%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 English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 07/07/2021 36969

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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

R229006 1 NONE Dragon of Wantley, The OLd Stories tell how Hercules / A Dragon slew at Lerna, British Library - 1872.a.1 Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 72 2: 72 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. ?-? Randal Taylor

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction / health alcohol Americas animals / nature Bible / biblical figures buildings / architecture catastrophe children class clothing / appearance country / nation crime death economics / commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays / seasons infidelity labor / craft law London love maritime marriage military / war monstrosity mythology / Classical news nobility / court politics / government procreation punishment race / ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex / sexuality supernatural / magic travel trickery / deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth / age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 7/7/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/7/2021 10:17:12 AM XBallad Henderson, Olivia Created XML Version of Ballad 7/7/2021 10:17:12 AM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 10:17:12 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 10:17:12 AM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/7/2021 10:17:12 AM Transcriptionist One Raychawdhuri, Anita Transcription of ballad manuscript 9/29/2020 Checker Tyler Shoemaker Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/14/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue 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 Churches 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 tell; But there is a Hedge, Just on the Hill Edge, And Mathews 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, Eat 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, We 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 Hedghogg. 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. 13. It (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, And so he did in Truth; And as he stoop't low, He rose up and cry'd boe, And 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, Thy 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 forever. 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.