Meanwhile fierce Talgol, gathering might, 785 790 Twice bruis'd his head, and twice his back; To guard his leader from fell bane, 800 And then reveng'd itself again. And Ver. 786.] Smote the Knight. In the two editions of 1664. Ver. 787, 788.] And he with rufty pistol held To take the blow on like a fhield. Thus altered 1674, 1684, 1689, 1694, 1700. Reftored 1704. Ver. 797.] But when his rugged fword was out. In the two first editions of 1663. Ver. 798.] Courageously. 1674 to 1704, inclufive, And though the fword (fome understood) Is fo implacably enrag'd, 805 810 Though iron hew and mangle fore, Wood wounds and bruifes honour more. And now both Knights were out of breath, 815 Whilft all the rest amaz'd stood still, upper part of him, the blow Had flit, as fure as that below. Mean while the incomparable Colon, Him Ralph encounter'd, and straight grew Ver. 825.] 820 825 Th' one But now fierce Colon 'gan draw on, To aid the distress'd champion. In the two first editions of 1663. Ver. 828.] A fierce difpute. 1674 to 1704, inclufive. Th' one arm'd with metal, th' other with wood, This fit for bruife, and that for blood. 830 With many a stiff thwack, many a bang, Hard crab-tree and old iron rang, While none that faw them could divine That two should with fo many men vy, Perform'd what force could ne'er attain ; 835 .840 845 859 And Ver. 844.] With prickles fharper than a nail. Edit. 1674, to 1704, inclufive. Ver. 846.] And feel regret on fundament. In the two first editions of 1663. And blundering ftill, with fmarting rump, This Talgol viewing, who had now 855 He rally'd, and again fell to 't; For, catching foe by nearer foot, He lifted with fuch might and ftrength, As would have hurl'd him thrice his length, And dash'd his brains (if any) out; 860 But Mars, that still protects the stout, 865 The Ver. 855.] That stagger'd him. Edit. 1674, to 1700, inclufive. Ver. 864, 865.] I would here obferve the judgment of the Poet: Mars is introduced to the Knight's advantage, as Pallas had been before to his difappointment. It was reafonable that the God of War fhould come in to his affiftance, fince a Goddess had interested herself on the fide of his enemies (agreeably to Homer and Virgil). Had the Knight directly fallen to the ground, he had been probably difabled from future action; and confequently, the battle would too foon have been determined: befides, we may observe a beautiful gradation, to the honour of the hero; he falls upon the Bear, the Bear breaks loofe, and the fpectators run: fo that the Knight's fall is the primary caufe of this rout, and he might juftly, as he afterwards did, afcribe the honour of the victory to him. felf. And had no hurt, our's far'd as well His wrath inflam'd, boil'd o'er, and from. 875 880 Fury in stranger poftures threw him, And more than ever herald drew him :: He tore the earth, which he had fav'd 885 From fquelch of Knight, and storm'd and rav'd, And vex'd the more, because the harms He felt were 'gainst the law of arms: Who never fo much hurt had done him, For whom he 'ad fought fo many a fray, GA 8951 Wrong |