17& 



the congregation ; the former occupying the seats 

 on the north of the aisle, the latter those on the 



ed forth in quest of his enemy. The thicket of Loschy- 

 hill lay at no great distance, from whence this huge 

 monster issuing, which Geoffrey of Monmouth would 

 doubtless hav^ termed a dragon, darted on his enemy, 

 and, as was his usual custom, folded itself round his 

 fcody: intending no doubt, to have dispatched him with 

 a gentle squeeze ;- but, as might have been reasonably 

 expected, he dropped from his coat of mail piecemeal. 

 His dog observing this, snatched up one of the pieces, 

 and running across the hill to Nunnington, a mile dis- 

 tant, deposited it in the field just above the church ; and 

 immediately returning for another, continued thus em- 

 ployed until he had at length conveyed them all away. 

 The reason of this extraordinary proceeding 1 must ex- 

 plain, by informing my reader that this huge serpent, 

 had been frequently before cut in two, but had as fre- 

 quently reunited again. "Whilst Feter, therefore, was 

 battling with the remaining pieces, which would no 

 doubt be reuniting to his no small disappointment, his 

 faithful dog was .engaged as we have described; until 

 he had removed them one and all to the Nunnington 

 field. I expect now to be asked, how happens it that 

 they did not start into life again, when all the pieces 

 had arrived at Nunnington ? I reply, that they had then 

 either lost their revivifying power, by not having been 

 in contact for so long a time, or that their airing across 

 the hill had deprived them of it, or that possibly the 

 snake only possessed that power on Lbschy-hill ; but 

 not to dwell on these, or a hundred othei plausible rea- 

 sons which might be adduced, aid which will readily 

 suggest themselves to every judicious reader, I must 

 hasten to the conclusion of my tale. Peter, who had 

 observed these manttuvres of his dog, and by this time, 

 as 1 conjecture, relieved himself of his cumbrous coat 

 of mail, sallied forth in quest of his dog, and contrary 

 to the custom of most knights errant, followed him iri 

 the very direction he had observed him take. He reach- 

 ed the field, where lay scattered the fragments of the 

 monster, at the very moment that his dog hd deposited 

 there the last piece. Overjoyed at the sight 6i his mas- 



