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SEVEN CHAMPIONS OF
CHRISTENDOM N former times, a
very great while since, when there were giants, enchanters, and
magicians, who
had the power to do wicked actions, it was foretold that seven worthy
champions
would arise in Christendom, whose renown for good and valiant deeds,
should be
spread through the whole earth. The first of these heroes was to be St.
Denis,
of France; — the second, St. James, of Spain; — the third, St. Anthony,
of
Italy; — the fourth, St. Andrew, of Scotland; — the fifth, St. Patrick,
of
Ireland; — the sixth, St. David, of Wales; — and the seventh and most
famous of
all, the valiant St. George, of England.
Calyba, a
great and
most wicked enchantress, now trembled for the downfall of her power, so
she
sent the evil spirits under her command, to steal six of these heroes
while
they were yet in their cradles, and bring them to her brazen castle.
But she
thought she would herself make sure of St. George, who was born in
Coventry,
and son of the lord high steward of England; for she was much more
afraid of
him than of the others, as St. George had at the time of his birth, the
marks
of a green dragon on his breast, a red cross on his right arm, and a
golden
garter on his left leg. Calyba then made herself invisible, entered the
nursery
of the lord high steward, and bore away the lovely sleeping babe,
leaving his
parents to die of grief for the loss of him. Calyba kept all these
youths in
her castle till they grew to be men, and then the beauty of St.
George’s
person, his manly figure, and pleasing manners, won the heart of
Calyba, and
she used all her arts to make him marry her. One day she led him into a
lofty
stable, almost grand enough to be taken for a palace, where seven of
the
grandest horses that ever were seen, stood in seven stalls made of
cedar-wood,
inlaid with silver; one of them was even finer and larger than the
rest; his
hoofs were of pure gold, and his saddle and bridle were adorned with
precious
stones. Calyba led this one from the stall, and gave it to St. George:
its name
was Bucephalus. She then led St. George into an armory, where she
buckled a
noble breastplate upon him, placed a helmet with a lofty plume of
waving
feathers upon his head, and gave him a fine and sharp sword. When the
young
champion was thus armed for battle, he looked so very handsome, that
Calyba
could set no bounds to her love for him; so at last she put into his
hand the
silver wand which gave her all her power, and told him to use it just
as he
pleased. St. George
knew and
hated the wicked actions of Calyba, so he took the wand with a pleasure
which
he could hardly conceal. It was then about the hour that Calyba used to
retire
to a cave dug in the solid rock, to feast upon the bodies of children
that she
had killed. St. George watched her, and when he saw her enter the cave,
he
waved his wand three times, and the rock shut upon the wicked wretch
forever.
He then set out for Coventry along with the other six champions; and in
that
town he built a grand monument to the memory of his beloved parents. Early in the next
spring, the seven heroes bade each other farewell, and they all took
different
roads in search of adventures, and St. George of England, after some
tiresome
voyages and travels, came into Egypt. That country was then in a most
wretched
state, on account of a dreadful fiery dragon, which tainted the air
with his
breath in such a manner, that a plague raged through all the land, and
there
were hardly people enough left alive to bury the dead. For this reason
the king
had made it known, that if any valiant knight would come forward to
fight with
the fiery dragon, and kill him, he should receive the hand of the
princess
royal in marriage, and on the king’s death should reign over Egypt.
When St.
George heard this, he declared that he would himself fight the dragon,
for the
sake of the princess and the whole kingdom. Early the next morning, St.
George
set out to find the fiery dragon. He had not gone far before he saw the
princess Sabra, with some of her women, who were loudly weeping forthe
cruel
state of the country. Our hero rode up to them, and told them, he was
resolved
either to kill the dragon or to perish in the trial. The fair Sabra was
struck
with surprise on finding that a stranger would engage in an attempt of
so much
danger, which the stoutest of the Egyptian champions had shrunk from
with fear:
but she thanked him in a proper manner, and, by St. George’s advice,
she went
back to her father’s palace, to wait for the issue of the great event.
As soon
as our hero had reached the cave, the dragon sent forth such a dreadful
roaring
as seemed to shake the earth; and at the first onset St. George’s spear
was
broken to pieces, and he himself was thrown from his horse. He then
boldly drew
his sword, and though almost stifled by the monster’s noisome breath,
he fought
with such fury, that he soon felled his enemy beneath his feet. At this
moment
the dragon spread his wings in order to take flight; but by so doing,
he showed
a soft part of his skin, and St. George at once stabbed him to the
heart. The
monster died with a horrid groan; and St. George having cut off his
head, rode
back in triumph towards the palace. He had
hardly
reached the city, when he was basely set upon by twelve armed men, whom
the
king of Morocco, (who courted the princess Sabra) had hired to kill
him. St.
George soon put these villains to flight; and when he came to the court
he was
treated with all sorts of honours, and the lovely Sabra gave him a
diamond ring
as a small mark of her esteem. In spite of this failure, the Moorish
prince
still vowed to destroy or ruin St. George. For this purpose he asked a
private
audience with the king, and told him, that St. George was an open foe
to the
religion of Egypt, and had tried to make the princess a Christian. The
king was
so angry when he heard this, that he declared St. George should not
live any
longer: but as it might not have been safe to put him to death in
Egypt, where
he had done such a great service to the people in killing the dragon,
he wrote
a letter to the sultan of Persia, begging him to put the bearer, St.
George, to
death, as he was an enemy to the religion of Persia and Egypt. St. George
little
thought of this deceit, so he took the letter to the sultan; but as
soon as he
came into Persia, he was taken up before the sultan, who had him thrown
into a
deep dungeon, till a day should be fixed for his death. At the end of
three
days, two fierce and hungry lions were put into the dungeon; but St.
George,
having prayed to heaven for strength, burst the cords which he was
bound with,
and finding an old broken rusty sword in a corner of the dungeon, he
laid the
lions dead at his feet. The sultan of Persia was amazed at this; and
was afraid
that if he ordered him to be put to death in public, the people might
rise in
defence of the noble champion, whose fame had already spread through
Persia; so
he kept him close in prison, where we will leave him at present, to
look after
the other champions of Christendom. St. Denis
of France
took his journey through Arabia. One day when he was tired, he sat down
to
refresh himself under a mulberry-tree, and being very hungry, he
plucked some
of the fruit; as soon as he tasted it he became very faint, dropped on
his
hands and knees, and in a few minutes found himself turned into a stag.
This
dreadful change filled him with great trouble, and when he saw his
figure in a
stream of water nigh at hand, he burst into a flood of tears, and
lifted his
eyes to heaven, as if to beg relief in this bitter distress. He then
threw
himself on the grass, thinking he should never get his proper shape
again; when
a mournful voice, like that of a woman, came from the mulberry-tree and
spoke
to him in this manner: — Yet patiently endure; Oh! trust in heaven, who will regard, And send at length a cure. 'Seven years are numbered as your doom, All full of bitter woes; Then shall you human shape resume By eating of a rose.’ The
champion of
France was amazed at this strange voice, and felt his hopes and his
courage
return. He listened some time longer, but the voice spoke no more; and
when he
thought of the long period of seven years that must pass before he
should have
his own form again, deep sighs and groans burst from his bosom. His
faithful
horse seemed to share his sorrow; he walked round and round his
grieving
master, and even tore down some branches of the trees, to shield him
from the
heat of the noon-day sun. In this manner, seven tiresome years passed
away; and
on the morning when the seventh was ended, St. Denis saw his horse
climb a
steep rock, and bring down from the top three full blown roses in his
mouth.
His master now thought of the voice that had come from the
mulberry-tree, and
he straight ate one of the roses: and he found himself in his proper
shape.
While he was giving thanks to heaven for this happy change, he heard
the
mournful voice in the mulberry-tree, begging for liberty. St. Denis
seized his
sword, and with one blow cut the tree to the ground, when he saw a
handsome
young lady there, who told him she was daughter to the king of
Thessaly, and
that an enchanter had kept her in that place. St. Denis placed her
behind him
on horseback, and took her to her father’s court, where she was treated
with
every mark of gladness and love. St. James
of Spain,
in the meantime, passed through Sicily, where he had a dreadful fight
with a
fiery griffin, which lasted seven days and seven nights, but at last he
killed
it. He then went further on in his way by sea and land, till he came to
Jerusalem. As he drew nigh, he heard the sound of horns, drums, and
trumpets;
and learned that the king and all his nobles were making ready to hunt
the wild
beasts, with which the country was troubled; and the king had said that
he
would give a noble reward to him who should kill the first boar. St. James
straight
rode off to the forest; and before the king and his nobles came, he had
slain
one of the largest boars that was ever seen in that forest. The king
got down
from his horse to salute him, and owned him worthy of the reward; but
when he
heard that the stranger was both a Spaniard and a Christian, he said he
should
surely die; yet to make some amends for his great service, the king
gave him
leave to choose his own death. He chose to be shot by the hands of a
virgin.
The Spanish champion was then bound to a tree, and his breast laid bare
to
receive the blow; but none of the virgins who were called forward would
do the
cruel deed. The princess royal above all was so much moved by the
courage of
the gallant stranger. that she threw herself at her father’s feet, and
begged
him to repeal his dreadful sentence. The king granted her request, but
declared
that if he ever should attempt to enter Palestine again he should
suffer death.
The princess then untied St. James; and gave him a rich diamond ring,
as a
token of her esteem. He took it with thanks, and got ready to leave the
kingdom
of her cruel father. After riding some miles, he got off his horse to
rest in a
shady forest, and there began to think that he ought not to have left a
princess who had saved his life. He at length resolved to return, and
to enter
the palace as a stranger in want of employ. He did so, and was straight
taken
into the service of the princess: and while rival princes were trying
which of
them should get her for a wife, he found means to make himself known to
her,
and to persuade her to go away with him to Spain, where these faithful
lovers
arrived in safety. Meantime, St. Anthony of Italy pursued his journey
till he
came to a strong castle, in which a giant lived whom no man had ever
dared to attack.
In this castle were seven daughters of the king of Thrace, six of whom
were
changed into swans, and the other was forced to sing the giant to
sleep. St.
Anthony killed the giant, and then made haste to Thrace, to give the
king news
about his daughters. St. Andrew
of
Scotland, in the course of his travels, came at length to this castle,
and
found the king of Thrace calling to heaven in behalf of his daughters.
St.
Andrew told the king, that if he would become a Christian, his
daughters should
again appear in their own forms. The king was in a rage at this offer,
and
ordered his knights to attack the stranger; but he showed such valour
that he
made them all submit to him. On this the king agreed to become a
Christian, and
his daughters got their own shapes again. When the king went back to
his
palace, St. Andrew left the country, and the six young ladies set out
to follow
him, out of respect for the service that he had done to them. These
royal
ladies came to Ireland, where they met with thirty cruel wild men, who
dragged
them through thorns and briars, till the woods rung with their cries.
St.
Patrick. who happened to be in this part of the country, rushed upon
the wild
men with such fury, that he killed many of them, and forced the others
to save
their lives by flight. He then listened to the account which the ladies
gave of
their travels, and offered to assist them in searching for the brave
champion
of Scotland. St. David of Wales
went to the court of Tartary; and showed such proofs of his strength
and
courage, that the emperor made him his champion, and gave several
feasts and
public games in honour of him. The Emperor’s son at length happened to
be
killed by the Welsh champion in one of the war-like games, which put
the
emperor into such a rage against St. David, that he resolved to
contrive
somehow to destroy him: but he thought it would be safest to do this
slily, so
he told him to go into the enchanted garden, and bring the head of
Ormandine
the enchanter. St. David went boldly to the enchanted garden, where he
found a
sword chained to a rock, and on its handle was written, He that can
lift me up
shall conquer all.’ St. David at once grasped the sword, but in a
moment he
sunk upon the ground, and by the art of the enchanter was thrown into a
sleep.
While the other champions were doing these great exploits, St. George
of
England, after being kept seven years in prison, found means one night
to break
out of his dungeon, and then went onward till he arrived at a castle,
where he
stopped, and asked for leave to refresh himself. The lady of the castle
told
him that her husband was a dreadful giant, who would show him no mercy;
and
soon after the giant himself came out with a frightful look. St. George
boldly
drew his sword, and after a fierce battle he split the giant’s head in
pieces.
He then went further on his travels, till he came to the garden of
Ormandine,
where St. David had at that time slept seven years. When St. George saw
the
enchanted sword, he seized it, and pulled it up; the castle then sunk
into the
ground, and the wicked enchanter was carried away with it. After this,
St.
David and St. George set out different ways; St. David went back to the
court
of Tartary, and St. George went back to Barbary, where he heard that
his
beloved Sabra had been put into prison by the king of Morocco. St. George
heard,
on his journey, that the king of Morocco and his nobles were gone to
enjoy the
pleasure of hunting. He then laid aside his armour, and putting on a
hermit’s
gown, made haste to the palace, where a number of beggars were waiting
to
receive alms from the fair Sabra. St. George mixed with the crowd; and
when he
saw the princess, he slipped the diamond ring, which she had given him
into her
hand; she then led him into the hall, and gladly agreed to escape from
her
prison before the tyrant should come back, who had long tried to force
her to
marry him. Towards the evening of the same day, the princess and a
Moorish
servant contrived to meet St. George at the hermit’s cave, where our
champion
put on his armour, and gave the good man a reward for his trouble. Then
taking
the fair Sabra behind him, and being attended by the Moor, he galloped
off as
quickly as he could through deserts, woods, and many lonely places,
till he had
got quite out of the kingdom of Barbary. After a tiresome journey, they
found
themselves near a large forest; and as they were faint with hunger, St.
George
left his lady with the Moor, and went boldly into the forest to procure
some
food. He had the good fortune soon to kill a deer, and returned with a
haunch
of venison; but how greatly was he shocked to find the Moor torn in
pieces by
two lions, and the creatures asleep on Sabra’s lap. After getting the
better of
his first alarm, he ran them through with his sword, and gave thanks to
heaven
for the safety of his beloved princess. He then made a fire to roast
his
venison by. St. George and his lady at length came to Constantinople,
where a
great feast was held in honour of the emperor’s marriage. In this city
they had
the good fortune to meet the other six champions of Christendom, who,
after
many strange adventures, had also arrived at Constantinople with their
ladies.
Here the Christian champions showed wonders of courage in warlike
games, with
the knights of Greece, Hungary, and Bohemia. On the last day of these
sports,
St. George of England came into the field on a beautiful black steed,
adorned
in a grand style. The champion was dressed in a suit of armour of the
brightest
steel; his helmet shone with a vast number of pearls, diamonds, and
gold, and
had at its top a plume of purple feathers; and from his breast was hung
a plate
of gold, bearing the figure of a lion; while the lovely Sabra sat in a
car of
triumph, to be a witness of his noble exploits. There was hardly any
knight to
be found, who would engage against the hero of England; and when at
last some
of them did resolve to make trial of his strength, he threw down both
men and
horses with such ease, that the field was soon cleared. The heralds
crowned him
with the garland of victory, and Sabra felt the highest pleasure in
hearing the
shouts of all the people. But while
the
Christian champions were happy at Constantinople in the enjoyment of
their
charming brides, the king of Morocco, and all the pagan princes, whose
daughters had followed these champions, declared war against
Christendom. On
this the emperor of Constantinople made peace with his other foes, and
then
begged the champions to depart from his country. The Christian heroes
and their
ladies now left Constantinople, and agreed that every one should repair
to his
own land, and try to raise forces to subdue the power of their enemies,
and to
make their own names famous in defence of their honour and religion.
When the
cause of their return was made known, such vast numbers of people
flocked to
join them, that by the next spring they had an army of five hundred
thousand
men, who, with one voice chose St. George of England to be their
leader, and
then were eager to press on against their foes. The pagans got together
an army
still greater, in point of numbers, than that of the Christians; but
when they
came to choose a general, they could not agree among themselves, and
the
dispute rose to such a height, that the kings of Persia, Egypt, and
Jerusalem,
soon drew off their armies, and went back into their own countries.
Those who
staid with the king of Morocco, split into parties, and fought a
dreadful
battle among themselves, which lasted three days, with such fury, that
the
fields were covered with dead bodies, and the rivers were stained with
blood.
The Christian army at length came to the borders of Egypt, and when
they
marched into the inner parts of that country, they found the villages
and most
of the towns empty. St. George was fearful that this was only a plan
laid to deceive
him; so he told his soldiers to remain in their ranks, and to have
their arms
ready in case of a sudden attack. They then marched on to the capital
in
perfect order, till they came near the palace, when the gates were
thrown open
on a sudden, and the king of Egypt, in deep mourning, walked forth at
the head
of his nobles, and the great officers of the kingdom, with broken
swords and
lances. On their coming near the Christian champions, they all fell
upon their
knees, while their king, in humble terms, begged for peace. St. George
was much
moved at the speech and tears of the aged speaker. He straight raised
the king
from his knees, and said he would freely forgive him, if he and all his
nobles
would become Christians. The king gladly agreed to this; and made a
promise of
his own free will, that the crown of Egypt should belong to St. George
and
Sabra after his death. Now in all
parts of
the kingdom there was nothing heard but music and other tokens of joy.
But
while this mirth reigned in Egypt, an English knight arrived at the
court, and
told St. George that his princess Sabra, who had been left in England,
was
condemned to be burned at a stake, unless some one should appear to
take her
part against her false accuser, the proud baron of Chester. When he
heard this
sad story, St. George threw out many a bitter reproach against the
ungrateful
king and people of England. He then gave the command of the army to St.
David,
and straight set out for England; while the king of Egypt was so much
grieved
at the thought of his daughter’s danger, that he went raving mad, threw
himself
off the walls of his palace, and was killed on the spot. The dreadful
day fixed
for Sabra’s death came, and no champion had yet been found to take her
part.
She therefore made herself ready to meet her sad fate, and walked with
a firm
step to the stake, to which she was made fast by a chain. Every eye was
bathed
in tears, while the lovely victim lifted her hands towards heaven, and
prayed
for the mercy of God, who always makes the good his chief care. The
king of
England being seated on his throne, caused the heralds to summon the
accuser,
who came forward on a proud steed, adorned with gold and precious
stones. The
lady’s champion was then called by sound of trumpet; but no person
came, and
orders were given to light the fatal fire. At this moment a banner of
defiance
was seen waving in the air, and in an instant St. George rushed through
the
crowd, and asked the release of the princess; or that he might fight
unto death
in her defence. The heralds sounded a charge, and the two knights
engaged one
another. At the very first onset, their spears were broken into a
thousand
pieces, and both horses and men were thrown to the ground. The baron of
Chester
leaped up, and struck so fiercely with his falchion, that he cleft his
enemy’s
shield in two. The champion of England now put forth his strength, cut
quite
through the baron’s armour, and smote off his right arm, so that he
sunk to the
earth, and died with a dreadful groan. All the people now burst out
into loud
shouts of applause; and when the fair princess found that the strange
knight
was St. George of England, she fainted with a transport of joy. The
king gave
orders for fireworks and other marks of public joy through all the
kingdom.
After St. George had staid about twenty days in England, he set sail
with his
beloved Sabra for Greece, and from thence went towards Persia; but
having lost
their way, they sat down by the side of a fountain, where they saw an
old
hermit who was in search of herbs and fruits. The hermit told them they
must
cross over the mountains, and pass through part of the Amazons’
country, to the
borders of Persia. When they had crossed the steep mountains they came
into an
open country, but were amazed to find the trees withered, the fruits of
the
earth spoiled, and all the houses empty of people. While they were
thinking on
this strange sight, they drew nigh a noble tent, in which sat a
beautiful
virgin with a crown upon her head, a silver bow in her hand, and a
golden quiver
of arrows by her side. Several lovely virgins were standing round her
chair,
but sorrow was seen in every face. St. George
felt
deep concern at the fate of these ladies, and spoke to her who appeared
to be
the chief, begging she would tell him the cause of her sorrow. The fair
lady
bowed her head with great grace, and made this reply: ‘Brave knight, I
am queen
of the Amazons, and because I would not marry a wicked necromancer, he
has
raised an enchanted castle out of the earth, and placed a number of
wicked
spirits in it, who cast hurtful vapours, with hail and fire, to the
farthest
borders of my country, which has been thus made quite desolate.’ —
‘Where is
the castle,’ said St. George, ‘I will hurl such vengeance on his head,
as shall
soon make him repent.’ — ‘Alas!’ answered the mournful queen, ‘he is
safe from
human vengeance; for though he is now absent himself, he has left
behind him a
monstrous giant, who has already overcome many knights, and thrown them
into a
dungeon.’ The brave St. George told the queen that he would venture
both his
life and honour to finish the enchantment. Then leaving Sabra to her
care, he
rode boldly towards the enchanted castle. As soon as he entered the
dark mist
round the castle, he was attacked by a vast number of snakes and other
venomous
creatures; but he used his sword so well, that most of them were soon
cut to
pieces, and the rest forced to leave him. He next came nigh a black
river, over
which there was a narrow bridge, guarded by the monstrous giant. St.
George pushed
forward, smote him to the ground, and was going to strike off his head;
but the
giant begged for mercy, and promised to reveal the secret of the
enchantment;
so that he agreed to spare his life. The giant now told him, that in a
cave
below the bottom of the castle there was a magic fire springing out of
the
earth, which made the country of the Amazons desolate; and this fire
could
never be quenched except by a fountain of black water, that was guarded
by many
evil spirits. When St. George heard this, he went down a dark flight of
stairs,
where he heard dreadful shrieks and groans. He opened a door, on which
there
came out such a smoke and heat that he was almost stifled; but when the
smoke
cleared away, he saw a fire spouting out of the ground. Close by he
beheld the
black water, guarded by many ugly fiends, and found himself fiercely
attacked;
but he drove them back, and put out the magic fire: upon which the
castle
vanished in a storm of thunder and lightning, and the sun broke out
from the
clouds with great brightness. The champion then went back to the tent,
and
spent some days with the queen of the Amazons in mirth and feasting,
after
which St. George and his faithful Sabra went forward again on their
journey.
After passing many desert countries, they came to Egypt, and received
the
compliments of all the nobles, and every thing was made ready for them
to be
crowned. While St.
George
was employed in Egypt, the other six champions had laid waste most of
Persia,
and the sultan was forced to take shelter in a strong city. Osmond, the
necromancer, who had done so much mischief to the country of the
Amazons, now
came and told the sultan to sally out the next day with all his forces;
and
while the two armies were engaged, he went into a dark valley, and used
his
horrid charms; on which the sky was covered with blackness; lightning
flashed
around them; and from a pitchy cloud, which descended in front of the
Christians, there flew out a number of evil spirits, which threw down
both men
and horses. But on the banner of the cross being displayed, these
spirits all
vanished, and the Christians drove the Persian troops from the field of
battle.
When Osmond found he could not succeed by force, he raised an enchanted
tent,
and changed several of the spirits into the shapes of beautiful
virgins, that
they might entice the six champions by their charms. This would have
proved the
ruin of the Christian army, had not St. George, by good fortune,
arrived on the
day of battle. He rushed into the enchanted tent, and cut it in pieces
with his
sword, on which the seeming virgins vanished with a dreadful noise.
Osmond was
bound to a withered oak with fetters of adamant, his magic power left
him, and
he remained mourning and gnawing his flesh, till some evil spirits
carried him
away. After making die conquest of Persia complete, the seven champions
took
shipping for England, where they were received with every demonstration
of joy.
But an
accident
soon turned the public joy into sorrow and mourning. A stag-hunt being
proposed
by St. George and the other champions, Sabra went with them, mounted on
a fine
Spanish courser, with a silver bow, quiver, and breast-plate; and,
straining
her horse to keep pace with the foremost, he started suddenly, upon the
turn of
the stag, and threw her with such force to the ground, that all
attempts to
recover her were in vain. She was buried with the utmost pomp, and a
grand tomb
was raised over her, on which were engraved many curious devices, as
emblems of
her graces and virtues. After the burial, St. George and the other six
champions went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. After a tiresome journey,
they
came nigh Damascus; and seeing a very noble house, they asked for
lodging till
the morning. An old man welcomed them in, and after letting them
refresh themselves,
he led them to see the inside of his house, which seemed rather like a
palace
than a dwelling of a private man, it being adorned with a vast deal of
gold,
silver, and precious stones. The champions were charmed with the beauty
of the
house, and the curious works of art, and asked him if he was the only
person
that lived in it. The old man heaved a deep sigh, and said, ‘I once had
many
sons; fourteen of them have I lost, and only six of the youngest remain
with
me.’ He then called these youths out of a room, from which they came,
playing
finely on silver lutes. The champions now wished very much to know what
had
become of the other brothers, and at their desire the old man told them
his
whole history, as follows: ‘Having
given
myself up from my youth to the study of alchymy, I at last found the
means of
turning any baser metal into gold, in the space of twenty-four hours. I
then
built a noble castle, and lived happy: but my secret being made known,
a mighty
giant came from Arabia, and after an obstinate combat, took my eldest
sons
prisoners, and seized my castle; while I and my younger sons, being
unable to
resist him, retired to this place, where I pass my days in sorrow for
the
misery of my children, who are chained down in a dungeon of the castle,
and
must remain there till some brave knight shall destroy their monstrous
jailer.’
Moved by the tears of the old man, the champions sallied forth against
the
giant. As they wished that he should fall by only one of them, they
cast lots,
and the lot fell upon St. Denis; but he was soon overcome, and with
five more
of them was thrown into a dungeon. St. George having seen that the
giant’s skin
was too hard to be pierced by a sword, armed himself with a heavy iron
bar,
and, after an obstinate conflict, struck him on the head with such
force, that
he fell to the ground, and died. St. George then rushed into the
castle, and
set the prisoners free. The old man, being now made happy, feasted the
champions, and then sent them away with many rich presents. After
passing the
deserts of Arabia, on a sudden they saw some smoke on the side of a
mountain,
and St. George rode forward to make inquiries. On his coming near the
spot, a
huge giant rushed out of a cave, and put himself into a threatening
posture;
but St. George cleft the monster’s head with his battle-axe. The other
champions now came up, and in the cave they set many unhappy captives
free.
These prisoners told them of the cruel deeds of a knight called Leoger,
who was
protected by magicians, and who made it a practice to send part of
those he
seized on, to be eaten by the giant that was just killed. The champions
straight set off to seek the castle of Leoger. The
approach to
Leoger’s castle was very hard; there was a deep moat round it, and the
drawbridge was always drawn up. Before the gate of the drawbridge stood
a
pillar, to which a silver trumpet was made fast, and over it were
placed these
words: — The drawbridge fall, and yonder doors unfold; Yet of your entering here you must take heed, Lest, for presuming, it, you chance to bleed.’ As soon as St. George had read this he put the trumpet to his mouth, and blew it so loud, that the very castle seemed to shake. The bridge now dropped, and the gates flew open. The champions tied their horses at the foot of the bridge, and resolved to force their passage into the castle. On entering, the champions found themselves in darkness; but on their coming to the top of a flight of stairs, the darkness vanished, and they beheld Leoger, with his necromancer, and several giants, standing on the roof of the palace. Twelve giants now came down to attack the strangers, but, after a bloody battle, they were all killed or wounded. The necromancer then had recourse to magic; and formed a phantom in the shape of a beautiful woman, who seemed to stand in a mournful posture, within an iron grate, with her face bathed in tears. While the knights were looking at this lady, they felt several heavy blows; and turning to see from whence they came, they saw armed men running into the castle at a little wicket. Being resolved to avenge themselves on these cowardly enemies, they pursued them, but as soon as they entered the wicket, they all fell into a dungeon paved with human bones. After groping about for some time, they found a bed, upon which six of them lay down in order to rest themselves; but the bed being enchanted, they fell into a sound sleep, from which St. George could not awake them. Soon after this, the magician came into the dungeon in a most dreadful form, his hair looking like a number of snakes, and his breath being like flames of fire. St. George drew his sword, and soon forced him to retire. As soon as this foe was gone, a new one came, in the shape of a monstrous dragon; but the English champion attacked it with such fury, that it soon took to flight. St. George ran after the dragon through vaults and arched passages, till on a sudden he found himself at the entrance of a large hall, lighted up by seven crystal lamps, and on a pillar of jasper were engraven these words: ‘While seven lamps burn day and night within this hall, no power can end the enchantment.’ St. Georg e in a moment seized a golden goblet that stood filled with some precious liquor, and poured it on the lamps. A loud, hissing noise followed, and after that, thunder and an earthquake. The castle tumbled into ruins, and Leoger and his necromancer were buried beneath its walls. The other six champions being now restored to light and liberty, embraced St. George; and they all set out together to return to their native countries, where they lived honoured and beloved; and after their deaths, their names were enrolled among the saints of Christendom. |