For when three yeares I ruled had this Ile, Without all rule as was my rulesse life,[666] The rumour ranne abroade within a while, And chiefly in the Norwest Countrey rife, A monster came from _Th’irish_ seas, brought griefe To all my subiectes, in those coastes did dwell, Deuouring man and beast, a monster fell. 11. Which when I knewe for trueth, I straight prepard In warlike wise my selfe to trye the case, My haste thereto a courage bold declard, For I alone would enter in the place: At which,[667] with speare on horse I fet my race, But on his scales it enter could no more, Then might a bulrush on a brasen dore. 12. Agayne I prou’d yet, nought at all preuaylde, To breake my speare and not to pearce his syde: With that the roring monster me assaylde, So terrifide my horse I coulde not ride, Wherewith I lighted, and with sworde I tride By strokes and thrustes to finde some open in, But of my fight hee neuer past a pin.[668] 13. And when I weried was and spent with fight, That kept my selfe with heede his daunger fro, As last almost ashamde I wanted might, And skil to worke the beastly monster wo, I gate me nerer with my sworde him to, And thought his flankes or vnder partes to wounde, Yf there for scales[669] might any place bee founde. 14. But frustrate of my purpose, finding none, And eke within his daunger entring quite, The grizely beast straight seasoned[670] mee vpon, And let his talauntes on my corpes to light, Hee gript my shoulders, not resist I might, And roaring with a greedy rauening looke, At once in iawes my body whole hee tooke. 15. The way was large, and downe he drewe mee in, A monstrous paunche for rowmth, and wondrous wide, But (for I felt more softer there the skinne) At once I drewe a dagger by my side: I knewe my life no longer coulde abide, For rammish stench, bloude, poyson, slimy glere, That in his body so aboundant were. 16. Wherefore I labouring to procure his death, While first my dagger digde aboute his harte, His force to cast mee welnigh drewe my breath, But as hee felt within his woundes to smarte, I ioyde to feele the mighty monster starte, That roard, and belcht, and groande, and plungde, and cryde, And tost mee vp and downe from syde to syde. 17.