A most Excellent Ballad of St. George for England, and the King's Daughter of Egypt, whom he delivere from death, and how he slew a mighty Dragon.  
To the Tune of, Flying same.  
 
Of Hector's deeds 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,  
St. George's deeds, an English Knight.  
Against the Sarajens full rude,  
fought he full long and many a day;  
Where many a Giant 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 that Country there did rest  
A dreadful Dragon fierce and fell,  
whereby they were full fore oppressed:  
Who by his poisoned breath each day,  
Did many of the City slay  
The grief thereof did grow so great,  
throughout the limits of the Land  
That they their wise men did entreat,  
to show there cunning out of hand:  
Which way they might this Dragon' stroy,  
That did there country sore annoy.  
The wise men all before the King,  
framed this matter incontinent,  
The dragon ●●ne to death might bring  
by any means they could invent.  
His Skin more hard than brass was found  
That sword or spear could pierce or wound.  
When this the people understood,  
they cried out most piteously,  
The Dragon's breath infected their blood,  
that they each day in heaps did die,  
Amongst them such a plague it bred  
The living scarce could bury the dead.  
No means there was that they could find,  
for to appease the Dragon's rage,  
But by a Virgin pure and kind,  
whereby he 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,  
Wherhfore throughout the City round,  
a Virgin pure of good degrees  
Was by the King's Commission still,  
Took up to serve the Dragons will.  
Thus did the Dragon every day,  
a Maiden of the Town devour,  
Till all the Maids were worn away,  
and none were left that present hour,  
Saving the King's fair daughter bright,  
Her Father's joy and hearts delight.  
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,  
 she should die that is my dear.  
Then risen the people presently,  
and to the King in rage they went,  
Who said 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 thou hast been blest,  
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 thus did say  
O Father strive not thus for me,  
but let me be the Dragon's prey,  
It may be too my sake alone,  
This Plague upon the Land was shown  
'Tis better I should die (she said)  
then all your Subjects perish quite,  
Perhaps the Dragon here was laid,  
for my offence to work his 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 it shall 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 all 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 I am, (O than quoth she,)  
Therefore do what you will with me.  
Nay stay dear daughter (qd. the Queen)  
and as thou art a Virgin bright,  
That hath for virtue famous been,  
so let me  thee all in white  
And crown thy head with flowers sweet,  
An ornament for Virgins meet.  
And when she was attired so,  
according to her mother's mind;  
Unto the stake than she did go,  
to which they did this Virgin bind,  
And being bound to stake 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 care for me  
for you may have another child:  
Here for my Country's good ●'le die,  
which I receive most willingly.  
The King and Queen with all their train  
with weeping eyes than went their way  
And let their daughter there remain,  
to be the hungry Dragon's prey;  
But as she there did weeping lie,  
Behold St. George came riding by,  
Now like unto a valiant knight,  
strait unto her did take his way  
And being amazed at this sight,  
He then to her these words did say,  
Tell me sweet maiden than quoth he,  
What person thus abused thee?  
And lo 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 Crest,  
And speaking thus whereas he stood,  
The Dragon issued out of the Wood  
The Lady that did first espy,  
the dreadful Dragon coming so  
Unto St. George aloud did cry,  
and willed him away to go:  
Here comes that cursed Fiend quoth she,  
That soon will make an end of me.  
St. George then looking round about,  
the fiery Dragon soon espied,  
And like a Knight of couragé stout,  
against him he did fiercely ridé:  
And with such blows he did him greet;  
That he fell under his Horse feet.  

The second Part,  
to the same Tune.  
FOr with a Lance that was so strong  
as he came gaping in his face.  
In at his mouth he thrust it along,  
the which could pierce no other place:  
And there within the Lady's view,  
This dreadful dragon than he slew.  
The favour of his poisoned breath,  
could do this Christian Knight no harm  
Thus did he save the Lady from death,  
and home he led her by the arm,  
Which when Ptolemy did see,  
There was great joy and Melody.  
When as the famous Knight St. George  
had slain the Dragon in the field,,  
And brought the Lady to the Court,  
whose sight with joy their hearts then filled  
He in the Egyptian Court then stayed,  
Till he most falsely was betrayed.  
The Lady Sabrine loved him well,  
he counted her his only joy,  
But when their love was open known,  
it proved St. George's great annoy:  
The Morocco King was in the Court,  
Who to the Orchard did resort,  
Daily to take the pleasant air,  
for pleasure's sake he used to walk,  
Under a wall, whereas he heard,  
St. George with Lady Sabrine talk;  
Their loves he revealed to the King,  
Which to St. George great woe did bring.  
Thesé Kings together did devise,  
to make this Christian Knight away,  
With Letters him Ambassador,  
they straightway sent to Persia:  
And wrote toth' Sophy him to kill,  
And treacherously his blood to spill.  
Thus they for good did him reward,  
with Evil and most subtly;  
By such vile means they did devise,  
to work his death most cruelly:  
While he in Persia abode,  
He strait destroyed each Idol God.  
Which being done he strait was cast  
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 horse-keepers,  
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 him in combat he did Fight,  
most valiantly a summer's day,  
Who yet for all his bats of Steel,  
Was forced the sting of death to feel.  
From Christendom that valiant Knight,  
then with Warlike Soldiers passed,  
Vowing upon that Heathen Land,  
to work revenge, which at the last  
 thrice three years were gone & spent,  
He did unto his great content,  
Save only Egypt Land he spared,  
for Sabrine bright her only sake;  
And e'er his rage he did surpass,  
he meant a trial kind to make,  
Ptolemy did know his strength in field,  
And unto him did kindly yield.  
Then he the Morocco king did kill,  
and took fair Sabrine to his wife;  
And afterwards contentedly,  
with her St. George did lead his life,  
Who by the virtue of a chain,  
Did still a virgin pure remain.  
To England then St. George did bring,  
this gallant Lady Sabrine bright,  
An Eunuch also came with them,  
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 the forest great,  
the Lady did desire to rest,  
And then St. George to kill a Deer.  
to feed thereon did think it best,  
Left Sabrine and the Eunuch there,  
While he did go and kill a Dear  
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 seemed she was a Maid,  
But when St. George from hunting came  
and did behold this heavy chance,  
Yet for his lovely Virgin pure,  
his courage stout he did advance:  
And came within the Lion's sight.  
Who run at him withal their might,  
But he being not a bit 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 damure,  
She stood there like a Virgin pure.  
Then when St. George did truly know,  
his Lady was a Virgin true,  
Those doleful thoughts that e'te was dumb,  
began most firmly to renew,  
He set her on a Palfrey steed,  
And toward England came with speed,  
Where he arrived in short space,  
unto his father's dwelling place,  
Where with his dearest love he lived,  
when fortune did there Nuptials grace  
They many years of joy did see,  
And led there lives at Coventry.    

Printed for I. C. W. T. and T. Passenger.