 | The South English Legendary |  |
De sancto Gorgio
Sein Gorge þe holy man as we vindeþ iwrite
In þe lond of Capadose ybore was and biȝute
Þe false godes he forsok & tok to Cristendom
And louede wel Iesu Crist and holyman bicom
Dacian þe luþer prince þat was þulke stounde
Alle Cristene men þat he vond he let bringe to gronde
As he honurede a day is false godes and oþer manion
Sein Gorge com & sai it al as he com þeruorþ gon
Þe signe he made of þe crois & blessede him al aboute
& armede him þoru þe Holi Gost wiþinne & eke wiþoute
& wende him forþ wel baldeliche & loude he gan to grede
To Dacian and alle his and þeos wordes sede
In þe lond of Capadose ybore was and biȝute
Þe false godes he forsok & tok to Cristendom
156
Dacian þe luþer prince þat was þulke stounde
Alle Cristene men þat he vond he let bringe to gronde
As he honurede a day is false godes and oþer manion
Sein Gorge com & sai it al as he com þeruorþ gon
Þe signe he made of þe crois & blessede him al aboute
& armede him þoru þe Holi Gost wiþinne & eke wiþoute
& wende him forþ wel baldeliche & loude he gan to grede
To Dacian and alle his and þeos wordes sede
Alle false godes beoþ deueles chikene iwis
For oure Louerd heuene made & in þe sauter iwrite is
For oure Louerd heuene made & in þe sauter iwrite is
Þo Dacian hurde þis he grennede & femede vaste
And lourede wiþ luþer semlant and þeos wordes out caste
Bel amy wat ertou þat so fol ert and bold
Þat in oure poer & in oure godes such wordes hast itold
Þat ne destou us noȝt one ssame a[s] we alle iseoþ
Ac oure godes ek wanne þou seist þat hi deuelen beoþ
Tel me sone wanne þou ert & wat is þi name
Þat derst us segge & oure godes so baldeliche such ssame
And lourede wiþ luþer semlant and þeos wordes out caste
Bel amy wat ertou þat so fol ert and bold
Þat in oure poer & in oure godes such wordes hast itold
Þat ne destou us noȝt one ssame a[s] we alle iseoþ
Ac oure godes ek wanne þou seist þat hi deuelen beoþ
Tel me sone wanne þou ert & wat is þi name
Þat derst us segge & oure godes so baldeliche such ssame
Gorge ich hatte quaþ þis oþer Cristen man ich am
And of þe lond of Capadose hider to ȝou ich cam
And of þe lond of Capadose hider to ȝou ich cam
Bel amy quaþ Dacian turn þi þoȝt anon
And honure here oure godes oþer it ssel anoþer gon
And honure here oure godes oþer it ssel anoþer gon
Be[o] stille þou fol quaþ sein Gorge for þou spext embe noȝt
For ich habbe in Iesu Crist byset al mi þoȝt
For ich habbe in Iesu Crist byset al mi þoȝt
A traitor quaþ þis Dacian woltou take on so
Þou sselt in oþer ribaudie sone dayes beo ido
He let him honge up anhei in a maner rode
And þerto him binde faste naked mid ropes stronge & gode
Wiþ kene oules þere bineþe tormentors þer stode
And al todrowe his holy limes þat hi ronne ablode
Al hi todrowe is tendre vleiss þe peces folle to gronde
Bernynge eoly suþþe hy nome and caste inis wonde
Þou sselt in oþer ribaudie sone dayes beo ido
He let him honge up anhei in a maner rode
And þerto him binde faste naked mid ropes stronge & gode
157
And al todrowe his holy limes þat hi ronne ablode
Al hi todrowe is tendre vleiss þe peces folle to gronde
Bernynge eoly suþþe hy nome and caste inis wonde
Þo hi hadde him þus todrawe longe þat ruþe it was to se[o]
Hy biþoȝte him of more ssame & nome hi doun of þe tre[o]
Wiþ harde scorges leide him on and wonde up oþer made
To þe bare bon þe scorges come as þe oules hadde er iwade
Þe wonden hi nome & sulte suþþe & þat salt þicke caste
And suþþe wiþ a clout of here hi rodde it wel vaste
A Louerd muche was þe pine þat ech up oþer was þere
Ruþe it was such pine to se[o] wo so of ruþe were
And euere lai þis holyman as him noþing nere
To sulte so þat quike uleiss and robby wiþ an here
Hy biþoȝte him of more ssame & nome hi doun of þe tre[o]
Wiþ harde scorges leide him on and wonde up oþer made
To þe bare bon þe scorges come as þe oules hadde er iwade
Þe wonden hi nome & sulte suþþe & þat salt þicke caste
And suþþe wiþ a clout of here hi rodde it wel vaste
A Louerd muche was þe pine þat ech up oþer was þere
Ruþe it was such pine to se[o] wo so of ruþe were
And euere lai þis holyman as him noþing nere
To sulte so þat quike uleiss and robby wiþ an here
Þo Dacian isey þat he nemiȝte ouercome him so
He let binde þis holyman and in strong prison do
Þer he lay al longe niȝt to oþer wowe inowe
Þe tormentors amorwe touore Dacian him drowe
Hi fondede þo in eche manere ȝif hi miȝte turne is þoȝt
Ac hi seie þo wel echone þat it was al for noȝt
Dacian let make a weol of bras so strong so he miȝte
And ssarpe swerdes þicke aboute þeron faste he piȝte
And let nyme þis holyman & þere aboue him do
Þat þe swerdes ssolde is body rente & todrawe ato
Anon so hi þis holiman aboute þis weol broȝte
Þat weol tobrak as God it wolde & to brusede it al to noȝte
So þat þis holyman harmles þer of was
Wel wroþ was Dacian so he sei þis cas
He let binde þis holyman and in strong prison do
Þer he lay al longe niȝt to oþer wowe inowe
Þe tormentors amorwe touore Dacian him drowe
Hi fondede þo in eche manere ȝif hi miȝte turne is þoȝt
Ac hi seie þo wel echone þat it was al for noȝt
Dacian let make a weol of bras so strong so he miȝte
And ssarpe swerdes þicke aboute þeron faste he piȝte
And let nyme þis holyman & þere aboue him do
Þat þe swerdes ssolde is body rente & todrawe ato
Anon so hi þis holiman aboute þis weol broȝte
Þat weol tobrak as God it wolde & to brusede it al to noȝte
So þat þis holyman harmles þer of was
Wel wroþ was Dacian so he sei þis cas
A forneis he let nyme of bras & fulde it fol of led
A strang fur he let makie inou as he nom sone is red
Þo þis was al ymult and boilede wel uaste
He let nyme þis holyman and amidde caste
Sein Gorge nom up is hond & þe crois biuore him made
And in wellinde led wel baldeliche gan wade
Þer on he sat wel softe adoun as him noþing nere
And lenede him to þe brerde stille as he aslepe were
And lay as he in reste were forte þat led attelaste
Was al into þe cold iturnd þat boillede er so uaste
A strang fur he let makie inou as he nom sone is red
Þo þis was al ymult and boilede wel uaste
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Sein Gorge nom up is hond & þe crois biuore him made
And in wellinde led wel baldeliche gan wade
Þer on he sat wel softe adoun as him noþing nere
And lenede him to þe brerde stille as he aslepe were
And lay as he in reste were forte þat led attelaste
Was al into þe cold iturnd þat boillede er so uaste
Louerd muche was þi miȝte as me miȝte þer ise[o]
Þat enyman in welde led so miȝte harmles be[o]
Þat enyman in welde led so miȝte harmles be[o]
Þo Dacian þis isei is wit him was nei bynome
Mahon he sede hou geþ þis war is þi miȝte bicome
Wanne i ne may þis foule þeof ouercome in none wise
Ich ssel bynime him sone is lif ne ssel he neuere arise
His dom he gan to ȝiue anon þat hi sein Gorge nome
And drou him out þoru al þe toun forte hi wiþoute come
And þat hi smite of wiþoute toun is heued attelaste
And is body þere in som voul place to wilde bestes caste
Mahon he sede hou geþ þis war is þi miȝte bicome
Wanne i ne may þis foule þeof ouercome in none wise
Ich ssel bynime him sone is lif ne ssel he neuere arise
His dom he gan to ȝiue anon þat hi sein Gorge nome
And drou him out þoru al þe toun forte hi wiþoute come
And þat hi smite of wiþoute toun is heued attelaste
And is body þere in som voul place to wilde bestes caste
Þo þis dom was þus iȝiue it nas noȝt ilete
Hi lete drawe þis holyman wel villiche þoru þe strete
Forte hi come wiþoute toun þer hi wolde is heued of smite
Hore arme hi drowe uorþ and wette it kene to bite
Hi lete drawe þis holyman wel villiche þoru þe strete
Forte hi come wiþoute toun þer hi wolde is heued of smite
Hore arme hi drowe uorþ and wette it kene to bite
Leue breþeren quaþ sein Gorge an stonde abideþ ȝute
Forte ich habbe to Iesu Crist my preiere ido a lite
His honden he huld up anhei adoun he sat akne[o]
Louerd he sede Iesu Crist þat al þing miȝte ise[o]
Grante me ȝif it is þi wille þat wo so in faire manere
Halt wel mi day in Aueril for mi loue an eorþe here
Þat þer ne valle in þulke hous no qualm in al þe ȝere
Ne gret siknesse ne honger strang þat þer of ne be[o] no fere
Forte ich habbe to Iesu Crist my preiere ido a lite
His honden he huld up anhei adoun he sat akne[o]
Louerd he sede Iesu Crist þat al þing miȝte ise[o]
Grante me ȝif it is þi wille þat wo so in faire manere
Halt wel mi day in Aueril for mi loue an eorþe here
Þat þer ne valle in þulke hous no qualm in al þe ȝere
Ne gret siknesse ne honger strang þat þer of ne be[o] no fere
And wo in peril of þe se to me bit is bone
Oþer in oþer stude perilous help him þerof sone
Þo hurde hy a uois of heuene þat to him sede iwis
Come uorþ to me my blessed child þi bone ihurd is
Þo is heued was of ysmite as al þat folk ysey
Angles nome is holy soule and bar up to heuene anhey
Þer he is in grete ioye þat last wiþoute ende
Nou God for sein Gorges loue us lete al þuder wende
Oþer in oþer stude perilous help him þerof sone
Þo hurde hy a uois of heuene þat to him sede iwis
Come uorþ to me my blessed child þi bone ihurd is
159
Angles nome is holy soule and bar up to heuene anhey
Þer he is in grete ioye þat last wiþoute ende
Nou God for sein Gorges loue us lete al þuder wende
| The South English Legendary | |