Reliques of ancient English poetry: consisting of old heroic ballads ...

AND. BALLADS. 315
Befides he fought with a dun cow,
As fay the poets witty, „ 70
A dreadful dun, and horned too,
Like dun of Oxford city :
The fervent dog-days made her mad,
. By
caufing heat of weather,
Syrius and Procyon baited her,
As bull-dogs did her father :
Gmfiers, nor butchers this fell beaft,
E'er of her frolick hindred
John Dorfet* fhe'd knock down as flat,
As John knocks down her kindred : 80
Her heels would lay ye all along,
And kick into a fwoon ;
Prewin's f cow-heels keep up your corpfe,
But hers would beat you down.
She vanquifht many a fturdy wight, 85
And proud was of the honour ;
Was pufft by mauling butchers {o,
As if themfelves had blown her.
At once fhe kickt, and pulht at Guy,
But all that would not fright him ; 90
Who wav'd his whinyard o'er fir-loyn,
As if he'd gone to knight him :
He let her blood, her frenzy to cure,
And eke he did her gall rip ;
His trenchant blade, like cook's long fpit, 95
Ran thro' the monfler's bald-rib
;
:
75
He
* A butcher at Oxford.
f A cook, ivho on fa/} vights was famous for felling cow-heel
and tripe.