SAINT GEORGE FOR ENGLAND ALlegorically described By GERRARD DE MALYNES Merchant Veritas Temporis filia Imprinted at London by Richard Field for William Tymme Stationer and are to be sold at the signe of the Floure de luce and Crowne in Pater-noster row 1601. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR THOMAS EGERTON KNIGHT LORD KEEPER OF THE GREAT SEALE OF ENGLAND Chamberlaine to the County-Palatine of Chester and one of her Maiesties most honorable priuy Counsell G. de M. wisheth all health increase of honor and euerlasting happinesse THE inuented historie of S. George right honorable and my singular good Lord howsoeuer heretofore abused may conueniently be applied to these our dayes of her Maiesties most happy gouernement wherin the beames of the Orientall starre of Gods most holy word appeare vnto vs most splendent and transparent to the singular comfort of all faithfull For wheras vnder the person of the noble champion Saint GEORGE our Sauiour Christ was prefigured deliuâ—ring the Virgin which did signifie the sinfull soules of Christians from the dragon or diuels power So her most excellent Maiesty by aduancing the pure doctrine of CHRIST IESVS in all truth and sincerity hath as an instrument appointed by diuine prouidence bene vsed to performe the part of a valiant champion deliuering an infinite nuÌ„ber out of the diuels power wherunto they were tied with the forcible chaines of darkenesse In which seÌ„se retaining S. GFORGE for England not onely as the patron of the noble order of the garter but as the head patron of our eternall glorie both those that be knights of that noble order and all other of what degree or calling soeuer haue iust cause to reioyce to expect their deliuerance purchased by the spilling of his most precious bloud following him as our generall hearing only his voice sounding in his most holy word For euen as right soldiers hauing the signe of marching forwards giuen theÌ„ do take vp all their trinkets but hearing the note of battell lay them downe againe preparing and making themselues ready with heart eyes and eares to execute whatsoeuer is by their generall commanded So ought al Christians alwaies to be ready to abandon all worldly goods honours for to follow their said generall IESVS CHRIST chearfully with courage for they do heare the note of battell daily preached vnto them vnder the most peaceable gouernement of her most excellent Maiesty The due consideration of which preparation is the only principall point that the noble knights of this renowned order are to study wearing the liuery of the holy crosse imprinted in their minds as being true knights of Malta to defend and aduance true religion the welfare of their couÌ„trey the prosperity of both being ouermuch hindered by the meanes of a cruell dragon hath giuen me cause to explaine the same and to describe the history of Saint GEORGE Allegorically in this treatise the dedicatioÌ„ therof properly belonging vnto your honor whom her Maiesty by diuine inspiration hath bene pleased to aduance to the authoritie of that honorable place where the crueltie of this dragoÌ„ is qualified in some sort bridled his operations effects are tending to the ouerthrow of equality concord two things required in euery well gouerned comonwealth which being neglected all policy of gouernment is broken concord within the realme amongst the seuerall meÌ„bers of the same and equality in the course of traffike between the realme and other countries PardoÌ„ my good Lord my boldnes in publishing this testimony of good will and duty vnto your honor in these few words seeing that so many are the honorable fauours receiued at your Lordships hands that an Epistle dedicatory vnto a treatise cannot coÌ„taine the same vnlesse I would seeme to build a high steeple vnto a litle cotage VVherefore huÌ„bly commending this treatise to your iudicial eies protectioÌ„ crauing pardoÌ„ for my presuÌ„ption proceeding from an affectionate desire to your honours seruice whereunto before all men I acknowledge my selfe bounden I beseech the eternall God to increase his graces in your L. that his glory may more thereby appeare multiply your daies as the dayes of heauen London this 24. of May. 1601. Your Lordships most humble and in all duty bounden GERRARD DE MALYNES To the louing Reader GENTLE Reader I haue layed open in this treatise the operations or effects of the subtill and cruell dealings of a Dragon of whose manner and behauiour diuerse haue written heretofore and declared the same to haue bene the cause of the ouerthrow of kingdomes states common-weales and families But forasmuch as they haue not made the application euident some writing thereof according vnto Diuinitie others according to the prohibition of diuerse lawes I haue taken occasion to describe briefly and allegorically the historie of Saint George for explanation thereof the rather for that I do find recorded by Cornelius Tacitus a renowmed author that this Dragon is the chiefest head and cause of rebellion and variance in countries and was therefore altogether banished in the old time when least corruption of life appeared amongst men For he ouerthroweth the harmonie of the strings of the good gouernment of a common-wealth by too much enriching some and by oppressing and impouerishing some others bringing the instrument out of tune when as euery member of the same should liue contented in his vocation and execute his charge according to his profession For albeit that equalitie wold be the cause that euery man should haue enough which made some of opinion that goods ought to be common yet forasmuch as the same was neuer vsed or established in any age reason requireth that according to the course of humane affaires all things should be gouerned in the best and most assuredst maner that can be deuised and as it were seeking a certaintie euen in vncertainties which is tearmed Pollicie For all worldly and transitorie things being mutable maketh the world properly to consist of strife warre discord enuie rankor burning sacking wasting spoyling and destroying a very vncertaine ground to build vpon And yet a certaine equalitie and concord is required in euery well gouerned commonwealth the prince or gouernor hauing the disposing both of the one and the other Equalitie concerning the trafficke and negotiation betwixt his dominions and other countries in the trade of merchandize and Concord amongst the members of a commonwealth when euery member thereof doth liue contentedly and proportionably in his vocation Both these are brought to confusion and vtter destruction by the means of this Dragon a monster found out by couetousnesse the roote of all euill whereunto Ambition is annexed which mooueth sedition and ciuill warre when pride doth oppresse loue which prouoketh disdaine and kindleth malice confoundeth iustice and at length subuerteth states whereas humanitie stirreth vp affection augmenteth amitie maintaineth loue supporteth equitie and most soundly preserueth cities and countries This Dragon bringeth inequalitie in a commonwealth by the meanes of his taile
when the boxe doth carrie away the gaines on both sides Others hauing deuoured and consumed by his meanes all what they could come by or had about them do creepe out like the vermine out of the nut and then are they but newly borne Others he maketh not to be contented to liue idle thēselues like dorrers of that which others haue laboured for polling and shauing their tenants to the quicke but to carry about with them at their tailes a great flocke or traine of followers which being turned off when he hath vndermined their maisters liuing become vnthrifty and hauing neuer learned any craft whereby to get their liuing fall a stealing are by the gallowes cut off if by warres they suffer not a commendable death Others he maketh to be like raging and roaring Lions spoyling and deuouring all that they can catch or come by Others haue ability giuen them to be like vnto great flouds and swelling riuers when they ouerflow their channels and do breake through their bankes by reason of their raging and violent streame hurting what they find in their way polling and pilling the richesse and substance of the silly weake and poore filling their purses with the bloud of innocents and building their houses and dignities by the destruction of others Others he maketh wealthy and rich and like sheepe and kine which are put into pasturs to be prepared for the shambles or like oxen wearing the garland against the day of their slaughter Hercules his exploit in killing the Serpent Hydras was great because it had many heads and after the amputation of one another did arise But the heads of this monster do multiply without that any be cut off and those that are infected therwith are as swelling monsters like vnto those that are diseased with the dropsie which the more they drinke the more increaseth their desire of drinking Some he causeth with Sampson to discouer the secret of their strength vnto Dalilah and before they do perceiue the same their lockes are shorne off suddenly and their strength is taken away Others he causeth to bestow all their wealth vpon the opinion of men in gemmes and precious stones as fit meate and commodious for him to feede vpon in hope that the folly of others shall pay for all wherby he bringeth some to destruction for these things increasing and not wearing away neither being consumed must of necessitie consume others Others he causeth to deuoure one another and by his posteriors he doth auoide them both as excrements Diana is preuented to cause Acteon to be deuoured of his owne dogges Hero and Leander may drown themselues without an Ocean For this monster is the right firebrand which Samson put betweene the foxes tailes to burne the rickes and standing corn with the vineyardes and oliues For the world consisting of strife warre and discord must needes bring a confusion and fall into wasting spoiling and destroying when this monster doth augment the causes thereof Consider then how iustice and religion can flourish the one shewing vs how we ought to liue in this life and the other teaching vs of the life to come Will not religion suffer shipwrack in time when charitie decayeth and the bonds of loue are broken and diuersities of opinions are the causes of Schismes Shal I with the Philosophers describe iustice to be of foure sorts Celestiall Naturall Ciuill and Iudiciall I shall but knocke at a deafe mans doore yet in hope of the antiquitie thereof which as Cicero saith will make the same flourish I demaund where Celestiall iustice which is the perfect consideration and dutie to God is found seeing that Naturall iustice which all men should haue amongst themselues by nature is banished which was the cause that Ciuill iustice was made grounded vpon the law of nature the statutes of the people the consultation of the Senators or the authoritie of graue and wise men as the deuice of Princes whereupon also Iudiciall iustice dependeth for the commoditie of the common-wealth In regard whereof we are in hope that one day this monster shall be destroyed For the better accōplishmēt wherof I would our images of Iudges were erected againe hauing neither hands nor eyes O Manlius Torquatus who shall imitate thee in the execution of of iustice not sparing thine owne son The members of our common-wealth which haue the managing of the naturall and artificiall riches are dealt withall in most strange and subtill manner by this monster which hath his principall delight therefore to feede vpon them with his scornfull looke recreating his mind with the internal miserie of the mind of his leaguors and with the externall calamity of the body inward troubles of the mind of others he beareth a wonderfull sway Those that be in league with him become miserable in mind he haled with a cable rope of vnsatiable desires causing thē to make no period or comma frō the highest Zodiacke or Climate to the lowest Centre to be more foolish thē Tantalus amidst the water dying of thirst obtaining with Mydas the transmutation of all things they touch into gold staruing for want of food for they make by his instigation of abundance indigence to the end that by possessing more they should haue lesse as not hauing a hart giuē thē as the wisemā saith to enioy their wealth He maketh them thinke with the Ape that is tyed to the clogge that he keepeth the clog not the clog him for they keepe not their riches but riches keepeth them and entangleth their minds He maketh them like vnto the Asse which carrieth meate for his maisters belly the clothes for his backe yet himselfe is contented to feede vpon grasse and to weare a haire skinne for miserie hath assaulted their soules He maketh them like vnto the Indian Ants or Emets who gather the gold and keep it although they cannot vse it and to hunt after goods graunting them onely the sight and not the vse thereof he maketh their riches to increase as though he would make them contented seeming to quench the fire by casting oyle into it and making them more couetous He causeth diuerse to get their goods fraudulently and by taking of forfeitures which maketh them to hide their treasure or to purchase lāds therewith when as their heires shall vnthritily spend that which they haue vnlawfully gotten Some he maketh like vnto the wolues of Syria which delight to bark against the Moone spending their time about nothing and entertaining Podagra for the most part of the yere He caused him that did dreame to haue spent a great summe of money in a banquet to haue so strong an imagination that by the apprehension therof thinking the same to be true went to hang himselfe most desperately hauing bought for the purpose a two penie halter and being saued from hanging by the meanes of his friends which did cut the halter would notwithstanding make his friends pay for that halter He caused the vnthriftie
the Mariners like vnto the young men not once do stirre He causeth the water to get in secretly and to increase by the Pumpes of their shippes so that both they and their ships are drowned He causeth many apprentises to become vntimely maisters whē as swimming with other mens bladders they are soone drowned He maketh them to spoile their maisters occupation and their owne and not to be able to liue by that they were bred vnto He maketh the husbandman vnable to liue by his farme and giueth ability vnto others to incorporate them to the decay of husbandry He maketh sheepe to become deuourers of men destroying the lustie husbandmen which are alwaies the best souldiers He maketh the husbandman to make money of his woods and trees in proyning his old trees and neuer to mipe or graffe young settes so that the woods do daily decay and the trees dye within few yeares He maketh them to sell their croppes halfe for nought and to buye such things deare as they haue neede of He will like a thorne-bush succour and shelter a poore silly sheepe in some storme or tempest a litle while but when she departeth from the bush keep backe a peece of her fleece and that so often vntill all be consumed He bringeth with the Bee sweete hony in his mouth but a very sharpe sting in his taile The horse of Gargantua had not so much strength in his taile as he hath for the same being pricked of flies did beate downe with his taile all the trees of a great wood But this Dragon by the meanes of his taile causeth others to transport whole woods with trees houses and lands into forreine countries He maketh the prosperitie of common-wealthes to be like vnto the grasse on the house top which for lacke of roote withereth afore it can grow vp to be mowne and the Princes bare of flesh and voyd of strength like vnto harts that can find no pasture for the common-wealthes treasure which he transporteth is accounted theirs He is the cause that the kings treasure is like water powred into a siue or basket which presently runneth out and is neuer filled By the meanes of his taile he maintaineth a league with forreine nations and causeth them to serue his turne by bringing in superfluous commodities at a deare rate and they to feede vppon our natiue soile to the common-wealthes destruction He doth falsifie our weight and measure and bringeth thereby inequality to our ouer-great hinderance making of money a merchandize He carieth out our treasure in bullion and money empouerishing our commonweale in giuing vs chalke for cheese making vs like vnto AEsops dog going ouer a bridge to snatch at the shadow of the flesh loosing the flesh it selfe He causeth vs to spend farre aboue our reuenues and maketh vs to buy more then we sell and to sell our home commodities good cheape and to pay deare for the forreine commodities all tending to our destruction He feedeth vppon both kinds of commodities and maketh the husbandman vnable to liue by his farme and the merchant by the trade of our owne commodities He bringeth inequality betweene the estimation of the naturall riches and the artificiall riches and a great part of our wealth to be imaginatiue He giueth ability vnto landed men to incorporate more lands and farmes conuerting arable ground into pasture to the decay of husbandry and destruction of souldiers He giueth ability to the grower not to haue cause to bring his corne or cattell to the market but rather to engrosse more and to sell them deare or to haue it transported vnto other nations He is the cause of dilapidations of cities and townes and depopulations of inhabitants with the decay of their occupations and handiworke He gnaweth the poore artificer to the bones and sucketh out the bloud and marrow from him feeding on him most greedily He causeth by the incorporation of many farmes into few mens hands the kings subsidy much to decrease and the kings rewards or recompenses to be supplied diuerse wayes He is like Naa◠the Ammonite warring against the men of Iabes Gilead who would not raise his siege but vpon condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes for he putteth out the right eyes of the iudgement of gouernors in the course of politike gouernement to bring common-weales to destruction He is the cause of rebellion and variance in countries which many times is imputed vnto the gouernours thereof and maketh men generally vnable to liue by the naturall or artificiall riches whereunto they were borne or bred He maketh in some barren and vnfruitfull yeares many thousands of people to starue for hunger and yet diuerse mens barnes to be well furnished with corne He setteth vp pride and new fangled apparell by the meanes of the merchant that bringeth in those commodities which please mens humors for pride doth not measure wealth and prosperity by her owne commodities but by the misery and incommoditie of other He giueth ability to intemperance the daughter of excesse which maketh men slaues to the mouth and belly bringing them both wayes to destruction He maketh money to be the creede of the world and perswaded men to seeke first money and that honesty then will follow of course and that learning and wisdom is nothing without it He causeth men to commence sutes in law for euery trifle and exaction and extortion to flourish relying vpon the penalties and forfeitures of bonds and counterbonds He striketh out with the rauen first of all the sheepes eyes and so bringeth to passe that men cannot see the way to escape his tyranny He is the right Cannibal feeding onely vpon raw flesh especially of men and like an Apothecary he couereth his bitter bils with some sweete substance to make them to go downe the easier He maketh men to fall into the mire the more they stirre the more are they defiled and brought into his danger for like a bitter and pinching blacke frost he killeth and destroyeth the tender sweete and beautifull blossomes He will not haue men to depend vpon the reward of God but vpon the reward of man for charity and free lending he causeth to be banished and preferreth the brittle mettal before the eternall treasure He maketh the hearts of his leaguors not to be inflamed with a true and sincere loue to God but to be wide open vnto all temptations like vnto a pot full of sweete liquors ouer the fire which not boyling are corrupted by flies and they are become the wolues of our Iland since that all other wolues haue bene destroyed for they deuour both leane and fat sheepe He maketh men generally like vnto the decreasing moone hauing here opē side hanging downward their harts set onely on worldly things whereas with the moone increasing open towards heauē they should be gathering light and not step aside to gather feathers and leaue to runne the golden game of inestimable value He maketh men to be
green fields wheron to feed for they be not wild sauage or noysome diuerse of those that be in league with the dragon are like toades which drinke the iuice of grapes so fast till ouercharged with the broath their bowels do burst casting their venimous poyson and infecting many and yet the aire is soft temperate and gentle Here may you behold this hideous monster swelling euery moneth bigger one then another with his fierie flaming eyes seeming to cast fire at euery moment by the means of his triâ—â—â—ted toung like vnto a Turkish dart his body vnweildy like an ElephaÌ„t but his taile nimble continually wauering inconstant for therin consisteth his greatest strength actiuity to the commonwealths destruction and the same is marked with the new Moon of the Turkes like vnto the letter C and his forehead with an F like a fellon he walketh vpon his foure Harpion legs like a theefe closely to surprise any maÌ„ either by night or day for he omitteth no time albeit he seemeth with the index of the dyall not to moue when he is continually moouing and stirred in such sort that when men begin to perceiue his motion and pretend to runne from him he doth so allure them that the more they runne the more he seemeth to follow them as the moone doth to the little children whereby his motion is the lesse regarded He rideth vpoÌ„ the wings of time and by imagination hasteneth the course thereof so that he that sitteth surest may be ouerthrowne for he hath two wings to fly withall the one hauing an internall strength from the mind and the other an externall from the bodie that of the mind is as it were couered with a vaile but the other is plaine and naked howbeit both of them are indented with seuerall braunches wherewith according to the Adage the Diuell seemeth to be God to some bodie and maketh those to speak in his defence For in abusing iustice to the hurt of many he seemeth to do good vnto some particular these therefore although they be ashamed of him do allow him as a necessarie member in a common-wealth like vnto the hangman which for executions sake must needes be had Others doe compare him to be admitted as the husbandman suffereth many weedes to grow in his ground which he likes not and that so he is to be tollerated when as in the like manner they might speake for murtherers and theeues and say that the naturall rule Do as thou wouldest be done vnto is to be taken generall without any exception in all things and in all respects whereby the Magistrate must of loue spare the conuicted malefactor for if he were in the malefactors case he wold be glad to be spared and pardoned himselfe albeit they would not be bound by this rule to giue all their goods vnto another seeing their gripple mind is such that they would willingly an other man should giue them all his substance They would be contented to haue mony freely lent them yet they would lend none freely themselues for say they I must make a gaine of my money which is as lawfull for me to take as others do of the rents of their houses reuenues of lands or gaines of corne and cattell or wares and merchandizes whereas they do not consider that money was ordained as a pledge or right betwixt man and man and in contracts and bargaining a iust measure and proportion which measure is by them falsifyed and this monster causeth them to incorporate the same so that no man can come by it without their consent and paying for it falsifying and altering the same And yet can they find fault and hold for very absurd if vpon plentie or scarcitie of corne or abundance of cloth or scarcitie thereof the measure or yard should be altered vpon all occasions considering that a measure ought to remaine at a certaintie But what cannot this dragon bring to passe when he will seeme to be a protectour of orphanes as though Magistrates or tutors could not prouide for them for vnlesse he should carie some shew of good he could neuer haue raigned so long he seemeth to fauour iustice for if any man borrow money for an other and do enter his bond for it and take of him the like that receiued the money he will see him that borrowed the money recouer that by lawe ex damno habito which he is damnified albeit there be meanes otherwise to satisfie him Againe if a shopkeeper lend money freely to his neighbour till such a day hauing then occasion to vse it at some faire to lay it out in wares if he breake touch he helpeth the shopkeeper with all extremitie vnder colour of iustice ex lucro cessante to recouer so much as he sustained losse for want of his money to lay out as if at an other time the other could not lend him the like summe of money and make him recompence another way Whereas these euents come to passe vpon abuses which this monster hath brought in hauing with the operation of his taile being a very Canker transported the moneys of our Iland and within our land altered the nature and valuation of the money making one hundred pounds to be one hundred and ten pounds and hauing ouerthrowne charitie and free lending Hence did the cause proceede that the statute lawes were repealed which did banish this monster for therein it was like vnto the water which the more it is pent the more it swelleth and like a theefe who when he is locked in at the prison doore breaketh out at the windowes falling to his shifts subtilties and deuises For if money had remained plentifull with vs this monster could neuer haue preuailed nor charitie should haue waxed so cold neither casuall and aduenturous bargaines would haue bene so hunted after And to conclude no law can do good which admitteth an inconuenience as a necessarie euill I am not ignorant that with a wet finger some do point at those that are growne rich by the meanes of the feeding of this monster which maketh me to remember a pretie historie to my purpose A man comming into a certaine church and seeing it fraught full of images made of waxe demanded what might be the cause of such an vnwoonted sight answer was made that those whom these images did represent were certaine persons which on a time were saued from drowning by calling vpon our Lady Nay then quoth he againe where be the images of those I pray ye that called vpon our Lady and were drowned notwithstanding So say I in this case if any man will set before me the instances and as it were the images of those who haue fed this dragon and yet are not become poore I would demaund on the other side that he shew foorth the hundreds and thousands of those whose estates and persons he hath deuoured they will be found a million for one yea to be without all comparison for this monster is an actiue
wherein lyeth his greatest strength making the expences thereof to surmount the reuenues For he depriueth the Prince which is the father of this great houshold of his treasure and readie money which are Nerui bellorum and is the cause of many other inconueniences as both in this and in another treatise I haue described vnto you This he effecteth by falsifying the valuation of mony which is the rule and measure of things which money he caused to be made vncertaine and as it were a merchandize giuing thereby a wonderfull ability to some of the members of a commonwealth to oppresse the other whereby the concord is broken and men cannot liue in their vocation by that whereunto they were borne or bred Hence do arise the causes that states-men or magistrates which haue the managing of the gouernment of kingdomes and are the Phisitions of commonweales are many times blamed and found fault withall for not lealing effectually the biles botches â—ankers and sores thereof albeit the fault proceedeth not of any act or negligence of theirs neither is the same properly to be attributed vnto them but vnto this old venimous sore being primum mobile and yet not spyed out in the curing whereof they would be thought to be very foolish Phisitions if by their medicine the bodie were cast into a more dangerous sicknesse Wherefore as the wounds of this dragon are inueterated so must he be dealt withall by degrees and lenitie depriuing him first of the strength of his taile which will cause a great obstruction to his breath whereby his power shall so much be weakened as he may easily be brought into a consumption albeit that the pollitike gouernment of some states do admit him as a necessarie euill with the keeping of a lombard to qualifie his extreame deuouring of the poore This dragon is called Foenus politicum his two wings are Vsura palliata and Vsura explicata and his taile inconstant Cambium The virgin is the kings treasure the champion Saint George is the kings authoritie armed with the right armor of a Christian who with the sword of the spirit of Gods most holy word explained and corroborated with seuerall other lawes signified by the Pybal horse whereon he was mounted did destroy the cruell dragon rescuing the kings daughter and deliuering the commonwealth as by the circumstances of the historie may appeare the Allegorie whereof requireth a due consideration which would dilate vnto another treatise Wherfore leauing this to thy good acceptance and friendly censure I wish and pray that all things may be well although it be impossible to haue perfection and soundnesse of life in all men and amongst all states God graunt that all men may amend their liues in euery vocation and that his kingdome may come hastily amongst vs to the comfort of his chosen people Farewell London this 24. of May. 1601. Yours to vse GERRARD DE MALYNES Saint George for England Allegorically described APRILL hauing with his sweete showers moystened the drought of March bathing euery veine of the rootes of trees ingendring floures Zephirus with his pleasaunt breath prouoking tender crops by vertue of young Phebus holding her course in Aries Abstinence in Lent performing her accustomed race feeding on waterie creatures the Moone being entred into the aquatike signe of Pisces and my bloud increasing with the nource of digestion caused me to slumber and no sooner did I discharge some part of that tribute due vnto nature when suddenly falling into most strange dreames or rather visions which seemed to dimme my sight I was partly amazed and partly rauished with such admirations which by apprehension haue left such deepe impressions in the treasurie of my braines as I am now compelled to coÌ„mit some of them to the generall recordor whose bodie after the amputation of his head called for blacke drinke to staine the ouerbeaten clouts to ease my fatigable memory the receptacle whereof is otherwise barred from all succeeding matters like a trammell replenished with fish which can containe no more then her full as it were naturall imbibition Me thought according to the prouoked motion that being in a ship sailing on the seas with a prosperous wind and pleasant trauell I did arriue into a most fruitfull Iland whose beautifull and pleasant sight with sauorie and delicious fruites distilling the iuice of Nectar ministrated such delight and health vnto my wearied bones and drowsie mind that by the delectable obiect of mine eyes of faire running riuers with their siluer streames of greene fields with their varietie of floures of easie high waies set with fruite-trees on euery side of stately hils gracing their Horizon as the nose doth the face of liuely fountaines of refreshing water and by the sweete and harmonious melodie of birds whose warbling notes did penetrate my eares all my sences were reduced to puritie my sight without colour my hearing without sound my smelling without smell my tasting without smacke or feeling and my feeling without sence or tasting all of theÌ„ being simple in themselues seemed to haue obtained fruition of their wished desires as if all things with a Simpathy of a generall applause had bene entertaining them and prognosticating vnto me all worldy felicitie Trauelling along with a setled pace taking the benefite of these rare blessings an insupportable loathsome smell scaled the fortresse of my nose depriuing me of some part of the former pleasures But the sence of smelling not hauing so great operation with the heart as the motion of the eyes made the sence of seeing to remaine predominant howbeit by the interposition of the facultie of hearing For behold a man of meane stature stricken in age yet bearing his bodie vpright did stand on the high way in whose face did shine such amiable reuerence as was pleasant to behold notwithstanding his pale colour caused through the stinking smell who told me with a loude voice these or the like speeches Not without cause courteous gentleman do you stop your nose to auoid this pestiferous smell as dangerous to the smelling as the cockatrice is to the sight proceeding from a terrible cruel Dragon which deuoureth and destroyeth daily the inhabitants of this otherwise flourishing Iland the king himselfe being in great ieopardy with his sweet and welbeloued daughter as heretofore his predecessor hath bene whome Saint George that valiant champion through his great faith and valour did rescue and saue miraculously deliuering therby the whole state of this common wealth from the like daÌ„ger The consideration whereof doth comfort and reuiue our dead hopes that God will be pleased to stirre vp some other champion who like vnto the noble Romaine Marcus Curtius shall deliuer our weale publike and destroy this hideous monster wherwith we haue bene troubled almost these 30. yeares Hearing the same me thought I was possessed with a most feruent desire to vnderstand the particularitie as well of that Dragon whereof he complained as of the other which is reported to haue bene