The Life of St George

sig: [A1]

ref.ed: 1

¶Here begynnyth the lyfe of the gloryous martyr saynt George / patrone of the Royalme of Englonde / tra[n]slatetranslate] traslate 1515 by alexander_barclay / at commaundement of the ryght hyghe / and myghty Prynce Thomas / duke of Norfolke / tresorer and Erle-marchall of Englonde.

sig: [A1v]

sig: [A2]

ref.ed: 3

¶Unto the ryght hye and myghty Prynce / Thomas / Duke of Norfolke / tresorer / and Erle-marchall of Englonde: Alexander_barclay contynuall Helth / with encreas of welthe / and honour.

The auncyent wryters / with wysdom decorate The] TThe 1515

Composynge maters / in fruytfull eloquence

Were wont theyr warkys / to wryte and dedycate

In name of rulers / and men of excellence

In which warkys / they dyd theyr dylygence

To wyn them fauour / and to delate theyr fame and to] and to to 1515

And of suche pryncys / to prayse the noble name

Of whiche wryters / this was also th'intent

To haue theyr warkys / defendyd from enuy

By auctoryte / of lordys excellent

And by theyr wrytynge / also to testyfy

Theyr loue and seruyce / which they had inwardly

Towarde suche lordys / for theyr great worthynes

Which in theyr styles / they laboured to expresse

Beholde what fruyt / cam of suche besynes

Fyrst the sayd actours / by godly exercyse

Subdued all vyce / and coward ydylnes

Theyr wyttes quycned fresshe maters to deuyse quycned: =quickened

For wyt well vsyd / is apter to compryse

Profounder maters / slouth doth the reason rust

Kyndlynge the sparcles / of blynd and carnall lust

sig: [A2v]

ref.ed: 4

Also the actes / of noble gouernours

Haue nat dekayed / but haue immortall name

By plesant wrytynge / of the sayd oratours

Than other princys / which here or rede the same

Fele howe suche dedys / theyr hartys doth inflame

Suche noble princys / to folowe and insue

In valyant actys / belongynge to vertu

But where suche actours touchyd mysgouernaunce

Or lyfe of prynces / which erryd from vertue

They warnyd other / which wolde theyr name auaunce

Such vyce and errour / to vaynquysshe and exchue

Lyst som mysfortune / myght them at last subdue lyst: =lest

As dyd suche synners / whose ende was ofte in care

Leuynge monycion / for other to be ware

Thus is all wrytynge / our confort and doctryne Perhaps 'is' should read 'in'

Before vs is layde / the good for to insue

Yll vs infourmyth / mysfortune to declyne

Myrth doth our myndys / quyckyn and renewe

Sadnes vs satlyth / in wysdom / and vertue

No-thynge is wrytyn / but that men of prudence

May fynde some parcell / therin of Sapyence

Ryght myghty prince / nowe here to make a pawse

The moste hyghe report / of your renomyd fame

With your great desyre / doth me prouoke and cause

One small extract / to wryte nowe in your name

The lyfe of George / intyteled is the same

The lyght of knyghthod / wherby all men may se

Example of constaunce / in hard extremyte

sig: A3

ref.ed: 5

Whiche warke forsoth: I dyd nat fyrst begyn

Reputynge my style / to you suffycyent

I knowe my reson: and wyt is dull and thyn

My langage rude / and moche ineloquent

Truly this thynge: was oonly myn intent

To laude saynt George: our glorious patron

And moue his seruauntes / vnto deuocyon.

And that the lyfe: of this so noble a knyght

His greuous paynes / and mortall passyon

Shulde nowe at last / apere and come in lyght

His laude incresynge / thorughout this regyon

And syth the wryters / of euery nacyon

Commende theyr patrons / praysynge theyr lyfe and name

Than to our patron / ought we to do the same.

And so concludynge / this trea[tys]e to tra[n]slate treatyse] treasyte 1515; translate] traslate 1515

Me-thought it semyd / of congruence and ryght

My boke to fynysshe / and it to dedycate

Under your shelde / as Georges worthy knyght

By whose hye power / auctoryte and myght

This small boke may be / defendyd from the blame

Of mad enuyours / whiche wolde depraue the same.

Al yf my treatyse / be no-thynge eloquent

Syth I lacke termys / in langage for to frame

Hope me assureth / that ye wyll be content

And that your grace / wyll wele accept the same

For auncyent loue / whiche doth your herte inflame

To georges honour / for sothly it is ryght

That a worthy Duke / honour an holy knyght.

sig: [A3v]

ref.ed: 6

Touchynge the cause / wherfore this boke I drewe

To your hye honour / dyrect esspecyally

Is for saynt George / had maners with vertue

Nobles hye courage / wysdome and polecy

Whiche he disposyd / alway conuenyently

Syth the same gyftes / do you also inflame

Playne ryght admyttyth / this treatyse in your name.

Ryght myghty prynce / nowe brefly to conclude

Your noble dedes / requyreth of playne ryght

This lytell boke: this present small and rude

Of georges lyfe: Spectacle to euery knyght

Thus with glad mynde: with all my herte and myght

The same I present to you and eke commende

That your clere name / my porenes may defende.

But syth this gyfte / is symple rude and small

And moche vnworthy / your honour and degre

My selfe and seruyce / I gyue to you withall

Wherby my gyft / may somwhat bygger be

He whiche you fourmyd / preserue your dygnyte

That after longe lyfe: and pleasour temporall

Your soule may haue solace: in rest perpetuall.

AMEN

sig: [A4]

ref.ed: 7

¶Longe obseruando Domino suo Nicholao_west Legum doctori luculentissimo Electoque Elyensi dignissimo Alexander_Barclayus cum debita obseruantia Salutem.

MUlti iam olim tum viri illustres: tum mediocres: singularem ob amorem / honorem: immo pietatem: quibus in diuum Georgium Militum principem nostrum Regnique nostri Patronum: inque tuis precipuum votis pater obseruande: flagrabant: crebris me hortatibus solicitarunt: vt eiusdem vitam luculentissimam: mores sanctissimos: martyrij conflictus constantissimos: omnem denique sancti militis Historiam ex fide dignis Auctoribus in nostrum ydeoma: pro Angligena Iuuentute ad illius mores imitandos: accendenda pro virili traducerem. In quibus magnanimus illustrissimusque ille Princeps Thomas Norfolchie Dux primarium obtinuit locum: Uir sane de rege regnoque Anglie benemeritus. Quippe qui consili[u]m consilium] consililum 1515 / auxilium / Liberos / Preterea / et quicquid illi ex gracie / nature: Fortuneue dotibus diuinitus est concessum pro Regis Regnique salute (siquando id opus exigit) libentissime expendit. Huius rei varia extant argumenta luce lucidiora Feci ergo ad viri tanti mandata: quod potui: vt Diui Georgii vita vulgari haberetur sermone / ad singulorum noticiam: virtutisque normam (que in Georgio emicuit) sectandam. Ueruntamen quum eadem hystoria inter Apocripha censeatur: Ego quoad potero: causam tutabor meam: qui rem Apocripham ausus sum vulgariter interpr[e]tari.interpretari] interpritari 1515 Nouit dominacio tua Apocriphum duobus accipi modis. Uel quia de eius veritate dubitatur: Hoc explodit Ecc[l]esia.Ecclesia] Eccesia 1515 Reliquum est: cuius Auctor occultus est: veritas autem patet. Hoc accipit ecclesia: non tamen ad fidei probacionem: sed ad errorum destruccionem.

ref.ed: 8

Cuiusmodi est Liber Iudith / et alij quos enumerat Diuus Hieronimus in Regum prologo. Primo in genere Militis nostri hystoriam Apocripham: haud opinor: quum fidelissima verissimaque appareat. Ut quid tot Basilice / tot Sacelle / Herculeo opere mirificoque sumptu: idque varijs in Regionibus: eius in honore Fabricate: tot spirant Altaria? tot Naciones hunc sibi Patronum elegere? tot denique Principes se Georgij nomine Militie honore insignitos gloriantur? Nisi que Georgius Uite veritate martyrijque constancia: eisdem vite lumen prebuit eterne. Quo pacto si que de illo memorantur vana essent: a tot populis virisque doctissimis potissimus in votis haberetur? In secundo autem genere multo minus opinor. Quum vniuersa Anglicana Ecclesia alieque gentes complurime / huius festa martyris concelebrent / laudesque replicent. Extant preterea complures magno prediti ingenio viri: qui de eius vita atque passione scripsere: Uerum vt reliquos omittam: Baptista mantuanus Carmelita Theologus ins[i]gnisinsignis] insegnis 1515: idemque huius tempestatis Poetarum Princeps Talis in choro qualis Maro in bello / militis nostri gloriosi vitam passionemque Heroicis descripsit carminibus: adeo diserte / polite / et splendide: vt nichil supra. Quod quisque sentit hoc proferat. Ego michi persuadere non possum: quod vir tantus dictauit esse Apocriphum: quum et res ipsa lucidissimam pre se ferat veritatem. Atque ex dignissimo exeat Auctore. Illius ergo carmina / Pater eximie: interpretari decreui: eundemque michi Auctorem sumere / illiusque dicta in nostri / immo tui margine libelli: adijcere: quo viris appareat litteratis quantum ipsa in re vulgaria

sig: [A4v]

a latinis discrepent nostra: et ex tanta auctoritate nostris firmior prestetur fides. Nichil enim hesito quin et Duci strennuissimo et Presuli doctissimo: gratum prestitero obsequium. Uos igitur Georgium vestrum a liuidorum faucibus tutamini. Hec me spes firmiorem in hac re facit: quum alter prisca illa nobilitate preditus: alter ingenio et litteris: vterque dignissimo honore: Auctoritate atque prudencia:

ref.ed: 9

quibus splendetis: nostram facile fulcietis tenuitatem. At tu venerande Antistes propediem iam future / hanc nostram lu[c]ubraciunculamlucubraciunculam] lugubraciunculam 1515 acceptes / reformes tuearis: vt qui tuis a rebus arduis haud vnquam defuit defensor: te modo patronum senciat georgius. Ualeat feliciter Paternitas tua egregia Ex monast[e]riomonasterio] monastrrio 1515 Elyensi. iij. non. Augusti. Anno virginij partus. M.CCCCC.xv.

Tu venias citius: Portus et aura tuis.

sig: [A5]

ref.ed: 10

¶Here begynneth the table of the lyfe of Saynt George conteynynge seriatly the chapiters of suche maters as be conteyned in this treatyse.

¶Fyrst an Inuocacyon of the auctor for heuenly ayde in his translacyon of this boke with a descripcyon of the londe of Cappadoce contrey natyf vnto the holy martyr saynt George. Capitulum. i.

¶Of the conuersacyon and behauour / of saynt George in his adolescence / and what gyftys of nature / of grace and of fortune aboundyd in hym. Capitulum. ii.

¶To what degre þ e romayns callyd seynt George for his noble maners / And of what condycions he was after that he attayned mannys age and stature. Capitulum. iii.

¶How saynt George was sende vnto lybia with þ e Emperour maximyan: And howe he cam to the Cyte of sylena / where the monstre was: which he afterwarde ouercam: And of the ferefull shape and descripcyon of þ e sayd monstre. Capitulum. iiii.

¶Howe it was ordeyned by acte of parlyament þ a t two bodyes of the inhabytantys of the cyte shulde be chosen Euery day by lot to be gyuyn to the dragon: And howe at last the lot fell on the kyngys doughter: and what sorowe was in the palays by occasyon of the same. Capitulum. v.

¶Howe after the day apoynted was com the Kynge and Quene c[o]ntrarycontrary] centrary 1515 to theyr owne wyll to allay the malyce of the comons brought forthe theyr Doughter to obiect hir to the monstre: And howe they confortyd hyr agaynst hir deth. Capitulum. vi.

¶Howe this virgyn was led forthe of the Cyte / and bounde to a Pyller to be deuoured of the sayd serpent. Capitulum. vii.

sig: [A5v]

ref.ed: 11

¶Of the lamentable complaynt of the virgyn what tyme she was left alone before the dragon. Capitulum. viii.

¶How saynt George mouyd with compassyon defendyd the vyrgyn and ouercam the dragon by myght of god. Capitulum. ix.

Howe the vyrgyn was conueyed agayne into the Cyte and what ioy was made and demeanyd of all the commons for deth of this monstre / and how ioyfull the kynge and quene were for preseruacyon of theyr doughter. Capitulum. x.

¶Howe saynt George exortyd the cytezyns to forsake theyr errours and to beleue in cryst instructynge them in þ e faythe. Capitulum. xi.

¶How the Kynge / the Quene and theyr doughter Alcyone with all the hole Cyte becam crystyned: and what laude and thankys they gaue to saynt George / and howe for the loue of chastyte he refusyd to take þ e sayde virgyn in maryage. Capitulum. xii.

¶How saynt George cawsyd a Churche to be byldyd in myddys of the Cyte in honour of our Lady / and howe a well sprange out of the foundacyon wherof the water had suche vertue that all suche as lay syke by infeccyon of the Dragon were restoryd to helthe by drynkynge of the same / And howe sa[yn]t saynt] sanyt 1515 George intendynge to departe exhortyd the kynge and comons to contynue in fayth and vertue. Capitulum. xiii.

Howe saynt george departyd from the cyte of Sylena to the londe of persy / and what actys he dyd in his voyage: and howe many holy placis he vysyted for deuocyon Capitulum. xiiii.

Howe the dampnyd spyrytys toke counsell howe they myght vex the crysten fayth / and moue the paganys to

sig: [A6]

persecucyon of the same. Capitulum. xv.

Howe by suggestyon of our gostely enmy th'emperoure of rome cawsede the sacryfyce of the Idollys to be renewyd / and that all crystyn men / refusynge to do sacryfyce shulde

ref.ed: 12

be martyred by occasyon wherof many crysten men lost theyr lyuys by dyuers tourmentys Capitulum. xvi.

¶How saynt George presentyd hym-selfe before dacyan confessynge hymselfe crystyn as he which was glad to dye for the fayth and of the dysputacyon bytwene saynt George and dacyan. Capitulum. xvii.

Of the fyrst tourment of saynt George / and of his maruelous pacyence in suffrynge the same. Capitulum. xviii.

¶Howe dacyan comaundyd saynt george to be cast in dongyon to be reseruyd to more greuous tourment / And how the Aungell of god apered to hym in pryson and helyd all his woundys agayne. Capitulum. xix.

¶Howe Dacyan herynge / that the woundys of saynt George were cured agayne supposyd þ a t it had ben done by inchantement / And callyd to hym an Inchauntoure namyd thamyr and desyred hym to proue saynt george in the same faculte and howe th'ynchauntour grauntyd so to do Capitulum. xx.

¶H[o]weHowe] Hwe 1515 saynt George dranke venym twyse in the name of cryst and nought was greuyd by the same / by reason wherof the Inchantour was conuertyd to the faythe of Cryst. Capitulum. xxi.

¶Howe the tyrant Dacyan kyndled with Ire commaundyd the I[n]chauntourInchauntour] Ichauntour 1515 to be behedyd / And howe he prepared a Whele with Iren tethe of maruelous sharpnes on the same to tourment Saynt George / And howe by power of God / the sayde Whele was destroyde. Capitulum. xxii.

¶Howe subtylly and by flatery[n]ge wordys / Dacyan

sig: [A6v]

prouyd to cause saynt George to do sacryfyce / and howe the martyr faynedly consentyd to hym. Capitulum. xxiii.

¶Of the vayne bostynge of Dacyan whiche wenyd to haue ouercom saynt George / and how by his prayer the great temple of þ e Idollys brast insonder and sanke doune

ref.ed: 13

into the grounde with horryble noyse and great murder of paynyms. Capitulum. xxiiii.

¶Howe the kynge of the Cyte concludyd to reuenge hym on saynt George of the iniuryes of his Goddys and howe his Quene for blamynge his cruell interpryse was tourmentyd to deth before the face of saynt George. Capitulum. xxv.

¶How god almyghty send doune his aungels to warne saynt George of his deth and to confort hym agaynst the same. Capitul[u]m. xxvi.

¶Of the fynall and last martyrdom of saynt George: and howe dacyan and his satellytis with fyre of heuyn were brent into powdre. Capitulum. xxvi[i]. xxvii] xxvi 1515

¶An oryson vnto þ e blessyd martyr saynt George with an excusacyon of the translatour of his symple translacyon. Capitulum. xxviii.

¶Thus endyth the table.

sig: B1

ref.ed: 14

¶An inuocacion of the Actour for helpe of god in this warke with a descripcion of the londe of Cappadoce where the holy martyr saynt George was borne.

O Father of heuen / in myght omnypotent

Whose myght and mercy this world doth susteyn

O glorious Iesu one god equyualent

Lyke to the Father / in deite Souereyne

And o holy Goost / procedynge of these twayne

Enstrength my reason / clere myn intellygence

Breath me some wysdom / by heuenly influence.

sig: [B1v]

Most gloryous lady / emperes celestyall

Mannys mediatryce / vnto thy sonne Iesu

Dyrecte my pen / for helpe on the I call

Sende me thy socour / my reason to renewe

So that I vayne gestes / and fruytles / may eschewe

And wryte the lyfe / inspyred by thy myght

Of gloryous george / thy seruaunt and thy knyght.

Let raylynge poetes / for helpe on venus call

Which hath in venus / theyr pleasour and delyte

Whose wrytynge vttreth / theyr lyuynge bestyall

With barayne termys / suche thynges they indyte

Whiche may the reders / to vicious lyfe excyte

And nat to vertue / he which is lawreat

Ought nat his name / with vyce to vyolate.

ref.ed: 15

But o god through helpe / of thy magnyfycence

And gloryous mary / in hope that thou wyl lyght

My mynde and reason / with ryght intelligence

I purpose to wryte / after my symple myght

The lyfe of our patron / saynt george the worthy knyght

Despysynge vayne gestes / and wanton vanyte

So may my wrytynge / accorde with my degre

But syth I suche charge / haue gladly take in hande

For to translate this lyfe / ryght excellent

Fyrste to descryue the contrey / or the londe

Where george was borne / me-thynke expedyent

And than to declare / his vertues consequent

Nowe glorious martyr / assyste me to procede

Graunt me thy seruaunt / thy socoure for my mede.

sig: B2

The londe of Capadoce / hath his propre name

Of a certayne Ryuer / longe / large / and profou[n]de

Namyd Cappadoce descendynge throughe the same

Commodyous / and profytable / to the grounde

This ryuer doth / in dyuers fysshe abounde

To specyall conforte / and great commodyte

Of forayne nacyons / and of the same countre.

This foresayd londe / is also adiacent

Unto the See / which to the same is nye

On lefte syde lye / the londes excellent

Of both the contrees / callyd Armenye.

And on ryght syde / dyuers people of Asye

Ar spred about / with many a fayre Cyte

Whose names I leue / bycause of breuyte.

ref.ed: 16

This londe extendyth / vnto the oryent

Unto the pendaunt / of an hyghe mountayne

Whose top surmountyth / the seconde element

That seldom-tyme / it feleth wynde or rayne

This hyll / as sayth suche Auctours as ar playne

Is namyd Taurus / wherin is great solace

Throughe myghty foyson / of wode wylde beest and gras

This londe extendeth / forth and so passith by

Lycaony / Pycidy / Cylyce / and antyoche

Deuyded from / the gretter Armeny

With the flood of eufrates / that doth aproche

To bothe the londes / closyd with clyf and roche

With whiche wallys / by nature it is bounde

That inundacyon / shuld / nat apayre the grounde

sig: [B2v]

As auncyent storyes / expresse / recorde and say

This londe nowe called Cappadoce by name

Was of the grekes callyd / whyte_Syria

Bycause the people bred within the same

Are whyte of coloure / for-why suche is the fame

That people borne / and bred in that countre

Are louesome / fayre / and pleasaunt of beautie.

Hereof who lyst / to haue playne euydence

The frost and colde / is cause / as wyse men say

For this we se / by playne experyence

In coldest londes / are fayrest / folke alway

But where-as the sonne / is feruentyst by day

By strength and brennynge / of the hote feruent sonne

The dwellers there / are blewe / blak / browne or donne.

ref.ed: 17

As are the facys of the blacke Moryans

The men of Inde / Persy and Araby

Brent with the sonne / and in mo Regyons

As garamant / with Ildes mo therby Ildes: =isles

But nowe to purpose / my matter to apply

This foresayd londe / hath great commodytees

Of plesaunt Ryuers / and excellent Cytees.

In this londe be / four Ryuers pryncipall

Whose names are these / hylas and salius

Lycus and Irys / whiche clerer than christall

With water fresshe / swete and delycious

Ouerflowe the grounde / it makynge plenteous

Of grasse of fruyte / and corne of euery grayne

Whiche may do conforte / vnto nature humayne.

sig: B3

Within this countre /or londe of Cappadoce

Are dyuers cyties / ryche / worthy and royall

But namely one concernynge my purpose

Amonge the other / moste chefe and pryncipall

With goodly walles / stronge and substanciall

And callyd Moga / in mouth of euery man

Before the noble / empyre of Rome began.

But whan the Empyre / had spred abrode his fame

100

Subduynge / londes to his domynyon

A romayne emperour / chaungyd this townes name

With name more worthy / vnto so noble a towne

So that the dwellers / of all that Regyon

Named this Cytie / Cesarea certayne

105

After the name / of the emperour romayne.

ref.ed: 18

This was the Cytie / wherof was gouernour

Somtyme Basilius / the welle of eloquence

Ouerflowynge the worlde / with the great vigour

Of ornate langage / myxed with prudence

110

In whose dayes / the peas and opulence

Of this great cytie / passyd many wayes

The goldyn worlde / somtyme in saturnes dayes.

Right so within / this fortunate cytie

Was borne saynt George / the famous noble knyght

115

The parfyte myrrour / and flour of chyualrye

Of noble stocke / his parentes of great myght

This noble George / in batayle and in fyght

Surmountyd Mars / by dedes excellent

Whome men haue honoured / as god armypotent

sig: [B3v]

120

His parentes / gaue to hym this name certayne

In tender youth / and age of innocence

So dyd the name of george / with hym remayne

After that he / by heuenly Influence

Had wasshyd away / the orygynall offence

125

Of his firste byrth / and of our fayth become

By holy baptyme / receyuynge cristendome.

¶Of the conuersacion of saynt George in his adolescence and what gyftes of nature / grace and fortune aboundyd in hym. Capitulum. secundo.

sig: B4

ref.ed: 19

BUt nowe to touche / his ryches manyfolde

He had of londes / and bestes abundaunce

But namely plenty of syluer / and of golde

130

His father and mother / his honour to auaunce

Lefte with theyr sone / theyr ryches and substaunce

His auncyent honour / the better to meyntayne

Whiche he so ordred / that nought was spent in vayne.

His fader dede / and gone as we must all

135

Contynuyd george syngyll / and without wyfe

Honourynge Idollys / of fendes Infernall

As had his Parentes / vsyd in theyr lyfe

This blynde errour / was than so excessyfe

That holy george / lyuynge in this errour

140

Had no-thynge harde / of Criste our sauyour

But after the report / of this our true byleue

Entryd his erys / kyndlynge his herte and mynde

Incontynent / began / he to remeue

His herte and mynde / from his olde errours blynde

145

Hymself reputynge / to christ greatly vnkynde

So longe to haue honoured / those fendes fraudelent

And so in hast ran he / vnto our sacrament.

He nought asshamyd / hym humbly to inclyne

To all preceptis / of christ our sauyour

150

Ryght mekely stodiynge / to folowe the doctryne

Of christe: but for his elders had honour

By warre and batayle / bolde in eche storme and shoure

Therfore george / wolde nat go out of kynde

But in his youth on warre / set moste his mynde.

sig: [B4v]

ref.ed: 20

155

In dyuers batayles / spent he his lusty age

Subduynge tyrantes / and mayntenynge the ryght

The way deuysynge / in his moste bolde courage

To vse such feates / as longeth vnto a knyght

None bolder borne / none of more force nor myght

160

No man was founde / aboute in that countre

That coude mo poyntes / of valyaunce than he.

To throwe a dart / by strength and clene puysaunce

In londe or coste / no man coude better fynde

All warryours / wondred of his valyaunce

165

To se this knyght / to handell tourne or wynde

A swerde or wepyn / of any sorte or kynde

To throwe a plummet / or for to put a stone

In Cappadoce / lyke vnto hym was none.

To throwe a barre / or drawe a bowe of strength

170

Was none his peere / nor to hym comparable

Besyde the hede / his shaft a yarde of length

Stronge / great / and myghty / to be in fleynge stable

To drawe the same / his armys were so able

That whan his craft / by exercyse dyd growe

175

He hyd his arowe / nere hole within the bowe.

To slynge a stone / as is the gyse of spayne

Who had hym sene / he boldly durst haue sworne

That in that londe / he had be bred certayne

To ronne or lepe / none erthly man was borne

180

That coude in swyftnes / one fote get hym beforne

Or hyer lepe / into the ayre than he

Suche was his strength / herte and agylyte.

sig: [B5]

ref.ed: 21

What shall I speke / howe manly he coude ryde

Or tourne his stede / as quyckly as he wolde

185

To mounte or lepe / or swymmynge hym to gyde

No water / hedge / nor dyke coude hym withholde

The ryder by craft / gaue wynges manyfolde

Unto the stede / whiche lyght as is the wynde

With touche of brydell / tourned and inclynde.

190

To any parte or syde / where george wolde

It was a worlde / to se hym breke a spere worlde: see OED s.v. world n., 19c

For in that poynt / no knyght was founde so bolde

In all that londe / but greatly dyd hym fere

No man was able / hym nor his stede to dere

195

But where hym pleasyd / for to employ his myght

He threwe by his strength / to grounde both hors and knyght.

The worthy champyons / in oldetyme wont to be

On the hylle olympus / kepynge theyr wrastlynge-game

Were nat so crafty / in wrastlynge as he

200

Nat Hercules / of moste renowne and fame

Suche valyaunt courage / dyd Georges herte inflame

In all poyntes of strenght / hym-selfe to exercyse

Wherby / to honour and fame / a man may ryse.

Let grece[s] them boste / of Pollux and Castor greces] grece 1515

205

Let them of Fraunce / vaunte them of charlemayne

Let Troyans / commende theyr Parys and Hector

And brytaynes exalte / the boldnes souerayne

Of worthy Artour / but to be true and playne

No true hystorye of these / nor fayned fable

210

Can make theyr name / to George comparable.

sig: [B5v]

ref.ed: 22

If george thought / his stedes cours to slacke

Than in hymself / put he his confydence

Quickely descendynge / downe from the horses backe

The soner to socour / his folke by his defence

215

But if his spere / by stroke of vyolence

Fell to the grounde / it was to hym no payne

Without descendynge / to lyft it vp agayne.

It were to longe / all his vertues to declare

He knewe all / that longyd to an hygh courage

220

In swymmynge was none / that myght with hym compare

That craft had he / surmountynge euery age

In such feates / he spent his lusty age

And neuer in game dishonest / or pastyme

Wherof myght growe / the rote of synne or cryme.

Apostrophe ad anglos

heading in left margin

225

O englysshe youth / it is both synne and shame

To se in thy patron / suche manly doughtynes

And thou to spende thy tyme / in thriftles game

The grounde of vyce / and rote of wretchydnes

Fle from suche foly / vse noble besynes

230

And thynges that at ende / may helpe a comon-welth

Or els that may be / vnto thy soules helth.

¶To what degre the Romaynes callyd saynt George for his noble maners / and of what condycyons he was / whan he was come / to parfyte age of man. Capitulum. iii.

sig: [B6]

ref.ed: 23

FOr these hyghe gyftes / and vertues vnderstonde

In this valyaunt knyght / so euydent and playne

The romayne prynces / than rulynge euery londe

235

Made hym a Tribune: whiche is a capytayne

Hym gyuynge charge / to chastyce and constrayne

The other sowdyours / to trouth and dylygence

And to subdue / falshode / and neglygence

For where men of warre / without correccion

240

Haue all theyr pleasour / in slouth and robery

Than foloweth thefte / wronge / and extorcion

And slouth moste specyall / cause of lechery

Wherfore the Romayns / prouydynge remedy

Elect wyse captaynes / transgressours to chastyce

245

Supportynge vertue / subduynge synne and vyce

Addicio Alexandri_barclay ad predictorum dilucidationem

heading in right margin

Of whiche sorte / was george elect for one

Whiche by discression / wysdome and prudence

Hym so behauyd / that he displesyd none

Yet vncorrect / he suffred none offence

250

Wherof the dede coude / come to euydence

Whiche is a wonder / for seldome se we fall

That ryghtwyse men / haue loue and thanke with-all

But of his beaute / somtyme nowe to wryte

He was both large / and longe of his stature

255

His colour rody / that one myght haue delyte

For to beholde / so fayre a creature

His heer shynynge / as golde moste fyne and pure

Flauynge abrode / and cryspynge oryently Flauynge: Perhaps to be emended to 'Flowynge' or 'Flamynge', if not a borrowing from the Latin _flaveo_, 'to be golden yellow or gold-coloured'. Cf. OED s.v. Flavescent, Flave etc.

Couerynge his necke / vnto his shuldres nye.

sig: [B6v]

ref.ed: 24

260

With hym compare / in beautie myght there none

But brefly to speke / he was a man parfyte

More than Achylles / Turnus or absolone

Yet all these gyftes / coude neuer in hym excyte

Pryde or disdayne / but shortly all to wryte

265

The mo dyuers gyftes / that he had of nature

More meke he was / to euery creature.

And thoughe he sawe / his felawes them subdue

To carnall lust / and worldly vanyte

Theyr lust / and pleasoure / blyndly to insue

270

The brydell lowse / of godly chastyte

Yet he subduyd / suche blynde lascyuyte

No ardant flame / of wretchyd venus rage

Coude his chaste mynde / subdue vnto bondage.

Yet none example to synne / coude make hym fall

275

No wanton lust / coude make his thought inclyne

To haue delyte / in pleasour corporall

Whiche is a thynge / nat humayne but dyuyne

For thoughtles youth / oft commyth to ruyne

By beaute / ryches / fre-wyll / or lyberte

280

And yll example / of youthes enormyte.

Except discressyon / rule and the lorde aboue

But as for george / he was predestynate

And chosen of god / in whome was all his loue

No erthly loue / coude hym intoxycate

285

His mynde was fyxed / vnclenlynes to hate

Lyke to Ipolytus / whiche rather chose to dye

Than with the quene / to brake his chastyte

sig: [B7]

ref.ed: 25

Or lyke to Joseph / whiche falsly was accusyd

And cast in pryson in bytter wo and payne

290

Bycause that he / his lordes wyfe refusyd

Lykewyse dyd George / his noble herte refrayne

From womans foly / temptacion gyle and trayne

Thoughe dyuers ladyes had set on hym theyr hert

His herte was stable / no-thynge / coude hym peruert.

295

But lyke as a Rocke / standynge within the see

Remayneth stable / for all the violence

Of wynde and wawes / or as a great oke-tree

Eche storme abydeth: so the magnyficence

Of noble George / made manly resystence

300

Agaynst all pleasures / of worldly vanyte

In heuyn was all / his hole felycyte.

Whan the Rumoure / of bellona to batayle

Steryd men armyd / of dyuers region

And Mars made rulers / eche other to assayle

305

So that saynt george / of Captaynes must be one

He hauntyd neuer warre without relygion

Of fauour / mercy / and fyghtynge for the ryght

Lyke as besemeth / the ordre of a knyght.

But batayle tournyd / into tranquylyte

310

What tyme this saynt / had layser and respyte

To vse his tyme at wyll and lyberte

In workes of mercy / put he his hole delyte

For his olde synnes / pensyfe and contryte

And passynge his tyme / to serue our lorde almyght

315

But chefly on mornynge / and before the nyght.

sig: [B7v]

ref.ed: 26

But whan the people of lowe and pore estate

Both olde and yonge / gatherynge from euery place

For ayde and conforte / resortyd to his gate

They neuer departyd / but that they had solace

320

Ueray pure compassion / so dyd his hart imbrace

That all his ryches / vpon the pore he spent

As specyall conforte / to wretch and indygent.

To none was he noyso[m] / nor preiudiciall noysom] noyson 1515

Saue whan the case so requyred in batayle

325

That ought must be done / with violence ouer-all

Agaynst his foes / the soner to preuayle

Than was none stronger / nor bolder to assayle

Hys enmy in felde / nor none was so actyfe

Of capadoce / which alway lyue in stryfe.

330

In tyme of skyrmysshe was none more fortunate

For to ouercome / in grettest ieopardy

As in his byrthe / he had ben destynate

To haue good fortune / in warre and chyualry

The fame and rumour / of people openly

335

Sayde that he outher / was vnto batayle borne

Els that dame fortune / to hym was bounde and sworne.

Suche was his strength / and boldnes souerayne

That he which onys / escapyd had his hand

Durste neuer aduenture / suche ieopardy agayne

340

Nor yet be bolde / agayne his stroke to stande

For lyke as the fyre / set on a stubbyl-lande

Is dryuyn forthe / by myght: of ayre and wynde

And saue the bare grounde / leueth no-thynge behynde.

sig: [B8]

ref.ed: 27

Ryght so this captayne / both valyaunt and bolde

345

Trauersyd the oste / his wepyn in his hande

Dischargynge strokes / agayne all them that wolde

By manly harte / be bolde hym to withstande

All went to grounde / that he before hym founde

Saue suche as yeldynge / gladly gaue hym place

350

Whom he with mercy / acceptyd to his grace.

But with the stoborne / the prowde and arrogant

He fyersly faryd / on them prouynge his myght

As Tedeus / Ayax /or Hector valyant

Or hercules / the Champyon dyd in fyght

355

Wherfore the emperour / had hym alway in syght

And in suche fauour / that in eche ieopardy

He must be one / without all remedy.

It is nat nede / in this small boke to wryte

All his hyghe actes / and dedys of excellence

360

Whiche so habounde / that I haue no respyte

What by his strength / his maners and prudence

His name was great / in presence and absence

And all men prayed for hym in generall

That hys lyfe-tyme / myght be perpetuall.

365

Thus in his youth / moche noble was his fame

By noble courage / and feat of chyualry

But as he grewe / so grewe his worthy name

He dayly laboured / his laude to multyply

Suffrynge no houre / in ydylnes passe by

370

In all his actes / was vertue and boldnes

Lyke as this treatyse / shall afterwarde expres.

sig: [B8v]

ref.ed: 28

¶Howe saynt George was sent into the Londe of Lybia with the Emperour Maximyan: and how he came to the cite of Sylena where he founde the ferefull monstre whiche he afterwarde ouercam. And of the dredeful shape and descripcion of the sayde Monstre. Capitulum. iiii.

sig: C1

MAximyan a Romayne emperour

Upon a season / prepared a voyage

Into Lybia / with many a sowdyour

375

The londe to brynge / vnder his bondage

Of whiche londe / the dwellers were sauage

And with the Romayns / dyd batayle oft renewe

Whiche sorer laboured / theyr power to subdewe

This emperour / had with hym in company

380

Ryght worthy Captaynes / of hye name and renown

With hym was George / the floure of chyualry

The captayne / of certayne legyon

Of men of Armys / borne in a Regyon

Tracia by name / this hoste helde forth theyr way

385

Nere by ryche cyte / named Sylena.

This Cyte / firste was foundyd as men wene

By olde duke Bacchus / somtyme a man of fame

And by his people / callyd men of Sylene

Dryuen from the costes / of Nysus to theyr shame

390

Whiche callyd this Cyte / Sylene / by theyr name

And it defendyd / with myghty wall and toure

The same instorynge / with men and great tresoure

ref.ed: 29

Without the walles / aboute the same cyte

Was a depe dyche / the water moche vnpure

395

The mote was large / and of great profundyte

Infectyf / foule / and fyllyd with ordure

The sent was lothsome / to euery creature

Whether this vyle dyche / were watry or drye

The stynkynge sauoure / yet bode contynually.

sig: [C1v]

400

An ayre infectyf / ascendyd from the same

With mysty cloudes / stynkynge obscure and blake

This lothly dyke / if I shuld kyndely name

It playne resemblyd / a foule infernall lake

Infect with venym / of adder / eute / and snake eute: =ewte or efte. See OED s.v. Eft, Newt.

405

And of mo serpentes / foule and venemous

Namely of one / great dragon odyous.

It is thynge secrete / and very harde to tell

Whether god had sende / suche plage for punysshment

Or it were done / by damnyd spirites of hell

410

Or by the bodyes / of the fyrmament

But in this mater / I wyll nat argument

But to be brefe / this deedly dongyon

Brought forth a monstre / a great and foule dragon.

This monstre thorugh / hyr odyous poyson

415

Wastyd both man / and beest on euery syde

But nowe to touche / hyr shape and foule fassyon

Hyr lothly bely / was ougly great and syde

Hyr necke right longe / hyr mouth was large and wyde

Hyr throte moste lyke / an ouyn flamynge bryght

420

So that faynte hertes / were slayne but with hyr syght.

ref.ed: 30

More ferefull / fell / and crueller was she

Than the deedly monster / of Lerna was doutles

Upon hyr wynges / and on hyr backe on hye

Were grene roughe scalys / lyke yren of hardnes

425

If Hercules / for all his hardynes

With bylle or clubbe / had ron this dragon to

He shulde forsoth / haue founde ynough to do.

sig: C2

Whan this deedly monstre / lothely of fygure

Had wastyd the bestes / about on euery syde

430

Hyr wombe insaciate / no hunger coude indure

In one place: wrath nat suffred hyr to byde

Hyr iyen she lyfted / hyr throte displayed wyde

Agaynst the cyte: with breth and ayre as fell

As out ascendyth / from the foule floodes of hell.

435

The mortall venym: the foule and deedly sent

Went ouer the wallys / corruptynge the cyte

With foule infeccyon: and sauour pestylent

The men consumynge / by great mortalyte

By sodayne deth: or longe infyrmyte

440

For where-as nature / was weyke or impotent

The body infect / fell deed in_contynent.

Thus deedly sorowe / the cyte dyd confounde

But where this dragon: went / walowyd / or dyd lye

Hyr wombe infectyf / inuenymyd the grounde

445

That herbes / and gras / were brent / and wexed drye

The corne / and flowers / where she had passyd nye

Decayed fadynge / and hangynge / downe theyr hede

Unto the grounde / as blastyd / faynt and dede.

ref.ed: 31

The woddes forestes / and leuys of euery tre

450

Whiche had ben strykyn / by this ayre venemous

Became pale / and drye: so lesynge theyr beaute

Lyke as the londe / of Catanence doys

Whan the sodayne fyre / and flamys peryllous

Of the mountayne callyd / Ethna brakyth out

455

Brennynge wode: townes / both man and beste about.

sig: [C2v]

But if the vyle ayre / of this same foule serpent

Infectyd any byrde: syttynge or in flyght

Lyke as the herte / had ben insonder rent

In_contynent: the byrde lost strength and myght

460

And voyde of lyfe: vnto the grounde fell ryght

The fysshe also / the brokes and ryuers clere

Were all infectyd / where this foule beste came nere.

¶Howe it was ordeyned by Act of Parlyament that .ii. bodyes of inhabytauntes of the cyte shuld be chosyn euery day by lot to be gyuen to this Dragon: and howe at the last the lot fell on the kynges doughter: and what sorowfull Lamentacion was demened

demened=demeaned

ouer all the palays by occasyon of the same. Capitulum. v.

sig: C3

AFter great deth: and paynes vyolent

At last the kynge: and of the londe the chefe

465

Assemblyd to counsell: holdynge parlyament

To seke some meane: to asswage this myschefe

At last whan euery / man had tolde his grefe

For to eschewe suche / murder generall

This was concludyd: by counsell of them all.

ref.ed: 32

470

That is to say / the kynge and comonte

And lordes ordeyned / that .ii. bodyes dayly

Of mankynde by lot: shulde out chosyn be

Unto the dragon: to gyue contynually

The one at euyn: the other on morne erly

475

So that with them she myght be sacyate

And nat the hole cyte / so to intoxycate.

As poetes recorde: the men of the cyte

Of noble Athenys: were in lyke maner case

Oppressyd with harde fate / and destenye

480

What tyme Theseus / arryued in that place

But afterwarde he / by fauour and by grace

Of that foule monstre: hym-self red out of drede

His passage gydynge / out by a clewe of threde.

The cyte obeyed: this cruell ordynaunce

485

Syns none other way / was sene of remedye

On lowest people: firste fell the lot or chaunce

But at the last: it left the comonte

And fell on suche: as were of hye degre

Thus dayly the towne: newe corsys myght bewyale

490

But mourne myght they fast: for all coude nat auayle.

sig: [C3v]

None was but douted: harkynge euery houre

For to receyue / theyr cruell desteny

But whan the monstre: shuld haue them to deuoure

No mede nor raunsom / coude them redeme nor bye

495

At last the lot / ascendyd vp so hye

That on the kynges doughter: it also fell

A fayre yonge virgyne: and goodly damoysell.

ref.ed: 33

The kynge hym-selfe / was weyke and farre in age

Hauynge no childe: but this yonge mayde alone

500

In whome was all / the hope of his lynage

Sythe all his other / fro hym were deed and gone

More was his sorowe: the greatter was his mone

That with his childe: whiche redy was to wed

So foule a beste / shulde be replete and fed.

505

But than (as often) doth fall in suche a chaunce

Bytwene the kynge: and all his comonte

Began to growe / discorde and varyaunce

The kynges herte / was mouyd with pyte

To saue his childe: from deedly cruelte

510

Groundynge hym-selfe: namely vpon this clawse

A kynge in mercy: may be aboue his lawes.

But all the comons / sayd on the other syde

With wrathfull chere / and thretnynge yrefull[y] yrefully] yrefull 1515

The kynge / hym-self / his lawes shuld abyde

515

As they had done / without all remedy

And that they nat wolde / abyde suche iniury

But that the kynge / his lawes to mentayne

Shuld in that case / be partyner of theyr payne.

sig: C4

The kynge than seinge / all the hole comonte

520

This-wyse confederate: and all of one intent

Began to note / thre maner thynges that be

Auoyde of mercy: and very harde to stent

A comonte is one: whan the[y] in one assent they] the 1515

And fyre / and water: so dyd he determyne

525

To theyr peticion: shortly to inclyne.

ref.ed: 34

And promysyd them / with terys excessyf

His oonly doughter / to do with hyr theyr wyll

In whome was all / the confort of his lyfe

The day was sygned / this promes to fulfyll

530

At whiche answere / the comonte was styll

And half asswagyd / ther grutche and murmurynge

Abydynge the day / apoyntyd of the kynge.

Whan worde of this / was come vnto the quene

Thought / payne / and sorowe / to deth hyr herte dyd wounde

535

More wofull woman was neuer herde nor sene

Hyr-self she wysshyd / oft depe within the grounde

[O]uer all the palays / of wo was crye and sounde Ouer] Euer 1515The emendation to 'Ouer' seems to provide better sense in the English version, but 'Euer' may derive from the Latin source text: "Continuo luctus resonans per regia tecta ...".

The knyghtes / and ladyes / so sore mournyd echone

One myght haue pyte / to here suche wofull mone.

540

The kynge and quene / yet mournyd moste of all

Ouer all the palays / was dolour day and nyght

Downe went the ryche / aparayle of the hall

The golde and tyssue: was throwen out of syght

And with blacke clothes / was all the palays dyght

545

The festes cessyd: both myrth and melody

Was tournyd to terys / and wepynge bytterly.

sig: [C4v]

For songe / were syghes: for daunsynge and solace

The ladyes wandred / the heer aboute theyr iyen

Unclenely dust / deturped euery place

550

Whiche in fore-tyme / were kept ryght fayre and clene

No token of myrthe / amonge them all was sene

The wofull day: whiche than fast so drue nere

Doubled theyr sorowe: abatynge all theyr chere.

ref.ed: 35

¶How after the day apoyntyd was come: the Kynge and quene contrary to theyr owne wyll: to alay þ e malyce of the comons brought forthe theyr doughter to obiect hyr to the monstre / and how the kyng and quene confortyd hir agaynst hyr deth. Capitulum. vi.

sig: D1

NOwe was the dolorous / day almost at hande

555

Whan this goodly virgyn / shuld deuoured be

The fame therof / sone spred aboute the londe

Many one came thyther / that wofull syght to se

From dyuers partes / of the same countre

But namely straungers / moste gladly thether yede

560

That they myght all recount and tell that dede.

Saynt george also / whiche was nat thens farre

Whan he had worde / hereof: full hastely

Dyd on his armour / and habyte mete for warre

And mountyd vpon / his stede delyuerly

565

Ledynge with hym / a certayne company

So towarde the Cyte: he sped hym faste also

To se that syght / lyke as dyd many mo. lyke as] lyke: as 1515

Forth coursyd he: on his stede of great v[a]lour valour] volour 1515

A herte myght ioy so fayre a knyght to se

570

This stede was gyuen hym: of the emperour

For his great manhode: strength and audacyte

The hors was trappyd: by vse of royalte

With purpyll harnes: and betyn golde full bryght

In suche aray: forth rode this noble knyght.

ref.ed: 36

575

At last he and his small: company dyd take

A standynge-place: vpon a mountayne nere

Where they myght se: the fowle and lothly lake

Out of the whiche: the dragon shulde apere

Than was it mornynge: and Phebus gan to clere

580

His beamys spredynge / out of the oryent

Lyghtnynge the erth / the ayre and fyrmament.

sig: [D1v]

Whan sodaynly / the dragon dangerous

Lyft vp the hede / with fowle and lothly loke

Out of the dyche / vnclene and odyous

585

The people about (hyr seynge) drade and quoke

Hyr lothly body / out of the fylth sh[e] shoke she] sh 1515

The myre deuydynge / the ayre about hyr stanke

In swymmynge she droue / the water to the banke.

Anone where-as / the ayre before was clere

590

A clowde obumbred / the heuyn and fyrmament

The sonne began / all pale and blake to apere

For ayre infectyf / of this moste fowle serpent

Unto the banke / she swam in_contynent

She sought and gapyd / for hyr acustomyd pray

595

Hyr brennynge iyen / fast rollynge euery way.

But whan no-where / she coude hyr pray espy

For wrath she gnastyd / in furour all on fyre

She lyft hyr scalys: hyr backe / and necke / on hye

Spredynge hyr wynges / all grene / by fylth and myre

600

She made all tokyns / pretendynge wrath and yre

With sygne / or semblaunce / as she wolde mounte and fle

For to inuenyme: euyn all the hole cyte.

ref.ed: 37

By ferefull hyssynge / moche greuous were hyr sounde

As impacyent / for: prolongynge of hyr pray

605

With hyr crokyd clawys: she bete vpon the grounde

Ly[f]tynge hyr iyen / and erys vp alway Lyftynge] Lystynge 1515

Agayne the gates / from whens many a day

She knewe hyr mete / to hyr was wont be brought

Hyr wrath renewyd / whan she espyed nought.

sig: D2

610

If she coude here / the gates cracke from farre

If they shulde open / she waytyd besely

As one in hope / she laboured to come narre

But hyr great weyght: hyr suffred nat to flye

Yet as she myght / she fast approchyd nye

615

Hyr lothly necke / before hyr stretchyd out

With hyr brynnynge tunge / lyckynge hyr mouth about.

The ferefull moders / hye on the wallys stode

The wofull men: yonge children them be[h]ynde behynde] beynde 1515

With heuy hertes / the comons there abode

620

To se that syght / whiche sore shulde greue theyr mynde

The tendrest hertes / had greattest wo by kynde

The hardest hertes / made also mone for wo

A fautles virgyn / to se deuoured so.

In the meane-tyme the kynge / and quene forth brought

625

Theyr doughter / clothyd / in vesture moste royall

With outwarde chere: they hyd theyr inwarde thought

Theyr doughters herte / to confort moste of all

To hyr they sayd: that all they playnly shall

Become great goddes / whiche wyll indure suche payne

630

Theyr [londes lawes]: with deth so to mentayne. londes lawes] lawes londes 1515

ref.ed: 38

And that as goddes / all men shuld them honour

With yerely festys / and great solemnyte

As Romulus and Numa: men of great valour

They shulde nat oonly / in that londe laudyd be

635

But also in other / londes beyonde the se

Who-euer they were / that shuld here of the fame

Of that noble dede / shulde magnyfye hyr name.

sig: [D2v]

As men of Cursyus / laudys the pyte A reference to the pit of Curtius

Whiche kest hymself / in an abyme profounde

640

By his oonly deth / to saue a comonte

With suche wordes / and other / that they founde

Hyr frendes laboured / to make hyr herte be bounde

Rather to the loue / of lyfe perpetuall

Than of this faynte lyfe: caduke and temporall.

¶Howe the virgyne was led forth of the Cyte / and bounde to a Pyller to be deuoured of þ e dragon. Capitulum. vii.

645

WIth suche wordes / the wofull kynge and quene

Laboured to temper / theyr doughters heuynes

And to refrayne / the terys of theyr iyen

They stodyed myrth / in vysage to expres

But wo and pyte / withstode that besynes

650

For teres and syghes / brake out on euery syde

No outwarde chere / theyr inwarde wo coude hyde.

ref.ed: 39

Unto the gates / they brought this mayde echone

Whiche to this tyme / were kept fast close and shyt

Than made they all / suche wofull crye and mone

655

It playnely to wryte / it passyth mannys wyt

Syghes had theyr longes / almoste in_sunder kyt longes: =lungs

The mayde they halsyd / and kyssyd tenderly

And toke theyr leue: syns was no remedy.

sig: D3

At last the gates / anone were cast abrode

660

The mayde went / forth hyr seruauntes hyr about

The kynge / the quene: and Comons styll abode

Within the wallys / mournynge with wofull shout

This ferefull virgyne / was in this wyse shyt out

Hyr here abrode: in weddynge ornament

665

Of golde clere glystrynge / for stonys oryent.

The seruauntes than / sad and with wofull mone

Unto a pyller / this mayde with chaynes bounde

Auoyde of confort / hyr leuynge there alone

Lyke to a goddes / there stode she on the grounde

670

To Helena none / lyker: coude be founde

She mekely abode / hyr ende and deth alway

Amonge the monstres: as dyd Andromade.

Her iyen she tourned / towarde the fyrmament

Drede hyr nat suffred / the monstre to beholde

675

And quakynge for fere / callyd with hole intent

On all theyr Idollys: of goddes manyfolde

To proue if any: of them hyr socour wolde

Hyr mone was thus: harde to the cyte wall

The wynde was lowde: wherfore they harde nat all.

ref.ed: 40

¶Of the lamentable complaynt of the virgyne / whan she was left alone before the dragon. Capitulum. viii.

sig: [D3v]

680

HIrself alone: this-wyse complayned she

O wretchyd Alcyone: who can expres thy wo

(For she by name / was callyd Alcyone)

Why is thy state: and cruell fortune so

That into this dragons / bely thou must go

685

Alas shall my dayes / no lenger tyme indure

I dye or the day / prefyxed of nature.

My graue approchyth / my body to deuoure

Yet I a_lyue / hole sounde and innocent

By cours of nature / farre from my dethes houre

690

Yet is my deth: and endynge-day present

Fye on the fortune: both fals and fraudelent

What haue I done? what gyle co[u]de thou deuyse?

A fautles virgyne: to murder in this wyse?

Why is heuyn erth / and helle to me contrary?

695

My-self se I nowe: hatyd of them echone

Of all the goddes / and mortall men here-by

I se no socoure: compassyon haue they none

Before this monstre: here am I left alone

Without all confort / proteccyon or defence

700

And that before / my faders owne presence.

Are these the festes / of my maryage

So longe abyden / of my father the kynge

O my dere moder / feble and farre in age

Is this your confort: of my fruyt and ofsprynge

705

Wherin your hope / was set aboue all-thynge

O goddes all / if ye haue iyen to se

Beholde my sorowe / in this extremyte.

sig: D4

ref.ed: 41

O heuynly goddes / shewe vnto me your face

Whiche by your myght: as men recorde and tell

710

Haue Aryadna: sauyd in suche case

O goddes of the see: o gouernours of hell

If ye haue iyen / to se this case cruell

If any mercy / can moue you to pyte

Haue mercy nowe / on your Alcyone.

715

Haue I nat euer / ben lowe in your presence

Before your Auters: both meke and innocent

Prostrate in prayer / with humble reuerence

Than nowe here my mone / to my request assent

If ye be goddes / in heuyn parmanent

720

As we blynde wretchys / in you suppose and trowe

Declare your myght / shewe forth your power nowe.

With suche wordes / or lyke as we may thynke

This wofull virgyne / complayned all alone

As she that was / at dethes dore or brynke

725

Whan they on the wallys: harde this carefull mone

To se the case theyr herte was colde as stone

For fere they quakyd: hauynge no tere to wepe

That doleful[l] syght / persyd theyr herte so depe. dolefull] dolefult 1515

Drede and compassyon / them nere bereft theyr lyfe

730

Theyr hertes stryken with doloure vyolent

But noble George / had payne moste excessyfe

From the hylle beholdynge: the virgyn innocent

So all his men made mone full euydent

And all the straungers: bewaylyd hyr dystres

735

Theyr hertes plungyd / in care and heuynes.

sig: [D4v]

ref.ed: 42

Styll stode the monstre / with iyen bryght as fyre

Maruaylynge in maner / of the ryche aray

And of the fayre virgyns / precyous attyre

For the other were / put nakyd forth alway

740

Yet by the bondys: she knewe it was hyr pray

Wherfore with Iawes / and throte displayed wyde

Fast to the virgyne: began she for to glyde.

Hyr myghty body: somwhat made slowe hyr pace

So that hyr meuynge / was slake as one myght se

745

Hyr body semyd a volt / or some great place

If on from farre / behelde hyr quantyte

Hyr tayle came after / with great prolyxyte

Leuynge the prent: behynde hyr in the way

Hyr wynges abrode / she drewe vnto hyr pray.

¶Howe saynt george mouyd with compassyon defendyd þ e virgyne and ouercame the dragon by myght of god. Capitulum. ix.

sig: [D5]

750

WHan George from farre / behelde the foule dragon 'W'of 'WHan' is a guide letter in the space set for a large capital

He thought that syght / a myschefe inhumayne

His herte was kyndlyd / with pyte and compassyon

Recouerynge courage: and boldnes souerayne

He thought to red / the virgyne of hyr payne

755

And made a crosse: deuoutly on his brest

His spere anone / was charged in the rest.

sig: [D5v]

ref.ed: 43

With spurrys of golde / he stroke his stedes syde

To spede his pase: as was his comon gyse

And to the monstre / dyd rather fle than ryde

760

Whan the beholders / this boldnes dyd deuyse

They all had wonder / to se his interpryse

And to theyr goddes / they all began to cry

To sende the knyght / the palme and victory.

But brefly nowe / for to declare this fyght

765

God euer is redy / to helpe a bolde courage

In whome had George / more truste than in his myght

And to the monstre / flewe: for all hyr rage

To set this stroke / he sought his auauntage

His noble herte / was out of dout and fere

770

And in at hyr mouth: so ran he with his spere.

Of this fowle dragon / by myghty vyolence

The spere thorugh throte / into the wombe fast went

Suche was of god / the socour and defence

But soone the stede began / his cours to stent

775

By force astonyed / of stroke so vyolent

Yet kept the knyght / styll his audacyte

The ferefull monstre / was nat so fyers as he.

But shortly after / what tyme the stede agayne

His myght recouered: and herte of excellence

780

Of brydyll and byt / his courage had disdayne

Coursynge at wyll / for any resystence

So moche that all / the people in presence

More drade the stede / and were astonyd more

Than of the monstre / whiche fered them before.

sig: [D6]

ref.ed: 44

785

After this short fury / hasty and sodayne

Of myghty courage / kendlyd this-wyse by yre

Was somwhat slakyd / his mekenes come agayne

The stede hym tournyd: his iyen semynge on fyre

Gatherynge his fete: as nature dyd requyre

790

Nere to his bely: his nostrylles blastynge wyde

Disdaynynge the dragon: and coursynge by hyr syde.

The valyaunt george: of courage was egall

And drewe his sworde / glasyd so clere and bryght

That the flamynge shadowe / stroke on the cyte wall

795

By Phebus aydyd: and strykyn with his lyght

With suche weapen: the champyon bolde and wyght

All drede expulsyd: the monstre dyd withstande

Tyll tyme his swerde / was broken to his hande.

But thoughe the monstre / was woundyd mortally

800

At the first assaut / yet quyckenyd she agayne

But noble George / withstode so valyauntly

That all the Monsters / fury was in vayne

At last he gaue / the beste a stroke sodayne

Thorugh throte and herte: with another spere

805

The bowels brast / the staffe remayned there.

Anone the dragon / all fayntyd by that wounde

Had no more myght / the knyght or hors to dere

But stratchyd out / hyr body on the grounde

With hyr crokyd tuskys / fast gnawynge on the spere

810

This-wyse / this monstre / whom Hercules myght fere

By helpe of god: and george the worthy knyght

On grou[n]de is prostrate: depryued of hyr myght.

sig: [D6v]

ref.ed: 45

¶Howe the virgyne was conueyed agayne into the Cyte / and what ioye was amonge all the Comons for deth of this monstre: And howe ioyfull the kynge and quene were for preseruacyon of theyr doughter. Capitulum. x.

NOwe lyeth this monstre: displayed on the grounde

Stryuynge with deth / hyr cruell yre put by

815

She pantyd for payne / of the sayd mortall wounde

Stretchynge hyr lymmes / vpon the grauell drye

The people standynge / vpon the wallys hye

Within the cyte: and also they without

Behelde the syght: with ioyfull crye and shout.

820

A crye arose farre / from the cyte wall

In wordes confusyd: and gladnes of langage

In mynde they ioyed: theyr hertes lyghtyd all

Seynge them-self / escapyd this bondage

The kynge and quene: forgate theyr feble age

825

After that to them / recountyd was this case

They ran to the wallys / nere rauysshyd by solace.

With parfyte ioye / theyr hertes were persyd depe

That gladnes nere: had them bereft theyr mynde

That sodayne solace: constrayned them to wepe

830

Anone for pyte: as nature wolde and kynde /

They bad their / seruauntes / theyr doughter soone vnbynde

Trustynge hyr sorowe: hyr fere and mortall payne

Shuld than be tournyd / to myrth and ioy agayne.

sig: [D7]

ref.ed: 46

Unto the virgyne / the seruauntes hastyd nere

835

Hyr cruell bondes / they sped them to vndo

All pale and dede / was the good virgyns chere

Hyr lyfe nere gone: faynt drede had made hyr so

But they echone / gaue confort in hyr wo

And led hyr home: theyr hertes glad and lyght

840

The kynge and quene / to confort with hyr syght.

What tyme the virgyne / within the towne was brought

The comons stryuyd: who first hyr face myght se

They compassyd hyr / astonyed in theyr thought

For this sodayne chaunce / in suche extremyte

845

The kynge and quene / were mouyd with pyte

And tender affect / hauynge no worde to say

By inwarde ioye / theyr speche was taken away.

They had no wordes / egall or semblable

For to pronounce / with langage euydent

850

Suche inwarde myrth / and ioy in[e]stymable inestymable] instymable 1515

They wept for ioy / to se that innocent

Escapyd from suche / vnworthy punysshment

Theyr iyen were fyxed / hole in the virgyns face

Theyr armys spred / theyr doughter to inbrace.

855

And lyke as dome men / depryued of langage

Usyth by sygnes / theyr myndes to expres

Or lyke yonge chyldren / or babes within age

Make sygnes / and tokyns / of vnparfytenes

Ryght so for ioy: the kynge and quene doutles

860

No worde coude speke: for gladnes of theyr mynde

That ioy almoste / bereft theyr lyuely wynde.

sig: [D7v]

ref.ed: 47

Also the straungers / sore wondred of that chaunce

All laudyd the knyghtes: myght and audacyte

Prayinge theyr goddes / his honour to auaunce

865

For his preseruyng / of chaste virginite

All that were present / both states and comonte

Of fayre Ixion: recountyd the hystory

By Hercoles red / from peryll semblably.

Some sayd it was / no dede of man mortall

870

But some god in lykenes / of mortall creature

As Hercules: Castor / or Pallas marcyall

Or Mars hym-self: they thought that it was sure

But after the quene: hyr spirites coude recure

She kyssyd and inbracyd: full tenderly the mayde

875

And moche louyngly: to hyr these wordes sayde.

Welcome to me / the confort of my lyfe

Welcome releas / of all my care and payne

My ioy / and socour / of all my thought pensyfe

Welcome vnto thy / dere fader and me agayne

880

O goddys gydynge: all besynes mundayne

Of you can I aske / no more prosperyte

Saue that ye nowe / haue grauntyd vnto me.

Nowe were I glad / to leue this mortall lyfe

Than shulde I dye / fulfylled with gladnes

885

For better is to dye: from wordly payne and stryfe

Than chaunge confort: for payne and heuynes

My ioy my iewell: my confort of distres

Nowe is my trust: hereafter in thy lynage

Shall rest the confort / of our olde feble age.

sig: [D8]

ref.ed: 48

890

With suche wordes / the quene full tenderly

Spake to hyr doughter / in maner confortable

And all the comons / lyke-wyse full louyngly

Chered the virgyne: in ma[n]er honourable

But whyle they talkyd / in wordes varyable

895

The noble knyght / vnto the sounde drewe nere

And thus-wyse sayd: so lowde that all myght here.

¶Howe saynt George exhortyd the Cytezyns to forsake theyr errours / and to byleue in christ / and howe he infourmyd them in the fayth. Capitulum. xi.

sig: [D8v]

O ye blynde people: whom errour doth subdue

Undo your gates: your cause of drede is gone

Come nere and render: thankes to Iesu

900

By whose ayde and myȜt / this dede or act is done

Gyue chryst the thankes: to me I chalange none

The people obeyed / and to the knyght gaue hede

The gates they displayed / auoyde of dout or drede.

Anone they yssued / and fast to george came

905

Stryuynge who first / myght come to his presence

Lyke-wyse as water: outbrakyth of a dame

So ran the people / to hym with vyolence

They stode about / with humble reuerence

And after thankes / condygne for his degre

910

They led the knyght / stre[y]g[ht] into the cyte. streyght] strength 1515

ref.ed: 49

Whan noble george / was come within the wall

As one inspyred / with heuynly sapyence

Styll on his stede / he sat aboue them all

Exortynge them / a whyle to kepe scylence

915

And to his saynge / to gyue theyr audyence

This done: the kynge / and quene also present

This-wyse to them: he vttred his intent.

Ye knowe well all / and playnely ye haue sene

Your harde mysfortune / and mortall ieopardy

920

And in what daunger / ye alway shuld haue bene

If god had nat sent / to you some remedy

My mynde is sure: so knowe ye certaynely

The wycked fendes: whose temples ye honour

Had sende this dragon / your people to deuour.

sig: E1

925

Ye haue your temples / of goddes manyfolde

Ye honour them / as goddes moste souerayne

But in these Idollys / thus gayly made of golde

Are fendes closyd: whiche causyd all this payne

Whiche gyue you answeres: your errour to mentayne

930

And nowe as deuyllys / replete with cruelte

Hath sende to your londe: this great mortalyte.

By mortall plage: you and your londe to noye

Se what rewarde / ye haue for your seruyce

Your goddes purposyd: extremely to destroy

935

You that theyr laudes / and seruyce exercyse

Your welth enuyenge / suche is theyr olde malyce

Wherfore these Idollys: as ye se clerely all

Are no true goddes: but fendes infernall.

ref.ed: 50

A damnable / custome: of errour and abuse

940

Hath made you worshyp: these fendes fraudelent

Auoyde this foly / this blynde errour refuse

And serue one god: and lorde omnypotent

Whiche create / heuyn: and euery elyment

Whiche made the worlde: and euery creature

945

Whiche euer / hath ben: and euer shall indure.

All your fals Idollys / were wretchyd men mortall

And nowe in helle-payne: abyde they fast and sure

But this one god: is lastynge eternall

No god by craft: but god of his nature

950

Whose myght immutable / shall euermore indure

In his laude and honour / ye shuld you exercyse

With temples / auters: and besy sacryfyce.

sig: [E1v]

What tyme our lorde / and god omnipotent

By worde of his mouth / stronge and potencyall

955

Had fourmyd man / moste noble and excellent

And whan mankynd / from his degre dyd fall

By mocyon of / the fende our fo mortall

The father of heuyn / sent downe to dedely payne

His oonly sone / vs to redeme agayne.

960

Suche loue / suche mercy: and meruelous pyte

Had god to man: moste souerayne creature

That the seconde / person / of the deyte

Entred the wombe / of mary virgyne pure

Whiche vndefyled: beyonde cours of nature

965

By the holy goost / conceyued hath in-dede

And brought forth Iesu: nat knowynge mannes seede.

ref.ed: 51

Than after paynes / surmountynge mannys mynde

At last this lorde / full meke and wyllyngly

Toke bytter deth / for to redeme mankynde

970

Shedynge his blode: o[u]r synne to wasshe therby

He helle subduyd / and spoyled myghtely

Alyue hym shewynge / to his apostyls playne

At last ascendynge vp / vnto heuyn agayne.

Thus hath this lorde / our sauyour Iesu

975

By his deth made opyn / heuyn vnto vs all

And left a meane / wherby we may insue

By baptyme pourgynge / our synne orygynall

Thus man is fre / whiche erst was bonde and thrall

This is the god / whome all we ought honour

980

And nat fals fendes / inducers of errour.

E2 wanting in copytext

sig: E3

The kynge and quene / were chrystenyd firste of all

Next them theyr doughter / gode chaste Alcyone

And after them / the people great and small

Stryuyd who firste / myght at the water be

985

Receyuynge baptyme / with all humylyte

They were ryght glad / to fayth of chryst_Iesu

With all theyr mynde / them gladly to subdue.

ref.ed: 52

By heuynly helpe: whan this was past and done

All theyr olde Idollys / of fendes infernall

990

They threwe to grounde / and brake them euerychone

And halowyd after / the temples of them all

In laude and honour / of one god immortall

The noble knyght / infourmed them lykewyse

What ryte of seruyce / that they shuld exercyse.

995

He ordeyned mynystres / of auncyent grauyte

Of laudable lyfe / of wysedome and prudence

Whiche in the churche / of god almyght shuld be

Hym duely seruynge with laude and reuerence

And chastely lyuynge / in parfyte contynence

1000

By whose example / and lyfe of holynes

Lay-men myght lerne / theyr lyuynge to red[re]s. redres] reders 1515

He taught the tyme / of eche solemnyte

Whiche ought be worshypped / moste hye and solemly

First of our lorde Iesu / the natyuyte

1005

The Circumcision / and the epyphany

With all the other / hye festes by / and by

As they are ordeyned / distynctly in the yere

He them infourmyd / in wrytynge playne and clere

sig: [E3v]

These thynges ordred / as was expedyent

1010

Sone they prepared / a pyle of wode nat small

And in the same / the monstrous dragon brent

As it lay dede / by georges stroke mortall

And by th'assent / of kynge and comons all

The dragons shape / and all the hole hystory

1015

Was portrayde on the wallys / and gate for a memory.

ref.ed: 53

The length / the brede / and all the fowle fygure

A godly virgyne / as whyte as bone of whall

Was curyously / made there / in portrayture

And noble george / the Champyon royall

1020

Also was portred / for a memoryall

That of this dede / the laude and worthy fame

Myght neuer dye / but haue immortall name.

Also to kepe / in mynde this noble dede

They ordeyned playes / of all the hole hystory

1025

Whiche theyr ofsprynge / that after shuld succede

Shulde yerely play / to kepe it in memory

Lykewyse as Grece had vsed solemly

To Hercules / and to the olde Iupiter

To kepe in mynde / theyr noble actes of warre.

1030

This done / the kynge / and quene went for to mete

The noble kny[g]ht / with them theyr doughter dere knyght] knyht 1515

Anone the virgyne / downe knelyd at his fete

With humble herte / with meke and lowly chere

And oft hym thankyd / with mynde and herte intyer

1035

For preseruacion / of hyr meke innocence

The kynge and quene / than spake in this sentence.

sig: E4

O holy knyght / moste bolde and fortunate

Who can thy dede / condygnely recompence

Where we were nere / to deth all destynate

1040

Thou hast vs sauyd / by thy magnyfycence

Our oonly iowell / our chylde of innocence

From deth is sauyd / by ayde and helpe of the

Right is so bothe / our Comonte and we.

ref.ed: 54

And we whiche longe / haue lyued in errour

1045

And in subieccion / of fendes fraudelent

Knowe nowe the fayth / of christ our sauyour

By thy great vertue / and wysdome lyberall

Thus hast thou sauyd / our bodyes mortall

Also our soules / thou hast delyuered playne

1050

By thy instruccyon / out of eternall payne.

Thus we our-selfe / are boundyn vnto the

And this our chylde / the hope of our lynage

So is our comons / our londe and our cyte

And if it please the / to take in mary[a]ge maryage] maryge 1515

1055

Our oonly doughter / for conforte of our age

Take all our Realme / our people and ryches

All shall obey / to the both / more and les.

The kynge and quene / vttred this-wyse theyr mynde

To them the knyght / than answered thus agayne

1060

Ryght noble kynge / your profer is full kynde

Your mynde I se / is to rewarde my payne

Yet wolde I that ye / knowe this one thynge certayne

That thanke ne laude / requyre I none to me

God hath you sauyd / than laude his maieste.

sig: [E4v]

1065

Touchynge your doughter / fayre and of tender age

Your londe / and cyte / none shall remayne with me

My mynde disposyd / is nat to maryage

But from all lust / to kepe my body fre

But syth that ye / are nowe at lyberte

1070

By helpe of god / your payne tournyd to ease

Intende ye the more / your lorde and god to please.

ref.ed: 55

Whan he had sayd / the kynge and quene also

Were greatly sory / and full of heuynes

But whan they sawe / he wolde none other do

1075

They gaue to hym / abundaunce of ryches

Of precyous stones / and vessell more and les

Of golde wele couchyd / with stones manyfolde

And costly robys / of fyne and pure golde.

Than all the comons / came on the other syde

1080

With great abundaunce / of ryches and tresour

Of costly Iowels / as any coude prouyde

And gaue the same / to George with all honour

But he nought counted / suche vayne terrene valour

And spent it on churches / of god omnypotent

1085

And on pore people / lame syke and impotent.

¶How saynt george causyd a churche to be byldyd in myddes of the cyte in honour of our lady / and how a welle sprange out of the foundacyon: whereof þ e water had suche vertue þ a t all suche as lay syke by infeccyon of the dragon / were restoryd to helth by drynkynge of the same / and how saynt george intendynge to depart exhortyd the kynge and comons to contynue in fayth and vertue. Capitulum. [x]iii.

xiii] viii 1515

sig: F1

AFter this the knyght / gaue counsell to the kynge

In myddes of the cyte / a churche to edyfy

Of strength and substaunce / and curyous byldynge

In name and honour / of glorious mary

1090

The kynge assentyd: to hym right louyngly

And without delay / men of that faculte

Began the byldynge / in myddes of the cyte.

ref.ed: 56

But whyle they dygged / with labour and great payne

For the foundacion / no-thynge greatly profounde

1095

A plesaunt sprynge / and excellent fountayne

Before them all / out_boyled of the grounde

Whiche had suche vertue / that it made hole and sounde

All them whiche yet / lay feble / seke and sore

By poyson of the dragon / spokyn of: before.

1100

Whan this was harde / the people were ryght glad

Laudy[n]ge our lorde / with true deuocion

Wherfore all suche / as payne or sykenes had

By foule infeccion / of the sayd dragon

And lay in [theyr] howses / in paynfull passyon theyr] his 1515

1105

Dranke of that water / and were made hole and clene

As if that they had / neuer infectyd bene.

The knyght commaundyd / a trenche be dyggyd lowe

Wherby the water / of the same sayd fountayne

Into the feldes / myght also ren and flowe

1110

The barayne grounde / so makynge grene agayne

Whiche the sayd dragon / by venym dyd distayne

Thus dyd this water / increase and so abounde

That it was profyte / bothe to man beest and grounde

sig: [F1v]

But nowe whan they / were stable in the byleue

1115

The foresayd churche / well forwarde in byldynge

Saynt george thought / expedyent to remeue

For welth he hatyd / and ease aboue all-thynge

So on a day / before the noble kynge

The quene and comons / of all the hole cyte

1120

Thus-wyse he sayd / with godly grauyte. Lector amice: hec fabulosa pretermisi non exposita quorum loco: a nobis vulgaria hec inseruntur verumtamen baptiste carmina pretermittere non statui. que hec sunt.

ref.ed: 57

Right noble kynge / and comons that here be

Ye knowe howe god / of his abundaunt grace

Hath you by fayth / made bretherne vnto me

Se ye his lawes / with loue and drede imbrace Se] Se. 1515

1125

Whiche if ye do / in heuyn shalbe your place

Let no newe doctryne / the myndes of you remeue

For fere nor fauour / from this your true byleue.

Ye that are comons / obey your kynge and lorde

Obserue vnto hym / loue and fydelyte

1130

Auoyde Rebellyon / for certaynely discorde

Is rote and mother / of carefull pouerte

Kepe eche to other / loue and fydelyte

Expell enuy / and slouth moste chefe of all

Where slouth hath place / there welth is faynt and small.

1135

Ye ryche helpe them / whiche haue necessyte

Eche socour other / suche way is charytable

No man presume / more hye than his degre

A lowest place: is oft moste sure and stable

Abyde in vertue / be neuer chaungeable

1140

Namely be true / to god your heuynly lorde

Thus shall you[r] lyuynge / and your byleue accorde. your] you 1515

sig: F2

Set all your myndes / to norysshe amyte

For vnto a royalme / the synguler defence

Restyth in loue / concorde and vnyte

1145

More than in strength / or wordly opulence wordly: =worldly

As for of frendes / loue and beneuolence

Is nat obtayned / by batayle nor ryches

But by good dede / and stedfast faythfulnes.

ref.ed: 58

Blynde nat your myndes / with wretchyd couetyse

1150

Spende nat your ryches / in prodygalyte

A meane is mesure / attaynynge nat to vyce

Within the boundys / of lyberalyte

Leue wrath prouoker / of great enormyte

Let nat blynde pryde / your meke myndes confounde

1155

Syth it so many / hath brought vnto the grounde.

Auoyde vyle venus / and lustes corporall

Destruccyon of soule / of body and ryches

Mankynde subduynge / to maners bestyall

Fle glotony / whiche is but bestelynes

1160

Let abstynence / expell from you exces

By immoderate dyet: exces and glotony

Man oft is mordrer / of his owne body.

But suche of you / as are in hye degre

Set all your myndes / and chefe intencyon

1165

To se the pore / haue right and equyte

Rather with fauour / than wronge extorcyon

And ye that are kynge / hede of the regyon

Se that eche man / in maners lyue and do

After the degre / whiche he is callyd to.

sig: [F2v]

1170

And lyke as your rowme / is moste of excellence

In your royalme to reygne / with dyademe royall

So ought your lyfe / be clennest from offence

And shyne in vertue / aboue your subiectes all

A vycyous prynce / is as a plage mortall

1175

And foule example / to all his comonte

Occasyon to folowe / his vyle enormyte.

ref.ed: 59

Lyke-wyse his lyfe / establyd in vertue

Shalbe example / to all his regyon

His lyfe / his maners / and vertue to insue

1180

It is to a prynce / more great confusyon

More shame / and rebuke / to make transgressyon

Than is to one / of baas and lowe degre

The hyer hylle / man shall the farther se.

And ye that are mynystres / to god omnipotent

1185

Informe ye other / to walke the path of grace

But se your owne lyfe / be pure and innocent

In vertue groundyd / and clere from all trespase

For surely that man / is in a wretchyd case

Whiche techyth other / the way to paradyce

1190

Hymselfe to helle walkynge / by synne and vyce.

Thus shall your lyfe / agre with your byleue

And welth shall folowe / ease and tranquylyte

But nowe to be short / I moste fro you remeue

Be ye content / it can none other be

1195

I moste yet proue / moche more diffyculte

I you commyt all / vnto our lorde Iesu

Heuyn is your mede / if ye in fayth be true.

F3 wanting in copytext

sig: F4

ref.ed: 60

As of chryst_Iesu / the holy Sepulture

He went to the top / of Caluary mountayne

1200

Where Iesu_chryst / his passyon dyd indure

This done he sought / the hous of susters twayne

Mary and martha / where Iesu souerayne

Oftyme resortyd by personall presence

And where-to mawdelayne / forgyuyn was hyr offence.

1205

The hous of Lazar / than vysyted he also

And of holy Anna / the gloryous matrone

Unto the mountayne / than after dyd he go

That place to vysyte / with true deuocyon

Where Iesu_chryst / before his passyon

1210

Fastyd (to vs gyuynge / example of penaunce)

Full fourty dayes / and nyghtes from sustenaunce.

The holy knyght / in meke and lowly wyse

These places sought / with perfyte reuerence

Hym-self in labour / to vse and exercyse

1215

So for to expell / dull slouth and neglygence

Than vnto Persy / saynt george went from thens

Where he renownsyd / the feat of Chyualry

Concludynge after / to lyue more holely.

For well he notyd / that worldly vanyte

1220

And erthly welth / is frayle and transytory

All full of chaunses / and mutabyl[y]te mutabylyte] mutabylte 1515

Ryght moche vnlyke / vnto immortall glory

Also he callyd / oftyme to his memory

Howe the Carmelytes / hym taught in worde and dede

1225

An heuynly lyfe / to whome he gaue great hede.

sig: [F4v]

ref.ed: 61

For-why these places / namyd before echone

Whiche holy george / had sought so deuoutly

Were at that tyme / of the relygyon

Of Carmelytes / whiche lyued holey

1230

The sarazyns / at last right cruelly

Whan they agayne / the romayns dyd rebell

These holy men / dyd vtterly expell.

But whyle this knyght / amonge them dyd frequent

He sawe theyr maners / so good and vertuous

1235

That them he lernyd / with all his hole intent

So that this lyfe / to hym was tedyous

And erthly thynges / both vyle and odyous

His herte was all / on heuynly ioy aboue

Deuydyd hole / from this vayne worldly loue.

¶Howe the damnyd spirites toke counsell / howe they myght vex the Christen fayth / And moue the paganys and gentylys to persecucyon of the same. Capitulum. xv.

sig: [F5]

Upper portion of leaf is cut or torn away, leaving a fragment of woodcut border

1240

WHat tyme george / in Persy thus abode

In heuynly lyfe / perseuerynge quyetly

The Christen fayth / began to spred abrode

And christen people / began to multyply

The wyckyd fendes / therat had great enuy

1245

That man shulde so / escape theyr punysshment

Wherfore they assemblyd / theyr wyckyd parlament.

sig: [F5v]

ref.ed: 62

Upper portion of leaf is cut or torn away, with some text remaining

[.........................................]

1250

[.........................................]

[... nat withst]andyng [......... m]yght dyuyne

Of heuyn and erth / ought to haue patronage

Yet your owne slouth / to vs is great dammage

I dare be bolde / to speke in your presence

1255

Howe that of right / chryst is the lorde of all

Yet we moste hurte / haue by our neglygence

For as we se oft / that feble man mortall

In fere and doute / for to be made as thrall

For his defence / of lyfe and lyberte

1260

Is greatly bolder / and more dare do than we.

sig: [F6]

To feble chyldren / we wyllyngly gyue place

A worde or fygure / our myght dryueth away

As ye may all / se / playne before your face

Whiche I forsoth / asshamyd am to say

1265

I whiche in Troy / was honoured many a day

Whom all the Troyans toke for theyr chefe defence

Am nowe contemnyd / by myne owne neglygence.

I whome the grekes / by treason stale from Troy

And whome Eneas / what tyme the towne was brent

1270

To rome conueyed / in me his hope and ioy

And whome all Rome / that cyte opulent

Honoured amonge / theyr goddes excellent

Am now constrayned / to lurke and hyde my hede

Skant bolde these wordes: this tyme to speke for drede.

ref.ed: 63

1275

One lyke mysfortune / remayneth to vs all

We all are dryuen / and cast in one tempest

One way remayneth / moste chefe and principall

To fle this storme / where-with we are opprest

Ourselfe agayne / reduce shall we to rest

1280

If all our powers / conioyned be in one

And nat this-wyse / eche to take part alone.

Our oonly concorde / support may this ruyne

If we be faynt / what man shall vs sustayne?

But nowe syns the grettest / rulers of latyne

1285

With sacryfyce / vs for to please are fayne

Lyft we our hertes / call we our myght agayne

Let vs reuenge / our wronges vyolent

And honour fyled: by all our hole assent.

sig: [F6v]

Howebeit our myght / this sect can nat destroy

1290

Nor vtterly / brynge to extremyte

Yet may we well / depryue theyr rest and ioy

And thoughe our foes / be myghtyer than we

Yet may we profyte / by our audacyte

For many tymes / it prouyd is at length

1295

That craft and gyle / subduyth myght and strength.

And if our myght / may nat this sect subdue

Yet may we well / preserue our maieste

If we by crafte / our daunger can eschewe

Auoyde of dammage / from peryll sauyd fre

1300

Ours be the planettes / as farre as I can se

If they repugned / and were to vs contrary

Exyle were our payne / and vtter ieopardy.

ref.ed: 64

As for exyle / do we nat nowe abyde

Nere voyde of hope / and by our neglygence

1305

To vs were shame / that ones of man were gyde

Nowe to submyt vs / vnto obedyence

Is nat our state / of noblest excellence?

We are immortall / without all drede and fere

No knyfe no fyre / nor sykenes can vs dere.

1310

We are expert / of euery elyment

No course of planettes / can vs gyde nor subdue

We lyke are to them / aboue the fyrmament

Our fyrst pure nature / nat nedeth to renewe

And nobler than they / if I the trouth shuld shewe

1315

For wyllyngly they / lyue / in obedyence

Thoughe we be bounde / it is by vyolence.

sig: [F7]

But the more noble / that we haue ben longe past

By our hye courage / and great audacyte

More shame it is / this-wyse to be ouercast

1320

Longe haue we raygned / and so longe raygne shall we

If we nat yelde vs / vnto captyuyte

If we be bolde / as we haue ben be_fore

Dayly our hono[u]r / shall large more and more.

Enstrength therfore / your myndes fast to yre

1325

Assayle Maxymyan / the romayne emperour

Whiche by our ayde / is come to the empyre

A cruell tyraunt: brennynge in furour

Augment his malyce / by venym of rancour

Lay to your handes / conioyne your myghtes all

1330

His hert [to kindell] / with furyes infernall. Lower portion of leaf is torn away

sig: [F7v]

ref.ed: 65

If we nat had withstande / them first of all

By our great craft / and parfyte prouydence

Ou[r] sacryfyce / shulde nowe haue ben full small Our] Out 1515

And all the worlde / shuld vs haue dryuen hens

1335

That ought remayneth / it is by our prudence

Who that hymself / in tyme of nede wyll fayle

What fole is he / that wyll suche one bewayle.

This cruell pallas / the goddes infernall

Those fendes stered / this-wyse to wrath and yre

1340

Hyr wyt and counsell / than they commendyd all

Theyr malyce kendlynge / moche feruenter than fyre

Than made they promes / in one al to conspyre

Our chrysten fayth / to waste with cruelte

And to recouer / theyr auncient mageste.

¶How by suggestyon o[f ................yd] the sacryfi[ce .....................................]

Lower portion of leaf is torn away

sig: [F8]

1345

ANone these wycked / fendes euerychone

After theyr maner / fulfyllyd with gladnes

Up into the ayre / brake out of Babylon

The romayne rulers / to styre to furyousnes

All christen people / to murder and oppres

1350

At last to Rome / they came within short whyle

Where they disseueryd / echone to vse his gyle.

Some steryd to yre / the romayne emperour

Some steryd the lordes / to wrath with all theyr myght

The [f]ayth to distourbe / of christe our sauyour fayth] sayth 1515

1355

Or els the same / for to distroy out-ryght

Uysyons and dremys / fayned they by nyght

As if the goddes / complayned bytterly

That theyr olde power / was nowe no-thynge set by.

ref.ed: 66

These ydollys fayned / by theyr subtylte

1360

As if theyr temples / seruyce and honour

Both of the rulers / and all the comonte

Were clene dispysed / and had of no valour

The emperour / eche lorde and senatour

The comynalte / and bysshops of the lawe

1365

In ferefull fourme / by nyght these dremys sawe.

The cyte quakyd / for doutfull fere and drede

And all renewyd / theyr cursed sacryfyce

At euery temple / the bestes gan to blede

The in_warde partyes / pretendyd them malyce

1370

For correccyon / of theyr goddes preiudyce

Some profysyed warre / murder and batayle

Some sayd / some plagge / the cyte shuld assayle.

sig: [F8v]

The blynde inchantours / sayd that by theyr scyence

They sawe all tokyns / of vtter punysshement

1375

The prestes prophesyed / plagge of pestylence

Bycause the cyte / was slowe and neglygent

In seruyce of theyr / fals ydollys auncyent

Thus dyd the fendes / the Romayns all constrayne

For to renewe / theyr sacryfyce agayne.

1380

At last the rulers / of all the comonte

This rumour herynge / an[d] troublyd sore with-all and] anb 1515

Straytly commaundyd / that christen men shuld be

By rygour drawyn / were they great or small

To sacryfyce / of fendes infernall

1385

And who withstode / indure shulde punysshement

Of bytter deth / by manyfolde tou[r]ment. tourment] toument 1515

ref.ed: 67

Than thorugh the worlde / went this commyssion

No place was fre / where christen men were founde

Where moste of our fayth / was in a regyon

1390

This murder there / dyd moste of all habounde

With martyrs blode / distayned was the grounde

Nowe were mo martyrs / murdred without fayle

Than euer were men / dyuyct in one batayle.

The heuenly spirites / nowe gladly dyd beholde

1395

The royalme of heuyn / restored newe agayne

With glorious soules / of martyrs manyfolde

Whiche than for christe / indured mortall payne

For hyr childrens deth / dyd Rachel now complayne

Dispysynge confort / syth they so ferme and stable

1400

For christe indured / suche paynes innumerable.

sig: G1

It were in maner / to one man impossyble

To make relacyon / of these martyrs all

A myghty volume / moche gretter / than a byble

Cowde nat contayne / theyr paynes generall

1405

They were ful glad / to leue this lyfe mortall

Theyr myndes fyxed / to wynne immortall glory

For pacyent suffryng / of paynes transytory

The planettes / of the heuenly regyon

And all the starres / clere / radyant and bryght

1410

Sawe soules thycker / than motes in the son

Mount vnto heuyn / shynynge by heuynly lyght

No hour of day / no houre / or / tyme of nyght

No londe or place / that tyme escaped fre

Of this sore tourment / and mortall cruelte

ref.ed: 68

1415

This dedly fury / and murdre inhumayne

Encresyd so / that fayth / faynted ful sore

In egypt / Syry / in Naples / Grece / and Spayne

In Fraunce / in Flaunders / and Brytayn lesse / and more

Suche comon murdre / scant euer was sene before

1420

Th[e]se cruell tyrantes / by slaughter playnly wode These] Thyse 1515

Made ryuers redde / with fautles martyrs blode.

This persecucyon / was than so excessyfe

That noon knewe all / these martyrs perfytely

Howbeit theyr namys / ar in the boke of lyfe

1425

And wryten there / remayne eternally

At laste this murdre / cam also to Persy

So that welnere / both este / weste / north / and south

The name of chryst / was out of euery mouth.

sig: [G1v]

None was so bolde / to knowlege openly

1430

That they were crysten / or that durst name Iesu

Our fayth playne semyd / destroyed vtterly

This persecucion / so dayly dyd renewe

That where a paynym / one crysten sawe and knewe

He lost hys lyfe / by paynes vyolent

1435

Thoughe it were euyn / before the sacrament.

The massys cessyd / and godly sacryfyce

The awters darke / and churches voyd of lyght

To euery order / they dyd lyke preiudyce

Suche as than lyuyd / thought it a wofull syght

1440

The innocentes / in payne to se so dyght

Some brent / som boyled / som flayne with dolour

Some hedyd / some caste to bestes / to deuour.

ref.ed: 69

What tyme George / the knyght moost excellent

In persy londe / remayned quyetly

1445

This persecucyon / this cruell plage feruent

Enraged there / with murdre semblably

For dacyon / there rulynge cruelly

A Iudge iniust / by auaryce / and pryde

Our christen people / murdred on euery syde.

1450

This cruell tyrant / there beynge presydent

Quenched the faythe / abrode in that contre

True people murdrynge / by m[a]nyfolde tourment manyfolde] mynyfolde 1515

Thynkynge most laude / in greattest cruelte

He dyed the stretys (that wo it was to se)

1455

With vermell blode / and gutters of the strete

The martyrs lay / theyr bowelles at theyr fete.

sig: [G2]

¶How saynt George presentyd hym-selfe before Dacian confessynge hym crysten as he which was glad to dye for the faythe of cryst and of the disputacyon betwene saynt george and Dacyan. Capitulum. xvii.

WHan gloryous george / sawe this extremyte

So cruell dedys hym mouyd by nature

In boldnes kyndled / and wyth audacyte

1460

He t[h]ought no lenger / in sylence to indure thought] tought 1515

But cast asyde / his clothynge and vesture

With all his garmentys / pertaynynge to a knyght

In symple habyte / hym-selfe: he homely dyght

ref.ed: 70

Bycause no man sholde hym perceyue nor knowe

1465

Ne shewe hym fauour / for his olde excellence

Suche was his harte / by vertue meke and lowe

Thus he inspyred / by heuynly influence

Cam vnto Dacyan / nat dredynge his presence

And boldly thus sayd / o Dacyan vntrue

1470

Knowe thou that I / am seruaunt of Iesu

Thou art a tyrant / and worthy punysshment

These men to murdre / without transgressyon

Wherfore I wyll / thou knowe my playne intent

Here I defye / thy goddys euerychone

1475

And yelde me seruaunt / vnto one god alone

Which by his worde / all-thynge hath made of noght

My lord is cryst / which with his blode me bought

sig: [G2v]

Though dacyan / had in that londe great myght

Yet of these wordes / was he abasshed nere

1480

He fered to displeas / or greue the noble knyght

Whose noble fame / so open was and clere

For thoughe george / thus homely dyd appere

Yet was he knowen / in person and in name

No symple habyte / cowde hyde hys noble fame.

1485

Wherfore the tyrant / by counsell disceyuable

At fyrst indeuered / to tourne the sayntes mynde

By frendly speche / and wordes amyable

Therby supposynge / the knyghtes wyt to blynde

This wycked iudge / and traytour moste vnkynde

1490

Iudged the newe doctryne / of chryst to be in_fame

Bycause his ydolles / be it had lost theyr name.

ref.ed: 71

Alway the knyght / perseuered stedfastly

With constant speche / and word vnuariable

Whiche thynge perceyued / the tyrant fynally

1495

Sayde to the knyght / with wordes fauorable

O noble knyght / and captayne honorable

The strayt commaundement / of the emperour

Constrayneth vs / to this extreme rygour

Thy-selfe hast harde / howe the commyssyon

1500

Agaynst this sect / of straunge and newe byleue

Is executed / in euery regyon

Beware / thy owne foly / thus may the greatly greue

If thou thy betters / actes thus repreue.

Councell thy-selfe / renne nat in ieopardy

1505

He [is] fowle-hardy / that dare begyn rasshly is] his 1515

sig: [G3]

I se thy here / fast wexeth gray and hore

Which is playne tokyn / of age auncyent

Wysedom discrete / thy mynde shulde gyde þ e more

Thou entrest the see / in wawes vyolent

1510

In a frayle vessell / in peryll euydent

Thou playne resemblest / a man of grauyte

Than ought thy person / and maners to agree.

Whyle thou hast layser / withdrawe thy fote agayne

Desyst: contende nat / with goddes excellent

1515

As dyd the gyantes / to theyr great hurte and payne

Which for presumpcion with fyre of heuyn were brent

It is great foly / and purpos imprudent

Agayne the Emperour / contendynge to withstonde

Syns he is drad / of see: and euery londe.

ref.ed: 72

1520

These wordes mouyd / the knyght no-thynge at all

In parfyte feyth / his mynde was stablyd fast

In hope of blysse / and ioy perpetuall.

To dacyan / than sayde he at the last

Knowe thou well tyrant / after my youth was past

1525

Of ydolles I left / the seruyce and homage

Receyuynge cryste / after my tendyr age.

I count my yeres / all lost in syn and vyce

Which in my youth / for lacke of wyt I spent

In Idolatry / and fendly sacryfyce

1530

My other yeres / vnto this tyme present

Spent in true seruyce / of cryst omnipotent

I count as wonne / and well bestowyd eche day

From my fyrste age / to these my heres gray

sig: [G3v]

It were great foly / and purpose imprudent

1535

That thynge which I / haue ben longe-tyme to wyn

So sone to lese / agayne in one moment

Permutynge vertue / with fowle and beestly synne

Knowe thou well Dacyan / I thynke thy wyt but thyn

To thynke that prayer / or rygour can compell

1540

Me to do homage / to dampned spyrytes of hell

These stockes / and stones / and Imagys echone

Ar fendes of hell / and these great temples all

Ar fendes houses / of all these ydollys noon

Ought to be countyd / as god celestyall

1545

For pluto and other / fendys infernall

Fals blynders / and seductours of mankynde

Make the and thyn / with this fals errour blynde

ref.ed: 73

All these false Idollys / we cristen men defy

As cursyd fendes / foule and abhomynable

1550

And here one god / confesse we opynly

Tryforme in persons / his ioy intermynable

The son of god / I knowlege ferme and stable

True god and man / whose name is chryst_Iesu

Unto whose seruyce / I humbly me subdue.

1555

To his holy auters shalbe my sacrifice

Whiche is a dede / of parfyte grauyte.

Soche seruyce sholde / hore herys exercyce

Thus shal myn age / and lyuynge wele agre.

I no[u]ght do presume by rasshe audacite

1560

But wysely I order my dedys by prudence.

In heuenly confort hauy[n]ge my confidence. hauynge] hauyge 1515

sig: [G4]

Into this same Sect / I entred longe agone:

I take nat the Se / in feble shyp nor frayle

No storme / nor tempest / of ayre nor regyon

1565

Agaynst my Shyp / is able to preuayle

Thoughe dredeful tempest / and stormys me assayle

Al that vnto me / can do no dysconfort.

I se the Hauyn / wherto I shal resort

The heuenly mountayns / to me do playne apere.

1570

My sowle abordeth / the hauyn of paradyse

These worldly stormes / shal dryue me nere and nere

No sonde nor rocke / can do me preiudyce.

For no temptacion / to syn shal me attyce

My sowle to defyle / by errour nor offence

1575

Chryst is my socour / my gyde / and my defence

ref.ed: 74

I gather herbes / fayre / swete / and redolent

Wyth fragrant floures / of grace and diligence

To make for my Shyp / Garlandes of plesant sent

To adourne my sowle / agaynst the same shal hence.

1580

That it may haue syght / of goddys bryght presence

There to be sacyat / with that eternal glory

After this feynt lyfe / vnsure and transytory.

And lyke-wyse as I / syth tyme I fyrst was knyght

Haue for the Romayns / oft fought in war mortal /

1585

From hens-forwarde / I purpose for to fyght

Agayne fals Idollys of Fendes infernal

In chrystys quarel / It is a thynge but smal

My lyfe to bestowe: more hath he done for me

For trouth to contende / it semeth my degre.

sig: [G4v]

1590

This lawe is ordeyned / of the emperoure

He styrred therto / by fendly company

And thinkynge to serue / our god and sauyour

The fende he seruyth / alas full damnably

Ryght so doyst thou / in errour semblably

1595

And all ye wretches / blyndyd in syn and vyce

To damnyd fendes / make dayly sacryfyce.

Suche is your foly / suche is your errour blynde

Our lawe is parfyte / clere and no-thynge obscure

I wyll thou knowe / no-thynge shall tourne my mynde

1600

From this byleue / though I shulde deth indure

Deth is laste ende / of euery creature

The noblest dede / that longyth to a knyght

Is for to dye / to fortyfye the ryght.

ref.ed: 75

¶Of the fyrste tourment of saynt George and of his maruaylous pacyence in suffrynge the same. Capitulum. xviii.

DAcyan the tyrant / was fret with wrathe and Ire

1605

And brennynge in fury / vnto hys men dyd cry

Hast fyre my seruantes / anone brynge hyther fyre

Bynde this rebeller / and traytour hastely

Stretche out his body / the traytour shall abye

With hokys and nayles / spare nat his flesshe nor skyn

1610

Lay fyre vnto his / bowelles all within.

sig: H1

The cruell seruauntes / and tourmentours vnkynde

Gladly obeyed / this fyers commaundement

With myghty ropes / they hym began to bynde

The blode sprange / from his fyngers innocent

1615

They ordeyned hokys / and fyre hym to tourment

The goodly knyght / abode all pacyently

Confessynge cryst / as lowde as he myght crye

Nowe is this knyght / ryght bolde and valyant

Bounde without fauour / in vtter shame / and payne

1620

Thoughe he oftyme / in batayle tryumphant

Had won great laude / in chances incertayne

The tourmentours / and wretches inhumayne

His skyn and flesshe / of from his body rent

Some with fyre-brondes / his inward bowelles brent

1625

Some with theyr nayles / out dyggyd wofully

The greas and blode / a harte myght breke to se

Some on his body / fast hewyd cruelly

With Iren hokys / in yrefull cruelte

Of dedely woundes / no part of hym was fre

1630

They wringed out / the fat and blode withall

Ofte dyd his guttys / vnto his fete downe fall

ref.ed: 76

And where his body / was woundyd mortally

These wyckyd wretchys (his dolour to augment)

His woundys frettyde / with salte moste inwardly

1635

Yet was this martyr / euer meke and pacyent

Without all grutche / in this extreme tourment

Beholdynge heuyn / with eyen vnmouable

His mynde on cryst / was alway ferme and stable

sig: [H1v]

He neuer altred / his chere nor his semblaunce

1640

But stode as one / which felt no woo nor payne

Beholdynge them / with cherefull countenaunce

Which rent his flesshe / with wrath and great dysdayne

A harte of stele / his paynes myght complayne

His body broylyd remaynynge yet alyue

1645

So stodyed they / his tourment to contryue

At last the martyr / full meke and pacyent

Hys carkas rent / and wofully arayde

Lyft vp his eyen / toward the fyrmament

And with meke teres / to god these wordys sayde

1650

O Iesu_cryst borne / of a parfyte mayde

Showe me thy mercy / forgyue my ignorance

Of my frayle youthe / and blynde mysgouernaunce

And where-as I / parchaunce haue ofte mysdone

In warre or batayle / by hasty cruelte

1655

Or otherwyse / haue made transgressyon

Nat vsynge mercy / with ryghtwyse equyte

But ofte offendyd / by my fragylyte

O gloryous god / of thy beneuolence

Graunt that this fyre / my pourge all my offence

ref.ed: 77

1660

O my redemer / o lorde omnypotent

Graunt t[h]at my synne / be wasshyd vtterly that] tbat 1515

By pacyent suffraunce / of this fyre and tourment

Graunt that my sowle / be clensyd perfytely

Receyue the same / my lorde to thy mercy

1665

Defende my sowle / from paynes and pryson

Reduce it to thy / eternall regyon

sig: H2

I nought desyre / but onely thy presence

Nat by my meryte / but by thy helpe and grace

Lorde let no tourment / no payne or vyolence

1670

Ouercomme my mynde / in this harde chaunce and case

For loue of the / this payne is my solace

My body can nat / indure the penalte

Nor helfe the tourment / that thou hast byd for me helfe: =halve

With suche langage / this martyr gloryous

1675

Bytwene the flamys / of the bryght ardant fyre

Prayd vnto cryst / with mynde affectuous

No eas of paynes / intendynge to desyre

The tourmentours / in malyce / wrath / and Ire

Contynued terynge / his flesshe with woundys wyde

1680

The fyres brennynge / about on euery syde

The pacyent martyr / styll cessed nat to praye

The wery wretches / hym cessyd to tourment

Wherfore the tyrant / bad take the fyre away

And hym reserue / to payne more vyolent

1685

They hym than lowsyd / his flesshe all torne and brent

And led hym forthe / vnto a dungyon depe

With armyd men assygned hym to kepe

ref.ed: 78

¶Howe dacyan commaundyd saynt George to be cast in dongyon to be reseruyd to more greuous tourment / and howe the aungell of god apered to hym in pryson and helyd all his woundys agayne. Capitulum. xix.

sig: [H2v]

THus was þ e martyr / þ e bolde and famous knyght

In wofull maner / conueyed from presence

1690

vnto a dongeon / there to remayne þ a t nyght

Tyll he on the morne shulde come to audyence

The holy martyr / toke al in pacience

His mynde was stabled / for to despyse no peyne

The heuenly ioy / by tourment to obteyne.

1695

The day ouerpast / the nyght approched nere:

Both felde and towne / was quyet in sylence.

The glemynge sterres / shone radiant and clere

Lucyna laughynge / presented hyr presence

Clerynge the Skye / and clowdes chasynge thence

1700

Mydnyght drewe nere / commaundynge sleape and rest.

The knyght in pryson / in peynes lay opprest

Alone he lay / in fowle and darke pryson

Hys woundes bledynge / alas / ryght dolefully

Uyle was the sent / of the fowle Dongyon

1705

But al he suffred / ryght meke and paciently

Thankynge our lorde / and saynge in_wardly

My gracious lorde / I thanke thy mageste

That by this mean / my sowle may come to the

Thus whyle the martyr / alone lay wythout lyght

1710

The pryson smellynge / wyth fowle and dedely sent

A messanger / cam downe from god almyght

Wyth lyght of heuen / and bawme moste redolent

Into the pryson / whan he was come present

The mysty Dongyon / where-as the martyr lay

1715

Was swetely smellynge / and bryghter than the day

sig: H3

ref.ed: 79

What tyme the martyr / this ioyfull lyght had sene

He thought it confort / sent downe from cryst_Iesu

Anone his care / and payne was quenchyd clene

His ioy and conforte / anone dyd than renewe

1720

Suche wordys of solace / the aungell dyd hym shewe

That all his mynde / was rauysshed by gladnes

Nat dowtynge paynes / nor worldly wretchydnes

The aungell / by / commaundement dyuyne

Hys woundys touched / fresshe bledynge all in payne

1725

Anoyntynge them / with heuynly medycyne

That all his woundys / where hole and sounde agayne

Moche heuynly talkynge / was than betwene them twayn

Which to the martyr / was greatly delectable

And in his tourment / a hope most confortable

1730

For-why the aungell / with hym all nyght present

Strengthyd his mynd / with heuynly doctryne

With dyuers sayengys / of ioy most excellent

Which neuer cessyth / and neuer doth declyne

And of the aungellys / and the ordres nyne

1735

Howe all theyr ioy / blysse / and felycyte

Is in beholdynge / the blyssyd trynyte

The aungell hym / infourmyd in lyke wyse

Of other sayntes / descendynge / of mankynde

What ioy they haue / in [h]euynly paradyse heuynly] euynly 1515

1740

Inestymably / sourmountynge mannys mynde

And what rewarde / that man in heuyn should fynde

Which for the faythe / wolde martyrdom sustayne

For loue of cryst / indurynge / worldly payne

sig: [H3v]

ref.ed: 80

The martyr maruaylyd / suche confort glad to here

1745

In mynde desyrynge / that ioy with eyen to se

Suche was the comonynge / of this messanger

That one dyspyse wolde / worldly vanyte dyspyse] dyspysse 1515

And nat refuse / to indure aduersyte

In hope of heuy[n] / and ioy intermynable

1750

Herynge suche speche / and wordys confortable

After that the aungell / shynynge by heuynly lyght

As was the pleasour / of god omnypotent

Had helyd agayne / the woundys of the knyght

And strengthed hym / by conforte excellent

1755

Agayn he mountyd / aboue the fyrmament

The pryson smellyd all swete and redolent

Avoydyd clene / was the olde lothly sent

¶How dacyan herynge / the woundys of saynt George helyd agayne supposyd that it had ben don by inchauntement And callyd to hym an Inchauntour namyd thamyr desyrynge hym to proue saynt George in the same faculte. Capitulum. xx.

NOwe had clere phebus / chasyd the nyght away

The rody mornynge / began / the erth to chere

1760

Eche byrde salutyd / the spryngynge of the day

With sundry songe / vttred in tunes clere

The lampe of phebus / at laste dyd hole apere

Lyghtnynge the grounde / with beamys radyant

The floures smellyd / fresshe lusty and fragrant

sig: H4

1765

Eche man arose / constrayned by the lyght

So dyd the Iayler / which had the custody

Of the foule pryson / and of the noble knyght

Unto the dungyon / he sped hym hastely

In mynde supposynge / both sure and stedfastly

1770

Within the pryson / hym dede forto haue founde

Where he at last / sawe hym both hole and sounde

ref.ed: 81

The knyght was lowse / the pryson clere and lyght

These thynges sene / confoundyd sore his brayne

Unto the iudge / he ran with all his myght

1775

And tolde howe the knyght / was hole and sounde agayne

Dacyan abasshyd / and sayd than is he playne

A great inchauntour / for by inchauntement

Hath he thus helyd / his woundys vyolent

Than was one callyd / Thamyr by his name

1780

Most sure inchauntour / of all the hole cyte

Amonge those wretchys / a man of noble fame

For excellence / of that cursyd faculte

He was engendred / as semyd his degre

Bytwene the mother / and hyr son naturall

1785

In persy londe / so most inchauntours all

The tyrant dacyan / for this inchauntour sent

Without prolongynge / he cam to his presence

Anon the tyrant / than spake thus his intent

Thou knowyst thamyr / the pryde and insolence

1790

Of cristen people / defendynge theyr offence

And by what mean / theyr lawes they mey[n]tayne meyntayne] meytayne 1515

At vs and our goddys / hauynge extreme dysdayne

sig: [H4v]

Our double academy / by them is set as nought

And all our lawes / by them dyspysed clene

1795

They boste them-selfe / on cryst / and say he bought

Them with his blode / I wot nat what they mean

They say that they / great god in heuyn haue sene

Amonge the aungelles / in his resplendant trone

And that they haue spokyn / with aungels many one

ref.ed: 82

1800

These ar but fables / as I suppose in mynde

And bostyng wordys / of wretches impotent

By theyr beleue / supposynge vs to blynde

But one I haue / moste bolde and excellent

Whiche may be mayster / of all inchauntement

1805

Which was in pryson / woundyd with mortall payne

But by hys crafte / nowe hole is he agayne

I pray the thamyr / say in this audyence

If thou canst oughte / of this sayde faculte

If thou can hym / ouercom in his scyence

1810

Before this people / great laude shalbe to the

Besyde thy lawde / rewardyd shalt thou be

Than answerd thamyr / what dout is in this case

Sone shall a profe / be sene before thy [f]ace face] sace 1515

Call all the comons / the syght for to beholde

1815

For in the case / peryll perceyue I none

If it were nede / I cowde well yf I wolde

Call downe [f]rom heuyn / the sterres euerychone from] srom 1515

And make these mountayns / fle eche apart alone

Alonge in the ayre / that cowde I do for nede:

1820

And forge monstyrs / and dragons full of drede

sig: [H5]

I cowde fayne warres / and batayls yf me lest

No-thynge / in maner / impossyble is to me

I cowde well trowble the sees with tempest

The ayre with stormys / whan it most clere shulde be

1825

I knowe all the poyntys / of this same faculte

The dede shall proue / I well dare hym assay

If he were here he neuer shulde quyte away

ref.ed: 83

The iudges mynde / was fylled with gladnes

He ioyed laughynge / and had great myrth and game

1830

To here these wordys / and suche a great promes

He thought therby / to get hymselfe a name

He bad the people / be present / at the same

In myddes of the towne / that all that syght myght se

The day was set / what tyme thys profe shulde be

¶Howe saynt George dranke venym twyse in the name of Cryst / and no-thynge was greuyd by þ e same / by reason wherof the Inchauntour was conuertyd to the faythe. Capitulum. xxi.

1835

THE day appoynted / at last was come present

The folke assemblyd / together hastely

The market-place: was nat suffycient

All to conteyne / they so dyd multyply

The yonge and lusty / to howses clam on hye

1840

Fast gapynge downe / forto beholde the dede

Some faylyd fotynge / they dounwarde toke suche hede

sig: [H5v]

Anon to presence / they brought the noble knyght

Fast bounde in chaynes / the people hym about

No-thynge abasshyd / was he / but bolde to syght

1845

His chere all lusty / and hart auoyde of dout

The people doublyd / theyr dyn with crye and shout

But to newe tourment the knyght hym hastyd nere

Smylynge with myrthe / of fresshe and lusty chere

On the other part / the proude inchauntour blynde

1850

Precyd into myddys / of all the audyence

With stately loke / with proude and pompous mynde

Nought yet expert / of crystis magnyfycence

With tokyn of hand / he poyntyd them sylence

He brought in a coup / of poyson vyolent

1855

Made yet more dedely / by his inchauntement

ref.ed: 84

The multytude / anone was styll echone

With eres erecte / to here what he wolde say

Than the inchauntor / his voyce lyfte vp anon

And loudly cryed / his cunnynge to conuey

1860

O people / the stryfe / begon this other day

Of this owr lawe / and crystys newe byleue

Shall sone be endyd / and that or I remeue

These crysten men / strongly theyr faythe defende

As yf the same / were moost of dignyte

1865

But by thys poyson / all this discorde shall ende

Which yf this knyght / drynke of / and than goo fre

Nat suffrynge deth / that all ye playn may se

Than I agre / and fermely shall assent

That cryst is god / his lawe most excellent

sig: [H6]

1870

Without mo wordys / before the people all

To george he retchyd / the poyson by and by

The knyght had trust / in one god eternall

And dranke it of / before them / openly

He lefte no droppe / but dranke the vessell dry

1875

With smylynge loke / lyckynge the droppys vp

And with glad chere / gaue hym agayne the cup

The Iudge and Inchauntour / stode blak and pale as leade

And all the people / supposynge stedfastly

That vnto the grounde / he shulde haue fallyn deed

1880

By that fell poyson / before them sodaynly

The knyght alway / behelde them merely

No-thynge astonyed / for all that drynke mortall

Theyr art despysynge / them / and theyr goddys all

ref.ed: 85

Nowe the inchauntour / all pale in loke and face

1885

Was sore abasshyd / ofte chaungynge countenaunce Was] Whas 1515

And sayde o people / remeue nat from this place

These ar but tryfyls / for lacke of purueaunce

I haue behynde / more mortall ordynaunce

I haue drynke kendlyd / with venym more mortall

1890

Whiche (yf he drynke) ye deed shall se hym fall

Thus sayd th'ynchauntour / and in his hande he hent

Of dedely poyson / A cup newe full agayne

Whysperynge theron / his arte all hole he spent

Hys mouth fast mouyd / yet all was but in vayne

1895

In the mean season / sore trowbled was hys brayne

Ferynge lest his crafte / shulde come to none effect

And lest the comons / Shulde / clene despyse his sect

sig: [H6v]

In lyke wyse the Iudge / reuoluynge in his mynd.

His instaunt daunger / and lawe in Ieopardy

1900

Hym-selfe accusyd / blamynge his reason blynde

Late he repentyd / whan past was remedy

Ofte-tyme he cursyd / the feble polecy

And vnsure scyence / of fals inchauntement

By sondry thoughtys / dystract was his intent

1905

That doutfull [c]haunce / made hym as pale / as leade chaunce] haunce 1515

His harte sore quakyd / and ioyntys euerychone

So stode he fyxed / vpon the grounde as deade

But nowe to purpose / brought forthe was the poyson

George it receyuyd / of peryll / drad he none

1910

But dranke the poyson / and lycour perylous

The people wondryd / at thynge so meruaylous

ref.ed: 86

What tyme th'ynchauntour / aduysyd well the knyght

Auoyde of peryll / a_whyle he stode as domme

At last he cryed / o dacyan / thy myght

1915

Our arte and lawes be / clerely nowe ouercomme

Nowe am I clered / with heuynly wysdom

I se that the myght / of cryst_Iesu alone

Passyth our goddys / and ydolles euerychone

With this he lyfted / towarde the fyrmament

1920

Hys face and handys: and cryed in this wyse

O sonne of god / the father omnypotent

Receyue me synner / take me to thy seruyce

This synfull soule / good lorde / doo nat despyse

My arte and ydolles / I clerely here forsake

1925

And pore and nakyd / I me / to the betake

sig: [H7]

From pluto I fle / to the / my lorde Iesu

And spekyng this-wyse / his gyrdyll he vnbounde

And his large robe / away from hym he threwe

So layde hym nakyd / downe prostrate on the grounde

1930

And crept to the knyght / meke as a symple hounde

Callynge on cryste / as lowde as he cowde cry

With dolefull mournynge / for pyte and mercy.

¶Howe the tyrant dacyan kyndlyd with yre causyd the inchauntoure to be behedyd: And prepared a Whele with iren teth of maruaylous sharpenes / on the same to tourment saynt George: and how by power of god the whele was destroyed. Capitulum. xxii.

The iudge enragyd / through malyce yre and payne

And as whan a shyp / is vexyd in the wynde

1935

The shypmen labour / with all theyr myght / and brayne

Some porte of socoure / and quyetnes to fynde

In lyke wyse the iudge / reuoluyd in his mynde

By what maner crafte / he myght / the knyght ouercom

His mynde was doutfull / nat trustynge his wysdom

ref.ed: 87

1940

Hys mynde concludyd / at last on cruelte

Agayne to pryson commaundyd he the knyght

And that th'ynchauntour / shuld sone behedyd be

Without all fauour / there playnly in his syght

His cruell seruauntes / his wyll perfourmyd ryght

1945

Into a preuy / they rowlyd with theyr fete

The head / styll leuynge: the body in the strete.

sig: [H7v]

The iuge departyd / incombryd sore with care

Sekynge newe tourment / by longe aduysement

At last he causyd / his people to prepare

1950

A maruelous whele / saynt George to tourment

The whele was framyd / and that incontynent

Hye / stronge / and large / of maruelous fygure

Of auncyent oke / the better to indure

This whele in tournynge / at begynnynge was slowe

1955

At last in swyftnes / increasynge more and more

With vyolent sounde / as whan great wynde doth blowe

Lyke Irefull lyons / whan they for hunger rore

On euery syde / behynde / and eke before

Of this cruell whele / were tethe of Iren kene

1960

To rent in_sonder / all that cam them betwene

The knyght was drawen vnto the sayd tourment

Throughe preas of people in case ryght myserable

In thousande peces: in_sonder to be rent

He nought abasshyd / his mynde in faythe was stable

1965

But god in mercy / is neuer disceyuable

Which euer is prone / vs synners to imbrace

Lyke-wyse as clerly / apered in this case

ref.ed: 88

Whan god almyghty / behelde his faythfull knyght

Besyde this tourment / of ferefull shape and frame

1970

He by hys vertue / his strengthe and godly myght

Sende the foure wyndys / forto destroy the same

Which fyersly blowynge / more sharpe than fyre flame

From sondry costys / As north / eest / south / and west

This whele dyssoluyd / by vyolent tempest

sig: [H8]

1975

The nauyll / spokys / the whele and axyltre

The tethe and bondes / sharpe and of great substaunce

Brast all in peces / into the ayre dyd flye

The iudge amasyd / abasshyd at this chaunce

And seynge that all his cruell ordynaunce

1980

Of dedely tourment / cowde nat subdue this knyght

For shame and furoure / he drewe hym-selfe fro syght

In the mean season the knyght to pryson went

Ofte laudynge our lorde / for socoure of his payne

But erly on morne / the Iudge With fals intent

1985

Commaundyd George be brought to hym agayne

And well perceyuynge / that rygour was but vayne

With fayned wordys / framyd by gylefull art

Thus-wyse he prouyd / saynt george to peruert

¶How subtyly and by fayre wordys Dacyan assayed to cawse saynt george to do sacryfyce / and howe saynt George faynedly consentyd to hym. Capitulum. xxiii.

O Noble george / and knyght / ryght e[x]cellent excellent] eccellent 1515

1990

Saue for thy blyndenes / and obstynat erroure

Our goddys mekenes / to the is euydent

Syns they reuengyd / haue nat theyr dyshonour

But yet ben redy / thy sores to socoure

So that no venym / no fyre / no swerd / nor knyfe

1995

By theyr meke suffraunce / can the depryue thy lyfe

sig: [H8v]

ref.ed: 89

At last / remembre this / theyr beneuolence

Conuerte thy purpose / perfourme our kynges mynde

Why shalte thou thy fame / thy name and excellence

By suche folyes / thus fyle dyfface / and blynde

2000

Ensewe thy elders / why goest thou out of kynde

Of all thy parentys / the olde honour and name

By this thy foly / myght nowe conclude with shame.

Beit / I graunt the / that noon is to the lyke

In all inchauntment / and none ouerpassyth the

2005

(As thou hast prouyd) in scyence of magyke

My-selfe hath it sene / so hath thys hole Cyte

Thou passyst th'ynuentours / of this same faculte

Let it suffyce the / thy mynde / nowe mytygate

Honour our goddes / and ioy thy olde estate.

2010

Enioy thy olde name / of worthy chyualry

Kepe thy olde honour which shall encreas certayne

What tyme the hye fame / of thy great sorcery

Unto rome Cyte hereafter shall attayne

There men shall recount / thy cunnynge soueray[ne] souerayne] souerayen 1515

2015

How thou hast deuyct th'ynchauntours of persye

Both rulers and comons / theyr syght shall cast on the.

The myghty kyngys / shall here of the gladly

This thy far iourney / and chaunce auenturous

Thy glory shall passe / all them of Thessaly

2020

Which in enchauntment / haue cunnynge marueylous

They of eufrate / psilla / and marsia / cautelous

Which touchynge adders / from hurt escapeth fre

These in art magyke / shall all gyue place to the.

sig: I1

ref.ed: 90

Thow shalt be aboue / the dwellers of hyrpyne

2025

To whome appollo / hath gyuen preemynence

By hys great godhed / and solem myght dyuyne

On fyre to goo barefote / Without hurte or offence

Nowe saue thy honour / aduert this excellence

Honour our goddys / than lyue auoyde of drede

2030

For of suche men / Rome: playnly hath great nede

Saynt george herynge / this fayned subtylte

By dacyan: prouynge / to tourne his holy mynde

Agayne he answerd / this-wyse with breuyte

Nowe dacyan / I se thy wordes be so kynde

2035

Thy mynde so egall / that reason doth me bynde

Thy wyll to perfourme / suche is thy hye wysdom

I graunt thy askynge / and yelde my-selfe ouercom

Before the rulers / and all the comonte

I graunt to_morowe / for to do sacryfyce

2040

To the great god / of immortall deyte

To_morowe erly / therfore in any wyse

Cause al the comons / by sounde of tromp to ryse

And in the temple / for to abyde present

To se me sacryfyce / to god omnypotent

¶Of the vayne bostynge of Dacyan which wenyd to haue ouercom saynt George / and howe at the prayers of saynt george the great temple of the Idollys brast in_sonder and sanke into the erth with horryble noyse and murdre of paynyms. Capitulum. xxiiii.

sig: [I1v]

2045

NOw ioyed þ e iudge / throughe gladnes and plesour

Supposyng surely / to ha[u]e ouercome þ e knyght

He thought to haue won great worshyp and honour

But erly on mornynge / what tyme the sonne gaue lyght

With trumpet he callyd the people to the syght

2050

His solem tryumphe / with hym to testyfy

Whych after / hym tourned to shame / and vylany

ref.ed: 91

In mean-tyme he was / more proude / than was þ e kynge

And wandrynge alone / hymselfe thus bostyd he

Saynge to hymselfe / in po[m]pous whisperynge pompous] ponpous 1515

2055

This knyght cam to presence with suche audacyte

With suche strength / in stryuynge: and magnanymyte

That the kynge hymselfe / yf he had ben present

Shuld sore haue feryd / his wordys eloquent

He thought to haue founde / the coward Tharsytes

2060

Or Sardanapalus voyde of audacyte

Whome he as Synon / hym-selfe puttynge in preas

Shulde haue dysceyuyd / by crafte and subtylte

But to eneas / thoughe nat vnlyke were he

Yet here dyomedes / his better / hath he founde

2065

Thoughe he were hector / Achylles gaue hym wounde

Nowe ioy dacyan / thou hast the victory

The goddys to the graunt / the tryumphe with honour

This knyght subduynge / thou hast immortall glory

Regardynge his strength / his boldnes / and rygour

2070

I haue subdued / an enmy and traytour

To great Iupyter / whose power nere was able

From heuyn to depose / our goddys venerable

sig: I2

Nowe goddys be glad / and solemnyse thys day

For in ouercomynge / of this same knyght alone

2075

Without all bostynge / I dare afferme and say

I haue ouercome / the crysten men echone

Beholde what is crafte / conueyed in season

Se of what valoure / is art: and eloquence

Of sharpe and bolde wordys / se here experyence

ref.ed: 92

2080

Let cryst be walkynge / to strange regyons

Where be no goddys / for dwellers / to honour

There let hym chalenge / honour and orysons

Amonge rude people / which wandyr in errour

We haue Iupiter / for god and gouernour

2085

Cryst shall not hyther / with his newe tryfyls com

Amonge men of lernynge / and auncyent wysdom

If this knyght had founde / A iudge without prudence

Rude or abasshyd / or voyde of polecy

Suche is his constance / boldnes and eloquence

2090

That playnly he shuld / haue won the vyctory

But an olde prouerbe / hath ben sayd comonly

That a shalowe pyt / can nat kepe in / in_cage Perhaps this line should be emended to "... kepe in cage".

An hart / or lyon / or lyke great beste sauage

A spyders webbe / can nat a doue inlace

2095

None stoppith a Dam / with a small febyl gate

Craft must be vsed / and strenght in suche a case

And frawde / agay[n]st fraude / els is our purpos late agaynst] agayst 1515

I haue founde wyles / his craftys to abate

Styntynge his flodes / of wordys eloquent

2100

By crafte and cunnynge / most hye and excellent

sig: [I2v]

Dacyan the Iudge / fylled with vayne gladnes

With hym-selfe babled / these wordys: or equal

Reioysynge and iettynge / replete with pompousnes

Whyle hym-selfe alone / wandryd in his hall

2105

In the mean season / the people: great and small

Swarmyd to this syght / rennynge with glad myndes

As it were cloudys / dryuen before the wyndys

ref.ed: 93

The dyn redoundyd / in dyuers murmurynge

In barbaryke maner / the market dyd redound

2110

In dyuers langages / eche had theyr comonynge

That stretys and temple / were trowbled by the sounde

Forthe brought was þ e knyght / hys cheynes al vnbounde

Streyght to the temple / he went at lyberte

The people stryuyd / who fyrst his face myght se

2115

What tyme seynt George was to the temple com

We may nat suppose / that Dacyan was away

Soon cessyd the sounde / the people stode as dome

The knyght beholdynge / suspectynge noon affray

Theyr erys erect / to here what he wolde say

2120

Than knelyd the knyght / his eyen toward the skye

Sayenge in his hart / these wordys secretly

O gloryous god / shewe nowe thy myght and name

Dyssolue this temple / of fendys infernall

Dysioyne the wallys / dysseuer this great frame

2125

Tourne it to Asshes / And into pouder small

That these false ydollys / and wyckyd fendys all

Dryuyn from theyr sea[t]ys / retourne agayne to hell seatys] searys 1515

In endles darknes / eternally to dwell

sig: I3

So that this people / nowe blyndyd in errour

2130

By suche dredefull dyn / may take admonestynge

And open warnynge / to drede our sauyour

And lerne to worshyp / the great eternall kynge

Leuynge theyr errour / and mendynge theyr lyuynge

Theyr myndys lyftyd / vnto the fyrmament

2135

Graunt this my bowne / o lorde omnypotent

ref.ed: 94

Scant were these wordys / brought to conclusyon

Whan sodaynly / from farre / was harde a sounde

Of fere[f]ull thonder / as yf the regyon ferefull] feresull 1515

Aboue of the ayre / shuld all the erth confounde

2140

Th'ayre / by fyre flamyd / and sodaynly the grounde

His mouth dysplayed / the temple sodaynly

Brast all in pecys / wall / voult / and towrys hye

The myghty beamys / dissoluyd out of frame

The erthe all swalowyd / nought leuynge vtterly

2145

All sanke vnto hell / and after went the flame

With smoke and stynkynge / fast brennynge ardantly

The townes nere-by / myght here the dyn and cry

What tyme the temple / with ferefull sounde / downe fell

And whan the people / for drede dyd shout and yell

2150

The fere and clamour / downe to hell-dennes went

The fendys feryd / lyst openynge of the grounde

Shulde shewe theyr houses / vnto the firmament

Of this great ruyne / so hydous was the sounde

But furour and fere / dyd dacyan confounde

2155

Which scantly escapyd / thys maruelous ruyne

God at this season / hym suffred to declyne

sig: [I3v]

And with a fewe moo / whome god sparyd alyue

Afterwarde to suffer / more gr[e]uous vengeaunce greuous] grouous 1515

He fled the peryll / as faste as he myght dryue

2160

With them fled the fendys / also with euyll chaunce

Dryuyn vnto hell / there redy to auaunce

With eternall tourment / and paynes manyfolde

Such / as theyr honour / and temples dyd vpholde

ref.ed: 95

To hell fled these fendys / by cauys of the grounde

2165

Theyr ydollys lefte / them-selfe bydynge / in payne

Where they longe lurkyd / in theyr darke cauys bounde

But to dacyan my pen / to tourne agayne

He knewe nat to whome / hym-selfe for to complayne

But bode astonyed / nought hauynge more of myght

2170

No mean or wepyn / for to impugne the knyght

And thus subdued / in his owne malyce

He causyd George / be brought to hym agayne

And sayd at the laste / vnto hym in this wyse

O wretche / o caytyf / cruell / and inhumayne

2175

Of all mankynde / moste wycked and vyllayne

Alas what myschefe / hast thou attemptyd late

Mordrynge so many / with one lyke deth and fate

Alas why hath nature / ben so vnwyse and blynde

In lyght to brynge forthe / suche cruell creature

2180

As foo and confounder / of myserable mankynde

Who cowde thy maners / and cruelnes indure

The goddys shall reuenge / theyr wrongys be thou sure

Thou mayst be abasshyd / thou oughtes[t] shame to haue oughtest] oughtes 1515

Our towne and goddys / to bery in one graue

sig: [I4]

2185

Whan the Iuge had sayd: than answered the knyght

Thou dacyan art mad / and reason hast thou none

These stones to worshyp / as they had godly myght

They ar no goddys / but fals fyndys echone

Syth these dede fygures / intaylled in colde stone

2190

Them-selfe cowde nat socour / how can they socour the

Or at nede be abyl / to socoure this cyte

ref.ed: 96

But now dacyan / yf thou parchaunce agayne

Wylt me commaunde / newe sacryfyce to do

Assygne a temple / and gladly I certayne

2195

Without dyfferrynge / shall go with the therto

Nay / quod dacyan / no farther wyll I go

He well may be callyd / vnwyse and fole-hardy

Which wylfully rennyth / from rest to ieopardy

Who-euer the trustyth / neuer haue he ease nor ioy

2200

Thou haste yet in handys / (I trowe) a newe ruyne

The rest of our comons / and me for to destroye

Nay Iupyter vs saue / Saturne / and Apollyne

Inoughe haue I medled / more sorowe shalbe thyne

It me suffyseth / that I onys scapyd haue

2205

From so great daunger / my lyfe therfro to saue.

¶How the kynge of the Cyte concludyd to reuenge hym on saynt George / of þ e iniuryes of his goddys / And how his quene for blamynge his cruell interpryse was martyred to deth before saynt Georgys face. Capitulum. xxv.

sig: [I4v]

THe kynge hymselfe / harde of thys busynesse

Whiche nere remayned / vnto the sayd Cyte

Despyte and fury / soon dyd hys mynde oppresse

Ky[n]dlynge his courage / with yre / and cruelte Kyndlynge] Kydlynge 1515

2210

So that no lenger / byde nor indure cowde he

To suffer a man / so opynly to blame

Hys fayned goddys / to his rebuke and shame

At laste he spake / vnto the quene / and sayd

Alas the season / alas the day / and houre

2215

That thus I must here / a man mad and dysmayde

Blamynge my goddys / dispysynge theyr honoure

By mortall hatred / and infernall furoure

His dedely wordys / vyle and irreuerent

Infectith the ayre / vnto the firmament

ref.ed: 97

2220

I dye for sorowe / I nere consume for payne

I may no lenger / this opyn wronge indure

I may no lenger / for very shame sustayne

My goddys dysworshyp / This wretchyd creature

Muste nedys rendre / the trybute of nature

2225

His blode must be shed / he must byde dedely payne

The wrath of our goddys / to mytygate agayne

The kynge had spokyn / by wrath and malyce blynde

With sore troubled chere / the quene behelde his face

As she / which at laste / was clered in hyr mynde

2230

By the sayd myracles / and ayde of godly grace

To cryst was she ioyned / in whome was hir solace

In hope of rewarde / and or this / longe agon

Of georgis payne / she had compassyon

sig: [I5]

At laste she vttred / with troublyd countenaunce

2235

Saynge thus / o kynge: moost cruell of intent

Seas of / for shame: and fere of vengeaunce

This-wyse to tourment / this people innocent

Represse thy hatered / thy cruel fury stynt

Away with thys stomake / of blynde inpacyence

2240

O wretche haue mercy / of gyltles innocence

Alay thy fury / alay thy wyckednes

To longe haue we seruyd / these fendys infernall

To longe hath the fende / kept vs in blyndnes

Nowe true god wolde clere / the myndys of vs all

2245

I dowt nat but god / most hye and eternall

In these his seruauntys / speketh vnto vs

Our ignorant errours / and foly to excusse

ref.ed: 98

The mouth of this knyght / is but an instrument

The wordys of god / pronouncynge: helthfully

2250

This spyryt procedyth / of god omnypotent

Mad kynge / in thy erys soundynge mercyfully

But alas the deuyll / the blyndyth vtterly

Nat suffry[n]ge thy mynde / nor erys to inclyne

To fruitfull wordys / nor spyrytuall doctryne

2255

As sone as the quene / had thus hyr sentence sayde

The kynge was kyndled / with malyce and furour

As doth a serpent / for wrath: and ire abrayde

Whan he is strykyn / with strokys: with rygour

Hys eyen sparklyth / hys browes blacke: doth loure

2260

With double tonges / his mouth disgorgyth fyre

The kynge was kyndlyd / yet: with moche gretter ire

sig: [I5v]

In furyous rage / anon commaundyd he

Hys quene be spoylyd / all bare as she was borne

Hyr here inbraydyd / with braunchys of a tre

2265

She hye from the grounde / was hangyd hym beforne

Than was hyr body / with scourgys all to_torne

The blody stremys / dyd all the place dystayne

The quene there hangyd / pantynge for dedely payne

The tyrant kyndlyd / with malyce and madnes

2270

His men inboldyd / hyr paynes to augment

Se howe suche fury / his reason dyd oppres

His quene and espouse / hym causynge to tourment

As the tourmentours / with strokys vyolent

Scourgyd the quene / the tyrant mad for payne

2275

The quenys wordys repetyd newe agayne

ref.ed: 99

Cryenge in this wyse / full of despytousnes

The deuyll the blyndyth / mad kynge of thyn intent

Cesse of / thy fury / let wytt thy wrath represse

Pursue nat this people / fautles and innocent

2280

Represse thy malyce / thy wycked maners stent

Away with this stomake / of blynde inpacyence

O wretche haue mercy / of gyltles innocence

Thus had the furyes / kyndlyd his mynde with ire

That fast he repetyd / these wordys newe agayne

2285

Wherwith the quene / had set his hart on fyre

He thought his fury / to ensobre with hyr payne

And hyr to vanquysshe / but all was but in vayne

God hyr so strengthed / that t[h]retnynge nor tourment thretnynge] tretnynge 1515

Cowde neuer preuayll / to alter hyr intent

sig: [I6]

2290

Yet was nat the quene / in cryst regenerate

Nor by baptysme clensyd / from syn to innocence

Wherfore all shamefast / aduertynge hyr estate

She tourned hyr eyen / to george than in presence

And sayd holy George / o Knyght of excellence

2295

Tell me / I pray the / yf lacke of crystendom

My soule may hynder / from crystys hye kyngdom

The knyght had pyte / and dolour in his hert

Hyr payn aduertynge / and bytter punysshement

And sayd / noble quene / thy cruell payne and smart

2300

Shalbe rewardyd / with pleasour permanent

Go on happy quene / a[n]d sowle ryght excellent

From peynes to blysse / thou surely shalt become

Trowble nat thy mynde / for lacke of crystendom

ref.ed: 100

By the holy goste / some baptysed hath ben

2305

For theyr deuocyon / true fayth and purpose good true] true / 1515

And som in the Font / as dayly it is sene

But other som hath ben / baptysed in theyr blode

Acceptynge tourme[n]t / for ioy / as gostly fode

In nombre of whom / thy spyrit shall succede

2310

To seke other font / thou playnly hast no nede

In thy holy blode / baptysyd shalt thou be

And dyed in the same / in tryumphe shalt thou goo

To heuyn to beholde / the blessyd trynyte

Amonge other martyrs / and holy sayntys moo

2315

There is hye pleasour / where here is payn and woo

Well happy is he / which for this worldly payne

May that great solace / eternally obtayne

sig: [I6v]

These holsom wordys / the quenes mynde dyd chere

And lyftynge hyr eyen / toward the fyrmament

2320

What tyme hyr endynge / and oure of deth drew nere

With payne she vttred / this speche with meke intent

Helpe blessyd cryst / my lorde omnypotent

Helpe holy lorde / borne of a virgyne pure

Graunt me with mekenes / this tourment to indure

2325

Extende thy holy hande / thy seruaunt to socour

Call out of this lyfe / me wretchyd creature

Unto thy kyngdome / where ioy without dolour

And rest without payne / shall euermore indure

These wordys spokyn / sore feblyd was nature

2330

Hyr mouth out-brethyd / hyr soule and spyryt vitall

Hyr payne permutyd with ioy celestyall

ref.ed: 101

¶Howe almyghty god sende downe his aungellys to warne Saynt George of his deth / and to conforte hym agaynste the same. Capitulum. xxvi.

AFter that our lorde / perceyuyd that his knyght

Inough had suffred / of paynes and tourment

And longe ynough / contynued in fyght

2335

By paynes to purchace / the pleasour permanent

As worthy the royalme / aboue the fyrmament

He sayde / goo aungels / goo mete ye hastely

With this holy soule: with ioy and melody

sig: [K]1

K1] H1 1515

Shewe hym the conflyct / of his last batayle

2340

Be ye as wytnes: of his last victory

Whan bodely deth / agayne hym shall preuayle

Conduct ye hys soule / vnto eternall glory

Reward for men leuynge / pleasours transytory

The heuynly aungelles / meke and obedyent

2345

The wyll fulfullyd / of god omnypotent

Now was clere phebus / entred in the bull

And ver was entred / with his fresshe verdure

The ayre clere shyned / gone was the wynter dull

The medowys smyled / renewed was nature

2350

Whan holy george / in fylth and vyle ordure

Lay in depe dongyon fast bound in chaynes stronge

For god he countyd / no payne / nor tyme to longe

Anon the aungels / apered to the knyght

The pryson brethyd / celestyall odour

2355

At theyr fyrst comynge / the pryson shone more bryght

Than phebus beamys agaynst a gyltyd tour

No erthly splendour / no smell of erbe nor flour

Of bawme or spycys / or smell aromatyke

To this heuynly lyght / and plesant smell / was lyke

ref.ed: 102

2360

The knyght abasshed / at this bryghtnes sodayne

But sone the aungels / his fayntnesse dyd represse

And with these wordys / confortyd hym agayne

Sainge in this wyse / hayle floure of worthynes

Hayle floure of knyghthod / and manly doughtynes

2365

The scourge of tyrantys / of ydollys conquerour

To all thy nacyon / perpetuall honour

sig: [K1v]

God the s[a]lutyth / so doth hys sayntys all salutyth] sulutyth 1515

To_morowe shall ende / thy paynes and tourment

To_morowe shal thy sowle / in lyght celestyall

2370

Haue heuynly ioy / aboue the firmament

Record and witnes / is god omnypotent

And record is all / the heuynly company

That vnto this tyme / thou hast done valyantly

Hytherto thou hast / behauyd the in fyght

2375

Perseuerantly / without all fere and drede

Despysynge paynes / as goddys faythfull knyght

One day remayneth / for the to haue thy mede

Haue done take confort / ioy shall thy payne succede

Byde thys laste tourment / with pacyence boldly

2380

On the last conflict / euer is the victory

All-thynge is prouyd / and tryed at the last

Whan the ende is good / than all is fortunate

One hour makyth happy / all the labour past

Fere nat lyst stronge payne / thy strength myght fatigate

2385

By vs shall thy tourment / be greatly breuyate

We shall the confort / thoughe greuous be thy payne

Abasshe nat / therby / thou blys shalt obtayne

ref.ed: 103

No precyous iowell / is boght for thynge of nought

None for small valour / can bye great marchaundyse

2390

By rest nor pleasour / no more can heuyn be bought

Thou shalt it purchace / thy blode shalbe the pryse

To strenght by confort / let now thy hart aryse

In peas and conflict / we shalbe by thy syde

And we at the last / to heuyn shall the gyde

sig: K2

2395

With suche swete confort / indurynge all the nyght

The aungels strengthed / our lordys champyon

Tyll on the morowe / the son shone clere and bryght

The knyght was called / before the kyngys trone

Of mynde assured / for peryll drad he none

2400

The Iuge and comons there standynge in presence

Agaynst saynt George / was gyuyn this sentence

Fyrst to be drawen / through stretys of the towne

With bullys sauage / enragynge furyously

Tyll his ioyntys / were: dyssoluyd and vndone

2405

And after that / to be: behedyd fynally

The iugement was / fulfylled by and by

But whan he was com / vnto execucyon

Thus vnto our lord / he made his oryson

O god almyghty / chefe fountayne of goodnes

2410

Grau[n]t all thy seruauntys / greuyd in any payne

To fynde thy socoure / and helpe in theyr dystres

So that none may call / for helpe to me in vayne

God herd his prayer / A voyce than soundyd playne

Come holy george / for thy petycyon

2415

Is herde of god / and grauntyd is thy bown

ref.ed: 104

¶Of the fynall and last martyrdom / of saynt George / and howe Dacyan and his satellytis with fyre of heuyn were brent into pouder. Capitulum. xxvii.

sig: [K2v]

BEsyde the martyr / now stode the tourmentour

Hymselfe auauncynge / and lokyng yrefully

Redy as a wolfe / a lambe for to deuour

His mortall Ax lay / sharpyd nere hym by

2420

On the other syde / a blessyd company

Of goddys aungels / stode mekely in presence

Redy to receyue / his soule with reuerence

At last the martyr / full meke and pacyent

With hart and handys / erect toward the sky

2425

His nec enclyned / receyuynge iugement

The aungellys / receyuyd his soule / full ioyously

Ascendynge to heuyn / with myrth and melody

At whose comynge / that court most venerable

Ioyed all in god / with myrth inestymable

2430

In the mean season / whyle all this thynge was done

Dacyan the Iudge / was nere vnto the place

(Where this holy knyght / suff[r]ed his passyon) suffred] suffed 1515

With his armyd men / clene destytute of grace

And seynge suche wonders / so playne before his face

2435

He styll remayned of froward hart and mynde

Prowde fyers and cruell / by sathanas made blynde

These clere myracles / so playne and euydent

Cowde nat inclere / soo dull and blynd a hart

To the true knowelege / of god omnypotent

2440

Nor from hys errour / constrayne hym to depart

But ydollys made by mannys / crafte and art

Of stone or metall / alway honowred he

The same beleuynge / replete with deyte

sig: [K3]

ref.ed: 105

As for the heuyn / his mynde wolde nat beholde

2445

Which by the splendour and shape most curyous

The sygnes / planettes / and sterres manyfolde

Shewith that therin / is god most gloryous

With other sayntes in ioyes maruelous

In lyfe eternall / to god subiect and bounde

2450

By whome ar ruled / the rulers of this grounde

Under whose myght / is in subieccyon

Eche erthly thynge / and besynes mundayne

By whome is ruled / eche erthly regyon

Whose myght and power / doth heuyn and erth sustayne

2455

Of this true godhed / thys tyrant had dysdayne

But now / therfore: our lordys meke suffrance

Tourned to iustyce / and plage of vengeance

Thynge wonderous to say / and ferefull to beholde

To other tyrantes / example euydent

2460

The tyrant retournynge / with cruell loke and bolde

Home towarde his toure / was all to powder brent

For fyre dyscendyd / downe: from the fyrmament

This wretche inuoluynge / and armyd men echone

With feruent flamys / with lyfe escapyd none

2465

Anon theyr bodyes / to pouder tournyd were

And to blacke sparcles / of dedely loke and smell

The wynde bare away / the asshes in the ayre

The cruell soules / descendyd down to hell

In endles tourment / amonge the fendys fell

2470

In dredefull darknes / and wofull habytacle

Sore were they mouyd / which sawe this gret spectacle

sig: [K3v]

ref.ed: 106

Dowtynge mo plaggis / and equall vengeaunce

And countynge foly / to stryue with heuynly myght

Thus hath our lorde / by rightwyse ordynaunce

2475

Correctyd synners / reuengynge so his knyght

Which euer in ioy / standyth in goddys syght

In heuyn aboue / our pardon to purchace

That his true seruauntys / may come to the same place

¶An oryson vnto þ e blessyd martyr saynt george with an excusacyon of þ e auctor of his rude translacyon. Capitulum xx.viii.

O Gloryouse martyr / o scourge of tyranny

2480

O stedfast pyller / of fayth / and holynes

Most stronge confounder / of fals ydolatry

Accept my wrytynge / and pardon my rudenes

I playnly knowelege / myn owne vnworthynes

My style to thy actys / is no more mete / nor lyke

2485

Than is a vyle vessell / for bawme aromatyke

Yet in thy goodnes / my hart hath confydence

Sith my chefe purpose / is people to excyte

Unto thy honour / thy laude: and reuerence

To haue in thy seruyce / pleasour and delyte

2490

Than blessyd patron / my seruyce to acquyte

Be alway redy / with my olde foo: to fyght

That the olde serpent / agayne me haue no myght

Preserue thy royalme / in peas and vnyte

Represse rebellers / and men presumptuous

2495

Defende thy prynce / from all aduersyte

In longe succession / of chauncys prosperous

Expell from his grace / all-thynge contraryo[u]s

Graunt helth / and welth / good lyfe and charyte

Within thy royalme / contynually to be

sig: [K4]

ref.ed: 107

2500

Lyke as thou lyuynge / gladly defendydest ryght

Assystynge wretchys in care and mysery

So for thy seruauntys / be redy nowe to fyght

Agaynste the olde serpente / and auncyent enmy

Graunt vs to vanquysshe / this worlde transytory

2505

With all blynde fraudys / and folyes of the same

And that our soules / may the vyle carkas tame

These fraudfull serpentys / vs dayly doth assayle

By gyle intendynge / to brynge vs to vttraunce

But we by thy ayde agayne them may preuayle

2510

Such is our truste / and stedfast esperaunce

Our youthes erroures / and blynde mysgouernaunce

Thou mayst ouercome / dyrectynge vs with ryght

Syth cryst and mary / hath the theyr chosen knyght

Mars hath had honoure / in many a regyon

2515

As god of batayle / for actys excellent

But this thy royalme / the takyth for patron

For thy bolde actys / for god omnypotent

Boldly abyden / in purpose permanent

Thou drad no tyrant / dyenge for equyte

2520

Graunt all thy knyghtys / of the same sect to be

So that thy royalme / in euery estate

In grace and vertue / abound and multyply

Namely thy order / in chaunces fortunate

Dyrect and gouerne / in ryghtwyse chyualry

2525

With palme and tryumphe / of euery ennemy

And after in-stede / of plesour transytory

Purchace a place / to them / in endles glory.

sig: [K4v]