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.