St George for England

Description

St George wasn’t English, and probably never came here either, but he has been patron saint of England since the fourteenth century, when Edward III formed the Order of the Garter, and dedicated it to the saint. Since then, his name and his red cross have been a rallying point for nationalists.

This book contains a selection of Seventeenth Century English songs: broadside ballads, political songs from the English Civil War, theatre songs, psalms, hymns and a round. They recount different versions of St George’s story, describing the saint’s noble acts, his heroism and chivalry, and, of course, how he fought a terrible dragon and rescued a princess.