He pull'd him downe upon his knee,
And rushing off his helm,
Forthwith he strucke his necke in two,
And, when he had soe done,
From prison threescore knights and four
Delivered everye one.
NOTES
- The folio MS. Copy of this ballad is so mutilated that we owe more than half the
present version to the ingenuity of Percy.-- Editor.
2.Whereis often used by our old writers forwhereas,here it is just the contrary.
3.Rashingseems to be the old hunting term to express the stroke made by the wild-
boar with his fangs. Torasehas apparently a meaning something similar. See Mr.
Steevens's Note onKing Lear, act iii. sc. 7. (ed. 1793, vol. xiv. p. 193.) where the
quartos read,
".... Nor thy fierce sister
In his anointed fleshrashboarish fangs."So inKing Richard III. act iii. sc. 2. (vol. x. p. 567, 583.)
"... He dreamt
To night theboarhad rased off his helm."