%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> A / TRUE RELATION / OF THE / Dreadful Combate / BETWEEN / More of More=Hall, / AND THE / DRAGON of WANTLEY. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1685 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 08/04/2008 22210

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

5.391 R229006 1 The Dragon of Wantley OLd Stories tell how Hercules / A Dragon slew at Lerna, tune: see music; tune not specified by name; date from imprint; (3) verso pasted to 3.391 Pepys 5.391 Wing T2943A Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 5: 391 A / TRUE RELATION / OF THE / Dreadful Combate / BETWEEN / More of More=Hall, / AND THE / DRAGON of WANTLEY. A TRUE RELATION OF THE Dreadful Combate BETWEEN More of More-Hall, AND THE DRAGON of WANTLEY. A True Relation of the Dreadful Combat between More of More-Hall, and the Dragon of Wantley. single sheet folio, stitched and folded, 260 x 190 creased and damaged surface horizontal and vertical rules 1685 LONDON, Printed for Randal Taylor, / near Stationers Hall, 1685. Randal Taylor Weinstein

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 8/4/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Various Subjects monstrosity nobility/court 7/2006 Transcriber Paxton Hehmeyer original transcription 8/4/2008 Checker Jessica C. Murphy metadata entered, xml created, estc ID entered from estc.bl.uk 10/24/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
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1. OLd Stories tell how Hercules A Dragon slew at Lerna, With Seven Heads and fourteen Eyes To see and well discerna; But he had a Club This Dragon to drub, Or he had ne'r don't, I warrant ye But More of More-Hall, With nothing at all, He slew the Dragon of Wantley. 2. This Dragon had two furious Wings, Each one upon each Shoulder, With a sting in his Tayl As long as a Flayl, Which made him bolder and bolder[.] He had long Claws, And in his Jaws, Four and forty Teeth of Iron, With a Hide as Tough as any Buff, Which did him round Inviron.
3. Have you not heard that the Trojan Horse, Held seventy men in his Belly? This Dragon was not quite so big, But very near, I'll tell ye, Devour did he, Poor Children Three, That could not with him grapple; And at one Sup, He eat them up, As one should eat an Apple. 4. All sorts of Cattle this Dragon did eat, Some say he'd eat up Trees, And that the Forrest sure he would Devour up by degrees. For Houses and Curches Were to him Gorse and Buirches: He eat all, and left none behind, But some Stones, dear Jack, Which he could not crack, Which on the Hills you will find. A 5. In (2)
5. In Yorkshire near fair Rotheram, The Place I know it well, Some two or three Miles, or thereabouts, I vow I cannot ell; But there is a Hedge, Just on the Hill Edge, And Mathew's House hard by it: Oh there and then, Was this Dragon's Den, You could not choose but spy it. 6. Some say this Dragon was a Witch; Some say he was the Devil, For from his Nose, a smoke arose, And with it burning Snivil, Which he cast off, When he did Cough, In a Well, that he did stand by, Which made it look, Just like a Brook, Running with burning Brandy. 7. Hard by a furious Knight there dwelt, Of whom all Towns did Ring; For he could wrestle, play at Quarter-Staff, Kick, Cuff, Box, Huff, Call Son of a Whore: Do any kind of thing; By the Tail, and the Main, With his hands twain, He swong a Horse till he was dead, And that which was stranger, He for very Anger, [E]at him all up but his Head. 8. These Children as I told being eat, Men, Women, Girles, and Boyes, Sighing and sobbing, came to his Lodging, And made a hideous Noyse. Oh save us all, More of More-Hall, Thou pearless Knight of these Woods; Do but slay this Dragon, [W]e won't leave us a Rag on, Wee'l give thee all our Goods.
9. Tut, Tut, quoth he, no Goods I want, But I want, I want insooth, A fair Maid of Sixteen that's brisk, And smiles about the Mouth: Hair as black as a Sloe, Both above and below, With a Blush her Cheekes adorning; To 'noynt me o're Night, E're I go to fight, And to dress me in the Morning. 10. This being done, he did engage To hew this Dragon down; But first he went New Armour to Bespeak, at Sheffield Town, With Spikes all about, Not within, but without, Of Steel so sharp and strong, Both behind and before, Arms, Legs, all o're, Some five or six Inches long. 11. Had you but seen him in this Dress, How fierce he look't, and big, You would have thought him for to be An Egyptian Porcu-Pig: He frighted all, Cats, Dogs, and all; Each Cow, each Horse, and each Hog, For fear did flee, For they took him to be Some strange outlandish Hedgehogg. 12. To see this Fight, all People there Got upon Trees and Houses, On Churches some, and Chimneys too; But they put on their Trowzes, Not to spoyl their Hose. As soon as he rose, To make him strong and mighty, He drank by the Tayl, Six pots of Ale, And a Quart of Aqua-vitae. (3)
13. It is not Strength that always wins, For Wit doth Strength excel, Which made our cunning Champion Creep down into a Well, Where he did think This Dragon would drink, An so he did in Truth; And as he stoop't low, He rose up and cry'd boe, An hit him in the Mouth. 14. Oh, quoth the Dragon, pox take you come out, Thou that disturb'st me in my Drink, And then he turn'd and shit at him, Good lack how he did stink: Beshrew thy Soul, Thy Body is foul, The Dung smells not like Balsome: Thou Son of a Whore, Thou stink'st so sore, Sure thy Dyet it is unwholesome. 15. Our Politick Knight, on the other side Crep't out upon the Brink, And gave the Dragon such a doust, He knew not what to think: By Cock, quoth he, Say you so, do you see, And then at him he let flie; With Hand and with Foot, And so they went to't, And the Word it was, Hey Boyes hey. 16. Your Word, quoth the Dragon, I don't understand Then to't they fell at all, Like two Wild Bears, so fierce I may Compare great things with small: Two Dayes and a Night, With this Dragon did fight, Our Champion on the Ground, Tho' their Strength it was great, Yet their Skill it was neat. They never had one Wound,
17. At length the hard Earth began for to quake, The Dragon gave him such a knock, Which made him to Reel, And strait way he thought To lift him as high as a Rock; And thence let him fall, But More of More-Hall, Like a Valiant Son of Mars; As he came like a Lout, So he turn'd him about, And hit him a kick on the Arse. 18. Oh, quoth the Dragon, with a Sigh, And turn'd six times together, Sobbing, and tearing, cursing and swearing Out of his Throat of Leather. Oh, thou Raskal, More of More-Hall, Would I had seen you never, With the Thing at thy Foot, Thou hast prick't my Arse Gut; Oh, I am quite undone for ever. 19. Murder, Murder, the Dragon cry'd, Alack, alack, for Grief, Had you but mist that Place, you could Have done me no Mischief; Then his Head he shak't, Trembled, and Quackt, And down he layd, and cryed; First on one Knee, Then on back, tumbled he, So groan'd, kick't, shit, and dyed.
FINIS.
LONDON, Printed for Randal Taylor, near Stationers Hall, 1685.