A most excellent Ballad of S. George for England and the King's daughter of Egypt, whom he delivered from death, and how he slew a mighty Dragon. The tune is, flying fame.  
OF Hector's d●●ds did Homer sing  
and of the Sack of stately Troy  
What grief fair Helen did them bring,  
which was sir Paris only joy.  
And with my pen I must recite  
S. George's deeds an English Knight  
Against the Saracens full rude,  
fought he full long and many a day.  
Where many giants he subdued  
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 country there did rest  
A dreadful Dragon fierce and fell  
whereby they were full sore oppressed,  
Who by his poisoned 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 entreat  
to show their cunning out of hand  
which way they might this Dragon destroy  
That did their country 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 than brass was sound  
that sword or sp●ar can pierce or wound.  
When this the people understood  
they cried out most piteously  
The dragon's breath infected their blood,  
that they in heaps each day did die  
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 dragon's rage  
But by a virgin pure and kind,  
whereby they might his fury suage  
Each day he should a Maiden eat  
For to allay his hunger great.  
This thing by art the wise men found  
which truly must observed be  
Wherefore throuhout the City round  
a virgin pure of good degree  
Was by the King's 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 King's fair Daughter bright,  
Her father's 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 kingdom's heir  
O let us all be poisoned here,  
Ere she should die that is my dear  
Then rose the people presently,  
and to the King in rage they went  
Who sa●d his daughter dear should die  
the dragon's fury to prevent,  
Our daughters all are dead quoth they  
And have been made the dragon's prey,  
And by their blood we have been blessed  
and thou hast saved thy life thereby  
And now in justice it doth rest,  
for us thy daughter so should die  
O save my daughter said the King,  
And let me feel the dragon's sting,  
Then fell fair Sabrine on her knee,  
and to her Father then did say,  
O Father strive not thus for me,  
but let me be the dragon's prey,  
It may be for my sake alone,  
This plague upon this Land was shown  
'Tis better I should die she said  
then all your Subjects perish quite  
Perhaps the Dragon here mass laid  
for my offence to work this spite,  
And after he hath sucked my gore  
Your Land shall feel 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 the gods our state to grudge  
Then ought I die to stint the strife,  
And to preserve thy happy life.  
Like madmen then the people cried,  
thy death to us can do no good,  
Our safety only doth abide  
to make thy daughter dragon's food.  
Lo here am I, I come quoth she,  
Therefore do what you will with me  
Nay stay dear daughter quoth the Queen  
and as thou art a virgin bright.  
Thou hast for virtue famous been  
so let me clothe thee all in white,  
And crown thy head with flowers sweet,  
An Ornament for virgins meet.  
And when she was attired so,  
according to haet mother's mind,  
Unto the stake than did she go,  
to which they did this virgin bind.  
Who being bound to sta●e and thrall  
She bad farewell unto them all.  
Farewell dear Father then quoth she  
and my sweet Mother meek and mild,  
Take you no thought nor w●ep for me  
for you may have another child,  
Here for my Countries good I'll die  
Which I receive most willingly,  
The King and Queen with all their train  
with weeping eyes went then their way  
And let their Daughter there remain  
to be the hungry dragon's prey.  
But as she did there weeping lie  
Behold St. George came riding by,  
And seeing there a Lady bright  
fast tied to the stake that day  
M●st like unto a valiant Knight  
straight unto her did take his way  
Till me sweet maiden than quoth he  
What person thus abused thee.  
And low by Christ his Cross I vow  
which here is figured on my breast  
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 dreadful 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 espied  
And like a Knig●t of courage stout  
against him he ●id fi●●cely ride  
And with such bl●ws he did him greet  
That he fell und●r his horse feet.  
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 than he sle●.  
The savour of his poisoned 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 Ptolemy d●d see  
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 Egyptian Court then stad  
Till he most falsely was betrayed  
The Lady Sabrine loved him well  
he counted her his only joy,  
But when their love was open kn●n  
it proud to George's great annoy  
The Morocco King was in the C●rt  
Who to the Orchard did resort  
Daily to take the pleasant air  
for pleasures sake he us'n to wal●  
Under a wall whereas he heard  
St George with Lady Sabrine take  
Their love he revealed to the King  
Which to St George great woe did ●ing  
These Kings together did devise  
to make the Christian Knight a●ay  
With Letters him ambassador  
they straight way sent to Persia  
And wrote to Sophy him to kill,  
And traitorously his blood to spill  
Thus they for good did him reward  
with evil and most subtly,  
By much vile means they did devise  
to work his death most cruelly,  
While he in Persia abode  
He quite destroyed Each Idol god.  
Which being done, he straight was call  
into a Dungeon dark and deep  
But when he thought upon his wrong  
he bitterly did wail and weep.  
Yet like a Knight of courage stout,  
Forth of the Dungeon he got out  
And in the night three horsekéepers  
this valiant Knight by power slew  
Although he fasted many a day  
and then away from thence he flew  
On the best steed that Sophy had  
Which when he knew he was full sad  
Then into Christendom he came  
and met a giant by the way  
With whom in combat he did fight  
most valiantly a summer's day,  
Who yet for all his ●ates of steel  
was forced the sting of death to feel.  
From Christendom this valiant Knight  
then with warlike soldiers 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 Egypt Land ●e spa●●●  
for Sabrine bright her only sake,  
And ere his rage he did suppress,  
he meant a trial kind to make.  
Ptolemy 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 virtue of her chain  
Did still a virgin 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 three from Egypt came  
Now let me print St George's fame.  
When they were in a forest great  
the Lady did desire to rest  
And then St Ge●rge to kill a dear  
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 lions fierce and fell  
And tore the Eunuch presently.  
in pieces small the truth to tell  
Down by the Lady than 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 virgin pure  
his courage than he did advance,  
And came into the lion's sight  
Who ran at him with all their might.  
But he being no whit dismayed  
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 virgin pure  
Then when St George did truly know,  
this Lady was a virgin 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 lived  
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.