2. Pompa Perditorum: Gigas (Pars Secunda) cum Translatione Anglica

Gigās

Praefātus presbyter erat juvenis, audāx et fortis, corpore magnus et agilis. Audītō itaque tumultū properantium, timuit et plūrima sēcum tractāre coepit an fugeret, nē ā vīlibus parasītīs invāderētur, et inhonestē spoliārētur, aut validam manum prō dēfēnsiōne suī ērigeret, sī ab aliquō impeterētur.

Tandem quattuor mespileās arborēs in agrō, procul ā calle, prōspexit, ad quās latitandī causā, dōnec equitātus pertrānsīret, cito dīvertere voluit. Vērum quīdam ēnōrmis statūrae, ferēns ingentem maxūcam, presbyterum properantem praevēnit, et super caput ejus levātō vecte dīxit:

“Stā, nec prōgrediāris ultrā!”

Mox presbyter diriguit et baculō quem bajulābat appodiātus, immōbilis stetit. Arduus vērō vectifer juxtā eum stābat, et nihil eī nocēns praetereuntem exercitum exspectābat.

The giant

Now the priest was young, undaunted, and bold, and of a powerful and active frame of body. However, he hesitated when the sounds, which seemed to proceed from troops on the march first reached his ears, and began to consider whether he should take flight, to avoid being laid hold of and discourteously stripped by the worthless camp followers, or manfully stand on his defence if any one molested him.

Just then he espied four medlar trees in a field at a good distance from the path, and determined to seek shelter behind them, as fast as he could, until the cavalry had passed. But as he was running he was stopped by a man of enormous stature, armed with a massive club, who, raising his weapon above his head, shouted to him:

“Stand! Take not a step further!”

The priest, frozen with terror, stood motionless leaning on his staff. The gigantic club-bearer also stood close to him, and without offering to do him any injury, quietly waited for the passage of the troop.

A Daniele Petterson Scripta

Written by Daniel Petterson