University of Virginia Library

XXXIII.—GEORGE.

ande sa quhen þe maste party
of þe folk distroyt war vtrely
be sic cuttis and cawelyng,
It twechit sine sa nere þe kinge,
þat had na barne outane ane,
þat wes his douchtir, suld be tane
& on þe morn to þe dragone
suld be gyffine, to sauff þe ton.
þe king þan wes sa wondir wa,
quhen with hyme it feryt sa,
þat he wes nere fra his wit;
sad sorow sa cane hyme hit.
fore scho wes ȝung, auenand, & fare,
& þare-with his aperand ayre.
for-þi þe puple prayt he
þat þai wald haf of hym pyte
& half his realme to þaim tak,
to saf his douchtir fra þat wrak,
& gold and siluir ȝit þare-til,
at mycht assith fullely þare wil,
takand sum vthire, ald ore ȝinge,
sparand til his, as in wislyng,
þat scho de nocht sa fule a dede.
bot al þe puple of þat stede
ansuert þe king mare and les
in gret fellouny and wodnes,
sayand: “sir king, wittis but were
þat oure barnis ar als dere
til ws as þi barne is to þe;
& þu þis ordinance gert be.
þare-for we lat þe wit, we wil
þat þu þi ordinance fulfil
in þi douchtir, als wele as we
has done It ȝet in al degre.
& gyf þu tarowis it to do,
but flechinge we sa þe to,
þat we sal bryne þe & al þine,
or we ma of oure barnis tyne.”
& quhen he It fand na but
forthir þare-of for to mute,
one þe morne [he] but delay
gert his douchtir wele aray
rycht costly in al degre,
þane as scho suld maryt be
with a kynge of gret estate;
& til hyre he sad þusgat,
gret sar makand, sare pyte,
sayand: “wais me, douchtir, for þe,
trewand wele þu suld haf ben
of a gret realme a mychtty quen,
& succedit to me as ayre
of al my landis, þat are fare.”
þe puple, þat saw þis gret syt,
of aucht days gef respyt,
in hope þat god suld send remede
to succoure þame in þat stede.
bot quhene þat schort tym wes gan
& succure þai saw apere nane,
þai bad þe king, gyf he wald lif,
his douchtir to þe dragone gyfe;
for it wes sayd na resone
fore hyre to tyne þam & þe ton.
þe king þane was wil of rede,
seand his douchtir suld be dede;
mare care mad neuir ony man!
ȝet brocht he furth his dochtir þan,
aparalyt in al degre
richt as scho maryte suld be,
with crowne one hed & septre in hande;
as scho sa fare wes & awenande
þat, þo deme nature had set hir cure,
scho cuth nocht amend in hyre fygure.
þe kyng þan hir in armys hynt,
& kissit hyre, ore he stynt,
& gretand sad: “douchtir dere,
I wend sum tyme but ony were
gud sonnis haf had of þe,
to solace & to confort me,
& þat þai eftre my day
suld bruk my kinryk—quhat sal I say?
& now [þu] mon gange fud to be
to ȝone dragone. wa is me!
alace! I wald blith haf bene
at þi brydale & þare haf sene
princis, dukis, & erlis sere
Cume of fare landis with blyth chere,
to Iust & dance at þi byding,
with ane þat had bene mychtty king,
& þat my palace suld haf bene
arayt with gold & siluir schene,
& with goldine clathis & perre,
þe riche[s]t þat mycht fundyne be,
& til haf had menstrely
& in all degre haf mad mery.
& þu now mon gyfine be
til a dragone! ful wa is me!
god, þat I dede had bene,
or I sa soroful sicht had sene!”
be-for his fete þan fel scho done
& askit [hym] his benyson.
þane he hyre kissit & hyre hynt
& blyssit hyre, ore he wald stynt,
sayand: “douchtir, wele ware me,
gyf I mycht here for þe dee!”
þane mycht be na langare bade,
bot furth at þe ȝet scho wes hade;
& a schepe bundine in a bande
þai be-thaucht hyr in hir hande,
& scho tuk it sobrely,
& to þe low bank went in hy,
& þar stud bydand hyre dede
forout hope of remede.
þane dacyane of wit ȝed nere,
quhen he georg sa say can here,
sais: “þu dois nocht anerly
wrang til ws, bot als wykitly
callis oure godis al dewilis now,
þat helpis al þe warld, we trou.
nocht-þane, þo þu oure godis skorne,
þu tellis ws first quhar þou wes born,
& quhat þi name is & þi ryte!”
þane ansuert sancte george tyt:
“in capadoce, treu, wes I borne,
& al myn eldris me beforne,
& cummyne is of þe best kine,
þat capados is duelland in,
& george at fontstane
Is callit, quhen I baptym had tan,
& seruis god of mast mycht;
& þo I haf lang ben knycht,
It lykis now ful wele to me
to lef al wardly dignite,
& til his byding bow alway,
þat is vndedly god verray.”
quod dacyane: “georg, þu erris
for þane befor now ware is.
nocht-þane lef ȝet and sacrify
til our gret god appollony,
þat to þi raklasnes ma spare
& þe consel forthirmare!”
sad george þane: “prowe sal we
quhethire þat it mare richtwis be
til honoure god in word & thocht,
þat al þe warld has mad of nocht,
þane appolline, þat ȝe god cal,
þat autore is of dewilis al.”
þan dacyane wes wondir wa
quhen he herde george say sa,
& gert men in a frame hym stracht
& drew hyme þat al þare macht,
as men doi[s] with parchymene,
& with a scharpe yrne ryf syne
of al his lymmis sa þe skyne
þat men his bowellis mycht se in;
& quhen on hyme wes [left] na hyd
hale his guttis for til hyde,
he gert brandis of fyre bynde,
to brule it wes lewit be-hynde,
and tak he gert salt smal
& stope in til his wondis al,
& syne gert he arsk hare ta
to frot hym with, þo he wes wa.
syne gert he men tak hym don
& led hyme don thru þe ton,
rywen and rent as he wes,
but ony thing þat mycht hym ese.
bot god, fore quham he wes sa dycht,
apperyt to hyme in gret lycht,
& confort hyme sa wondir wele
þat he of payne rocht na dele,
bot ȝarnyt erare þan þat he
to fellare payne suld put be.
syne dacyane one þe morne
gert men bryng george hym beforne,
& sad til hyme irwisly:
“wil þu nocht ȝet lef þi foly,
& honoure til oure godis gyf,
gyf þu treuys þat þou ma lif?”
þane he sad: “godis wat I nane,
til honoure, god of hewine outane,
þat sic confort has geffine me
þat I dred nocht þi payne, na þe.”
þane dacyane wes wondir wa
quhene he saw hyme ourcumyn sa;
for nere cuth he fynd na payne
quhare-to to put hyme agayne.
for-þi he gert sek besyly
a man þat delt with sorcery,
& fand ane þat crafty wes
in þat craft, callit athenas,
& sad hyme: “dere frend, I þe pray,
helpe me, gyf þat þu ma,
hou george ma ourcumyne be,
þat noþir my godis na me
dredis, for na payne he ma thole,
set I wald his hart out hole;
for sic crafte has þere cristine men,
þai dout na payne, now I ken,
þat ony man ma think ore say,
& oure godis skornis alway
& reprowis oure sacrifice,
callis ws foulis & vnwise.”
þane sais þe wich: “gyf I ne ma
ourcum his craft but delay,
I oblise me in-[to] þis stede
but ransoninge to thole dede.”
þane with wyne mengȝeit he poyson,
& mad his invocacione,
as askis þe craft delt he with-al,
his godis namys calland al,
þat þai þat dryng sa fel, suld mak
þat, quha-sa-euir of it suld take,
suld de þane furth but abade.
& quhen he had his crafte made,
þe cope to george he betacht.
& but blissing he it lacht,
& saynit it, & dranke [it] of,
of god of hewine in þe lof,
vngrewand hyme mare þan he
had dronkyne pyment & clarre.
þe wiche þane gret ferly hade
& a fere fellare poysone made
& gef george but ony mare;
& he It saynit, as he did yare,
& drank it of, as It had bene
in godis nam fare wyne & clene.
& quhen þis wikit man athanas
had considerit al þe case,
til georgis fet son he fel,
& askand hyme mercy loud can ȝel,
prayand hyme percheryte
þat he a cristine man mycht be.
& george þane but [mare] abade
hyme baptyst & als cristine made.
& [quhen] þis saw dacyane,
he gert athanas syne be tane,
&, for he wald nocht criste forsak,
gert strike his hed of in-to wrak,
& of hyme, þat wes godis fa,
a thankful man til hyme can ma.
his wikit wil ȝet to suple,
on þe morne gert he grathit be
a stule in place of Iugment,
& gert george til hyme be present,
wenand to mak hyme red for payne,
þat for gud cause to de wes fayne.
þare brocht wes a quhele made
awfule & hye, & in it hade
sharpe swerdis scherand in al syde,
hym þat nere it com behowit abyde,
quhen it turnyt rycht þan suld de.
& þar-for werkmen, þat ware sle,
nere it mad sa fast a place
quhare-in al þat Iugit was
sic ded to de, suld in put be,
sa þai mycht nocht be na way fle.
þane gert he george þare-in do,
þat with blyth wil ȝed þare-to,
prayand god þat he mycht be
martyr til hyme in sic degre.
bot fra george þare wes brocht,
þe quhele stud stil & turnyt nocht
bot brak ful smal; & he stud stil
vnuemmyt bydand godis wil,
lowand hyme þat in opyne sycht
for hyme had kyd sa mykil mycht.
I treu þare be na tong can tel
hou dacyane, þat wes cruel,
wes inflammyt of yre & tene,
quhen he þis farly has sene!
& þat tyrand, godis fa,
thocht nocht to be ourcumyne sa,
bot erare þat george suld be
ourcumyne in al degre;
for-þi gert he set a caldron
in fornace in þe myddis of þe ton
& fillit ful of led but bade,
& a fyre vndir gert be made.
quhen þe leyd brynnand wes hat,
þis george, þat mad na debat,
he gert cast in þe caldrone,
trewande he suld bryn ore drune.
bot he þe croice on hyme made,
quhen he enterit, & na dout hade,
bot wes refreschit þare but wene,
as in a bath he had bene,
be godis mycht, to quham he
schupe trew seruand for to be.
þane dacyane wist nocht hou-gat
to do; he wes sa fully mate
& ourecumyne, for al his mycht;
for-þi with wilis did he & slycht,
& to flesch hyme þat mycht nocht be
in honeste in al degre.
þar-for he sad hyme sobrely:
“dere son I pray þe teyndirly
þat þu wil behald but mare
hou oure goddis mercyful are,
þat [t]he sparyt has sa lang,
þocht þu haf done þaim gret wrang,
& ȝet mercy wil haf of þe
sa þu wil repent þe,
& ȝet to þaim mak sacrifice,
as mychtty men dois þat are wise.
& I sal ger þe honouryt be
& gyf þe landis fare and fre,
& gyf þe mare [of] warldis wine
þane euir had ony of þi kyne.
for-þi, son, lef þi self-wil
& do my consel, þat is skil,
þat I gyf þe for þi prophit
and als of wynnyng for delyt.”
þane george smyland sad: “had þou
sad me befor as þu sais now,
I had erare gyfine myn assent
To þe þane tholit torment;
bot sen þu spekis sa gudly
to me, lo, I ame al redy
in [al] thing for to do þi wil,
quhat-sa-euir þu sais me til.”
in [al] þis warld, I treu, wes nane
sa blicht a man as dacyane
quhen he hard george say þis thing,
þo he sad it bot in hethynge.
for-þi he gert bedalis ga
oure þe cyte to and fra,
byddande vndir þe payne of lyf & lyme
al man apere before hyme,
one þe morne be tyme of day
before hyme cum in gud aray.
& þai, as busume in al thing
til hyme, has done byddynge,
&, as he chargit, on þe morne,
ȝung and ald come hym beforne.
& he þat þare-for gert ma bowne
yn þe myddis of þe towne
a costlyk sette one hycht,
quhare of þame al he mycht haf sicht,
& gert scilence be mad, til he
had sad þat wes in his gule.
þane sad he: “gudmen þat are here,
god kepe ȝou al now haile & fere
& confort ȝou in begynnynge.
I tel ȝou ȝe suld ȝeld lowyng,
as ws aw wele to do be richt,
til oure godis of mykil mycht,
thru quham al men fosterit are
in riche heile & in welefare;
&, þo þat þai be sa mychty,
ws awcht luf þaim for þare mercy,
þat lichtly wil forgyf til al
þat mysdone þaim has, gret & smal,
& wil repent þaim of þare myse.
& lo, cause quhy I tel ȝou þis;
for george þat ȝe se now here,
þat tholit has paynis sere,
repentis hyme of his foly,
& but thret now wil sacrify
til oure goddis for-out howne.
& þat I wil ȝe se be done;
& we haf hicht til [hym] þat he
sal be a man of gret pouste.”
þane wes mad gret Ioy in hy
with syndry kynde of menstraly,
& þe stretis cled al hale
rycht to þe tempil principale
with clathis of syndry hew,
quhar-in a[l] ȝed with grete glew
for to se george sacryfy;
& he with þame ȝed sobrely.
in þe tempil quhen he com, rath
he knelyt on his kneis bath,
& prayt god þat þar tempil
with al þe dewilis in it fel
sa cleynely suld be distroit,
þat na thing suld remayn of It,
na ȝet of þai fals ydolis al,
þat na suld be in pudre [sm]al,
in lowing of his haly name,
& of þe payanis in-to schame,
& in ekine of cristine fay.
þane come a fyre but delay
fra of þe hewine in gud spede,
& brynt þe temple in a glede,
with þe ydolis gret & smal,
& al þe prestis þare with al
þat mad til maumentis sacrifice
eftir þare oyse in ony wyse.
ane vthyre ferly fel þat tyde.
þe selfe ȝerde opnyt wyde,
& be þe self suelyt al
þat þe fyr lewit, gret and smal.
sancte ambrose þe doctoure sais,
spekand here-of, in his preface:
“george wes þe trewest knycht
to crist ymang al þat lyf mycht,
þat vndir knychtly habit kyd
cristis professione had vnhyde,
sa þat he confort mocht
þaim for criste to payne ware brocht;
for he wes anerly þat ane
þat of criste þe treutht had tan,
þat but rednes ore terroure
of goddis son wes confessoure;
& in quham of godis grace
of treutht sik sikirnes in was,
þat þe byddyng dyspysit he
of tyrandis þat had þe pouste,
þat he dred nocht for godis sak
paynis out of nowmir to tak.
O happy & wicht wereoure
of godis name, þat for honoure
na kyne flatryng of warldy thing
mycht bow þe nocht fra hewinis king,
bot oure-come godis fais fel
& þar maumentis put to hel!”
þane, as þis tyrande dacyane
saw þe scath he had tane
of al his godis, gret and smal,
& of þe tempil þat cane fal,
& of þar prestis þat war dede
& sonkine in þat self stede,
quhat to do he wist nocht,
bot george gert til hym be brocht,
& sad: “þu of al men mast fel,
quhat wischcraft is þis, ȝe tel,
quhare-thru þu dois sic ferly thing
of ws & ouris in hurtynge?”
quod george: “sir, trewis þu nocht
þat for to gyle þe is my thocht.
bot ȝet agane cum on with me,
hou I sal sacrify and se!”
quod dacyane: “I persawe wele
þi gilry euir-ilke dele,
þat þu wald lede me yddir quhare
al oure godis be þe tynt ware,
& gere þe erde þare suely me
quik þare, in þe sammyne degre
as ware my prestis but recouere
& godis, þat þai can honoure,
with þe gret temple þu gert fal
& be brynt in powdre smal.”
sad george: “be-hald þane & se
þat þi godis mycht nocht helpe þe.”
þane dacyane nere tynt for tene,
& til his wyf gretly can mene,
þat alysandir to name had,
hou þat he wes mat & mad
& disconfyt vtrely
be george & his sorcery.
sad scho: “al wikit men, be ware!
haf I nocht sad of[t]-tyme ere
þat þu suld na wa fellon be
to cristis men in ony degre;
for þar god of sic mycht is,
& sa wondirly for þame fichtis,
þat þai ma nocht ourcumyne be?
for-þi, trewly, I tel þe
þat I to criste & his lay
sal serue trew[l]y & lef þe ay.”
& for scho sad sa, dacyane
sic sorow in his hart has tane,
& sa abaisit set al stil,
þat he cuth sa na word hyre til.
bot at þe laste with ewile chere
he sad til hyr: “myn hart dere,
allace for wa! quhat aylis þe
þat soroful tale to tel me,
of quham I wend haf mast ese,
& oure al thing suld me plese,
& now is fra me sudendly
þus falline, I ne wat quhy,
bot gyf sume cristine man had þe
ourchangit þis for to lef me.
nocht-þane repent þe sone, & I
sal haf of þe for luf mercy.”
quod scho: “þi mercy byd I nocht,
for I on god has set my thocht,
na gyfis nocht of þe a leke,
na of þi fare heicht, na of þi spek.”
þane gert he men but mare
hang hyre hey vpe be þe hare,
& dinge hir sa but pytte,
þat it wes soroful for to se.
sancte george þan, þat stud nere by,
hyr confort; & scho pytuisly
be-held hyme þat nere þan wes,
& sad: “þu licht of suthfastnes,
quhat trewis þu sal be of me
gyf I de in sic degre
vnbaptyst ȝet?” with gud chere
sancte george sad: “cystir dere,
dred nocht! for scheding of þi blud
sal be to þe baptysme gude,
quhare-thru þe cron resaf sal þou
of martirdome, I tel þe now.”
& as he hyr þis [had] talde,
þe spret vn-to god scho ȝald.
ambrose, to þis mais witnesing,
in his preface with vthir thing
sais: “þare-for of perse þe quene,
þat baptysme ȝet þan mad nocht clen,
thru wikit sentence of a fel man
tholit payne & slane wes þane,
throu mek tholyng of passione
seruit in hewine til haf þe crone
thru þe outȝetyng of hyre blude,
with martiris worthy and gude.”
syne one þe morne þis dacyane
gert george of presone be tane,
& brocht befor hyme, quhare [þat] he
set in myddis of þe cyte,
& one hyme gef sentence fellone,
for til draw hyme throu þe ton,
bundine hand & fete rycht sare,
til he til þe place cumyne ware,
quhare gylty men tholyt þe dede,
& þare þai suld hyme vnhede.
& his byding þai can fulfil.
bot quhen he come þe sad place til,
george askit þame delay,
til he mycht his prayere say.
þane þai his askine grantit rath.
þan gat he on his kneis bath,
& prayt god for his pyte,
þat quha-euir in necessite
askit his helpe, þat he suld hafe
quhat-euir it ware he suld crafe.
þane wes herd of þe hewine
a voice þat sad hyme with hey stewyn,
þat god his askine had hyme tyde
for þaim þat hyme worchy[p] dyde.
sancte george, þat þan fayne wald be
of fleschlyk pressone here mad fre,
prayt þe basar to fulfil
þe thing þat bydding wes hym til.
& [he], thocht his hart wes sare,
Vnhedit hyme but ony mare.
& þis wyse dacyane made
of george offerand to god, þat had
þar-of daynte, & til hyme sone
his mykil welth gaf in to wone,
with al þame quhamfore he wald pray,
to duel with hyme but terme day.
& dacyane, as þis wes don,
towart his palace went sone,
& hyme ourtuk son godis yre.
fore fra þe hewine þare com a fyre,
& brynt hyme in-[to] poudre smal,
& þame þat seruit hyme with al.
& þat tyrand mad sic endynge,
þo he of mychtty perce was kinge;
for he cesit nocht to verray
þe king of hewine & cristis fay.
& þis marwel, þat here tel I,
wes done in-to dyaspoly,
þe nynt kalendir of maij ewinly,
fra crist tuk flesch of oure body
twa hundre ȝeris foure score & sewine,
In lowing of god of hewine
& in ekyne of cristine fay,
þat ay, þe mare, I dare say,
þat slane war ore tholit sic sare
for god, ay grew mare & mare;
for of a martyre þe pynynge
of a thousand wes wynnynge.
as fel of sancte george, þat on a day
fourty thousand wane to þe fay,
outakine wemen & ȝung fry,
þat als-a mony ware suthfastly.
[þ]ane gude men mad with cure
for s: george fare sepulture,
& tresour als, or þai wald irke,
& til hyme mad a ryale kyrke,
& ordenyt prestis þare to be,
to serwe god in þare degre,
in honoure of þat martir lele,
þat to ful mony gyffis heile,
þat ony honoure dois hym til,
ore seruis hyme in dewot wil.
of hyme gregor þe turoyn sais
a merwale fel in his days;
þat men for deuocione,
quhare he lyis, com to þe ton,
& gat away prywely
of his relykis a party,
& passit one fast away,
til þai had þe licht of day.
& þe nycht þai cuth duel
with þat tresoure in a chapele,
& mad þame ayrly on þe morn
of þat place it [til] haf borne;
bot þai stere it ne mocht,
til þai þaim syne wmthocht
þat of his corse wes þe wil
þat a party suld byd stil.
& richt sa haf þai done,
& with þe remanent sone
paissit [þai] þare way al fre,
for george wald þare honourit be.
& sa it wes; for but [a]bade
a costlyk kyrk of hym wes mad.
ane vthyr merwale als fand I
of antyoche in þe story.
quhen cristine men tuk on hande
to recouer þe haly lande,
fra sarasenis it had tane,
[þat] come eftyre waspacyane
& tytus, his son, þat land wane,
& put þe Iowis of it þane;
& cristine men nere-hande
had recouerit þe haly lande,
outane þe ton anerly
of Ierusaleme, þat was mychtty;
þane þai schupe þaim it to ta,
& þarfor gret aparele can ma,
& stalouartly þame set
It to wyne but ony lete.
þane til a preste of lyf clere
þis Ioyful martyr can apere,
far & ȝing, in armys dicht,
in al thing as it ware a knycht,
berand þe scheld of siluir schene
of gwlis with a croice but wene,
& sad þat george wes his name,
þat come to kepe þe oste fra schame,
& als but tynsale of þare men;
“for-þi þu do as I þe kene.
þis is, quhene þai assaut sal ma,
to þe ton gere þaim with þame ta
of my relykis a porcione,
& I sal be before þame bowne
in-to þis sammyne aray, þat now
þou seis me haf, I sekyre ȝou.”
þane þe prest [has] tald þis tale
to þe ledare of þe oste al hale.
&, as he bad, sa haf þai done,
& schupe þame til assalȝe sone,
& set þare ledderis til þe wal.
Bot hardy wes nane of þame al
a ledyr [to] set to þe hicht;
sa stythly Innuch can þai ficht;
til at þe last þai saw apere
a knycht in armys, faire & clere,
with a red croice in þe schelde,
þat beknyt þaim þat hym behelde,
þat þai suld folou hym gud-spede.
& þai þat did, ful gud þat nede,
& wane þe ton with stark hande,
& al þe saraȝynns, þai fande,
but pyte þa strak done,
& thru his helpe sa wan þe ton.
now to þis martir pray I,
to god, þat is [sa] dere worthy
þat he his --- tyd hym for al
þat in ned wil one hym cal,
he til god wil for ws pray
to hewynis blis þat we cume ma.