sagittary —
“The dreadful,”
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, v. 5.
14.
“‘Beyonde the royalme of Amasonne came an auncyent
kynge, wyse and dyscreete, named Epystrophus, and brought a M. knyghtes, and a
mervayllouse beste that was called sagittayre,
that behynde the myddes was an horse, and to fore, a man: this beste was heery lyke an
horse, and had his eyen rede as a cole, and shotte well with a bowe; this beste made the
Grekes sore aferde, and slewe many of them with his bowe.’ The Three Destructions of Troy, printed by Caxton”
(THEOBALD)
.
“A more circumstantial account of this Saggittary is to be
found in Lydgate's Auncient Historie, etc., 1555 [Book
Second, sig. M 6]:
‘And with hym Guydo sayth that he [that is, Epystrophus] hadde
A wonder archer of syght meruaylous,
Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous:
For lyke myne auctour as I reherse can,
Fro the nauell vpwarde he was man,
And lower downe lyke a horse yshaped;
And thilke parte that after man was maked,
Of skinne was blacke and rough as any bere,
Couered with here fro colde him for to were;
Passyng foule and horrible of syght,
Whose eyen twain were sparkeling as bright
As is a furneis with his reade leuene,
Or the lyghtnyng that falleth from ye heauen;
Dredefull of loke, and reade as fyre of chere,
And, as I reade, he was a good archer,
And with his bowe both at euen and morowe
Upon Grekes he wrought moche sorowe,
And gasted them with many hydous loke;
So sterne he was that many of them quoke,’ etc.;” (STEEVENS) .
‘And with hym Guydo sayth that he [that is, Epystrophus] hadde
A wonder archer of syght meruaylous,
Of fourme and shap in maner monstruous:
For lyke myne auctour as I reherse can,
Fro the nauell vpwarde he was man,
And lower downe lyke a horse yshaped;
And thilke parte that after man was maked,
Of skinne was blacke and rough as any bere,
Couered with here fro colde him for to were;
Passyng foule and horrible of syght,
Whose eyen twain were sparkeling as bright
As is a furneis with his reade leuene,
Or the lyghtnyng that falleth from ye heauen;
Dredefull of loke, and reade as fyre of chere,
And, as I reade, he was a good archer,
And with his bowe both at euen and morowe
Upon Grekes he wrought moche sorowe,
And gasted them with many hydous loke;
So sterne he was that many of them quoke,’ etc.;” (STEEVENS) .
