These were all French knightes that lived in that

age:

But St. George, St. George the dragon did assuage. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. [France;

Bevis conquered Ascapart, and after slew the boare, And then he crost beyond the seas to combat with the moore:

Sir Isenbras and Eglamore, they were knightes most bold;

And good Sir John Mandeville of travel much hath told:

There were many English knights that Pagans did convert:

But St. George, St. George pluckt out the dragon's

heart.

St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. [France;

The noble earl of Warwick, that was call'd sir Guy,
The infidels and pagans stoutlie did defie;
He slew the giant Brandimore, and after was the
death

Of that most ghastly dun cowe, the divell of Dunsmore heath;

Besides his noble deeds all done beyond the seas: But St. George, St. George the dragon did appease. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for

Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. [France;

Richard Coeur-de-lion, erst king of this land,
He the lion gored with his naked hand :*
The false duke of Austria nothing did he feare;
But his son he killed with a boxe on the eare;
Besides his famous actes done in the holy lande:
But St. George, St. George the dragon did with-
[France;

stande. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Henry the fifth he conquered all France,

And quartered their arms, his honour to advance : He their cities razed, and threw their castles downe, And his head he honoured with a double crowne: He thumped the French-men, and after home he

came:

But St. George, St. George he did the dragon tame. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense.

[France;

St. David of Wales the Welsh-1
-men much advance :
St. Jaques of Spaine, that never yet broke lance:
St. Patricke of Ireland, which was St. Georges boy,
Seven yeares he kept his horse, and then stole him

away:

For which knavish act, as slaves they doe remaine : But St. George, St. George the dragon he hath slaine. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense. [France;

Alluding to the fabulous Exploits attributed to this King in the old Romances. See the Dissertation prefixed to this volume.

XV.

ST. GEORGE FOR ENGLAND.

THE SECOND PART,

was written by JOHN GRUBB, M. A. of Christ Church, Oxford. The occasion of its being composed is said to have been as follows. A set of gentlemen of the university had formed themselves into a Club, all the members of which were to be of the name of GEORGE: their anniversary feast was to be held on ST. GEORGE's day. Our Author solicited strongly to be admitted; but his name being unfortunately JOHN, this disqualification was dispensed with only upon this condition, that he would compose a song in honour of their Patron Saint, and would every year produce one or more new stanzas, to be sung on their annual festival. This gave birth to the following humorous performance, the several stanzas of which were the produce of many successive anniversaries.*

This diverting poem was long handed about in manuscript; at length a friend of GRUBB's undertook to get it printed, who, not keeping pace with the impatience of his friends, was addressed in the following whimsical macaronic lines, which, in such a collection as this, may not improperly accompany the poem itself.

To this circumstance it is owing that the Editor has never met with two copies in which the stanzas are arranged alike: he has therefore thrown them into what appeared the most natural order. The verses are properly long Alexandrines, but the narrowness of the page made it necessary to subdivide them they are here printed with many improvements.

:

EXPOSTULATIUNCULA, sive QUERIMONIUNCULA ad ANTONIUM [ATHERTON] ob Poema JOHANNIS GRUBB, Viri rou ingeniosissimi in lucem nondum editi.

TONI! Tune sines divina poemata Grubbi
Intomb'd in secret thus still to remain any longer,
Τούνομα σου shall last Ω Γρυββε διαμπερές αει,
Grubbe tuum nomen vivet dum nobilis ale-a
Efficit heroas, dignamque heroe puellam.
Est genus heroum, quos nobilis efficit ale-a
Qui pro niperkin clamant, quaternque liquoris

Quem vocitant Homines Brandy, Superi Cherry-brandy.
Sæpe illi long-cut, vel small-cut flare Tobacco
Sunt soliti pipos. Ast si generosior herba
(Per varios casus, per tot discrimina rerum)
Mundungus desit, tum non funcare recusant
Brown-paper tostâ, vel quod fit arundine bed-mat.
Hic labor, hoc opus est heroum ascendere sedes!
Ast ego quo rapiar? quo me feret entheus ardor,
Grubbe, tui memorem? Divinum expande poema.
Quæ mora? quæ ratio est, quin Grubbi protinus anser
Virgilii, Flaccique simul canat inter olores?

At length the importunity of his friends prevailed, and Mr. Grubb's song was published at Oxford, under the following title:

THE BRITISH HEROES

A New Poem in honour of St. George

By Mr. JOHN GRUBB

School-master of Christ-Church

OXON. 1688.

Favete linguis carmina non prius
Audita, musarum sacerdos

Canto.

Sold by Henry Clements. Oxon.

THE story of king Arthur old

Is very memorable,

The number of his valiant knights,
And roundness of his table:

HOR.

5

The knights around his table in

A circle sate, d'ye see:

And altogether made up one

Large hoop of chivalry.

He had a sword, both broad and sharp,

10

Y-cleped Caliburn,

Would cut a flint more easily

Than pen-knife cuts a corn;
As case-knife does a capon carve,
So would it carve a rock,
And split a man at single slash,

From noddle down to nock.
As Roman Augur's steel of yore

Dissected Tarquin's riddle,
So this would cut both conjurer

And whetstone thro' the middle.

He was the cream of Brecknock,

And flower of all the Welsh:

But George he did the dragon fell,

And gave him a plaguy squelsh.

15

20

[France;

St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for

Sing, Honi soit qui mal y pense.

Pendragon, like his father Jove,

Was fed with milk of goat;

And like him made a noble shield

Of she-goat's shaggy coat:

On top of burnisht helmet he

Did wear a crest of leeks;

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