 | The Life of St. George |  |
How saynt george causyd a churche to be byldyd in myddes of the cyte in honour of our lady / & how a welle sprange out of the foundacyon: wherof ye water had suche vertue yt all suche as lay syke by infeccyon of the dragon / were restoryd to helth by drynkynge of the same / & how saynt george intendynge to depart exhortyd the kynge & comons to contynue in fayth and vertue. Capitulum. viii.
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
The kynge assentyd: to hym right louyngly
And without delay / men of that faculte
Began the byldynge / in myddes of the cyte.
In myddes of the cyte / a churche to edyfy
Of strength and substaunce / and curyous byldynge
In name and honour / of glorious mary
The kynge assentyd: to hym right louyngly
And without delay / men of that faculte
Began the byldynge / in myddes of the cyte.
56
But whyle they dygged / with labour & great payne
For the foundacion / no thynge greatly profounde
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.
For the foundacion / no thynge greatly profounde
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.
Whan this was harde / the people were ryght glad
Laudyuge our lorde / with true deuocion
Wherfore all suche / as payne or sykenes had
By foule infeccion / of the sayd dragon
And lay in his howses / in paynfull passyon
Dranke of that water / and were made hole and clene
As if that they had / neuer infectyd bene.
Laudyuge our lorde / with true deuocion
Wherfore all suche / as payne or sykenes had
By foule infeccion / of the sayd dragon
And lay in his howses / in paynfull passyon
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
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
Wherby the water / of the same sayd fountayne
Into the feldes / myght also ren and flowe
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
Lector amice: hec fabulosa pretermisi non
exposita quorum loco: a nobis vulgaria hec
inseruntur verumtamen baptiste carmina
pretermittere non statui. que hec sunt.
But nowe whan they / were stable in the byleue
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
Thus wyse he sayd / with godly grauyte.
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
Thus wyse he sayd / with godly grauyte.
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
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 knowe howe god / of his abundaunt grace
Hath you by fayth / made bretherne vnto me
Se. ye his lawes / with loue and drede imbrace
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
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.
Obserue vnto hym / loue and fydelyte
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.
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
Namely be true / to god your heuynly lorde
Thus shall you lyuynge / and your byleue accorde.
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
Namely be true / to god your heuynly lorde
Thus shall you lyuynge / and your byleue accorde.
Set all your myndes / to norysshe amyte
For vnto a royalme / the synguler defence
Restyth in loue / concorde and vnyte
More than in strength / or wordly opulence
As for of frendes / loue and beneuolence
Is nat obtayned / by batayle nor ryches
But by good dede / and stedfast faythfulnes.
For vnto a royalme / the synguler defence
Restyth in loue / concorde and vnyte
More than in strength / or wordly opulence
As for of frendes / loue and beneuolence
Is nat obtayned / by batayle nor ryches
But by good dede / and stedfast faythfulnes.
58
Blynde nat your myndes / with wretchyd couetyse
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
Syth it so many / hath brought vnto the grounde.
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
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
Let abstynence / expell from you exces
By immoderate dyet: exces and glotony
Man oft is mordrer / of his owne body.
Destruccyon of soule / of body and ryches
Mankynde subduynge / to maners bestyall
Fle glotony / whiche is but bestelynes
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
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.
Set all your myndes / and chefe intencyon
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.
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
And foule example / to all his comonte
Occasyon to folowe / his vyle enormyte.
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
And foule example / to all his comonte
Occasyon to folowe / his vyle enormyte.
59
Lyke wyse his lyfe / establyd in vertue
Shalbe example / to all his regyon
His lyfe / his maners / and vertue to insue
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.
Shalbe example / to all his regyon
His lyfe / his maners / and vertue to insue
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
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
Hymselfe to helle walkynge / by synne and vyce.
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
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
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.
[OMITTED]
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
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.
60
As of chryst Iesu / the holy Sepulture
He went to the top / of Caluary mountayne
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.
He went to the top / of Caluary mountayne
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.
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
Fastyd (to vs gyuynge / example of penaunce)
Full fourty dayes / and nyghtes from sustenaunce.
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
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
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.
These places sought / with perfyte reuerence
Hym self in labour / to vse and exercyse
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
And erthly welth / is frayle and transytory
All full of chaunses / and mutabylte
Ryght moche vnlyke / vnto immortall glory
Also he callyd / oftyme to his memory
Howe the Carmelytȝ / hym taught in worde and dede
An heuynly lyfe / to whome he gaue great hede.
And erthly welth / is frayle and transytory
All full of chaunses / and mutabylte
Ryght moche vnlyke / vnto immortall glory
Also he callyd / oftyme to his memory
Howe the Carmelytȝ / hym taught in worde and dede
An heuynly lyfe / to whome he gaue great hede.
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 holely
The sarazyns / at last right cruelly
Whan they agayne / the romayns dyd rebell
These holy men / dyd vtterly expell.
Whiche holy george / had sought so deuoutly
Were at that tyme / of the relygyon
Of Carmelytes / whiche lyued holely
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
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.
He sawe theyr maners / so good and vertuous
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.
| The Life of St. George | |