Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A37488
|
The Delightful history of the life & death of that renowned & famous St. Patrick, champion of Ireland containing his heroick actions, and valorous atchievments in Europe, Asia, and Affrick : with other remarkable passages, from his cradle to his grave.
|
|
1685
(1685)
|
Wing D903; ESTC R6253
|
59,497
|
149
|
Circumference to be five yards and an half last of all they measured the Length betwixt his Eyes which appeared to have been Twenty Inches full Thus having satisfyed their own Curiosity in viewing and measuring of him they returned to the Palace They were no sooner gone from the Carcass but Six men in Armour came from the adjacent Wood and putting the Body upon a Huge Engine somewhat resembling a Hearse drawn by Six Horses and as it seemed made of purpose for that end they with a great deal of seeming grief conveyed it to the wood where as soon as it entered there begun such a fearful crying and bellowing of men and women together that St. Patrick who all the while looked out at his Chamber-window said Merrily I wish he has not been my Country man for these lamentable Obsequies resembling our Irish Women makes me deeply suspect it The two Knights being come back again as they were giving an account of the matter the King enters the room who seeing two of the Knights standing one at one end of the room the other at the other having a Line extended betwixt them each of them holding it by the end asked them what it meant to them they replyed May it please your Majesty this is the exact Length of the Gyant which fell by the hands of this Valiant Knight pointing to St. Patrick The King though he did see the Gyant fall yet was he Astonished when he saw his Length by the Line nor could he hardly be perswaded to believe it untill they shewed him his Thickness also whence he concluded that the Prodigious Bulk of his Body had made him mistake as to his Length but when he saw the space betwixt his Eyes he could by no means be perswaded to believe it till with many Asseverations the two Knights who measured him averred it The King havâ—ng heard and seen all that passed walked five or six times about the room in a profound silence with his eyes fixed upon the ground At last he breaks out with great Passion and said directing his words to St. Patrick O Knight without reproach thou Mirrour of Chivalry had the Fates Honoured Sicily with thy Birth I would look upon thee as one of the Preciousest Jewels in my Regal Diadem but however it was otherwise ordered by the uncontroulable Powers yet I purpose that if Honour or Preferment the Riches and Glory of Sicily may be of any weight with you that henceforth thou shalt live with me and partake of my Fortune I doubt not but that you had Offers of this Nature from other Princes before you came hither yet this does no ways discourage me from inviting you nor put me out of hopes but that you will comply with my desire if there were nothing else to move you to it but the examples of the many Valiant Champions Famous over all the World who after they had visited the most Famous Courts in the World yet were content at last to take up their residence with my predecessors at this Court. And for you Knight if you will stay here I pass my Royal Promise before these Gentlemen that you shall have as much Honour and Respect as any Knight that ever was in Sicily St. Patrick was mightily surprised at this fearing that if he should persist in his former resolution of coming home to his own Country as he intended to do at any rate he should lose the Kings Favour which he had so lately procured therefore he resolved to express his mind as Courteously as was possible so as not to give the King any ground to hope that he should tarry so observing that the King by his stedfast looking in his Face expected a present answer he addressed himself to him in these terms Most Mighty King I must acknowledge that there is more than words required in a man of my Character to retaliate so great and signal Honours as your Majesty hath tendered to me ever since I had the happiness to see your face so that now I am forced to acknowledg my self unhappy in that I want opportunity to express the same As to what your Majesty requires of me I heartily wish it were in my Power to comply with your Demand but it is now past help for I have put my self under an inevitable necessity of begging your Majesties Pardon in that Point I have been for many years absent from my Native Country and have put on a resolution and put my self under a promise to return with the first occasion so that now my hands are tyed up that I cannot obey your Majesties Demand in this point for which I am heartily sorry The King finding him thus peremptory resolved to express a great deal of Grief but no displeasure at him he told him since it was so he expected that he would not be sudden in his departure to which the other consented and tarryed several days but at last took leave of the King and all his Court and was dismissed with all the expressions of Honour imaginable But these Knights who upon the Death of the Gyant had made acquaintance with him resolved to convey him a part of his way which accordingly they did Their way from the Royal City lay through the Wood where the Gyant resided and from thence he advanced to the Fatal Conflict with our Champion The Wood although frequently passed through in former times yet for a great while before this it became a perfect Wilderness by reason of the Savage Creatures possessing it which made people afraid to come nigh it the common Road also was so overgrown with Bushes and Shrubs that there was hardly any appearance of it to be seen yet notwithstanding St. Patrick being desirous to see his late Antagonist's Habitation and to know them he left to succeed him if they were disposed to revenge his Quarrel the other Knights also willing to satisfy their Curiosity and that they might brag afterwards that they were among the first that entered the desolate Forrest after the Death of the Monster all conclude Vnanimously to take their way through the Wood resolving they should make some search as they passed along the Monsters Mannor Thus they entered the Wood about Ten of the Clock in the Forenoon having left all the Servants without the Wood commanding them to return home only St. Patrick because he was not to return again that way took Mack along with him They were not half an hour in the Wood when they began to question where they were the Knights protested that though they have many times passed through yet now they knew not where they were and that which bewilders me most says one of them is that I see a Mountain yonder over against me which so far as I can remember was not to be seen here in former times to which all the rest of the Sicilian Knights agreed saying That unquestionably this must be some extraordinary Thing Whereupon they all Rode towards it to see it But when they drew near it they could discern it was an House built with 〈◊〉 Stone and Wood and such Materials as the Place could afford to a prodigious Bigness when they came to the door they began to advise whether it was safe to go in But St. Patrick was so bent for it that he made them presâ—ntly coâ—â—â—nt So they entered every man having his Sword drawn expecting to meet with some rugged fellows but they were much mistaken for they found none there except an Old Man of about an Hundred years of Age who sate by the Fire very Pensive to him St. Patrick Addressed himself in these terms How now Old Man What is become of the rest of your Company to him the Old man answers very surly You may go look Nay says the other I am not come hither to offend you yet I think I may safely ask you this question which is commonly the first that is asked of a Solitary man by such as Visit him Then the Old man became a little more calm and told them how that his Son was Killed some days ago in a Duel hard by the King of Sicilies House and now his other Sons and the rest of his Friends were gone to bury him but he would not tell them where nor were they very curious to enquire so having viewed the House both within and without the Old man directed them out of the Wood where they heartily and sorrowfully did bid adieu to each other Our Champion having for many years raised Piramids to his memory both here and in all the parts of Greece Where he fought such Battels and did such Wonderful Exploits that his Name began to out-sound that of his own Trojan Hector At length he embraced a firm resolution to retire into his own Native Country which he did and having long confined himself to a retired Life at length gave up his great Soul to the Conqueror of all Champions Death Thus Patrick the Worlds-wonder when his Sword O're Witches Gyants had proclaim'd him Lord When by his hand the Mightiest Monsters fell And Seas and Shoars his unmatcht Wonders tell After Proud Greece rais'd Temples to his Name And the whole Vniverse Proclaim'd his Fame The Vniverse a Theatre too scant His Numberless Heroick Arts to Paint Calmly unto his Native Soil retires And there doth Expiate his Martial Fires Ireland to Thee Patrick this Honour gave To be thy Patron who gav'st him a Grave Whilst Mighty Monarchs to his Tomb do bring Their great Encomiums Wise Bards do Sing His Valours Praise of which the world doth ring FINIS