A most excellent Ballad of S. George for England and the Kings daughter of Aegypt, whom he delivered from death, and how he slew a mighty Dragon. The tune is, flying fame.
OF Hectors d [...]ds did Homer sing
and of the Sack of stately Troy
What grief fair Hellen did them bring,
which was sir Paris only joy.
And with my pen I must recite
S. Georges déeds an English Knight
Against the Sarazens full rude,
fought he full long and many a day.
Where many Gyants he subdu'd
in honour of the Christian way
And after many adventures past
To Egypt land he came at last
And as the story plain doth tell
within the Countrey there did rest
A dredfull Dragon fierce and fell
whereby they were full sore opprest,
Who by his poysoned breath each day
Did many of that City [...]lay,
The grief whereof did grow so great
throughout the limits of the land
That they their wise men did intreat
to shew th [...]ir cunning out of hand
which way they might this Dragon stroy
That did their Countrey so annoy
The wise men all before the King,
framed this matter in continent,
The Dragon none to death might bring,
by any means they would invent
his skin more hard then brass was [...]ound
that sword or sp [...]ar can pierce or wound.
When this the people understood
they cryed out most pitiously
The Dragons breath infected their blood,
that they in heaps each day did dye
Amongst them such a plague it bred.
The living scarce could bury the dead
No means there was as they could find
for to appease this Dragons rage
But by a virgin pure and kind,
whereby they 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 truely must observed be
Wherefore throuhout the City round
a Uirgin pure of good degrée
Was by the Kings Commission still
Took up to serve the Dragons will
Thus did the Dragon [...] very day
a Maiden of the Town devour,
Till all the Maids were w [...]rn away
and none were left that present hour,
Saving the Kings fair Daughter bright,
Her Fathers joy and hearts delght.
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
O let us all be poysoned here,
Ere she should dye that is my dear
Then rose the people presently,
and to the King in rage they went
Who sa [...]d his daughter dear should dye
the Dragons fury to prevent,
Our daughters all are dead quoth they
And have béen made the Dragons prey,
And by their blood we have béen blest
and thou hast sav'd thy life thereby
And now in justice it doth rest,
for us thy daughter so should dye
O save my daughter said the King,
And let me féel the Dragons sting,
Then fell fair Sabrine on her knée,
and to her Father then 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 this Land was shown
'Tis better I should dye she said
then all your Subjects perish quite
Perhaps the Dragon here mas laid
for my offence to work this spight,
And after he hath suckt my gore
Your Land shall féel the grief no more.
What hast thou done my daughter dear
for to deserve this heavy scourge,
It is my fault as may appear
which makes ye gods our state to grudge
Then ought I die to stint the strife,
And to preserve thy happy life.
Like madmen then the people cry'd,
thy death to us can do no good,
Our safety only doth abide
to make thy daughter Dragons food.
Lo here am I, I come quoth she,
Therefore do what you will with me
Nay stay dear daughter quoth the Quéen
and as thou art a Uirgin bright.
Thou hast for vertue famous been
so let me cloath thée all in white,
And crown thy head with flowers swéet,
An Ornament for virgins méet.
And when she was attired so,
according to het Mothers mind,
Unto the stake then did she go,
to which they did this Uirgin bind.
Who being bound to sta [...]e and thrall
She bad farewell unto them all.
Farewell dear Father then quoth she
and my swéet Mother méek and mild,
Take you no thought nor w [...]ep for me
for you may have another childe,
Here for my Countries good Ile dye
Which I receive most willingly,
The King and Quéen with all their train
with weeping eyes went then their way
And let their Daughter there remain
to be the hungry Dragons prey.
But as she did there wéeping lye
Behold St. George came riding by,
And séeing there a Lady bright
fast tyed to the stake that day
M [...]st like unto a valiant Knight
strait unto her did take his way
Till me swéet maiden then quoth he
What person thus abused thée.
And low by Christ his Cross I vow
which here is figured on my brest
I will revenge it on his brow
and break my Lance upon his chest,
And speaking th [...]s whereas he stood
The Dragon iss [...]d out of the wood
The Lady that did first espy,
the dreadfull D [...]agon coming so
Unto St. George aloud did cry
and willed [...]i [...] away to go
Here comes that cursed fiend [...]uoth she,
That soon will m [...]ke and end of me
St. George then [...]ing round about
the fiery Dragon soon espi'd
And like a Knig [...]t of courage stout
against him he [...]id fi [...]cely ride
And with such bl [...]ws he did him gréet
That he fell und [...]r his horse féet.
FOr with a Lance that was so [...]ong,
as he came gaping in his [...]ace
In at his mouth he thrust it long
the which could pierce no other p [...]ce
And there within t [...]is Ladies vie [...]
This dreadful Dragon then he sle [...].
The savor of his poysoned breath
could do this Christian Knight no [...]arm
Thus did he save the Lady from d [...]ath
and h [...]me he led her by the Arm
Which when Ptolomy d [...]d sée
There was great mirth and melod [...]
When as the famous Kt. Saint G [...]rge
had slain the Dragon in the field
And brought the Lady to the C [...]r
whose sight with joy their hearts [...]ld
He in the Aegyptian Court then stad
Till he most falsly was betray'd
The Lady Sabrine lov'd him well
he counted her his only joy,
But when their love was open kn [...]n
it provd to Georges great annoy
The Morocco King was in the C [...]rt
Who to the Orchard did resort
Dayly to take the pleasant Ayre
for pleasures sake he us'n to wal [...]
Under a wall whereas he heard
St George with Lady Sabrine tak
Their love he revealed to the King
Which to St George great wo did [...]ing
These Kings together did devise
to make the Christian Knight a [...]ay
With Letters him Embassador
they strait way sent to Persia
And wrote to Sophy him to kill,
And Traiterously his blood to spill
Thus they for good did him reward
with evil and most subtily,
By much vile means they did devise
to work his death most cruelly,
While he in Persia abode
He quite destroy'd Each Idol god.
Which being done, he strait was call
into a Dungeon dark and déep
But when he thought upon his wrong
he bitterly did waile and wéep.
Yet like a Knight of courage stout,
Forth of the Dungeon he got out
And in the night thrée horsekéepers
this valiant Knight by power slew
Although he fasted many a day
and then away from thence he flew
On the best Stéed that Sophy had
Which when he knew he was full sad
Then into Christendom he came
and met a Gyant by the way
With whom in combate he did fight
most valiantly a Summers day,
Who yet for all his [...]ates of steel
was forc'd the sting of death to feel.
From Christendom this valiant Knight
then with warlike Sould [...]ers past
Uowing upon those Heathen Lands
to work revenge which at the last
E [...]r thrice three years were gone & spent,
He did unto h [...]s great con [...]ent,
Save only Aegypt Land [...]e spa [...]
for Sabrine bright her only sake,
And ere his rage he did suppress,
he meant a tryal kind to make.
Ptolomy did know his streng [...]h in field
And un [...]o him did kindly yield
Then he the Morocco King did kill
and took fair Sabrine to his wife
And after that contentedly
with her St George did l [...]ad her life,
Who by the vertue of her chain
Did still a Uirgin pure remain
To England then St George did bring
this gallant Lady Sabrine bright
An Eunuch also came with him,
in whom the Lady did delight.
None but these thrée from Aegypt came
Now let me print St Georges fame.
When they were in a Forrest great
the Lady did desire to rest
And then St Ge [...]rge to kill a Deere
to feed thereon did think it best
Left Sabrine and the Eunuch there
While he did go and kill a Deer
The mean time in his absence came
two hungry Lyons fierce and fell
And tore the Eunuch presently.
in pieces small the truth to tell
Down by the Lady then they laid,
Whereby it seems she was a maid
But w [...]en St George from hunting came
and did behold this heavy chance
Yet for this lovely Uirgin pure
his courage then he did advance,
And came into the Lions sight
Who ran at him with all their might.
But he being no whit dismay'd
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 there like a Uirgin pure
Then when St George did truely know,
this Lady was a Uirgin pure
His doleful thoughts that ere was dumb
began most firmly to renew
He set her on a paltry steed,
And towards England came with speed.
Where he arrived in short while
unto his Fathers dwelling place
Wherewith his dearest Love he liv'd
when fortune did their Nuptials grace,
They many years of joy did see
And led their lives at Coventry.
Printed for F, Coles, T. Vere, and W. Gilbertson.