[A m]ost excellent Ballad of S. George for England and the Kings daugh-
[ter][of] AEgipt, whom he delivered from death, and how he slew a mighty Dragon. The tune is flying fame.
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[Of H]ectors deeds did Homer sing.
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[and] of the Sack of stately Troy,
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[What gri]ef fair Helen did them bring
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[which was Sir] Paris only joy.
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[And with my pen I] must recite.
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[St. Georges Deeds an English K]night,
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[Against the Saracens ful rud]e,
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[fought he full long and m]any a day,
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[Where many a Gyant he s]ubdud
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[in honour of the Christi]an way.
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[And after many advent]ures past
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[To AEgipt Land he cam]e at last.
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[And as the story] p[lain] doth tell,
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[within that Co]untry there did rest.
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[A dreadfu]l Dragon fierce and fell
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[whereb]y they were full sore opprest.
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[Who by] his poysoned breath each day
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[D]id many of that City slay.
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[T]he grief whereof did grow so gr[e]at
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[th]roughout the limets of the land.
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[That] the[y their] wise men did intreat
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[to shew their cunn]ing out of hand.
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[Which way the]y might this Dragon stroy
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[That did their] Country so annoy.
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[The wiseme]n all before the King,
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[framed thi]s matter incontinent,
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[The Dragon] none to death might bring,
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[by an mea]ns they would invent
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[His skin m]ore hard then brasse was found
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[That] sword [or] spear can pierce or w[o]u[n]d,
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[Wh]en this the [p]eop[l]e understood,
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[they cryed] out most piteously,
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[The Dragons] breath infected their blood,
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[that they each way in] heaps each day did dye.
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[Amongst t]hem such a plague i[t] bred,
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[The living] scarce could bury the dead.
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[No means there] was as they could find
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[for] to [ap]pease this Dragons rage.
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[But by] a Virgin pure and kind
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[whe]reby they might his fury swage.
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[Each d]ay he should a Maiden eat,
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[for to a]llay his hunger great.
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This thing by art the wise men found
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which truly must observed be,
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Wherrefore throughout the City round
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a Virgin pure of good degree.
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Was by the Kings commission still,
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Took up to serve the Dragons will.
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Thus did the Dragon every day,
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a Maiden of the town devour.
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Till all the Maids were worn away
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and none were left that present hour.
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Saving the Kings fair daughter bright,
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Her fathers joy and hearts delight.
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Then came the Officers to the King
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this heavy message to declare,
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Which did his heart with sorrow sting,
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she is quoth he my Kingdomes heir.
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O let us all be poysoned here,
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Ere she should dye that is my dear.
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Then rose the people presently
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and to the King in rage they went,
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Who said his daughter dear should dye
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the Dragons fury to prevent,
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Our daughters all are dead quoth they
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And have bin made the Dragons prey.
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And by their blood we have been blest
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and thou hast savd thy li[f]e thereby.
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And now in justice it doth rest,
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for us thy daughter so should dye
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O save my daughter said the King
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And let me feel the Dragons sting,
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Then fell fair Sabrine on her knee
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and to her father then did say,
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O father strive not thus for me,
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but let me be the Dragons prey,
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It may be for my sake alone,
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This plague upon this land was shown.
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Tis better I should dye she said,
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then all your Subjects perish quite,
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Perhaps the Dragon here was laid,
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for my offence to work this spight.
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And after he hath suckt my gore,
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Your land shall feel the grief no more
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What hast thou done my daughter dear
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for to deserve this heavy scourge,
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It is my fault as may appear,
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which makes thee Gods our state to grudge
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Then ought I dye to stint the strife,
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And to preserve thy happy life.
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Like mad men th[e]n the people cryd
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thy death to us can do no good
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Our safety only doth abide,
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to make thy daughter Dragons food.
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Lo here am I I come quoth she,
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Therefore do what you will with me.
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Nay stay dear daughter quoth the Queen
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and as thou art a Virgin bright,
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That hast for Vertue famous been,
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so let me cloath thee all in white.
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And crown thy head with flowers sweet,
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An Ornament for Virgins meet.
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And when she was attired so,
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according to her mothers mind,
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Unto the stake then did she go,
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to which they did this Virgin bind
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Who being bound to stake and thrall,
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She had farewell unto them all.
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Farewell dear father then quoth she,
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and my sweet mother meek and mild,
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Take you no thought nor weep for me,
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for you may have another ch[i]ld.
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Here for my Countryes good Ile dye,
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Which I receiv[e] most willingly.
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The King and Queen withall their train
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with weeping eyes went then their way,
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And let their daughter there remain
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to be the hungry Dragons prey,
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But as she did there weeping lye,
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Behold St. George came riding by.
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And seeing there a Lady bright,
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fast tyed to the stake that day.
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Most like unto a valiant knight,
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straight unto her did take his way,
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Tell me sweet Maiden then quoth he.
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What person thus abused thee.
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And lo by Christ his crosse I vow,
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which here is figured on my brest,
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I will revenge it on his brow,
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and break my lance upon his crest.
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And speaking thus whereas he stood,
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The Dragon issued out of the wood
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The Lady that did first espy
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the Dreadfull Dragon coming so
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Unto St. George aloud did cry.
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and willed him away to go.
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Here comes that cursed fiend quoth she
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That soon will make an end of me
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St. George then looking round about
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the fiery Dragon soon espyd,
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And like a knight of cou[ra]ge stout,
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against h[i]m he did fiercely ride.
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And with such blows he did him greet,
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That he fell und[e]r his horse feet.
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FOr with a Lance that was so strong
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as he came gaping in his face,
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In at his mouth he thrust it long
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the which could pierce no other place.
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And there within this Ladies view
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This Dreadfull Dragon then he slew.
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The savor of his poysoned breath
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could do this Christian knig[h]t no harm
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Thus did he save the Lady from death.
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and home he led her by the arm.
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Which when Ptolomy did see,
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There was great mirth and melody.
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When as the famous knight St. George,
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had slain the Dragon in the field,
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And brought the Lady to the Court
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whose sight with joy their hearts fild
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He in the AEgyptian Court then staid
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Till he most falsly was betraid.
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The Lady Sabrine lovd him well
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he counted her his only joy.
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But when their lov[e] was open known
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it provd to Georges great annoy.
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The Morocco King was in the Court,
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Who to the Orchard did resort,
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Dayly to take the pleasant Ayre,
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for pleasures sake he us[]d to walk
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Under a wall whereas he heard
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St. George with Lady Sabrine talk.
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Their love he revealed to the King,
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Which to St. George great wo did bring.
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These kings together did devise,
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to make this Christian knight away,
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With letters him Ambassador
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they straightway sent to Persia,
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And wrou[g]ht to Sophy him to kill,
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And trai[t]erously his blood to spill.
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Thus they for good did him reward
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with evill and most subtily,
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By much vile means they did devise
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to work his death most cruelly.
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While he in Persia abode,
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He quite destroyd each Idoll God.
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Which being done he straight was cast
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into a Dungeon dark and deep
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But when he thought upon his wrong,
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he bitterly did wail and weep.
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Yet like a knight of courage stout,
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Forth of the Dungeon he got out.
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And in the night three ho[r]se-keepers
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this valiant knight by power slew,
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Although he fasted many a day,
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and then away from thence he flew.
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On the best steed the Sophy had,
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Which when he knew he was full sad.
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Then into Christ[e]ndome he came
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and met a Gyant by the way,
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With whom in combate he did fight,
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most valiantly a Summers day,
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Who yet for all his bates of steel,
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Was forcd the sting of death to feel.
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From Ch[ri]stendo[me] this valiant knight
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then with warlick So[?]ivi[?]rs past,
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Vowing upon those heathen Lands
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to wo[r]k re[v]enge which at the l[a]st
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Er thrice three years was gone and spent
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He old unto his great content.
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Save only AEgipt land he spard.
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for S[a]brine bright her only sake
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And ere his rage he did suppresse,
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he meant a triall kind to make,
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P[t]olomy did know his strength in field,
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And unto him did kindly yield.
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Then he the Morocco King did kill
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and took fair Sabrine to his wife,
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And after that contentedly
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with her St. George did lead his life.
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Who by the Vertue of her chain:
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Did still a Virgin pure remain.
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To England then St. George did bring,
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this gallant Lady Sabrine bright,
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An Enuch also came with him
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in whom the Lady did delight.
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None but those three from AEgipt came,
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Now let me print St. Georges fame.
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When they were in the Forrest great
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the Lady did desire to rest,
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And then St. George to kill a Deer.
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to feed thereon did think it best,
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Left Sabrine and the Enuch there,
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While he did go and kill a Deer.
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The mean time in his absence came,
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two hungry Lyons fierce and fell,
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And tore the Enuch presently
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in pieces small the truth to tell.
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Down by the Lady then they laid,
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Where by it seems she was a M[a]id.
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But when St.Georg[e] from hunting came,
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and did behold this heavy chance.
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Yet for his lovely Virgin pure.
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his courage then he did advance.
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And came into the Lyons sight.
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Who ran at him withall their might.
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But he being no whit dismaid,
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but like a stout and valiant knight,
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Did kill the hungry Lyons both
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within the Lady Sabrines sight,
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But all this while sad and demure.
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She stood there like a Virgin pure,
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Then when St. George did truly know
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this Lady was a Virgin pure,
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His dolefull thoughts that ere was dumb
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began most firmly to renew,
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He set her on a paltry steed,
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And towards England came with speed
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Where he arrived in short while,
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unto his Fathers dw[e]lling place,
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Where with his dear[e]st love he livd,
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when fortune did their Nuptials grace,
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They many years of joy did see,
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And led their lives at Coventry,
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