Re-enter GEORGE, leading a second Man, with a patch over his nose .

George . Puissant Knight, of the Burning Pestle hight,
See here another wretch, whom this foul beast
Hath scotched and scored in this inhuman wise.

Ralph . Speak me thy name, and eke thy place of birth,
And what hath been thy usage in this cave. 2 nd Man . I am a knight, Sir Pockhole is my name,
And by my birth I am a Londoner,
Free by my copy, but my ancestors
Were Frenchmen all; and riding hard this way
Upon a trotting horse, my bones did ache;
And I, faint knight, to ease my weary limbs,
Light at this cave; when straight this furious fiend,
With sharpest instrument of purest steel,
Did cut the gristle of my nose away,
And in the place this velvet plaster stands:
Relieve me, gentle knight, out of his hands!

[Wife . Good Ralph, relieve Sir Pockhole, and send him away; for in truth his breath stinks.]

Ralph . Convey him straight after the other knight.—Sir
Pockhole, fare you well. 2 nd Man . Kind sir, good night.

[Exit with George , who presently re-enters .

3 rd Man [within]. Deliver us!

[Cries within .

Woman [within]. Deliver us!

[Wife . Hark, George, what a woeful cry there is! I think some woman lies-in there.]

3 rd Man [within]. Deliver us!

Women [within]. Deliver us!

Ralph . What ghastly noise is this? Speak, Barbarossa,
Or, by this blazing steel, thy head goes off!

Bar . Prisoners of mine, whom I in diet keep.
Send lower down into the cave,
And in a tub that’s heated smoking hot,
There may they find them, and deliver them.

Ralph . Run, squire and dwarf; deliver them with speed.

[Exeunt Tim and George .

[Wife . But will not Ralph kill this giant? Surely I am afraid, if he let him go, he will do as much hurt as ever he did.

Cit . Not so, mouse, neither, if he could convert him.

Wife . Ay, George, if he could convert him; but a giant is not so soon converted as one of us ordinary people. There’s a pretty tale of a witch, that had the devil’s mark about her, (God bless us!) that had a giant to her son, that was called Lob-lie-by-the-fire; didst never hear it, George?

Cit . Peace, Nell, here comes the prisoners.]

Re-enter TIM, leading a third Man, with a glass of lotion in his hand , and GEORGE leading a Woman, with diet-bread and drink in her hand .

George . Here be these pinèd wretches, manful knight,
That for this six weeks have not seen a wight.

Ralph . Deliver what you are, and how you came
To this sad cave, and what your usage was?