DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.30698#0235
WILLIAM CAXTON.
20 7
[1475.]
withoute comparison, Thehe he drew out his good swerde of the
shethe & wente vnto the temple where the dragon helde him, anon as
the monstre had apperceyued Iason he enfeloned him self, & by grete
Ire opend his throte right terrible in gretnes out of whom sprang
out thre tonges castyng fire flambe and venym in suche wyse that the
goode knight had al his body aduironed ther with, how wel that the
fire ne the venym had no power vpon him . but passed by lason like
as hit had be the clerenes of the sone . and he cam and gaf the monsti’e
80 grete a stroke with his swerde bytwene the two eyen that he made
his heed hurtle ayenst his croupe right sore & durely, And whan the
dragon felte this streok, he releuyd him self & syn opende agayn his
throte & disgorged vpon lason a fumee so thikke of venym that the
noble knight sawe nothing aboute him . but this notwithstonding he
hauced his swerde a discharged hit vpon the dragon where he thought
his hede was, & smote so wel the monstre that he cutte of his thre
tonges euen by the mosel as nigh as they might be . wherof the serpent
felte so meruaillous payne & dolour that he began to frote & rubbe his
hede . And tourned on that one side so sodainly . that with his taill
he smote the valiaut knight on the back that he fill doun on the sande.’
‘ Whan lason felte him so smyten doun to the erthe he was so sore
astonyed that he wist not what was befalle him, And with this he had
grete shame, He Releued him & stode vp anon . but at his releuyng
the fumee of the dragon w ras vanisshed, & in seeyng aboute him he
apperceyud the thre tonges of the serpent whiche he hadde smyten o£
& syn he behelde the dragon whiche froted his mosell on an herbe, and
thene he ran vpon him agayn & smote in the myddes of the taill . in
exploiting the moste part of al his strength & also his trenchaut swerde
in such manere, that he cutte of a piece whiche was seuen foot long
Thene the dragon by the grete payn that he felt hauced his heed and
cam right fiersly and recoutred Iason wyth all his pesauteur and
might. . in suche a facon that Iason was beten douii to the grounde .
And the dragon passed ouer him . But thene the preu lason toke his
swerd & roof into the paunche of the dragon vp to the crosse & smote
him to the herte, & the dragon feling that he was smyten to the deth
began to renne with the swerde of Iason in his body wenyng to hyde
him selfe in his cauerne . But his lyf departed out of the body euen as
he shold haue entrid into the temple . And there he ouerthrewe alle to
strached and fowlid of his blood and of hys humeurs full of venym In
suche wise as hit semed that hit had ben a sourse or a sprynge rennyng
oute of hys body lenger thefie a grete hovve.
vol.xv.
v D
20 7
[1475.]
withoute comparison, Thehe he drew out his good swerde of the
shethe & wente vnto the temple where the dragon helde him, anon as
the monstre had apperceyued Iason he enfeloned him self, & by grete
Ire opend his throte right terrible in gretnes out of whom sprang
out thre tonges castyng fire flambe and venym in suche wyse that the
goode knight had al his body aduironed ther with, how wel that the
fire ne the venym had no power vpon him . but passed by lason like
as hit had be the clerenes of the sone . and he cam and gaf the monsti’e
80 grete a stroke with his swerde bytwene the two eyen that he made
his heed hurtle ayenst his croupe right sore & durely, And whan the
dragon felte this streok, he releuyd him self & syn opende agayn his
throte & disgorged vpon lason a fumee so thikke of venym that the
noble knight sawe nothing aboute him . but this notwithstonding he
hauced his swerde a discharged hit vpon the dragon where he thought
his hede was, & smote so wel the monstre that he cutte of his thre
tonges euen by the mosel as nigh as they might be . wherof the serpent
felte so meruaillous payne & dolour that he began to frote & rubbe his
hede . And tourned on that one side so sodainly . that with his taill
he smote the valiaut knight on the back that he fill doun on the sande.’
‘ Whan lason felte him so smyten doun to the erthe he was so sore
astonyed that he wist not what was befalle him, And with this he had
grete shame, He Releued him & stode vp anon . but at his releuyng
the fumee of the dragon w ras vanisshed, & in seeyng aboute him he
apperceyud the thre tonges of the serpent whiche he hadde smyten o£
& syn he behelde the dragon whiche froted his mosell on an herbe, and
thene he ran vpon him agayn & smote in the myddes of the taill . in
exploiting the moste part of al his strength & also his trenchaut swerde
in such manere, that he cutte of a piece whiche was seuen foot long
Thene the dragon by the grete payn that he felt hauced his heed and
cam right fiersly and recoutred Iason wyth all his pesauteur and
might. . in suche a facon that Iason was beten douii to the grounde .
And the dragon passed ouer him . But thene the preu lason toke his
swerd & roof into the paunche of the dragon vp to the crosse & smote
him to the herte, & the dragon feling that he was smyten to the deth
began to renne with the swerde of Iason in his body wenyng to hyde
him selfe in his cauerne . But his lyf departed out of the body euen as
he shold haue entrid into the temple . And there he ouerthrewe alle to
strached and fowlid of his blood and of hys humeurs full of venym In
suche wise as hit semed that hit had ben a sourse or a sprynge rennyng
oute of hys body lenger thefie a grete hovve.
vol.xv.
v D