With Fove the Cyclops fought, alth' he show'r'd down Thunder;

But St. George kill'd the Dragon, and was not that a Wonder?

St. George he was for England, &c.

Mark Anthony, I'll warrant ye, play'd Feats with Ægypt's Queen;

Sir Eglemore, that valiant Knight, the like was ne

ver seen ; Grim Gorgon's Might was known in Fight; old Bevis most Men frighted; The Mirmidons and Prefter Johns; why were not these Men knighted?

Brave Spinola took in Breda, Naffau did it recover; But St. George, St. George, turn'd the Dragon over and over.

St. George he was for England, St. Dennis was for

Sing Honi foit qui mal y pense.

France;

C 2

V. The

V. The SEVEN CHAMPIONS

Christendom.

Being a Compendious History of their L and Actions, &c.

To the Tune of The Chriftean Warriors.

In my former Argument, I refused to give. Hiftory, or rather the Fable of St. Georg but left any of my Readers should be und quainted with it, I have inferted the follo ing Ballad; where they'll not only find h Hiftory, but that of the other Six Champ ons of Christendom with it; and the A count is, I believe, as authentick as any v have extant. The only Thing I have to o ject to the Poet here, is his Partiality; fo hehas beftow'd Half the Song upon our Eng lifh Hero, whilft the other Six have but on Half between them all.

OW of the Seven Champions here,
My Purpose is to write;

Now

To fhew how they with Sword and Spear
Put many Foes to flight :

Diftreffed Ladies to release,

And Captives bound in Chains;
That Christian Glory to increase,
Which evermore remains.

First, I give you to understand,
That Great St. George by Name.
Was the true Champion of our Land;
And of his Birth and Fame;
And of his Noble Mother's Dream,
Before that he was born,

The which to her did clearly seem
Her Days would be forlorn.

This was her Dream : That she did bear
A Dragon in her Womb;
Which griev'd this Noble Lady fair,

'cause Death must be her Doom. This Sorrow she could not conceal, So difmal was her Fear;

So that she did the fame reveal
Unto her Husband dear;

Who went for to enquire straight
Of an Inchanteress;

When knocking at her Iron Gate,
Her Answer it was this:

'The Lady shall bring forth a Son,

6

By whom, in Tract of Time,

'Great Noble Actions shall be done;

'He will to Honour climb :

'For he shall be in Banners wore ;

'This Truth I will maintain :
'Your Lady she shall dye before
'You fee her Face again.

His Leave he took, and Home he went;
His Wife departed lay :

But that which did his Grief augment,

The Child was stole way.

Then did he travel in Despair,
Where foon with Grief he dy'd;

While the young Child, his Son and Heir,
Did conftantly abide

With the wife Lady of the Grove,
In her inchanted Cell;

Amongst the Woods he oft did rove,
His Beauty pleas'd her well.

Blinded with Love, fhe did impart,
Upon a certain Day,

To him her cunning Magick Art,
And where Six Champions lay,
Within a brazen Castle strong,
By an inchanted Sleep;

And where they had continued long ;
She did the Castle keep.

She taught and fhew'd him ev'ry Thing,
Thro' being free and fond;
Which did her fatal Ruin bring;

For with a Silver Wand,

He clos'd her up into a Rock,
By giving one fmall Stroke ;
So took Poffeffion of her Stock,
And the Inchantment broke.

Thofe Chriftian Champions being freed
From their inchanted State,
Each mounted on his prancing Steed,
And took to Travel strait;

Where we will leave them to pursue
Kind Fortune's Favours ftill,
To treat of our own Champion, who
Did Courts with Wonders fill:

For as he came to understand,
At an old Hermit's Cell,
How in the vast Egyptian Land,
A Dragon, fierce and fell,

Thre

Threaten'd the Ruin of them all

By his devouring Jaws;

His Sword releas'd them from that Thrall,
And foon remov'd the Cause.

This dreadful Dragon must destroy
A Virgin ev'ry Day:

Or elfe with Stinks he'll them annoy,
And many Thousands slay.

At length, the King's own Daughter dear,
For whom the Court did mourn,
Was brought to be devour'd here;
For fhe must take her Turn.

The King, by Proclamation, said,
If any hardy Knight

Could free this fair young Royal Maid,
And flay the Dragon quite ;

Then should he have her for his Bride,
And (after Death) likewife

His Crown and Kingdom too beside :
St. George he won the Prize.

When many hardy Strokes he'd dealt,
And could not pierce his Hide,
He run his Sword up to the Hilt,
In at the Dragon's Side;
By which he did his Life deftroy,
Which cheer'd the drooping King ;

This caus'd an universal Joy,

Sweet Peals of Bells did ring.

The Daughter of a King, for Pride
Transform'd into a Tree

Of Mulberries, which Dennis fpy'd ;
And being hungery,