
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Would I had seen you never,
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With the Thing at thy Foot,
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Thou hast prick't my Arse Gut;
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Oh, I am quite undone forever.
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19.
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Murder, Murder, the Dragon cry'd,
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Alack, alack, for Grief,
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Had you but mist that Place, you could
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Have done me no Mischief;
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Then his Head he shak't,
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Trembled, and Quackt,
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And down he layd, and cryed;
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First on one Knee,
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Then on back, tumbled he,
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So groan'd, kick't, shit, and dyed.
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