 | The Life of St. George |  |
35
How after the day apoyntyd was come: the Kynge and quene contrary to theyr owne wyll: to alay ye malyce of the comons brought forthe theyr doughter to obiect hyr to the monstre / and how the kyng & quene confortyd hir agaynst hyr deth. Capitulum. vi.
Nowe was the dolorous / day almost at hande
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
That they myght all recount and tell that dede.
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
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
Ledynge with hym / a certayne company
So towarde the Cyte: he sped hym faste also
To se that syght / lyke: as dyd many mo.
Whan he had worde / hereof: full hastely
Dyd on his armour / and habyte mete for warre
And mountyd vpon / his stede delyuerly
Ledynge with hym / a certayne company
So towarde the Cyte: he sped hym faste also
To se that syght / lyke: as dyd many mo.
Forth coursyd he: on his stede of great volour
A herte myght ioy so fayre a knyght to se
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.
A herte myght ioy so fayre a knyght to se
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.
36
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
His beamys spredynge / out of the oryent
Lyghtnynge the erth / the ayre and fyrmament.
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
His beamys spredynge / out of the oryent
Lyghtnynge the erth / the ayre and fyrmament.
Whan sodaynly / the dragon dangerous
Lyft vp the hede / with fowle and lothly loke
Out of the dyche / vnclene and odyous
The people about (hyr seynge) drade and quoke
Hyr lothly body / out of the fylth shshoke
The myre deuydynge / the ayre about hyr stanke
In swymmynge she droue / the water to the banke.
Lyft vp the hede / with fowle and lothly loke
Out of the dyche / vnclene and odyous
The people about (hyr seynge) drade and quoke
Hyr lothly body / out of the fylth shshoke
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
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
Hyr brennynge iyen / fast rollynge euery way.
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
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
She made all tokyns / pretendynge wrath and yre
with sygne / or semblaunce / as she wolde mounte & fle
For to inuenyme: euyn all the hole cyte.
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
She made all tokyns / pretendynge wrath and yre
with sygne / or semblaunce / as she wolde mounte & fle
For to inuenyme: euyn all the hole cyte.
37
By ferefull hyssynge / moche greuous were hyr sounde
As impacyent / for: prolongynge of hyr pray
With hyr crokyd clawys: she bete vpon the grounde
Lystynge hyr iyen / and erys vp alway
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.
As impacyent / for: prolongynge of hyr pray
With hyr crokyd clawys: she bete vpon the grounde
Lystynge hyr iyen / and erys vp alway
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.
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
Hyr lothly necke / before hyr stretchyd out
With hyr brynnynge tunge / lyckynge hyr mouth about.
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
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 beynde
With heuy hertes / the comons there abode
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.
The wofull men: yonge children them beynde
With heuy hertes / the comons there abode
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
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
Theyr lawes londes: with deth so to mentayne.
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
Theyr lawes londes: with deth so to mentayne.
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
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.
With yerely festys / and great solemnyte
As Romulus and Numa: men of great valour
They shulde nat oonly / in that londe laudyd be
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.
As men of Cursyus / laudys the pyte
Whiche kest hymself / in an abyme profounde
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 faynt lyfe: caduke and temporall.
Whiche kest hymself / in an abyme profounde
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 faynt lyfe: caduke and temporall.
| The Life of St. George | |