|b[Three_Lives_from_the_Gilte_Legende.
|b_From_MS_B.L.Egerton_876,_ed._by_Richard_Hamer.
|b_Heidelberg:_Carl_Winter_Universit„tsverlag,_1978,_pp._65-74.]



|p65


|rSAINT_GEORGE

     |r[f.87v] Seint George was a iuge of the kynrede of Capadocie, and come
     in a tyme into the prouince of Lybye vnto the citee of Silena.
     And besides that citee ther was a stange, a ponde, in the
     whiche ther was a dragon that hidde hym therinne, and this
 |r5 dragon hadde many tymes chased the peple that comen armed
     ayeinst hym, and he slowe by hys brethinge all tho that he
     founde. And he wolde come even to the walles of the citee, for
     the whiche cause men of the citee were constreyned eueri day to
     yeue hym two shepe for to apese his woodnesse, for whanne he
|r10 hadd hem not he wolde so assaill the walles of the citee that
     by the corrupcion of his foule brethe many one deyed. And
     thanne they gaue hym so many that bestes fayled nerehond, and
     all pasture for her bestes failed and was al dried thorugh the
     foule and corrupte eyre that come from hym. And thanne they
|r15 toke counsell amonge hem that they wolde yeue hym a man and a
     beste so ferforthely that they hadde yeue h[y]m all her
     children, bothe sones and doughters, for the sorte spared none.
     And so alle the children of |r{footnote} that peple were wasted awaye. So
     atte the laste it fell by sorte that the kyngges doughter
|r20 shulde be yeue to the dragon. And thanne the kynge was gretly
     troubled and saide : "Take my golde and my siluer and the halff
     of my reaume, and leue me my doughter that she deye not in
     suche wise." To whom the peple sayde by gret wodenesse : "Kynge
     thou hast made this ordenaunce, and now al oure children bene
|r25 dede thou woldest saue thine. Wherfor but yef thou kepe the
     ordinaunce that thou haste made and deliuer thi doughter, we
     shull brenne the and thine hous." And whanne the kinge herde
     this he beganne to wepe for his doughter and saide : "Allas my



|p66


     right dere doughter, what shall I do for the, or what shall I
     saye? For I shall neuer se thi weddyng." And thanne he turned
     hym to the peple and sayde to hem: "I praie you that ye yeue me
     space of viij dayes to bewepe my doughter." And whanne the
 |r5 peple hadde graunted hym, in the ende of the viij dayes the
     peple turned ayein to hym withe gret crye, sayenge: "Why
     lesest thou thi peple for thy doughter, and seest that we deye
     continuelly by the brethe of this dragon?" And thanne the
     kynge seigh that he myght not deliuer his doughter. He lete
|r10 clothe her withe riall clothinge and enbrased her and saide
     withe wepinge: "Allas my dere doughter, I wende to haue hadde
     and to haue če norisshed of thi riall kynrede, and now thou
     goest to be devowred of a dragon. Allas my doughter, I hadde
     hoped to haue sommed my richesse to thi mariage, but now thou
|r15 partest fro me in |r[f.88r] piteous manere." And thanne he
     kissed her and lete her goo, saienge: "By my will, doughter, I
     hadd leuer haue deyed than thou ha[dde]st be loste in this
     wyse." And than she kneled downe on her knees and asked his
     blessinge, and whanne he hadd blessed her she went forthe to
|r20 the lake. And as by auenture it fell that Seint George passed
     therby and founde that faire yonge lady pitously wepinge, he
     come to her and asked her what her ayled and what she was and
     whi she was so in that place allone. And than she saide: "I
     praie you syr, passithe in your waye and hye you faste hennes,
|r25 leste ye perische withe me." Thanne George saide to her: "Ne
     drede you not, yonge lady, but tellithe me what ye abide here,



|p67


     and whi it is that yender peple stonden so to wonder." And
     thanne she saide to hym: "A, good yong knyght, I se well that
     ye haue a noble and a worthi herte, but whi [desyre ye] to
     deye withe me? Wherfor high you hennes in all haste." And
 |r5 George saide to her: "I shall not parte from hennes till ye
     haue tolde me what you aylethe." And whanne she hadde tolde
     hym George saide to her: "Drede you not, lady, in the name of
     Ihesu Crist, for I truste to helpe you." And thanne she saide
     to hym: "Now good knyght goo youre waye, and perish you not
|r10 withe me, for it suffisithe to me that I perische allone." And
     as they spake togedre the dragon beganne to lefte vp his hede
     of the water, and thanne this yonge mayde beganne to tremble
     and to quake, and saide: "Flee good syr, flee hastely." And
     thanne George lepe vpon his hors and armed hym withe the signe
|r15 of the crosse & assayled hardely the dragon that come ayenst
     hym. And he brandisshed his shelde myghtely and his spere, &
     he recomended hym to God, and wounded the dragon and threwe hym
     to the erthe. And thanne George saide to her: "Throwe thi
     gerdell aboute his necke, and drede the not, fayre lady, in no
|r20 wyse." And whanne she hadde do so the dragon folued her as a
     debonayre hounde. And whanne they hadde brought hym into the
     citee, the peple that seigh hym ronnen and beganne to flee as
     they hadde be wode thorugh the wodes and hilles, and saide:
     "Allas, now shull we perishe alle." And thanne the blessed
|r25 Seint George shewed hym to hem and saide: "Dredithe you not,



|p68


     for oure Lord hathe sent me hedyr to you for to deliuer you of
     the paynes of this dragon. Beleuithe only in God, and be ye
     baptized euerychone and than [I shall] slee to you this dragon.
     And thanne the kynge and alle the peple were baptized, and
 |r5 whanne they had receiued holy bapteme Seint George drewe oute
     his suerde and slowe če dragon and comaunded that he shuld be
     born oute of the citee. And thanne most they haue foure couple
     of oxen to drawe hym oute into a gret feelde. And in that
     same day ther were baptized xx=ti= thousand men withoute women
|r10 and children. And than the kynge in worship of oure Lady and
     of Seint George lete make a chirche of mervaylous gretnesse,
     and fro the auuter of the chirche ther sprange a quicke well
     that heled of all maner siknesse whoso dranke therof. And
     thanne the kynge offered to Seint George golde withoute nombre,
|r15 the whiche he refused and comaunded that it shulde be geue to
     the pore. And thanne Seint George taught the kynge of foure
     thingges, that was that he shulde take gret cure of the
     chirches of God, and čat |r[f.88v] he shulde worship prestes, and
     here goodly the devine seruise, and čat he shuld be almesfull
|r20 to the pore. And thanne he toke his leue of the kynge and went
     his waye.
     In this tyme Dyoclician and Maximyan were emperours, and ther
     was a gret persecucion do vnder Dacyen that was prouost, that
     in a monthe there were crowned by marterdome xx=ti= thousand.
|r25 And amonge these tormentis many of the cristen failled and dede
     sacrifice to the idoles. And whanne Seint George seigh this he
     was gretly sori in his herte, and went and parted to the pore
     al that he hadde, and dede of his clothinge of knyghthode and



|p69


     clodid hym withe the habite of cristen, and lepte into the
     midde[s] of the tyrauntes and saide : "Alle the goddes of
     gentiles bene deuels, and oure Lorde God made heuene and
     erthe." To whom the prouost, full of wrethe, sayde: "By what
 |r5 presumpcion durst thou calle oure goddes fendes? Telle me what
     thou art and what is thi name." To whom he saide: "I am called
     George and am of the noble kinrede of Capadocye, and I am come
     into Palestine by the will of God, and I haue lefte alle
     erthely thing frely for that I myght the more suerly serue to
|r10 almyghti God of heuene." And as the prouost myght in no wyse
     enclyne hym to his entent, he comaunded that he shulde be putte
     into a torment the whiche is called amonge hem eculee, the
     whiche is a crosse and the two endes fastened in the erthe, and
     vpon that torment his body shulde be al torent withe hokes of
|r15 iren membre fro membre. And whanne he was all dismembred, yet
     he putte in his sides brondes of fyre al brennyng, the whiche
     brent hym so greuously that all hys bowels were sene, and
     thanne he comaunded that his bowels shulde be felled withe salt
     and harde froted therwith. And the same nyght Seint Peter
|r20 appered to George withe gret lyght and comforted hym full
     suetely by that vision, wherof he toke suche comfort that he
     sette nothinge by his tormentis. And whanne Dacyen seigh that
     he myght not ouercome hym withe peynes, he called to hym an
     enchauntoure, and saide to hym that th[e] cristen men despised
|r25 his tormentes by her art magyke, "an[d] th[ei] despise the



|p70


     sacrifice of oure goddes." And thanne the enchauntoure sayde:
     "If I ouercome not his art I will lese myn hede." And thanne
     he dede his cursed crafte and called his goddes to helpe hym.
     And whanne he hadde do he toke wyne and medled withe venyme and
 |r5 toke it to George, and če seruaunt of God toke it and made the
     signe of the crosse therouer and dranke it of witheoute felynge
     of any disese. And whanne the enchauntour seigh this, he
     medeled ayein the wyne with strengger venyme thanne he dede
     before and toke it to George, and he made the signe of the
|r10 crosse therouer and dranke it witheoute any harmynge of hym.
     And whanne the enchauntoure seigh al this, he fell anone to the
     fete of Seint George and asked hym foryeuenesse with sore
     wepinge, byseching hym that he myght receyue the sacrement of
     bapteme. And whanne the iuge seigh this he made anone the
|r15 enchauntour to be byheded. And the day foluynge he comaunded
     čat |r[f.89r] George were sette on a whele arayed witheinne and
     witheoute with sharpe swerdes, but anone the whele tobraste and
     George was found al hole. And thanne was the prouost wode for
     wrothe and comaunded hym to be thrawe in a caudron full of hote
|r20 molten lede. And thanne he made the signe of the crosse
     therouer and by the vertue therof he satte as in a goodly
     batthe. And whan Dacyen seigh this, that he myght not
     surmounte hym withe tormentis, he wolde assaye to ouercome hym
     withe softe wordes, and thanne he saide to hym: "George my good
|r25 sone, seest thou not how debonayre oure goddes bene that so
     sufferably susteyne the? And yet thou blameste hem, and they



|p71


     be euer redy to foryeue the yef thou wilt conuerte the to hem.
     Right suete sone, do now as I teche the, forsake thi fals lawe
     & do sacrifice to oure goddes, and thou shalt haue gret
     worshippes of hem and of vs." To whom George saide with a
 |r5 smylinge chere: "Whi hadde ye not begonne with fayre wordes
     rather thanne with tormentes at the begynnynge? I am redy to
     do thine askinge." And thanne Dacien, scorned by this beheste,
     was wonder gladde, and comaunded to make a crye that alle the
     peple shulde assemble to see George parte fro his lawe that
|r10 hadde so long stryuen withe the contrary. And thanne al the
     citee was full of ioye. And whanne George entered into the
     temple of ydoles to do sacrifice, and alle the peple were there
     to beholde hym, he kneled downe and praied to oure Lorde that
     he wolde vtterli destroie al the temple and the ydoles, so čat
|r15 atte the preisinge of hym and the conuersion of the peple ther
     shuld nothinge abyde therof. And anone ther descended fyre
     from heuene and brent the temple and the goddes and the
     prestes, and sodenly če erthe opened and swaloued alle so that
     ther lefte nothinge therof. This tellithe Ambrose in his
|r20 Preface, and saiethe : "George the right true knyght of Ihesu
     Crist, whanne he gouerned the profession of cristente priuely,
     he only confessed withoute drede the sone of God among the
     idolatres, to whom the devyne grace graunted suche stabelnesse
     of faithe that he despised the comandementes of the myght of
|r25 the tyraunt and dradde not the tormentis of peynes witheoute
     nombre. O thou noble knyght and champion of oure Lorde, that
     were not deceyued withe the smothe behestes of temporall
     reynynge, but thi persecutours weren deceyued, and the shewing



|p72


     of her fals images were thrawe downe into hell." And whanne
     Dacyen hadde sayne these thingges, he made George to be called
     before hym and saide to hym: "Whiche bene thi malefices, thou
     worst of all men, that haste done suche a felonye?" And thanne
 |r5 George saide to hym: "What, wenest not thow [that] it be so?
     Come ayen with me and thou shalt see me [ayen] do sacrifice."
     And he saide: "Nay, for now I vnderstonde well thi frauude, for
     thou woldest make me to be swalued in[to] the erthe lyke as
     thou hast do my temple and my goddes." [And thanne saide
|r10 George to hym]: "O thou cursed wreche, how mowen thi goddes
     helpen the that bene not of power to helpe hemselff?" And
     thanne the kynge was gretly wrothe and tolde it to Alyandrine
     |r[f.89v] his wyff and said: "Allas, I deye & faill for sorugh,
     for I see well that I am ouercome of this man." Sche ansuered
|r15 and saide: "Thou cruel tyraunt and wicked bocher, [haue I not]
     ofte saide to the that thou shuldest not be so cruel to cristen
     men, for her god fyghteth for hem? And truste it well that I
     will be cristen." And thanne was the kynge sore abaysshed and
     saide: "Allas, with what sorugh art thou now deceyued?" And
|r20 thanne he made her to be hangged by the heer right [c]ruelly
     and to bete her body with roddes. And whiles men bete her she
     cried to George: "O thou light of trouthe, whider trowest thou
     that I goo that am not wasshen with the water of bapteme?" And
     thanne George saide to her: "Drede the not, doughter, for the
|r25 shedinge of thi blode shall be sette to the for bapteme, and
     thou shalt haue a crowne." And thanne in sayeng her orisons
     she yelded vp [the] sperit. And this witnessith Ambrose in his



|p73


     Preface, sayeng: "For that the quene of the peple of Perce
     condampned her husbond by cruell sentence witheoute hauynge
     grace of bapteme deserued victorie of glorious passion, of the
     which we mowe not drede but that the rednesse of her blood she
 |r5 had deserued to vnshette the yates of he[uen] and she to entre
     and take in possessyon the kyngdom of heuene." The day
     foluyng George receyued such sentence that he shulde be drawen
     thorugh all the citee and thanne his hede to be smiten of. And
     than he praied to oure Lorde that whosoeuer requered his helpe
|r10 that he myght haue his requeste. A vois come to hym fro heuene
     and said to hym that it was graunted as he hadde desired. And
     whanne he hadde endyd his orison he fulfelled his marterdom
     and hadde his hede smyten of. And he was vnder Dyoclician and
     Maximian that bygannen aboute the yere of oure Lorde CC ii=x=ij=x=
|r15 and seuen. And whanne Dacyen retorned fro the place wher he
     hadde bene byheded to his palays warde, the fyre of vengeaunce
     descended fro heuene čat brent hym with al his mynistres.

     [Gregory] of Toures tellith that as som folke beren diuerse
     reliques of Seint George and they were herborued in a litell
|r20 oratorie, and whanne the morwtyde come they myght in no wyse
     remeve the shrine from thennes till they hadde sum of the
     relyques there.
     It is redde also in the Stori of Antioche that as the cristen
     went to besege Ierusalem, a semely yonge man appered to a
|r25 preste and saide [to] hym that he was Se[i]nt George, the duke



|p74


     of cristen men, and taught hym how that they shulde bere withe
     hem reliques and he wolde be withe hem. And whanne they hadde
     beseged Ierusalem, the Sarizenes defended hem so strongly that
     the cristine men durste not go vp vpon the laders to scale the
 |r5 towne. Anone Seint George clothed hym all in white armes and
     with a crosse of rede in the middes taught hem how they shulde
     stie vp after hym suerly and they shulde take če citee. And
     with his blessed comforte they toke hardinesse and toke the
     cite and slow all the Sarizenes.

     |rThe_A2_Continuation
|r10 And from Ramys is ij myle vnto a chapel of Seint George, the
     which is nowe desolate and the rofe downe, and there is a prety
     towne, and the moost parte thereof is cristen of the Grekis.
     And there liethe the body of Seint George, but not his hed, and
     čer lye his fader, his moder and his vncle, not buried in the
|r15 chapelle but vnder the walle of the chapelle. And the kepers
     wolle not suffre pylgryms to come in čer but if thaye paye ij
     dokettis, and čerefore there came but fewe pilgryms there, but
     thaye offre withoute the chaple at an auter, and čer is vij
     yeres and vij lentis of pardon. And in the myddille of the
|r20 quere of the saide chapel there is a tombe wherein Seinte
     George lyeth, and čerin is a hole that a man maye put in his
     honde, and whan any Sarazyn is brought theder mad, anone as he
     hath put his hed in that hole he is made perfitly hole and hath
     his wytte ayen.