ere he came home, his Lady by losing her own life, brought another life into the world, being delivered of a son, upon whose breast was figured a dragon, on his right hand a blood-red cross, and on his left leg a golden garter: his name was given him, George, and three nurses provided to look to him: notwithstanding which, he was stolen away by the enchantress Kalby; which, when his father upon his return found,he left his habitation for very grief, and ended his life in a strange country.
In the mean time, St. George grew in strength and beauty, whose noble deportment (being now grown to man’s state) fired the heart of the enchantress with lust, that with all the seducement imaginable, she fought to accomplish her desires, and to gain his affections, revealed to him of what lineage he was, and also gave him the command of her cave, by the gift of a silver wand, which he put in his hand, leading him to a rock to behold some trophies of her sorceries, but she entering in before him, he struck the rock with his wand, which presently closed, and in it this miserable woman, where fire ended her wretched life.
St. George then, like a valiant knight, released from thraldom six worthy Champions, whom this enchantress Kalby had a long time kept prisoners; viz. St.Dennis of France, St. James of Spain, St. Anthony of Italy, St. Andrew of Scotland, St. Patrick of Ireland, and St. David of Wales he with them mounting their steeds, and girding on their swords, which also they found in the cave, departed forth to seek out adventures, travelling till they came to a spacious plain, in the midst whereof stood a brazen pillar, that! had seven several ways leading to it, which invited these seven Champions to take each of them a diverse path. Where we will leave six of them to their different progresses, and relate in the first place the adventures of our English Knight, as you may read in the chapter following.
