Their rage did him no whit dismay,
Who, like a stout and valiant knight,
Did both the hungry lyons slay 250
Within the lady Sabra's sight:
Who all this while sad and demure,
There stood most like a virgin pure.
Now when St. George did surely know
This lady was a virgin true, 255
His heart was glad, that erst was woe,
And all his love did soon renew:
He set her on a palfrey steed,
And towards England came with speed.
Where being in short space arriv'd 260
Unto his native dwelling-place;
Therein with his dear love he liv'd,
And fortune did his nuptials grace:
They many years of joy did see,
And led their lives at Coventry. 265
III.
LOVE WILL FIND OUT THE WAY.
This excellent song is ancient: but we could only give it from a modern copy.
[Earlier editions of this spirited song are printed in Evans's Old Ballads, iii. 282 (1810), and Rimbault's Little Book of Songs and Ballads, p. 137. It is quoted in Brome's Sparagus Garden, acted in 1635, and Shirley's Constant Maid was republished in 1661, under the title of Love will find out the Way, by T. B.
Dr. Rimbault has the following note in his Musical Illustrations, "The old black-letter copy of this ballad is called 'Truth's Integrity: or, a curious Northerne Ditty, called Love will finde out the Way. To a pleasant new Tune Printed at London for F. Coules, dwelling in the Old Bailey.' There is a second part consisting of six stanzas, which Percy has not reprinted. The tune is here given (translated from the Tablature) from Musicks Recreation on the Lyra Viol, published by Playford in 1652. It is also preserved in Forbes's Cantus, 1662; in Musick's Delight on the Cithren, 1666; and in D'Urfey's Pills to Purge Melancholy, 1719. The Pepysian Collection contains several ballads to this tune."