 | The Life of St. George |  |
Howe saynt George dranke venym twyse in the name of Cryst / and no thynge was greuyd by ye same / by reason wherof the Inchauntour was conuertyd to the faythe. Capitulum. xxi.
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
Fast gapynge downe / for to beholde the dede
Some faylyd fotynge / they dounwarde toke suche hede
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
Fast gapynge downe / for to beholde the dede
Some faylyd fotynge / they dounwarde toke suche hede
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
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 & lusty chere
Fast bounde in chaynes / the people hym about
No thynge abasshyd / was he / but bolde to syght
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 & lusty chere
On the other part / the proude inchauntour blynde
Precyd into myddys / of all the audyence
With stately loke / with proude & pompous mynde
Nought yet expert / of crystis magnyfycence
With tokyn of hand / he poyntyd them sylence
He brought in a coup / of poyson vyolent
Made yet more dedely / by his inchauntement
Precyd into myddys / of all the audyence
With stately loke / with proude & pompous mynde
Nought yet expert / of crystis magnyfycence
With tokyn of hand / he poyntyd them sylence
He brought in a coup / of poyson vyolent
Made yet more dedely / by his inchauntement
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
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
With eres erecte / to here what he wolde say
Than the inchauntor / his voyce lyfte vp anon
And loudly cryed / his cunnynge to conuey
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
But by thys poyson / all this discorde shall ende
Which yf this knyght / drynke of / & 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
As yf the same / were moost of dignyte
But by thys poyson / all this discorde shall ende
Which yf this knyght / drynke of / & 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
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
With smylynge loke / lyckynge the droppys vp
And with glad chere / gaue hym agayne the cup
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
With smylynge loke / lyckynge the droppys vp
And with glad chere / gaue hym agayne the cup
The Iudge & Inchauntour / stode blak & pale as leade
And all the people / supposynge stedfastly
That vnto the grounde / he shulde haue fallyn deed
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
And all the people / supposynge stedfastly
That vnto the grounde / he shulde haue fallyn deed
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
85
Nowe the inchauntour / all pale in loke and face
Whas sore abasshyd / ofte chaungynge countenaunce
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
Whiche (yf he drynke) ye deed shall se hym fall
Whas sore abasshyd / ofte chaungynge countenaunce
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
Whiche (yf he drynke) ye deed shall se hym fall
Thus sayd thynchauntour / and in his hande he hent
Of dedly poyson / A cup newe full agayne
Whysperynge theron / his arte all hole he spent
hys mouth fast mouyd / yet all was but in vayne
In the mean season / sore trowblyd was hys brayne
Ferynge lest his crafte / shulde come to none effect
And lest the comons / Shulde / clene despyse his sect
Of dedly poyson / A cup newe full agayne
Whysperynge theron / his arte all hole he spent
hys mouth fast mouyd / yet all was but in vayne
In the mean season / sore trowblyd was hys brayne
Ferynge lest his crafte / shulde come to none effect
And lest the comons / Shulde / clene despyse his sect
In lyke wyse the Iudge / reuoluynge in his mynd.
His instaunt daunger / and lawe in Ieopardy
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
His instaunt daunger / and lawe in Ieopardy
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
That doutfull haunce / made hym as pale / as leade
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
But dranke the poyson / and lycour perylous
The people wondryd / at thynge so meruaylous
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
But dranke the poyson / and lycour perylous
The people wondryd / at thynge so meruaylous
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What tyme thynchauntour / aduysyd well the knyght
Auoyde of peryll / a whyle he stode as domme
At last he cryed / o dacyan / thy myght
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
Auoyde of peryll / a whyle he stode as domme
At last he cryed / o dacyan / thy myght
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
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
And pore and nakyd / I me / to the betake
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
And pore and nakyd / I me / to the betake
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
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.
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
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.
| The Life of St. George | |