ning of the road, and hadst thou fixed thine eyes on them, thou wouldst have had light sufficient for all thy needs; for the badness of the way-I sometimes think my father would thus deter all idle vagrant comers, who have no thought beyond their present ease, knowing that it could be but of small moment to those, like thee my brother, who will so soon rejoice in his presence, and partake of all the delights of his house. Also, in thy wanderings up and down in the world, thou must often have journeyed along many as hard and dark a road, to no profit it may be at the end. Surely, then, thou wilt not complain when such is appointed of thy father, for some present purpose, and at the end thereof is our beloved home. Then Sir Tristram answered not a word, but bowed his head, as, led by the little Albert, he entered the gates with sounds of a great rejoicing. DECEMBER. THE LEGEND OF ST. GEORGE AND OF HOW HE SLEW THE STRANGE KNIGHT AT THE HOLY CHRISTMAS-TIDE. Now, it fell on a day, that the stout St. George was journeying from Cappadocia unto Damascus, being minded to undertake the conversion of the king of that city, and he thought eke to do further service unto God, and our holy Mother the Church, by slaying, as was his wont, aught that might meet him on his way, an it were Dragon, Heathen, Turk, or such other laide and loathly beasts, like a very gentle christian knight as he was. So as he went on his way, he drew nigh unto a certain place, where was a pass, and the rocks rose high on either hand, when looking before him, anon he espied one coming towards him, riding on a coal black steed. His visage was brown as is the leaf in autumn, and his locks and beard were curled and frizzed, after a truly wondrous sort; his array, also, was altogether strange, the like thereof the Saint had never seen in Christendom. Then quoth his holiness, "Surely here cometh the world, the flesh, or the devil, whereof it behoveth me as a christened man to beware, and eke to resist at all odds, as saith the Scripture." Whereupon the other, being now but a little space before him, St. George put his charger across the narrow way, and "Whither away knave? cries he. "I go to Jerusalem to worship," returned the strange knight, "and would fain have been there ere the holy morn shall break, but that I was set upon in my way by a pack of thieves and villains." "'Tis false, and thou liest in thy throat!" cries the blissful saint. "Thou art but an infidel caitiff, as any man may see; for wherefore carriest thou not then the red-cross upon thy breast, and where is thy bottle, and thy branch of palm?" "As for my habit," answered the strange knight, "it is even such as my nation has ever worn; and for thy palm branch, and bottle, I know not whereof thou speakest." "Then verily," quoth his holiness, "thou art no christian man, for thine own mouth hath condemned thee; yet of mine clemency will I e'en demand of thee one sign more. Show me, then, thy cockle-shell. Where, O carnal man, and mundane knight where-is-thyCockle-shell? Thou canst not e'en bring forth this mark of grace? Then forasmuch as this is the blessed eve of Christmas, certes it were a fitting tide to rid the earth of such a heathen knave as thou." - "And who art thou?" demanded the strange knight, "that speakest of that holy season, when the shepherds in the fields heard the angels sing of peace on earth and good will towards men ?" George wax Then did the stout St. very wrath, and he cried with a loud voice, "shut up thy mouth, O blaspheming dog! for such holy words are an offence in thy lips," and with that he ran at him full sore, so that the strange knight being taken unawares was eftsoons unhorsed, and lay on the ground as dead. "Thus perish all thine enemies, O Lord, but Non nobis Domine, non nobis, sed nomine tua da gloriam,"" quoth the devout man; and he would have mounted his horse to have gone on his way, when he was aware of a strange light in the place, and he heard also a marvellous music, as of harps, and cymbals, and shawms, passing upward through the air. Then he stood awhile wondering what this might mean, and he turned him to look upon the body of his foe, when lo he |