Cosmography

by Anthony Hassett (2 of 3)

Amongst their kind was one thrust through,
who fell off from his house and made such
a lowing that we Christians thanked Almighty
God for his delivery, and fell straight way
to our labor with full power upon his body.

To be short, there was no time misspent,
wherein every man leapt in all haste
to cut off his limbs and mangle him so
that no man should discern what he was.

These people are of a tawny color
and bigger ordinarily of stature
than the most part of our Christians:

Marvelous fat, they wear their hair long
and dwell in towns unwalled -- a very rich
place from which they bring a great store
to exchange and traffic.

In the end, our general commanded some
half dozen arquebuses to be made ready,
and himself struck one of them while others fled.

But they were so nimble we could not discern
whether they were killed or not, as they would
leap into the trees like devils, and so prevent us...
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Anthony Hassett is a poet, illustrator, and the author of Gazette. 
The first poem in this series can be read here: Centra Coronalis

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