XIX

Long he them bore above the subject plaine,
  So far as Ewghen bow a shaft may send,
  Till struggling strong did him at last constraine 165
  To let them downe before his flightes end: 
  As hagard hauke,[*] presuming to contend
  With hardie fowle, above his hable might,[*]
  His wearie pounces all in vaine doth spend
  To trusse the pray too heavy for his flight; 170
Which comming downe to ground, does free it selfe by fight.

XX

He so disseized[*] of his gryping grosse,
  The knight his thrillant speare again assayd
  In his bras-plated body to embosse,
  And three mens strength unto the stroke he layd; 175
  Wherewith the stiffe beame quaked, as affrayd,
  And glauncing from his scaly necke, did glyde
  Close under his left wing, then broad displayd: 
  The percing steele there wrought a wound full wyde,
That with the uncouth smart the Monster lowdly cryde. 180

XXI

He cryde, as raging seas are wont to rore,
  When wintry storme his wrathfull wreck does threat
  The roaring billowes beat the ragged shore,
  As they the earth would shoulder from her seat,
  And greedy gulfe does gape,[*] as he would eat 185
  His neighbour element in his revenge: 
  Then gin the blustring brethren[*] boldly threat
  To move the world from off his steadfast henge,
And boystrous battell make, each other to avenge.

XXII

The steely head stucke fast still in his flesh, 190
  Till with his cruell clawes he snatcht the wood,
  And quite a sunder broke.  Forth flowed fresh
  A gushing river of blacke goarie blood,
  That drowned all the land, whereon he stood;
  The streame thereof would drive a water-mill:  195
  Trebly augmented was his furious mood
  With bitter sence of his deepe rooted ill,
That flames of fire he threw forth from his large nosethrill.

XXIII

His hideous tayle then hurled he about,
  And therewith all enwrapt the nimble thyes 200
  Of his froth-fomy steed, whose courage stout
  Striving to loose the knot that fast him tyes,
  Himselfe in streighter bandes too rash implyes,
  That to the ground he is perforce constraynd
  To throw his rider:  who can quickly ryse 205
  From off the earth, with durty blood distaynd,
For that reprochfull fall right fowly he disdaynd.

XXIV

And fiercely tooke his trenchand blade in hand,
  With which he stroke so furious and so fell,
  That nothing seemd the puissaunce could withstand:  210
  Upon his crest the hardned yron fell,
  But his more hardned crest was armd so well,
  That deeper dint therein it would not make;
  Yet so extremely did the buffe him quell,
  That from thenceforth he shund the like to take, 215
But when he saw them come, he did them still forsake.