he was an armed soldier or knight of Christ; but much more because in those wars, which were waged by Christians against the infidels, he by several appearances showed his presence as a most certain encourager and assistant to the Christians, the relations of some of which visions may be seen at large. There is no need we should engage in asserting the history of St. George against those who would neither allow him a place in heaven, or an existence in the Church. The little pains we are eased of, in associating and assuring him to be the special patron, protector, defender, and advocate of this realm of England, and manifesting in what veneration he has been held abroad, especially among the Eastern churches. He was called our nation's patron in relation to the spiritual militia of the kingdom. It is worthy of observation that Duchesne, a French writer, acknowledges it was by the special invocation of St. George that King Edward III. gained the battle of Crécy, which afterwards calling to mind, he founded to his honour a chapel in the Castle of Windsor. But if we may go higher, it seems King Arthur paid St. George particular honours, for he advanced his picture in one of his banners; and this was about 200 years after his martyrdom; and very early, for a country so remote from Cappadocia, to have him in so great estimation."

St. George's story, as in the "Golden Legende,” of which Caxton printed copies, runs in this wise:

"Saint George was a knight, born at Capadose. On a time he came into the Province of Libya, to a city which is called Sylene, and by this city was a stagne, or pond, like a sea, wherein was a Dragon, which envenomed all the country; and the people of the city gave to him every day two sheep for to feed him; and when the sheep failed, there was taken a man and a sheep.

Then was an ordinance made in the town, that there should be taken the children and young people of them of the town by lot, and that, so it happened, the lot fell upon the king's daughter; whereof the king was sorry and said: For the love of God take gold and silver and all that I have, and let me have my daughter.' And the people said: How, sir, you have made and ordained the law, and our children be now dead, and now you would do the contrary. Your daughter shall be given, or else we will burn you, and your holds.' When the king saw he might no more do, he began to weep, and returned to the people and demanded eight days' respite; and when the eight days were passed, then did the king array his daughter like as she would be wedded, and led her to the place where the dragon When she was there, St. George passed by, and demanded of the lady what she made there, and she said: 'Go you your ways, fair young man, that you perish not also.' . . The dragon appeared, and St. George, upon his horse, bore himself against the

was.

"AND THE DRAGON."

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dragon, and smote him with his spear, and threw him to the ground, and delivered the lady to her father, who was baptised, and all his people. This

blessed holy martyr, St. George, is patron of this realm of England, and the cry of men of war; in the worship of whom is founded the noble Order of the Garter, and also a noble college in the Castle

of Windsor, in which college is the heart of St. George, which Sigismund, the Emperor of Almayne, brought and gave for a great and precious relic to King Harry the Fifth. And also the said Sigismund was a brother of the said Garter; and also here is a piece of his head."

No man

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now knows where these relics are. They may have been scattered by Cromwell's Levellers -as ready to level saints as nobles-or made away with at an earlier date. Even the very name and identity of St. George himself has been questioned. The George of "Capadose" is confused with another George, and the patron of England has actually been "mixed up" in men's minds with his namesake, who was an army contractor! So also the patron of Ireland, although confused with no namesake, has, in his own sacred person, been degraded by being dubbed "a Scots sheep-stealer!" Only St. Andrew of Scotland, among the national saints, has escaped destruction by the malicious gossips of later ages. His record was too ancient and too certain to be assailed. His sign, which appeared in the dark blue sky on the night before Hungus, the Scottish king, was to give battle to Athelstan the Dane for the kingdom of Northumbria, gave assurance of the victory of the Scots. Ever since that night the silver cross on the blue field has been the Scottish banner. Its azure ground is still that of the "Union Jack," which, uniting the diagonal