the Christian faith; all which was presently performed, by placing the crown upon his head, and abolishing Mahometanism with all the superstitious rites of that false prophet; whereupon a great alteration suddenly ensued, Pagan temples were pulled down, and a Christian church erected: instead of a tyrannical government, good and wholesome laws were ordained: peace and plenty flourished every where, and a general rejoicing was throughout the whole kingdom.
But the heroic Champions, not minding to spend their time in the idle bower of peace, and to let their armour hang rusting on the wall, when so much action was to be done in the world; they therefore summoned their soldiers to re-assume their courage, and to put themselves in an equipage for war. St. George leaving the government of the land, in his absence, to four of the' principal Peers of Morocco; the whole army marched directly to Egypt against K. Ptolemy, who had confederated with Almidor for fending St. George into Persia.
CHAP. XL
How the Christians arrived in Egypt, and what happened
to them there. The tragedy of the Earl of Coventry.
How the Egyptian king broke his neck and how
St. George redeemed his Lady from being burnt to death
at a stake.
THE seven Champions of Christendom, with their victorious army, being arrived in Egypt, the supposed presently to have met armed troops to withstand them; but, contrary to there expectation, they find both cities, towns and villages uninhabited; this terror of their coming striking such an amazement to the inhabitants, that they hid themselves in the most obscure place they could find: wherefore they marched to king Ptolemy’s court, intending first to burn that, and then afterwards the rest of the city into cinders. But whilst they were in these thoughts and be
