The Life of St. George By Alexander Barclay: Edited by William Nelson |
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 | The Life of St. George |  |
How the kynge of the Cyte concludyd to reuenge hym on saynt George / of ye iniuryes of his goddys / And how his quene for blamynge his cruell interpryse was martyred to deth before saynt Georgys face. Capitulum. xxv.
The kynge hymselfe / harde of thys busynesse
Whiche nere remayned / vnto the sayd Cyte
Despyte and fury / soon dyd hys mynde oppresse
Kydlynge his courage / with yre / and cruelte
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
Whiche nere remayned / vnto the sayd Cyte
Despyte and fury / soon dyd hys mynde oppresse
Kydlynge his courage / with yre / and cruelte
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
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
Alas the season / alas the day / and houre
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
97
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
His blode must be shed / he must byde dedely payne
The wrath of our goddys / to mytygate agayne
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
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
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
With sore troubled chere / the quene behelde his face
As she / which at laste / was clered in hyr mynde
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
At laste she vttred / with troublyd countenaunce
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
O wretche haue mercy / of gyltles innocence
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
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
I dowt nat but god / most hye and eternall
In these his seruauntys / speketh vnto vs
Our ignorant errours / and foly to excusse
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
I dowt nat but god / most hye and eternall
In these his seruauntys / speketh vnto vs
Our ignorant errours / and foly to excusse
98
The mouth of this knyght / is but an instrument
The wordys of god / pronouncynge: helthfully
This spyryt procedyth / of god omnypotent
Mad kynge / in thy erys soundynge mercyfully
But alas the deuyll / the blyndyth vtterly
Nat suffryuge thy mynde / nor erys to inclyne
To fruitfull wordys / nor spyrytuall doctryne
The wordys of god / pronouncynge: helthfully
This spyryt procedyth / of god omnypotent
Mad kynge / in thy erys soundynge mercyfully
But alas the deuyll / the blyndyth vtterly
Nat suffryuge thy mynde / nor erys to inclyne
To fruitfull wordys / nor spyrytuall doctryne
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
With double tonges / his mouth disgorgyth fyre
The kynge was kyndlyd / yet: with moche gretter ire
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
With double tonges / his mouth disgorgyth fyre
The kynge was kyndlyd / yet: with moche gretter ire
In furyous rage / anon commaundyd he
Hys quene be spoylyd / all bare as she was borne
Hyr here inbraydyd / with braunchys of a tre
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
Hys quene be spoylyd / all bare as she was borne
Hyr here inbraydyd / with braunchys of a tre
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
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
The quenys wordys repetyd newe agayne
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
The quenys wordys repetyd newe agayne
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
Represse thy malyce / thy wycked maners stent
Away with this stomake / of blynde inpacyence
O wretche haue mercy / of gyltles innocence
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
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
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 tretnynge nor tourment
Cowde neuer preuayll / to alter hyr intent
That fast he repetyd / these wordys newe agayne
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 tretnynge nor tourment
Cowde neuer preuayll / to alter hyr intent
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
Tell me / I pray the / yf lacke of crystendom
My soule may hynder / from crystys hye kyngdom.
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
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
Shalbe rewardyd / with pleasour permanent
Go on happy quene / aud sowle ryght excellent
From peynes to blysse / thou surely shalt become
Trowble nat thy mynde / for lacke of crystendom
Hyr payn aduertynge / and bytter punysshement
And sayd / noble quene / thy cruell payne and smart
Shalbe rewardyd / with pleasour permanent
Go on happy quene / aud sowle ryght excellent
From peynes to blysse / thou surely shalt become
Trowble nat thy mynde / for lacke of crystendom
100
By the holy goste / some baptysed hath ben
For theyr deuocyon / true / fayth and purpose good
And som in the Font / as dayly it is sene
But other som hath ben / baptysed in theyr blode
Acceptynge tourmeut / for ioy / as gostly fode
In nombre of whom / thy spyrit shall succede
To seke other font / thou playnly hast no nede
For theyr deuocyon / true / fayth and purpose good
And som in the Font / as dayly it is sene
But other som hath ben / baptysed in theyr blode
Acceptynge tourmeut / for ioy / as gostly fode
In nombre of whom / thy spyrit shall succede
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
There is hye pleasour / where here is payn & woo
Well happy is he / which for this worldly payne
May that great solace / eternally obtayne
And dyed in the same / in tryumphe shalt thou goo
To heuyn to beholde / the blessyd trynyte
Amonge other martyrs / and holy sayntys moo
There is hye pleasour / where here is payn & woo
Well happy is he / which for this worldly payne
May that great solace / eternally obtayne
These holsom wordys / the quenes mynde dyd chere
And lyftynge hyr eyen / toward the fyrmament
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
And lyftynge hyr eyen / toward the fyrmament
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
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
Hyr mouth out brethyd / hyr soule and spyryt vitall
Hyr payne permutyd with ioy celestyall
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
Hyr mouth out brethyd / hyr soule and spyryt vitall
Hyr payne permutyd with ioy celestyall
| The Life of St. George | |