Great Britain -- History -- Anglo-Saxon period, 449-1066; Middle Ages -- Sources
old age shall come upon them, they shall become sea-wolves, and practise
their frauds in the deep. They shall drown ships, and collect no small
quantity of silver. The Thames shall again flow, and assembling together
the rivers, shall pass beyond the bounds of its channel. It shall cover
the adjacent cities, and overturn the mountains that oppose its course.
Being full of deceit and wickedness, it shall make use of the fountain
Galabes. Hence shall arise factions provoking the Venedotians to war.
The oaks of the forest shall meet together, and encounter the rocks of
the Gewisseans. A raven shall attend with the kites, and devour the
carcasses of the slain. An owl shall build her nest upon the walls of
Gloucester, and in her nest shall be brought forth an ass. The serpent
of Malvernia shall bring him up, and put him upon many fraudulent
practices. Having taken the crown, he shall ascend on high, and frighten
the people of the country with his hideous braying. In his days shall
the Pachaian mountains tremble, and the provinces be deprived of their
woods. For there shall come a worm with a fiery breath, and with the
vapour it sends forth shall burn up the trees. Out of it shall proceed
seven lions deformed with the heads of goats. With the stench of their
nostrils they shall corrupt women, and make wives turn common
prostitutes. The father shall not know his own son, because they shall
grow wanton like brute beasts. Then shall come the giant of wickedness,
and terrify all with the sharpness of his eyes. Against him shall arise
the dragon of Worcester, and shall endeavour to banish him. But in the
engagement the dragon shall be worsted, and oppressed by the wickedness
of the conqueror. For he shall mount upon the dragon, and putting off
his garment shall sit upon him naked. The dragon shall bear him up on
high, and beat his naked rider with his tail erected. Upon this the
giant rousing up his whole strength, shall break his jaws with his
sword. At last the dragon shall fold itself up under its tail, and die
of poison. After him shall succeed the boar of Totness, and oppress the
people with grievous tyranny. Gloucester shall send forth a lion, and
shall disturb him in his cruelty, in several battles. He shall trample
him under his feet, and terrify him with open jaws. At last the lion
shall quarrel with the kingdom, and get upon the backs of the nobility.
A bull shall come into the quarrel, and strike the lion with his right
foot. He shall drive him through all the inns in the kingdom, but shall
break his horns against the walls of Oxford. The fox of Kaerdubalem
shall take revenge on the lion, and destroy him entirely with her teeth.
She shall be encompassed by the adder of Lincoln, who with a horrible
hiss shall give notice of his presence to a multitude of dragons. Then
shall the dragons encounter, and tear one another to pieces. The winged
shall oppress that which wants wings, and fasten its claws into the
poisonous cheeks.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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