Henry the fifth he conquered all France, And quartered their arms, his honour to advance: He their cities razed, and threw their castles downe, And his head he honoured with a double crowne: He thumped the French-men, and after home he came: But St. George, St. George he did the dragon tame. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, _Honi soit qui mal y pense_.
St. David of Wales the Welsh-men much advance: St. Jaques of Spaine, that never yet broke lance: St. Patricke of Ireland, which was St. Georges boy, Seven yeares he kept his horse, and then stole him away: For which knavish act, as slaves they doe remaine: But St. George, St. George the dragon he hath slaine. St. George he was for England; St. Dennis was for France; Sing, _Honi soit qui mal y pense_.
[435] This probably alludes to "An Ancient Order of Knighthood, called the Order of the Band, instituted by Don Alphonsus, king of Spain, ... to wear a red riband of three fingers breadth," &c. See Ames _Typog._ p. 327.
[436] Alluding to the fabulous exploits attributed to this king in the old romances. See the dissertation affixed to this volume.
Was written by JOHN GRUBB, M.A. of Christ Church, Oxford. The occasion of its being composed is said to have been as follows. A set of gentlemen of the university had formed themselves into a club, all the members of which were to be of the name of _George_: Their anniversary feast was to be held on _St. George's_ day. Our author solicited strongly to be admitted; but his name being unfortunately _John_, this disqualification was dispensed with only upon this condition, that he would compose a song in honour of their Patron Saint, and would every year produce one or more new stanzas, to be sung on their annual festival. This gave birth to the following humorous performance, the several stanzas of which were the produce of many successive anniversaries.[437]
This diverting poem was long handed about in manuscript, at length a friend of _Grubb's_ undertook to get it printed, who, not keeping pace with the impatience of his friends, was addressed in the following whimsical macaronic lines, which, in such a collection as this, may not improperly accompany the poem itself.