The famous history of the seven champions of Christendom St. George of England, St. Denis of France, St. James of Spain, St. Anthony of Italy, St. Andrew of Scotland, St. Patrick of Ireland, and St. David of Wales. Shewing their honourable battels by sea and land: their tilts, justs, turnaments, for ladies: their combats with gyants, monsters and dragons: their adventures in foreign nations: their enchantments in the Holy Land: their knighthoods, prowess, and chivalry, in Europe, Africa, and Asia; with their victories against the enemies of Christ. Also the true manner and places of their deaths, being seven tragedies: and how they came to be called, the seven saints of Christendom. The first part.

NOw seven times had Frosty Bearded Winter covered both Herbs and Flowers with Snow, and behung the Trees with Crystal Isicles: seven times had Lady Ver beautified every Field with Natures Ornaments: and seven times had withered Autumn Robbed the Earth of Spring Flowers, since the unfortunate St. George beheld the chearful Light of Heaven, but lived obscurely in a dismal Dungeon, by the Souldan of Persia's com∣mandment, as you heard before in the beginning of the History: his unhappy Fortune so discontented his restless thoughts, that a thou∣sand times a year he wisht an end of his Life, and a thousand times he cursed the day of his Creation: his Sighs in number did countervail a heap of Sand, whose top might seem to reach the Skies, the which he vainly breathed forth against the Walls of the Prison, many times making his humble supplications to the Hea∣vens to Redéem him from the vale of misery, and many times seeking occasion desperately to abridge his days, and so Triumph in his own Tragedy.

But at last, when seven years were fully ended, it was the Champion's lucky Fortune to find in a secret corner of the Dun∣geon a certain Iron Engine, which time had almost consumed with Rust, wherewith, with long Labour, he digged himself a passage through the Ground, till he ascended just in the middle of the Soul∣dan's Court, which was at that time of the night, when all things were silent: The Heavens he then beheld beautified with Stars, and bright Cynthia, whose glistring Beams he had not seen in many hundred nights before, seemed to smile at his safe delivery, and to stay her wandring course, till he most happily found means to get without the compass of the Persian's Court, where danger might no longer attend him, nor the strong Gates of the City hinder his flight, which in this manner was performed. For now the No∣ble Knight being as fearful as the Bird newly escaped from the Fowlers Net, gazed round about, and listened where he might hear the voice of People, at last he heard the Grooms of the Soul∣dan's Stable, furnishing forth Horses against the next Morning for some Noble Atchievement. Whereupon the Noble Champion St. George taking the Iron Engine, wherewith he redeemed him∣self out of Prison, he burst open the Doors, where he slew all the Grooms in the Souldan's Stable: Which being done, he took the strongest Palsrey, and the Richest Furniture, with other ne∣cessaries appertaining to a Knight at Arms, and so rode in great comfort to one of the City Gates, where he saluted the Porter in this manner.

Porter, Open the Gates, for St. George of England is escaped, and hath murdered the Grooms, in whose Pursuit the City is in Arms. Which words the simple Persian believed for truth, and so with all speed opened the Gates, whereat the Champion of England departed, and left the Souldan in his dead sleep, little mistrusting his sudden Escape.

But by that the purple spotted morning had parted with her grey, and the Sun's bright countenance appeared on the Mountain tops, S. George had Ridden twenty Miles from the Persian Court, and before his departure was bruted in the Souldans Palace, the English Champion had recovered the sight of Grecia, past all danger of the Persian Knights that followed him with a swift pursuit.

By this time the extremity of Hunger so sharply tormented him; that he could Travel no further, but was constrained to sustain himself with certain wild Chesnuts instead of Bread, and sower Oranges instead of Drink, and such faint Food as grew by the way as he Travelled, where the necessity and want of Uictuals compelled the Noble Knight to breath forth this pitiful complaint.

Oh hunger! hunger, (said the Champion) more sharper than the stroke of Death. thou art the extreamest punishment that ever Man endured; If I were now King of Armenia, and chief Poten∣tate of Asia, yet would I give my Diadem, my Scepter, with all my Provinces, for one shiver of brown Bread: O that this Earth would be so kind, as to open her Bowels and cast up some Food, to suffice my want: Or that the Air might be choaked with Mists, whereby feathered Fowl for want of breath might fall, and yield me some Succour in this my Famishment, and extream Penury: Or that the Oceans would out-spread their branched Arms, and cover these Sun-burnt Ualleys with their Treasures, to satisfie my hunger; but Oh! now I see both Heaven and Earth, Hills, and Dales, Skies, and Seas, Fish and Fowls, Birds and Beasts, and all things under the cope of Heaven, conspire my utter overthrow: Better had it been if I had ended my days in Persia, than here to be famished in the broad World, where all things by Nature's appointment are ordained for Man's use. Now instead of Courtly Delicates, I am forced to eat the fruit of Trees, and instead of Greekish Wines, I am compelled to quench my thirst with Morning-dew, which nightly falls upon the blades of Grass.

Thus complained St. George, till glistring Phoebus had mounted the top of Heaven, and drawn the Misty Uapours from the Ground, whereby he might behold the Prospects of Grecia, and which way to Travel most safely. And as he looked, he espied directly before his face a Tower, standing upon a chalky Cliff, distant from him some three miles, whither the Champion intended to go, not to seek for Adventures, but to Rest himself after his weary Iour∣ney, and get such Uictuals as therein he could find to suffice his want.

So setting forward with a speedy pace, the Heaven seemed to smile, and the Birds to Ring chirping Peals of Melody, as though they did prognosticate a fortunate event. The way he found so plain, and the Iourney so easie, that in half an hour he ap∣proached before the said Tower; where upon the Wall stood a most Beautiful Woman, attired after the manner of a distressed La∣dy, and her looks heavy like the Queen of Troy, when she be∣held her Palace on Fire. The Ualiant Knight St. George, af∣ter he had alighted from his Horse, gave her this courteous Sa∣lutation.

Lady, (said he) for so you seem by your outward appearance, if ever you pitied a Traveller, or granted succour to a Christian Knight, give to me one meals meat, now almost famisht. To whom the Lady a••ter a curst ••rown or two, answered in this order:

Sir Knight (quoth she) I advise thee with all speed to depart, for here thou gettest but a cold Dinner: my Lord is a mighty Gy∣ant, and believeth in Mahomet, and if he once do but understand that thou art a Christian Knight, not all the Gold of higher India, nor the Riches of wealthy Babylon, can preserve thy Life. Now by the honour of my Knighthood (replied St. George) and by the great God that Christendom adores, were thy Lord more stronger than mighty Hercules that bore Mountains on his back, here will I either obtain my Dinner, or die by his accursed hand.

These words so abashed the Lady, that she went with all speed from the Tower, and told the Gyant, how a Christian Knight re∣mained at the Gate, which had sworn to suffice his hunger in de∣spite of his will: Whereat the furious Gyant suddenly started up, being as then in a sound sleep, for it was the middle of the day, who took a bar of Iron in his hand, and came down to the Tower Gate. His stature was in heighth five yards, his head bristled like a Bore, a foot there was betwixt each Brow, his Eyes hollow, his Mouth wide, his Lips werelike to flaps of Steel, in all his proportion more like a Devil than a Man. Which deformed Mon∣ster so daunted the Courage of St. George, that he prepared him∣self for Death: Not through fear of the Monstrous Gyant, but for hunger and feebleness of body: but here God provided for him, and so restored to him his decayed strength, that he endured Bat∣tel untill the closing up of the Evening, by which time the Gyant grew almost blind, through the sweat that ran down from his monstrous Brows, whereat St. George got the advantage, and wounded the Gyant so cruelly under the short Ribs, that he was compelled to fall to the Ground, and to give end to his Life.

After which happy event of the Gyant's slaughter, the invin∣cible Champion St. George first gave the Honour of his Uictory unto God, in whose power all his Fortune consisted. Then en∣tring the Tower, whereas the Lady presented him with all man∣ner of Delicates and pure Wines; but the English Knight sus∣pecting Treachery to be hidden in her proffered Courtesie, caused her first to taste of every Dish, likewise of his Wine, least some violent Poison should be therein commixt: Finding all things pure and wholsome as Nature required, he sufficed his hunger, rested his weary Body, and refreshed his Horse.

And so leaving the Tower in keeping of the Lady, he committed his Fortune to a new Travel; where his revived Spirits never entertained longer Rest, but to the refreshing of himself and his Horse; so Travelled he through part of Grecia, the Confines of Phrygia, and into the Borders of Tartory, within whose Territo∣ries

he had not long Iourneyed, but he approached the sight of the Enchanted Garden of Ormandine, where St. David the Champion of Wales had so long slept by Magick Art. But no sooner did he be∣hold the wonderful Situation thereof, but he espied Ormandine's Sword enclosed in the Enchanted Rock: where after he had read the superscription written about the Pummel, he essayed to pull it out by strength, where he no sooner put his hand into the Nilt, but he drew it forth with much ease, as though it had been hung by a Thread of untwisted Silk: but when he beheld the glister∣ing brightness of the Blade, and the wonderful Richness of the Pummel, he accounted the Prize more worth than the Armour of Achilles, which caused Aj••x to run mad, and more Riches than Medea's Golden Fléece: But by that time St. George had cir∣cumspectly looked into every secret of the Sword, he heard a strange and dismal voice Thunder in the Skyes, a Terrible and Mighty Lumbring in the Earth, whereat both Hills and Mountains shook, Rocks removed, and Daks Rent into pieces: After this, the Gates of the Enchanted Garden flew open, whereat incontinently came forth Ormandine the Magician, with his Hair staring on his Head, his Eyes sparkling, his Chéeks blushing, his Hands quivering, his Legs trembling, and all the rest of his Body distempered, as though Legions of Spirits had encompassed him about; he came directly to the worthy English Knight that remained still by the En∣chanted Rock, from whence he had pulled the Magician's Sword: whence after the Necromancer had sufficiently beheld his Princely Countenance, whereon true Honour sat Enthronized, and viewed his portly Personage, the Image of true Knighthood, the which séemed in the Magician's Eyes to be the rarest work that ever Na∣ture framed: First, he took the most Ualiant and Magnanimous Champion St. George of England by the Steely Gauntlet, and with great Humility kissed it, then proffering him the Courtesies due unto Strangers, which was performed very graciously; he after∣wards conducted him into the Enchanted Garden, to the Cave where the Champion of Wales was kept sleeping by four Uirgins singing delightful Songs, and after setting him a Chair of Ebony, Ormandine thus began to relate of wonderful things.

Renowned Knight at Arms (said the Necromancer,) Fame's worthiest Champion, whose strange Adventures all Christendom in time to come shall applaud; be silent till I have told my Tale, for never after this, must my Tongue speak again: The Knight which thou seest here wrapt in this Sheet of Gold, is a Christian Champion, as thou art, sprung from the ancient Seed of Trojan Warriours, who likewise attempted to draw this Enchanted

Sword, but my Magick Spells so prevailed, that he was in∣tercepted in the Enterprize, and forced ever since to remain sleep∣ing in this Cave: but now the hour is almost come of his Reco∣very, which by thee must be accomplished: Thou art that Adventu∣rous Champion whose Invincible Hand must finish up my detested Life, and send my fleeting Soul to draw thy fatal Chariot on the Banks of burning Acheron: for my time was limited to remain no longer in this Enchanted Garden, but till that from the North should come a Knight that should pull this Sword from the En∣chanted Rock, which thou happily hast now performed; therefore I know my time is short, and my hour of Destiny at hand. What I report, write in brazen Lines, for the time will come when this Dis∣course shall highly benefit thee. Take heed thou observe three things: first, that thou take to Wife a pure Maid: Next that thou erect a Monument over thy Father's Grave: And lastly, That thou continue a professed Enemy to the Foes of Christ Iesus, bearing Arms in the Honour and Praise of thy Country. These things being truly and justly observed, thou shalt attain such Ho∣nour, that all Kingdoms of Christendom shall admire thy Dig∣nity: what I speak is upon no vain imagination sprung from a frantick Brain, but pronounced by this Mystical and deep Art of Necromancy.

These words were no sooner ended, but the most Honourable Fortunate Champion of England, requested the Magician to describe his passed Fortunes, and by what means he came to be Governor of the Enchanted Garden.

To tell the Discourse of my own Life (replyed Ormandine) will breed a new sorrow in my heart, the remembrance of which will read my very Soul: but yet most Noble Knight, to fulfil thy Request, I will force my Tongue to declare what my Heart denies to utter: Therefore prepare thine Ear to entertain the wofullest Tale that ever Tongue delivered.

And so after S. George had sate a while silent, expecting his Dis∣course, the Magician spake as followeth: