 | The Life of St. George |  |
Of the conuersacion of saynt George in his adolescence and what gyftes of nature / grace and fortune aboundyd in hym. Capitulum. secundo.
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But nowe to touche / his ryches manyfolde
He had of londes / and bestes abundaunce
But namely plenty of syluer / and of golde
His father and mother / his honour to auaunce
Lefte with theyr sone / theyr ryches and substaunce
His auncyent honour / the better to meyntayne
Whiche he so ordred / that nought was spent in vayne.
He had of londes / and bestes abundaunce
But namely plenty of syluer / and of golde
His father and mother / his honour to auaunce
Lefte with theyr sone / theyr ryches and substaunce
His auncyent honour / the better to meyntayne
Whiche he so ordred / that nought was spent in vayne.
His fader dede / and gone as we must all
Contynuyd george syngyll / and without wyfe
Honourynge Idollys / of fendes Infernall
As had his Parents / vsyd in theyr lyfe
This blynde errour / was than so excessyfe
That holy george / lyuynge in this errour
Had no thynge harde / of Criste our sauyour
Contynuyd george syngyll / and without wyfe
Honourynge Idollys / of fendes Infernall
As had his Parents / vsyd in theyr lyfe
This blynde errour / was than so excessyfe
That holy george / lyuynge in this errour
Had no thynge harde / of Criste our sauyour
But after the report / of this our true byleue
Entryd his erys / kyndlynge his herte and mynde
Incontynent / began / he to remeue
His herte and mynde / from his olde errours blynde
Hymself reputynge / to christ greatly vnkynde
So longe to haue honoured / those fendes fraudelent
And so in hast ran he / vnto our sacrament.
Entryd his erys / kyndlynge his herte and mynde
Incontynent / began / he to remeue
His herte and mynde / from his olde errours blynde
Hymself reputynge / to christ greatly vnkynde
So longe to haue honoured / those fendes fraudelent
And so in hast ran he / vnto our sacrament.
He nought asshamyd / hym humbly to inclyne
To all preceptis / of christ our sauyour
Ryght mekely stodiynge / to folowe the doctryne
Of christe: but for his elders had honour
By warre and batayle / bolde in eche storme & shoure
Therfore george / wolde nat go out of kynde
But in his youth on warre / set moste his mynde.
To all preceptis / of christ our sauyour
Ryght mekely stodiynge / to folowe the doctryne
Of christe: but for his elders had honour
By warre and batayle / bolde in eche storme & shoure
Therfore george / wolde nat go out of kynde
But in his youth on warre / set moste his mynde.
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In dyuers batayles / spent he his lusty age
Subduynge tyrants / and mayntenynge the ryght
The way deuysynge / in his moste bolde courage
To vse such feates / as longeth vnto a knyght
None bolder borne / none of more force nor myght
No man was founde / aboute in that countre
That coude mo poyntes / of valyaunce than he.
Subduynge tyrants / and mayntenynge the ryght
The way deuysynge / in his moste bolde courage
To vse such feates / as longeth vnto a knyght
None bolder borne / none of more force nor myght
No man was founde / aboute in that countre
That coude mo poyntes / of valyaunce than he.
To throwe a dart / by strength and clene puysaunce
In londe or coste / no man coude better fynde
All warryours / wondred of his valyaunce
To se this knyght / to handell tourne or wynde
A swerde or wepyn / of any sorte or kynde
To throwe a plummet / or for to put a stone
In Cappadoce / lyke vnto hym was none.
In londe or coste / no man coude better fynde
All warryours / wondred of his valyaunce
To se this knyght / to handell tourne or wynde
A swerde or wepyn / of any sorte or kynde
To throwe a plummet / or for to put a stone
In Cappadoce / lyke vnto hym was none.
To throwe a barre / or drawe a bowe of strength
Was none his peere / nor to hym comparable
Besyde the hede / his shaft a yarde of length
Stronge / great / and myghty / to be in fleynge stable
To drawe the same / his armys were so able
That whan his craft / by exercyse dyd growe
He hyd his arowe / nerehole within the bowe.
Was none his peere / nor to hym comparable
Besyde the hede / his shaft a yarde of length
Stronge / great / and myghty / to be in fleynge stable
To drawe the same / his armys were so able
That whan his craft / by exercyse dyd growe
He hyd his arowe / nerehole within the bowe.
To slynge a stone / as is the gyse of spayne
Who had hym sene / he boldly durst haue sworne
That in that londe / he had be bred certayne
To ronne or lepe / none erthly man was borne
That coude in swyftnes / one fote get hym beforne
Or hyer lepe / into the ayre than he
Suche was his strength / herte and agylyte.
Who had hym sene / he boldly durst haue sworne
That in that londe / he had be bred certayne
To ronne or lepe / none erthly man was borne
That coude in swyftnes / one fote get hym beforne
Or hyer lepe / into the ayre than he
Suche was his strength / herte and agylyte.
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What shall I speke / howe manly he coude ryde
Or tourne his stede / as quyckly as he wolde
To mounte or lepe / or swymmynge hym to gyde
No water / hedge / nor dyke coude hym withholde
The ryder by craft / gaue wynges manyfolde
Unto the stede / whiche lyght as is the wynde
With touche of brydell / tourned and inclynde.
Or tourne his stede / as quyckly as he wolde
To mounte or lepe / or swymmynge hym to gyde
No water / hedge / nor dyke coude hym withholde
The ryder by craft / gaue wynges manyfolde
Unto the stede / whiche lyght as is the wynde
With touche of brydell / tourned and inclynde.
To any parte or syde / where george wolde
It was a worlde / to se hym breke a spere
For in that poynt / no knyght was founde so bolde
In all that londe / but greatly dyd hym fere
No man was able / hym nor his stede to dere
But where hym pleasyd / for to employ his myght
He threwe by his strength / to grounde both hors & knyght.
It was a worlde / to se hym breke a spere
For in that poynt / no knyght was founde so bolde
In all that londe / but greatly dyd hym fere
No man was able / hym nor his stede to dere
But where hym pleasyd / for to employ his myght
He threwe by his strength / to grounde both hors & knyght.
The worthy champyons / in olde tyme wont to be
On the hylle olympus / kepynge theyr wrastlynge game
Were nat so crafty / in wrastlynge as he
Nat Hercules / of moste renowne and fame
Suche valyaunt courage / dyd Georges herte inflame
In all poyntes of strenght / hym selfe to exercyse
Wherby / to honour and fame / a man may ryse.
On the hylle olympus / kepynge theyr wrastlynge game
Were nat so crafty / in wrastlynge as he
Nat Hercules / of moste renowne and fame
Suche valyaunt courage / dyd Georges herte inflame
In all poyntes of strenght / hym selfe to exercyse
Wherby / to honour and fame / a man may ryse.
Let grece them boste / of Pollux and Castor
Let them of Fraunce / vaunte them of charlemayne
Let Troyans / commende theyr Parys and Hector
And brytaynes exalte / the boldnes souerayne
Of worthy Artour / but to be true and playne
No true hystorye of these / nor fayned fable
Can make theyr name / to George comparable.
Let them of Fraunce / vaunte them of charlemayne
Let Troyans / commende theyr Parys and Hector
And brytaynes exalte / the boldnes souerayne
Of worthy Artour / but to be true and playne
No true hystorye of these / nor fayned fable
Can make theyr name / to George comparable.
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If george thought / his stedes cours to slacke
Than in hymself / put he his confydence
Quickely descendynge / downe from the horses backe
The soner to socour / his folke by his defence
But if his spere / by stroke of vyolence
Fell to the grounde / it was to hym no payne
Without descendynge / to lyft it vp agayne.
Than in hymself / put he his confydence
Quickely descendynge / downe from the horses backe
The soner to socour / his folke by his defence
But if his spere / by stroke of vyolence
Fell to the grounde / it was to hym no payne
Without descendynge / to lyft it vp agayne.
It were to longe / all his vertues to declare
He knewe all / that longyd to an hygh courage
In swymmynge was none / that myght with hym compare
That craft had he / surmountynge euery age
In such feates / he spent his lusty age
And neuer in game dishonest / or pastyme
Wherof myght growe / the rote of synne or cryme.
He knewe all / that longyd to an hygh courage
In swymmynge was none / that myght with hym compare
That craft had he / surmountynge euery age
In such feates / he spent his lusty age
And neuer in game dishonest / or pastyme
Wherof myght growe / the rote of synne or cryme.
Apostrophe ad anglos
O englysshe youth / it is both synne and shame
To se in thy patron / suche manly doughtynes
And thou to spende thy tyme / in thriftles game
The grounde of vyce / and rote of wretchydnes
Fle from suche foly / vse noble besynes
And thynges that at ende / may helpe a comon welth
Or els that may be / vnto thy soules helth.
To se in thy patron / suche manly doughtynes
And thou to spende thy tyme / in thriftles game
The grounde of vyce / and rote of wretchydnes
Fle from suche foly / vse noble besynes
And thynges that at ende / may helpe a comon welth
Or els that may be / vnto thy soules helth.
| The Life of St. George | |