St. George and the Dragon in the South English Legendary (East Midland Revision, c. 1400), from University of Minnesota MS Z.822. N.81 fols. 215v-216v

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Saynt George the gude knyght a hayly man was he Geten and borne in the lande of Capodse full fre. All fals goddes he forsoke and toke Crystyndome. He lufede wele Jhesu Cryste, and a hayly man he become. This hayly man come un a tyme intyll a contré In the provynce of Lyby, thor was a gret cyté. Gylena the cyté hyght, als we fynde in story. A gret water ther was rennand faste therby, And in the grevys of the banke, ryght nerhand the towne Thor had wonned many a day a wonder fowle dragone. He was both uggely and grete and so lothely to se, Armed men, when thai hym se, away for ferd wald fle. In that contré wyd abowte he dyde sorow enoghe And with the wynd of hys mowth many a man he sloghe. To the walles of the cité ylke a day he wente And thorow the blaste of hys mowth many a man ther he schente. The cytesyns toke ther rede when thai thus herd were stede.1 This dragon spared nother beste ne man no day to he wer fede. Thai ordand emanges tham all ylke a day to take Two schepe to gyffe hym to hys mete, hys males forto slake.2 So lang thai fede hym with the schepe that thai began to fayle. The kynge of the cité and all the folke therof toke consayle, For ther bestes and ther schepe wer nerhand owt spend, Of the folke bud tham nede unto this dragone send. Forthi thai all, at ane assent, thai ordand thoru the town3 Of the childer ylke a day one to send to this foule dragon,4 With a schep whyles thai myghte laste, and therto wer thai sworne, Ryche men childer ne pur, that none suld be forborne,5 Bot ylke a day kavell to caste and whame so it fell tyll, He and hys schepe sulde be sende forthe, this dragon forto styll. Knafe ne mayden sparde thai none, to wham the kavell fell,6 Elles had thai all bene forlorne with this dragon off hell. So lang tyme thai usede thys that dole yt was to se, That the childer began to faile faste in that cité. A day as thai kavell caste, for ther was lefte bot foyne, Apon the kyngs doghter yt fell, and he hade bot hyr one, And thorw hys awne ordynance, and all men of the towne,7 Hys doghter was forjugeide to this dragone. Then made the kynge sorow enoghe; to tham he mad hys mone: "Lettys my doghter," he sayd, "leve, sen I have bot hyr one.8 Halfe my kyngdome I sall yow gyfe with castell and with towre And als mekyll as yhe wyll take of golde and of tresour." Thai answerd all with one voce: "Syr kynge, thou spekys for noght. For thou sall hald the ordynance that thiselfe has wroght, And owr childer er all spende, and thou walde now hafe thine!9 Bot thou do als we hafe doyne, we sall never fyne To we hafe byrnte thi palas and thiselfe also." Than begane the kynge to grone and grete all for wo, And to hys doghter he sayde, "Allas, my frely fode, That a fowl dragon sall drynke thi gentyll blode! What sall I do or say, or what tyme sall I se That thou to kynge or kynges son sulde rychly spowsed be?" Unto the folke doylefully with sory herte gan he pray That he myght hafe hyr un lyfe unto the aghtande day. Thai graunted hym, for he was kynge, to aghten dayes wer gon. The dragon to the walles com and sloghe then many one. When the dayes wer passede owte the folke in full grete tene Come to the kynge and sayde the folke dyed up clene, All in defawte of hys doghter that he held so lange, Forthi hyr bude belyfe unto the dragon gange. The kynge saghe no nodyr boite, hys handis gon he wrynge And on hys doghter gerte he do rych qwenes clethynge And hailsed hyr full sore gretand and sayde petusly: "I wende hafe norischethe in my hall knyghtes of thi body.10 I wende I sulde with myrth hafe bede to thi weddynge And calde to thi bridell prince, duke, and kynge, Thi hall to dyght with clothes of golde and many of ryche ston And all maner of mynstralsy to her within ther wone. And thou apon thi hede suld have had full ryall crowne. Now thou gose sweloghede to be of a fowll dragone." When he for sorow of hys herte wordes myght speke no mo, He blyssyd hyr and kyssed hyr ofte and forth he lete hyr go. To the gete thai hyr lede, and soyne scho was pute owte, And well toward this dragon in herte scho had gret dowte. Als Gode walde, then it befell, Sayn George com ther rydande And saw that woman that was so fayr for ferde stode gretande.11 "Damsell," quod George, "why gretes thou? tell me I the pray." "Lefe yonge man," scho sayd, "haste the fast away Or elles thou mon belyfe here with me be dede." "Tell me fyrste," quod George, "whame thou bydes in this stede, And have no dred, thou swete thynge, for I sall note lefe thee12 To wyte all thi myschefe, yfe any helpe may be." The folke apon the walles stod full thyke about the town To se how this maydyn suld be swalughed with the dragon. "Whareftyr lokes yonde folke?" quod Gorge. "Why wonder thai one thee?"13 ("To wytte what this bemenes with her sall I be.") "Certes, sir," quod scho then, "ful wele persave I nowe That thou erte a worthy mane and herdy herte has thou. Bot lefe yong man, why covetes thou to dee her with me? Take thi hors belyfe," scho sayd, "and faste hythen thou fle." He sayd, "Be hym that ys my lorde, hythen sall I noght go To thou hafe me told the cause of all thi wo." This maydyn tolde hym then hyr car ylke a dele. "Drede noght," quod Gorge, "I sall thee wenge full wele Thorw myght of Jhesu Cryste." "Nay syr," scho sayd, "I rede Bettyr it ys that thou fle then we boythe be dede." Als thei thus togyder spake, this fowll dragon then Begane to lyfte up hys hede and ryse up of hys den. The maydyn whoke for ferde and bade that George suld fle, Bot George umstrode hys hors: agayn this beste rode he, And hym betoke to Jhesu Cryste and blyssyde hym wit hys hande.14 Agayne the dragon with herdy herte faste he come rydande, And a sper to hym sete and hytte hym full ryghte, And to the erth he bar hym down als a hardy knyght. He gafe hym many a depe wonde and refte hym all hys myght. The folke that on the walles lay, thai saghe this wonder syghte. George to that maydyn sayde, when he had doyn this dede, "Knyte thi gyrdyll abowte hys neke, and luke thou have na drede." When yt was doyn abowte hys neke then rose this full dragon And als a meke honde he folued hyr furth into the towne. George and this maydyn als into the cyté wente; The folke saghe this dragon come: thai wend all hade bene schent15 And fled aboute as mad men and sayde: "Allas this day! We er dede ylke a man! We may noght skape away!" Sayne George apon tham cryde and bade tham hafe no drede: "No maner of herme he may do yow to: to fle yt ys no nede, For why my lorde Jhesus send me to this towne To delyver yow iwys of this fowll dragone. Turnes yow all therfor to Cryste and baptisede that ye be And then sall I this dragon sla, that ye all may se." The kynge and all hys folke forsoke ther maumentry And crystend wer ilkon and trowede in Gode haly,16 And then George this nobyll knyght hys gude swerde out drogh, And ther befor all the folke this foull dragon he sloghe. Acht oxen thai knyte to hym and drew hym oute of towne Fer intyll a mekyll felde and ther thai cast hym downe. Twenti thusant men that day wer crystynde, als we in story rede, Withouten wemen and chylder, thoru this haly dede. The kynge garte rayse a fair kyrke and craftyly yt dyghte17 Yn the honour of owr swete Lorde and Sayn George the knyght. (ends fragmentarily)

holy Begotten; Cappodocia received Christian baptism came one time into Libya, [where] there was called, as; (see note) close; (see note) cave (hollow); nearby There; dwelled fear each destroyed on any day until ordained amongst be used up Because; completely spent (see note) lots; to whomsoever it fell destroyed by they followed this [practice]; sad become scarce One; only [a] few alone forejudged (i.e., sentenced to death) made his lament; (t-note) as much as you in vain; (t-note) (t-note) Unless you do; done; stop; (see note) Until weep noble child (lit., sustenance) (t-note) on life (i.e., alive); eighteenth; (see note) until eighteen anger were dying utterly in (i.e., because of) the absence of So it behooved her at once; to go no other remedy he had [them] put embraced; weeping; pitifully bidden (i.e., invited) bridal feast adorn; (t-note) in their place royal swallowed gate; soon fear willed Dear must quickly; (see note) whom you await (t-note) To experience all your misfortune by means perceive; (t-note) desirest; die here quickly; hence Until each part (i.e., all) of her care avenge; (t-note) than (t-note) quaked; should mounted; towards (t-note) aimed at him bore; like deprived him [of] wondrous Tie; look (be sure); (see note) done (i.e., tied); foul meek hound also harm because indeed and be baptized slay heathenism eight Far; great Not counting; holy