An Excellent BALLAD of
St. GEORGE and the DRAGON.
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WHY should we boast
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Of Arthur and his Knights,
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Knowing how many Men
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Have performed Fights?
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Or why should we speak
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Of Sir Lancelot du Lake,
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Or Sir Tristrum du Leon,
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That fought for Ladies Sake?
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Read but old Stories,
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And there you shall see,
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How St. George, St. George.
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He made the Dragon flee.
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St. George he was for England,
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St. Dennis was for France,
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Sing, Honi soit qui Mally Pense.
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To speak of Monarchs,
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It w[e]re too long to tell,
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And likewise to the Romans,
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How far they did excel:
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Hanni[b]al and Scipio,
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In many a Field did fight;
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Orlando Furioso,
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He was a valiant Knight,
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Romulus and Rhemus,
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Were those that Rome did build;
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But St. George, St. George,
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The Dragon he hath killd,
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Jepthah and Gideon,
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They led their Men to fight,
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The Gibbionites and Ammonites,
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They put them all to Flight:
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Hercules his Labour,
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Was in the Vale of Bass,
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And Sampson slew a Thousand,
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With the Jaw-bone of an Ass.
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And when he was blind,
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Pulld the Temple to the Ground;
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But St. George, St. George,
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The Dragon did confound.
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St. George he was for England,
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St. Dennis was for France, etc.
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Valentine and Orson,
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They came of Pepins Blood;
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Alfred and Adricus,
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They were brave Knights and good:
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The four Sons of Ammon
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That fought with Charlemain,
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Sir Hugh de Bourdeaux,
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And Godfrey de Bullogin;
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These were all French Knights,
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The Pagans to convert;
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But St. George, St. George,
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He pulld out the Dragons Heart.
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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King Henry the Fifth,
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He conquered all France,
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He quartered their Arms,
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His Honour to advance:
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He raisd their Walls,
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And pulld their Cities down,
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And he garnishd his Head
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With a double tripple Crown:
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He thumped the French,
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And after Home he came;
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But St George, St. George,
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He made the Dragon tame.
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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St. David you know
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Loved Leeks and toasted Cheese,
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And Jason was the Man
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Brought Home the Golden Fleece;
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And Patrick you know,
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He was St. Georges Boy;
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Seven Years he kept his Horse,
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Then stole him away:
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For which knavish Act
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A Slave he doth remain;
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But St. George, St. George.
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He hath the Dragon slain.
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Tamerlane the Emperor,
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In Iron Cage did Crown,
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With all his bloody Flags
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Displayd before the Town:
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Scanderberg Magnanimous,
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Mahomet[] s Bashaws did dread:
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Whose victorious Bones
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Were worn when he was dead:
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His Beglerbegs his Corn like dreads,
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George Castriot was he calld;
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But St. George, St. George,
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The Dragon he hath mauld.
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Ottoman the Tarter,
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He came of Persias Race;
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The great Mogul withs Chest,
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So full of Cloves and Mace:
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The Grecian Youth Bucephalous,
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He manfully did bestride:
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But these with their Worthies Nine,
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St. George did them betide.
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Gustavus Adolphus,
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Was Swedelands Warlike King;
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But St. George, St. George,
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He pulld forth the Dragons Sting,
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Poldragon and Cadwallader,
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Of British Blood do boast;
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Tho John of Gaunt his Foes did daunt,
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St. George shall rule the Roast:
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Agamemnon and Clemedon,
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And Macedon did Feast,
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But compared to our Champion,
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They are but meer Cheats,
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Brave Malta Knights in Turkish Flights,
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Their brandishd Swords out-drew,
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But St. George met the Dragon,
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And run him through and through.
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Bida the Amazon,
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Poetus overthrew,
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As fierce as either Vandal,
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Goth, Saracen or Jew:
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The potent Holofernes,
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As he lay in his Bed,
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In came his Wife Judith,
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And subtiley stole his Head:
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Brave Cyclops stout, with Jove he fough[t]
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Tho he showerd down Thunder;
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But St. George killd the Dragon,
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And was not that a Wonder;
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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Mark Anthony, Ill warrant you,
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Playd Peats with Egypts Queen;
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Sir Elamore, that valiant Knight,
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The like was never seen.
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Grim Gorgons Might was know in Fight,
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Old Bevis most Men frighted;
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The Mermidons and Prester Johns,
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Why were not these Men knighted?
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Brave Spinola took in Breda,
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Nassau did it recover;
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But St. George, St. George,
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Turnd the Dragon over and over,
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St. George he was for England, etc.
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