 | The Life of St. George |  |
To what degre the Romaynes callyd saynt George for his noble maners / and of what condycyons he was / whan he was come / to parfyte age of man. Capitulum. iii.
23
For these hyghe gyftes / and vertues vnderstonde
In this valyaunt knyght / so euydent and playne
The romayne prynces / than rulynge euery londe
Made hym a Tribune: whiche is a capytayne
Hym gyuynge charge / to chastyce and constrayne
The other sowdyours / to trouth and dylygence
And to subdue / falshode / and neglygence
In this valyaunt knyght / so euydent and playne
The romayne prynces / than rulynge euery londe
Made hym a Tribune: whiche is a capytayne
Hym gyuynge charge / to chastyce and constrayne
The other sowdyours / to trouth and dylygence
And to subdue / falshode / and neglygence
For where men of warre / without correccion
Haue all theyr pleasour / in slouth and robery
Than foloweth thefte / wronge / and extorcion
And slouth moste specyall / cause of lechery
Wherfore the Romayns / prouydynge remedy
Elect wyse captaynes / transgressours to chastyce
Supportynge vertue / subduynge synne and vyce
Haue all theyr pleasour / in slouth and robery
Than foloweth thefte / wronge / and extorcion
And slouth moste specyall / cause of lechery
Wherfore the Romayns / prouydynge remedy
Elect wyse captaynes / transgressours to chastyce
Supportynge vertue / subduynge synne and vyce
Addicio Alexandri barclay ad predictorum dilucidationem
Of whiche sorte / was george elect for one
Whiche by discression / wysdome and prudence
Hym so behauyd / that he displesyd none
yet vncorrect / he suffred none offence
Wherof the dede coude / come to euydence
Whiche is a wonder / for seldome se we fall
That ryghtwyse men / haue loue and thanke with all
Whiche by discression / wysdome and prudence
Hym so behauyd / that he displesyd none
yet vncorrect / he suffred none offence
Wherof the dede coude / come to euydence
Whiche is a wonder / for seldome se we fall
That ryghtwyse men / haue loue and thanke with all
But of his beaute / somtyme nowe to wryte
He was both large / and longe of his stature
His colour rody / that one myght haue delyte
For to beholde / so fayre a creature
His heer shynynge / as golde moste fyne and pure
Flauynge abrode / and cryspynge oryently
Couerynge his necke / vnto his shuldres nye.
He was both large / and longe of his stature
His colour rody / that one myght haue delyte
For to beholde / so fayre a creature
His heer shynynge / as golde moste fyne and pure
Flauynge abrode / and cryspynge oryently
Couerynge his necke / vnto his shuldres nye.
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With hym compare / in beautie myght there none
But brefly to speke / he was a man parfyte
More than Achylles / Turnus or absolone
yet all these gyftes / coude neuer in hym excyte
Pryde or disdayne / but shortly all to wryte
The mo dyuers gyftes / that he had of nature
More meke he was / to euery creature.
But brefly to speke / he was a man parfyte
More than Achylles / Turnus or absolone
yet all these gyftes / coude neuer in hym excyte
Pryde or disdayne / but shortly all to wryte
The mo dyuers gyftes / that he had of nature
More meke he was / to euery creature.
And thoughe he sawe / his felawes them subdue
To carnall lust / and worldly vanyte
Theyr lust / and pleasoure / blyndly to insue
The brydell lowse / of godly chastyte
yet he subduyd / suche blynde lascyuyte
No ardant flame / of wretchyd venus rage
Coude his chaste mynde / subdue vnto bondage.
To carnall lust / and worldly vanyte
Theyr lust / and pleasoure / blyndly to insue
The brydell lowse / of godly chastyte
yet he subduyd / suche blynde lascyuyte
No ardant flame / of wretchyd venus rage
Coude his chaste mynde / subdue vnto bondage.
yet none example to synne / coude make hym fall
No wanton lust / coude make his thought inclyne
To haue delyte / in pleasour corporall
Whiche is a thynge / nat humayne but dyuyne
For thoughtles youth / oft commyth to ruyne
By beaute / ryches / fre wyll / or lyberte
And yll example / of youthes enormyte.
No wanton lust / coude make his thought inclyne
To haue delyte / in pleasour corporall
Whiche is a thynge / nat humayne but dyuyne
For thoughtles youth / oft commyth to ruyne
By beaute / ryches / fre wyll / or lyberte
And yll example / of youthes enormyte.
Except discressyon / rule and the lorde aboue
But as for george / he was predestynate
And chosen of god / in whome was all his loue
No erthly loue / coude hym intoxycate
His mynde was fyxed / vnclenlynes to hate
Lyke to Ipolytus / whiche rather chose to dye
Than with the quene / to brake his chastyte
But as for george / he was predestynate
And chosen of god / in whome was all his loue
No erthly loue / coude hym intoxycate
His mynde was fyxed / vnclenlynes to hate
Lyke to Ipolytus / whiche rather chose to dye
Than with the quene / to brake his chastyte
25
Or lyke to Joseph / whiche falsly was accusyd
And cast in pryson in bytter wo and payne
Bycause that he / his lordes wyfe refusyd
Lykewyse dyd George / his noble herte refrayne
From womans foly / temptacion gyle and trayne
Thoughe dyuers ladyes had set on hym theyr hert
His herte was stable / no thynge / coude hym peruert.
And cast in pryson in bytter wo and payne
Bycause that he / his lordes wyfe refusyd
Lykewyse dyd George / his noble herte refrayne
From womans foly / temptacion gyle and trayne
Thoughe dyuers ladyes had set on hym theyr hert
His herte was stable / no thynge / coude hym peruert.
But lyke as a Rocke / standynge within the see
Remayneth stable / for all the violence
Of wynde and wawes / or as a great oke tree
Eche storme abydeth: so the magnyficence
Of noble George / made manly resystence
Agaynst all pleasures / of worldly vanyte
In heuyn was all / his hole felycyte.
Remayneth stable / for all the violence
Of wynde and wawes / or as a great oke tree
Eche storme abydeth: so the magnyficence
Of noble George / made manly resystence
Agaynst all pleasures / of worldly vanyte
In heuyn was all / his hole felycyte.
Whan the Rumoure / of bellona to batayle
Steryd men armyd / of dyuers region
And Mars made rulers / eche other to assayle
So that saynt george / of Captaynes must be one
He hauntyd neuer warre without relygion
Of fauour / mercy / and fyghtynge for the ryght
Lyke as besemeth / the ordre of a knyght.
Steryd men armyd / of dyuers region
And Mars made rulers / eche other to assayle
So that saynt george / of Captaynes must be one
He hauntyd neuer warre without relygion
Of fauour / mercy / and fyghtynge for the ryght
Lyke as besemeth / the ordre of a knyght.
But batayle tournyd / into tranquylyte
What tyme this saynt / had layser and respyte
To vse his tyme at wyll and lyberte
In workes of mercy / put he his hole delyte
For his olde synnes / pensyfe and contryte
And passynge his tyme / to serue our lorde almyght
But chefly on mornynge / and before the nyght.
What tyme this saynt / had layser and respyte
To vse his tyme at wyll and lyberte
In workes of mercy / put he his hole delyte
For his olde synnes / pensyfe and contryte
And passynge his tyme / to serue our lorde almyght
But chefly on mornynge / and before the nyght.
26
But whan the people of lowe and pore estate
Both olde and yonge / gatherynge from euery place
For ayde and conforte / resortyd to his gate
They neuer departyd / but that they had solace
Ueray pure compassion / so dyd his hart imbrace
That all his ryches / vpon the pore he spent
As specyall conforte / to wretch and indygent.
Both olde and yonge / gatherynge from euery place
For ayde and conforte / resortyd to his gate
They neuer departyd / but that they had solace
Ueray pure compassion / so dyd his hart imbrace
That all his ryches / vpon the pore he spent
As specyall conforte / to wretch and indygent.
To none was he noyson / nor preiudiciall
Saue whan the case so requyred in batayle
That ought must be done / with violence ouer all
Agaynst his foes / the soner to preuayle
Than was none stronger / nor bolder to assayle
Hys enmy in felde / nor none was so actyfe
Of capadoce / which alway lyue in stryfe.
Saue whan the case so requyred in batayle
That ought must be done / with violence ouer all
Agaynst his foes / the soner to preuayle
Than was none stronger / nor bolder to assayle
Hys enmy in felde / nor none was so actyfe
Of capadoce / which alway lyue in stryfe.
In tyme of skyrmysshe was none more fortunate
For to ouercome / in grettest ieopardy
As in his byrthe / he had ben destynate
To haue good fortune / in warre & chyualry
The fame and rumour / of people openly
Sayde that he outher / was vnto batayle borne
Els that dame fortune / to hym was bounde & sworne.
For to ouercome / in grettest ieopardy
As in his byrthe / he had ben destynate
To haue good fortune / in warre & chyualry
The fame and rumour / of people openly
Sayde that he outher / was vnto batayle borne
Els that dame fortune / to hym was bounde & sworne.
Suche was his strength / and boldnes souerayne
That he which onys / escapyd had his hand
Durste neuer aduenture / suche ieopardy agayne
Nor yet be bolde / agayne his stroke to stande
For lyke as the fyre / set on a stubbyl lande
Is dryuyn forthe / by myght: of ayre and wynde
And saue the bare grounde / leueth no thynge behynde.
That he which onys / escapyd had his hand
Durste neuer aduenture / suche ieopardy agayne
Nor yet be bolde / agayne his stroke to stande
For lyke as the fyre / set on a stubbyl lande
Is dryuyn forthe / by myght: of ayre and wynde
And saue the bare grounde / leueth no thynge behynde.
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Ryght so this captayne / both valyaunt & bolde
Trauersyd the oste / his wepyn in his hande
Dischargynge strokes / agayne all them that wolde
By manly harte / be bolde hym to withstande
All went to grounde / that he before hym founde
Saue suche as yeldynge / gladly gaue hym place
Whom he with mercy / acceptyd to his grace.
Trauersyd the oste / his wepyn in his hande
Dischargynge strokes / agayne all them that wolde
By manly harte / be bolde hym to withstande
All went to grounde / that he before hym founde
Saue suche as yeldynge / gladly gaue hym place
Whom he with mercy / acceptyd to his grace.
But with the stoborne / the prowde and arrogant
He fyersly faryd / on them prouynge his myght
As Tedeus / Ayax / or Hector valyant
Or hercules / the Champyon dyd in fyght
Wherfore the emperour / had hym alway in syght
And in suche fauour / that in eche ieopardy
He must be one / without all remedy.
He fyersly faryd / on them prouynge his myght
As Tedeus / Ayax / or Hector valyant
Or hercules / the Champyon dyd in fyght
Wherfore the emperour / had hym alway in syght
And in suche fauour / that in eche ieopardy
He must be one / without all remedy.
It is nat nede / in this small boke to wryte
All his hyghe actes / and dedys of excellence
Whiche so habounde / that I haue no respyte
What by his strength / his maners & prudence
His name was great / in presence and absence
And all men prayed for hym in generall
That hys lyfe tyme / myght be perpetuall.
All his hyghe actes / and dedys of excellence
Whiche so habounde / that I haue no respyte
What by his strength / his maners & prudence
His name was great / in presence and absence
And all men prayed for hym in generall
That hys lyfe tyme / myght be perpetuall.
Thus in his youth / moche noble was his fame
By noble courage / and feat of chyualry
But as he grewe / so grewe his worthy name
He dayly laboured / his laude to multyply
Suffrynge no houre / in ydylnes passe by
In all his actes / was vertue and boldnes
Lyke as this treatyse / shall afterwarde expres.
By noble courage / and feat of chyualry
But as he grewe / so grewe his worthy name
He dayly laboured / his laude to multyply
Suffrynge no houre / in ydylnes passe by
In all his actes / was vertue and boldnes
Lyke as this treatyse / shall afterwarde expres.
| The Life of St. George | |