and tail, who nimbly avoided her fury, gave her ſuch a thruſt with his ſpear, that it ſevered into five hundred pieces; the dragon coming on afreſh, ſmote him ſuch a deadly blow, as felled both horſe and man to the ground; when again riſing and ſtepping a little backwards, he went under the protection of an orange tree, which was of ſuch virtue, that no venomous thing durſt approach unto it, where this valiant knight a while reſted him, and refreſhed himſelf with the juice of one of the oranges, he again entered combat with the dragon, after many fierce aſſaults with an eager courage cloſed with her, and thruſt his ſword up to the hilt in her belly, being penetrable in no other place, from whence iſſued ſuch abundance of purple gore as turned the graſs into vermilion colour, and then redoubling his blows, gave her ſuch another thruſt under the wing with his ſword, as pierced her heart, liver, and bone, and made her yield her life to the force of the conquering champion, who returned thanks to heaven for his victory: With his good ſword, which was called Aſcalon, he cut off the dragon's head, and pitched it upon the truncheon of his ſpear, rode towards the court, expecting for his good ſervice to be moſt royally entertained.
At that time Almidor, the black king of Morocco, was in earneſt ſuit with king Ptolemy, for to have his daughter Sabrine in marriage, and having notice of St. George's victory, fearing he would become his rival, he intended to rob him of his honour, and to that purpoſe, hired twelve Egyptian Knights, who ſet upon St. George as he was coming to court; but the valiant Champion ſo behaved himſelf, that in a little ſpace he made their lives pay for their treachery; which Almidor perceiving, when he could do no otherwiſe, ran to the court, crying, Victoria! Victoria! The enemy of Egypt is overthrown.
This being made known to K. Ptolomy, St. George was most royally received by him, but far more
