St. GEORGE & the DRAGON.
|
WHY should we boast of Arthur and his knights,
|
Knowing how many men performed fights,
|
Or why should we speak of Sir Lancellot du Lake,
|
Or Sir Tristram Drulyon that fought for lady's sake,
|
Read old stories, and there you will see,
|
How St. George, St. George, he made the dragon flee.
|
CHORUS.
|
St. George he was for England, --- St. Dennis was for France,
|
And sing, ---"HONI SOIT QUI MAL. Y. PENSE."
|
To speak of monarchs, it were too long to tell,
|
Likewise of the Romans, how far they did excel,
|
Hannibal, a Scipio, in many a fight,
|
Orlando Tortuso, he was a valiant knight.
|
Romulus and Remus, were those that Rome did build,
|
But St. Geo. St. Geo. the dragon he has kill'd. --- CHORUS. St. Geo. etc.
|
Valentine and Orson they came of king Pippin's blood,
|
Sir Alfred and Alerick, they were brave knights, and good,
|
The four sons of Ammon that fought for Charlemain,
|
Sir Hugh de Bourdeaux, and Sir Godfrey de Bulloin,
|
These were French knights, the Pagans did convert,
|
But St. George, St. George, pull'd out the dragons heart. --- CHORUS.
|
Jephthah and Gideon they led their men to fight,
|
The Ammonites and Gideonites they put all to the flight,
|
Herculas, his labour was in a vale of brass,
|
And Sampson slew ten thousand with the jaw-bone of an ass:
|
And when he was blind he pull'd the temple down,
|
But St. George, St. George, the dragon did confound. --- CHORUS.
|
Henry the fifth he conquer'd all France,
|
He quarter'd his arms, his honour to advance,
|
He raised the walls, and he pull'd the cities down,
|
And garnish'd his head with a double tripple crown:
|
He thumped the French, and after home he came,
|
But St. George, St. George, the dragon he made tame. --- CHORUS.
|
St. David you know loves leeks and toasted cheese,
|
And Jason was the man that brought home the golden fleece,
|
St. Patrick you know he was St. George's boy,
|
Seven years he kept his horse and then stole him away:
|
For which knavish act a slave he doth remain,
|
But St. George, St. George, he hath the dragon slain. --- CHORUS.
|
Tamerlain the emperor in an iron cage was crown'd,
|
With his bloody flag displayed before the town,
|
Skanderburgh, and Magnanimus, Mahomets bashaws did dread,
|
Whose victorious bones was borne when he was dead:
|
William, so fam'd, the Conqueror he was call'd,
|
But St. George, St. George, the dragon he has maul'd. --- CHORUS.
|
Pendragon and Cadwaladar of british blood do boast,
|
Tho' John of Gaunt his foes did daunt, St. George did rule the roast,
|
Haggememmon and Cleomedes and Massedon did feats,
|
But to be compar'd to our champions they are but merely cheats:
|
Brave Malta knights in Turkish fights, their brandish'd swords drew,
|
But St. George, St. George, thrust the dragon through & through.
|
Ottoman the Tartar, he came of Persia's race,
|
The great Mogul with his chest full of cloves and mace,
|
The Grecian youth Baucephulus, did manfully bestride,
|
But these with the worthy nine, St. George he did deride,
|
Gustavius Adaulphus, was Sweden's warlike king,
|
But St. George, St. George, pull'd out the dragon's sting. ---CHORUS.
|
Mark Anthony, I'll warrant ye, play'd feats with Egypt's queen,
|
Sir Eglemore, the valiant knight, the like was never seen,
|
Grim Gorgan's might was known in fight, old Beves most men frighted,
|
The Mirme Dons and Presto Johns, why were not these men knighted?
|
Brave Spinalaw took in Breedshaw, Nosson did it recover,
|
But St. George, St. George, turn'd the dragon over and over.
|
Bedean the Amazon, Poetat overthrew,
|
As fierce as either Vandal, Goth, Sarisan, or Jew,
|
The potent Olofernes, as he lay in his bed,
|
In came wise Judith and stole away his head,
|
With Jove, the Cyclops, though he shower'd down thunder,
|
But St. George the dragon kill'd, and was not that a wonder.
|
|
|
|
|
|