 | The Life of St. George |  |
1
Prologue.
Unto the ryght hye and myghty Prynce / Thomas /
Duke of Norfolke / tresorer / & Erle marchall of
Englonde: Alexander barclay contynuall Helth / with
encreas of welthe / & honour.
Tthe auncyent wryters / with wysdom decorate
Composynge maters / in fruytfull eloquence
Were wont theyr warkys / to wryte & dedycate
In name of rulers / and men of excellence
In which warkys / they dyd theyr dylygence
To wyn them fauour / and to to delate theyr fame
And of suche pryncys / to prayse the noble name
Composynge maters / in fruytfull eloquence
Were wont theyr warkys / to wryte & dedycate
In name of rulers / and men of excellence
In which warkys / they dyd theyr dylygence
To wyn them fauour / and to to delate theyr fame
And of suche pryncys / to prayse the noble name
Of whiche wryters / this was also thintent
To haue theyr warkys / defendyd from enuy
By auctoryte / of lordys excellent
And by theyr wrytynge / also to testyfy
Theyr loue and seruyce / which they had inwardly
Towarde suche lordys / for theyr great worthynes
Which in theyr styles / they laboured to expresse
To haue theyr warkys / defendyd from enuy
By auctoryte / of lordys excellent
And by theyr wrytynge / also to testyfy
Theyr loue and seruyce / which they had inwardly
Towarde suche lordys / for theyr great worthynes
Which in theyr styles / they laboured to expresse
Beholde what fruyt / cam of suche besynes
Fyrst the sayd actours / by godly exercyse
Subdued all vyce / and coward ydylnes
Theyr wyttes quycned fresshe maters to deuyse
For wyt well vsyd / is apter to compryse
Profounder maters / slouth doth the reason rust
Kyndlynge the sparcles / of blynd and carnall lust
Fyrst the sayd actours / by godly exercyse
Subdued all vyce / and coward ydylnes
Theyr wyttes quycned fresshe maters to deuyse
For wyt well vsyd / is apter to compryse
Profounder maters / slouth doth the reason rust
Kyndlynge the sparcles / of blynd and carnall lust
4
Also the actes / of noble gouernours
Haue nat dekayed / but haue immortall name
By plesant wrytynge / of the sayd oratours
Than other princys / which here or rede the same
Fele howe suche dedys / theyr hartys doth inflame
Suche noble princys / to folowe and insue
In valyant actys / belongynge to vertu
Haue nat dekayed / but haue immortall name
By plesant wrytynge / of the sayd oratours
Than other princys / which here or rede the same
Fele howe suche dedys / theyr hartys doth inflame
Suche noble princys / to folowe and insue
In valyant actys / belongynge to vertu
But where suche actours touchyd mysgouernaunce
Or lyfe of prynces / which erryd from vertue
They warnyd other / which wolde theyr name auaunce
Such vyce and errour / to vaynquysshe and exchue
Lyst som mysfortune / myght them at last subdue
As dyd suche synners / whose ende was ofte in care
Leuynge monycion / for other to be ware
Or lyfe of prynces / which erryd from vertue
They warnyd other / which wolde theyr name auaunce
Such vyce and errour / to vaynquysshe and exchue
Lyst som mysfortune / myght them at last subdue
As dyd suche synners / whose ende was ofte in care
Leuynge monycion / for other to be ware
Thus is all wrytynge / our confort and doctryne
Before vs is layde / the good for to insue
yll vs infourmyth / mysfortune to declyne
Myrth doth our myndys / quyckyn and renewe
Sadnes vs satlyth / in wysdom / and vertue
No thynge is wrytyn / but that men of prudence
May fynde some parcell / therin of Sapyence
Before vs is layde / the good for to insue
yll vs infourmyth / mysfortune to declyne
Myrth doth our myndys / quyckyn and renewe
Sadnes vs satlyth / in wysdom / and vertue
No thynge is wrytyn / but that men of prudence
May fynde some parcell / therin of Sapyence
Ryght myghty prince / nowe here to make a pawse
The moste hyghe report / of your renomyd fame
With your great desyre / doth me prouoke and cause
One small extract / to wryte nowe in your name
The lyfe of George / intyteled is the same
The lyght of knyghthod / wherby all men may se
Example of constaunce / in hard extremyte
The moste hyghe report / of your renomyd fame
With your great desyre / doth me prouoke and cause
One small extract / to wryte nowe in your name
The lyfe of George / intyteled is the same
The lyght of knyghthod / wherby all men may se
Example of constaunce / in hard extremyte
5
Whiche warke forsoth: I dyd nat fyrst begyn
Reputynge my style / to you suffycyent
I knowe my reson: and wyt is dull and thyn
My langage rude / and moche ineloquent
Truly this thynge: was oonly myn intent
To laude saynt George: our glorious patron
And moue his seruauntes / vnto deuocyon.
Reputynge my style / to you suffycyent
I knowe my reson: and wyt is dull and thyn
My langage rude / and moche ineloquent
Truly this thynge: was oonly myn intent
To laude saynt George: our glorious patron
And moue his seruauntes / vnto deuocyon.
And that the lyfe: of this so noble a knyght
His greuous paynes / and mortall passyon
Shulde nowe at last / apere and come in lyght
His laude incresynge / thorughout this regyon
And syth the wryters / of euery nacyon
Commende theyr patrons / praysynge theyr lyfe & name
Than to our patron / ought we to do the same.
His greuous paynes / and mortall passyon
Shulde nowe at last / apere and come in lyght
His laude incresynge / thorughout this regyon
And syth the wryters / of euery nacyon
Commende theyr patrons / praysynge theyr lyfe & name
Than to our patron / ought we to do the same.
And so concludynge / this treasyte to traslate
Me thought it semyd / of congruence and ryght
My boke to fynysshe / and it to dedycate
Under your shelde / as Georges worthy knyght
By whose hye power / auctoryte and myght
This small boke may be / defendyd from the blame
Of mad enuyours / whiche wolde depraue the same.
Me thought it semyd / of congruence and ryght
My boke to fynysshe / and it to dedycate
Under your shelde / as Georges worthy knyght
By whose hye power / auctoryte and myght
This small boke may be / defendyd from the blame
Of mad enuyours / whiche wolde depraue the same.
Alyf my treatyse / be no thynge eloquent
Syth I lacke termys / in langage for to frame
Hope me assureth / that ye wyll be content
And that your grace / wyll wele accept the same
For auncyent loue / whiche doth your herte inflame
To georges honour / for sothly it is ryght
That a worthy Duke / honour an holy knyght.
Syth I lacke termys / in langage for to frame
Hope me assureth / that ye wyll be content
And that your grace / wyll wele accept the same
For auncyent loue / whiche doth your herte inflame
To georges honour / for sothly it is ryght
That a worthy Duke / honour an holy knyght.
6
Touchynge the cause / wherfore this boke I drewe
To your hye honour / dyrect esspecyally
Is for saynt George / had maners with vertue
Nobleshye courage / wysdome and polecy
Whiche he disposyd / alway conuenyently
Syth the same gyftes / do you also inflame
Playne ryght admyttyth / this treatyse in your name.
To your hye honour / dyrect esspecyally
Is for saynt George / had maners with vertue
Nobleshye courage / wysdome and polecy
Whiche he disposyd / alway conuenyently
Syth the same gyftes / do you also inflame
Playne ryght admyttyth / this treatyse in your name.
Ryght myghty prynce / nowe brefly to conclude
your noble dedes / requyreth of playne ryght
This lytell boke: this present small and rude
Of georges lyfe: Spectacle to euery knyght
Thus with glad mynde: with all my herte and myght
The same I present to you and eke commende
That your clere name / my porenes may defende.
your noble dedes / requyreth of playne ryght
This lytell boke: this present small and rude
Of georges lyfe: Spectacle to euery knyght
Thus with glad mynde: with all my herte and myght
The same I present to you and eke commende
That your clere name / my porenes may defende.
But syth this gyfte / is symple rude and small
And moche vnworthy / your honour and degre
My selfe and seruyce / I gyue to you withall
Wherby my gyft / may somwhat bygger be
He whiche you fourmyd / preserue your dygnyte
That after longe lyfe: and pleasour temporall
your soule may haue solace: in rest perpetuall.
And moche vnworthy / your honour and degre
My selfe and seruyce / I gyue to you withall
Wherby my gyft / may somwhat bygger be
He whiche you fourmyd / preserue your dygnyte
That after longe lyfe: and pleasour temporall
your soule may haue solace: in rest perpetuall.
AMEN
| The Life of St. George | |