There is a famous story book written by Richard Johnson in the reign of
Elizabeth, entitled, "The Seven Champions of Christendom."[6]

The popular English ballad of "St. George and the Dragon," is founded on
one of the narratives of this book, and the story in the book on a still
older ballad, or legend, styled "Sir Bevis of Hampton." This, too,
resembles very much Ovid's account of the slaughter of the dragon by
Cadmus. In the legend of Sir Bevis the fight is thus described:


"Whan the dragon that foule is
Had a sight of Sir Bevis,
He cast yo a loud cry
As it had thondered in the sky,
He turned his belly toward the sun
It was greater than any tonne;
His scales was brighter than the glas,
And harder they were than any bras
Betwene his sholder and his tayle
Was 40 fote without fayle,
He woltered out of his denne,
And Bevis pricked his stede then,
And to him a spere he thraste
That all to shivers he it braste.
The dragon then gan Bevis assayle
And smote Syr Bevis with his tayle
Then down went horse and man
And two rybbes of Bevis brused than."