Edmund Spenser

“ His blazing eyes, like two bright shining shields,
⁠Did burne with wrath, and sparkled living fyre:
⁠As two broad Beacons,^ set in open fields,
⁠Send forth their flames far off to every shyre,
⁠And warning give, that enemies conspyre
⁠With fire and sword the region to invade ”

“ 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
⁠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
⁠From off the earth, with durty blood distaynd,
For that reprochfull fall right fowly he disdaynd. ”

“ 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
⁠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;
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 ”

“ All scared nations doest with horrour sterne astownd.
VII
Faire Goddesse, lay that furious fit aside,
⁠Till I of warres^ and bloody Mars do sing,
⁠And Briton fields with Sarazin bloud bedyde,
⁠Twixt that great Faery Queene, and Paynim king,
⁠That with their horrour heaven and earth did ring;
⁠A worke of labour long and endlesse prayse:
⁠But now a while let downe that haughtie string^
⁠And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse,
That I this man of God his godly armes may blaze. ”

“ Such noyse his rouzed scales did send unto the knight.
X
His flaggy wings when forth he did display,
⁠Were like two sayles, in which the hollow wynd
⁠Is gathered full, and worketh speedy way:
⁠And eke the pennes, that did his pineons bynd,
⁠Were like mayne-yards, with flying canvas lynd ”

“ The other foot, fast fixed on his shield,
⁠Whenas no strength, nor stroks mote him constraine
⁠To loose, ne yet the warlike pledge to yield,
⁠He smot thereat with all his might and maine,
⁠That nought so wondrous puissaunce might sustaine ”