Dwarf. Right courteous and valiant Knight of the Burning Pestle, this is the squire Tapstero.

Ralph. Fair squire Tapstero, I, a wandering knight, Called of the Burning Pestle, in the quest

Of this fair lady's casket and wrought purse,

Losing myself in this vast wilderness,
Am to this castle well by fortune brought,
Where, hearing of the goodly entertain
Your knight of holy order of the Bell

Gives to all damsels, and all errant knights,

I thought to knock, and now am bold to enter.

Tapst. An't please you see a chamber, you are very wel.

come.

HOST, RALPH, and OTHERS.

Host. Not far from hence, near to a craggy cliff

At the north end of this distresséd town,

There doth stand a lowly house,

Ruggedly builded, and in it a cave,

In which an ugly giant now doth dwell,
Yclepéd Barbaroso. In his hand.

He shakes a naked lance of purest steel,

With sleeves turned up; and he before him wears
A motley garment, to preserve his clothes
From blood of those knights which he massacres,
And ladies gent. Without his door doth hang
A copper basin, on a prickant spear;

At which, no sooner gentle knights can knock,
But the shrill sound fierce Barbaroso hears,
And rushing forth, brings in the errant knight,
And sets him down in an enchanted chair;

Then, with an engine which he hath prepar'd
With forty teeth, he claws his courtly crown,
Next makes him wink, and underneath his chin
He plants a brazen piece of mighty bore,
And knocks his bullets round about his cheeks;
While with his fingers, and an instrument
With which he snaps his hair off, he doth fill
The wretch's ears with a most hideous noise.
Thus every knight adventurer he doth trim,
And now no creature dares encounter him.

Ralph. In God's name, I will fight with him, kind sir. Go but before me to this dismal cave

Where this huge giant Barbaroso dwells,
And by that virtue that brave Rosiclere
That wicked brood of ugly giant slew,
And Palmerin Frannarco overthrew:

I doubt not but to curb this traitor foul,
And to the devil send his guilty soul.

Host. Brave, sprighted knight, thus far I will perform This your request; I'll bring you within sight

Of this most loathsome place, inhabited

By a more loathsome man; but dare not stay,

For his main force swoops all he sees away.

Ralph. Saint George! set on! Before march squire and page.

RALPH, HOST, SQUIRE, DWARF, CITIZEN, and WIFE.

Host. Puissant knight, yonder his mansion is

Lo, where the spear and copper basin are!
Behold the string on which hangs many a tooth,
Drawn from the gentle jaw of wandering knights.

I dare not stay to sound; he will appear.

(Exit HOST.) Ralph. Oh, faint not, heart! Susan, my lady dear, The cobbler's maid in Milk Street, for whose sake I take these arms, oh, let the thought of thee Carry thy knight through all adventurous deed, And in the honour of thy beauteous self May I destroy this monster Barbaroso. Knock, squire, upon the basin till it break With the shrill strokes, or till the giant speak.

Enter BARBAROSO.

Wife. Oh, George, the giant, the giant! Now, Ralph, for thy life!

Bar. What fond, unknowing wight is this, that dares So rudely knock at Barbaroso's cell,

Where no man comes, but leaves his fleece behind?

Ralph. I, traitorous caitiff, who am sent by fate To punish all the sad enormities

Thou hast committed against ladies gent,

And errant knights, traitor to God and men,
Prepare thyself! This is the dismal hour
Appointed for thee to give strict account

Of all thy beastly, treacherous villainies.

Bar. Foolhardy knight, full soon thou shalt repent This fond reproach. Thy body will I bang,

(He takes down his pole.)'

And lo, upon that string thy teeth shall hang.
Prepare thyself, for dead soon shalt thou be.
Ralph. Saint George for me!

Bar. Gargantua for me!

(They fight.)

Wife. To him, Ralph-to him! Hold up the giant! Set out thy leg before, Ralph!

Cit. Falsify a blow, Ralph-falsify a blow! The giant lies open on the left side.

Wife. Bear't off, bear't off still-there, boy! Oh, Ralph's almost down-Ralph's almost down!

Ralph. Susan, inspire me, now have up again.

Wife. Up, up, up, up, up! so, Ralph. Down with himdown with him, Ralph!

Cit. Fetch him over the hip, boy!

Wife. There, boy; kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, Ralph!
Cit. No, Ralph, get all out of him first.

Ralph. Presumptuous man, see to what desperate end

Thy treachery hath brought thee. The just gods,
Who never prosper those that do despise them,
For all the villainies which thou hast done

To knights and ladies, now have paid thee home
By my stiff arm, a knight adventurous.

But say, vile wretch, before I send thy soul

To sad Avernus, whither it must go,

What captives hold'st thou in thy sable cave?

Bar. Go in and free them all; thou hast the day.

Ralph. Go, squire and dwarf, search in this dreadful cave, And free the wretched prisoners from their bonds.

(Exeunt SQUIRE and DWARF.)

Bar. I crave for mercy, as thou art a knight,

And scorn'st to spill the blood of those that beg.

Ralph. Thou show'st no mercy, nor shalt thou have any. Prepare thyself, for thou shalt surely die.

Enter SQUIRE, leading Ist KNIGHT, with a basin under his

chin.

Squire. Behold, brave knight, here is one prisoner,

Whom this wild man hath used as you see.

Wife. This is the wisest word I hear the squire speak. Ralph. Speak what thou art, and how thou hast been us'd,

That I may give him condign punishment.

Ist Knight. I am a knight that took my journey post
Northward from London, and in courteous wise
This giant train'd me to his loathsome den,
Under pretence of killing of the itch,

And all my body with a powder strew'd,

That smarts and stings; and cut away my beard,
And my curl'd locks wherein were ribands tied,
And with a water washed my tender eyes—
Whilst up and down about me still he skipt-
Whose virtue is, that till my eyes be wip'd
With a dry cloth, for this my foul disgrace,
I shall not dare to look a dog i' th' face.

Wife. Alas, poor knight! Relieve him, Ralph-relieve poor knights whilst you live!

Ralph. My trusty squire, convey him to the town,

Where he may find relief. Adieu, fair knight.

(Exit 1st KNIGHT.)

Enter DWARF, leading 2d KNIGHT, with a patch over his

nose.

Dwarf. Puissant knight, of the Burning Pestle hight,

See here another wretch, whom this foul beast

Hath scotch'd and scor'd in this inhuman wise.

Ralph. Speak me thy name, and eke thy place of birth,

And what hath been thy usage in this cave.

2d Knight. I am a knight, Sir Partle is my name,

And by my birth I am a Londoner,

Free by my copy, but my ancestors