%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> [A most Excellent Ballad of St. George for England, and the Kings Daughter of Egypt, whom he delivere fro]m de[ath, and how he slew a mighty Dragon.] University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 10/26/2018 36106

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1 [To the t]une of Queene Di[do] Queen Dido; Troy Town To the Tune of Queen Dido [OF H]ectors deeds did Homer sing, / [and] of the sacke of stately Troy: Manchester Central Library Blackletter Ballads Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 55 [A most Excellent Ballad of St. George for England, and the Kings Daughter of Egypt, whom he delivere fro]m de[ath, and how he slew a mighty Dragon.] A most Excellent Ballad of St. George for England, and the King's Daughter of Egypt, whom he delivered from death, and how he slew a mighty Dragon. ?-?

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction / health alcohol Americas animals / nature Bible / biblical figures buildings / architecture catastrophe children class clothing / appearance country / nation crime death economics / commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays / seasons infidelity labor / craft law London love maritime marriage military / war monstrosity mythology / Classical news nobility / court politics / government procreation punishment race / ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex / sexuality supernatural / magic travel trickery / deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth / age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 10/26/2018 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 10/26/2018 3:01:52 PM XBallad Raychawdhuri, Anita Created XML Version of Ballad 10/26/2018 3:01:52 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/26/2018 3:01:52 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/26/2018 3:01:52 PM Transcriptionist Two Adkison, Katie Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/26/2018 3:01:52 PM Transcriptionist One McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/17/2018 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/21/2016 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/13/2017 Checker Kristen McCants Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">[<hi rend="bold">A</hi> most Excellent Ballad of St. <hi rend="bold">George</hi> for <hi rend="bold">England,</hi> and the Kings Daughter of AE<hi rend="bold">gypt,</hi> whom he delivered fro]m d[eath;</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">and how he slew a Mighty Dragon.]</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">[? t]une of Queene Di[do]</hi></hi></seg>
[OF H]ectors deeds did Homer sing, [and] of the sacke of stately Troy: [What] griefe faire Hellen did them bring, [which] was sir Paris only joy: [And] by my pen I will recite, [St. G]eorges deeds an English Knight, [Against] the Sarazens full rude, [fought] he full long, and many a day: [Where] many Gyants he subdude, [on hon]our of the Christian way. [?] after many adventures past, [To AE]gypt Land he came at last: [And as] the story plaine doth tell, [within] that Countrey there did rest, [A dread]full Dragon fierce and fell, [where]by they were full sore opprest: [Who] by his poysoned breath each [day,] [Did] many of the Cittie slay, [The gri]efe whereof did grow so great, [throug]hout the limits of the La[n]d[,] [That the]y their wise men did intrea[t,] [to shew] their cunning out of han[d,] [Which] way they might this D[ragon] stroy [That] did the Country so annoy; [The wis]e men all before the King, [framed] this matte[r] incontinent, [The Drag]on [none] to death might bring. [by any means th]ey might invent, [his skin more h]ard then brasse was found [That sword o]r speare can pierce or wound [they cryed out] most pitteously, [The Dragons b]reath infected their blood, [that they each] day in heape did dye: [Amongst them] such a plague it bred, [The living sc]arce could bury the dead. [No means ther]e as they did finde, [for to appease the Dra]gons rage, [But by a Virgin pure and kind], [whereby he might his fury sw]age, [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 throughout the City round, a Virgin pure of good degree,]
Was [by the] kings commission still, Tooke u[p] to serve the Dragons will. Thus did the Dragon every day, A maiden of the Towne devoure, Till all the maidens were worne away, And none was left that instant houre. Saving the Kings faire daughter bright, Her fathers onely 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 Kingdome heir, O let us all be poysoned here, Ere she should dye that is my deare. Then rose the people presently, And to the King in rage they went, Who said h[i]s daughter sure should dye, The Drago[n]s poyson to prevent: Our dau[ght]ers are all dead, quoth they And ha[ve b]eene made the Dragons prey And by their blood we have been blest, And thou hast saved thy life thereby, And now in justice it doth rest, For us thy daughter so shall dye. O save [m]y daughter, said the King, And le[t me] feele the Dragons sting, Then fe[ll fair]e Sabrine on her knees, And to h[er Fath]er then did say, O [F]ather strive not thus for me, But let me be the dragons prey: It may b[e f]or my sake alone, This plag[u]e up[o]n the Land was throwne. This better [I should] dye she said, Then all your [S]ubjects perish quite, Perhaps the dragon here was laid, For my offence to worke this spite, And after he hath suckt my gore, Your land shall feele this griefe no more, What hast thou done my daughter deare, For to des[er]ve this grievous scourge? I[t] is my [fault] as may appeare Which m[akes] the Gods our State to grudge [Then ought I d]ye to stint this strife, [and to preserve] thy happy life. [Like Mad-m]en the people cride. [thy death can do] us now no good,
Our safety onely doth abide, To make thy daughter Dragons food, Loe here I am, I come quoth she, Therefore doe what you will with m[e.] Nay stay deare daughter, said the Quee[n] And as you are a Virgin bright, That hath for vertue famous beene So let me cloath thee all in white, And crowne thy head with flowers sweet An ornaments for Virgins meet, And when she was attired so, According to her mothers minde, Unto the stake then did she goe, To which they did the Virgin binde. Who being bound to stake and thrall, She said farewell unto them all: Farewell deare father (then quoth she) And my sweet mother meeke and milde, Take you no thought nor weepe for me For you may have another childe: Here for my Countries good Ile die, Which I receive most willingly. The King and Queene with all their tra[in] With weeping eyes went then their wa[y,] And let their daughter t[her]e remaine, To be the hungry Drago[ns] prey, But as she did there weeping ly, Behold S George came riding by, And seeing there a Ladie bright, Fast tyed to a stake that day, Most like unto a valiant Knight, Straight unto her did take his way Tell me sweete Maiden then quoth [he,] What person thus abuseth thee. And loe by Christ his Crosse I vow, Which here is figured on my brest, I will revenge it on his brow, And breake my lance upon his Crest. And speaking thus whereas he stood The Dragon issued out of the wood This Ladie that did first espie, The dreadfull Dragon comming tho, Unto S. George aloud did cry, And willed him away to goe: Here comes that cursed Fiend quoth [she,] That soone will make an end of me. S George then looking round about, The fiery Dragon soone discride, And like a Knight of courage stout, Against him he did fiercely ride And with such blowes he did him gr[eet,] That he fell under his horses feet. For with his 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 here within the Ladies view This mighty Dragon, straight h[e slew.] The savour of his poisoned breath Could doe this Christian kni[g]ht n[o harm;] Thus he did save this Ladie fr[om d]ea[th,] And home he led her by the arme, Which when King Ptolomy did see, There was much mirth and melodie.