ovost to him: Of what presumption cometh
this to thee, that thou sayest that our gods be devils? And say to us
what thou art and what is thy name. He answered anon and said: I am
named George, I am a gentleman, a knight of Cappadocia, and have left
all for to serve the God of heaven. Then the provost enforced himself to
draw him unto his faith by fair words, and when he might not bring him
thereto he did do raise him on a gibbet; and so must beat him with great
staves and broches of iron, that his body was all tobroken in pieces.
And after he did do take brands of iron and join them to his sides, and
his bowels which then appeared he did do frot with salt, and so sent him
into prison, but our Lord appeared to him the same night with great
light and comforted him much sweetly. And by this great consolation he
took to him so good heart that he doubted no torment that they might
make him suffer. Then, when Dacian the provost saw that he might not
surmount him, he called his enchanter and said to him: I see that these
Christian people doubt not our torments. The enchanter bound himself,
upon his head to be smitten off, if he overcame not his crafts. Then he
did take strong venom and meddled it with wine, and made invocation of
the names of his false gods, and gave it to St. George to drink. St.
George took it and made the sign of the cross on it, and anon drank it
without grieving him any thing. Then the enchanter made it more stronger
than it was tofore of venom, and gave it him to drink, and it grieved
him nothing. When the enchanter saw that, he kneeled down at the feet of
St. George and prayed him that he would make him Christian. And when
Dacian knew that he was become Christian he made to smite off his head.
And after, on the morn, he made St. George to be set between two wheels,
which were full of swords, sharp and cutting on both sides, but anon the
wheels were broken and St. George escaped without hurt. And then
commanded Dacian that they should put him in a caldron full of molten
lead, and when St. George entered therein, by the virtue of our Lord it
seemed that he was in a bath well at ease. Then Dacian seeing this began
to assuage his ire, and to flatter him by fair words, and said to him:
George, the patience of our gods is over great unto thee which hast
blasphemed them, and done to them great despite, then fair, and right
sweet son, I pray thee that thou return to our law and make sacrifice to
the idols, and le