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<div style="background:#fff;border:#bbb dashed 1px;padding:5px"><a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346084" style="color:#000;text-decoration:none"><div style="margin:10px 0"><strong>St. George And The Dragon</strong></div><div style="margin:10px 0">Of Hector's deeds did Homer sing,<br>And of the sack of stately Troy, <br>What griefs fair Helena did bring,<br>Which was Sir Paris' only joy: <br>And by my pen I will recite<br>St. George's deeds, and English knight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Against the Sarazens so rude<br>Fought he full long and many a day,<br>Where many gyants he subdu'd,<br>In honour of the Christian way;<br>And after many adventures past,<br>To Egypt land he came at last.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now, as the story plain doth tell, <br>Within that countrey there did rest<br>A dreadful dragon fierce and fell,<br>Whereby they were full sore opprest:<br>Who by his poisonous breath each day<br>Did many of the city slay.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">The grief whereof did grow so great<br>Throughout the limits of the land, <br>That they their wise-men did intreat<br>To shew their cunning out of hand;<br>What way they might this fiend destroy,<br>That did the countrey thus annoy. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The wise-men all before the king,<br>This answer fram'd incontinent:<br>The dragon none to death might bring<br>By any means they could invent;<br>His skin more hard than brass was found,<br>That sword nor spear could pierce nor wound.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">When this the people understood,<br>They cryed out most piteouslye,<br>The dragon's breath infects their blood,<br>That every day in heaps they dye;<br>Among them such a plague it bred,<br>The living scarce could bury the dead.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">No means there were, as they could hear,<br>For to appease the dragon's rage,<br>But to present some virgin clear,<br>Whose blood his fury might asswage;<br>Each day he would a maiden eat,<br>For to allay his hunger great.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">This thing by art the wise-men found,<br>Which truly must observed be;<br>Wherefore, throughout the city round,<br>A virgin pure of good degree<br>Was, by the king's commission, still <br>Taken up to serve the dragon's will.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus did the dragon every day<br>Untimely crop some virgin flowr,<br>Till all the maids were worn away,<br>And none were left him to devour;<br>Saving the king's fair daughter bright,<br>Her father's only heart's delight.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then came the officers to the king,<br>That heavy message to declare,<br>Which did his heart with sorrow sting; <br>'She is,' quoth he, 'my kingdom's heir:<br>O let us all be poisoned here,<br>Ere she should die, that is my dear.' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then rose the poeple presently,<br>And to the king in rage they went; <br>They said his daughter dear should dye,<br>The dragon's fury to prevent:<br>'Our daughters all are dead,' quoth they,<br>'And have been made the dragon's prey;<br>And by their blood we rescued were,<br>And thou hast sav'd thy life thereby;<br>And now in sooth it is but faire,<br>For us thy daughter so should die.'<br>'O save my daughter,' said the king,<br>'And let ME feel the dragon's sting.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then fell fair Sabra on her knee,<br>And to her father dear did say, <br>'O father, strive not thus for me,<br>But let me be the dragon's prey;<br>It may be, for my sake alone<br>This plague upon the land was thrown.</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Tis better I should dye,' she said,<br>'Than all your subjects perish quite;<br>Perhaps the dragon here was laid, <br>For my offence to work his spite,<br>And after he hath suckt my gore,<br>Your land shall feel the grief no more.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'What hast thou done, my daughter dear,<br>For to deserve this heavy scourge?<br>It is my fault, as may appear,<br>Which makes the gods our state to purge;<br>Then ought I die, to stint the strife,<br>And to preserve thy happy life.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">Like mad-men, all the people cried,<br>'Thy death to us can do no good; <br>Our safety only doth abide<br>In making her the dragon's food.'<br>'Lo! here I am, I come,' quoth she,<br>'Therefore do what you will with me.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Nay stay, dear daughter,' quoth the queen,<br>'And as thou art a virgin bright,<br>That hast for vertue famous been,<br>So let me cloath thee all in white;<br>And crown thy head with flowers sweet,<br>An ornament for virgins meet.'</div><div style="margin:10px 0">And when she was attired so, <br>According to her mother's mind, <br>Unto the stake then did she go, <br>To which her tender limbs they bind; <br>And being bound to stake a thrall <br>She bade farewell unto them all. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">'Farewell, my father dear,' quoth she, <br>'And my sweet mother meek and mild; <br>Take you no thought nor weep for me, <br>For you may have another child; <br>Since for my.country's good I dye, <br>Death I receive most willinglye.' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The king and queen and all their train <br>With weeping eyes went then. their way, <br>And let their daughter there remain, <br>To be the hungry dragon's prey: <br>But as she did there weeping lye, <br>Behold St. George came riding by. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">And seeing there a lady bright <br>So rudely tyed unto a stake, <br>As well became a valiant knight, <br>He straight to her his way did take: <br>'Tell me, sweet maiden,' then quoth he, <br>'What caitif thus abuseth thee? </div><div style="margin:10px 0">'And, lo! by Christ his cross I vow, <br>Which here is figured on my breast, <br>I will revenge it on his brow, <br>And break my lance upon his chest:' <br>And speaking thus whereas he stood, <br>The dragon issued from the wood. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The lady, that did first espy <br>The dreadful dragon coming so, <br>Unto St. George aloud did cry, <br>And willed him away to go; <br>'Here comes that cursed fiend,' quoth she, <br>'That soon will make an end of me.' </div><div style="margin:10px 0">St. George then looking round about, <br>The fiery dragon soon espy'd, <br>And like a knight of courage stout, <br>Against him did most furiously ride; <br>And with such blows he did him greet, <br>He fell beneath his horse's feet. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">For with his launce that was so strong, <br>As he came gaping in his face, <br>In at his mouth he thrust along; <br>For he could pierce no other place: <br>And thus within the lady's view <br>This mighty dragon straight he slew. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">The savour of his poisoned breath <br>Could do this holy knight no harm; <br>Thus he the lady sav'd from death, <br>And home he led her by the arm; <br>Which when King Ptolemy did see, <br>There was great mirth and melody. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">When as that valiant champion there <br>Had slain the dragon in the field, <br>To court he brought the lady fair, <br>Which to their hearts much joy did yield. <br>He in the court of Egypt staid <br>Till he most falsely was betray'd. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">That lady dearly lov'd the knight, <br>He counted her his only joy; <br>But when their love was brought to light, <br>It turn'd unto their great annoy: <br>Th' Morocco king was in the court, <br>Who to the orchard did resort, </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Dayly to take the pleasant air, <br>For pleasure sake he us'd to walk; <br>Under a wall he oft did hear <br>St. George with lady Sabra talk; <br>Their love he shew'd unto the king, <br>Which to St. George great woe did bring. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Those kings together did devise <br>To make the Christian knight away: <br>With letters him in curteous wise <br>They straightway sent to Persia, <br>But wrote to the sophy him to kill, <br>And treacherously his blood to spill. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Thus they for good did him reward <br>With evil, and most subtilly, <br>By much vile meanes they had regard <br>To work his death most cruelly; <br>Who, as through Persia land he rode, <br>With zeal destroy'd each idol god. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">For which offence he straight was thrown <br>Into a dungeon dark and deep; <br>Where, when he thought his wrongs upon, <br>He bitterly did wail and weep: <br>Yet like a knight of courage stout, <br>At length his way he digged out. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Three grooms of the King of Persia <br>By night this valiant champion slew, <br>Though he had fasted many a day, <br>And then away from thence he flew <br>On the best steed the sophy had; <br>Which when he knew he was full mad. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Towards Christendom he made his flight, <br>But met a gyant by the way, <br>With whom in combat he did fight <br>Most valiantly a summer's day: <br>Who yet, for all his bats of steel, <br>Was forc'd the sting of death to feel. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Back o'er the seas with many bands <br>Of warlike souldiers soon he past, <br>Vowing upon those heathen lands <br>To work revenge; which at the last, <br>Ere thrice three years were gone and spent, <br>He wrought unto his heart's content. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Save onely Egypt land he spar'd, <br>For Sabra bright her only sake, <br>And, ere for her he had regard, <br>He meant a tryal kind to make: <br>Mean while the king, o'ercome in field, <br>Unto Saint George did quickly yield. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Then straight Morocco's king he slew, <br>And took fair Sabra to his wife, <br>But meant to try if she were true, <br>Ere with her he would lead his life; <br>And, tho' he had her in his train, <br>She did a virgin pure remain. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Toward England then that lovely dame <br>The brave St. George conducted strait, <br>An eunuch also with them came, <br>Who did upon the lady wait. <br>These three from Egypt went alone: <br>Now mark St. George's valour shown. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">When as they in a forest were, <br>The lady did desire to rest: <br>Mean while St. George to kill a deer <br>For their repast did think it best: <br>Leaving her with the eunuch there, <br>Whilst he did go to kill the deer. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But lo! all in his absence came <br>Two hungry lyons, fierce and fell, <br>And tore the eunuch on the same <br>In pieces small, the truth to tell; <br>Down by the lady then they laid, <br>Whereby they shew'd she was a maid. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">But when he came from hunting back, <br>And did behold this heavy chance, <br>Then for his lovely virgin's sake <br>His courage strait he did advance, <br>And came into the lions' sight, <br>Who ran at him with all their might. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Their rage did him no whit dismay, <br>Who, like a stout and valiant knight, <br>Did both the hungry lyons slay <br>Within the lady Sabra's sight: <br>Who all this while, sad and demure,<br>There stood most like a virgin pure. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Now when St. George did surely know <br>This lady was a virgin true, <br>His heart was glad, that erst was woe, <br>And all his love did soon renew: <br>He set her on a palfrey steed, <br>And towards England came with speed. </div><div style="margin:10px 0">Where being in short space arriv'd <br>Unto his native dwelling place, <br>Therein with his dear love he livd, <br>And fortune did his nuptials grace: <br>They many years of joy did see, <br>And led their lives at Coventry.</div><div style="margin:10px 0"><br /></a><br />poem by <a href="http://en.citatepedia.ro/by.php?a=Anonymous+Olde+English">Anonymous Olde English</a><div class=q>
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<script type="text/javascript" src="//s7.addthis.com/js/300/addthis_widget.js#pubid=citatepedia" async="async"></script><div style="display:inline-block" class="addthis_sharing_toolbox" data-url="http://en.citatepedia.ro/comments.php?id=346084" data-title="St. George And The Dragon de Anonymous Olde English" data-description="Of Hector's deeds did Homer sing,
And of the sack of stately Troy, 
What griefs fair Helena did bring,
Which was Sir Paris' only joy: 
And by my pen I will recite
St. George's deeds, and English knight.

Against the Sarazens so rude
Fought he full..."></div>
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