An Excellent Ballad of St. GEORGE
for England, and the King of Egypts Daughter whom he deliver-
ed from Death, and how he slew a Monsterous Dragon, etc.
To the Tune of Flying Fame.
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OF Hectors Deed did Homer sing,
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an of the Sack of stately Troy,
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What Grief fair Hellen 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. George's Deeds an English Knight
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Against the Sarazens full rude
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fought he full long and many a Day
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Where many a Gallant he subdu'd,
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in honour of the Christian way,
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And after many adventures Past,
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To Egypt Land he came at last-
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And as the Story plain doth tell,
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within the Country there did rest,
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A dreadful Dragon fierce and fell,
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whereby they were full sore opprest,
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Who by his poison'd Breath each day
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Did many of the City slay.
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The Grief whereof did grow so great
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throughout the limits of the Land,
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That their Wisemen did entreat
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to shew their Cunning out of Hand,
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Which way they might this Dragon stroy
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That did their Country so annoy.
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The Wise-men all before the King,
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fram'd this matter Incontinent,
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The Dragon none to Death might bring
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by any means they could invent,
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his skin more heard than Brass was foun[d,]
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That Sword or Spear could pierce or wound.
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When this the People understood,
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they cried out most pitiously,
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The Dragon's Breath infected their Blood
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that they each day in Heaps did die,
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Amongst them such a Plage it bred,
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The living scarce could bury their dead
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No means their was that he could find
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for to appease the Dragon's rage,
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But by a Virgin pure and kind,
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whereby he might his Fury swage,
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Each day he should a Maiden eat,
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For to allay his Hunger great.
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This thing by Art the Wisemen found
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which truly must observed be,
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Wherefore throughout the City round
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a Virgin pure of good degree,
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Was by the King's Commission still,
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Took up to serve the Dragon's 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 Maidens were worn away,
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and none were left that present Hour,
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Saving the King's fair Daughter bright
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Her Father's joy and Heart's 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 [s]orrow sting,
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She is quoth he my Kingdom's Heir,
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O let us all be poisoned here,
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E're she should die 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 die
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the Dragon's Fury to prevent;
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Our Daughter's all are dead quoth they
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And have been made the Dragons pray,
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And by their Blood thou hast been blest
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and thou hast sav'd thy Life thereby,
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And now in Justice it doth rest.
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for as thy Daughter so should die
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O save my Daughter said the King,
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And let me feel the Dragon's sting.
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Then fell fair Sabrine on her knee,
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And to her Father thus did say,
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O Father strive not thus for me,
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but let me be the Dragon's prey,
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It may be for my sake alone,
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This Plague upon the Land was shown.
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better I should die she said,
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than 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 know 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 it shall appear,
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which makes the Gods our state grudge
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Then ought I die to stint the strife,
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Like Mad-men all the People cry'd,
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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 Dragon's Food.
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Lo here I am O then quoth she,
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Therefore do what you will with me.
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Nay stay dear Daughter quoth the King
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and as thou art a Virgin bright,
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That hath for Virtue 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 she did go,
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to which they did this fair Maid bind,
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And being bound to Stake and Thrall,
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She bid farewell unto them all.
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Farewell dear Father then quoth she,
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and my dear Mother meek and mild,
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Take you no thought nor care for me,
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for you may have another Child,
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here for my Country's good I'll die,
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which I receive most willingly.
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The King and Queen with all their Train,
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with weeping Eyes then went away,
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and let their Daughter there remain,
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to be the hungry Dragon's prey;
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but as she there did weeping lie,
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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 tied 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 Blood I vow,
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which here is figur'd on my Breast,
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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 issu'd out of the Wood.
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The Lady that did first espy,
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the dreadful 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 the ugly 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 there espy'd,
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and like a knight of Courage stout,
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against him he did fiercely ride,
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and with such Blows he did him greet,
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that he fell under his Horse's 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 plerce no other place,
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and there within this Lady's view,
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this dreadful Dragon then he slew,
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The Savour of his poisoned Breath,
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could do this Christian Knight no harm,
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thus he did this Lady save from Death,
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and home he led led her by the Arm,
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Which when Potolomy did see,
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there was great Joy and Melody.
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When as this 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 they fill'd
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he in the Egyptian Court then staid
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till he most falsely was betray'd.
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The Lady Sabrine lov'd him well,
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he counted her his only Joy,
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but when their Loves were open known
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it prov'd St. Georoe's great annoy,
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the Morocco King was then in Court,
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who to the Ochard did resort
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Daily to take the pleasant Air,
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for pleasures sake he us'd to walk,
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under the Wall whereas he heard,
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St. George with fair Sabrine talk,
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their Loves he revealed to the King,
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which to Saint George great woe did bring.
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These Kings together did devise,
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to make the 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 wrote to the Sophy him to kill,
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and treacherously his Blood to spill,
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Thus they for Good did him reward
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with Evil, and most subtilly
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by such 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 straight destroy'd each Idol-God.
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Which being done he strait was slung
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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 began to weep,
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but 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 Horse-keepers
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this valliant Knight by Power slew,
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although he had fasted many a Day,
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and then away from thence he flew,
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On the best Steed that Sophy had,
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which when he knew he was full sad.
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Then into Christendom he came,
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and met a Giant by the way,
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with him in Combat he did fight,
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most valiantly a Summer's day,
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who yet for all his Bars of Steel
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was forc'd the Sting of Death to feel.
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From Christendom this Valiant Knight,
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then with warlike Soldiers hast,
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vowing upon that heathen Land,
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to work revenge which at the last,
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e're thrice 3 year was gone and spent,
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he did unto his great Content,
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Save only Egypt Land he spar'd,
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for Sabrine bright her only sake.
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and e're his Rage he did suppress
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he meant a Tryal kind to make,
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Potolomy 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 afterwards contentedly,
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with her St. George did lead his Life,
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who by the Virtue of a 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 Eunuch also came with him,
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in whom the Lady did delight,
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none but these 3 from Egypt came,
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now let me Print St. George's 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 Eunuch there,
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while he did go to kill a Deer.
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The meantime in his Absence comes
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two hungry Lions fierce and fell,
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and tore the Eunuch 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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whereby it seem'd she was a Maid.
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But when Saint George from Hunting cam
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and did behold his heavy Chance
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yet for his lovely Virgin pure
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his courage stout he did Advance,
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and came within the Lions sight,
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who run at him with all their might.
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And he being no whit dismay'd,
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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 Sabrine's 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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But when Saint George did truly know,
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his Lady was a Virgin true,
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those doleful thoughts that before was
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began most firmly to renew,
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he set her on a Pelfrey steed,
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and towards England came with speed
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Where he arrived' in short time,
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unto his Father's dwelling place,
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where with his dearest Love he lived
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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 let their Lives at Coventry.
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