The Ballad of St. George for England
Why should we boast of Arthur and his Knights?
Know[ing] how many men have perform’d fights;
Or why should we speak of Sir Lancelot du Lake,
Or Sir Trestram du Leon, that fought for the Lady’s sake;
Read old storyes, and there you’l see
How St. George, St. George, did make the Dragon flee:
St. George he was for England, St. Denis was for France,
Sing Hony soitt qui Mal y pense.
To speak of the Monarchy, it were two Long to tell;
And likewise of the Romans, how far they did excel,
Hannibal and Scipio, they many a field did fight;
Orlando Furioso he was a valiant Knight;
Romulus and Rhemus were those that Rome did build,
But St. George, St. George, the Dragon he hath kill’d;
St. George he was, &c.
Jephtha and Gidion they led their men to fight
The Gibeonites and Amonites, they put them all to flight;
Hercul’es Labour was in the Vale of Brass,
And Sampson slew a thousand with the Jaw-bone of an Asse,
And when he was blind pull’d the Temple to the ground:
But St. George, St. George, the Dragon did confound.
St. George he was, &c.
Valentine and Orson they came of Pipins blood,
Alphred and Aldrecus they were brave Knights and good,
The four sons of Amnon that fought with Charlemaine,
Sir Hugh de Burdeaux and Godfray of Bolaigne,
These were all French Knights the Pagans did Convert,
But St. George, St. George, pull’d forth the Dragon’s heart:
St. George he was, &c.
Henry the fifth he Conquered all France,
He quartered their Armes, his Honour to advance,
He razed their Walls, and pull’d their Cities down,
And garnished his Head with a double treble Crown;
He thumbed the French, and after home he came!
But St. George, St. George, he made the Dragon tame:
St. George he was, &c.
St. David you know, loves Leeks and tosted Cheese,
And Jason was the Man, brought home the Golden Fleece;
St. Patrick you know he was St. Georges Boy,
Seven years he kept his Horse, and then stole him away,
For which Knavish act, a slave he doth remain;
But St. George, St. George, he hath the Dragon slain:
St. George he was, &c.
Tamberline, the Emperour, in Iron Cage did Crown,
With his bloody Flag’s display’d before the Town;
Scanderbag magnanimous Mahomets Bashaw did dread,
Whose Victorious Bones were worn when he was dead;
His Bedlerbegs, his Corn like drags, George Castriot was he call’d,
But St. George, St. George, the Dragon he hath maul’d:
St. George he was for England, St. Denis was for France,
Sing Hony soit qui mal y pense.
Ottoman, the Tartar, Cham of Persia’s race,
The great Mogul, with his Chests so full of all his Cloves and Mace,
The Grecian youth Bucephalus he manly did bestride,
But those with all their Worthies Nine, St. George did them deride,
Gustavus Adolphus was Swedelands Warlike King,
But St. George, St. George, pull’d forth the Dragon’s sting.
St. George he was for England, St. Dennis was for France,
Sing Hony soit qui mal y pense.
Pendragon and Cadwallader of British blood doe boast,
Though John of Gant his foes did daunt, St. George shal rule the roast;
Agamemnon and Cleomedon and Macedon did feats,
But, compared to our Champion, they were but merely cheats;
Brave Malta Knights in Turkish fights, their brandisht swords out-drew,
But St. George met the Dragon, and ran him through and through:
St. George he was, &c.
Bidea, the Amazon, Photius overthrew,
As fierce as either Vandal, Goth, Saracen, or Jew;
The potent Holophernes, as he lay in his bed,
In came wise Judith and subtly stool[e] his head;
Brave Cyclops stout, with Jove he fought, Although he showr’d down Thunder;
But St. George kill’d the Dragon, and was not that a wonder:
St. George he was, &c.
Mark Anthony, Ile warrant you Plaid feats with Egypts Queen,
Sir Egla More that valiant Knight, the like was never seen,
Grim Gorgons might, was known in fight, old Bevis most men frighted,
The Myrmidons & Presbyter John, why were not those men knighted?
Brave Spinola took in Breda, Nasaw did it recover,
But St. George, St. George, he turn’d the Dragon over and over:
St. George he was for England, St. Denis was for France,
Sing, Hony soit qui mal y pense.