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diff --git a/21454.txt b/21454.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c6f8f3c --- /dev/null +++ b/21454.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4600 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Seven Champions of Christendom, by W. H. G. Kingston + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Seven Champions of Christendom + +Author: W. H. G. Kingston + +Release Date: May 15, 2007 [EBook #21454] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS OF CHRISTENDOM *** + + + + +Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England + + + + +The Seven Champions of Christendom, by W H G Kingston. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +A most unusual book, especially from this author, erudite though he is. + +The seven champions are the Patron Saints of England, Scotland, Ireland, +Wales, France, Italy and Spain. These rove about Europe and beyond, +slaying Enchanters, Dragons, and other nuisances, accompanied by their +Squires, who, although they put on weight and become obese, help as best +they can, and carry their masters' trophies for them. + +That they all knew one another and were living at the same time is a +novel idea, but it all adds to quite a good story, however whimsical. + +It is alleged that the book is no more than an edited transcription of a +book written at the end of the fifteen hundreds. It may well be, but it +stands quite well on its own for what it is--an amusement for the +children: that, and no more. + +________________________________________________________________________ + +THE SEVEN CHAMPIONS OF CHRISTENDOM, BY W H G KINGSTON. + +The following pages should not go forth into the world without due +acknowledgment being made to that worthy old Dominie, Richard Johnson, +to whose erudite but somewhat unreadable work the author is so largely +indebted. As he flourished at the end of the sixteenth century, and the +commencement of the seventeenth, great allowances should be made for his +style, which is certainly not suited to the taste of this generation. +It is to be hoped that the present version, while much of his vivid +imagery is retained, may be free from his more glaring errors. And, +thus quoting the Dominie's dedication:-- + +"To all courteous readers The Author wisheth encrease of vertuous +knowledge. + +"Gentle readers, in kindness accept my labours, and be not like the +chattering cranes, nor Momus' mates, that carp at everything. What the +simple say I care not; what the spightful speak I pass not; only the +censure of the conceited I stand unto; that is the mark I aym at; whose +good likings if I obtain, I have won my race; if not, I faint in the +first attempt, and so lose the quiet of my happy goal. + +"Yours in kindness and command,-- + +"R.J." + + + +CHAPTER ONE. + +THE BIRTH OF SAINT GEORGE. + +Who has not heard of the Seven Champions of Christendom--of the +wonderful adventures they went through--of the dangers they encountered, +and the heroic deeds they performed? Should any persons exist ignorant +of the history of those noble knights, let them with attentive ears now +listen to my veracious chronicle. + +Gallant and dauntless as were all those seven heroes, yet not one +equalled in valour "Saint George of Merrie England." Many countries +have in consequence claimed him as their own especial Champion. +Portugal, Germany, Greece, and Russia, for what is known to the +contrary, would be glad to have him; but we have proof undoubted that to +England he alone belongs, even if we did not see him, on many a golden +guinea, engaged in his desperate encounter with the most terribly +terrific and greenest of green dragons. Not only are his orders worn by +nobles, but by British monarchs themselves, while, in memory of his +heroic deeds, they lead forth their armies under his banner. However, +many long years have passed away since he astonished the world by his +prowess. Of royal birth was his mother, the daughter of one of +England's early kings; a Duke and High Steward of the realm was his +father. Of the name of the king history is most mysteriously silent, or +of the extent of his dominions; but there can be no doubt that the +ancient city of Coventry was situated within them, and that, if not the +principal, it was one of the principal cities of the realm, and, +moreover, that a prison existed there on the silent system. Thus, when +people are unfit to be spoken to, it is said, by a figure of speech, +that they are sent to Coventry. + +In Coventry the Lord High Steward and his royal bride resided. Now, +some time before the Princess was about to present her husband with a +babe, she dreamed a dream; it was enough to terrify her, for she dreamed +that, instead of a smiling infant, she should have to nurse a little +green dragon. To nurse a small crocodile or alligator, or even a young +hippopotamus, would have been bad enough, but a green dragon, with claws +and a long wriggling fork-pointed tail, was out of the question; the +very idea was enough to drive her distracted. The Lord High Steward was +a man who always took the bull by the horns in a dilemma, and so he +resolved forthwith to take steps to solve the mystery. He had heard +that in the Black Forest in Germany there lived a powerful enchantress, +Kalyb by name, who would, without doubt, be able at once to give him all +the information he required. Sir Albert, for that was the High +Steward's name, instantly set off across the seas, accompanied only by +his faithful Squire, De Fistycuff. They bore offerings of gold and +silver and precious stones with which to propitiate her. + +For many days they voyaged, tossed by the stormy billows, and for many +days they travelled on till they arrived at the dreary precincts of the +Black Forest. Boldly plunging into it, they reached a dense part of the +wood, composed of withered, hollow, and distorted trees, whence +proceeded sounds the most unearthly and terrific. The dismal croaking +of the night raven, the hissing of serpents, the hoarse bellowing of +wild bulls, the roaring of lions, the laughing of hyenas, and other +hideous cries of all sorts of savage beasts. Some men would have stood +astounded. Not so Sir Albert and his faithful Squire. On they went +till they found themselves in front of a dark and lofty rock, within +which was seen a vast and gloomy cavern. The entrance was secured by a +massive iron gate studded over with huge knots and bars of steel. Near +it hung a brazen trumpet, the use of which the Knight full readily +guessed. He blew a blast which rung through the vaulted cave, echoing +away till the sounds were lost in the distance, while it made the very +earth rock and tremble. Scarcely had the echoes of the magic horn died +away than a terrifically loud, discordant, hollow voice, proceeding out +of the very depths of the cavern, inquired:--"Mortal, what want you +here?" Sir Albert briefly told his errand, and said that he had brought +gifts which he desired to offer to the famous Enchantress Kalyb, the +lady of the Black Forest. + +As he was a courteous knight, and had spoken the Enchantress fair, so he +expected a courteous and satisfactory reply. What, then, was his +amazement when he heard these words proceeding from the cavern:-- + + "Whatever must be--must be there's no doubt; + You've got an answer, and so turn about!" + +In vain he protested that such a reply was far from satisfactory; that +he should go back as wise as he came; that it would have been better had +he stayed at home; that he should have had all his pains for nothing. +No other answer could he get. Though a courteous knight, he was yet +somewhat irascible; and this was an occasion to try the temper of a +milder man than a knight of those days. He seized the trumpet, and blew +till it refused to give forth any further sound. He handed it to De +Fistycuff, and told him to blow till he cracked his own cheeks or the +trumpet. In vain the Squire puffed and puffed, not a sound could he +produce. He holloed and shouted, and so did De Fistycuff; but to their +united voices no answer was returned. Then Sir Albert began to shower +abuse on the Enchantress; he told her some awkward truths, and called +her some names which were far from complimentary; but the only answer he +received was in shouts of hollow and mocking laughter which proceeded +out of the recesses of the cavern. + +At length Sir Albert turned his horse's head, and in high dudgeon rode +off, followed by De Fistycuff, who first pocketed the gifts they had +brought to propitiate the Enchantress. Dull and dreary was their +homeward journey; and, if truth must be told, the Lord High Steward +could not help feeling remarkably small at the result of their +expedition. After having been tossed about for many days by a storm, +and made very sick in the German Ocean, they at length reached Coventry. +The master of his household, his family physician, and a numerous +assemblage of knights and ladies, rushed out of his castle to tell Sir +Albert the news. Neither an hippopotamus nor an alligator had been born +to him, but a right merry, rosy, bouncing infant. Alas! however, there +was grief in store for the gallant knight, the partner of his joys and +cares, his beautiful princess, was dead! Deeply he mourned his loss, +and then he inquired if any one could solve the mystery of the dream +which had caused him so long a journey. He found that had he waited +patiently at home, like a wise man, all would have been known. The +smiling infant was brought to him; and then, wonderful to relate, he +discovered on its breast the portrait of a green dragon, just as his +wife had described it to him; and, moreover, a blood-red cross marked on +the boy's right hand, and a golden garter below his knee on the left. + +"He'll do something wonderful!" exclaimed the proud father; and he was +not mistaken. + +The name of George was given to the boy; and forthwith the Lord High +Steward, retiring from the cares of state, bestowed on him all his +thoughts and attention. He selected three nurses to watch over him, +called Prudence, Firmness, and Gentleness. One to prepare his +nourishment, another to feed him, and the last to lull him to sleep. +All would have gone well, but unhappily the boy's grandfather suggested +that another nurse was necessary, and Carelessness was introduced into +the household. + +It should be known that all this time the wicked Enchantress Kalyb had +been well aware who it was who had come to her cavern and blown so +furiously on her magic horn. Every word the Knight had uttered, and +every opprobrious epithet which he had so lavishly bestowed, had been +heard by her. She nourished, in consequence, in her evil heart, a +spirit of revenge, which she waited a convenient opportunity to gratify. +Oh, anger! oh, loss of temper! how blind art thou! How dost thou make +wise men become like the most foolish! Revenge, too, how dost thou, +malignant spirit, fall into the trap thou hast thyself laid, as will be +soon seen! + +Wicked Kalyb waited her time. She knew of the young Prince's birth, +she knew how his father doated on him, and she resolved to carry him +off; but when she heard of the three nurses appointed to guard over him +she despaired of succeeding in her object. The boy grew and flourished. +Every day he became more beautiful, every day he gave proofs of a noble +and gallant spirit. Truly was he his father's pride; worthy was he of +the admiration of all the people of Coventry. When, however, Kalyb +found out that Carelessness had become his nurse, instantly she hurried +to the sea-shore; when, embarking in an egg-shell,--the shell, be it +known, of a huge roc's egg--she set sail for the shores of England. +Quickly she spun over the ocean, round and round, faster than any +ordinary ship could sail, till she reached the land; and, arriving in +the neighbourhood of Coventry, she hid herself in a thick wood, till she +could pounce out on the young Prince and carry him off. + +However, she had long to wait. Sometimes Prudence walked out with him, +sometimes Gentleness, and sometimes Firmness; and all kept so careful a +watch over him that she had no opportunity of effecting her purpose. At +length, Carelessness one fatal day had charge of him. Kalyb immediately +changed herself into a lovely butterfly. Off ran the boy with his +velvet cap to catch the fluttering insect. Carelessness sat down on a +bank and fell asleep. Soon Kalyb led the boy into the recesses of the +forest; then seizing him, in spite of his cries, she placed him in a +chariot with ten fiery steeds which she had conjured up, and darting off +like a flash of lightning, reached the coast, embarked in her egg-shell, +which whirled round and round as before, and then she travelled on till +she arrived once more, with her captive, at the magic cavern in the +Black Forest. The massive gates flew asunder at a touch of her silver +wand, and the Prince found himself among wonders which his imagination +had never before conceived, which far surpassed anything he had ever +beheld even in the beautiful city of Coventry. He soon, however, grew +weary of them, and longed to return to his fond father and careful +nurses; but he found himself a prisoner, and no outlet could he discover +by which he could make his escape from the cavern--the massive gates +prevented all egress to any who had once entered within them. + +The wicked Kalyb watched the sorrow of the boy, and knowing that his +father was still more sorrowful, rejoiced in her revenge. She had +numerous attendants to do her will. Among them was a dwarf, a +misshapen, ill-favoured creature. To his care the boy was confided, +with directions to beat and teaze him whenever he had nothing else to +do. The noble child bore every indignity with equanimity and good +humour, and, instead of harbouring revenge, took every opportunity of +doing a kindness to the poor dwarf, who was himself the peculiar object +of the wicked Kalyb's ill-treatment. Crumpleback was the dwarf's name. +Often poor Crumpleback's body was black and blue with the pommelling he +received from the furious Kalyb, while his cheeks were thin and haggard +from want of food and rest. One day Kalyb was absent when Crumpleback +addressed the Prince:--"Know," said he, "kind boy, that I am a fairy in +disguise, and though less powerful than the fell Enchantress Kalyb, I +may yet circumvent her acts. Your kindness and gentleness, and +forgiveness of the injuries I was forced to do you, have won my heart. +I have vowed to serve you to the best of my power. Let not Kalyb know +what has passed between us, but wait patiently, and see what will +happen." The young Prince thanked the fairy, and his hopes of escaping +once more revived. He had long to wait. In the mean time, whenever +Kalyb was absent, the seeming dwarf gave him instructions in all the +arts which would fit him to become an accomplished knight. Book +learning, though not much in vogue in those days, was not neglected. +Sometimes the fairy put a shining sword into his grasp, and showed him +how to wield it with a force no one could withstand; sometimes he was +mounted on a fiery steed which few mortals could have bestrode, and with +lance in hand he was taught to tilt against phantom knights, which, in +the most desperate encounters, he invariably overthrew. Thus, by the +time he had attained to man's estate, no knight in Europe was so +accomplished, while none surpassed him in virtue or valour. + +Meantime the Lord High Steward bitterly mourned the loss of his +promising son. In vain he sent messengers throughout the world to find +him, and at last, remembering the ancient proverb, "Who wants goes, who +does not want sends," he resolved to go in search of the boy himself. +Storing himself with gold and precious jewels, he set off, attended only +by his faithful De Fistycuff. From place to place he wandered, year +after year, till his locks were turned to silvery grey, and his beard +became like the down of a thistle. One evening his heart fainting, and +his once firm knees trembling, he reached the gate of a monastery in +Bohemia. Then he sunk down before even his Squire could ring the bell +to summon the monks to his assistance. When the porter opened the door, +the Lord High Steward of England had breathed his last, and poor De +Fistycuff was bewailing his loved master's death, and his own hard fate, +in being thus left alone in a foreign land. The monks buried Sir Albert +hard by, and raised a monument, covered with some of his own jewels, +over his grave, reserving the remainder to pay the expenses of his +funeral. The worthy De Fistycuff they recommended to return to his +native land, unless he wished to become a monk; an honour he declined, +having his faithful Grumculda waiting for him at home. So, paying a +farewell visit to his master's tomb, the jewels on which he found had by +enchantment been changed to glass, he set off on his journey. Happily +he had, however, some of the presents intended for the wicked Kalyb in +his pockets; so, like an honest Briton, he was able to pay his way, and +be no discredit to his country. Leaving him to pursue his toilsome +peregrination, we return once more to the cavern of Kalyb. + + + +CHAPTER TWO. + +SAINT GEORGE RELEASES THE SIX CHAMPIONS. + +Even the Enchantress wondered at the progress in the arts and sciences +her captive was making; but, as she knew that he was destined to become +a great man, she was aware that she could not hope to stop his progress. +All she could do was to keep him shut up till fate set him free. One +day the friendly fairy addressed the Prince:--"Know," she said, "the +Enchantress sleeps once, and once only, for one week every hundred +years. Her magic art depends on her silver wand, which on that occasion +she hides away so carefully that it is scarcely possible to discover it. +Still, we will search. For that opportunity I have long been waiting. +If we can possess ourselves of it, she will be completely in our power, +and we can work our will within the magic cavern. Know also that I am +an English fairy, Sabrina by name. I love you because you are kind to +me, and because you come of an honest English stock. If we can overcome +the Enchantress, I will enable you to commence that career of glory for +which I know that your heart is even now thirsting." The young Prince's +heart beat high with joy and hope on hearing these words. + +Anxiously they watched the Enchantress, to try and discover where she +would place her silver wand. Day after day they followed her through +all the vast interminable recesses of her magic cavern. Every day she +grew more drowsy and less inclined to speak; which is not surprising, +considering how long she had been awake, and how sleepy she must have +become. + +In spite of all this vigilance, however, at last she appeared without +her silver wand; and soon after they saw her sink down on a couch of +rose-leaves she had prepared for herself in a sumptuous apartment, +where, had it not been for her hideous countenance, where all the +malignant passions were portrayed, she would have looked like a +sovereign resting on her bed of state. The Prince was eager instantly +to set off to look for the silver wand. + +"Stay," whispered the Fairy Sabrina, "she yet deeps with one eye open, +like a weasel; wait till she closes both, and snores." Accordingly they +waited till both Kalyb's eyes were closed, and loud snores echoed along +the vaulted roof. Then off they set. + +"Nothing worth having can be gained without toil and trouble," observed +the Dwarf, as he parted from the Prince. All the other attendants of +the Enchantress had taken the opportunity to go to sleep likewise; so +silence profound reigned throughout the cavern, broken only by her +snores. The Prince searched and searched in every direction, under +heaps of costly jewels and glittering robes, piles of gold and silver, +and rich armour; but they had now no charms for him: the silver wand +which was to set him free to commence his noble career was all he sought +for--that wand, the type of knowledge, which can only be obtained by +study and perseverance. Day after day he sought for it; but at the end +of each day all he could say was that he believed he could tell where it +was not. The Dwarf came back equally unsuccessful; but still numberless +heaps had been turned over, intricate passages explored, profound depths +dived into, and unthought of recesses in the cavern discovered. + +Five days had thus passed away; the Prince knew more about the cavern +than he had ever known before; the sixth day came, and that, too, ended. +He had added to his knowledge, but the silver wand had not been found. +He became anxious, as well he might. On the seventh the Enchantress +would awake and resume her power. + +More diligently than ever he searched about; the Dwarf seconded his +efforts. Before him appeared, as he wandered on, a golden door. After +many a hearty shove he forced it open. A steep flight of rugged stone +steps led winding upwards he knew not where. Boldly he entered, and +climbed on, on, on. Though rough and steep were the steps he did not +weary or hesitate. Sometimes the stair was spiral, and he went round +and round, and sometimes it led him directly upwards. Scarcely a +glimmer of light enabled him to find his way; but the Dwarf was at his +heels, encouraging him, and he recollected the silver wand of which he +was in search, and persevered. Strong and healthy as he was he began to +draw his breath quickly, when the full light of the glorious sun burst +on him, and he found himself in a magnificent temple of alabaster, on +the summit of a lofty mountain. + +From the windows of the temple he could behold the whole surrounding +country to a vast distance, far, far beyond the forest which grew round +the base of the mountain. There were cities and palaces, and silvery +streams, and rich fields, and glowing orchards, and meadows full of +cattle, and grassy downs covered with sheep--such a scene as he had not +beheld since his boyhood, when Kalyb first got possession of him. He +stood contemplating it with delight. How long he might have stood it is +impossible to say, when the sound of a distant church-bell was wafted up +to his ears. It reminded him that the hour was approaching when the +dreadful Kalyb would awake. + +He thought to make his escape out of the temple, but that he found was +impossible; the walls of the tower in which he stood were a hundred feet +high, with pointed iron spikes below, to catch any who might fall on +them. Again must he sink into the power of the cruel Kalyb? His brave +heart rebelled at the thought; he would dare and do anything to avoid +it. + +He spoke aloud. "You are right," said the Dwarf; "but look! what is +that?" He turned his head, and beheld before him, on a velvet cushion, +which covered a marble table, the silver wand of which he had been so +long in search. He grasped it eagerly. + +"Follow me," said the Dwarf, hastening onward, "no time is to be lost." +Down the steps they sped. "No time is to be lost," cried the Dwarf +again. Faster, faster went the Prince's feet. On he rattled--on--on-- +often several steps at a time. Nothing stopped him. The bottom was +reached; the massive door was closed; in vain he pushed against it. He +touched it with his silver wand; open it flew. Along the vaulted +passages of the cavern he sped. Many a hideous monster started up, but +a wave of the silver wand put them to flight. + +The Prince and his attendant reached the chamber of the Enchantress. +Her snoring had ceased. She had begun to rub her eyes and move +uneasily, with many a grunt and snort. She was about to awake. Who +could have told what mischief one glance of her evil eye would have +effected. "Strike! strike!" said the Fairy. The Prince struck the bed. +Instantly loud shrieks and groans, and cries most terrific, were heard +filling the air, and shouts most horrible of mocking laughter, and +bellowings, and roarings, and hissings, and the walls of the chamber +began to rock, and the bed began to sink, and flames burst forth, and +stenches most overwhelming arose. The horrible noises increased till +dense lurid vapours concealed the spot where the Enchantress's chamber +had been, though her helpless cries were heard far, far down in the +depths of the earth; and the Prince found himself standing in the wild +cavern, but, in the place of the Dwarf, there stood a beautiful Fairy by +his side. "I prepared you for a change," said the Fairy, with a smile; +"but come, we are not the only ones to be set free. Let us not forget +our companions in misfortune any more than those in our prosperity." + +The Prince made the politest of bows, and said he was completely under +the Lady Sabrina's directions. "Then come with me," she said, and led +the way till they reached a vast castle of brass, with battlements and +towers glittering in the sun. "Within this castle lie imprisoned six +valiant knights, worthy champions of Christendom, bemoaning their hard +fate, and longing to be free. Had the vile Kalyb retained her power, +you would have been shut up there likewise. But know, brave Prince, as +by your perseverance, valour, and judgment you have overcome her and her +enchantments, it is destined that you shall become the seventh and most +renowned of all, and so I hail you as `Saint George of Merrie England.' +Thus you shall be called for ages yet to come, wherever England's might +and England's deeds throughout the world are known." The roseate hue of +modesty suffused the cheek of the young knight as he heard these words, +and he vowed that he would ever strive to prove worthy of the honourable +title he had received. + +Then thrice he struck the gates of the brazen castle. The portals flew +open, and he and the Fairy entering, found the six knights sitting +lonely and sad in separate chambers, not knowing what had happened. +They started as they heard the voice of Sabrina mentioning their names. + +"The first is Saint Denis of France," said she. With many a bow he +rapidly sprang forward and saluted Saint George. The second, Saint +James of Spain, slowly stalked on, and lifting his casque bowed +haughtily. The third, Saint Anthony of Italy, advanced more rapidly, +and, with a flourish of his helmet, gave him an embrace. Saint Andrew +of Scotland, the fourth, rising from his couch, inquired whence he had +come, and whither he was going, and thanked him for the valour he had +displayed; while Saint Patrick, the fifth, almost wrung off his hand, as +he expressed his delight in meeting so gallant a knight; and the sixth, +Saint David of Wales, vowed that no pleasure could surpass what he felt +at being thus set free by a knight second only to himself in all +knightly accomplishments. + +Besides the knights, six faithful squires, who had followed their +fortunes for many years, lay imprisoned in a separate dungeon. These +also Saint George had the great satisfaction of setting free; when once +more they rejoined their beloved masters, and assisted, as was their +wont, in preparing them for their journey. + +Then Saint George and all the knights, following Sabrina, led the way to +the stables of the castle, where stood, ready caparisoned, seven of the +most superb steeds mortal eye ever beheld. "Six of them are for those +brave knights," she said; "the seventh, Bayard by name, is reserved for +you; while six other most excellent horses are for their six faithful +squires." + +The knights, eager to be gone, mounted their steeds, as did their +squires theirs, while Sabrina conducted Saint George back to the castle, +where, in a chamber, hung numberless suits of the most magnificent +armour. Choosing out the strongest corselet, Sabrina buckled it on his +breast; she laced on his helmet, and completely clothed him in +glittering steel. Then bringing forth a mighty falchion, she placed it +in his hand, and said:--"No monarch was ever clothed in richer armour. +Of such strength and invincible power is your steed, that while you are +on his back no knight shall be able to conquer you. Your armour is of +steel so pure that no battle-axe can bruise, no weapon pierce it. Your +sword, which is called Ascalon, was made by the Cyclops. It will hew +asunder the hardest flint, or cut the strongest steel, and in its pummel +such magic virtue lies, that neither treason nor witchcraft can prevail +against you, or any violence be offered as long as you wear it." + +The good fairy thus having spoken, Saint George, fully caparisoned, went +forth from the castle, and mounting Bayard, prepared with the other +champions to leave the Black Forest--Sabrina, in her own chariot, drawn +by ten peacocks, leading the way. Just then a stranger appeared in +sight, sad and sorrowful, travelling on. + +"De Fistycuff!" exclaimed Saint George, in a cheerful voice, "my honest +parent's faithful squire." De Fistycuff started, as well he might, and +rushed forward. He knew the voice, but whence it had come he could not +tell. Saint George tore off his corselet, and exposed to view the green +dragon on his bosom. Thus De Fistycuff knew who it was, and, embracing +him, burst into tears. Having recovered himself, and once more buckled +on his young master's armour, De Fistycuff mounted his steed. + +Then the whole party set forward, and travelled on till they reached the +coast. Then they took shipping, and, at Saint George's particular +request, proceeded to his paternal castle, near the beautiful city of +Coventry. There having dwelt for the space of nine months, and erected +a sumptuous monument over the grave of the hapless princess, Saint +George's mother, they expressed their desire to set forth once more in +search of those noble adventures to which they had devoted their lives. +Saint George, nothing loath, promised to accompany them, and the +faithful De Fistycuff entreated that he might not be left behind; so, +all accoutred, and lavishly supplied with everything they required, they +set forth with their faithful squires, and travelled on till the time +arrived for their separating in different directions. What then befell +them, and what wondrous deeds they performed, shall in course of time be +told. + + + +CHAPTER THREE. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT GEORGE OF ENGLAND. + +The Seven Champions having crossed the British Channel to France, and +traversed that lovely country, where they banqueted, to their heart's +content, on fricassees and ragouts, washed down by huge draughts of +Burgundy and claret, reached at length a broad plain where stood a +brazen pillar. Here seven ways met, and here the noble knights, with +many a flourish of their spears and not a few in their speeches, though +history does not record them, parted with expressions of mutual esteem, +to follow out with their faithful squires their separate adventures. + +Saint George, accompanied only by the faithful De Fistycuff, at once +passed over to the coast of Africa, knowing full well that in that +unknown land of wonders he was more likely to meet with adventures +worthy of his prowess than in any other part of the world. He journeyed +on for many a mile over burning sands, his polished steel armour +glittering in the sun, striking terror into all beholders, and almost +blinding his poor squire, who, hot and panting, followed him wearily. + +Far across the plains of Africa he travelled till he reached the very +ancient, though little known kingdom of Timbuctoo. King Bobadildo, the +sable monarch of that empire, so wonderfully renowned in its own annals, +if not in those of other countries, received him with all the courtesy +due to his rank as a British knight, and the renown which the faithful +De Fistycuff, who never lost an opportunity of putting in a good word +for his master, stated that he intended to acquire. + +The Knight was feasted sumptuously, and magnificent shows were got up +for his entertainment, while the King, who had taken a great fancy to +him, from believing that he would be of great use in leading his +warriors to the fight against the enemies of his realm, pressed him to +remain, hoping that by his falling in love with his lovely daughter he +might be induced to become his son-in-law. The colour of the young +princess's complexion, which was of the most sable hue, shining +lustrously with palm oil, although much admired in her native country, +was to the British knight an insuperable objection to a closer alliance +than that of the friendship he enjoyed, though he did not say so; but +stated that he was anxious to go where glory awaited him, and that all +matrimonial arrangements he must defer till he had won that fame for +which his heart panted. + +Accordingly, the next morning, followed by De Fistycuff, who had some +difficulty in buckling his belt after the good fare he had enjoyed, he +set forth from the southern gate of the capital towards the unknown +regions which lay beyond. The sweet Princess looked out of a turret +window, and waved her coal-black hand, while tears coursed each other +down her sable cheeks as she saw the Knight going away and leaving her +all forlorn; for in her bright eyes not one of the neighbouring princes, +nor any of her father's courtiers, could in any way be compared to the +gallant Saint George. Many other sweet princesses, at the various +courts he visited in his travels, held the same opinion--a circumstance +which caused a considerable amount of perplexity to the gentle-hearted +and gallant Knight. As she gazed she sighed, and then she sang words to +the following effect:-- + +"Go away, go away, oh, hard-hearted knight, Go away to glory and fame; +If you ever come back You'll not find me slack To change my state and +name!" + +Much relieved by the impromptu expressions of her feelings, she turned +from the window, Saint George having disappeared among the distant +sand-heaps, and went to attend her honoured sire at his matutinal meal. + +Saint George and his Squire travelled on day after day, mounting higher +and higher till they reached a region where the heat was no longer so +oppressive as in the plains, and where scenes new and beautiful opened +on their enravished sight. + +There were beautiful lakes of the clearest water, full of fish of +strange shapes and gorgeous hues, which swam up to the surface, and +gazed with curious eyes at the strangers. The trees and shrubs were of +the most gigantic proportions, the former towering high into the sky, +and a single leaf affording ample shade to the Knight and Squire and +their horses. So luscious and luxuriant, too, was the grass that a few +tufts were sufficient for a meal for the noble steeds, and put such +strength and spirit into them, that, in spite of the fatigues they +underwent, they were ever ready for any task they might be called on to +perform. Even the shrubs were so high that they could ride beneath some +of them. Others were covered with leaves of such thickness that a spear +could scarcely pierce them, while they were armed with spikes of length +so formidable that it was dangerous to approach the branches, and +impossible to force a passage through them. Strange, too, were the +plants. Some were like a mass of twisting serpents which wriggled about +and hissed as the travellers passed, and though Saint George cut off +their heads with his sword, they so quickly again grew up that he +perceived that the attempt to destroy them was labour lost. + +"So is it," he moralised, "with vicious propensities; the nature of the +plant must be changed, or the branches will spring forth, and evil fruit +will continually be produced." Other plants of the most fantastic +shapes and most lovely hues seemed endued with life. One covering a +wide circle of ground, and tinted with every colour of the rainbow, they +stopped to admire. Suddenly it darted forth feelers of great length +high into the air, and drew back hundreds of gay-coloured butterflies, +and moths, and beetles, which were flying near. + +Numerous birds also of the most gorgeous plumage, which darted down, +attracted by the flies, were seized hold of and dragged within the +capacious mouth of the plant. + +"On, on," cried Saint George, pricking forward his steed. "If we stop +to admire all these separate wonders we shall never attain the great +objects of our expedition." The Squire if he heard did not heed his +master, for he kept gazing at the proceedings of the strange plant, and +trying to count the number of insects it gobbled up in a minute. +Thoughtlessly he drew closer and closer, till suddenly the monster plant +darted forth all its feelers and grasped him round the body. He felt +himself dragged helplessly towards the capacious maw where he had +already seen so many creatures conveyed. "Oh, master, master! help, +help!" he shouted at the top of his voice, though a feeler getting round +his neck almost stopped his breath. + +Saint George, seeing what had occurred, spurred back in hot haste, and, +slashing away with his trusty falchion, severed the feelers after vast +exertions and rescued his frightened squire. + +"If you had done as I told you this would not have happened," he +observed, as he freed him from the thick masses of sinew which +surrounded his body. "Oh, De Fistycuff, remember to do right and what +you are bid by those who know best what is for your good, and then don't +fear the consequences; but never stand gazing at what is bad or +dangerous, and fancy that you run no risk of being drawn into the snare +laid for you!" + +The Squire listened respectfully to his master's lecture, and then +followed him at a humble distance, resolving to profit by his advice. + +Night with her sable wings was about to overspread the earth, and the +tall woods resounded with strangest cries, and shrieks, and hisses of +the wonderful wild animals which roamed through them, when the Knight +thought it high time to look about for some place of shelter, where, +free from their attacks, he and his squire might repose till the return +of the rosy dawn would enable them to discern their foes, and face them +bravely. + +A large rock appeared before them. Within it was a cave with a rude +porch in front. In this rough habitation dwelt a hermit, whose voice +they heard bewailing the sad fate to which his country was doomed. The +Knight entered; a lamp stood on a table in the centre of the cave. The +hermit rose from his couch and welcomed Saint George and De Fistycuff. +He was a venerable man, with a long beard of silvery whiteness; and as +he tottered forward he seemed bowed almost to the ground with the weight +of years. + +"Gladly will I afford you shelter and such food as my cell can furnish, +most gallant Knight," he said; and, suiting the action to the word, he +placed a variety of provisions on the table. "I need not inquire to +what country you belong, for I see by the arms of England engraven on +your burgonet whence you come. I know the knights of that land are +brave and gallant, and ready to do battle in aid of the distressed. +Here, then, you will find an opportunity for distinguishing yourself by +a deed which will make your name renowned throughout the world." + +Saint George pricked up his ears at this, and eagerly inquired what it +was. "This, you must understand, most noble Knight, is the renowned +territory of Bagabornabou, second to none in the world in importance in +the opinion of its inhabitants. None was so prosperous, none so +flourishing, when a most horrible misfortune befell the land, in the +appearance of a terrific green dragon, of huge proportions, who ranges +up and down the country, creating devastation and dismay in every +direction. No corner of the land is safe from his ravages; no one can +hope to escape the consequences of his appearance. Every day his +insatiable maw must be fed with the body of a young maiden, while so +pestiferous is the breath which exhales from his throat that it causes a +plague of a character so violent that whole districts have been +depopulated by it. He commences his career of destruction at dawn every +morning, and till his victim is ready he continues to ravage the land. +When he has swallowed his lamentable repast he remains asleep till next +morning, and then he proceeds as before. + +"Many attempts have been made to capture him during the night, but they +have proved as fruitless as trying to catch a weasel (if you happen to +have heard of such an animal, Saint George, in your travels) asleep. +Fruitless I will not say to him, for he has invariably destroyed the +brave men who have gone out to attack him, and has swallowed them for +his supper. For no less than twenty-four long years has this dreadful +infliction been suffered by our beloved country, till scarcely a maiden +remains alive, nor does a brave man continue in it. The most lovely and +perfect of her sex, the King's only daughter, the charming Sabra, is to +be made an offering to the fell dragon to-morrow, unless a knight can be +found gallant and brave enough to risk his life in mortal combat with +the monster, and with skill and strength sufficient to destroy him. + +"The King has promised, in his royal word, that, should such a knight +appear and come off victorious, he will give him his daughter in +marriage and the crown of Bagabornabou at his decease." + +"Ah!" exclaimed the English Knight, his whole countenance beaming with +satisfaction, "here is a deed to be done truly worthy of my prowess! +What think you of that, reverend hermit?" And he bared his breast, +exhibiting the portrait of the green dragon which had been marked there +at his birth. + +"A circumstance ominous of deep import," observed the Hermit, nodding +his head; "either the green dragon will kill you, or you will kill the +green dragon." + +"Now, by my halidom, but I fully purpose to kill the dragon and rescue +the Princess," cried the Knight, in a cheerful voice. "Won't we, my +brave De Fistycuff?" + +"What men dare they can do," answered the Squire, nodding his head, for +he was very sleepy. + +Accordingly, the hermit having prepared couches of leaves, the Knight +and his attendant rested till the cheerful cock, true messenger of day, +gave notice that the sun was about to uprise from his sandy bed. Then, +springing to his feet after a hurried meal, aided by his squire and the +trembling fingers of the hermit, he carefully buckled on his armour, and +mounting his richly caparisoned steed, he declared himself ready for the +combat. Followed by De Fistycuff, and preceded by the hermit on a mule, +who went to show the way, he proceeded to the valley where the dragon +was asleep, and where the King's daughter was to be offered up as a +sacrifice. + +As he came in sight of it his eyes rested on one of the sweetest and +most lovely maidens he had ever beheld, arrayed in pure white Arabian +silk, and led to the place of death by a numerous band of sage and +modest matrons, who mourned with bitter tears her hard fate. + +This melancholy spectacle still further stimulated the overflowing +courage of the English Knight, so spurring on towards the mourning +group, he assured the lovely maiden that he was prepared to battle +bravely in her cause, and entreated her to return to her father's court +till the result of the coming contest became known. + +"He'll do it if it is to be done," observed De Fistycuff, wishing to add +his mite of consolation to the ladies' hearts, and pointing to his +master, who had ridden slowly on; and having thus delivered himself he +spurred after him. + +The daring Knight and his faithful squire now entered the valley where +the terrific green dragon had his abode. No sooner did the fiery eyes +of the hideous monster fall on the steel-clad warrior, instead of the +fair maiden he expected to see, than from his leathern throat he sent +forth a cry of rage louder and more tremendous than thunder, and +arousing himself he prepared for the contest about to occur. As he +reared up on his hind legs, with his wings outspread, and his long scaly +tail, with a huge red fork, extending far away behind him, his sharp +claws wide open, each of the size of a large ship's anchor, his gaping +mouth armed with double rows of huge teeth, between which appeared a +fiery red tongue, and vast eyes blazing like burning coals, while his +nostrils spouted forth fire, and the upper part of his body was covered +with glittering green scales brighter than polished silver, and harder +than brass, the under part being of a deep golden hue, his appearance +might well have made even one of the bravest of men unwilling to attack +him. + +Saint George trembled not, but thought of the lovely Sabra, and nerved +himself for the encounter. De Fistycuff did not like his looks, and had +he been alone would have been tempted to beat a retreat, but his love +for his master kept him by his side. + +"See," said the Hermit, who had come thus far, "there is the dragon! He +is a monster huge and horrible; but I believe that, like other monsters, +by bravery and skill he can be overcome. See, the valley is full of +fruit-trees! Should he wound you, and should you faint, you will find +one bearing oranges of qualities so beneficial, that, should you be able +to procure one plucked fresh from the tree, it will instantly revive +you. Now, farewell! See, the brute is approaching!" + +"Remember," cried Saint George, turning to De Fistycuff, "this fight is +to be all my own. You stand by and see fair play. Only, if I am down, +and the brute dares to hit me, then rush in to my rescue." The faithful +squire nodded his assent. + +On came the monster dragon, flapping his wings, spouting fire from his +nostrils, and roaring loudly with his mouth. Saint George couched his +sharp spear, and spurring his steed, dashed onward to the combat. So +terrific was the shock that the Knight was almost hurled from his +saddle, while his horse, driven back on his haunches, lay, almost +crushed, beneath the monster's superincumbent weight; but both man and +steed extricating themselves with marvellous agility, Saint George made +another thrust of his spear, with all his might, against the scaly +breast of the dragon. He might as well have struck against a gate of +brass. + +In a moment the stout spear was shivered into a thousand fragments, and +the dragon uttered a loud roar of derision. At the same time, to show +what he could do, he whisked round his venomous pointed tail with so +rapid a movement that he brought both man and horse sorely bruised to +the ground. + +There they lay, almost senseless from the blow, while the dragon +retreated backward some hundred paces or more, with the intention of +coming back with greater force than before, and completing the victory +he had almost won. Happily De Fistycuff divined the monster's purpose, +and seeing one of the orange-trees of which the hermit had spoken, he +picked an orange and hurried with it to his master. + +Scarcely had the Knight tasted it than he felt his strength revive, and +leaping to his feet, he gave the remainder of it to his trusty steed, on +whose back instantly mounting, he stood prepared, with his famous sword +Ascalon in his hand, to receive the furious charge which the dragon was +about to make. + +Though his spear had failed him at a pinch, his trusty falchion was true +as ever; and making his horse spring forward, he struck the monster such +a blow on his golden-coloured breast that the point entered between the +scales, inflicting a wound which made it roar with pain and rage. + +Slight, however, was the advantage which the Knight thereby gained, for +there issued forth from the wound so copious a stream of black gore, +with an odour so terrible, that it drove him back, almost drowning him +and his brave steed, while the noxious fumes, entering their nostrils, +brought them both fainting and helpless to the ground. + +De Fistycuff, mindful of his master's commands, narrowly eyed the +dragon, to see what he was about to do. Staunching his wound with a +touch of his fiery tail, he flapped his green wings, roaring hoarsely, +and shook his vast body, preparatory to another attack on the Knight. + +"Is that it?" cried the Squire; and running to the orange-tree, whence +he plucked a couple of the golden fruit, he poured the juice of one down +the throat of his master, and of the other down that of Bayard. Both +revived in an instant, and Saint George, springing on Bayard's back, +felt as fresh and ready for the fight as ever. Both had learned the +importance of avoiding the dragon's tail, and when he whisked it on one +side Bayard sprang to the other, and so on backwards and forwards, +nimbly avoiding the blows aimed by the venomous instrument at him or his +rider. + +Again and again the dragon reared itself up, attempting to drop down and +crush his gallant assailant; but Bayard, with wonderful sagacity +comprehending exactly what was to be done, sprung backwards or aside +each time the monster descended, and thus avoided the threatened +catastrophe. Still the dragon appeared as able as ever to endure the +combat. Saint George saw that a strenuous effort must be made, and +taking a fresh grasp of Ascalon, he spurred onward to meet the monster, +who once more advanced, with outstretched wings, with the full purpose +of destroying him. This time Saint George kept his spurs in the horse's +flanks. "Death or victory must be the result of this charge," he +shouted to De Fistycuff. + +With Ascalon's bright point kept well before him, he drove directly at +the breast of the monster. The sword struck him under the wing; through +the thick flesh it went, and nothing stopped it till it pierced the +monster's heart. Uttering a loud groan, which resounded through the +neighbouring woods and mountains, and made even the wild beasts tremble +with consternation, the furious green dragon fell over on its side, when +Saint George, drawing his falchion from the wound, dashed on over the +prostrate form of the monster, and, ere it could rise to revenge itself +on its destroyer, with many a blow he severed the head from the body. +So vast was the stream which flowed forth from the wound that the whole +valley speedily became a lake of blood, and the river which ran down +from it first gave notice, by its sanguineous hue, to the inhabitants of +the neighbouring districts that the noble Champion of England had slain +their long tormenting enemy. + +The victorious Knight now refreshed himself and his steed with a couple +of the oranges which De Fistycuff brought him, and which completely +restored them to the vigour with which they began the combat. He then +stuck the huge head of the once terrific dragon on a truncheon, which +was formed by his faithful Squire out of the handle of the spear, the +head of which had been shivered against the scaly sides of the monster +at the commencement of the combat. + +Having delivered the trophy of his prowess to De Fistycuff, to be borne +before him, he rode on towards the capital of the kingdom, where he +expected to be welcomed by the lovely Sabra, to be received by the +sovereign and his people as a conqueror, to have heard all the bells in +the empire ringing, and to have seen every house illuminated, and +bonfires blazing in every street. He had to learn the bitter lesson +that success frequently only creates enemies and detractors. + +Now, there was residing at the court of King Battabolo, the sovereign of +Bagabornabou, Almidor, the black King of Morocco, who had long in vain +sought the hand of the Princess Sabra. For many reasons she could not +abide him; and now, when he heard of the successful combat of Saint +George with the dragon, he knew that he should have less chance than +ever of winning her love. With baseness unparalleled he resolved to +make one desperate effort to gain her. Accordingly, he, by the most +extensive promises, engaged the services of twelve warriors of renown to +waylay the British Champion, in order to deprive him of his trophy and +of his life, intending to present himself before the fair Sabra, and to +boast that he had himself destroyed the dragon. + +Passing through a narrow defile, Saint George beheld the twelve African +knights flourishing their swords, and prepared to intercept his +progress. + +"Take charge of Bayard," quoth he to De Fistycuff; "I'll meet these +recreants sword in hand on foot." Thus speaking, he drew Ascalon from +the scabbard, and advanced towards his foes. From the narrowness of the +defile only three could engage in the fight at once. Sharply clashed +the steel. Loud rang their swords upon his polished armour; but Ascalon +soon found an entrance through their coats of mail, and one after the +other fell breathless to the ground. Three more then came on; but +standing on the bodies of the prostrate steeds, he with one stroke of +his falchion severed their heads from their bodies, which rolled over in +the ensanguined dust. With three equal downward strokes he cut in two, +from the crown to the saddle, the next three which advanced, while the +remainder turning to fly, he pierced them with Ascalon ignominiously +through the back. + +Almidor had all the time stood on the summit of a mountain hard by to +witness the defeat of the British Champion; but when he saw that instead +he remained victor of the field, he hastened back to the city to +announce the death of the dragon by the sword of the strange Knight. +Pen might fail to do justice to the magnificent preparations made to do +honour to the brave Champion who had conquered the Green Dragon. As he +approached the city he was met by a sumptuous chariot of massive gold, +drawn by fifty milk-white steeds; the wheels were of the purest ebony, +and the covering was of silk embossed with gold. On either side rode a +hundred of the noblest peers of Bagabornabou, attired in crimson velvet, +and mounted on chargers of the same pure colour as those which drew the +chariot. Stepping into the chariot, while De Fistycuff led Bayard with +one hand, and carried aloft the dragon's head with the other, he entered +the city amid strains of delicious and martial music, and beneath +banners and embroidered tapestry and rich arras waving from every +window, from which looked down thousands of bright eyes to admire him. +But none were so bright as those of the beauteous Sabra, who welcomed +him in a rich pavilion prepared for his reception, where he laid at her +feet the trophies of his prowess; and as she gazed at the dragon's +monstrous jaws she shuddered to think that she might have had to go down +them, and felt her gratitude and eke a warmer feeling increase for the +gallant stranger who had preserved her from a fate so terrible. + +Here all the first physicians in the land stood around with precious +salves to dress his wounds, and administer specifics against the effects +of the dragon's poisonous breath and venom. The Knight, having +requested that they might all be left by his bed-side, and that he might +be left alone, aided by De Fistycuff, emptied them all out of the +window, and having declared himself next morning infinitely better, +thereby gained immense popularity among the disciples of Aesculapius, +who each rested under the pleasing belief that his own nostrum had +worked the cure. + + + +CHAPTER FOUR. + +THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SAINT GEORGE. + +No sooner had the blushing morn displayed her beauties in the east, and +gilded with her radiant beams the mountain tops, than Sabra repaired to +the Champion's pavilion, and presented him with a diamond ring of +inestimable value, which she prayed him to wear on his finger, not only +as an ornament, but because it was endued with many excellent and occult +virtues. + +That day the British Champion was entertained with one of the most +magnificent banquets that had ever taken place in Africa. Ample justice +was done to it by all present, especially by De Fistycuff, who eat away +most heartily, and quaffed down huge beakers of rosy wine--all, as he +declared, for the honour of Old England. Ere the feast was ended, +Almidor, the black King of Morocco, under pretence of doing honour to +the Christian Knight, rose from his seat, and presented him with a bowl +of Samian wine. The noble Champion took it, thoughtless of treachery; +but as he lifted it to his lips the magic ring touched the rim, when, to +the astonishment of all present, it shivered into a thousand fragments. +The Princess Sabra shrieked out that some vile treachery was intended; +but so firm was the confidence of the King, her father, in the honour of +Almidor, that he refused to credit the accusation. + +Thus a second time was Saint George saved from the machinations of his +enemy. Like a lynx, however, Almidor watched for another opportunity of +gratifying his hatred. + +In tournaments, dances, and other heroic exercises, the Champion passed +his time, until the faithful De Fistycuff reminded him that he was sadly +wasting it, if he wished to gain a name to be handed down to posterity. +"You are right, my faithful monitor," he answered, "I'll bid farewell to +the Princess, and be gone." + +The Knight found out Sabra seated in a bower of jessamine. He told her +his errand. "Refuse not," she replied, "my dear, loved lord of England, +her who, for thy sake, would leave parents, country, and the inheritance +of the crown of Bagabornabou, and would follow thee as a pilgrim through +the wide world. The sun shall sooner lose his splendour, the pale moon +drop from her orb, the sea forget to ebb and flow, and all things change +their course, than Sabra prove inconstant to Saint George of England. +Let, then, the priest of Hymen knit that gordian knot, the knot of +wedlock, which death alone has power to untie." + +The Champion, suddenly recollecting that it was leap year, and delighted +with the maiden who had so ably put in a word in her own favour, allowed +his heart, which had never before beat with any other passion but that +of arms, to yield to the tender one of love. Yet, willing to try her +longer, he replied--"Sweet Princess, not content that I have risked my +life to preserve yours, would you have me sacrifice my honour, give over +the chase of dazzling glory, lay all my warlike trophies in a woman's +lap, and change my truncheon for a distaff? No, Sabra, George of +England was born in a country where true chivalry is nourished, and hath +sworn to see the world, as far as the lamp of heaven can lend him light, +before he is fettered in the golden chains of wedlock. Why decline the +suit of King Almidor, fit consort for one of your high rank?" + +"Because," she replied, with a curl of her lip, "the fell King of +Morocco is more bloody-minded than a crocodile, but thou gentle as a +lamb; his tongue more ominous of ill than that of a screeching +night-owl, but thine sweeter than the morning lark; his touch more +odious than that of a venomous serpent, but thine more pleasant than +that of the curling vine." + +"But stay, Princess," put in Saint George; "I am a Christian--you a +Pagan." + +"I've thought of that," she replied. "I will forsake my country's gods, +and, like you, become a Christian." Saying this she broke a golden +ring, giving, as a pledge of her love, one-half to the Knight, and +keeping the other herself. + +Thereon Saint George, resisting no longer, owned his love, and promised, +on his knightly word, to come back when he had achieved a few more +heroic deeds and wed her. + +The treacherous Almidor, hiding behind the jessamine bower, had +overheard all the uncomplimentary references to himself, and, burning +with a desire of vengeance, hastened to the King, and told him that his +daughter intended quitting the faith of her ancestors and flying with +the Christian Knight. This so enraged the King that, yielding to the +suggestions of the wicked Almidor, he agreed to send him, with +treacherous intent, to the court of Egypt, as bearer of a sealed letter, +in which document he entreated King Ptolemy to take an early opportunity +of destroying one who was a despiser and uprooter of their ancient +belief. Summoning Saint George, with expressions of great esteem, while +Almidor stood at his right hand, glancing unutterable hatred from his +large eyes, the King informed him that to do him honour he would send +him as an ambassador to the court of the magnificent Sovereign of Egypt, +a country in which he was sure to meet with adventures worthy of his +arms. + +The true-hearted Knight fell into the trap, and, dazzled with the +thought of fresh adventures, agreed to set forth. Summoning De +Fistycuff, he buckled on his armour, and set out towards the rising of +the sun. Many adventures he met with; many monsters he slew. On +approaching the famed river Nile, De Fistycuff, weary with the heat, sat +himself down on what he took to be the trunk of a large tree, fastening +the bridle of his steed to, as he believed, one of the branches, while +his master was scouring over the plain after a troop of tawny lions, +which had been committing great depredations in the neighbouring lands. +Sleep overtook the Squire. He slept he knew not how long, when he was +awoke by the loud snorts and cries of his steed, and by finding himself +borne along in a most uneasy manner. What was his horror, on opening +his eyes, to discover a huge head, with terrific jaws, projecting from +the seeming log before him, snapping at everything as it moved swiftly +towards the broad stream of the Nile, while his horse, frantic with +terror, was tugging at the bridle behind, in vain attempting to get +loose, or stop the progress of the monster, which was one of the largest +of the crocodiles of that famed stream, and held in especial reverence +by the heathen priests of that district! The Squire dared not jump off, +for fear of being trampled on by the hind feet of the brute, nor could +he, for reasons into which most stout squires will enter, leap on to his +horse's back and cut the bridle, so he sat still, waving and shouting to +Saint George to come to his assistance. At last, Saint George, having +killed a dozen of the lions, beheld the peril of his faithful follower, +and spurred onward to his aid. Charging with a new spear, which had +been presented to him by the matrons of Bagabornabou, as a mark of their +admiration of his prowess in having slain the dragon, he bore down upon +the crocodile. He charged directly at its mouth, and inflicted a deep +wound in its throat. The monster snapped its jaws, hoping to bite off +the spear-head; but the Knight was too quick for him, and again had his +spear ready for another thrust. Again he charged, putting out the +brute's right eye; and the third time he charged the left was driven in. +All the time the crocodile was wriggling his tail, greatly to the +terror of the horse and the discomfort of De Fistycuff, who found +himself every moment borne nearer and nearer to the Nile. "One charge +more, and you shall be safe," cried the Knight; and, true to his word, +his spear entered the monster's heart, and it rolled over, very nearly, +however, crushing the faithful Squire by its weight. Scarcely had De +Fistycuff been liberated by his kind master's aid, and set on his steed, +than there sallied forth from a heathen temple hard by a procession of +priests, some walking under silk or velvet canopies of crimson or +yellow, or blue and gold; others swinging censers of incense; and others +bearing aloft on platforms large images of white bulls and apes, and +snakes and crocodiles, while gay banners floated in the air. When they +beheld the huge monster just slain they all set up loud lamentations, +bitterly cursing whoever had destroyed this their god. + +"Now, by my halidom, this is more than I can bear!" cried Saint George. +"On, De Fistycuff, on! Down with the infidels!" + +With this shout he and his Squire rode in among them, overthrowing their +canopies and images, tearing down their banner, and putting the priests +and their followers to flight. + +King Ptolemy, having heard of this deed, sent forth a hundred of his +best warriors, to bring before him in chains the audacious strangers; +but Saint George treated them much the same as he did the knights of +Bagabornabou, and not one returned alive to tell of their defeat. + +Then he rode on to the city of Memphis, to deliver his letter. Weary +and faint from his fatigues, instead of meeting with the reception he +had a right to expect, he and his Squire found themselves surrounded by +the whole populace of the city, set on by the King and his ministers. +The gates were shut. Brickbats and tiles came showering down on their +heads. In vain they charged right and left. + +Aided by a thousand warriors, clad in chain armour, the infuriated +populace, threatening vengeance on the despisers of their religion, +hemmed them in. De Fistycuff was torn from his horse. Saint George, +after performing feats of unheard-of valour, was ignominiously dragged +from his, and borne, faint and bleeding, into the presence of the King. + +"Is this the way you treat strangers?" exclaimed he, indignantly. "I +came to your country as an ambassador. Here are my credentials;" and, +drawing the letter from the lining of his helmet, he presented it in due +form. + +"Ah! ah! what you are your deeds and this letter show," cried King +Ptolemy, stamping with rage. "You despise our ancient religion, and +would make converts of our people. Bear him and his attendant off to +prison." + +The King pondered all night how he should destroy the strangers, and he +resolved to make them join in combat with a hundred of the fiercest +lions ever collected, to make sport for his subjects. The day arrived +when the dreadful combat was to take place, and thousands of people +assembled in the vast amphitheatre built for the purpose, to which even +the huge pyramids seemed as pismires' nests. + +Saint George claimed the right of having his sword and steed; and the +King, little dreaming of the courage and sagacity of Bayard, and the +virtues which existed in Ascalon, and believing that, although a few +lions might be killed thereby, greater sport would be afforded to his +people, as he had no doubt the rest would easily tear him from his +horse, and crush him in his armour, granted his request. + +With a flourish of trumpets the Knight and his Squire entered the arena. +De Fistycuff kept carefully behind his master. With terrific roars the +hundred lions rushed in at once, amidst the loud plaudits of the +spectators. On they bounded towards the Knight. Ascalon was in his +hand. One after the other their heads fell, severed from their tawny +bodies by the trusty steel. The Squire's chief labour was to keep them +off Bayard's tail, lest, when he flung his heels out behind, the +Champion's aim might be less certain. The plaudits of the spectators +were changed to groans of rage when they saw the carcasses of their +favourite lions, who had already swallowed so many thousand slaves, +strewing the wide arena. They shouted loudly to have an end put to the +pleasant pastime. + +"Fair play!" cried De Fistycuff, in return brandishing his sword. "In +the name of my noble master, I demand fair play!" + +And Saint George went on riding round and round, and slashing away with +Ascalon, till he had slain every one of the hundred lions. + +The treacherous King, fearing what might occur should so brave a +champion wander freely through his dominions, had, in the meantime, +summoned five thousand chosen warriors, and charged them to bring the +Knight, dead or alive, bound before him. Scarcely was the last lion +killed than they rushed into the arena, and before he and his squire had +time to offer any effectual resistance, they had borne him to the +ground. Then, throwing chains of steel around him, they carried him, +helpless as an infant, before the King. Thence, without form of trial, +he was cast into a dungeon, so massive that no strength could break +through it. There, guarded night and day by lynx-eyed warders, he +languished for many long years, his only companion being the faithful De +Fistycuff; their chief subject of conversation being the deeds that they +had done, and the wonders they had seen, and the deeds they would do, +and the wonders they hoped to see. + +There we must leave them, to tell what became of the Princess Sabra. In +vain she waited and pined for the return of her gallant and true knight, +Saint George. He came not, because, as has been seen, he could not, +while the black King of Morocco, with every art he could devise, +prosecuted his hateful suit. Whether or not he might have succeeded is +doubtful, when one night, as the Princess slept on her couch she dreamed +that Saint George appeared, not, as she had seen him, in shining armour, +with his burgonet of glittering steel, and crimson plume of spangled +feathers, but in overworn and simple attire, with pale countenance and +emaciated form; and thus he spoke:-- + + "Sabra, I am betray'd for love of thee, + And lodged in cave as dark as night, + From whence in vain I seek--ah! woe is me! + To fly and revel in thy beauteous sight. + Remain thou true and constant for my sake, + That of my absence none may vantage take. + + "Let tyrants know, if ever I obtain + The freedom lost by treason's wicked guile, + False Afric's scourge I ever will remain, + And turn to streaming blood Morocco's soil; + That hateful Prince of Barbary shall rue + The just reward which is his treason's due." + +These words so encouraged the Princess that when she awoke she went to +her sire, and entreated him, with scalding tears, to dismiss Almidor +from his court, and to allow her to enjoy that single blessedness for +which she professed to have for the present so ardent an admiration. +The King at length, softened by her grief, consented to her request, +and, with many courteous expressions, informed the black Monarch that +his daughter had finally resolved to decline his proposals. This +announcement created the greatest fury in the breast of Almidor. + +Calling around him all the knights and the numerous other attendants who +had followed him to the court of Bagabornabou, he told them that, as he +had been insulted and deceived, he was determined to be revenged. + +With loud cries and burning brands the treacherous Moors that night +attacked the palace where they had been long hospitably entertained, +and, amid the confusion, Almidor, seizing the Princess, bore her off on +his coal-black charger. In vain her father with his warriors pursued. +The fierce Almidor galloped with his captive across the burning sands, +which none but Moorish steed could traverse at the speed he went. +Hatred, not love, animated his bosom, and thus, instead of wedding her +as he had purposed, he cast her into a dark dungeon, where, her +beauteous charms concealed from the light of day, she for many a long +and anxious year bewailed her pitiable and cruel fate. Happily, ere she +left her father's home, a kind fairy, knowing full well what was to be +her fate, had presented her with a golden chain of most rare +workmanship. Seven days had it been steeped in tiger's blood, and seven +nights in dragon's milk, by which it had attained such excellent virtue, +that, as the fairy told her, if she wore it wrapped seven times round +her alabaster neck, it would preserve her from all violence, and enable +her to retain that enchanting beauty which had won the noble Champion's +heart, and brought so many suitors to her feet. Thus armed, she feared +not even the fierce Almidor's cruelty. + + + +CHAPTER FIVE. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT DENIS OF FRANCE. + +On parting from his comrades, the gallant Champion of France, the famed +Saint Denis, attended by his squire, Le Crapeau, wandered away through +many lands, slaying many hideous monsters, terrible wild beasts, and +frightful giants, combating in many tournaments, and paying his devoirs +to many fair princesses, as well as other maidens of high and low +degree, in which latter employment he was closely imitated by his +admiring Squire, who jocosely spoke of his master as "that gay young +Knight who laughs and rides away." At length he reached a magnificent +castle in Asia, surrounded by a forest of trees of every conceivable +hue, and bearing fruits tempting to the eye and luscious to the taste. + +"If the outside is so attractive, what must the inside be!" quoth he to +Le Crapeau. "Marbleu! but we'll knock and see." + +Thereupon the Squire blew the horn which hung at the iron gate; but +instead of its being opened by a burly porter, or by a steel-clad +warrior, a troop of fair damsels appeared, who, with sweet smiles, +invited the Knight to enter, and told him that they would conduct him to +their mistress. Joyfully he followed them, when, in a superb hall, he +beheld, seated on an ivory throne, glittering with diamonds of the +purest water, a lady of beauty more radiant than possessed by any of the +many he counted among his acquaintance. With agile steps, and many a +bow and flourish of his helmet, followed nimbly by Le Crapeau, he +approached the lady, and knelt at her feet. + +"Rise, rise, brave Knight! I have heard of your fame and the gallant +deeds you have done, and gladly I welcome you to my humble castle," said +the lady, with a smile so sweet that it went right through the tender +heart of Saint Denis. He bowed, as did his Squire, and assured the lady +that she was in no way deceived by the reports which had reached her +ears, but that what they had done was as nothing compared with what they +purposed to do, and would do most assuredly. + +A magnificent banquet then suddenly appeared, spread out in the hall +across which they had lately passed, and strains of softest music broke +forth to give notice that the feast was ready. The lady, led by the +Knight, approached the table, and he took his seat by her side, while Le +Crapeau stood behind his chair, as in duty bound, to serve him. + +"We should have guests to meet you," said the lady, "but I live alone, +and your arrival was somewhat sudden, though not unexpected. I have +sent forth to summon some to appear at a ball by-and-bye, as I fancy it +is an entertainment in which your countrymen delight." + +"Oui, Madam," cried Le Crapeau, making a pirouette expressive of his +delight; "you will see what my master and I can do when the time comes." + +Thus, with agreeable and lively conversation, ample justice was done to +the feast, which was composed of the lightest and most delicate viands, +such as the Knight vowed he had not tasted since he had left his native +land. + +While the Knight lay back in his chair, to luxuriate on the thought of +the pleasure his palate had enjoyed, the banqueting-table disappeared, +and when he looked up, troops of gallant knights, in silk attire, and +fair dames, clad in the most dazzling garments, were entering the hall. +Up sprang the Knight, and, offering his hand to the lady, he led her +forth to the centre of the hall, where, to the admiration of all +beholders, and very much to his own satisfaction, he performed a +minuette never surpassed in all Asia. Le Crapeau, meantime, seeing +another damsel of radiant beauty, inferior only to that of the lady of +the castle, led her forth, and bounded away, round and round the hall, +to strains of the most inspiriting and lively music. His only +perplexity was discovering that his fair partner did not speak; indeed, +although all the knights and ladies danced in the most lively way, +closely imitating the two Frenchmen, not a sound escaped their lips. A +variety of dances succeeded, in all of which the Knight and his Squire +excelled all competitors; nor did the festivities cease till the rosy +dawn appearing in the eastern sky, the guests disappeared as silently as +they had entered from the hall, and the lady and the Knight and his +Squire remained its sole occupants. Le Crapeau's partner was the last +to quit it, and as he rushed after her to utter a tender adieu, instead +of the lady, his nose came with such force in contact with a pillar that +he was sent sprawling backwards into the hall. + +"Never mind," said the lady, as he picked himself up, "you will see her +to-morrow, and then remember the lesson you have just received, and +don't talk nonsense to her." + +A dozen very ugly little black dwarfs, bearing torches in their hands, +now made their appearance, and conducted the Knight to a magnificent +couch prepared for him, while another stood in an adjoining room, ready +for Le Crapeau, after he had performed the duty of disrobing his master. +The dwarfs meantime placed themselves at the door, and intimated that +they would remain there to watch over the strangers while they +slumbered. + +After a matutinal meal of delicacies, of which even the Knight had never +heard, the lady conducted him through the castle, and exhibited to him +statues, and pictures, and gems most rare and beautiful, and then she +led him through gardens full of flowers, shrubs, and trees, of forms and +hues and scents most strange and lovely and sweet. Thus occupied, the +banqueting time arrived, followed by a ball as on the previous evening. + +Unhappily, Le Crapeau, forgetting the warning he had received, followed +his partner as before, when a hand, coming suddenly out of the wall, +gave him so severe a cuff upon the cheek that for many minutes he lay +unable to move, when at length, much crest-fallen, he slowly crept back +to his post behind his master. + +Thus the days passed away. Sometimes the lady led the Knight forth, +mounted on cream-coloured steeds; at others, in a chariot drawn by +twenty beautiful peacocks; at others, they glided over the surface of a +lake in a barge, towed by thirty milk-white swans, and visited scenes of +the most enchanting beauty. + +At length, however, the Knight began to weary of the monotony of his +existence, and to sigh for fresh adventures and more excitement. The +Squire, too, wished for change, and was not altogether pleased with the +buffet he regularly got every evening at the termination of the ball. + +"A parting scene is always painful," exclaimed the Knight. + +"It is," answered the Squire. "I understand your wishes. I will have +the steeds ready, and at early dawn we will ride forth, and leave a +sweet-scented billet to thank the lady for her courtesy, and to inform +her of our departure." + +Less difficulty occurred in the execution of the design than might have +been expected, and, rejoicing in their liberty, the Knight and his +Squire rode gaily forth towards the confines of Armenia. + +"But we have got well out of that," quoth the Squire to his master. "By +my faith, I like more animation, less formality, and greater variety +than we enjoyed down there." + +"You speak the truth, my Le Crapeau; yet she was a sweet creature, that +lady of the castle." + +Now, the lady of the castle was no other than a powerful fairy, very +kind and very woman-like, who had conceived an affection for the French +Champion, when she chanced to see him as he journeyed through her realm. +Even good fairies will inflict a punishment. + +By means for which they could not account, the Knight and his Squire +lost their way. Round and round they wandered among hills and forests, +till hunger almost drove them to despair, when they were compelled to +sustain nature on the berries and wild fruits which they could pluck +from the trees and shrubs, and on the roots which they dug up with the +points of their swords. After living many months on this hard fare a +mulberry-tree, loaded with luscious fruit, appeared before them. + +"Ah!" exclaimed Saint Denis, "on this at least we may banquet with some +pleasure;" and filling his casque with the fruit, his example being +imitated by Le Crapeau, they sat themselves down, with their head-pieces +between their legs, to indulge, to their heart's content, in the +unexpected treat. + +The Knight, who eat more leisurely than his Squire, had scarcely +finished his portion when he heard a loud bray close to him, and looking +round, instead of his Squire, to his amazement he beheld a +starved-looking donkey standing near him, and poking his nose into Le +Crapeau's now empty casque. + +While yet wondering and mechanically finishing his mulberries, he felt a +very uncomfortable sensation coming over his own head and legs. He rose +from the ground and shook himself, but instead of the accustomed rattle +of his steel armour no sound was produced. He wished to scratch his +nose, but his arms appeared kept down before him. He tried to call Le +Crapeau, but instead of his manly voice, which had so often shouted +loudly in the battle, a timid cry alone proceeded from his throat. He +looked at the donkey, and the donkey looked at him, and shook its head +with an expression truly mournful. Something strange must have occurred +he feared. + +Wherever he went the donkey followed. He wandered away from the +mulberry-tree till he reached a lake of crystal water; he approached it, +when, on its mirror-like surface, instead of a steel-clad warrior, he +beheld a deer with long antlers and shaggy hide, he started back with +dismay. When hunger pressed him he found himself cropping the grass or +thrusting his nose into the purling brook, with his attendant donkey +ever by his side. Pitiable as was Saint George's condition that of +Saint Denis was infinitely worse. + +Thus for many years he continued unable to recover his natural form. +Often he returned to the mulberry-tree, the cause, as he believed, of +his misfortune. It did not occur to him that the fairy, whose +hospitality he had enjoyed, had anything to do with it. Once, as he +came to the tree, so enraged was he that he ran his horns against it and +nearly broke them. His attendant donkey did the same, and not having +the same protection to his scull, he received a blow so severe that he +was sent reeling backwards till he sunk exhausted on the ground. Saint +Denis was a second time going to butt, when he heard a hollow voice +breathe forth from the trunk the following words:-- + + "Cease to lament, thou famous man of France, + With gentle ears, oh, listen to my moan! + Once on a time it was my fatal chance + To be the proudest maid that ere was known. + By birth I am the daughter of a king, + Though now a breathless tree and senseless thing. + + "My pride was such that Heaven confounded me-- + A goddess in my own conceit I was: + What nature lent too base I thought to be, + But deem'd myself all others to surpass. + And therefore nectar and ambrosia sweet, + The food of demigods, for me I counted meet. + + "My pride despised the finest bread of wheat, + And richer food I daily sought to find; + Refined gold was boil'd up with my meat, + Such self-conceit my senses all did blind. + For which the cruel fates transformed me, + From human substance to this senseless tree. + + "Seven years in shape of stag thou must remain, + And then a purple rose, by magic's firm decree, + Shall bring thee to thy former shape again, + And end at last thy woeful misery: + When this is done, be sure you cut in twain + This fatal tree, wherein I do remain." + +The Knight almost fainted when he heard these strange words, and +understood the length of time he was to remain in his transformed +condition. His attendant donkey had also heard the words, and treasured +them up in his memory. Every day, while his master slept, he ranged the +country round, searching for the purple rose, but every evening returned +as wise as he set out. Thus the seven years passed mournfully away. + +One day, unmindful how the time had sped, as he trotted on, every now +and then stopping and uttering a melancholy bray, his nostrils scented +the fragrance of some roses; and though his first impulse was to eat +them, on examining them more closely, he observed that they were of +lustrous beauty and of a purple hue. Plucking a number of them, he +trotted back to Saint Denis. He would have brayed with delight, but, +had he done so, he would have dropped the roses, so he restrained +himself till he had laid them before his master's nose. Instantly the +Knight began to devour them, as did the faithful donkey, when, a stupor +coming over them, they couched down on the green-sward. + +Presently extraordinary sensations came over them both, and the horns +and hoofs began to loosen, and the skin to roll up in folds, and a +refreshing shower falling, both Knight and Squire, on opening their +eyes, discovered, to their infinite satisfaction, that they were no +longer brute beasts, but that they had recovered their former comely +shapes, and that their hairy hides lay vacant on the ground. Near them +were their arms, now sadly in want of polishing, while their trusty +steeds, long roaming the rich pastures around, no sooner beheld than +recognising them, trotted up to bear them once more to the field of +battle or of fame. + +Their first care was to burnish up their armour and their weapons. For +many a weary hour they rubbed. + +"We might have saved ourselves all this trouble, and spent the last +seven years more pleasantly and profitably, had we not idled away our +time in the magnificent castle of that beautiful lady down there," +observed Saint Denis, as he scrubbed away. + +"Certes, Master dear, it's a failing I for one have when I get into the +society of the fair sex, I feel little inclination to leave them; but we +have had a pretty sharp lesson, and I hope to amend for the future." + +The task was performed at last. Then the Champion, recollecting what +the mulberry-tree had said, drew his sword, and with one blow cut the +stout trunk quite asunder. + +Instantly there issued forth a bright flame, from the midst of which +appeared a lovely damsel, clothed in a robe of yellow silk, made from +the cocoons of the innumerable silk-worms, which fed on the tree. + +"Oh, most sweet and singular ornament of nature!" exclaimed the Knight, +bowing low before her, as did his Squire; "fairer than the feathers of +the graceful swan, and far more beautiful than Aurora's morning +countenance, to thee, the fairest of all fair ones, most humbly and only +to thy beauty do I here submit my affections. Tell me, therefore, to +whom my heart must pay its true devotions, thy birth, parentage, and +name." + +The maiden, to whom it was long since such words had been addressed, was +highly delighted with them, and informed the Knight that her name was +Eglantine, that she was the daughter of the King of the neighbouring +country, Armenia, and assured him that he would be welcomed at her +father's court. + +It is not recounted how many ferocious giants and furious lions he and +Le Crapeau slew on the road while escorting the princess, though they +were very numerous. They put to flight also a whole army of Pagans, who +came to carry off their precious charge. Le Crapeau himself, however, +took care not to omit the details, nor did Saint Denis pass them by in +silence. The King of Armenia, who had long mourned his daughter as lost +to him for ever, was so grateful to the French Knight that he at once +promised her to him in marriage, and entertained him with the most +sumptuous banquets and balls, and other pleasant divertisements which +his court could produce. + + + +CHAPTER SIX. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT JAMES OF SPAIN. + +Saint James, the Champion of Spain, on parting from his comrades at the +brazen pillar, took ship, and was wrecked on the coast of Sicily. + +Travelling through the island, followed by his Squire, Pedrillo, he +reached the foot of Etna, then terrifically spouting forth vast masses +of flame and boiling metal, and ashes, and smoke. Unappalled by the +sight, he climbed the mountain's height, where, perched on a pinnacle of +rock, appeared a mighty bird, with fiery pinions--a winged phoenix. No +sooner did the monster see him than, darting down, it attacked him with +its red-hot beak, for having dared thus to enter its dominions. + +Saint James drew his trusty falchion, and, whirling it round his head, +kept the fearful beak from approaching his helmet, for well he knew that +one thrust from its deadly point would pierce through steel and skull as +easily as a lady's bodkin through her kerchief. + +The fearful combat lasted for many hours, till the monster, hopeless of +triumph, flew back to its nest within the crater's fiery bosom. + +The following day the fight was renewed, while the faithful Pedrillo +stood at a distance, counting his rosaries, and called loudly on all the +saints to aid his master. At length the Knight and the monster, seeing +that no profit or glory was to be acquired, retired, by mutual consent, +from the combat. + +Saint James then passed into Africa, where, passing through a region +infested by monsters, he slew so many that the inhabitants wished to +adopt him as their Sovereign. + +Crossing the Red Sea, he was once more shipwrecked, when, had not a +troop of mermaids carried him and his Squire, with their horses and +furniture to the shore, they would all have been drowned. + +At length he reached the beautiful city of Ispahan, the capital of +Persia. As he stood gazing on her fortified walls, built of pure +silver; on her towers of jasper and ebony; on her glittering spires of +gold and precious stones; on her houses of marble and alabaster, the +streets between which were paved with tin--he heard the cheerful echoes +of a thousand brazen trumpets, and saw issuing from the brazen gates a +hundred armed knights, bearing blood-red streamers in their hands, and +riding on as many coal-black coursers; then came the Shah, guarded by a +hundred tawny Moors, with bows, and darts feathered with ravens' wings; +and after them rode Celestine, the Shah's fair daughter, mounted on an +unicorn, and guarded by a hundred Amazonian dames, clad in green silk. +In her hand was a javelin of silver, while her fair bosom was shielded +by a breastplate of gold, artificially wrought with the scales of a +crocodile. A vast concourse of gentlemen and squires followed, some on +horse-back and some on foot. + +Thus Nebazaradan, the Shah of Persia, rode forth with his daughter to +the chase. + +The country had been terribly overrun with wild beasts, and the Knight +heard it proclaimed that the Shah would give a corselet of finest steel, +inlaid with gold, to whomsoever killed the first wild beast that day. + +"Come," cried Saint James, "let us after the savage beasts, and win the +corselet!" + +Away scoured the Knight and his Squire over the plain till they reached +a forest, in the confines of which they beheld a monstrous wild boar, +devouring the remains of some passengers he had slain. The eyes of the +brute sparkled like a furnace; his tusks were sharper than spikes of +steel; and the breath, as it issued from his nostrils, seemed like a +whirlwind; his bristles looked like so many spear-heads, and his tail +was like a wreath of serpents. + +Saint James blew his silver horn, which hung by a green silk scarf to +the pommel of his saddle. The blast aroused the boar, who made at him +furiously. His spear shivered against its bristly hide into a hundred +fragments, when, leaping from his steed, which he directed Pedrillo to +hold, he drew his falchion of Toledo steel, and valiantly on foot +assailed the monster. From side to side he sprung to avoid its fearful +tusks; but in vain did the point of his weapon seek an entrance to its +case-hardened flesh. At last, unslinging his battle-axe, he clove the +head of the monster down to the mouth, and with a second blow cut it +completely off; then placing it on the staff of his spear, he ordered +Pedrillo to bear it behind him. + +Thus, riding on, he met the Shah and his daughter. The Shah at first +was highly pleased with his prowess; but when he heard that he was a +Christian Knight, his admiration was turned to rage, and he informed him +that he must either become a Pagan worshipper of the sun or quit the +country. + +The Knight proudly answered that no one should make him quit the country +unless of his own free will. + +On this the Shah's army surrounded him and Pedrillo, and, after a +desperate resistance on their parts, bore them to the ground. + +"Now, Sir Knight, what will you do?" sneered the Shah. "However, you +have killed the greatest boar in the country, and, as your reward, you +shall choose the manner in which you and your Squire will be put to +death." + +The Champion, who was gallant on all occasions, replied that he would be +shot to death by the fair damsels he had seen going forth to the chase. +But when they were informed of this, none were found willing to +undertake the cruel office. + +This so enraged the Shah, that he ordained that they should cast lots to +decide who should perform the task. The lot fell on Celestine and one +of her maidens. She was to kill the Knight, and her maiden Pedrillo. +Instead, however, of death's fatal instrument, a steel-tipped arrow, she +shot a sigh--true messenger of love--as did her maiden; and then she +hastened to her father to entreat him, with bitter, scalding tears, to +liberate the strangers. At last he yielded, on condition that they +should forthwith quit the country. + +Already had Saint James commenced his homeward journey, when, looking +back on the towers of Ispahan, so inflamed was his heart with the love +of Celestine, that he resolved to return and win her. He and Pedrillo, +therefore, staining their skins with the juice of some blackberries, and +at the same time habiting themselves in the costume of Moors, pretending +to be dumb, returned to the city. + +Then Saint James presented himself as an Indian knight, and, entering +the army of the Shah, won such renown by his heroic deeds, that he was +soon raised to the highest posts of honour. + +Now, there came from the far east two sovereigns, claiming the hand of +the fair Celestine; but she, thinking only of Saint James, refused to +entertain their proposals. + +At a great tournament given in their honour, they both, clothed in +glittering armour, entered the lists; so did the seeming Moorish knight. +What was the surprise of the King and all his courtiers to behold him +overthrow them both! Then he rode up beneath the pavilion of the +Princess Celestine, and exhibited to her a ring which she had long +before given him. By this she knew that he was her own true knight. He +soon found means to tell her of his love, and all that had happened, +while Pedrillo did not forget to put in a word in his own favour with +her maiden. + +They agreed that very night to fly to Spain. Pedrillo, who was cunning +in devices, turned their horses' shoes backwards, and thus, when they +were seeking safety in the west, it appeared as if they were flying +towards the east. Thus evading pursuit, they galloped on, crossed the +Red Sea, and, travelling through Africa, the whole party arrived safely +in that wondrous town of Seville, in Spain, where Saint James was born, +and which justly holds itself, in consequence, in the very highest +estimation. + + + +CHAPTER SEVEN. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT ANTHONY OF ITALY. + +The adventures of the great Saint Anthony of Italy, after he parted from +his friends at the brazen pillar, are now to be described. Taking ship, +like Father Aeneas of old, he and his attendant Squire traversed the +Mediterranean Sea, only he sailed eastward, while the pious Aeneas +sailed westward, over it. Numberless were the adventures he +encountered. + +Now his ship was tossed by storms, now pursued by a huge sea monster, +with jaws so wide that the affrighted mariners believed that it was +about to swallow up bodily both them and their ship; but Saint Anthony, +putting on his armour, and standing on the poop, brandished his spear so +manfully in the monster's face that he effectually kept him at bay. His +faithful Squire shouted also with such good effect, that the monster was +fain to turn tail and to leave the ship and its honoured freight to +proceed unmolested. + +At length Asia's ancient shores were reached, and travelling on, +performing every day unheard-of wonders, combating with terrible +monsters, and destroying wild beasts innumerable, he and Niccolo arrived +at the far-famed kingdom of Georgia. + +They wandered on till they began to ascend, amid narrow defiles and dark +gorges, the rugged ranges of the mighty Caucasus, high above which +Elborus towers with gigantic splendour. As they climbed upwards, higher +and higher, there appeared before them a marble castle with gates of +brass, which they guessed, from inquiries they had made, belonged to the +giant Blanderon. Over the principal gate were these verses:-- + + "Within this castle lives the scourge of kings; + A furious giant, whose unconquer'd power + The Georgian monarch in subjection brings, + And keeps his daughters prisoners in his tower: + Seven damsels fair this monstrous giant keeps, + That sing him music while he nightly sleeps. + + "His sword of steel a thousand knights have felt, + Who for these maidens' sakes have lost their lives; + Yet, though on many knights he hath death dealt, + This most inhuman giant still survives. + Let simple passengers take heed in time, + When up this mountain height they thoughtless climb. + + "But knights of worth, and men of noble mind, + If any chance to travel by this tower, + That for these maidens' sake will be so kind + To try their strength against the giant's power, + Shall have a maiden's prayer, both day and night, + To prosper them with good successful fight." + +These lines were placed there by the power of the good fairy of Asia, +and were unseen by the Giant, or he would not, it is presumed, have +allowed them to remain. They so encouraged the valiant Knight, that, +resolving to liberate the ladies, he struck so mighty a blow on the gate +of the castle, with the pommel of his sword, that it sounded like a clap +of the loudest thunder. + +On hearing it, Blanderon, who had been asleep, started up, and came +forth to the gate with a huge oak-tree in his hand, which he flourished +about his head as if it had been a light battle-axe, in a loud voice +comparing the Knight's spear to a bulrush, and threatening to hurl him +and his Squire down the side of the mountain. + +"Words without deeds are mere empty things," retorted the Knight. "Try +what you can do." + +And giving his steed to his Squire to hold, he drew his trusty falchion, +and stood ready to receive the onslaught of his huge antagonist. +Blanderon, however, flourished his oak so furiously that Saint Anthony +had to jump here and there with the greatest activity to avoid his +strokes. + +Now the very earth seemed to shake; now the castle-walls resounded with +the blows. The Knight relaxed not a moment in his efforts, for he saw +that the Giant was stout; and as the sun's heat was very great, he +panted more and more till the moisture from his brows ran down into his +eyes, and almost blinded him. Observing this, the Knight plied him with +his battle-axe more vigorously than before, till he was compelled to +seek for safety within his castle-walls; but ere he reached them he let +fall from his grasp his huge oak-tree; on which Saint Anthony, +redoubling his efforts, smote him so fiercely, that he sunk down on his +knees, unable to fly further. Still undaunted, the Giant drew a dagger +twice the size of any ordinary two-handed sword. With this he struck +right and left so rapidly that the Knight had hard work indeed to escape +its blows, and still greater to discover a spot in his huge body in +which he might plant a deadly one in return. + +At length, however, the Giant grew weary, and Saint Anthony, springing +forward, with one stroke clove his hideous head almost in twain. Then, +with another blow he cut it off, and handed it to Niccolo, to be carried +before him as a trophy of his prowess. So violent, however, had been +the efforts of the Knight that he also sank fainting on the ground, when +his faithful Squire, believing him to be dead, knelt by his side, and, +weeping, mourned bitterly his loss. + +Now, it happened that the lovely Rosalinde, one of the daughters of the +King of Georgia, who had been taken captive by the Giant, looked over +the battlements, and seeing his headless trunk guessed that he had been +slain by some gallant knight, and that the end of her servitude had +arrived. + +Descending to the gate, she beheld the seeming lifeless body of the +Champion, and, kneeling opposite to Niccolo, joined her salt tears with +his in mourning the fate of so brave a Knight. Then, remembering that +there were some precious balms within the castle, she went and fetched +them; and having applied them to the limbs of the Champion, their effect +was so great that he instantly revived, and sitting up gazed at her with +admiration, and inquired who she was. They entreated him to wait till +he had been fed and rested within the castle. + +While the faithful Niccolo watched by his master's couch, as he slept, +the lady Rosalinde was preparing delicates for his repast. + +He at length awoke, restored to health and strength; and then, by the +lady's advice, he ordered Niccolo to drag the Giant's carcass down upon +a craggy rock, to be devoured by hungry ravens; which being done, the +Georgian maiden exhibited to him the wonders of the castle. First she +conducted him to a brazen tower where were a hundred corselets and other +martial furniture of the knights slain by the Giant. Then she conducted +him to the stables, where were a hundred steeds, thin and jaded, which +they had once bestrode. There was also the Giant's bed of iron, with a +covering of carved brass, and with curtains of leaves of gold. After +this she pointed out to him a pond of crystal water, on which swam six +milk-white swans, with crowns of gold upon their heads. + +"Know, brave Champion, that these six swans are my sisters," she +observed. "We all seven are the daughters of the King of Georgia. As +we were out hunting one day the Giant from the battlements of his castle +espied us, and, rushing down, bore us off under his arms before anyone +could come to our rescue. My sisters, by the power of a kind fairy who +had attended at their birth, were transformed into swans, that they +might escape the tyranny of the Giant, though she was unable to release +them altogether. I, the eldest, retained my natural form; for, from my +skill in music, I could always quell his anger and tame him into +subjection. Though I might perchance have escaped, I remained, in hope +some day of liberating my sisters. Now, if the good fairy can be found, +we may tell her of the Giant's death, and bring her hither to restore +them to their natural shapes." + +"Most lovely lady, we will fly at once to your father's capital, and +send the fairy hither to perform her grateful task," exclaimed the +Knight, placing the hand of the Princess in his own. So, taking the +keys of the castle, which were of wonderous weight, they locked up the +gates, and mounting their steeds, followed by Niccolo with the Giant's +gory head, they proceeded to the Georgian Court. + +On reaching the gate of the city they heard a peal of bells solemnly +tolling forth a funeral knell. On inquiring the cause of this, the aged +porter replied:-- + +"The bells toll for the King's seven daughters. There are seven bells, +each one called after the name of a Princess, which never have ceased +this doleful melody since the loss of the unhappy ladies, nor ever will +till they return." + +"Then their tasks are finished," answered the noble-minded Rosalinde. +"We bring you tidings of the Princesses." + +Whereat the aged porter, ravished with joy, ran to the steeple and +stopped the bells. Hearing the bells cease their wonted mournful +melody, up started the King of Georgia, and hastened to the gate to +inquire the cause. There, to his joy, he beheld his long-lost daughter +in company with a strange knight and attendant squire. Hearing the +wonderful tale, he commanded all his courtiers to put on the lugubrious +weeds of mourning, and to accompany him to the castle of the Giant, that +there perchance he might discover some means of releasing his six other +daughters, while the noble-minded Rosalinde and Saint Anthony were left +to take care of the city till his return. + +When the King of Georgia, after long delay, did not return, the Italian +Knight declared, in impassioned words, that he must proceed in search of +those adventures for the sake of which he had left his native land. To +this the noble-minded Rosalinde replied:-- + +"Oh! most princely-minded Champion of Italy! It is not Georgia can +harbour me when thou art absent. The sky shall be no sky, the sea no +sea, the earth no earth, if thou do prove inconstant; but if you will +not take me with you, these tender hands of mine shall hang upon your +horse's bridle, till my body, like Theseus's son, be dashed against the +hard flint stones; yet, hard as they are, not harder than I shall deem +your heart." + +One only reply to this appeal could the princely-minded Champion make. +It was to tell her that he would bear her away forthwith as his own true +bride. And they thus both being agreed, habited as a page in green +sarcenet, her buskins of the smoothest kid-skin, and her rapier of +Lydian steel, secured over her shoulder by an orange-coloured scarf, and +mounted on a gentle palfrey, she quitted the land of Georgia; one of her +maidens, habited also in page's guise, attending, whom Niccolo took +under his especial care. Thus they travelled; he the bravest, boldest +knight that ever wandered by the way, and she the loveliest lady that +ever mortal eye beheld. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHT. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT ANDREW OF SCOTLAND. + +And now the adventures of the far-famed Saint Andrew of Scotland claim +our attention, after he quitted the brazen pillar, followed by his +faithful Squire, Murdoch McAlpine of that ilk. On he travelled +eastward, in the face of the rays of the glittering sun, which sparkled +on his shield and casque with dazzling brightness, and so astonished all +beholders that they fled dismayed before him, till he crossed the wild +territories of Russia, and entered the wilder deserts of Siberia. Then, +turning north, he found himself in a region where, for many weary +months, the sun never rose, and he and the faithful Murdoch had to +discover their way by poking before them with their spears, every moment +expecting to meet with some huge monster with whom they might be called +to combat. Nor did they expect in vain, for suddenly a loud growl +assailed their ears, and the moon, just then rising, exhibited to them a +whole army of bears, prepared to dispute their onward progress. + +"Draw your broad-sword, mon, and follow me," cried Saint Andrew, shaking +his spear. + +The Squire, tucking up his plaid carefully, that it might not be torn or +soiled, with loud shouts obeyed, and soon both were dashing and slashing +away among the infuriated brutes. The heads of numbers rolled upon the +snow, which for miles round was ensanguined with their blood. + +"Few creatures are more difficult to get rid of than bears," observed +the Knight, charging again. "On, Murdoch, on, we'll do it if it is to +be done, for what men dare they can do!" + +Thus shouting and slaying, the Knight and his Squire fought on for many +hours, till the survivors of the bears, discovering that they were +likely to get the worst of it in the end, took to flight, and stopped +not till they reached the North Pole, where they stopped only because +they could go no further, and where Saint Andrew agreed that it was not +worth while following them. + +His next encounter was with a nation of people with heads like foxes, +from whose cunning arts and guiles he had the greatest difficulty in +escaping. Although conquered by the power of his arms, they still +appeared with fresh tricks to entrap him. When, at length, he had +fought his way out from among them, he found himself in a dismal vale, +the air still dark as Erebus, where he heard the blowing of unseen +furnaces, the boiling of cauldrons, the rattling or armour, the +trampling of horses, the jingling of chains, the roaring of wild beasts, +the hissing of serpents, and the cries of unearthly spirits, and such +like dreadful sounds, which would have made any other hearts than those +of Saint Andrew of Scotland, and of his faithful squire, Murdoch +McAlpine of that ilk, quake and tremble with fear; but passing calmly +amid them, and undergoing hardships incredible, under which knights and +squires, born in more southern climes, would have sunk exhausted, they +arrived in the kingdom of Georgia, nor rested till they reached the foot +of the mountain on which stood the castle within whose iron walls the +six fair daughters of the King were still held in durance, in the shape +of swans, with golden crowns upon their heads. + +When the valiant Champion of Scotland beheld the lofty situation of the +castle, and the invincible strength it seemed to be of, he suspected +some strange adventure to befall him; so, buckling close his armour, +which, on account of the heat he had loosened, and drawing his sword, he +climbed the mountain, when he espied, on a craggy rock, the headless +body of the Giant, on which the ravens and other birds of prey were +feeding. Then he approached the castle gate, when, what was his +astonishment to see a long procession of mourners come forth, with the +King of Georgia at their head; and, on inquiry, was told that the old +man mourned for his six daughters, whom he could by no means get changed +back into their natural shapes. + +Saint Andrew, on hearing this strange tale, expressed his firm belief, +in language somewhat strong, that such things could not be. + +Whereon the King and all his courtiers were highly indignant, and +numberless knights stepped forth, and challenged the stranger to mortal +combat. The lists were quickly prepared. Then the valiant Champion of +Christendom entered the arena, when the King, in company with many +Georgian lords, was present to behold the contest. Thrice had Saint +Andrew traced his war-steed up and down the lists, flourishing his +lance, at the top whereof hung a pendant of gold, on which, in silver +letters, was traced, "This day a martyr or a conqueror!" Whereon there +entered a knight in exceeding bright armour, mounted on a courser as +white as snow, whose caparison was the colour of the elements. + +A fierce encounter followed; but the Georgian was defeated, and retired +in disgrace from the lists. + +Then entered a knight in green armour, his steed an iron grey. Loud +rang their spears against their shields, fierce clashed their swords, +and clanged their battle-axes, till the Georgian warrior fairly took to +flight. + +The third knight who entered wore a black corselet, and his huge +war-horse was covered with a veil of sable silk. In his hand he bore a +baton of mighty weight, and bound round with iron; but no sooner did the +champions meet than their lances shivered in pieces from the furious +shock, and flew high up into the air, when, alighting from their steeds, +they resumed the combat with their keen-edged falchions, the sparks +flying from their helmets as from a blacksmith's anvil. + +The faithful Murdoch meantime looked on with anxious gaze, when he was +accosted by a little old woman of mean aspect, who had in vain tried to +obtain information from the other bystanders. + +"Why is it you want to know, Mother?" he asked, careful not to give a +hurried answer, though he bowed politely. + +The old woman, who was in reality a good fairy, replied, "Because I have +come here to do some good; but while a scene of mortal strife is taking +place I cannot employ my power." + +Then Murdoch told her all he knew about the matter; whereon she advised +him to hurry to his master when the present combat should be over, and +to bid him declare his belief that the account was true, and to offer to +bring the Princesses forth in their proper shapes. + +Meantime the combat between the Scottish Champion and the Black Knight +continued with unabated fury. Any advantage gained by one was foiled by +the other, till at length Saint Andrew, uttering his battle-cry, struck +so mighty a blow with his battle-axe, that he clave the Georgian's +burgonet, and his head beneath, from his crown to his shoulders, and his +body fell lifeless on the ground. + +This so enraged the King that he would have ordered the Scottish Knight +to have been slain, when Murdoch rushed forward and gave the fairy's +message. + +The Champion spoke as she had directed, when the King, who was of a +placable disposition, though somewhat hasty, consented to his request. + +"Swear, most noble King, upon my sword, that you will not attempt any +foul treachery to me or my follower, on account of the Champion I have +slain, until I have accomplished the task I have now undertaken." + +On this the old King, descending from his throne, bent over the gallant +Saint Andrew's sword, and swore as he desired. + +The Knight entered the castle, and repaired to the garden, when, instead +of finding an ugly old woman, he beheld a lady of radiant beauty, for +such was indeed the Fairy. + +"You see yonder six swans," said she; "as they approach strike boldly +with your sword six strokes, nor fear the consequences." + +The Knight stood by the side of the crystal lake, and as he stood, his +glittering falchion in his hand, the six swans swam gracefully up. Six +times he struck, and each time the head of one of the swans flew up; but +in its stead appeared, wonderful to relate, a beautiful maiden, whom the +Knight handed with true courtesy off her liquid pedestal on to dry land. +Thus, in a few minutes, the Champion was surrounded by six of the most +lovely damsels the world ever saw, habited in green hunting-suits, each +almost equal to Diana herself, going forth armed for the chase. + +"You have done well, noble Champion," said the Fairy. "You did not +despise me, or my words, when I appeared old and ugly, and from +henceforth you will find me ever ready to aid and protect you, as you +travel on in search of those heroic adventures after which your heart +pants. I bid you farewell; though, remember, that I will come when you +summon me;" saying this the Fairy mounted a golden chariot drawn by +peacocks, and, rapidly gliding through the air, disappeared amid the +clouds which floated round the sides of that lofty mountain. Scarcely +had she gone, and the six ladies were pouring forth their thanks to the +noble Knight who had delivered them from their cruel bondage, when the +King of Georgia, followed by all his knights and courtiers, entered the +garden of the castle to ascertain what had become of the strange Knight. + +Nothing could exceed his astonishment, and delight, and gratitude, when +Saint Andrew presented to him his six daughters in their proper forms. + +"You deserve them all," exclaimed the Monarch, in the warmth of his +emotion. To which the Scottish Knight, with true modesty, replied, that +he considered one far more than he deserved, and that as yet he felt +inclined to remain a bachelor. + +The next day, after a sumptuous banquet which the King's cooks prepared +in the Giant's castle, the whole party marched back to the palace of the +Georgian Monarch with banners streaming, cymbals clashing, and drums and +trumpets sounding joyful melody. When, however, sad to relate, the King +inquired for his eldest daughter, he found that she had fled away with +the Champion of Italy. + +This event, so grievous to the heart of the King, made him defer all the +triumphant arrangements which were forming to do honour to the Scottish +Knight and to his six fair daughters. + +When, also, Saint Andrew heard that one of his noble comrades was so +near at hand, calling Murdoch to his side, he bade him prepare for their +departure. Wishing to avoid the pain of parting with the six +Princesses, and, lest their honoured sire might renew his generous +offer, Saint Andrew, without bidding farewell to the King of Georgia, or +to his chief councillors and ministers of state, and other great lords +of the realm, set off from the capital in pursuit of Saint Anthony of +Italy and the fair Rosalinde. + +The next day, when the six Princesses heard of the departure of the +Knight they so much admired, providing themselves with sufficient +treasure and habiliments suited for travelling, they left by stealth +their father's palace, mounted on six white palfreys, and attended by +six maidens on asses, intending to find out the victorious and renowned +Champion of Scotland, or to end their lives in single blessedness in +some pious retirement in a foreign land. + +No sooner did the news of his daughters' flight reach the King of +Georgia, than attiring himself in homely russet, like a pilgrim, with an +ebony staff in his hand, tipped with silver, he took his departure, all +alone, from his palace, resolved to recover his beloved children, or to +lay his bones to rest in some unknown spot, where, forgotten, he might +rest at peace. + +When his councillors, ministers of state, and other great lords heard of +his sudden and secret departure, grief intolerable struck their hearts, +the palace gates were covered with sable cloth, all pleasures were at an +end, and ladies and courtly dames sat sighing in their chambers; where, +for the present, we will leave them to speak of other themes. + + + +CHAPTER NINE. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT PATRICK OF IRELAND. + +The noble, illustrious, and wonderful deeds of Saint Patrick, the +far-famed and renowned Champion of Old Ireland, that gem of the ocean, +are now to be recounted--not forgetting those of his faithful and +attached squire, Terence O'Grady; though of the latter many less partial +histories are somewhat unaccountably silent. + +After they quitted the brazen pillar, they, too, traversed that sea so +famed in ancient story. But their ship being wrecked as they were +approaching the land, and sinking beneath their feet, they mounted on +the backs of two huge dolphins, which were swimming by at the time, and +which Saint Patrick caught with cunningly-devised hooks; and thus towing +their steeds, they reached in safety the sandy shores of Africa. There +landing, while they sat by the sea-side burnishing their arms, which +were slightly rusty from the salt air, the sweetest strains of music +struck upon their ears. The Squire listened, and rising from the rock +on which he sat, he wandered on to discover whence they proceeded. + +What was his astonishment, as he looked into a cavern half filled with +water, to behold a dozen lovely nymphs, almost immersed in the crystal +sea, combing their golden locks, while from their throats came forth +those warbling sounds. + +The Squire gazed enravished. "Och, but you are beautiful creatures!" he +exclaimed, forgetting that his voice might be heard. The maidens +started, like frightened deer, at the sound; and then, seeing the +faithful Terence as he looked over the rock, they swam towards him, +putting out their arms, and endeavouring to grasp his hands. A more +prudent person would have withdrawn, and suspected treachery; but such +an idea never occurred to the mind of the warm-hearted Irishman. + +"A pleasant morning to ye, my pretty damsels!" quoth he, offering his +hand to the first who came up, expecting to assist her to land; for, as +they were dressed in sea-green garments, and had wreaths of red and +white coral on their heads, he thought that they would have no objection +to come out of the water. Instead, however, of coming out themselves, +the first held him tight, and others arriving caught hold of him +likewise, and began to pull and pull away till the faithful Terence +discovered, without a doubt, that it was their purpose to pull him in. + +"But I can't swim, Ladies!" he exclaimed. "I shall spoil my armour and +wet my clothes--let me go, if you please, now." He wished to speak them +fair, though doubts as to what they were began to rise up in his mind. +"Och, now, let me go, I say! A joke's a joke all the world over; but if +you souse me head over ears in that pool, and drown me entirely, it will +be a very bad one to my taste now." The more, however, he shouted and +struggled the harder the damsels pulled. + +Though Terence was a stout fellow, and had been in many a hot fight in +foreign lands, and not a few scrimmages in Old Ireland, he never had had +such a struggle in his life. At last his cries brought Saint Patrick to +his aid, (for who would the Champion of Ireland have helped more +willingly than Terence O'Grady?) and seizing the other arm, he hauled +away lustily against the twelve sea-nymphs, whom he at once discovered +to be mermaids, who had set their hearts on carrying off his faithful +Squire to their coral homes beneath the waves. + +Between the mermaids on one side, and his master on the other, hauling +away with all their might, poor Terence was very nearly torn in pieces. +Still he struggled and strove, entreating his master not to let him go. + +Shouts of merry laughter issued from the throats of the mermaids; but +though they diverted themselves with the terror of the faithful Terence, +they did not cease to pull at him the less hard, till he began to fear +that, if they could not have the whole, they would have a bit of him to +a certainty. + +Saint Patrick himself saw full well that the matter was no joke; but how +to rescue his Squire without using his sword, and against that all his +knightly feelings revolted, even he was sorely puzzled to discover. + +As it happened, there dwelt not far off, in a lofty castle of iron walls +and golden battlements, a monstrous giant, who had long sought one of +these mermaids in marriage; but she fearing his temper, and not wishing +to leave her watery home had ever disdainfully refused to listen to his +proposals. He now was wandering along the shore in search of her to +prosecute his suit. + +As he looked down into the cave and saw the mermaids, one of whom was +his beloved, pulling away on one side at the faithful Terence, while +Saint Patrick pulled on the other, he uttered a loud roar of rage and +fury. The sound so alarmed the mermaids that they let go their hold, +and fled away in terror, to hide themselves in their coral homes, while +Saint Patrick, looking up, beheld the Giant frowning down defiance at +him. + +The Irish Champion, nothing daunted, drew his falchion. "Ah, my trusty +weapon, thou hast at length found a worthy enemy!" he exclaimed, +climbing up the cliff towards the Giant, closely followed by the +faithful Terence. Black as jet was the Giant, but blacker were his +looks, yet blackest of all were his intentions. Behind him stood a huge +crocodile, opening wide its immense jaws, and threatening to devour +anyone who came within their compass. Many a stout warrior would have +avoided the encounter; but Saint Patrick boldly advanced, trusting in a +good cause, his own arm, and his well-tempered sword, feeling assured, +also, that Terence would give a good account of the crocodile. + +Quickly were heard to sound the ringing strokes of the Champion's trusty +falchion against the black shield of the Giant, whose huge battle-axe +dealt many a fearful blow in return. Fiercely raged the combat. Blow +after blow was given and taken with right good will, while the Giant +bellowed out so loudly his threats of vengeance against the valiant +Knight, that the rocks and distant mountains resounded with his cries +mingled with the clang of desperate strife. + +Terence stood by to watch the contest, not to deprive his loved master +of a shred of glory, till he saw the crocodile opening his monstrous +jaws to snap at his legs. Then he saw that the time for action had +arrived, and, rushing up, began to assail the brute with right good +will. + +The crocodile snapped and snapped his huge jaws with a sound which made +the hills ring and ring again; but he failed to get the faithful Terence +within the power of his grinders; at the same time, in vain the Squire +sought a vulnerable point into which to thrust his trusty sword. The +length of the monster's snout prevented him from reaching his eyes, and, +as to getting a fair thrust at his shoulders, that seemed utterly +impossible. + +All this time Saint Patrick and the Giant, it must not be forgotten, +were fighting furiously. + +"Let my tame crocodile alone, or I'll make mincemeat of you when I have +killed your master!" cried the Giant hoarsely, through his clinched +teeth. + +"Faith, then, I hope that time will never arrive then, my beauty," +answered the faithful Terence, making a spring, and leaping nimbly on +the crocodile's back. "It's not exactly the sort of steed I'd choose, +except for the honour of riding, but I'll make him pay the piper, at all +events;" whereupon he began slashing away with his trusty sword most +furiously on the neck and shoulders of the crocodile. A delicate maiden +might as well have tried to pierce the hide of an aged hippopotamus with +a bodkin. + +At last, losing patience, he sprang to his feet on the back of the +monster, and plunged his sword into one of his eyes, just as he was +about to make a snap at Saint Patrick's thigh. The crocodile, feeling +itself wounded, turned aside, when the Squire plunged his weapon into +the other eye. + +Thus blinded, and furious with pain, the brute rushed forward, snapping +in every direction, and running against his master, caught hold of the +calf of his leg with a gripe so firm that the Giant, groaning with pain, +turned aside his proud looks to see what was the matter. + +The opportunity was not lost on Saint Patrick, who, pressing forward, +plunged his falchion into the neck of his antagonist, who, bellowing +louder than ten thousand bulls, made a desperate cut with his battle-axe +at the helm of the Knight. The Champion sprang aside, and the blow +descended on the neck of the tame crocodile, whereby its head was +severed from its body, Terence narrowly escaping from the effects of the +blow. + +The death of his favourite brute enraged the Giant still further; but +rage invariably blinds judgment, and neglecting his proper guards, he +soon found himself treated as he had treated the crocodile, his head, by +a stroke of the Knight's battle-axe, falling on the sand, while his eyes +continued to roll most horribly, as if still animated with fury and +malicious hatred. + +The faithful Terence having found a huge brazen key, and a purse of +gold, in the Giant's pocket, and transferred the latter to his own, to +be ready for future emergencies, Saint Patrick and he left the two +carcasses to be devoured by the birds of the air, and proceeded to the +Giant's castle. The huge brazen key opened the castle gate; when +entering, they wandered amazed through the spacious halls, and courts, +and galleries, admiring the wonders there collected. In the armoury +were numerous tall and straight trees of cocoa-nut and pine, with iron +or steel points, which served the Giant as spears; his sword even Saint +Patrick could scarcely lift, while near was another tree, taller than +all the rest, with a cable at one end, and a hook bigger than a huge +ship's anchor, with which in his hand the Giant sat on a rock and bobbed +for whales. + +In the stables, instead of some vast horses, which they expected to +find, capable of carrying so monstrous a being, they beheld rows of +alligators and hippopotami, which the Giant was wont to harness to his +brazen chariots when he went to war, or out a pleasuring; while, as no +saddles or bridles were found, it was evident that he possessed no steed +capable of bearing his ponderous weight. + +Saint Patrick and his Squire, making themselves at home in the Giant's +castle, passed several pleasant days, while they recovered from the +fatigues of their combat and refreshed themselves after their voyage. +Then, that they might keep their own steeds ready for any emergency, +they harnessed a dozen hippopotami, and as many tame crocodiles, to one +of the Giant's chariots, and so, with great comfort and convenience, +proceeded on their journey. The canopy of the chariot was of azure silk +fringed with silver, which sheltered them from the warm rays of the sun. + +"Faith, this is pleasanter far than riding along over a dusty road!" +quoth the Squire to the Knight, with that easy familiarity which the +superior delighted to encourage in his faithful attendant. "What would +they say in Old Ireland if they saw us two now a travelling along, quite +at our ease, over the burning plains of Africa!" Whereat Saint Patrick +made some suitable reply. But their pleasant conversation was cut short +by the sounds of some terrible wails and laments, uttered by female +voices, and at the same time of loud harsh voices and rude laughter, +proceeding from out of a neighbouring wood, which they beheld before +them. On this Terence whipped on the crocodiles and hippopotami with +right good will, their own trusty steeds trotting behind till they +arrived at the borders of the wood; when, securely fastening their +chariot to a stout tree, they mounted their chargers, and dashed +forward, in the direction from whence the cries proceeded. + +Louder and louder grew the shrieks and lamentations, till the Knight and +his Squire arrived at a spot whence, looking down into a sylvan dell, +they beheld a sight which made their hearts melt with pity, and their +blood run cold with horror. There, with the salt tears running down +their cheeks, and their eyes imploring mercy and pity, they saw six +lovely damsels, clad in green garments, bound to as many trees, while +round them danced a hundred fierce satyrs, terrible of aspect, and +hideous to behold. + +Each satyr was armed with a huge club of the size of a tree, which he +flourished wildly, and on his other arm he bore a shield of vast +proportions, like the moon at the full, as she rises over the housetops; +while scabbardless two-handed swords hung with brazen chains by their +sides, and long-bows and quivers full of arrows were suspended at their +backs; their voices as they danced giving forth those hideous sounds +which had attracted the Knight and Squire. + +Near the ladies stood six milk-white palfreys, and a little way behind, +who had not at first been seen, six other damsels, their dress and +bearing showing them to be the serving maidens of the lovely ladies in +green. In an instant the heart of the Champion of Ireland, and of his +faithful Squire, were all in a flame, burning to rescue these six lovely +ladies and their six inestimable serving women from the power of those +hideous satyrs; so, drawing their falchions, and uttering the war-cry of +Old Ireland, they dashed with headlong speed in among them, cutting and +slashing and hewing away before any of those terrific beings had any +knowledge of their approach. + +Soon recovering themselves, after a few of their number had bitten the +dust, the hideous satyrs, uniting in one body, and seeing that their +enemies consisted but of a single knight and his squire, flourished +their huge clubs, and with loud shouts, louder than the roaring of ten +thousand bulls, advanced towards them. + +Heroically fought Saint Patrick, and manfully combated his Squire. The +blows from the monstrous clubs of the hideous satyrs fell like hail +about their helmets; but their thirsty swords rapidly drank the +life-blood of their foes, and now one satyr, now another, was +overthrown. Still more came on. Some stood at a distance, shooting +their arrows from their long-bows; others came around, with their +two-handed swords, and struck and slashed so fiercely that it required +all the activity and courage of both Knight and Squire, of which they +fortunately possessed so large a portion, to keep their enemies at bay. +Still the sight of the lovely ladies tied to the trees, not forgetting +the six serving maidens, as well as their own honour, and desire for +glory and renown, induced them to persevere. + +Full one-third of the hideous satyrs had sunk lifeless from their +stalwart blows, while many others limped off sorely wounded and maimed; +yet the remainder, with a perseverance worthy of a better cause, +fiercely continued the combat. + +At length, Saint Patrick telling Terence to escape, wheeled his horse +round as if to fly, but it was only a cunning device, as his faithful +Squire well knew; for, instantly returning to the charge with redoubled +vigour among the scattered ranks of his foes, he dealt such slaughter +and destruction among them, that the survivors were fain to fly far +away, howling, into the distant woods, which resounded with their +mournful cries, leaving the six ladies and their six serving maidens to +the care and protection of the gallant Knight and his attendant. + +While Saint Patrick cut loose the cords from the fair limbs of the six +ladies all clothed in green, Terence performed the same office for the +serving maidens. + +After they had been refreshed by some pure draughts from the +neighbouring crystal brook, and partaken of such fare as the Champion +could offer them, he led them forth from the wood, and with courteous +attentions, and many polite expressions, placed them in his chariot +drawn by the crocodiles and hippopotami. Then, and not till then, did +he inquire their names, and state, and nation. + +The eldest replied:--"Know, most puissant and valiant Knight, that we +are the unfortunate daughters of the King of Georgia. Our lives since +our births have been unhappy. First, we were carried off by a monstrous +giant, and, being turned into swans for seven long years, lost sight of +the outer world, neither knowing what dresses were worn, how fashions +were changed, and many other important matters. + +"At length, through the courage of a noble Knight, Saint Andrew of +Scotland, of whom you have doubtless heard, we were happily released +from our thraldom. What, however, was our astonishment when we got back +to our father's court to find that our eldest sister had departed as the +bride of another famed Champion, Saint Anthony of Italy, by whose mighty +prowess the giant had been slain; and in a brief time Saint Andrew, +hearing or this, also set off in search of his former comrade and +brother knight. + +"Now--why need we be ashamed to confess it?--we had allowed a feeling of +regard to spring up in our bosoms for that worthy Knight, and we all +agreed that we could no longer exist out of his society; and so we also +set off from our father's court, resolved to search for him the world +around, and bring him back to our native land, or lie down, and mournful +die beside his tomb." + +"The noble Champion for whom you took in hand this weary travel is my +much approved good friend," exclaimed Saint Patrick. "To get a sight of +him I would go more miles than there are trees throughout this mighty +continent; therefore, will my faithful squire, Terence O'Grady, whom I +now crave leave to make known unto you, and I travel in your company, +and in that of your six serving maidens, till we have found the right +noble Saint Andrew, or some other of those six brave Knights of +Christendom who for seven summers I have not seen." + +Much pleased with the discourse and the polished courtesy of Saint +Patrick, the six princesses consented to his proposal; and thus we will, +for the present, leave them journeying in the giant's chariot, drawn by +the dozen crocodiles and hippopotami, and followed by the six maidens +and their six milk-white palfreys, and escorted on either side by Saint +Patrick and his faithful Squire, in the direction they believed Saint +Andrew had taken. + + + +CHAPTER TEN. + +THE ADVENTURES OF SAINT DAVID OF WALES. + +The last but not the least of all the Seven Champions to be mentioned +famed for heroic courage and gallantry is that most noble and renowned +Knight, Saint David of Wales. After he had quitted the brazen pillar, +followed by his faithful attendant, Owen ap Rice, he proceeded towards +the up-rising of the sun, visiting many of the courts of the first +monarchs of Europe, attending many tournaments, engaging in many +desperate battles, and performing innumerable heroic deeds; which his +faithful Squire took very great care to recount, nor did he allow his +histories to lose anything in the telling. Wonderful indeed were the +numbers of foes his master's sword had slain; huge were the giants he +had overthrown; savage were the wild beasts he had slaughtered; terrific +were the monsters he had put to flight; powerful were the magicians +whose guiles he had circumvented; and horrible were the spirits, and +ghosts, and goblins amid whom he had fought his onward way; indeed few +could hear the faithful Owen recount his master's deeds, and eke his +own, without being impressed with the belief that more heroic Knight did +not exist, nor more brave and trusty Squire. + +Thus they journeyed on till Europe was left behind; and entering the +ancient continent of Asia, they arrived at the court of the far-famed +Emperor of Tartary. Here Saint David's fame had preceded him, and they +were received with all that courtesy which to so valiant a Knight was +due. + +On the day of their arrival a sumptuous entertainment was prepared, at +which all the chief lords and nobles of the realm were present, when +huge beakers of rosy wine were quaffed; nor could anyone compete with +Saint David in the quantity of the generous liquor he imbibed. For the +following day a grand tournament was arranged, when it was expected that +the noblest feats of arms ever beheld in the empire would be performed. + +From far and near came valiant knights from all the neighbouring +provinces, habited in every conceivable style of richest armour; yet +none surpassed Saint David in the sumptuousness of his plume and +burgonet, the trappings of his steed, the richness of his scarf, the +splendour of his shield and breastplate, or of his whole armour, which, +from his lofty helm to his knightly spurs, shone with resplendent +beauty. Numerous champions entered the lists, and many desperate +encounters took place. At length Saint David rode in, followed by the +faithful Owen carrying his spear. The trumpets sounded, Saint David +took his spear, and shaking it aloft prepared for the encounter. A +Knight, one of the chief nobles of Tartary, was his first opponent. Of +blue steel was his casque, and armour, and mighty shield, while a blue +scarf floated from his shoulders. Bravely the Tartar Knight bore +himself, and bravely he withstood the terrible shock of Saint David's +lance. A second time the two Knights charged, when Saint David, +mustering all his powers, struck the Tartar a blow so terrible that he +sent him reeling from his saddle, and with a hollow groan he fell +senseless on the ground; but time will not permit an account of each +separate combat of that far-famed tournament. + +Six valiant Knights did Saint David meet, each of whom was vanquished by +his arm. At length, the only son and heir of the Emperor, seeing that +no more worthy antagonist could be found, and willing to retrieve the +disgrace he conceived his countrymen had received, entered the lists, +and bravely challenged the Champion of Wales. The heart of the gallant +Saint David bounded at the thought of engaging in so noble a contest as +that with the Emperor's son, and he declared himself ready to commence +the course whenever it was the pleasure of the noble prince to meet his +lance. + +"No time like the present, Sir Knight," replied the gallant Tartar, who +was arrayed in armour of rare and curious workmanship, studded all over +with gold and precious gems. + +"It were a pity to slay so brave a prince," thought Saint David; "yet +for the honour of my country, than which no nobler exists, as also for +my own, than whom no..." (what Saint David thought need not be +repeated). "If he presses me it must be done." + +The trumpets sounded, the steeds sprang forward, the ground trembled +beneath their feet, clouds of dust arose in the air; terrific was the +shock, but both Knights kept their seats, though both were sorely +pressed. Again they charged, with a like result. A third time they +met, and Saint David felt that he was reeling in his saddle; but +recovering himself by a mighty effort, he prepared for another and more +desperate encounter. Little wotted the proud son of the great Emperor +of all the Tartars with what a doughty Champion he had to contend; +little thought he of the gallant heroes that far-distant land of Cambria +was able to produce. Shaking his spear, he shouted loudly to Saint +David to prepare himself for an overthrow. The Welsh Knight only +grasped his own spear the tighter in consequence, and pressed his knees +the firmer against his charger's sides. + +"And the Prince expects that he is going to throw my master, does he?" +observed the faithful Owen. "Let him beware of Saint David; I may tell +him he has borne down to the ground twelve as good men as he is, with +one thrust of his lance, before now." + +The trumpets sounded, and the Tartar Prince and the Champion of Wales +met in the middle of the lists. Terrific was the encounter; the spear +of the Tartar Prince was shivered into a thousand fragments; but the +Welsh Knight, with true gallantry, let his fall by his side, and grasped +his battle-axe, that they might light on equal terms. Already, however, +had the spear inflicted a desperate wound on the Prince's side; but his +pride would not let him yield. Now sparks of fire flew thickly around +them from the extraordinary rapidity of their strokes, so that they +appeared to be fighting in the midst of a furnace (so Owen the faithful +Squire ever afterwards averred), till at length Saint David's axe +descended with force so terrific on the helm of the Tartar Prince that +he clove it in two, nor did the cruel weapon stop till it had pierced +the brain of the hapless heir to the throne of the great Emperor of +Tartary. + +When the spectators beheld what had occurred, loud cries of grief, +anger, and dismay rent the air; the great Emperor and all his courtiers, +from the highest to the lowest, crying louder than anyone else. The +lists were immediately broken up, and the Emperor, ordering the Welsh +Knight to be brought before him, retired into his palace. The obsequies +of that precious jewel of Tartary, now dimmed by death, being concluded, +the Emperor, having ceased his woeful lamentations and sad sighs, thus +addressed the Welsh Champion:-- + +"Know that there dwells on the borders of Tartary a mighty Magician, +Ormandine by name who holds an enchanted castle and garden, within the +magic walls of which whoever enters never again returns. Now truly, +although thou deservest death for what thou hast done, yet if thou wilt +adventure into the Magician's domains, and bring hither his head, I +grant thee not only life, but therewithal the crown of Tartary after my +death." + +This strange adventure highly pleased the noble Champion of Wales, and +he expressed himself ready forthwith to depart about it. On which the +Emperor bound him by his oath of knighthood, and by the love he bore his +native country, never to follow any other adventure till he had +performed the promise he now had given. + +In three days he and the faithful Owen, having made all preparation, +were ready to set out. + +Travelling eastward for many a weary day, though conversing pleasantly +to beguile the way, they at length reached the confines of a dreadful +forest, the trees twisting and twining in every direction, and briars +and creepers of all sorts, with long thorns and hooks, hanging from all +the branches. Mysterious flames seemed to be bursting forth, wavering +and flickering in the dark recesses of the forest, while amid the boughs +flew birds of evil omen, night-owls, and ravens, and bats, and other +winged things of hideous form, with harsh and croaking voices. Within +this forest, so Saint David had learned, stood the castle of the +Magician Ormandine. + +"My faithful Owen," he exclaimed, "by my honour and my oath of +knighthood, I am bound to enter and to traverse this strange and woeful +wood; but do you wait my return without, and if I never do return, go to +my kinsmen, in our native land, and tell them all about my sad and +melancholy end." + +The faithful Owen, on hearing these words, burst into tears, and +replied: "My long-loved honoured Master, if there were ten thousand +forests, and if in each thrice ten thousand ill-doing necromancers +lived, and if through each you had to fight your way, I would remain +steadfast by your side, and fight as long as arm, and hand, and sword +could do their work." + +"Then onward into this dreadful forest, my faithful Owen, let us go!" +exclaimed Saint David, drawing his sword, and beginning to hew away at +the creepers and briars which impeded their progress. In this labour he +was ably seconded by the faithful Owen; and thus, by slow degrees, they +worked their onward way. As they proceeded, the shouts and shrieks +increased, the sky overhead was filled with lurid meteors, and hideous +and ill-omened birds flew thickly around their heads, screeching their +terrific notes into the ears of the adventurous strangers. + +"Few things worth having can be obtained without difficulty and +perseverance," exclaimed Saint David, as he went on cutting and cutting +away at the creepers. "As to all the hooting, and the screeching, and +crying which assail our ears, it cannot hurt us if we take no heed to +it. Few noble enterprises have ever been undertaken without numbers of +people, like those hideous night-owls, endeavouring to hoot them down." + +Thus manfully cutting and hewing away, they at length came in sight of +the dark and frowning, damp, and moss-overgrown walls of an ancient +castle. Near it was a huge rock, still more damp and moss-covered than +the castle-walls. In this rock, by magic art, was enclosed a sword, the +hilt being the only part which could be seen. It was of steel work, +engraven curiously, and set with jaspers, sapphires, and other precious +gems. Around the pommel was engraven, in golden letters, the following +words:-- + + "By magic spells remain most firmly bound, + The world's strange wonder unknown by anyone, + Till that a knight within the north be found + To pull the sword from out this rock of stone: + Then end my charms, my magic arts and all, + By whose strong hand sage Ormandine must fall." + +"A northern knight!--that must mean me," exclaimed Saint David. +"Undoubtedly, I am destined to pull the magic sword from out of that +rock. See how I'll do it!" On this, dismounting from his steed, he +grasped hold of the hilt, and began to pull and pull away right +manfully; but in vain he pulled, and tugged, and hauled; not a hundredth +part of an inch had he drawn forth of the sword, but, still persevering, +he would not let go. At length, the faithful Owen entreated that he +might be allowed to come and help. Then Knight and Squire tugged and +tugged away, but still the sword would not move. Next, putting both +their hands to the huge hilt, and their feet against the rock, they +bethought them most surely that they would move it. Scarcely, however, +had they in that guise begun to pull, than there arose around them +fearful shouts of mocking laughter, and, the gates of the castle opening +wide, twelve hideous dwarfs, with faces black as coal, and bodies +horribly deformed, issued forth, and bearing in their hands some iron +chains, which clanged as they moved, approached, with grinning mouths +and threatening gestures, the Knight and his Squire. + +Saint David and the faithful Owen would fain have let go the richly +gemmed hilt of the magic sword, but when they strove to do so they found +their hands clinched firmly to it. Now they struggled as much to free +their hands as before they had to draw out the sword. But in vain was +all their tugging and struggling. + +The dwarfs stood round awhile to enjoy their dismay, and then throwing +the iron chains around them, they bound them in fetters which no earthly +power could undo, and carried them away, helpless as infants in their +nurses' arms, to the magic castle. There, in the centre of an iron hall +of vast dimensions and sombre hue--the only light emitted from a lurid +torch burning at the further end--on iron beds, of which a countless +number appeared ranged around, lay writhing the victims which the fell +Magician's cruelty had left bound. There, for many years, till the full +term of seven was accomplished, we, too, will leave them, daily visited +by the Enchanter Ormandine, who came to mock at, and gloat over their +misery. + +"Ah! ah!" he exclaimed, with a voice croaking like ten thousand frogs, +and loud as thunder, "you came to cut off my head, and carry the gory +trophy to the Emperor; but now you find, my friends, you've caught a +Tartar." + +Notwithstanding, however, this conduct of the Enchanter, his chief +captive was not so miserable as he supposed. A kind fairy all the time +watched over him; and as Saint David lay on his couch she sent four of +her attendant spirits, in the form of damsels, of no mean beauty, who +tended him with the gentlest care, and brought him fruits and other +luxuries, which they offered whenever he awoke, and then sang him to +sleep again with their sweet voices, so that his time passed far more +agreeably than would certainly otherwise have been the case, or the +Enchanter had any idea of. + + + +CHAPTER ELEVEN. + +THE RELEASE OF SAINT GEORGE. + +Seven times had frosty-bearded winter covered the ground with snow, and +behung the trees with crystal icicles, since the Champion Saint George, +and the faithful De Fistycuff, lay groaning in their far-off dungeon in +Egypt, for having ventured to assert that crocodiles, and apes, and +snakes, were not fit objects of reverence. + +One day, as by chance the Knight was wringing his hands, in despair of +ever getting free, he chanced to rub in a peculiar manner the magic ring +which the Fairy Sabrina had given him. A bright light was forthwith +emitted from it, which increased and increased till it filled the +chamber, and from the midst of it appeared the Fairy herself, in her +chariot drawn by ten peacocks. + +"Gallant Knight, why did you not summon me before?" she asked, in her +sweet voice; and Saint George had to confess, with shame, that he had +forgotten all about the power of the magic ring. + +"I cannot free you from this prison by magic power; but I will give you +tools with which you may free yourselves, and then you will set more +value on your liberty than if you had gained it without toil. I never +afford aid to any who are not ready to labour for themselves." + +The Fairy having thus spoken, supplied the Knight and his Squire with +hammers, chisels, spades, mattocks, and crowbars. + +"Your steeds and weapons you will find ready outside the gates," added +the Fairy. "When once more prepared for battle, go forth, and conquer." + +The Knight and De Fistycuff felt their strength and spirits wonderfully +improved at these words, and already they fancied themselves scouring +over the plain in pursuit of a thousand flying foes. + +"But is there no gallant achievement, no heroic deed, which you would +desire me to perform, as a mark of my gratitude?" asked Saint George, +after he had duly thanked the Fairy for the aid she had wrought him. + +"Well spoken," answered the Fairy; "yes, there languishes, even now, a +brother knight, one for whose country I have a fond regard, Saint David, +of Wales, in the gloomy castle of the Magician Ormandine, on the borders +of Tartary. Go and free him. From trusting entirely to his own +strength, and not seeking rightly for all other aids, he failed in what +he undertook to accomplish. A magic sword, by which alone the Magician +can be conquered, is held in a rock near his castle. No human strength +can pull it out; but take this flask of oil, pour it into the rock, and, +waiting patiently, you will find the sword easily come forth." + +The Knight promised to obey the Fairy's directions; and she having +disappeared, he and De Fistycuff set to work so manfully, although not +accustomed to handle such tools, that in a few days they hewed +themselves a subterranean passage beneath the walls of the city. +Through iron plates, and thick walls, and granite rocks, and mud, and +sand, they worked, the last, like slippery people, giving them the +greatest difficulty to deal with. At length the sky appeared; and +there, at the mouth of the cave out of which they emerged, stood their +steeds, held by two dwarfs of ugly aspect, who presented them with their +spears, and swords, and other weapons. + +No sooner were they mounted, and Saint George was about, to reward the +dwarfs, than he found that they had disappeared. + +Accordingly, they set off, as fast as Bayard and the Squire's steed +could carry them, along the neck of land which joins Africa to Asia, and +then galloped rapidly northward. In wonderful condition were the +horses, while the pure, fresh air their riders breathed, after their +long imprisonment, added fresh vigour to their limbs, and courage to +their hearts. + +Many adventures, which cannot here be recorded, were met with; and at +length they reached the magic forest which surrounded the castle of the +fell Enchanter. They witnessed the same terrific sights, and heard the +same sounds as did Saint David and the faithful Owen; but, equally +dauntless, they clove their onward way through brake and briar, in spite +of the hissing of serpents and hooting of owls, groans and shrieks, and +other similar sounds, to which they were pretty well accustomed by this +time, till they reached the Magician's castle. + +There, in the rock, they beheld the hilt of the magic sword. De +Fistycuff was about to seize hold of it at once; but Saint George warned +him to desist till he wisely had obeyed the Fairy's directions, and +poured the oil upon the rock. + +Slowly it trickled down through many a crevice, when the Knight, waiting +patiently for the oil to take effect, grasped the sword with his left +hand, while he kept his own falchion ready to use in the right. + +"Who knows but the Magician may come forth to attack me before I have +freed the sword?" he observed to his Squire. Gradually, but surely, the +sword yielded to his unwearied and long-sustained efforts. While still +drawing it forth, a terrific uproar was heard within the castle; the +ground shook, trembled violently, rocking to and fro, and flames darted +forth from the rock; but the Knight held fast the weapon. + +Suddenly the brazen gates of the castle burst open, and there issued +forth the Necromancer Ormandine, arrayed in all the terrors with which +he could clothe himself. His helmet had a fiery plume, hissing snakes +were writhing about his casque and shoulders, his armour seemed of +red-hot metal. A hooting owl of hideous aspect sat on his shoulder, +while he brandished an iron club covered with spikes, like his armour, +red-hot. He made directly at Saint George; but Ascalon was in the +Knight's grasp, and wielding it, as he well knew how, he kept the +Magician at bay, while he tugged more vehemently than ever at the magic +sword. + +With a clap louder than that of any thunder, it came at length forth +from the rock, and taking it in his right hand he with it furiously +assailed the Magician, who no sooner felt its keen edge than his club +fell from his nerveless grasp, the owl flew hooting away, the serpents +crawled hissing off, and the once-powerful Magician fell humbly on his +knees and craved for mercy. + +Saint George, telling De Fistycuff to guard him, entered the castle, +where, on iron beds, he found, bound with chains, his friend and comrade +Saint David, and the faithful Owen, groaning, and sighing, and mourning +their hard fate. Cutting the chains, with as much ease as if they had +been cords of silk, with the magic sword, he set them, to their great +joy, on their legs, when, with a profusion of words, they poured out +their expressions of gratitude. + +Saint David then told Saint George of his vow to the Emperor of Tartary; +when the English Knight informed him that the Enchanter was in his +power, but that he was unwilling to take his life. + +"But, behold the signs of his cruelty!" said Saint David, pointing out +to Saint George the other nine hundred and ninety-eight iron beds in the +hall. "There lie bound many other noble knights and squires who for +many long years have been prevented from engaging in any deeds of +heroism. Think how many victories they might have won; how many captive +knights released; how many forlorn maidens rescued from durance vile; +how many other noble deeds they might have done!" + +This speech so completely changed Saint George's view of things, that he +told Saint David he would hand over the Magician to him. Then the +Champion of Wales went forth from the castle, and with one blow of his +sword cut off Ormandine's hideous head, and sticking it on a pole, which +he delivered to the faithful Owen to carry, informed his brother +Champion that he was ready forthwith to depart for the court of the +Emperor of Tartary. + +The other nine hundred and ninety-eight gallant knights and squires, +released by the courage and wisdom of Saint George, having expressed a +strong desire to follow his fortunes, he undertook to lead them round +the world in search of adventures worthy of their prowess. Saint David, +also, promised, when he had fulfilled his vow to the Emperor of Tartary, +to search him out and aid him. + +Often had the noble Champion of England thought of the lovely Sabra, but +knew not where she was. At length, with his army of valiant knights and +trusty squires, having reached the kingdom of Bagabornabou, he, on +inquiring for her, heard, with dismay, that she had been carried off a +prisoner by Almidor, the black King of Morocco, and had ever since been +pining in a dungeon. + +Calling his knights around him, he told them of the occurrence, and with +loud shouts, waving on high their swords, they promised to accompany him +to rescue her, or to die in the attempt. Setting off forthwith, they +reached the dominions of the black King; when Saint George, disguising +himself as a humble palmer, entered the city, followed by De Fistycuff, +in the same habit, to ascertain in what vile dungeon the lovely Sabra +was shut up. + +In vain he wandered up and down, whispering her name, and inquiring of +all he met, till, at length, he saw a beautiful white dove fly upward +from a hole in the ground beneath the massive wall of a huge castle. +Catching the dove, he wrote on a slip of parchment, which he placed +under its wing, "Saint George of England has come to Sabra's rescue. +Tell me if you are here!" + +Soon the dove, having entered the hole, returned to the Knight, when he +discovered, under its wing, on the same parchment: "I, the hapless +Sabra, am here; oh, free me, and receive a maiden's grateful love!" +Instantly returning to his knights, and throwing off his palmer +garments, Saint George led them to the assault. + +On every side the castle-walls were stormed. Some climbed up ladders, +some over each other's backs, with such desperate valour, that the +Moorish soldiers gave way on every side; till Almidor, hearing the +turmoil and loud shouts of war, rushed to the battlements. Then ensued +a fight most desperate between the noble Champion of England and the +black King, in which the latter would most assuredly have been slain had +he not, like a recreant, turned his back and fled, among his followers, +through a postern gate, which, happily for him, stood open,--proudly +asserting that he would return and fight another day. + +Having thus victoriously taken possession of the Moorish castle, Saint +George and all his knights and squires burst open all the doors and +gates, and explored all the passages they could find, till they arrived +at a gloomy vault. Within it was a little door. Saint George thundered +at it with his battle-axe. It burst open; and there he beheld his +lovely and beloved Sabra, her beauty dimmed, but not extinguished, by +her long imprisonment. + +Saint George and his knights having taken possession of the Moorish +capital, he held a grand banquet in honour of the occasion, when a +herald announced, in due form, that the British Champion was about to +wed the lovely African Princess. Thrice was the announcement made; and +no one objecting, the fair Sabra, after all her misfortune, became, as +her reward, the bride of the noblest Knight Europe, or the world, has +ever known. + +So enchanted were the Moors with the valour and courtesy of Saint +George, that their chiefs, lords, and nobles, and the councillors of +state, came in humble guise and proffered him the crown of their +country; but he declared, with many expressions suitable to the +occasion, that he had not yet won that renown for which his soul panted, +and must decline the honour. + +Having dismissed the nine hundred and ninety-eight knights and squires, +whom he had rescued from the castle of Ormandine, with warm thanks for +the assistance they had rendered him, and sincere wishes for their +welfare, they all departed to their separate countries and homes, and +such as were married to their wives and children, who had long been +mourning their absence, and in most cases, though not in all, wishing +for their return; Saint George and his beautiful bride, the enchanting +Sabra, set out on their travels, through many unknown and strange lands, +attended by the faithful De Fistycuff, whose wife would much rather that +he had gone back to look after her and their children in England. + + + +CHAPTER TWELVE. + +THE TOURNAMENT AT CONSTANTINOPLE. + +Now it happened that the great Emperor of the East held a grand +tournament at Constantinople, to which all the knights and nobles of +Christendom were invited, to do honour to his nuptials with a princess +he was about to wed. Thither came the Seven Champions, not knowing each +other after their long separation, but each believing the others in some +distant quarter of the globe. The Emperor had, however, pitched seven +tents of seven different colours, wherein the Seven Champions might +remain till the sound of the silver trumpets summoned them to appear. +Seven days the tournament was to last, and each day a different Knight +was to be Champion of the field. + +The first day, Saint Denis of France, under the title of the Golden +Knight, was the Champion. His tent was of the colour of the celandine, +and on the summit flamed a sun of wondrous brilliancy. + +His horse, an iron grey, was graced with a plume of gold-bespangled +feathers. Before him rode the faithful Le Crapeau, bearing his banner, +on which was designed the golden _fleur-de-lys_. Numberless were the +foreign knights with whom he tilted, every one of whom he overthrew. + +Next day, Saint James of Spain, habited in silver armour, rode forth as +the Champion; his Squire, the faithful Pedrillo, bearing aloft four +banners, on each of which were inscribed his names and titles, and those +of his ancestors, so that not a spot of silk remained uncovered. Well +he behaved himself, to the admiration of all beholders. + +Clad in blue steel, and called the Azure Knight, on the third day, Saint +Anthony of Italy rode forth as the chief Champion, attended by the +faithful Niccolo, bearing his standard, an eagle on a field of blue. +Above his tent was a smaller pavilion in the shape of a watch-tower, in +which was seated, as spectatress of the fights, the Georgian Princess, +the strong-minded Rosalinde, who had, by praiseworthy perseverance, and +allowing no trifles to stand in her way, completely won the heart of +Saint Anthony, and had become his bride. Well, also, did he, the +Italian Champion, acquit himself, and many valiant knights were by his +spear unhorsed. + +On the fourth day, Saint Andrew of Scotland was the chief Challenger for +the tournament. His tent was framed in the manner of a ship swimming on +the waves of the sea, environed about with dolphins, tritons, and many +strangely-contrived mermaids; on the top stood a figure of Neptune, the +god of the sea, bearing in his hand a streamer, whereon, in one corner, +was wrought a cross in crimson silk. He was called the Red Knight, for +a blood-red cloth completely covered his charger. His worthy +achievements obtained such favour in the Emperor's eyes, that he threw +him his silver gauntlet, which was prized at a thousand portagues, and +the which Murdoch McAlpine, lifting it from the ground, bore with no +little satisfaction to his master's tent; where the Champion also +retired, and after his noble encounters enjoyed a sweet repose. + +The fifth day, Saint Patrick of Ireland, as chief Champion, entered the +lists, mounted on an Irish hobby, covered with a green veil. He was +attended by the faithful Terence O'Grady, in sylvan habit, bearing on +his shoulder a blooming tree, his motto, _virtus semper viret_. His +tent resembled a summer bower, formed chiefly of the shamrock, and +beautified with wreaths of roses. He was named the Green Knight; but he +was green only in name, for no Knight proved himself more accomplished, +or performed nobler deeds. + +Upon the sixth day, the famed Champion of Wales entered the lists, +mounted on a Tartar steed, which was covered with a black cloth, to +signify, as Owen ap Rice made known, that a black and tragical day was +this for all Knights of every nation who durst approve his fortitude. +On his shield was portrayed a silver griffin rampant, and upon a golden +helmet, the ancient arms of Britain. His tent was in the form of a +castle, the battlements guarded by numerous sturdy men-at-arms. His +princely achievements not only obtained due commendations at the +Emperor's hands, but all the fair and high-born dames present (so the +faithful Owen ever afterwards averred) applauded him as the most noble +Knight that ever shivered lance, and the most fortunate Champion that +ever appeared at the Court of the Eastern Emperor. + +Upon the seventh and last day, Saint George of England entered the lists +as chief Challenger, mounted on a sable-coloured steed, betrapped with +bars of burnished gold, and whose forehead was beautiful with a gorgeous +plume of purple feathers, from whence hung many pendants of gold. The +Knight's armour was of the purest steel inlaid with silver; his helmet +was richly adorned with pearls and many precious stones; and on his +banner, borne before him by the faithful De Fistycuff, was pictured, on +a blood-red field, a lion rampant, bearing three crowns upon his head. +His tent, white as the feathers of the swan, was supported by figures of +four elephants of purest brass. Before it stood an ivory chariot, +guarded by twelve coal-black negroes, and in it sat his lovely bride, +the Princess Sabra, spectatress of the tournament. All eyes turned +towards the English Champion, to gaze and admire. His steed bore him +right nobly, and never gave encounter to any knight but both man and +horse were speedily hurled helpless to the ground. That day the +tournament lasted from the sun's up-rising till the evening star +appeared, during which time he conquered five hundred of the hardiest +knights of Asia, and shivered a thousand lances, to the admiration of +all beholders. + +The tournament being over, the Emperor sent to Saint George's tent a +golden tree with seven branches, to be divided equally among the seven +foreign Champions. There they all assembled; and what was their +astonishment, when they removed their casques, to discover that they +were the long parted and ancient comrades! Warmly they grasped each +other's hands, and talked and laughed right pleasantly. High revelry, +also, did they hold that evening in Saint George's tent, and told each +other of their adventures, exploits, and achievements. Jovially they +quaffed full golden beakers of rosy in wine, and many a jovial song they +sang, and many a tale they told. All inquired who the lady could be who +had been seen on the summit of Saint Anthony's tent; when he confessed +that the strong-minded Princess Rosalinde of Georgia had won his heart +and hand. + +"She, then, is sister of the six lovely Princesses I had the happiness +of being instrumental in turning from swans into young ladies. Your +bride will be glad to hear that they appeared none the worse for their +transformation!" exclaimed Saint Andrew. + +"Ah! you do not know, then, what happened after you left the country, my +cousin of Scotland!" cried Saint Patrick. "Ha! ha! ha! They all set +off to follow you, unknown to their father. I met them in a wood with +their six maidens, wandering alone, and had the satisfaction of rescuing +them from the power of some unpleasant enemies, among whom they had +fallen. I thought they would have found you out before now." + +"No, indeed, I have escaped them hitherto," answered Saint Andrew, +rubbing his hands. "One of them might have persuaded me to marry her, +and that would not at all have suited me. I intend to remain a bachelor +for many a year to come." + +"I wonder you did not offer to marry one of them, at least, my brave +Irish friend," observed Saint Anthony; "it would have been but in +accordance with the acknowledged gallantry of your countrymen. I, too, +should have been glad to have hailed you as a brother-in-law." + +"Faith! so I would have married one or all of them, if it hadn't been +from the difficulty of making a selection, and hurting the feelings of +the rest; for a more amiable collection of young ladies I never set eyes +on; so I gave them a little chariot I had got, drawn by a few alligators +and hippopotami, and advised them to go quietly back to their father's +court, instead of gadding about the world as they were then doing. +Whether or not they took my advice I cannot say, for when they went +north I turned my horse's head, and, with my faithful Squire, rode away +south." + +Many other similar adventures to these were told by the old comrades, of +which there is no space to tell. + +But if the Knights were merry, much more so were their Squires. +Joyfully they discovered each other, and agreed to meet together in the +tent of the faithful De Fistycuff. Right jovial was the meeting, and +huge the amount of the viands they consumed, and innumerable the beakers +of Samian and Falernian wine they quaffed. Merry the stories they told +of their numberless adventures, and facetious the songs they sang. Each +Squire boasted loudly of the deeds of his master, and of the country to +which he belonged; but no one boasted louder than did the faithful Owen +ap Rice, of Saint David especially, and of his own loved country, Wales. +Terence O'Grady was not much behind him in that respect; while Murdoch +McAlpine declared that Saint Andrew was one of the best of masters, and +that if Scotland was not the finest and the largest country in the +world, it was, at all events, the one he loved the best, just because it +was Scotland and his native land. + +"Your hand, old comrade," exclaimed De Fistycuff, springing up, "that's +the very reason why I like Merrie England. She has her faults, I'll +allow; but though I've wandered nearly all the world around, there's no +country in my mind to be compared to her, and with all her faults I love +her still." + +"Bah!" exclaimed Le Crapeau, "she is not equal to _la belle_ France, at +all events." + +"Inferior to Italy, without doubt. Look, what noble people the ancient +Romans were!" observed Niccolo, swallowing a handful of macaroni. + +"The idea of comparing a little island to a magnificent territory like +Spain!" cried Pedrillo. "Why, we were civilised, and a province of +Rome, while the British were painted barbarians, unknown to all the rest +of the world." + +Thus they disputed, but all in good humour, and many a joke was bartered +on the subject. All things terrestrial must come to an end, and so did, +at length, the Knights' banquet and the Squires' jovial supper. + +The next day, scarcely had the Champions arisen from their downy +couches, whereon they had rested their weary limbs, after the fatigues +of the numberless combats in which they had been engaged, when it was +announced that six foreign Princesses, of great beauty, had arrived in +the capital, and had been witnesses of the tournament, in disguise. +Some said they had come in one way, some in another; and among other +descriptions of the mode in which they travelled, it was asserted that +they came in a chariot, drawn by twelve tame alligators and as many +hippopotami. + +"The Georgian Princesses, a crown against a baubee!" exclaimed Saint +Andrew, starting up from his couch. "Murdoch, go and find out, with all +speed, and if it is the case, get ready our steeds and baggage without +delay, or one of these strong-minded young ladies will be insisting on +accompanying me to my ancestral halls in bonnie Scotland." + +"They've run their game to earth; there's no doubt about it," cried +Saint Patrick, who had been fond of sporting in his youth, when he heard +the news. "They deserve our brushes for their pains; and one thing must +be said in their favour, that they are very pretty young women, and not +at all afflicted with the ordinary prejudices and bashfulness which +stands in the way of so many young ladies in finding themselves +comfortable establishments. What say you, Terence? Don't you think +that I might go further and fare worse?" + +"Ah! faith! noble Master, that you might, unless, mark me, you get back +to old Ireland; and there it isn't much difficulty I'd have in finding +many a score of sweet creatures, to whom, it's my belief, these Georgian +Princesses couldn't hold a candle." + +The mention of his fair countrywomen (of whom Saint Patrick was a warm +admirer, and who is not who knows them?) artfully thrown in by his +Squire, turned the Knight from the intention he began to entertain of +making one of the Princesses his bride. + +When the Seven Champions met at breakfast, they talked the matter over +with due gravity. They recollected that there were six ladies and only +five bachelor knights, two only being benedicts. + +"But suppose we five were to marry five of the Princesses, one still +would be like puss in the corner--she must be left out," observed Saint +Andrew, who was evidently the least inclined of any of the party to wed, +and had arranged to start away directly after breakfast. + +"Oh! one must become a nun," observed Saint Patrick. "It's a mighty +pleasant sort of life to those who don't like work, and are fond of +being utterly useless." + +Scarcely was the breakfast over than the Champions were summoned into +the presence of the Emperor; and there, seated around him, were the six +Princesses of Georgia, radiant in beauty, and looking bewitching and +killing in the extreme. + +"Fair ladies, and right noble strong-minded Princesses, here are the +Seven Champions of Christendom. It has come to our imperial knowledge +that you have left the Court of my brother of Georgia, your royal +father, for the purpose of wedding one, if not more, of these right +valorous Champions, for in that matter there seems to be some little +difficulty. Make your choice, therefore, most strong-minded Princesses; +whom will you wed? For, from the observations I have made of these +Knights' gallantry, I can pledge my imperial word that they will not +refuse your moderate and modest requests." + +Now, the six Princesses, on hearing these words, looked unutterable +things, and a roseate hue rushed into their lily-like cheeks; but their +eyes did not wander up and down the hall among the Knights, for, with a +constancy worthy of all admiration and imitation, they fixed them on +Saint Andrew. + +"He is the Knight who changed us from swans into maidens, he is the +Knight, for love of whom we left our father's home, and in search of +whom we wandered, all forlorn, the world up and down, and with him alone +do any of us wish to wed." + +"Well spoken, fair Princesses," observed the Emperor. "That much +circumscribes the question, and decreases the difficulty. Which of you +desires to wed with the gallant Christian Knight? For, remember, that +only one wife can he have, whatever may be the custom in Asia." + +Saint Andrew, who had never feared mortal foe or foes, giants, wild +beasts, or evil spirits, began at these words to tremble in his shoes, +and to regret that he had not recommenced his travels by daybreak. + +The strong-minded Princesses all sat looking at him. + +"I'm the one to marry him," cried the eldest. + +The Champion's heart began to sink within him. + +"I'm the one to marry him," cried the second. + +"But I'm the one to marry him," cried the third. + +"But I say that I'm the one to marry him," cried the fourth. + +"But I declare that I'm the one to marry him," cried the fifth. + +"You are all wrong!" exclaimed the sixth. "From the very first I am +sure that it was understood clearly that I was to be his wife." + +"Stay, sweet Princesses," observed the Emperor, calmly, "I see clearly +that there has been some slight misunderstanding among you about this +matter, and I am sure Saint Andrew is too gallant a Knight to desire to +make any five of you unhappy, or jealous of the sixth. I, therefore, +purpose to send you all back, under a proper escort, to your father's +court, and I hope that you will there speedily find six noble knights to +lead you to the altar of Hymen." + +The six strong-minded Princesses made very long faces at the decision of +the Emperor; but, as his decisions were always final, they could make no +reply; though, when they once more turned their eyes towards the +Scottish Knight, the spectators could not but remark that their +expression was very much changed, and Saint Andrew evidently thought it +wise to keep at a respectful distance from their fingers. + +"Certes, Master," whispered Murdoch to Saint Andrew, "you are, to my +belief, very well out of it." + +"It's a mighty easy way of settling the matter," said Terence O'Grady, +"but I wonder what the six serving maids are to do!" + +History reports, however, that they went back to Georgia, married six +stalwart knights, and lived very happily afterwards, as did their six +fair attendants, who, in like manner, married six faithful squires, who +all in time became knights and great lords of the realm. + +After the tournament and all the festivities were over, the Seven +Champions prepared to depart, each for his own country; but, ere they +commenced their journey, news arrived that all the great Pagan Powers +had banded together to overthrow the Christian Emperor of the East, who, +therefore, sent to entreat all the aid they and their followers could +afford. With one accord they promised to raise an army, and to hurry +back to his assistance. + +Saint George, leaving his youthful bride, the lovely Princess Sabra, in +his castle near Coventry, soon levied a powerful army; and, setting +sail, no longer as a knight-errant, but as a renowned general, he +arrived with his forces on the coast of Portugal, where he was joined by +the other six Champions, who each brought troops in proportion to the +size of his country. So enchanted were the Portuguese with Saint +George, that, having no Champion of their own, they entreated him to +become theirs, and have ever since retained him among their most +honoured saints and heroes. Here Saint George was chosen generalissimo +of all the Christian forces, and, once more setting sail, he entered the +Mediterranean. Then, landing on the coast of Morocco, he bethought him +of punishing Almidor, the black King of that country, who was about to +join the Pagan armies. + +The Moors in vain endeavoured to prevent the landing of the Christian +Champions. The battle was hot and furious. Almidor rushed to the van, +where quickly he was singled out by Saint George. Terrific was the +combat, and never before was the Moorish Monarch so hotly pressed. + +Now he had prepared, in full expectation of victory, a vast cauldron of +boiling metal, in which he purposed, with fell intent, to cast the +Christian Champions and their followers; but when at length, unable any +longer to withstand the far-famed sword of Saint George, he fled in +despair, to cast himself headlong in, and his example being followed by +his generals and chief officers, the furious battle was brought to a +speedy end, and the Princess Sabra was well avenged for the cruelties +the black Almidor had inflicted on her. + +Scarcely had this satisfactory event been brought about than Saint +George received the unwelcome news that the Earl of Coventry was +besieging his castle in England, for the purpose of carrying off the +Lady Sabra, his bride, and now the mother of three blooming boys,--the +wicked Earl having spread a report that the great Champion of England, +whom no other foe could conquer, had yielded to the inevitable hand of +death. + +The brave Knight hastened back with the speed of lightning, when sad was +the sight which met his eyes. His castle was burnt to the ground, and +his lady had been carried off by the wicked Earl, and, as she had +refused all his offers of marriage, had been accused of witchcraft, and +lay in prison, condemned to be burned alive. What had become of his +three blooming boys he could not tell. + +Putting spurs to his horse, the Knight and De Fistycuff galloped into +Coventry. There he met the Earl going out hunting; and there, in mortal +combat, he laid him low. + +Scarcely had the Earl breathed his last, acknowledging with his dying +breath the lady's innocence, than the Princess Sabra was led forth to +execution. Quickly her guards were put to flight, and mounting her on +his horse, he bore her off to a neighbouring forest, where he might defy +pursuit. + +There, as they wandered up and down, one day they espied three beauteous +boys, sleeping on a bed of roses, beneath a shady bower. The parents' +hearts told them that the children were their own. They flew towards +them, when they saw, seated at the further end of the bower a beautiful +lady. Instantly Saint George knew her as the kind Fairy who so often +before befriended him, and who had now saved his children from the +burning castle. Again and again he thanked the Fairy, who, smiling +sweetly, vanished from his sight. + +Leaving his children under the care of those wise tutors, named +Industry, Attention, and Teachableness, taking his wife, he once more +set out to rejoin the army engaged in the war with the Pagans. + + + +CHAPTER THIRTEEN. + +SAINT GEORGE KILLS THE ENCHANTER OSMOND. + +Saint George and his virtuous Lady, having arrived in Africa, were +travelling to Egypt from the west, when they chanced to arrive at a +magnificent country, inhabited only by Amazonians. + +Journeying along, great was their surprise to find every town and +village desolate of people; the fields untilled; and fields overgrown +with weeds: nor man, nor woman, nor child was to be seen. + +Scarcely food even from the berries in the woods could they procure to +satisfy their hunger. + +In this extremity, after many days, they arrived before a rich +pavilion--all of green and crimson, bordered with gold and azure--the +hooks of ivory, the cords of silk, while at the top stood a golden +eagle, and at each corner a green silver griffin shining in the sun. +Beautiful as was the tent, still more lovely was the lady who stood +before it--a maiden queen--crowned with an imperial diadem, and clothed +in a robe of green, with the body formed of lace of gold, and her +crimson kirtle bound with violet-coloured velvet, the wide sleeves being +embroidered with flowers of gold and rich pearls. Around her stood her +maiden attendants in comely attire, with silver coronets on their heads, +and silver bows in their hands, while at their backs hung quivers full +of golden arrows. + +With courteous words the Queen invited the Knight and his Lady to enter +her pavilion, when she told him that her country was sorely afflicted by +the arts of a wicked magician, named Osmond, who had sought her love, +and having been rejected had conceived the most deadly hatred against +her. + +"He has built," she said, "a mighty tower on the borders of my realm, +from which issues so deadly and dark a smoke that my people are driven +from their homes, and the country remains desolate. He has left the +guarding of the castle to a terrible giant, the ugliest monster eyes +ever beheld. He is thirty feet in height, his head three times the size +of that of the largest ox, his eyes larger than two sunflowers, and his +teeth, with which he can break a bar of iron, standing out a foot from +his mouth; his arms long and bony, his skin black as coal and hard as +brass, and his strength so great that he can carry away three knights in +armour, and their steeds, with the greatest ease." + +"Now, by my halidom, but I will fetter this monster and break the +enchantment, or never see this place again." In vain the Princess Sabra +entreated him not to undertake the adventure. + +Even the Amazonian Queen thought it beyond his power. + +At daybreak, accompanied by De Fistycuff, he set forth, leaving the side +of his weeping wife, and assuring her that he would return in safety. +As he and his Squire advanced into the enchanted district the light of +day decreased; darker and darker it grew, till they could with +difficulty grope their way before them, while dense clouds of smoke +seemed to be rolling thicker and thicker over their heads. Nothing +could surpass the melancholy and depressing gloom of the air. + +At length, by a faint glimmer of lurid light, they beheld the gates of +the enchanted tower, at which sat, on a block of rock, a huge giant in +his iron coat, with a mace of steel in his hand. At first sight of +Saint George and his Squire, he beat his teeth so mightily together that +they rang like the stroke of an anvil; and then he sprang up and rushed +forward, thinking to take the Champion, horse and all, within his mouth, +with the Squire under one arm, and to bear them into the tower. + +When, however, the giant opened his mouth, showing his teeth sharp as +steel, Saint George thrust his trusty sword Ascalon so far down it, that +the monster cried out loud as thunder in his pain and terror; the very +earth trembled, his mouth smoked like a fiery furnace, and his eyes +rolled in his head like brands of flaming fire: but the Champion pressed +him harder and harder, the blood flowing in a great stream from his +mouth, till he was forced to cry out for mercy, and to beg for life. +This Saint George granted him, on condition that he would discover all +the secrets of the tower, and ever after be his true servant. Then the +giant swore to speak the truth, and told him that the necromancer had +made a huge fire in a deep vault whence all the smoke came forth, but +that near the fire was a fair and pleasant fountain, the water of which, +if any knight could cast it on the fire, the smoke would cease and the +fire be put out. This sufficed Saint George. + +Ordering the giant to keep the door, and leaving De Fistycuff to watch +over him, he advanced into the tower, which was full of vast windows; +and then he entered a long dark passage with a door at one end, set as +thick with spikes of steel as are the prickles of a sea-urchin's skin; +yet, dashing open the door, in spite of the clouds of smoke which rushed +out, he descended in total darkness, thundering blows all the time +raining down on his burgonet, which he guarded off with his shield, and +voices from unseen spirits screeching in his ears, while the heat, great +at first, increased so fiercely that he was almost melted, his armour +becoming nearly red-hot. + +Just as he was about to faint he espied the crystal fountain, and +quickly filling his shield from it, he cast the water on the fire. +Backwards and forwards he went, till, to his joy, he saw the smoke +ceasing and the blue sky appearing, when the light of the sun entering +the dark passage, he saw on the stairs many great images of brass, with +mighty maces of steel, which had struck him the heavy blows as he +descended. + +The fire being quenched, and the enchantment being thus happily quashed, +the country was restored to its former prosperous condition, while Saint +George received warm thanks of the Amazonian Queen; and then, with the +Princess Sabra by his side, and followed by De Fistycuff, and the huge +Giant Orcus as he was called, he set off to join the Christian army in +the south. On their way, however, finding that they were not far from +Bagabornabou, the native land of the lovely Sabra, they determined to +journey thither. + +De Fistycuff, as a herald, went before to announce their arrival, +whereon they were received right royally. Such joyful sounds of bells, +trumpets, cymbals, and drums, were scarce ever heard before in the +kingdom; nor had such stately pageants ever been seen as those which +welcomed them; the walls were hung with Indian coverlets and curious +tapestry, and the pavement was strewed with odoriferous flowers of every +lovely hue. + +This being over, the Princess Sabra was crowned Queen of the country, +and for many days she and her noble lord reigned there in peace and +prosperity, till the desire of martial glory summoned Saint George once +more to buckle on his armour, and to join the Christian forces now +marching towards Egypt. + +Time will not allow a full description of the bloody battle which took +place between the Christians and the Pagans, or of the magic arts +practised by the fell Enchanter Osmond, who strove with all his power to +overthrow or circumvent the former; or how he raised an army of evil +spirits from the earth, the air, and fire, and water; and besides a +mighty tempest by which huge oaks were torn up by the roots, houses and +temples were unroofed, and men and horses carried high up into the air, +and let down again with terrific crashes. + +While the tempest was raging, they charged into the Christian host with +flaming falchions, firing their horses' manes, burning their trappings, +and consuming their banners; but undaunted they stood, headed by Saint +George and the six other Champions, till the Pagan forces were compelled +at length to give way, and to retire from the field. + +The acts of the Enchanter were not yet concluded, for he erected a magic +tent, with arts so subtle, that the interior seemed like a large country +full of gardens, fields, and orchards, and palaces. There he caused six +of his spirits to assume the guise of six lovely princesses, travelling +the country round in search of six gallant knights who would break some +lances in their services. By artful guile the seeming royal ladies +persuaded the six Champions to accompany them to their pavilion, where +they announced that a right royal banquet was prepared to do them +honour. + +The Champions departed, unsuspicious of ill; but day after day passed by +and they did not return. The troops, by degrees, began to complain that +they were left without their leaders; when Saint George, inquiring into +the matter, right wisely supposed that it might be some cunning device +of the Enchanter Osmond. + +On inquiring of his slave, the Giant Orcus, he found that this was +indeed too true, and that the Knights were kept in servile bonds in the +magic pavilion. Addressing his warriors, he told them of the discovery +he had made, when, with loud shouts, they vowed to follow wherever he +might lead. + +Thus trusting in the noble Champion, they neither feared the +necromancer's charms, the flaming dragons, the fierce drakes, the +flashing lurid lights, or the legions of hideous monsters armed with +burning falchions, which surrounded them as they marched towards the +enchanted pavilion. + +Far more dangerous were the sounds of sweet music which struck upon +their ears, and the enchanting sights which their eyes beheld, as they +surrounded the magic tent; but Saint George, recollecting the honour of +his knighthood, let drive at the tent with his sword, so furiously, that +he cut it into a thousand pieces; when there was exposed to view the +fell Enchanter Osmond, sitting on a rock of iron, feeding hideous +spirits, who obeyed his will, with drops of blood. + +The Champion and his soldiers rushed upon him so furiously that, seizing +him unawares, they carried him off, and bound him with chains to the +root of a blasted oak, whence neither his own art nor all the spirits he +once commanded could release him. + +Saint George then set at liberty the six captive Knights, when the +lovely princesses, turning into their proper shapes of six hideous +spirits, flew off with loud shrieks and hisses through the air. + +The necromancer then shrieking forth that all his magic arts and devices +had come to nought, tore out his eyes, bit his tongue in two, because +that it had so often uttered curses, cut off his hands, which had held +his silver wand, the cause of so much evil; and finally ended his +existence by devouring his own inside, dying thus a warning to all +magicians for future ages. + +This adventure being happily terminated, the Christian army advanced +towards Egypt and Persia; nor did the Champions ever again sheathe their +swords, or unlock their armour, till the subversion of those ancient +Empires was accomplished. This being done, they took truce of the +world, and triumphantly marched towards Christendom; in which journey +they erected many stately monuments in remembrance of their victories +and heroical achievements; and through every country that they marched +there flocked to them an innumerable company of Pagans, that desired to +follow Saint George into Christendom, protesting that they wished to +forsake their heathen gods, whose worshippers' chief delight is in the +shedding of human blood and every cruelty. To their requests Saint +George at once condescended, not only in granting them their desires, +but also in honouring them with the favour of his princely countenance. + +Once more did the gallant Champion return to England, with the faithful +De Fistycuff, and this time he invited the other six Champions to +accompany him. + +Pen would fail properly to describe the magnificent entertainments with +which they were honoured, and the pleasant time they spent there, before +they again set forward on their adventures. + +There, sad to relate, the Princess Sabra sickened and died, and with +grief and anguish Saint George raised a magnificent tomb to her memory, +and placed it above her grave. Then, after embracing his three young +sons, he once more set out on his travels. + + + +CHAPTER FOURTEEN. + +THE ADVENTURE OF THE THREE SONS OF SAINT GEORGE. + +Numberless were the strange adventures in which the gallant Champions of +Christendom were engaged, and numberless the noble deeds they performed; +of the greater number of which this history, by stern necessity, must be +silent, and many of which can be but briefly described. + +For many years Saint George had travelled up and down the world, the +faithful De Fistycuff by his side, nor had news of them been received in +England. His three noble sons had now grown to man's estate, and had +received the honour of knighthood from their Sovereign. When, as they +were visiting one night their mother's tomb, her spirit, in the gentle +form she wore on earth, rose from out of it before their enravished +eyes, and counselled them, as they loved their honoured father's memory, +to go and search him out, and bring him back in safety to his native +land. Thus having spoken, with a sweet smile, she vanished from their +sight. + +Well furnished, they set off from England. Scarcely had they travelled +far through Normandy, than, as they were passing through a wood, a loud +shriek assailed their ears. Charging amid the trees, they beheld a +lovely damsel in the hands of a dozen armed men; fierce pirates, from +their dress and weapons, they appeared. With the war-cry of their +father's name, they rushed on the marauders, and, as none would yield, +they slew them all, and then loosed the lady and her attendants, whom +the pirates had bound to the surrounding trees. + +With grateful words and tears, which chased each other down her cheeks +of lily white, she told them that she was the daughter of a Duke, whose +castle was hard by. Then the three young Knights were sumptuously +entertained and pressed by the Duke to stay; but mindful of their duty, +they speedily set forth again to search out their father. + +They journeyed on for many days, through countries where no houses or +habitations were to be found; they rested, therefore, at night in the +woods or on the open downs, having only the starry firmament for their +canopy. Thus sweetly reposing on their mother earth, they slept as +soundly as if they had rested on beds of feathers, and had been +surrounded with curtains of the purest Arabian silk. + +One night they had been sleeping securely, until such time as Aurora +began to gild the firmament with her bright rays, and to usher in +Phoebus's golden light, when suddenly a terrific noise, which seemed to +arise from some deep abyss, and to be about to rend the rocks asunder, +assailed their ears. + +Awaking, they leaped to their feet, and buckling on their armour, stood +on their guard. High time it was for them so to do; had they slept but +another minute sad would have been their fate. As they gazed around, to +discover whence the noise could have proceeded, they saw coming towards +them a most hideous monster, of excessive size and terrible shape. His +eyes were like burning saucers, so round and large were they; his mouth +was like that of some huge bird of prey, and his front claws were like +those of eagles, but infinitely larger and sharper; he had ears like a +fox, with a scaly breast, and wings like a bird; but his body was +shaggy, and his hinder feet were like those of a lion. + +Again and again he roared most terrifically, and as he moved along his +head reached high up among the boughs of the tallest trees. Their three +horses, as he drew near, snorted and stamped on the earth, rearing up +with terror, and almost broke from the ropes which secured them, for the +young knights, disdaining to fly as they might have done, had kept on +foot. They felt, also, how perfectly and completely they could trust +each other, and thus they stood, fearless of the coming danger. + +The monster, with loud cries, spreading out his wings, and lifting up +his terrible talons, rushed towards them. Side by side, at a little +distance apart, they stood ready to receive him. He ran at the centre +one, who, stepping back a pace, made a furious cut at him with his +sword, while the other two assailed him on either side. Quick as hail +fell their blows on his hard side, but, hard and tough as was his skin, +their sharp swords soon found entrance, and the blood of the monster +began to flow in torrents, rising quickly over their feet, for they +fought in a valley from whence there was no means for it to escape; +blood not being able of itself to run up hill in any way more easily +than water, which cannot do it at all. The young Knights thus saw that +if they desired to escape drowning, they must finish the combat without +further delay; the odour of the monster was excessively disagreeable to +their olfactory nerves, being like the essence of ten thousand +pole-cats, weasels, skunks, ferrets, and similar vermin. + +Now they plied their blows more furiously than ever, till at length Sir +Guy, the eldest, plunged his weapon into the monster's scaly breast, and +roars of pain and rage, louder than that which ten thousand elephants, +lions, and donkeys united could make, were sent forth by the terrific +brute, who threw himself headlong on the gallant knights; but they +nimbly skipped out of the way; and, as his face lay submerged in his own +blood, they again thrust their swords into his back and sides, while +thousands of bubbles, floating up from the surface of the pool of Wood, +showed that, at length, he had breathed out his hideous life. + +The Knights, having ascertained that he was dead, retired from the +field; the neighbourhood of which soon became unbearable, from the +horrid odour which proceeded from it. Having thus washed away all the +stains of the combat, in a neighbouring stream, for they were all three +very nice young men, and hated to be more dirty than was necessary, they +proceeded on their journey. + +Time will not allow me to dwell long on their subsequent adventures. + +As they journeyed on, faint and weary, and sadly wanting refreshment, +they met a herald loudly proclaiming, on his brazen horn, the greatest +rewards to whoever would slay the Monster Pongo, who was ravaging the +country. + +They stopped him and told him that they had slain the monster. On this, +after they had shown him where the brute lay, the herald conducted them +to the Court of the King, who received them with unbounded joy, and +loaded them with honours. + +Now it had happened, that, while the Monster Pongo was ravaging the +country, and the King and all his Court, and ministers, and generals, +and his army were distracted and entirely beside themselves, a band of +pirates, led by a noted chief, had landed on their shores, and carried +off the fair and young daughter of the King, the Princess Urania. + +No sooner did the young Knights hear the tale, than they offered to go +in search of her, as a work worthy of their arms. In a stout vessel, +rowed by sturdy men, they set forth. Many tempests they met with, and +much were they tossed about by the waves. Little did they think at the +time that their honoured sire and his six friends, the other Champions +of Christendom, were likewise making a long voyage, and were the sport +of the winds and waves; the only powers, indeed, which could make sport +of such doughty Knights. Weeks had passed away, and still they were +ploughing the waves, and wishing that Britannia, when she was about it, +had ruled them straighter, when they perceived, at a distance, several +vessels. + +They made towards them. A desperate combat was taking place, and fierce +pirates, with burning torches in their hands, were endeavouring to set +fire to the barks of their opponents. + +On the deck of one of them, yet at a little distance, who should they +behold but two of the great Champions of Christendom, their honoured +father, Saint George, and his dear friend, Saint Andrew, standing calm +and undismayed, waiting the time for their vessel to approach near +enough to take part in the combat. As they guessed, rightly, the rest +of the Champions lay on their couches below, overcome by the power of +the sea, wishing themselves safe on dry land again, and caring very +little whether they then and there went to the bottom. + +Instantly the three young Knights, urging on their bark, threw +themselves on the pirates, whom, after a desperate combat, they +compelled to surrender; many having leaped overboard, and others having +been slain. One of the pirate vessels was almost in a sinking state. A +cry proceeded from her hold; it was that of a female in distress. + +The young Knights rushed on board, when, ere the vessel sank, they drew +forth a young and lovely damsel, and carried her in safety to their own +bark. A few words sufficed to tell them that she was no other than the +Princess Urania, of whom they were in search. + +Saint George was highly delighted with the prowess of his sons, and he +and his friends accompanied them to the Court of Urania's father, where +they were all, as might have been expected, sumptuously entertained. + +From thence they again set forth in search of fresh adventures, which +were no less wonderful than those I have already narrated, but which +require a longer pen than mine to tell. + + + +CHAPTER FIFTEEN. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT PATRICK. + +Time, which spares not kings or princes, any more than other people, at +length laid his heavy hand on the Seven Great Champions of Christendom, +and eke on their once doughty Squires. Hard knocks in battles and +tournaments, voyages by sea, and travels by land, hard fare as well as +gay revellings, fights with giants, monsters, wild beasts, and evil +spirits, had done their work, unnerved their once iron arms, and turned +their raven or auburn locks to grey; while from their chins, instead of +full bushy beards, hung down long silvery streamers of white; and those +lion voices, which once had been heard high above the din of battle, and +had braved kings on their thrones and giants in their dens, were now +changed to weak and trembling trebles, which could scarce be heard even +above the summer breeze. + +First, of Saint Patrick I will tell. Laying aside his lance, and trusty +sword, and armour, which he committed to the care of his ancient +follower and faithful squire, Terence O'Grady, (now the father of a fine +family, and settled on his own estate in Ireland, which has been handed +down to his descendants from generation to generation,) he assumed the +humble palmer's guise, and resolved to wander up and down the world, +not, as before, to perform feats of arms, but to collect all sorts of +information which might be useful to his beloved native land, where he +proposed ultimately to lay his bones. + +No longer was he accompanied by his faithful Terence, but solitary and +alone did the aged Palmer go forth. Great as he was, many sins had he +to mourn, and much had he to be sorry for. + +Among the things he most regretted were the opportunities he had lost of +doing good, and of gaining that knowledge which would have made him +useful in his generation. However, he thought that he would make amends +for his early neglect; but even the great Saint had to learn that lost +opportunities in the days of our youth and strength can seldom or never +be recovered when years advance with rapid strides and lay a heavy hand +upon us. Thus, resting on his staff, with a scallop shell in front of +his broad-brimmed hat, in russet coat and wallet at his back, the old +hero set out once more on his adventurous journey. + +Many strange adventures even then befell him. Often was he assailed by +fierce temptations, but bravely he resisted them, as he had done his +enemies of old. The laws and institutions of foreign countries were the +chief objects of his inquiries. Nothing came amiss to him; he asked +about everything he saw, and never seemed weary of gaining information. +Even into cook-shops and kitchens he found his way; and some assert that +the Irish from him learned how to cook potatoes properly, though I do +not see exactly how that can be the case, seeing, as may be remembered, +that potatoes came from America, and that America did not happen to be +known in those days. Perhaps he, however, may have been over there +unknown to the rest of the world. Others say that, at all events, he +introduced the Irish-stew; but to that there seems also some little +objection of the same character, as "praties" enter largely into its +composition. + +Then, again, that objection is overruled by those who assert that some +other root or some cereal might have been used in their stead. No true +Irishman, however, doubts the following fact, which is about to be +described. + +Travelling onwards, he at length reached a part of Africa, often much +infested by serpents. He was there told of a rare and wonderful means +which the inhabitants employed to get rid of the serpents. Having +caught them, they tied fish-hooks to their tails. No sooner did the +serpents find this incumberance attached to them, than in their rage +they never failed to turn round and bite at their other extremities. In +this way they invariably caught their mouths in the hooks, and thus +being turned into hoops or rings, from which uncomfortable position +being utterly unable to escape, they were easily caught up on long +sticks and thrown over the left shoulder into the nearest lake or river, +from which they were certain never again to come back. + +This was only one, it must be remembered, of the many important pieces +of information that blessed Saint and great man Saint Patrick picked up +in his latter travels. Some say that he taught the Irish to read and +write. Certain, at all events, it is that he introduced that fine and +glorious weapon, the shillelagh, among them; and, moreover, taught them +the use of it, for which his memory is ever to be held in due reverence, +not to speak of many other reasons why he should be loved and admired by +all the sons of Erin. + +At length, Saint Patrick, feeling that his latter days were approaching, +got back safe to Old Ireland, there firmly purposed to leave his bones. +The country, at that time there can be no manner of doubt about it, was +overrun with serpents, big and little, in great numbers, whose bite was +so venomous, that, if a man got stung by one of them, he in a minute or +less swelled up into a mountain. So the people came to Saint Patrick,-- +for to whom else should they go, seeing that, of course, he was one of +the wisest men in the kingdom?--and they told him that it was their firm +belief that the whole land, from north to south, would be depopulated +before long if the snakes were not driven out of it. So, just then +thinking of something else, he told them to take their shillelaghs and +to knock the snakes on the head, and to drive them into the sea, he +himself setting the example; and right lustily he laid about him, as he +was wont to do in his early days, among Pagan hosts, or wild beasts, or +giants, or ogres. + +Suddenly, as he was attacking a monstrous serpent wriggling about before +him, he recollected the way in which he had seen the snakes got rid of +in Africa. So, ordering all the fish-hooks to be procured throughout +Ireland to be brought to him, he had them tied on to the tails of all +the serpents to be found. Instantly the serpents were turned into +hoops, and calling his faithful followers, he showed them how to ring +them all on their shillelaghs. This done, staggering away with them at +their backs, all the serpents, and snakes, and vipers, were carried off +to the sea, into which they were thrown and drowned, and from that day +to this not one has ever ventured to come back to the shores of Old +Ireland, and none ever will, that we may be assured. + +After this great and important achievement, the pious Saint wished to +retire altogether from public life. So he had a hermitage cut for +himself out of a big grey moss-overgrown rock, on an island in a lake +surrounded by trees, where very few people ever thought of coming to see +him; but some good pious families, who lived near, used to take him +fish, and other provisions, to supply his daily wants, which were, +indeed, but few. + +There he lived on for some years, his existence being neither very +useful nor very interesting, and the puzzle was how he managed to pass +his time. His hair grew longer than ever, and so did his nails; and at +length it was discovered that he was with them, day after day, engaged +in digging his own grave. Like the mole, working away, he turned up the +earth till he had made it deep enough and long enough to suit his taste. +When it was completed he laid himself down in it, weary of the world, +and never rose from it again. + +When the peasants came the next morning, they found the old Saint dead; +so, mournfully they threw back the earth he had turned up; and many +years afterwards, the exact spot being ascertained, a magnificent church +was raised over it to his memory. + + + +CHAPTER SIXTEEN. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT DAVID. + +Pen would fail to write, or man to tell, all the gallant achievements +which the noble Knight, Saint David of Wales, and his faithful Squire, +Owen ap Rice, performed during their foreign travels. + +At length even they began to weary of the constant hazardous adventures +in which they were engaged. Age had begun to dim the lustre of Saint +David's eye, and to unnerve his arm, but not to lower the courage of his +heart. + +News was now brought him that an army of Pagan barbarians was about to +attack his native land. No time was to be lost if he would render +service to his country. On his homeward way he collected all the +gallant knights, and their squires, and men-at-arms, with whom he and +the faithful Owen had, in their travels, become acquainted. Thus, by +the time he reached the borders of Wales, he had assembled an army +which, though small, was well able to perform deeds such as ten times +the number of ordinary men would not have dared to attempt. + +Sad was the state of Wales when they entered it in battle-array, seeking +the enemy,--towns were unpeopled, houses overthrown, monasteries +pillaged, corn-fields burnt, farms destroyed, while from the caves and +woods came forth the unhappy people, to welcome him as their deliverer, +and to pray for his success. + +These sights so fired the spirit of the aged Champion, that he vowed +never to rest till he had driven the enemy from his native soil. Still +the task was no easy one. They were very numerous, fierce, and brave, +and trained to arms. + +The aged bards of Wales struck their harps to encourage the warriors to +strive bravely in the fight. + +It was, however, discovered that many recreant knights had joined the +forces of the Pagans; they and their followers being habited in armour +little differing from that of the Champion of Wales and those knights +who had accompanied him from abroad. + +Summoning his warriors around him, he addressed them in a speech which +encouraged and animated their valour to the highest pitch. Thus he +concluded:-- + +"Then follow me, my gallant warriors! I will give the signal for the +onset, which will lay thousands of our foemen low; and see, for my +ensign, I do wear upon my burgonet this leek, which will, if we gain the +victory, be ever after held in honour throughout Wales, and on this +first day of March be worn by all Welshmen in commemoration of our +victory." + +Thrice struck the bards their harps, while cheers, loud and long, +replied to the speech, each warrior of Wales forthwith plucking up a +great leek, and placing it on his casque, or head-piece, so that in the +thickest light friends might be known from foes. + +Now there stepped forth a bard, and struck a mournful strain. + + "Sad, sad are the notes I sing, + And sad the news I bring, + For many a gallant knight, and many a warrior bold, + Will fall to-day, + And turn to clay, + Before swift time grows old. + The noblest and the best before the eve must die, + Ere the fell Pagan host are taught to turn and fly." + +These words struck the gallant old Champion's ears. He had never at any +time thought little of his own prowess, while he, like a true patriot, +had always been ready to sacrifice himself for the good of his country. +He resolved, accordingly, should the tide of battle set strong against +his followers, to charge onward amid the hosts of the enemy, and to fall +nobly among them, knowing that his friends, for the love they bore him, +would, for the sake of recovering his body, charge into the midst of the +foe, and assuredly retrieve the fortunes of the day. + +With a cheerful voice, as if he had been giving orders for the +commencement of a tournament, the noble old Champion gave the promised +signal for the onset. Furiously charged the army of Welshmen. Bravely +were they met by their Pagan foes, who, with valour worthy of a better +cause, charged in return, and many on both sides sunk on the ensanguined +plain never to rise again. + +Knight after knight sank down under the terrific blows of the Pagan +clubs and battle-axes, till there seemed but little prospect that the +patriot army would gain the victory. In vain the Christian army shouted +and charged. The sturdy Pagans refused to give way. + +At length, Saint David, recollecting the words uttered by the prophetic +bard in the morning, assembled round him his bravest knights, and, +throwing up his visor, exhibited his countenance, whereon sat a beaming +smile, expressive of patriotism and valour. + +"One of the noblest in the land, it is said, must this day fall before +the battle is won!" he exclaimed. "If such I am, then happy shall I be +to be thus honoured in my death. Charge! brave knights, charge!" + +With these words, the last he ever uttered, the noble Champion rushed +into the thickest of the fight, where a hundred battle-axes rattled on +his helmet, a hundred swords were pointed at his side, a hundred spears +thrust against his fearless breast, and a hundred arrows shot at his +head. Pierced by a hundred wounds he fell, but his followers bravely +avenged his death. The Pagan hordes were put to flight; and Saint David +has ever since, even to the present day, been held in affectionate +remembrance, as he fully deserved, by all Welshmen. + + + +CHAPTER SEVENTEEN. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT DENIS. + +Saint Denis of France, like his brother Champions, much desired, after +his long wanderings, to see once more the smiling fields of _la belle_ +France, and thus he, too, followed by the faithful Le Crapeau, turned +his steps homeward. Time had not failed to leave its hoary marks on +him, and his snowy locks and flowing beard showed full well that the +winter of his life had at length overtaken him. + +Still he kept his armour on, though his shrunken form often seemed to +rattle within it; and the chill blasts, as they entered the crevices, +blew round and round him, and made him often wish for his armchair, and +dressing-gown, and slippers, as does many another elderly gentleman, who +would be far wiser if he kept by his own fireside, instead of allowing +himself to be dragged about the world, in search of a very doubtful sort +of advantage or amusement for the younger branches of his family. + +Saint Denis had not neglected in his travels to discover many things +which he thought might be with advantage introduced into his native +country. He taught the people how to cultivate the vine, and make +_chausse_ roads, though the latter were never very satisfactory. But +many cunning arts and manufactures also he introduced from the far east, +of which there is not space now to speak. The greatest benefit, +however, he conferred on his countrymen was in instructing them in the +important art of cookery. Fricassees and ragouts were by his means +brought to great perfection, and, more than all, he instructed them how +to dress frogs and snails, of which art they were before his time +totally ignorant. Who could ever imagine that there was a time when +Frenchmen knew nothing of that important part of the culinary art? Till +Saint Denis, the hero of a hundred fights, aided by the faithful Le +Crapeau, caught the frogs and cooked them, and, moreover, eat them, the +ignorant Frenchmen could not believe that they were intended to be used +as food. + +But mark the ingratitude of a people--the fickleness of a crowd. The +great Saint Denis, who had fought so long, and upheld the name of France +in so many strange lands, was accused by a recreant knight of heresy and +of high treason, and of endeavouring to introduce bad and mischievous +customs among the people. + +Old as he was, although he had long laid aside his armour, the fire of +his youth burned up within him, and he challenged his malignant accuser +to mortal combat. + +The Champion and the false knight met; but the latter, by the arts of a +wicked enchanter, had come so prepared by talismans for the fight, that +all the skill and courage of Saint Denis could not overthrow him. + +Again and again the aged Champion charged with all the agility and +courage of a young man, and few would have supposed that he who sat +within that iron mask, and wielded that heavy lance, had seen near +eighty winters pass over his hoary head. Once more he charged--his +lance was shivered, and he was borne helpless to the ground. + +Then were the evil designs of his fell enemy victorious. He was +condemned to death. No rescue came, and he was led, yet habited in his +armour, to the block. With a courageous look he lay down his head; but +scarcely had the axe of the cruel executioner fallen upon it, than a +fearful tempest burst forth. The headsman, the recreant knight, and all +who had assisted willingly at the execution, were struck to the ground, +becoming black masses of cinder, by a flash of fearful lightning; and +then the people learned and acknowledged that right and justice were on +the Champion's side. + +Monuments were built and churches erected to his memory, and he was ever +after reverenced as the Patron Saint of France and of all Frenchmen. + + + +CHAPTER EIGHTEEN. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT JAMES. + +Saint James, as long as his arm could wield a lance, continued his +heroic combats with pagans and infidels of all sorts, magicians and +necromancers, giants and ogres, wild beasts and evil spirits of every +kind, sort, and description; but he, at length, too, finding his +strength departing, and his hair growing grey, resolved to return home. +One day, however, as he was about to put on his armour, to ride forth as +usual, he discovered that he could scarcely lift it. + +"The time has come, my faithful Pedrillo, when no longer as a steel-clad +knight, but as a humble pilgrim, I must wander through the world," he +remarked, sitting down again on the couch from which he had risen. "Go +forth, my faithful Squire, and purchase me a palmer's habit, a hat of +grey colour, and a broad scallop shell. Never more will I put on yonder +coat of steel. I should but disgrace the name I have so long borne as +one of the bravest knights of Christendom." + +[Well would it be if other generals and admirals would take a hint from +Saint James, and, following his example, would retire, when their powers +are failing them, from public life.] + +With a sigh the faithful Pedrillo went forth, and procured, as he was +directed, a palmer's habit for his master, and one for himself. Their +armour being packed up and carried on their war-steeds, they now, as +pilgrims, journeyed homewards; but all who met them knew full well what +they had been, and even midnight robbers and outlaws respected them, and +allowed them to pass unmolested. + +Thus travelling on, they reached at length the wide plains of sunny +Spain. There Saint James resolved to build a chapel, and to devote +himself to its service. He erected also a hermitage hard by, where he +and his faithful Pedrillo, who would not quit him, took up their abode +as hermits. Then the peasantry from far and near came to visit them. +Much good advice Saint James could give them, and many things he taught +them, while numberless were the strange stories he could tell of the +wonderful things he had seen and done in foreign lands. + +In time, his chapel, from the gifts brought to it, became one of the +richest in the land; and this so excited the envy and anger of the monks +of a neighbouring convent, that they conspired together to accuse him of +necromancy and other terrible crimes. + +Saint James boldly refuted the accusations, and offered, once more, to +try his lance against any friar among them who was man enough to put on +armour and meet him in single combat; but they all declined the honour, +though they did not the less hurl their invectives against him, and seek +opportunities for his destruction. + +At length, he and some of his more pious fellow-worshippers were caught +one day inside their chapel. The doors were closed upon them, and the +wicked monks, hiring a band of Pagan mercenaries, had them all shot to +death by poisoned arrows. In spite of the pain they suffered, the Saint +and his companions continued singing their hymns to the last, while a +bright silvery light burst forth in the chapel--(so says the ancient +chronicler)--which continued burning glorious as ever; and when, at +length, the chapel was opened, the body of Saint James and the bodies of +his companions were found to be perfectly embalmed. Then they were +placed in marble tombs with silver lids; and, to the present day, Saint +James, by all real Spaniards, is held in the highest esteem and +reverence. + + + +CHAPTER NINETEEN. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT ANTHONY. + +About the same time that his brother knights ended their martial career, +Saint Anthony, with his faithful follower, Niccolo, likewise, for the +same reason, resolved to turn his face homewards. Rome was the city of +his birth, and to Rome he went. + +Rome was a Christian city, but there were still many Pagans in the +neighbourhood, and many of the shrines had as yet scarcely been +accommodated to the new faith, so that the pious Saint Anthony had +considerable difficulty in distinguishing one from the other. This very +much grieved his heart. Even when he went among the priests he could +not always make out to which faith they belonged. They made him long +harangues, and assured him that their great wish was to develop their +ancient and time-honoured institutions into whatever form was likely to +prove most popular. + +Saint Anthony, who was a simple-minded man, was sorely puzzled by all +this; so, after vainly endeavouring to comprehend the state of things in +the ancient capital of the world, he retired to a hermitage, where he +lived for the remainder of his days; nor would he ever again enter Rome. + +Thus, in the fragrant odour of sanctity, he died at a green old age. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT ANDREW. + +Saint George and Saint Andrew were the last of all the Seven Champions +who remained together, rivalling each other in gallant deeds of arms. + +Where breathes the Scotchman who does not desire, when his life's work +seems almost done, to return once more to scent the air of his own free +heathery hills, to climb their rocky heights, and to wander around their +fertile vales? Strongly did the desire to turn homeward seize the heart +of Scotland's Champion. He, however, did not lay aside his spear and +sword; but old as he was, still clad in his armour, bestriding his +war-horse, and followed by the faithful Murdoch, he kept steadily +travelling on, day by day, towards the north. + +Thus should the true knight do. Life is a battle from the beginning to +the end--as the brave Saint Andrew well knew; and never should the +armour, the shield, or sword, be laid aside till death strikes the knell +which summons the warrior from the world. + +Many were the adventures he and the faithful Murdoch met with on their +journey. More than one giant was slain, numbers of unhappy people +released from slavery, and many districts cleared of wild beasts, before +the aged Knight and his faithful Squire reached the fair shores of +Scotia. + +The fame of their deeds had gone before them, and all the nobility of +the realm, and a vast concourse of people, assembled to do them honour. +It was a proud day for the aged Saint Andrew, when, clothed in his +well-worn suit of armour, with Murdoch McAlpine of that ilk carrying his +spear by his side, he rode through the streets of auld Reekie, with the +shouts of the delighted populace sounding in his ears and singing his +praises. + +"Long live Saint Andrew! Long live Saint Andrew! Wherever the Scottish +name is known there will we Scotchmen boast of our own Saint Andrew--of +the gallant deeds he has done--of the name and of the fame he has won!" + +Such were the cries which from far and near saluted his ears. + +A grand tournament was also given in Saint Andrew's honour, at which the +aged Knight sat as umpire, though he wisely refrained from running a +tilt, much as his heart tempted him to put on armour for the occasion. + +Soon after this, being assured that feats of arms were no longer suited +to him, he resolved to instruct his countrymen in certain important +branches of knowledge which he had acquired in his foreign travels. To +prepare himself for this new work he retired to a hermitage he had built +high up on the side of a mountain. Thither, however, in a short time, +resorted to him all the youths of aspiring minds who desired to acquire +information, and to receive instruction from the sage. Thus, in process +of time, the rude hut became a spot celebrated for learning and piety. + +There, happily and usefully employed, the old warrior spent many years +of his declining life. + +But, alas! what virtue, what piety, can enable a man to escape from the +snares of enemies and detractors? Accused of witchcraft, and other +malpractices, the aged Saint was brought before some stern judges, who +forthwith condemned him to death. Scarcely, however, had his head been +cut off than his innocence was discovered, and a church was raised to +his memory; and he has ever since been held in honourable recollection +by all Scotchmen as the Champion of whom his country should be proud--a +knight _sans peur et sans reproche_. + +Such, however, is the way of the world. + + + +CHAPTER TWENTY ONE. + +THE DEATH OF SAINT GEORGE. + +The last Champion who appears in this wondrous, strange, and eventful +history, is the great Saint George. + +Towards the fair land of his birth, right Merrie England, he, too, when +he found age creeping on him, resolved to turn his steps. Still lance +in hand, and clad in steel, his brave lion heart yet undaunted, with the +faithful De Fistycuff by his side, he at length homeward set his eyes. +His faithful chronicler relates numberless adventures he met with, +scarcely less marvellous than those he encountered in his youth. Many a +hard blow he got, which he still was able to return with interest, ably +seconded by De Fistycuff, though, it must be confessed, his Squire had +grown somewhat obese and unwieldy. + +At length, the chalky cliffs of Britain, which for twice twelve years +the noble Champion had never seen, came in sight. Joyful to him was the +prospect; more joyful still the towns and villages, the pleasant aspect +of the fields, and the green waving woods, as he travelled on towards +Coventry. There, with warm greetings, the inhabitants of high and low +degree received him. + +Sadness, however, he saw on the countenances of many; and this was +owing, as the veracious chronicler, from whose erudite work this history +is drawn, informs us, to "a doleful report--how, upon Dunmore Heath, +there raged up and down an infectious dragon, that so annoyed the +country that the inhabitants thereabouts could not pass by without great +danger; how that fifteen knights of the kingdom had already lost their +lives in adventuring to suppress the same." + +Saint George no sooner heard thereof, and what wrongs his country +received by this infectious dragon, than he purposed to put the +adventure to trial, and either to free the land from so great a danger, +or to finish his days in the attempt. So, taking leave of all present, +he rode forward with as noble a spirit as he did in Africa, when he +combated the mighty green dragon. + +So, coming to the middle of the plain, he there saw his dreadful enemy, +crouching on the ground in a deep cave. The monster, by a strange +instinct knowing that his death drew nigh, made such a hideous yelling, +that it seemed as if the sky was bursting with thunder, and the earth +rocking with an earthquake. Then, bounding forth from his den, and +espying the aged Champion, he ran with a fury so great against him as if +he would devour both knight and steed, armour and all, in a moment. But +the brave Saint George, knowing well how to deal with dragons, and all +such-like monsters, quickly wheeled his horse out of his way, and with +such force did the monster rush on that he drove his sting full three +feet into the ground. Returning again, however, with furious rage, he +made at the Knight, and would have carried both him and his charger to +the ground, but that Saint George, thrusting his spear at his throat, +the monster, to avoid it, threw himself back, and fell happily over, +with his back on the turf and his feet in the air, wriggling about all +the time his long forked tail. Whereat the noble Champion taking +advantage, leaped from his horse, and, throwing down his sword, seized +him in his arms before he could rise, and pressed his huge body so +tightly in his arms, and held him there, that he squeezed the very life +out of him; but alas! the dragon's sting annoyed the good Knight in such +sort, that the dragon being no sooner slain and weltering in his +venomous gore, than Saint George likewise took his death's wound by the +deep strokes of the dragon's sting, which he received in divers parts of +his body, and bled in such abundance that his strength began to enfeeble +and grow weak: yet, retaining his true nobleness of mind, he valiantly +returned victor to the city of Coventry, where all the inhabitants stood +without the gates to receive him in great royalty, and to give him the +honour that belonged to so worthy a conqueror. + +No sooner, alas! had the brave old Knight arrived before the city, and +presented the people with the head of the dragon which had so long +annoyed the country, which was borne before him by the trusty old De +Fistycuff, than, what with the abundance of blood that issued from his +deep wounds, and the long bleeding without stopping of the same, he sunk +back into the arms of his faithful Squire, and, without a sigh, he +yielded up his breath. Great was the moan that was made for him +throughout the country, and all in the land, from the King to the +shepherd, mourned him for the space of a month. The King also, in +remembrance of him, ordained for ever after to be kept a solemn +procession by all the princes and chief nobility of the country upon the +twenty-third day of April, naming it Saint George's Day; on which day +the brave old Knight was most solemnly interred in the city where he was +born. The King likewise decreed, by the consent of the whole kingdom, +that the patron of the land should be named Saint George our Christian +Champion, in that he had fought so many battles to the honour of +Christendom. + +Thus ends the ancient, authentic, and most credible chronicle from which +I have quoted. + +There are many other documents extant, giving accounts of the exploits +of Saint George's three sons, and of the sons of some of the other +Champions of Christendom; but as I do not consider that they emanated +from sources so reliable and unexceptionable as those chronicles from +which I have quoted, I have not thought it advisable to introduce them +in the present veracious narrative. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Seven Champions of Christendom, by +W. H. G. 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