An excellent BALLAD of St. George for England, and the King of Egypts on
ly Daughter, whom he delivered from Death: And how he slew a monstrous Dragon.
|
OF Hectors Deeds did Homer sing.
|
And of the Sack of stately Troy,
|
What Grief fair Helen did them bring,
|
Which was Sir Pariss only Joy:
|
And with my Pen I must recite
|
St. Georges Deeds, an English Knight.
|
Against the Saracens full rude,
|
Fought he full long and many a Day;
|
Where many a Gallant he subdud,
|
In Honour of the Christian Way:
|
And after many Adventures past,
|
To Egypts Land he came at last.
|
And as the Story plain doth tell,
|
Within the Country there did rest
|
A dreadful Dragon, fierce and fell,
|
Whereby they were full sore opprest;
|
Who by his poysond Breath each Day,
|
Did many of the City slay.
|
The Grief whereof did grow so great,
|
Through all the Limits of the Land,
|
That they their wise Men did entreat,
|
To shew their Cunning out of Hand;
|
Which Way this Dragon to destroy,
|
That did their Country so annoy.
|
The wise Men all before the King,
|
Formd this Matter incontinent.
|
The Dragon none to Death might bring,
|
By any Means they could invent.
|
His Skin more hard than Brass was found,
|
No Sword nor Spear could pierce or wound.
|
When this the People understood,
|
They cryd out most pitiously,
|
The Dragons Breath infects their Blood,
|
That they each Day in Heaps did die:
|
Among them such a Plague is bred,
|
The Living scarce can bury the Dead.
|
No Means there was that they could find,
|
For to appease the Dragons Rage,
|
But by a Virgin pure and kind,
|
Whereby he might his Fury swage,
|
Each Day he should a Maiden eat,
|
For to allay his Hunger great.
|
This Thing by Art the wise Men found,
|
Which truly must observed be;
|
Wherefore throughout the City round,
|
A Virgin pure of good Degree,
|
Was by the Kings Commission still
|
Snatchd up to serve the Dragons Will.
|
Then did the Dragon every Day,
|
A Maiden of the Town devour,
|
Till all the Maids were worn away,
|
And none were left that present Hour,
|
Saving the Kings fair Daughter bright
|
Her Fathers Joy and Hearts Delight.
|
Then came the Officers to the King
|
This heavy Message to declare;
|
Which did his Heart with Sorrow sting.
|
She is, quoth he, my Kingdoms Heir;
|
Oh! let us all be poysond here,
|
Eer she should die that is my Dear.
|
Then rose the People presently,
|
And to the King in Rage they went,
|
Who said, his Daughter dear should die,
|
The Dragons Fury to prevent.
|
Our Daughters all are dead, quoth they,
|
And have been made the Dragons Prey.
|
And by their Blood thou hast been blest,
|
And thou hast savd thy Life thereby,
|
And now in Justice it doth rest,
|
That thy own Daughter now shall die.
|
Oh! save my Daughter, said the King,
|
And let me feel the Dragons Sting.
|
Then fell fair Sabrine on her Knee,
|
And to her Father thus did say,
|
O Father, strive not thus for me,
|
But let me be the Dragons Prey:
|
It may be for my Sake alone,
|
This Plague upon the Land was shewn.
|
Tis better I shoud die, she said,
|
Then all your Subjects perish quite.
|
Perhaps the Dragon here was laid,
|
For my Offence to work this Spite;
|
And after he has suckd my Gore,
|
Your Land shall know the Grief no more.
|
What hast thou done, my Daughter dear,
|
For to deserve this heavy Scourge,
|
It is my Fault, It shall appear,
|
Which makes the Gods our State to grudge,
|
I ought to die to stint the Strife,
|
And to preserve thy happy Life.
|
Like mad Men all the People cryd,
|
Thy Death to us can do no Good;
|
Our Safety only doth abide,
|
To make thy Daughter Dragons Food,
|
Lo! here I am, O then, quoth she,
|
Therefore do what you will with me.
|
Nay stay, dear Daughter, said the Queen,
|
Stand as thou art a Virgin bright,
|
That has for Virtue famous been,
|
So let me cloath thee all in White,
|
And crown thy Head with Flowers sweet,
|
An Ornament for Virgins meet.
|
And when she was attired so,
|
According to her Mothers Mind
|
Unto the Stake she then did go,
|
To which they did this fair Maid bind;
|
And being bound to Stake and Thrall,
|
She bid farewel unto them all.
|
Farewel, dear Father, then quoth she,
|
And my dear Mother meek and mild;
|
Take you no Thought or Care for me,
|
For you may have another Child.
|
Here for my Countrys Good Ill die,
|
Which I receive most willingly.
|
The King and Queen with all their Train,
|
With weeping Eyes then went their Way,
|
And left their Daughter to remain,
|
To be the hungry Dragons Prey:
|
But as she there did weeping lie,
|
Behold St. George came riding by.
|
And seeing there a Lady bright,
|
Fast tied to the Stake that Day;
|
Most like unto a valiant Knight,
|
Straight unto her did take his Way:
|
Tell me, sweet Madam, then quoth he,
|
What Person thus abused thee?
|
And lo by all! his Blood I vow,
|
Where he is figurd on my Breast,
|
I will revenge it on his Brow,
|
And break my Launce upon his Crest:
|
And speaking thus whereas he stood,
|
The Dragon issud from the Wood.
|
The Lady that did soon espy,
|
The dreadful Dragon coming so,
|
Unto St. George aloud did cry,
|
And willed him away to go:
|
Here comes that ugly Fiend, quoth she,
|
That soon will make an End of me.
|
St. George then looking round about,
|
The fiery Dragon soon espyd,
|
And like a Knight of Courage stout,
|
Against him he did fiercely ride:
|
And with such Blows he did him greet,
|
That he fell at his Horses Feet.
|
For with a Launce that was so strong,
|
As he came gaping in his Face;
|
In at his Mouth he thurst it long,
|
The which could pierce no other Place:
|
And there within the Ladys View,
|
This dreadful Dragon then he slew.
|
The Savour of his poysond Breath,
|
Could do this Christian Knight no Harm:
|
Thus did he save this Lady from Death,
|
And home he led her by the Arm;
|
Which when Ptolomy he did see,
|
There was great Joy and Melody.
|
When as this famous Knight St. George,
|
Had slain the Dragon in the Field,
|
And brought the Lady to the Court,
|
Whose Sight with Joy their Hearts did fill,
|
He in the Egyptian Court then stayd,
|
Till he most falsely was betrayed.
|
The Lady Sabrine lovd him well,
|
He counted her is only Joy;
|
But when their Loves were open known,
|
It provd St. Georges great Annoy;
|
The Morocco King was then in Court,
|
Who to the Orchard did resort.
|
Daily to take the pleasant Air,
|
For Pleasures Sake he usd to walk
|
Under the Wall, whereas he heard,
|
St. George with fair Sabrine talk:
|
Their Loves he revealed to the King,
|
Which to St. George great Woe did bring.
|
These Kings together did devise,
|
To make the Christian Knight away:
|
With Letters him Embassador,
|
They strightway sent to Persia,
|
And wrote to the Sophy him to kill,
|
And treacherously his Blood to spill.
|
Thus they for Good did him reward
|
With Evil and much Subtility;
|
By such vile Means they did devise
|
To work his Death most cruelly:
|
While he in Persia abode,
|
He straight destroyd each Idol God.
|
Which being done, he straight was flung,
|
Into a Dungeon dark and deep:
|
But when he thought upon his Wrong,
|
He bitterly began to weep;
|
Yet like a Knight of Courage stout,
|
Forth out of Dungeon he got out.
|
And in the Night three Horse-keepers,
|
This valiant Knight by Power slew,
|
Although he fasted many a Day,
|
And then away from thence he flew,
|
On the best Steed the Sophy had,
|
Which when he knew, he was full sad.
|
Then into Christendom he came,
|
And met a Giant by the Way,
|
With him in Combat he did fight,
|
Most valiantly a Summers Day:
|
Who yet for all his Bars of Steel,
|
Was forcd the Sting of Death to feel.
|
For Christendom this warlike Knight;
|
Then with a warlike Soldiers Haste;
|
Vowing upon the Heathen Land
|
To work Revenge, which at the last,
|
Ere thrice three Years were gone and spent,
|
He did unto his great Content.
|
Save only Egypts Land he spard,
|
For Sabrine bright her only Sake:
|
And eer his Rage he did suppress,
|
He meant a Tryal kind to make.
|
Ptolomy knew his Strength in Field,
|
And unto him did kindly yield.
|
Then he Morocco King did kill,
|
And took fair Sabrine to his Wife,
|
And afterwards contentedly,
|
With her St. George did lead his Life,
|
Who by the Virtue of a Chain,
|
Did still a Virgin pure remain.
|
To England then St. George did bring,
|
This gallant Lady, Sabrine bright:
|
An Eunuch also came with them,
|
In whom the Lady did delight;
|
None but those three from Egypt came,
|
Now let me print St. Georges Fame.
|
When they were in the Forest great,
|
The Lady did desire to rest;
|
And then St. George to kill a Deer,
|
To feed upon did think it best.
|
Left Sabrine and the Eunuch there,
|
While he did go and kill a Deer.
|
The mean Time in his Absence comes
|
Two hungry Lions fierce and fell,
|
And tore the Eunuch presently
|
In Pieces small, the Truth to tell;
|
Down by the Lady then they laid,
|
Whereby it seemd she was a Maid.
|
But when St. George from Hunting came
|
And did behold the heavy Chance,
|
Yet for his lovely Virgin pure,
|
His Courage stout he did advance;
|
And came within the Lions Sight,
|
Who run at him with all their Might.
|
He being no Whit dismayd,
|
But like a stout and valiant Knight,
|
Did kill the hungry Lions both,
|
Within the Lady Sabrines Sight;
|
But all this while, sad and demure,
|
She stood like a Virgin pure.
|
But when St. George did truly know,
|
His Lady was a Virgin pure,
|
Those doleful Thoughts that eer were dumb,
|
Began most firmly to renew.
|
He set her on a Palfrey Steed,
|
And towards England came with Speed.
|
Where he arrived in short Time,
|
Unto his Fathers Dwelling Place,
|
Where with his dearest Love he livd,
|
When Fortune did their Nuptials grace,
|
They many Years of Joy did see,
|
And led their Lives in Coventry.
|
|
|
|
|
|