An excellent Ballad of St. GEORGE for England, and the King of Egypt's Daughter, whom he delivered from Death, and how he slew a Monstrous Dragon, etc.  
To the Tune of, Flying Fame, etc.  
Licenced and Entered according to Order.  
 depiction of St. George slaying a dragon  

OF Hector's Deeds did Homer sing,  
& 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 Sarazens full rude  
fought he full long & 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 sore oppressed,  
Who by his poisoned breath each Day,  
Did many of the City slay.   

The Grief whereof did grow so great,  
throughout the Limits of the Land,  
That they their wisemen did entreat,  
to show their cunning out of hand;  
Which way they might this Dragon' stroy,  
That did their Country so annoy.   

The wisemen all before the King,  
framed this Matter incontinent,  
The Dragon none 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 Wisemen found,  
which truly must observed be,  
Wherhfore throughout 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 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,  
E'er 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 their 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 the land was shown.   

'tis better I should die (she said)  
than all your subjects perish quite,  
Perhaps the Dragon here was laid,  
for my offence to work this spite;  
And after he hath sucked my gore,  
Your Land shall know 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 mad men 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 then (quoth she)  
Therefore do what you will with me.   

Nay stay dear daughter, (quoth 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 did she go,  
to which they did this virgin bind;  
And being bound to stake and thrall,  
She bid farewell unto them all:   

Farewell, dear Father, than (quoth she)  
and my sweet Mother meek and mild,  
Take you no thought or care for me,  
for you may have another Child:  
Here for my Country's good I'll 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:   

And seeing there a Lady bright,  
fast tied to the stake that day,  
Most like unto a Valiant Knight,  
strait unto her did take his way:  
Tell me sweet Maiden, than quoth he,  
Wh●● person thus abused thee?   

And lo by Christ his blood 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,  
Unt● St. George aloud did cry,  
and willed him away to go,  
Here comes that ugly 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 Courage stout,  
against him he did fiercely ride:  
And with such blows he did him greet,  
That he fell under his horses feet.   

For with a Lance that was so strong,  
as he came gaping in his face,  
In at his mouth he thrust it long,  
the which could pierce no other place:  
And there within this Lady's view,  
This dreadful Dragon than he slew.   

The savour of his poisoned breath,  
could do this Christian knight no harm;  
Thus he did save this Lady from Death,  
and home he led her by the arm;  
Which when Ptolemy did see,  
There was great joy and Melody.   

When as this 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  
Ye 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 loves was open known  
it proved St. George's great annoy;  
The Morrocco King was then in Court,  
Who to the Orchard did resort.   

Daily to take the pleasant air,  
for pleasure sake he used to walk  
Under the wall, whereas he heard  
St. George with fair Sarabrine talk;  
Their loves he revealed to the King,  
Which to St. George great woe did bring.   

These Kings together did devise  
to make this Christian knight away,  
With Letters him Ambassador,  
they straightway sent to Persia,  
And wrote to the Sophy him to kill,  
And treacherously his blood to spill.   

Thus they for good did him reward  
with evil, and most subtlety,  
By such vile means they did Devise  
to work his Death most cruelly;  
While he in Persia abode,  
He strait Destroyed each idolgod.   

Which being done he strait was slung  
into a Dungeon dark and deep;  
But when he thought upon his wrong,  
he bitterly began to 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 this valiant knight,  
then with warlike Soldiers past,  
Vowing upon that Heathen Land,  
to work revenge, which at the last  
E'er thrice three years was 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 suppress,  
he meant a trial kind to make:  
Ptolemy did know his strength in field,  
And unto him did kindly yield.   

Then he the Morrocco 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 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 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 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 seemed she was a maid.   

But when St. George from hunting came  
and did behold this heavy chance,  
Yet for this lovely virgin pure  
his courage stout he did advance:  
And came within the Lion's sight,  
who run 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.   

But when St. George did truly know,  
his Lady was a virgin true,  
Those doleful thoughts that e'er was dumb  
begins most firmly to renew:  
He set her on a Palfrey steed,  
And towards England came with speed.   

where he arrived in short time  
unto his Father's Dwelling-place,  
where with 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 by and for Alex. M … 〈◊〉 the Stationer's Arms in G … Court in the Little Old 〈◊〉