with rose-water, and marygold-water; the flowers [to] be gathered towards the east. Wash it till the oyle come white; then put it into the glasse, ut supra: and then put thereto the budds of holyhocke, the flowers of marygold, the flowers or toppes of wild thime, the budds of young hazle: and the thime must be gathered neare the side of a hill where Fayries use to be: and [take] the grasse of a fayrie throne, there. All these put into the oyle, into the glasse: and set it to dissolve 3 dayes in the sunne, and then keep it for thy use; ut supra."

After this receipt for the unguent follows a form of incantation, wherein the Alchymist conjures a Fairy, named Elaby Gathon, to appear to him in that Crystal Glass, meekly and mildly; to resolve him truly in all manner of questions; and to be obedient to all his commands, under pain of damnation, &c. One of the vulgar opinions about Fairies is, that they cannot be seen by human eyes, without a particular charm exerted in favour of the person who is to see them: and that they strike with blindness such as having the gift of seeing them, take notice of them mal-a-propos.

As for the hazle sticks mentioned above, they were to be probably of that species called the Witch Hazle; which received its name from this manner of applying it in incantations.

SERIES THE THIRD.

BOOK III.

I.

THE BIRTH OF ST. GEORGE.

The incidents in this, and the other ballad of 'St. George and the Dragon, are chiefly taken from the old story-book of 'The Seven Champions of Christendome;' which, though now the play-thing of children, was once in high repute. Bp. Hall in his Satires, published in 1597, ranks

'St. George's sorrel, and his cross of blood,'

among the most popular stories of his time: and an ingenious critic thinks that Spenser himself did not disdain to borrow hints from it;1 though I much doubt whether this popular romance were written so early as the Faery Queen.

The author of this book of the Seven Champions was one Richard Johnson, who lived in the reigns of Elizabeth and James, as we collect from his other publications: viz.-'The nine worthies of London:' 1592, 4to.- The pleaFant waiks of Moor fields:' 1607, 4to.-'A crown garland of Goulden Roses, gathered,' &c. 1612, 8vo.— The life and death of Rob. Cecil, E. of Salisbury:' 1612, 4to.-'The Hist. of Tom of Lincoln, 4to.' is also by R. J. who likewise reprinted 'Don Flores of Greece,' 4to.

The Seven Champions, though written in a wild inflated style, contains some strong Gothic painting; which seems, for the most part, copied from the metrical romances of former ages. At least the story of St. George and the fair Sabra is taken almost verbatim from the old poetical legend of 'Syr Bevis of Hampton.'

This very antique poem was in great fame in Chaucer's time [see above pag. 83.], and so continued till the introduction of printing, when it ran through several editions: two of which are in black letter, 4to, 'imprinted by Wyllyam Copland,' without date; containing great variations.

As a specimen of the poetic powers of this very old rhymist, and as a proof how closely the author of the Seven Champions has followed him, take a description of the dragon slain by sir Bevis.

1 Mr. Warton. Vid. Observations on the Faery Queen, 2 vol. 1762, 12mo passim.

His scales was bryghter then the glas,
And harder they were than any bras:
Betwene his shulder and his tayle,
Was forty fote withoute fayle.
He waltred out of his denne,
And Bevis pricked his stede then,
And to hym a spere he thraste
That all to shyvers he it braste:
The dragon then gan Bevis assayle,
And smote syr Bevis with his tayle;
Then downe went horse and man,

And two rybbes of Bevis brused than.'

After a long fight, at length, as the dragon was preparing to fly, sir Bevis

Hit him under the wynge

As he was in his fiyenge,

There he was tender without scale,
And Bevis thought to be his bale.
He smote after, as I you saye,
With his good sword Morglaye.

Up to the hiltes Morglay yode

Through harte, lyver, bone, and bloude:
To the ground fell the dragon,
Great joye syr Bevis begon.
Under the scales al on hight

He smote off his head forth right,

And put it on a spere: &c.'

Sign. K. iv.

Sir Bevis's dragon is evidently the parent of that in the Seven Champions, see Chap. III. viz. ‘The dragon no sooner had a sight of him [St. George] but he gave such a terrible peal, as though it had thundered in the elements. 'Betwixt his shoulders and his tail were fifty feet in distance, his scales glistering as bright as silver, but far more hard than brass; his belly of the colour of gold, but bigger than a tun. Thus weltered he from his den, &c. . . . . The champion . . . gave the dragon such a thrust with his spear, that it shivered in a thousand pieces: whereat the furious dragon so fiercely smote him with his venomous tail, that down fell man and horse: in which fall two of St. George's ribs were so bruised, &c.-At length. . . St. George smote the dragon under the wing where it was tender without scale, whereby his good sword Ascalon with an easie passage went to the very hilt through both the dragon's heart, liver, bone and blood.-Then St. Georgecut off the dragon's head and pitcht it upon the truncheon of a spear, &c.'

The History of the Seven Champions, being written just before the decline of books of chivalry, was never, I believe, translated into any foreign language: But Le Roman de Beuves of Hantonne' was published at Paris in 1502, 4to. Let. Gothique.

The learned Selden tells us, that about the time of the Norman invasion was Bevis famous with the title of Earl of Southampton, whose residence was at Duncton in Wiltshire; but he observes, that the monkish enlargements of his story have made his very existence doubted. See Notes on Poly-Olbion, Song III.

This hath also been the case of St George himself; whose martial history is allowed to be apocryphal. But, to prove that there really existed an orthodox Saint of this name (although little or nothing, it seems, is known of his genuine

story) is the subject of 'An Historical and Critical Inquiry into the Existence and Character of St George, &c. By the Rev. J. Milner, F.S.A. 1792, 8vo.' The Equestrian Figure worn by the Knights of the Garter, has been understood to be an emblem of the Christian warrior, in his spiritual armour, vanquishing the old serpent.

But on this subject the inquisitive reader may consult A Dissertation on the Original of the Equestrian Figure of the George and of the Garter, ensigns of the most noble order of that name. Illustrated with copper-plates. By John Petingal, A.M. Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London, 1753, 4to.' This learned and curious work the author of the Historical and Critical Inquiry' would have done well to have seen.

It cannot be denied, but that the following ballad is for the most part modern for which reason it would have been thrown to the end of the volume, had not its subject procured it a place here.1

LISTEN, lords, in bower and hall,

I sing the wonderous birth

Of brave St. George, whose valorous arm
Rid monsters from the earth:

High steward of this noble realme;
Lord Albret was his name.

He had to wife a princely dame,

Whose beauty did excell.

This virtuous lady, being with child,

In sudden sadness fell:

For thirty nights no sooner sleep

Had clos'd her wakeful eyes,

But, lo! a foul and fearful dream

Her fancy would surprize:

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Our readers will remember Schiller's noble ‘Fight with the Dragon.'-Ed.

She dreamt a dragon fierce and fell
Conceiv'd within her womb;
Whose mortal fangs her body rent
Ere he to life could come.

All woe-begone, and sad was she;
She nourisht constant woe:
Yet strove to hide it from her lord,
Lest he should sorrow know.

In vain she strove, her tender lord,
Who watch'd her slightest look,
Discover'd soon her secret pain,
And soon that pain partook.

And when to him the fearful cause
She weeping did impart,

With kindest speech he strove to heal
The anguish of her heart.

'Be comforted, my lady dear,

Those pearly drops refrain; Betide me weal, betide me woe, I'll try to ease thy pain.

And for this foul and fearful dream,

That causeth all thy woe,

Trust me, I'll travel far away

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But I'll the meaning knowe.

Then giving many a fond embrace,
And shedding many a teare,
To the weird lady of the woods,
He purpos'd to repaire.

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