Towards Christendom he made his flight,
But met a Giant by the way,
With whom a 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.

Back over the seas with many bands

Of warlike soldiers soon he past; Vowing upon those heathen lands,

To work revenge,—which at the last,
Ere thrice three years were gone and spent,
He wrought unto his heart's content.

Save only Egypt land he spared,
For Sabra bright her only sake,
And, ere for her he had regard,

He meant a trial kind to make.
Meanwhile the King overcome in field,
Unto St. George did quickly yield.

Then straight Morocco's King he slew,
And took fair Sabra to his wife,
But meant to try if she were true,

Ere with her he would lead his life.
And though he had her in his train,
She did a virgin pure remain.

Toward England then, that lovely dame

The brave St. George conducted straight;

An eunuch also with them came,

Who did upon the lady wait.

These three from Egypt went alone-
Now mark, St. George's valour shewn.

When as they in a forest were,
The lady did desire to rest;
Meanwhile St. George to kill a deer,
For their repast did think it best-

Leaving her with the eunuch there,
Whilst he did go to kill the deer.

But, lo! all in his absence came
Two hungry lions, fierce and fell,
And tore the eunuch on the same

In pieces small, the truth to tell;
Down by the lady then they laid,
Whereby this shewed she was a maid.

But when he came from hunting back,
And did behold this heavy chance,
Then for his lovely virgin's sake,

His courage straight he did advance,
And came into the lions' sight;
Who ran at him with all their might.

Their rage did him no whit dismay,
Who, like a stout and valiant knight,
Did both the hungry lions slay,
Within the lady Sabra's sight,
Who all the while, sad and demure,
There stood most like a virgin pure.

Now, when St. George did surely know
The lady was a virgin true,

His heart was glad that erst was woe,
And all his love did soon renew;

He set her on a palfrey steed,

And towards England came with speed.

Where having in short space arrived
Unto his native dwelling place;
Therein with his dear love he lived,

And fortune did his nuptials grace.

They many years of joy did see, And led their lives at Coventry. PERCY.

SIR ANDREW BARTON.

In the year 1511, the father of this Knight having suffered at sea from the Portuguese, obtained letters of marque from James V., for his two sons, to make reprisals on the ships of that nation; and under cover of this, they are said to have committed depredations on the English subjects; it is not improbable that it was by connivance of the Scottish Court. The Earl of Surrey was at that time president at the council-board, where he was constantly annoyed by complaints from the English merchants, of Sir Andrew Barton's piracies. On these complaints being coldly received by Henry VIII., who was averse to a rupture with Scotland, the Earl, with generous warmth, offered to equip two ships at his own expense, and that these should be commanded by his sons, Sir Thomas and Sir Edward Howard. This offer was accepted, and two ships were immediately fitted out and put to sea, under letters of marque, which, after meeting with much foul weather, encountered the two ships of Sir Andrew Barton, when Sir Thomas attacked the Lion, commanded by Sir Andrew himself, and Sir Edward attacked the other ship, the Union," or otherwise," The Bark of Scotland." After a desperate conflict, and the death of Sir Andrew, the two ships were captured, and, with their crews, carried into the Thames. The indignation excited in King's James's mind by this exploit, is said to have been a material incitement to that expedition which ended in the fatal battle of Flodden.

Dr. Percy considers this ballad, in its present state, to have been written in the time of Elizabeth; and, admitting that it contains some few deviations from the truth of history, he notices that it comprehends some lesser facts, omitted in the Chronicles, which he conceives to be real circumstances, more especially as one of them, which appears most unlikely, is confirmed by testimony; viz. there being, before this capture, only one ship of war in the royal navy of England.

WHEN Flora with her fragrant flowers
Bedecked the earth so trim and gay,
And Neptune with his dainty showers
Came to present the month of May,

King Henry rode to take the air;
Over the river of Thames past he, *
When eighty merchants of London came,
And down they knelt upon their knee.

O! ye are welcome, rich Merchants,
Good Sailors, welcome unto me.

They swore by the rood, they were sailors good,
But rich merchants they could not be :
To France nor Flanders dare we pass,
Nor Bourdeaux voyage dare we fare,
And all for a rover that lies on the seas,
Who robs us of our merchants' ware.

King Henry frowned, and turned him round,
And swore by the Lord that was mickle of might,

I thought he had not been in the world

Durst have wrought England such unright.

The merchants sighed, and said, Alas!
And thus they did their answer frame :
He is a proud Scot, that robs on the seas,
And Sir Andrew Barton is his name,

The King looked over his left shoulder,
And an angry look then looked he:
Have I never a Lord in all my realm
Will fetch yon traitor unto me?
Yea, that dare I, Lord Howard says,—

Yea, that dare I with heart and hand;
If it please your Grace to give me leave,

Myself will be the only man.

* Mr. Ritson has published a version of this ballad, rather different, and at the same tine inferior in consequence of his using a common printed copy, whereas Dr. Percy improved his, by comparing it with a MS. In this place, the former copy says

"Unto a mountain top, also,

Did walk some pleasure for to see." Probably intended to mean the hill, in Greenwich Park.

Thou art but young, the King replied,

Yon Scot hath numbered many a year.
Trust me, my liege, I'll make him quail,

Or before my Prince I will never appear.
Then bowmen and gunners thou shalt have,
And choose them over my realm so free,
Besides good mariners and ship-boys,

To guide the Great Ship on the sea.

The first man that Lord Howard chose
Was the ablest gunner in all the realm,
Though he was threescore years and ten,
Good Peter Simon was his name.
Peter, says he, I must to the sea,

To bring home a traitor, 'live or dead,
Before all others I have chosen thee,

Of a hundred gunners to be at the head.

If you, my Lord, have chosen me,

Of a hundred gunners to be the head,
Then hang me up on your main-mast tree,
If I miss my mark one shilling braid. *
My Lord then chose a bowman rare,

Whose active hands had gain'd him fame;
In Yorkshire was this gentleman born,
And William Horseley was his name.

Horseley, said he, I must with speed
Go seek a traitor on the sea;
And now, of a hundred bowmen brave
To be the head I have chosen thee.

If you, quoth he, have chosen me,

Of a hundred bowmen to be the head,

On your main-mast I'll hanged be,

If I miss twelvescore † one penny braid.

* Or brede, breadth.

+ At the distance of twelve score paces.