"Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's Patro

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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

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The Golden Legend: St. George
Compiled by Jacobus de Voragine, Archbishop of Genoa, 1275 First Edition Published 1470
ENGLISHED by WILLIAM CAXTON, First Edition 1483
VOLUME THREE
From the Temple Classics Edited by F.S. ELLIS First issue of this Edition, 1900 Reprinted 1922, 1931

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Of S. George, Martyr, and first the interpretation of his name.

George is said of geos, which is as much to say as earth, and orge that is tilling. So George is to say as tilling the earth, that is his flesh. And S. Austin saith, in libro de Trinitate that, good earth is in the height of the mountains, in the temperance of the valleys, and in the plain of the fields. The first is good for herbs being green, the second to vines, and the third to wheat and corn. Thus the blessed George was high in despising low things, and therefore he had verdure in himself, he was attemperate by discretion, and therefore he had wine of gladness, and within he was plane of humility, and thereby put he forth wheat of good works. Or George may be said of gerar, that is holy, and of gyon, that is a wrestler, that is an holy wrestler, for he wrestled with the dragon. Or George is said of gero, that is a pilgrim, and gir, that is detrenched out, and ys, that is a councillor. He was a pilgrim in the sight of the world, and he was cut and detrenched by the crown of martyrdom, and he was a good councillor in preaching. And his legend is numbered among other scriptures apocryphal in the council of Nicene, because his martyrdom hath no certain relation. For in the calendar of Bede it is said that he suffered martyrdom in Persia in the city of Diaspolin, and in other places it is read that he resteth in the city of Diaspolin which tofore was called Lidda, which is by the city of Joppa or Japh. And in another place it is said that he suffered death under Diocletian and Maximian, which that time were emperors. And in another place under Diocletian emperor of Persia, being present seventy kings of his empire. And it is said here that he suffered death under Dacian the provost, then Diocletian and Maximian being emperors.

Here followeth the Life of S. George Martyr.

S. George was a knight and born in Cappadocia. On a time he came in to the province of Libya, to a city which is said Silene. And by this city was a stagne or a pond like a sea, wherein was a dragon which envenomed all the country. And on a time the people were assembled for to slay him, and when they saw him they fled. And when he came nigh the city he venomed the people with his breath, and therefore the people of the city gave to him every day two sheep for to feed him, because he should do no harm to the people, and when the sheep failed there was taken a man and a sheep. Then was an ordinance made in the town that there should be taken the children and young people of them of the town by lot, and every each one as it fell, were he gentle or poor, should be delivered when the lot fell on him or her. So it happed that many of them of the town were then delivered, insomuch that the lot fell upon the king's daughter, whereof the king was sorry, and said unto the people: For the love of the gods take gold and silver and all that I have, and let me have my daughter. They said: How sir! ye have made and ordained the law, and our children be now dead, and ye would do the contrary. Your daughter shall be given, or else we shall burn you and your house.

When the king saw he might no more do, he began to weep, and said to his daughter: Now shall I never see thine espousals. Then returned he to the people and demanded eight days' respite, and they granted it to him. And when the eight days were passed they came to him and said: Thou seest that the city perisheth: Then did the king do array his daughter like as she should be wedded, and embraced her, kissed her and gave her hls benediction, and after, led her to the place where the dragon was.

When she was there S. George passed by, and when he saw the lady he demanded the lady what she made there and she said: Go ye your way fair young man, that ye perish not also. Then said he: Tell to me what have ye and why weep ye, and doubt ye of nothing. When she saw that he would know, she said to him how she was delivered to the dragon. Then said S. George: Fair daughter, doubt ye no thing hereof for I shall help thee in the name of Jesu Christ. She said: For God's sake, good knight, go your way, and abide not with me, for ye may not deliver me. Thus as they spake together the dragon appeared and came running to them, and S. George was upon his horse, and drew out his sword and garnished him with the sign of the cross, and rode hardily against the dragon which came towards him, and smote him with his spear and hurt him sore and threw him to the ground. And after said to the maid: Deliver to me your girdle, and bind it about the neck of the dragon and be not afeard. When she had done so the dragon followed her as it had been a meek beast and debonair. Then she led him into the city, and the people fled by mountains and valleys, and said: Alas! alas! we shall be all dead. Then S. George said to them: Ne doubt ye no thing, without more, believe ye in God, Jesu Christ, and do ye to be baptized and I shall slay the dragon. Then the king was baptized and all his people, and S. George slew the dragon and smote off his head, and commanded that he should be thrown in the fields, and they took four carts with oxen that drew him out of the city.

Then were there well fifteen thousand men baptized, without women and children, and the king did do make a church there of our Lady and of S. George, in the which yet sourdeth a fountain of living water, which healeth sick people that drink thereof. After this the king offered to S. George as much money as there might be numbered, but he refused all and commanded that it should be given to poor people for God's sake; and enjoined the king four things, that is, that he should have charge of the churches, and that he should honour the priests and hear their service diligently, and that he should have pity on the poor people, and after, kissed the king and departed.

Now it happed that in the time of Diocletian and Maximian, which were emperors, was so great persecution of christian men that within a month were martyred well twenty-two thousand, and therefore they had so great dread that some renied and forsook God and did sacrifice to the idols. When S. George saw this, he left the habit of a knight and sold all that he had, and gave it to the poor, and took the habit of a christian man, and went into the middle of the paynims and began to cry: All the gods of the paynims and gentiles be devils, my God made the heavens and is very God. Then said the provost 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 much 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 of 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 S. George to drink. S. 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 S. 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 S. 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 S. George escaped without hurt. And then commanded Dacian that they should put him in a caldron full of molten lead, and when S. 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 leave thy folly, and I shall enhance thee to great honour and worship. Then began S. George to smile, and said to him: Wherefore saidst thou not to me thus at the beginning? I am ready to do as thou sayest. Then was Dacian glad and made to cry over all the town that all the people should assemble for to see George make sacrifice which so much had striven there against. Then was the city arrayed and feast kept throughout all the town, and all came to the temple for to see him.

When S. George was on his knees, and they supposed that he would have worshipped the idols, he prayed our Lord God of heaven that he would destroy the temple and the idol in the honour of his name, for to make the people to be converted. And anon the fire descended from heaven and burnt the temple, and the idols, and their priests, and sith the earth opened and swallowed all the cinders and ashes that were left. Then Dacian made him to be brought tofore him, and said to him: What be the evil deeds that thou hast done and also great untruth? Then said to him S. George: Ah, sir, believe it not, but come with me and see how I shall sacrifice. Then said Dacian to him: I see well thy fraud and thy barat, thou wilt make the earth to swallow me, like as thou hast the temple and my gods. Then said S. George: O caitiff, tell me how may thy gods help thee when they may not help themselves! Then was Dacian so angry that he said to his wife: I shall die for anger if I may not surmount and overcome this man. Then said she to him: Evil and cruel tyrant! ne seest thou not the great virtue of the christian people? I said to thee well that thou shouldst not do to them any harm, for their God fighteth for them, and know thou well that I will become christian. Then was Dacian much abashed and said to her: Wilt thou be christian? Then he took her by the hair, and did do beat her cruelly. Then demanded she of S. George: What may I become because I am not christened? Then answered the blessed George: Doubt thee nothing, fair daughter, for thou shalt be baptized in thy blood. Then began she to worship our Lord Jesu Christ, and so she died and went to heaven. On the morn Dacian gave his sentence that S. George should be drawn through all the city, and after, his head should be smitten off. Then made he his prayer to our Lord that all they that desired any boon might get it of our Lord God in his name, and a voice came from heaven which said that it which he had desired was granted; and after he had made his orison his head was smitten off, about the year of our Lord two hundred and eighty-seven. When Dacian went homeward from the place where he was beheaded towards his palace, fire fell down from heaven upon him and burnt him and all his servants.

Gregory of Tours telleth that there were some that bare certain relics of S. George, and came into a certain oratory in a hospital, and on the morning when they should depart they could not move the door till they had left there part of their relics. It is also found in the history of Antioch, that when the christian men went over sea to conquer Jerusalem, that one, a right fair young man, appeared to a priest of the host and counselled him that he should bear with him a little of the relics of S. George. for he was conductor of the battle, and so he did so much that he had some. And when it was so that they had assieged Jerusalem and durst not mount ne go up on the walls for the quarrels and defence of the Saracens, they saw appertly S. George which had white arms with a red cross, that went up tofore them on the walls, and they followed him, and so was Jerusalem taken by his help. And between Jerusalem and port Jaffa, by a town called Ramys, is a chapel of S. George which is now desolate and uncovered, and therein dwell christian Greeks. And in the said chapel lieth the body of S. George, but not the head. And there lie his father and mother and his uncle, not in the chapel but under the wall of the chapel; and the keepers will not suffer pilgrims to come therein, but if they pay two ducats, and therefore come but few therein, but offer without the chapel at an altar. And there is seven years and seven lents of pardon; and the body of S. George lieth in the middle of the quire or choir of the said chapel, and in his tomb is an hole that a man may put in his hand. And when a Saracen, being mad, is brought thither, and if he put his head in the hole he shall anon be made perfectly whole, and have his wit again.

This blessed and holy martyr S. George is patron of this realm of England and the cry of men of war. In the worship of whom is founded the noble order of the garter, and also a noble college in the castle of Windsor by kings of England, in which college is the heart of S. George, which Sigismund, the emperor of Almayne, brought and gave for a great and a precious relique to King Harry the fifth. And also the said Sigismund was a brother of the said garter, and also there is a piece of his head, which college is nobly endowed to the honour and worship of Almighty God and his blessed martyr S. George. Then let us pray unto him that he be special protector and defender of this realm.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

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The Passion of St. George (Part 1)
(Translation From E.A.W. Budge (1888), 203-35)
by David Woods

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The Martyrdom of Saint George, the valiant martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ, who completed his strife on the 23rd of the month Pharmuthi, in the peace of God, Amen.

Now in times of old there arose a severe and terrible storm, and a great and mighty storm and persecution came upon the church. In all places the governors had gone astray, and they dragged the preachers of the truth to the altars of the idols, and compelled them all to offer sacrifices to the devilish idols. Thus also did the governor Dadianus, who had acquired dominion and had obtained the rule over the four quarters of the earth. When Dadianus had become chief, he sat upon the tribune, and wrote edicts to be proclaimed throughout the whole world; and these are the things that were written in them. "Inasmuch [p. 204] as a rumour has come to my ears that He to whom Mary gave birth is the God who is alone to be worshipped, and that Apollo and Poseidon and Hermes and Astarte and Zeus and Ezabel (sic) and Uranus and Scamandros and the other gods are not to be worshipped at all, but that Jesus Christ whom the Jews slew is to be worshipped, - I, therefore, write to every place, and to the governors of every land, and to all rulers under the authority of my government to come to me speedily that they may know the decision of my power." Then seventy governors from all parts of the world were gathered together there with so great and mighty a multitude, that the land could not contain them for their number. And Dadianus the governor sat upon the tribune and made them bring forth all the instruments of the torture chamber and lay them before him; and these were they. The brazen bed, the bone smashing choppers, the iron rods (?), the wheels with knives fixed to them, the wooden horses, the wooden [p. 205] gloves, the iron gloves, the tongue slitting knives, the tools for drawing out the teeth, the iron bone borers, the sharp saws, and other implements of cruel torture. And Dadianus swore an oath, saying, "If I find any people of doubtful mind and refusing to worship the gods, I will reverse the commands of my fathers and will torture them with bitter sufferings, I will break in the towers of their hearts, I will smash their heads, I will cut out their brains with sharp knives, I will saw off their shin bones, I will tear open their bodies, and I will cut off their limbs from their bodies." When the multitude heard these things they feared the tortures greatly, and those who wished to become martyrs [refrained] when they considered the numbers of tortures which they ran the risk of suffering; and three whole years went by without anyone daring to say, "I am a Christian."

Now there was a young man whose name was George, the sun of truth and the glorious star betwixt heaven and earth; he was a tribune in the imperial army, and came from Cappadocia. And when he had served his time as tribune and acquired much wealth, he came to the governor Dadianus and wished to be made a count by him. When Saint George had come to the city and saw the frenzied idolatry of the governors and that they had forsaken God, he straightway decided to give up his rank of tribune, saying, "I will become a soldier of my Lord Jesus Christ the King of heaven." And when he had distributed all his wealth and given what he had to the poor, he rushed into the presence of the governors and cried out, saying, "Cease your frenzy, O governors, and proclaim not to be gods the things which are not gods; let the gods who have not made heaven and earth perish ! As for me, I will worship one God, the [p. 206] Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit." The dragon looked at him, and said, "Every person who has gone forth from the benevolent guidance of the gods perishes, and as for us, we worship things which are beneath the heavens, for the gods Fire and Sun appear to us as mighty beings; know now that thou hast not only despised us, but thou hast also despised the righteous gods. Offer sacrifice then to the gods and to Apollo who is the saviour of the whole world, and be convinced that the gods who thou humblest know those who honour and obey them, and know how to punish those who disobey them. And now, tell me from whence thou comest ? what is thy name ? and for what purpose hast thou come hither ?" Saint George answered, and said, "The chief name which I bear is Christian, I am by birth a Cappadocian, I was a soldier in a famous company, and I performed my duties of tribune satisfactorily in Palestine where it served. Who are the gods whom thou wouldst force me to worship, O king ?" The governor said to him, "I desire thee to worship Apollo who hung out the heavens, and Poseidon who made fast the earth." Saint George answered and said, "Neither for thy sake, O evil dragon, nor for that of the governors thy companions will I speak about the righteous ones and thy dead god, but for the sake of these multitudes here present. Whom wouldst thou compel me to worship, O king ? Peter the chosen one of the Apostles, or Apollo who corrupts the whole world ? To which of these would thou have me offer sacrifice ? to Elijah the Tishbite who was an angel upon earth and who walked upon earth and was taken up to the gates of heaven, or to Scamandros the sorcerer who worked enchantments by fire and who led many people astray, who com-[p. 207] mitted adultery with Timetia (Demeter ?), who begat Saar and Sarphat the ophani of the warrior of the city of Pontus, whose deeds were evil and who were cast into the abyss of the sea ? Tell me, O king, to which of these wouldst thou give judgement ? to Samuel who prayed to God, or to Poseidon the destroyer of the ships of the sea ? to Antaeus and Herakles, or to those of the Martyrs and Prophets who wear crowns ? Tell me, O king, to which of these wouldst thou give judgement ? to Jezebel the slayer of the prophets or to Mary the Virgin the mother of my Lord Jesus Christ ? Be ashamed, O king, for the things which thou worshippest are not gods, but deaf idols."

When Saint George had said these things, the governor was greatly enraged and commanded them to hang him upon the wooden horse, and to torture him until his bowels flowed out upon the ground. After these things four quaternions of soldiers [p. 208] laid him out and beat him with leather whips until the flesh of his body was torn in shreds; and they sprinkled salt upon him. And they brought hair sacks with which to excoriate his body until his blood ran like water; but he was patient under these sufferings.

And it came to pass that during that night the Lord appeared to Saint George, and said to him, "Be strong and of good cheer, beloved George, for I will strengthen thee to bear all these sufferings which they have brought upon thee. And I swear by Myself, and by the holy angels, that among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, and that after thee there shall arise none like unto thee; for behold, I have made thee lord over these seventy governors, and whatsoever thou sayest shall happen unto them. Thou shalt die three times, and I will raise thee up again, but after the fourth time, I Myself will come upon a cloud, and will take thee away to [p. 209] the place of safe keeping which I have prepared for thee for thy holy dwelling; be strong and fear not, for I am with thee." And when He had embraced him He went up to heaven with His holy angels in great glory.

When it was morning the governor commanded, and they brought him before the tribune. Now Saint George was singing a Psalm, saying, "O God, hasten thou to my help, hasten thou to my defence." When he had come to the tribune, he cried out, saying, "O tribune, I and my Lord Jesus Christ have come to thee and thy stone Apollo." And they laid hold of him and tied him with four leather straps, and beat him with leather whips upon his back and belly; and they cast him back again into prison. And Dadianus the governor wrote a letter in which he thus said, "I write to the whole world, greeting. Let any enchanter or magician who can put an end to the magic of this Christian come hither to me, and I will give him much wealth and any territory that he shall ask for, and he shall be second in the kingdom." When this letter had been sent throughout the whole world, behold a man appeared whose name was Athanasius, and he came to the governor and said, "O king, live for ever ! There is nothing which I am not able to perform in thy presence." The governor rejoiced, and said, "What sign wilt thou work before me that I may know that thou art able to put an end to the magic of the Christians ?" Athanasius answered and said, "Let them bring me an ox." And when they had brought him he spake some words in his ears, and he was rent in twain. Athanasius said to Dadianus, "Let them bring me a pair of scales," and they brought them to him; and he threw the one half of the ox into one pan of the scales and the other half into the other, and they were exactly equal, and there was not the least difference between the weight of the two halves. And the governor commanded and they brought Saint George to the tribune, and he said to him, "O George, it is for thy sake that I have summoned this man into my domi-[p. 210] nions; thou must vanquish his magic or he will vanquish thine, thou must slay him or he will slay thee." Saint George looked at the magician and said, "Hasten, my brother, and do unto me speedily whatsoever thou wishest to do, for I see grace drawing nigh unto thee." And straightway Athanasius took a cup, and washed his face in it, and invoked the names of demons over the cup, and gave it to him to drink; and when he had drunk no evil happened to him at all. Athanasius answered and said to George, "My Lord, let me only give thee one other sign, and if no evil befall thee then I will believe upon Him Whom they crucified." Then he took another cup, and washed his face in it, and invoked the names of demons more evil than the first over it, and he gave him the cup to drink; and when the saint had drunk no evil happened to him. When Athanasius saw that no evil had happened to him, he said to him, "O Saint George, thou hast the cross of Jesus Christ the Son of God, who came into the world to save sinners; have mercy upon my soul, and give me the seal of Christ." When Dadianus saw what had happened he was greatly enraged, and commanded them to take the magician outside the city and to slay him with the sword; so he consummated his martyrdom, and was esteemed worthy of everlasting life. And the governor commanded them to throw Saint George into prison until he had decided what he should do with him.

[p. 211] When it was morning the governor commanded a huge wheel to be made with sharp nails and stakes fastened in it; and the wheel was made after the manner in which he commanded it to be made: the upper part of it was like the edge of a knife, and the lower part like a sharp two-edged sword. And the governor commanded them to bring Saint George out of prison and to throw him upon the instrument of torture. When Saint George turned and saw the shape of the cutting part of the machine, that the upper part of it was like the edge of a knife and the lower part a two-edged sword, he said within himself, "Verily, I shall never come forth alive from this instrument." But again, afterwards, he said within himself, "Woe to thee, O George, why hast thou allowed this thought to enter thy heart ? Consider the lot which has come to thee, and remember that the Jews crucified the Lord Himself." And after this he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "O Lord, the unchangeable God, the Ruler of eternity, to Whom belongeth victory, Thou Who givest grace to the martyrs, Whose glory and crown Thou art; Thou who, before Thou hadst created anything, yea, before Thou hadst created the heavens and the earth, didst rest upon the waters, and now Thou restest upon the whole race of man, and knowest Thou place of rest; Who hast spread out the heavens like a chamber, and at Whose command the clouds pour out rain in their season; Who rainest upon the just and the unjust; Who hast weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales; Who bringest the wind out of Thy store houses; Who hast cast the rebellious angels into the abyss of hell, where they are punished by evil dragons, and fettered and chained with indissoluble bonds; O Thou the least of Whose commands it is impossible to alter; O Lord God Who, in the last days, didst [p. 212] send into the world Thy only begotten Son, Who took upon Himself flesh by the Virgin Mary, and became man, without anyone being able to understand how to find out the manhood of Him, the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten of Thee in very truth; Who did walk upon the face of the sea as upon dry land; Who did feed five thousand men with five loaves of bread, and they were satisfied; Who did rebuke the waves of the sea and their crests were bowed down; come now, O my Lord, come Jesus, and help my infirmity, for I am a sinner; let these sufferings be light upon me, for Thine is the glory, and Thy name is full of glory for ever, Amen."

When he had finished [his prayer and had said] "Amen", they threw him on the wheel, and set it to work; and immediately his body was broken into ten pieces. Then straightway Dadianus lifted up his voice, saying, "Be strong and know, O ye governors, that there is no god save Apollo and Hermes and Zeus and Athene and Scamandros and Hephaistos and Herakles and Poseidon, who work good on the three parts of the sea, and from whose hands kings receive power. Where is now the God of Saint George Whom they call "Jesus", Whom the Jews crucified and slew ? why has He not come and delivered him out of my hands ?" And the dragon of the abyss commanded them to throw his bones outside the city into a dry pit, saying within himself, "Lest the Christians find a bone of his, and build a martyrium over it, and bring up his blood against us."

Now it was the hour for eating, and the governor, together with the sixty-nine governors who were with him, went to eat. And while they were eating there came a great earthquake, and suddenly the sky became overcast with clouds, and there was so great a trembling that mountains split asunder suddenly, the earth shook, and the sea was lashed into billows, and the [p. 213] waves thereof rose to the height of fifteen cubits. And Michael blew with his trumpet, and behold the Lord Jesus came upon His chariot of the Cherubim, and stood on the edge of the pit. And he said to the archangel Michael, "Go down into the pit, and gather together the bones of my son George, for this valiant George thought in his heart, "I shall not escape from this instrument (into which I had allowed him to fall) this time"; that he may believe with all his heart, and know that I alone am able to deliver him." And Michael went down into the pit, and put together the holy body of Saint George: and the Lord took hold of his hand, saying, "O George my beloved, behold, the hand which formed Adam the first man is now about to create thee anew"; and the Lord breathed upon his face and filled him again with life, and He embraced him, and went up to heaven with His holy angels. And Saint George arose in haste from the dead, and went through the squares of the city looking for the governors, and he found them afterwards sitting in judgement. Then he ran into their presence, and said to them, "Do ye not know who I am ?" Dadianus the governor lifted his eyes guiltily, and said to the Saint, Who are thou then ?" The martyr of Christ replied, "I am George whom ye slew yesterday, because ye despiseed my God who could destroy you in a moment." Dadianus continued looking into the face of the Saint, and said to him, "Thou art not he, but his shade", and one said to him, "Perhaps it is some one like him". And Anatolius the general knew him, and said, "Of a truth this is George who has risen from the dead"; and he believed with all his company. Now the number of those [of the army] who believed upon Christ was three thousand and nine and one woman from the multitude. And Dadianus the governor commanded them all to be cast forth outside the city in a desert place, and to be divided into four divisions and to be slain. Thus they consummated their martyrdom at the ninth [p. 214] hour of the Sabbath day on the fifteenth day of Phamenoth, and went to Paradise in glory, and received pardon for their sins.

Then the governor commanded them to bring Saint George to the tribune; and he commanded them to bring an iron bed to which they might bind the righteous man. Then he made them melt lead until it was liquid, and bring a vessel in the shape of an iron ladle and thrust it [full of lead] into his mouth. Then they drove sixty nails through his head into the bed. And Dadianus made them bring a great stone chiselled out to fit his head, and they thrust his head in it, and made it fast with lead, and they rolled him down with the stone [from a high place] and severed his bones one from another; but he bore these tortures with fortitude. Then Dadianus commanded them to remove the stone from him, and to hang him up head downwards, and to tie a large stone to him, and to light a huge fire under him.

After these things the governor commanded to throw him into a bronze "bull" and to drive sharp nails into it: then he commanded them to bring a machine to revolve inside the "bull", that the body of the saint might be broken to pieces by the nails and his limbs become like the particles of dry summer dust; and Saint George bore all these things with fortitude. Then Dadianus commanded them to cast him into prison and to fasten him to the woodwork until he had decided what to do with him or how he should destroy him; now he was very handsome [p. 215] in appearance. And in that night the Lord appeared to him, saying, "Be patient, O George My chosen one, be of good cheer and be not dismayed, for I am with thee, and there shall be great joy in heaven for thy sake and for the sake of thy contest. Behold, thou hast died once and I raised thee up; thou shalt yet die twice and I will raise thee up again. But the fourth time I Myself will come in the clouds, and I will bring thee to the place of safety which I have prepared for thy body. It is I who give strength to thy holy body, and I will make thee to lie down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; be not sad of heart for I am with thee. Thy martyrdom shall be consummated before these seventy governors, and thou shalt testify of Me before them. And they will torture thee for seven years for My name's sake, but be not sad of heart, but of good cheer." And the Lord saluted him, and went up to heaven with His holy angels, and the valiant martyr of Christ looked after Him, and continued looking until the day rose; and he rejoiced in the encouragement which the Lord had given him.

When it was morning, the governor commanded them to bring Saint George to the tribune. When they had brought him, one of the seventy governors, whose name was Magnentius, said to him, "O George, I seek a sign at thy hands, and if thou do it before me, by our lord the Sun, and by the seventy gods, and by Artemis the saviour of the whole world, I will believe on thy God, and will worship Him nobly." Saint [p. 216] George said to him, "Say what thou wilt ask of me." Magnentius the governor said to him, "Behold there are seventy thrones here, a throne for each of us, and the legs of them are made of various kinds of wood, some fruit-bearing and some not. Now, if thou wilt make manifest that each wooden leg takes root and blossoms through thy prayer; and that each one made of the wood of a fruit-bearing tree gives fruit; and that each one made of the wood of a tree which does not bear fruit puts forth leaves [only]; by this I will believe on thy God." Then Saint George threw himself upon his face and prayed to God a long time, and sighed. And it came to pass that when he had finished his prayer and said "Amen", and was rising up, there was a great trembling and shaking, for the Spirit of God came upon the thrones, and they budded and the legs put forth roots and blossomed: those that were of fruit-bearing trees put forth fruit, and those that were not put forth leaves only. Then Magnentius the governor said to him, "A great god is Herakles who thus manifests his power in dry wood." Saint George answered and said, "Wilt thou compare this blind and dumb idol Herakles with the God who made the heavens and the earth, who made to exist that which did not exist and who can destroy thee with him speddily ?" Dadianus the governor answered and said to Saint George, "O excellent Galilean, I know how I will destroy thee." Then he commanded them to bring a huge saw, and they sawed him in two, and so he yielded up his spirit. And he commanded a large cauldron to be brought [p. 217] and to throw the two parts of the body of the holy man into it, together with lead, and pitch, and animal fat, and bitumen; and they heated them together until they melted, and the flames went up to a great height, and that which was melted flowed hither and thither by reason of the intensity of the flames which rose to a height of fifteen cubits. And they brought pieces from the cauldron to the king, saying, "This (wretched man) has come to an end and is burnt up." And Dadianus commanded them to bury the cauldron and the pieces of the saint which were in it in the earth, lest the Christians should find his remains and build a martyrium over them. When the attendants had finished burying the righteous man and were going away, there was a great trembling in the air and the earth shook to its foundations: and behold the Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven with His holy angels, and stood over the place wherein the cauldron was buried. And He said to Zalathiel the angel, "Bring up hither the cauldron", and when he had brought it up he laid it down upon the ground. And the Lord, in Whom is might, answered [and said], "O George, my chosen one, arise ! For I am He that raised up Lazarus from the dead, and I now command thee to arise and come forth from the cauldron and stand upon thy feet; I am the Lord thy God." And straightway the nobly valiant man rose up in great power as one who had suffered no pain at all; and every one who saw him marvelled. The Lord said to him, "Be strong and of good cheer, George, my beloved, for there shall be a great joy to thee in heaven and upon earth, and before My Good Father, and before My angels on account of thy contest; be strong, for I am with thee." And He went up to heaven with his holy angels.

[p. 218]And Saint George arose and walked, and sent to the governor, saying, "Behold, I am going about the city, teaching." And the governor straightway commanded them to seize him and to bring him to him to the tribune; and as he was coming he cried out, saying, "O tribune, O tribune, I and my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God come to thee and thy Apollo."

And behold, a woman whose name was Schollastike cried out to Saint George the martyr of Christ, saying, "O my lord George, my son was yoking his ox in the field, and the ox fell down and died. O my lord, help my poverty, for I know that my lord is able to do so through God." The saint said to her, "Take this staff from my hands, and go to the field and lay it upon the dead ox, and say, "Thus saith Saint George in the name of Jesus Christ, Arise and stand up";" and the woman did as he had told her, and the ox arose straightway. And the woman glorified God, saying, "Blessed is the hour in which thou didst come into this city, verily thou art a prophet and God hath visited His people."

And again Dadianus sent after the martyr. When he had come, Trakiali the governor spake to him, saying, "Concerning the dry wood which budded, we know not of a certainty whether it was thy God who made it bud, or our god. Now behold we have here a sepulchre cut in the rock on the road to the cemetery, and no man knoweth where it is, nor where the opening of it is: but if through thy prayers the bones of those [p. 219] who are buried therin rise, I swear by my lord the Sun, and by the Moon and by Artemis the mother of the gods, that I will believe upon thy God and become a Christian." The blessed George answered and said, "There come to me the words which I have heard in the Gospel, saying, If ye have faith like a grain of mustard seed ye shall say this to the mountain, Depart hence, [and it shall depart], and there shall be nothing impossible to you. But now arise, thou and Dadianus and the governors of Egypt, and open the door of the tomb and bring hither to me the rotten bones of those who are dead, together with their dust." Then the three governors went straightway to the place of the sepulchre and opened the door, but they found no bones at all of the dead; and they took up the bone dust which they found, and brought it to Saint George: and Saint George threw himself down upon his knees, and prayed for the space of an hour. When he had finished his prayer and said, "Amen", there was a mighty trembling, and flashes of lightning shone upon those bones. And there came forth immediately from them five men and nine women and three little children; and when the governors saw what had taken place, they marvelled. Then the governors cried out to one of those who had risen from the dead, and said to him, "What is thy name ?" And he that had risen from the dead answered and said, "My name is Boes." Dadianus said to him, "How many years is it since thou didst die ?", and he replied, "More than two hundred years." Dadianus said to him, "Had Christ come into the world at that time, or not ?", and he that had risen from the dead said, "I do not know, nor [p. 220] did I ever hear that He had come." Dadianus said to him, "On what god dost thou believe ?", and he that had risen from the dead said to him, "Do not force me, O governor, for I am ashamed to say what god I believed on. I believed on a god whom they called Apollo, a stupid, dumb, deaf and blind [idol]. When I left the evil living of this life, I went to live in a place in the river of fire, until I should go where the worm dieth not. Hast thou never heard of the Scriptures of the Christians which say, "Remember me in the day of terror in the place where there is no help, but disquiet and fear." There is no mercy there, neither can the judge be persuaded; but the work which every man hath done shall be laid before His eyes. Then the Judge will answer and say, "Show me each one his work that I may give him his wages, according to that which he hath done;" hear then, O king, and I will tell thee. Every man who lives on earth, and confesses Him whom they crucified, if he bears many sins in his body when he departs from this wicked world, will live in fetters on account of his sins, but on the Lord's day he will have rest because the Lord Jesus looks upon those who are punished on the Lord's day; but as for me, there is no rest at all given to me on the Lord's day because I did not confess Christ's godhead when I lived upon earth. Why then should we confess and worship idols and images which cannot move ?" Dadianus the governor answered and said to him, "Thy sense is destroyed through the length of the time of the tw hundred years." Then he that had risen from the dead looked upon Saint George [p. 221] the martyr of Christ, and said to him, "O my lord the holy martyr of Christ, we beseech thee to give us thy holy baptism of Christ, that we may not fall back again into the punishment in which we were." When Saint George saw their faith, he smote the earth with his foot, and water welled up, and he baptized them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And he said to them, "Depart in peace to Paradise," and they straightway disappeared and were not seen.

And Dadianus the governor was stupefied for a time. Then the governors who were with him said, "This man is a magician, and by his magic has made demons rise up before us, saying, "I have raised the dead"". Dadianus said, "I will now disgrace the whole race of Christians." And he commanded, saying, "Choose me a poor widow woman whose like for poverty there is not in the whole world." And they went round about through the city and found a poor widow, and they put the righteous man with her, wishing to disgrace the Christians. When they had brought the righteous man into the widow's house, he said to her, "Give me some bread for I am hungry." The poor widow woman answered and said to him, "Master, I have no bread in my house." Saint George said to her, "What god dost thou believe on, that thou hast no bread in thy house ?" The woman said to him, "I believe in Apollo and Herakles the mighty imperial gods." Saint George said to her, "Verily it is a just judgement of God that thou hast no bread in thy house." And the woman looked upon his face, and saw that it was like that of an angel of God, and she said within herself, "I will go and beg bread from my neighbours and acquaintances, that I may set it before the man of God, and peradventure by reason of [p. 222] his coming into my house I shall find favour in the sight of my neighbours." And it came to pass that when the poor widow woman had gone out the righteous man sat down by the foot of the wooden pillar in her house; and it straightway took root, and put forth leaves and became a large tree, and towered up fifteen cubits above the house. And behold Michael the archangel came with a table filled with all good things, and the saint ate and was comforted; and the table was filled with bread and every good thing. When the poor widow woman came into her house, and saw the great marvels, that is to say, the table set out within and filled with all good things, and the pillar of dry wood which had taken root, she said in her heart, "The God of the Christians hath remembered the poverty of the widow, and hath brought His martyr into my house to help me the wretched in spirit;" and she straightway threw herself down at the feet of the saint and worshipped him. Saint George answered and said to her, "Rise up and stand upon thy feet, for I am not the God of the Christians, but only His servant, and I endure sufferings for His holy name's sake." And again the woman said to him, "Master, if I have found favour before thee, let me venture to speak one word before thee." The holy man said, "Speak." The woman said to him, "Master, I have here a little boy who is blind, deaf, dumb, and lame, and I am ashamed to show him to my neighbours: if now thou wilt make him see and hear and speak, I will believe upon thy God." The righteous man answered and said, "Bring hither the child to me;" and she brought him from the third storey of [p. 223] her house, and laid him in the bosom of the righteous man. And Saint George prayed over him with his head bowed down over the child lying in his bosom, and he breathed upon him, and the scales fell from his eyes, and he saw straightway with his eyes. The woman said to the saint, "Master, I beseech thee to make him to speak, and to hear with his ears, and to stand up and walk upon his feet." Saint George said to her, "O woman, this is sufficient now, but when I need him to serve me in a matter, I will call him and he shall hear me, and shall go and serve me." And the woman was not able to answer him a word, for she saw that his face was like the face of an angel of God.

And the lawless and impious governor, Dadianus, and the sixty-nine governors who were with him, came out from their meal, and were walking about and enjoying themselves in the open spaces of the city. When the dragon of the abyss, that is to say, Dadianus the governor, saw the tree which had sprung up by means of the righteous man, he asked one of his rulers, "[Whence] is this new sight, this fig tree ?" And he told him, saying "This is the place into which George the mighty saint of the Galileans was cast."

Then the governor commanded to bring him and to set him before the public assembly, and he made them flog him without mercy until his flesh was cut to pieces, [and set fire under him] until his body was consumed through the intensity of the flame; and he made them put vessels of fire upon his head. After these things he made them hang him up to torture him, and they filled iron pots full of fire and placed them under him, [p. 224] until he yielded up his spirit. Then the governor commanded them to take his body and cast it away upon a high mountain, and the dragon said in his heart, "The birds of heaven will come and devour his flesh." When they had taken away the body of the blessed man to a mountain called Siris, the attendants cast it away there, and returned. Now when these devilish attendants had come away from the mountain a short distance, about thirty stadia, there came mighty thunders and lightnings so that the whole mountain shook. And behold the Lord came upon a cloud, and said to Saint George, "O excellent and chosen one, rise up from where thou liest;" and straightway the martyr of Christ arose. And he ran after the attendants, crying out after them, and saying, "Wait a little for me until I come up with you". When the attendants looked back, and saw the righteous man running after them, they glorified God, and threw themselves down at the feet of the saint, and besought him, saying, "Give us the seal of Christ," and the blessed and righteous Saint George baptised them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Then they came and stood before the lawless governor, and they all cried out, "We are Christians, openly;" and the kings were speechless with fear by reason of this thing. Then Dadianus commanded them to bring the attendants and to set them before him, and he made them crucify one of them who was called Klaudane and torture him; two others called Lasiri and Lasiriane [p. 225] they put to the sword, and Klekon they threw to the wild beasts.

After these things the governors commanded them to bring Saint George. And Dadianus the governor answered and said to him, "O George, I swear to thee by my Lord the Sun, and by the Moon, and by the Gods, and by their mother Artemis, that I will treat thee kindly like my beloved son, and that I will gladly give thee every thing that thou askest; only hearken to me as a father, and agree with me only so far as to worship the gods." Saint George answered and said to him, "I marvel at the words which thou hast just now spoken. I have been in thy power until this day, why hast thou not spoken them before ? Behold, thou hast put me to the torture for the past seven years, thou hast slain me thrice, I died three times, and three times did my Lord Jesus Christ raise me up; but I never heard these words before from thee until this present. Knowest thou not, O governor, that this race of Christians is one that loves victory, and that it fights against those that fight against it ? But now I rejoice that I can make thy mightiness glad, and I will offer sacrifice to thy great god Apollo whom thou lovest." When Dadianus the governor heard these things, he rejoiced greatly and took hold of the head of Saint George and kissed it. And the righteous man resisted him, saying, "Nay, nay, O governor, for it is not the custom of the Galileans to be thus treated unless they have first worshipped the gods; command that they put me in [p. 226] prison until tomorrow." The governor answered and said to him, "Far be it from me to punish thee henceforth; forgive me for all the sufferings that I have inflicted upon thee, for I wrought them on thee in ignorance. Accept me now as a father, and come, I will take thee into the interior of the palace where Queen Alexandra is resting in her chamber." When the governor had brought him in, he put him in the chamber with Queen Alexandra, and he shut the door upon them both and went out, for it was evening. Then Saint George bowed his knees, and began to pray to God, saying, "O God, my God, there is none like unto Thee among the gods; Thou art the God who doest marvellous things. Why do the heathen cry out and the people imagine vain things ? All the governors and rulers of the earth are gathered together, and they speak against God and against His Christ." Alexandra the Queen answered, and said to the saint, "O George, my master, I am listening unto thee attentively, and I like thy words. Who are these who "cry out" ? Who are these who "imagine [vain things]", and who is "Christ" ? Teach me, I pray thee, that I may know him." Saint George answered, saying, "If thou desirest to know Christ and His Words, O Queen Alexandra, listen. When God had created the heavens and the earth, He took a clod of earth and made a man like unto Him in His own form and likeness; thus he made flesh out of earth. Then again he created sinews in it, and He made the skin and the various other parts of the man, and the eyes, both seeing and unseeing (?), the tongue, the throat, the hands and every thing which is contained in man. Is not that which is within [us] of earth ? And the Lord Christ took upon Himself flesh from the holy Virgin Mary, and became man: He [p. 227] is the God who has raised me up from the dead, and it is for the sake of His Holy Name and of His Good Father, and the Holy Spirit that I have endured sufferings. For Adam's sake, O Queen Alexandra, God made the heavens, and created the sun and the shining moon and the stars and the rest of creation." The Queen answered and said to him, "Explain this matter to me." Saint George said to her, "The idolaters who are in the world today worship abominable things and not God, for they serve soulless idols fashioned by the hands of man, and despise God the creator of the universe." The Queen said to him, "Then are these gods, demons ?" Saint George said to her, "Yes, they are demons." The Queen said to him, "How did the Son of God come into the world ?" Saint George answered and said to her, "Hearken unto me, O Queen Alexandra. The Prophet David saith, "Thou that sittest upon the cherubim, appear, show Thy strength, and come to help us." And again he saith, "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass", that is, the blessed Virgin Mary. And again the prophet Habakkuk cried out, saying, "O God, I heard the noise of Thee, and I was afraid. I considered Thy works and I was speechless." When the prophet Habakkuk spake these things, he spake truly, for he knew that Jesus Christ would come down into this world, and he feared. And he considered that it was God who would become man, that salvation might be ours, and that HE might deliver us from the hand of the devil, the enemy of all truth, who leadeth astray these seventy wicked governors." The Queen answered and said, "Verily thou speakest well, and hast persuaded me that Christ is the God of the universe; and now I [p. 228] beseech thee to pray for me, that all crafts and wiles of demons and idols may straightway flee awy from me." Saint George answered and said to her, "If thou believest on Jesus Christ who was crucified, no blemish of demons shall draw nigh thee at all." She said to him, "O George, my master, I believe, but I am afraid of the exceeding wicked governor, Dadianus, who devours flesh like a wild beast. Keep the matter secret, and tell no one until I wear the crown of martyrdom in the kingdom of Christ; and now let me rest until the morning."

When the morning had come the governor commanded the herald to cry out through the whole city, saying, "Gather together, [O ye people,] to see this mighty Galilean worship Apollo." And the governor commanded them to bring Saint George into the courtyard of the temple where he was to offer sacrifice to Apollo; but Saint George said to the attendants who had come after him, "Go ye to the governor, and I, and the priests, and the ministers of the temple will go to Apollo, and worship him." And the herald continued to gather together with diligence the whole city, both small and great, to see the sight.

When the poor widow woman whose son Saint George had healed, saw this, she straightway uncovered her head and rent her clothes, and set out for the place where the saint was. And she said to him, "O thou who didst raise the dead; who didst make those blind from their birth to see; who didst make to appear those who were dried up and gone to dust; who didst make pieces of wood of fruit-bearing trees to blossom beautifully; who didst make the pillar of my house to take root and become a mighty tree, and didst cause a table to be filled with bread and all good things; who didst manifest forth multitudes of miracles and didst put the devil to shame; wilt thou now go to Apollo and worship [p. 229] him, and put to shame the whole race of Christians ?" When Saint George heard these things, he smiled upon her, and said, "Put down thy child out of thy arms", and she put him down. Saint George said to the little child, "In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ I wish thee to come and be my servant in this matter," and straightway the little boy heard with his ears, and came leaping towards Saint George. Saint George said to him, "Come, go into the temple of Apollo and say to his idol, "George the servant of Christ calleth thee." And the evil spirit which sojourned in the idol cried out within him, saying, "O Nazarene, thou drawest every one to thee, and thou hast sent this little boy to me to disgrace me;" and straightway the idol of Apollo leaped down from his pedestal and came to Saint George. And Saint George answered and said to him, "Art thou the god of the heathen ?" The demon who sojourned in the idol said, "Bear with me a little, and I will tell thee every thing before thou askest me;" and Saint George said to him, "Speak". And he began to speak and to declare everything, saying, "O master, and saint of God, thou art not ignorant that of old time God made a paradise in Eden, towards the east, and that God put in it the man He had made in His own likeness. And God said, "Let the angels come and worship him;" and straightway Michael and all his army of angels came and worshipped him. But I would not worship the man whom God [p. 230} had created, and I disputed the command of God, saying, "O righteous judge, whom the Cherubim full of eyes overshadow, how can I who am more excellent than this man, worship that which is inferior to me ?" Then God was very wroth with me, and He cast me forth from the glory with which I was surrounded, and He cast me forth from heaven like an eagle on a rock, and I was in fetters; and now I live in this idol, and I lead astray the children of men. And I fly and mount up to the firmament of heaven, and I hear the angels praising God, and when I hear the sentence pronounced that a man shall die and go forth from this world, I go to him and inflict sufferings upon him until he blasphemes God." Saint George answered and said to him, "Thou hast not spoken the truth, O creator of [p. 231] lies. Thou wast cast forth from heaven on account of thy pride in having prepared a throne for thyself to sit uon, and for having made thyself equal with Him that is more exalted than thou: and He drove thee suddenly forth from heaven, with all thy hosts, into the depths of the sea." When the spirit heard these things from him, he was speechless, and found not a word to say. And straightway Saint George smote the earth with his foot, and it opened its mouth, and he said to the idol, "Go down now into the abyss, O unclean spirit, and give speech to all the souls that thou hast destroyed;" and the unclean spirit went down straightway into the abyss together with the idol in which he dwelt. And Saint George smote the earth with his foot, and it closed up as it was before. After these things, Saint George unloosed his shoe-latchets, and went to the idol of Herakles, and pulled him down upon the ground, and broke him in pieces. And he said to the other idols, "Go down into the abyss, O gods of the heathen, For I have come against you in anger and wrath." When the priests and the ministers and the attendants who waited upon the idols saw the destruction of their gods, they laid hold of Saint George, and tied his hands behind him, and took him to the governor, and showed him everything that had happened to the gods and to Apollo, saying, "He has been thrown down into the abyss." And it came to pass that when Dadianus the governor heard these things, he was filled with fury, and said to Saint George, "O thou who art worthy of destruction, didst thou not say to me, "I will worship the glorious gods where thou dost worship them ?" and thou saidst that thou wouldst throw incense to them, and yet thou dost use works of magic in this manner; knowest thou not that thy life is in my hands ?" Saint George [p. 232] answered and said to him, "Go and bring Apollo hither to me, and I will worship him before thee." Dadianus said to him, "It has just been told me by the priests that he has gone down into the abyss, and now thou wishest to send me thither alive." Saint George answered and said to him, "If Apollo was the mighty god in whom thou didst trust to deliver thee in the evil day, how was it that he was unable to help himself, and was the first of all thy seventy gods to go to destruction ? When my Lord God cometh to change the heavens and the earth, what wilt thou and what will he in whom thou puttest thy trust do ?" Then the governor in great grief for the destruction of his god Apollo, went into the palace to Queen Alexandra, and said, "I suffer by reason of this race of Christians, and especially through this Galilean George." Queen Alexandra answered and said to the governor, "Have I not told thee many times to let alone this race of Christians ? for their God is the true God, and He will humble thee in thy pride." The governor answered and said to the Queen, "Woe is me, O Alexandra, for I fear that the magic of the Christians has entered into thee;" and he laid hold of the hair of her head, and dragged her along until he brought her to the sixty-nine governors who were with him, and he began to tell them everything that had happened. Then the governors commanded to bring her and to hang her upon the wooden horse to torture her, and she said never a word, but was looking up to heaven. And she looked in the face of Saint George, and said to him, "Pray for me while I suffer these tortures." Saint [p. 233] George answered and said to her, "Bear them patiently for a little, O Queen, that thou may receivest a crown from the jands of my Lord Jesus Christ." And she said to him, "O George, my master, what shall I do, for I have not received holy baptism by the pouring out of holy blood." And while they were taking her away to destroy her, she cried out, saying, "O my Lord, Jesus Christ, behold I have kept the door of my palace open [to Thee], and have not closed it, do thou, O Lord, not close the door of the paradise of joy against me." When Alexandra the Queen had said these things she nobly consummated her martyrdom on the fifteenth day of Pharmuthi at the third hour, and she received her incorruptible crown.

After these things the governors called Saint George and said to him, "Behold thou hast destroyed the Queen, and now we will gain the mastery over thee." And Magnentius one of the governors said, "Let us pass sentence of death upon hin," and the thing pleased them all. Then Dadianus the governor sat down and wrote his sentence of death, saying, "I give George the chief of the Galileans, who hath put the decrees of the governors behind his back, over to the sword; and know, O ye peoples, that we are innocent of his blood this day;" and the sixty-nine governors who were with him signed the writing. Then Saint George went to the place where he should receive his crown, [p. 234] rejoicing. When he had come to that spot, he said to the soldiers who were holding him, "Brethren, bear with me a little, that I may pray for the seventy governors who have tortured me during the last seven years." Then Saint George looked up to heaven, and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, who didst send fire from heaven by Saint Elijah to devour the two captains of fifty and their hundred soldiers, let now I pray Thee that same fire come down from Thee and devour these seventy governors and those round about them, that not one of them may be left; for Thine is the glory for ever and ever, Amen." And while he was praying there straightway came forth fire from heaven, and it devoured the seventy governors and their hosts, in number about five thousand. And again the saint asked the soldiers to wait a little longer, and he prayed, saying, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, I see a multitude here wishing to carry away my body, but my body will not suffice for the whole world. I beseech Thee to grant a favour to me, grant that my name may heal all those inflicted by unclean spirits, who shall remember thy servant George. O Lord my God, let every one who is greatly afraid in the place of judgement come forth in peace if he remembers my name; and do Thou write in the Book of Life the name of every one who shall write down my martyrdom and the sufferings which I have endured. If the heavens withhold their rain from the earth, and men make mention of the name of the God of George, I beseech Thee grant that Thy help may support them speedily. O God of truth, for the sake of whose holy name I have suffered these pains, remember all those who shall show kindness to the poor in my name, and forgive them the sins which they have com [p. 235]mitted." And when the saint had said these things in the fervour of his heart, behold the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him, saying, "Come up now into heaven, and rest thyself in the dwelling which I have prepared for thee in the kingdom of My Father which is in heaven. O excellent George, I will fulfil every thing which thou hast asked for, and many other things greater than these." Then Saint George said to the executioners, "Come now, and perform that which has been commanded you;" and he stretched out his neck, and they took off his holy head, and there came forth water and milk. And Jesus Christ took his blessed soul and embraced it and took it up to heaven with Him, and gave it as a gift to His Good Father and the Holy Spirit. Then straightway the earth shook to its foundations, and there were suddenly thunders and lightnings so that no man passed that place for mighty dread. Now all those who became martyrs through Saint George were eight thousand, six hundred and ninety-nine together with Alexandra the Queen. And Saint George consummated his martyrdom on the twenty-third day of the month Pharmuthi, on the Lord's day, at the ninth hour of the day. I Pasikrates the servant of Saint George was with my master until the end of his contest by the sentence of death of the impious governors. I have written down his holy martyrdom, and have added nothing thereto nor taken any thing therefrom; and my Lord Jesus Christ helped me, to Whom together with His Good Father and the Holy Spirit be glory for ever and ever, Amen.
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Part 1 of 2

The Passion of St. George (Part 2)
(Translation From E.A.W. Budge(1888), 236-74)
by David Woods

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These are the mighty deeds and miracles which God wrought by the hand of St. George after his martyrdom and after the coming of his body into Diospolis his native city, and after the building of his shrine, which was completed and consecrated on the seventh day of the month Athor, and after the laying of his body within it. Saint Theodosius, Bishop of Jerusalem, recited the mighty deeds and miracles which God wrought by Saint George, and the gracious acts which took place in his holy martyrium when he pronounced the following encomium on the day of his holy commemoration, which is the seventh day of Athor, when there was gathered together a great multitude of the orthodox to celebrate the festival of Saint George in his shrine and to praise our Lord Jesus Christ.

"I will open my mouth in parables, I will declare the things which have been hidden from the beginning, which we have heard and known, and which our fathers have declared unto us." As [p. 237] the Holy Spirit spake by the mouth of David the righteous king, so also will I show forth to you the gifts and the miracles which came to pass through Saint George the mighty martyr of Christ, and what happened to him in the city of Tyre where he consummated [his martyrdom] under Dadianus, the lawless [governor] of the Persians. Now Tyre was the city of king Nebuchadnessar who was king of all the Chaldaeans, and he forsook his city Tyre, and went to Babylon, and built it in a beautiful manner, and fortified it, and made it his royal city. And it came to pass that when they had taken off the head of Saint George it was separated from the body from the ninth hour of the day until sunset; and Pasikrates the servant of Saint George stood by it weeping over it and watching it. and behold God put it into the heart of two of his fellow-servants to come to the city to visit their master, and to learn what had become of him; and [the people] told them, saying, "They have slain him today." And they went and rent their garments, and came to the body, and they found Pasikrates sitting and weeping; and they sat down and wept with him. After these things they rose up together and joined the head of the saint to his body, and it united with it as if it had never been severed at all. And they took the napkin which one of them had on him and wrapped his holy body smeared with blood in it; and they found a new sepulchre near to them outside the city, and they laid the body of the holy man in it until it was morning, and they sat outside the door. And it came to pass on the morrow that they rose up, and went into the city and bought incense and linen; and they brought them and put them around the body of Saint George; and they found that the head had joined on to the body [p. 238] as if he were alive and there was no mark of the sword stroke upon it at all. And the servants marvelled greatly, and believed with all their heart that God had received him to Himself, and that everything which He had promised him while he was alive should in truth be done for him. Then they spread incense over him, and carefully prepared him for burial according to the custom of the country, and they buried him in a sepulchre, and sealed it with seals, and they set Pasikrates outside to watch it. And the two other servants went into the city to labour for their living, and to obtain money wherewith to carry the body of the saint with them to their country. And it came to pass that after they had worked for two months the Lord sent to them there a merchant ship from Joppa laden with merchandise: and when they had sold the cargo the servants of Saint George spake with the sailors, and they agreed with them for a price to take them and the body of Saint George on board; and by the help of God they came to Joppa. When the sailors and the merchant heard that it was the body of Saint George of Melitene of Diospolis who had gone into the country of the Persians, they marvelled greatly at the manner of his martyrdom; and they all arose and worshipped him, and glorified God that they were esteemed worthy of carrying Saint George in their ship. And one of the sailors, Leontius of Jopaa, an acquaintance of Saint George, brought horses and laid the body upon them, and carried it into Saint George's own house [at Diospolis]; and when he arrived there he found Saint George's mother and sisters had gone to their rest. [p. 239] Then the report spread abroad that they had brought the body of Saint George who had been martyred, and whom they had not seen for the past seven years, into the house, and because they were Christians they threw themselves down and worshipped him, weeping and marvelling at the things which had taken place; and again they rejoiced and glorified God that they were worthy of such a gift. Then Pasikrates and the two other servants whose names were Lukios and Kirinneos told the people of the city everything that had happened to their master, and they all marvelled. And they laid the body of Saint George in his house for a week, and they all came and worshipped it. When the great day of the festival came they all assembled in the church, and the martyrdom of Saint George was read to all the believers, and they marvelled at him and especially at all that had happened to him, and they glorified God and His holy martyr. And behold when a certain wealthy nobleman of the city called Andrew, who was of the family of Saint George's mother, heard his martyrdom read, God opened his heart and he listened attentively to the passage [in the martyrdom] which says, "And the Lord appeared unto him, saying, I swear to thee by Myself that no harm shall befall any man who shall confess thy sufferings, for I know that he is flesh and blood. No evil shall happen to any man who is in any necessity whatsoever, whether he be in peril by fearful judgements, or by many waters, or on the mountains, or in any affliction, if he remembers My name and the name of My Father which is in heaven, and the Holy Spirit, and My servant George, and I will deliver him out of every trouble. I will write in the Book of Life the name [p. 240] of any one who shall write down thy martyrdom and thy mighty deeds, and shall manifest forth thy day and the sufferings which thou hast endured in My name. I will never allow to want any good thing in this world during his whole life, the man who shall make a book on thy sufferings and place it in faith in thy shrine; he shall be numbered with my saints. I am the Lord God, and that which I have said will I do. I will take into My kingdom whoever shall build a shrine in thy name, and I will never forsake him. I will cause mighty miracles to take place wheresoever thy body shall be laid; I will make the nations of the earth come to thy shrine and bring thee gifts; and I will gather together to thy shrine all the heathen of the earth, Jews, Samaritans, Persians, the children of Esau and even the barbarians, and they shall bring thee gifts."

When the believing and truly God-loving man Andrew heard of all these cures with which God would benefit the people through him, he received great joy like Jacob when he saw the face of his son Joseph the ruler in Egypt, and he rose up quickly and wrote down his martyrdom and put it in his house, saying, "I will set the memorial of my brother in my house, that his blessing and favour may abide with me forever." And he cried out among the whole multitude, saying, "My brethren, as we have suffered great tribulation for the sake of our brother who was slain with the sword, let us now rejoice exceedingly that he has received great honour in heaven, and verily, because he has thus received freedom of speech before God, he is able to entreat God on our behalf that He may show mercy and help to us in this world and in that which is to come. And now, my brethren, hearken unto me, and let us build a little shrine to his name, and let [p. 241] us lay his body in it, that his blessing and favour may abide with us forever." Then all the people answered with one voice, "Let be done what thou hast said. If thou wilt undertake the matter, we will undertake with thee, that the blessing of the saint may be with us and with our children, and that his blessing may abide in our city forever." And it came to pass that when he heard these things he rejoiced. And he rose up early in the morning, and brought his servants and labourers and the servants of Saint George, and he pulled down the walls and the dwelling of Saint George, and said, "I will not lay my brother's body in strange ground," and the rest of the people of the city helped him and laboured at the holy place. And he deposited the body of Saint George in the church, until they had cleared the ground and could bring it back again. And it came to pass that when they had cleared the place they laid the foundations, and he marked out with straw where the walls should be according to the size of the little shrine, and he built it as well as he could (i.e. according to his means).

The first miracle of Saint George

Now the first miracle which Saint George wrought was in respect of the building of the shrine in which they were to lay his body, in the peace of God, Amen. And it came to pass [p. 242] that Andrew, who had set himself to build the martyrium of Saint George, was lying on his bed one night and thinking within himself, saying, "I have erred in beginning this building, especially as up to this present I see no man who will help me; and I know not whether I can finish it or not. If I do not finish it, men will laugh at me, saying, "This man began to build, and was not able to finish", even as our Savior said." And while he was meditating these things in his heart upon his bed, slumber overtook him and he slept. And behold Saint George appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Andrew, Andrew, knowest thou me ?" and he said, "What is it, master ?" Saint George said to him, "Knowest thou not who I am ?" and Andrew said, "No." When Andrew knew him in his dream, he was astonished, and rose up and cast himself down at his feet and worshipped him, saying, "Art thou alive, O George, my master ?" Saint George said to him, "Thanks be to God, my body is with you, but I live in God by the Holy Spirit. And now I see that thou art downhearted about the shrine which thou hast undertaken to build in my name, in which to lay my body, and I have come to thee to show thee a little wealth belonging to my ancestors out of which thou may payest for the shrine. Be of good cheer, and be not faint of heart, for I will put it into the hearts of the people of this city to help thee. Arise and follow me and I will show thee a place in the room of my house, which thou hast pulled down, wherein thou didst lay my body before thou didst take it into the church." Then Andrew, in his dream, rose up, and followed him. And Saint George took him into the room of his house, and showed him the place and set a mark on it with his finger, [p. 243] and said to him, "Rise up early in the morning and come here, and dig down into this place one cubit, and thou shalt find the blessing which God hath set apart for thee." And when Andrew woke up from his vision he roused his wife, and told her everything which he had seen in his vision, and they marvelled greatly. His wife said to him, "Rise up now this very night, and let us light a lamp, and go to the place of which he told thee, and thou wilt see if we find the mark or not. If we find the mark as thou hast seen in thy vision, then of a certainty it is Saint George who has appeared to thee, and we may in truth believe that we shall find the money even as he hath shown thee." So they two arose, and lit a lamp which the woman carried, and Andrew took a spade in his hand and went to that place at midnight, and when he looked upon the ground he found the mark which the saint had made with his finger in the vision; and Andrew and his wife marvelled greatly, and believed with all their hearts that it was Saint George who had made it. Then the valiant Andrew bound a napkin round his loins, and took the spade in his hand and dug into the earth, and when he had gone down a little way he found a jar having its mouth sealed up with clay (?), and he dug it up and found it untouched. And Andrew and his wife threw themselves upon their faces, and worshipped God and Saint George; and they arose and lifted it up, and carried it into their house, glorfying God. And they made the light to burn brightly, and went into their storehouse that no one in the house might know of their matter, and the woman lighted him with the lamp while he uncovered the jar, [p. 244] which he found to be filled to the top with gold; and they arose and threw themselves upon their faces, and worshipped God and Saint George for the great favour that he had wrought for them. And the man brought out a measure of two hins of gold wherewith he might complete the building of the shrine, and he buried the remainder again, and kept it hid in his house. Now when the morning had come he wished to give a feast to all the city in the name of Saint George, saying within himself, "It is right to give the first-fruits to the Lord;" and he made a great feast for all the poor and infirm and widows and orphans in the city, and he stood up and ministered unto them and rejoiced with them all. And on the morrow he invited all the nobles of the city, and made another great feast for them in the name of Saint George, and he sat at meat with them, and rejoiced with them, because of the blessing which the Lord had vouchsafed to him. While they were eating he arose, and spake with them saying, "Since God hath put it into your hearts to help me, let each one of you give a little, according to his means, that we in our generation may do this great blessing which God hath considered our city worthy of, and build the martyrium of Saint George in our city." And they all answered him with one voice, saying, "We tell thee that we will act according to our power, and, by the will of God we will come to thee, and that which each one of us will find, according to his power, he shall bring to thee." And they all, from the least to the greatest did so each one according to his power, and they counted what came in in the name of Saint George and they found two thousand pounds in gold and one thousand silver satheri. After these [p. 245] things he came to the place where the shrine was to be built to the name of Saint George, and they laid the foundations in the name of God and of Saint George, and they built it well in three years; and they brought the holy martyr into the martyrium; and they brought the holy Bishop of Jerusalem andhe consecrated the shrine. And what a number of miracles took place then ! and what a multitude of unclean spirits came forth in the name of Saint George the holy martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ !

The second miracle of the holy martyr Saint George

And it came to pass when the holy Bishop had consecrated the shrine of Saint George and was bringing up the holy offering, a man came in who had an unclean spirit from his youth, and it used to bring him down to the ground, and inflict sufferings upon him and make him writhe and foam at the mouth; now this man came and stood among the congregation wishing to be blessed with the multitude. And it came to pass that when the Bishop pronounced the trisagion the spirit brought [p. 246] the man down upon the ground and made him writhe and foam at the mouth; then he rose up and stood before the multitude, and cried out, saying, "What hast thou to do with me, O saint of God ? I know who thou art, and that thou art not able to cast me forth from this man, for I am a lunatic, and thou hast no dominion over me, O George." And he began to blaspheme God and Saint George. And Saint George inflicted sufferings upon him and brought him to a pillar. Then Saint George tied his hands behind him, and dragged him up the pillar with his hands tied behind his back, until his head was on a level with the top of the pillar. And all who saw him marvelled and said, "We never saw anyone like this, for behold, his back, with his hands tied behind it, clung to the pillar without fastenings of rope, and his feet did not touch the ground, and he was dragged up the side of the pillar twice without any one touching him, and we have never seen such a miracle as this wrought by any of the martyrs." Now it was Saint George who held the body of the man to torture him, and every one who saw him marvelled at him, and glorified God and Saint George the valiant martyr of our Lord Jesus Christ. After these things Saint George set him free, and he fell down senseless to the ground from the top of the pillar, so that everyone said, "He is dead". And when the salutation of peace had been given they pressed round about him, and marvelled at him, for he was as one dead. And a certain man who had never walked, but was lame from his mother's womb, and who sat begging at the door of the shrine, came in at that moment with the multitude, crawling upon his hands and knees and dragging his feet after him. And he crawled in among the feet of the people until he came to the [p. 247] man who was possessed of a devil. And the man who was possessed of a devil put out his hand and took hold of the neck of the lame man and drew it to him, wishing to take it in his hand, and his legs gave a loud crack and became straight immediately. Then the people took away his neck out of the hands of him that was possessed of a devil, wishing to set him free, and said, "Go forth and depart," and he rose and stood up trembling, and his legs gained strength, and he went forth and departed. And those who knew him ran out after him, but no one could catch him until he came outside the courtyard of the shrine. Then the bishop commanded them to bring him, and the man who was possessed of a devil said, "Forgive me, O holy father, and I will tell thee what I have seen. From my youth up I have been possessed of a devil until to-day, but I never saw him with my eyes except to-day, when, as he was coming to me, I saw fire before me, and I was frightened and fell down on the ground, and I knew nothing until the devil had gone out from me. When the people came to lift me up, it came to pass that [the devil] came to me when I was senseless, and I saw Saint George come in by the altar, and he took hold of my hands and comforted me., and I then saw before my eyes that devil before me in the form of a man, and Saint George inflicted great sufferings uon him. And he took him and dragged him up to the top of the pillar, and he inflicted sufferings upon him, and at last the devil cried out with a loud noise, and swore an oath saying, "I will go out of this man and never return to him again." Then I saw Saint George take hold of him, and lift him up to the top of the pillar, and throw him down upon the [p. 248] pavement, and the devil uttered a loud cry through his nostrils, and came out, and departed. And I knew that I was relieved in my body, and I fell asleep and slumbered, and saw nothing until this lame man looked upon me. When I opened my eyes I saw Saint George holding my hands, and embracing the neack of the lame man, and he beckoned to me, saying, "Hold him tightly." And I held his neck and pulled, and Saint George held his legs and pulled, and his legs gave forth a loud noise; and Saint George let go his legs and beckoned to me to let go his neck, and the man rose up and went away running; and Saint George went up to heaven, and I looke after him." When the Bishop and the multitude who were standing round about him heard these things, they marvelled with a great astonishment, and glorified God and Saint George, saying, "Great are the mighty deeds and favours which God works through him." And the men who were healed became servants of the shrine of Saint George, and served him there day and night until the day of their death. And multitudes of men and women and children who were sick with divers diseases, and fevers, and burnings, and unclean spirits, were healed that day in the shrine of Saint George in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The third miracle of Saint George the holy martyr of Jesus Christ

And it came to pass that when the holy Bishop went into Jerusalem with all those that were with him, they spake of the signs and miracles which had happened through Saint George in the midst of the people. And behold a certain Jew, who [p. 249] was a sorcerer and a thief, and who made men fall asleep by his enchantments while he stole their goods, heard of the mighty deeds and miracles which Saint George wrought, but believed them not. And he said to the multitudes, "The Christians err in praying to this earthly being like ourselves, saying, "Help us, and heal our sicknesses;"" and many Christians strove with this man often, but he continued his great blasphemies after this manner. Now a certain feeble-hearted Christian heard him, and he was very angry and he rose up to contend with him, saying, "God will not allow thee to despise His holy martyr thus, and the saint will revenge himself upon thee and blot thee out;" and they cursed each other with many curses. After these things the Jews answered and said, "Come now and lay a wager with me, I will go into the shrine, and will plunder it and bring out its possessions here without any one knowing it, and I will see what George will do to me." The Christian answered and said, "Lay a wager with me for three pounds in gold. If thou carriest off anything from the shrine of Saint George and bringest it here, we will go into the shrine and make enquiries that we may know of a truth if thou hast carried off anything from the shrine. Then if thou work a month without any evil befalling thee, I will believe thee and will give thee three pounds in gold; but if thou art not able to steal anything from the shrine, and some evil befall thee, thou shalt give me three pounds in gold, and shalt become a Christian." So the matter was thus arranged between them, and they procured witnesses. Then the man who was a sorcerer arose and went into the shrine, and stole some things, and he came out while all were sleeping, and no one knew of the theft; and when he had come outside of the outer door of the shrine, he spake within himself, saying, "Be ashamed [p. 250] now, O Saint George, together with the man who laid a wager with me." And he took counsel with himself as he went along, saying, "I will sell these things for much money, and I will demand the three pounds in gold from the Christian, and I will make him forsake his faith and deny his baptism, and I will see what this dead man George will do unto me." Now as he was pondering these things going along, behold the valiant martyr Saint George came to him in the guise of a soldier, holding a large ox-hide leather whip in his hand, and he said to the man, "My brother, what art thou carrying ? show me." And the Jew was astonished and said, "Friend, I will hide nothing from thee. I have stolen a few things, and since God has led thee across my path, come, take thy portion with me that thou mayest tell no man." Saint George said to him, "Since it is thus, come, let us go into the shrine and divide the thing between us as thou sayest." When he had come to the door of the shrine, Saint George gave him a blow on the head with the whip, saying, "Dost thou know who I am ?" And the thief said to him, "Nay master, I am dead, I am dead, I know not who thou art." Saint George said to him, "I am George;" and when the thief heard this he trembled and fell down upon the ground. Then Saint George took hold of him and dragged him along saying, "Why sayest thou, "I am dead, I am dead", when thou art not dead ? and now come hither and I will make thee to know who I am." Then Saint George bound him in the shrine, and tied the things which he had stolen to him, and suspended him from a beam at the height of three cubits from the ground, and he gave him severe lashes with the whip which he held in hand. O what a number of miracles took place at that time ! and O what a number of cries did the thief utter ! And all those who were asleep woke [p. 251] up, and arose, and came to him wondering what had taken place. And they asked one another, saying, "Who has suspended this man ?" and they said, "Who could have reached up as far as this from the ground ?" and the thief confessed what he had done, and told every one what had hasppened to him. And they marvelled and said, "Let us fetch a ladder and let him down", but the steward answered, "As God liveth, no one shall let him down until he that suspended him lets him down;" so they left him tied up thus until it was morning, that everyone might see him. And the thief confessed that he had laid a wager with a Christian in Jersusalem, and he cried out, "O George my master, have mercy upon me and I will never put forth my hand to steal again from any man from this hour, but I will henceforth become a Christian, and I will never return to the working of magic as of old;" and he wept the whole of the day, being suspended from the beam, until the morning came and everyone saw him. When Saint George saw the fixedness of his intention, he had compassion upon him, and he came in the night and let him down; and the thief gave the things that he had stolen to the steward. And it came to pass that on the morrow he wrote a letter and sent it by the hands of a servant of the shrine to his wife and relatives in Jerusalem, and told them what had happened to him. He wished moreover to become a Christian, but shame would not allow him to enter Jerusalem. When his relatives had received and read the letter, they marvelled at the mighty things which had happened through Saint George. And when the Christian who had laid a wager with him heard it, he rejoiced greatly, and went and announced in all Jerusalem what had happeneed to the Jew in the shrine of Saint George; and all who heard glorified God. And his wife and children and all his [p. 252] neighbours and a multitude of Jews arose and came to him, and he told them everything that had happened to him, and they all feared greatly, and were baptized on that day in the shrine of Saint George in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost; and they glorified God for ever.

The fourth miracle of Saint George the holy martyr

Now the name of Saint George and the report that he wrought mighty deeds and signs, and miracles, and cures, and that he cast out devils spread abroad everywhere. And there was a certain man in the land of the Persians, called Nicanor, who was ruler over a third part of the Persians, and he had a son called Anatolius, whose body and face were covered in leprosy. And when he heard of the mighty deeds and miracles which God wrought by the hand of Saint George, he cried out with a cry, saying, "If God and Saint George heal the leprosy on the face of my son, I will dedicate a hundred pounds of gold to the shrine of Saint George and I and all my house will become Christians." and it came to pass that when he had thus vowed he rose up on the morning of the morrow and the face of his son was healed, and there was no trace of leprosy in it. When Nicanor the ruler of the Persians saw this great miracle which had taken place in his son, he rose up and took the gifts which he had vowed, and much money, and Anatolius his son and his brethren and the multitudes of Persians who came with him, and they rose up and embarked in ships and came to the shrine of Saint George, and they washed his son in the bath and anointed [p. 253] him with the oil in the lamp, and his whole body was healed straightway. And he made his gift, and was baptized with those who were with him in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and they glorified God and Saint George for the favour which had happened to them. And it came to pass that when they came to their own land they built a large church, and called it by the name of Saint George; and they sent to Antioch and brought the God-loving Bishop, and he consecrated the church in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost and Saint George. And a multitude of Persians received holy baptism on that day, men, women, and children. When many of them that were sick saw the young man that had been healed of his leprosy in the shrine of Saint George, they believed, and went into the shrine, and were healed straightway; and they glorified God and Saint George for ever.

The fifth miracle of Saint George the holy martyr

Now there were two Samaritans who were partners in business, and they wanted to buy one hundred pounds worth of merchandise. And they rose up and saddled their asses, and took their money with them, and they mounted them wishing to go into Damascus to buy their merchandise. And while they were travelling along the road and were talking with each other about the mighty deeds and miracles which Saint George wrought, the night fell upon them. And it came to pass that while they were talking and were yet two or three miles from the town, behold there came forth against them out of the wood, two hungry, roaring and ravening lions, as it is written, "He maketh darkness, and it is night in which all the beasts of the earth go about. [p. 253] The young lions roar and raven and seek their food." When the asses saw the wild beasts which were coming out against them, they ran away terror-stricken, and the men fell down off them half dead with fright. And the wild beasts stood still near the men wishing to devour them, but they did not pursue the animals, neither did they come up to the men; and they stood still near them and glared(?) upon them. Then the men spake with one another, saying, "If God and Saint George deliver us from themouths of these wild beasts we will give this hundred pounds in gold to Daint George's shrine, and become Christians." And it came to pass that when they had thus vowed their vow to God, that the Good God, who desires the salvation of all men, and who made the lions to be at peace with Daniel the prophet, inclined the hearts of these two lions, and they bowed down their heads, and turned into the woods and departed. And the men whose minds had thus been quieted knew that it was Saint George who had vouchsafed to them this gift, and they glorified God and His holy martyr. When they had gone along the road a little they found their asses grazing and unharmed, and they got upon them and came into the town; and they spake with each other and with the people of everything which had happened to them. And every one who heard marvelled at the mighty deeds and miracles of Saint George; and the men of the city spake to them, saying, "These wild beasts have destroyed several men, and multitudes of animals of this district, but glory be to Saint George who hath delivered you from this wrath." After these things the two merchants took counsel with each other, saying, "What we have vowed to the shrine of Saint George let us [p. 255] perform as a thanksgiving to the glory of God, and let us become Christians in very truth and not turn back. And as we have come so far let us go into Damascus, and buy our merchandise, that we may make a little profit wherewith to make a requital." When they had come to Damascus they saw some precious stones called diamonds which they bought for one hundred pounds in gold; and when they came into Jerusalem they sold them for two hundred pounds in gold before they reached their native city in Samaria. Then the men spake with each other saying, "Thanks be to God that Saint George hath considered us worthy of this great favour." And it came to pass that when they had come into their city they told their kinsfolk and all the people of the mighty deeds and miracles which God had done to them. And they arose and took the hundred pounds in gold which they had vowed to give to the shrine of Saint George, and they proclaimed throughout the city, saying, "Let him that loveth God come into the shrine of Saint George with us;" and numbers of men and women in Samaria came forth with them. When they had come into the holy shrine they gave in theirgift and saw the mighty miracles, and the many cures of the sick, and the many devils which were cast out, and they all rose up and received baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And one hundred and fifty-three souls became Christians that day in the shrine of Saint George in the peace of God, Amen. [p. 256]
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Part 2 of 2

The sixth miracle of Saint George the holy martyr of Jesus Christ

Now there was a certain Christian in Jerusalem whose name was Zogrator, and he had a son who was a lunatic, and he himself was gouty; and the man was very rich, and had much wealth in gold and silver and many herds of cattle. And it came to pass that when he heard of the mighty deeds and miracles of Saint George, he vowed a vow, saying, "If God and Saint George heal my feet and legs of this disease, I will give in return to his shrine, three meals and three pints of wine, every month. And if I can walk freely with my feet and can go alonfg upon them by the twenty-third day of Pharmuthi, which is his great day, I will walk upon my legs to his shrine and will give one hundred pounds of gold to it." And when he had thus vowed, his legs became smaller(?) little by little, and his body became easier, and at the end of the appointed days he walked, and went into his house and into the church, and he prayed to God, saying, "I thank thee, O God of Saint George," and after two days his whole body was healed." When the day of the holy martyr, which is the twenty-third of Pharmuthi, drew near, he made ready everything which he would take with him, and his servants came to him, saying, "What animal shall we make ready for thee to ride ?" Zogrator answered and said, "As God liveth, I will walk on my legs from Jerusalem to the shrine of Saint George the holy martyr." Then they arose and went to the shrine of Saint George, and they found so great multitudes gathered together there marvelling at the mighty deeds and graces of healing which [p. 257] had taken place through Saint George, that Zogrator marvelled when he saw the mighty miracles and the healings which took place through Saint George, and he gave his gift to the shrine readily. And it came to pass that when the steward saw the marvellously greeat gifts which Zogrator gave, he took him into his house for two months, and he ate and drank with him joyfully. On the third day, by the good favour of God, the son of Zogrator arose and came to learn what had happened to his father, for he and those who had gone with him to the festival had not returned. Now Zogrator was within, talking to the steward of his son, saying, "I have a son possessed of an exceeding wicked devil who inflicts such great sufferings upon him that it has been said many times, "It would be better for him to be dead rather than live and suffer such tortures as these." If God and Saint George heal him by this time next year, I will bring him to thee, and I will come hither to thee and will give greater gifts than these to his shrine." The steward said to him, "Dost thou believe that God is able to do everything ?" [and Zogrator answered] "I believe that the saints receive everything which they ask for, and that nothing is too hard for them [to do] in God's name. Moreover, it is written in the gospel of John, "Whosoever believeth on me shall himself do greater works than these that I do." And it came to pass that while they were talking to one another, behold the son of Zogrator and a number of servants came up riding upon horses, and stood by the door of the shrine, and he enquired for his father and [p. 258] found that he was with the steward; and he came to his father, and they spake with one another. And while they were talking with one another, behold the devil came into the boy suddenly, and tare him for a long time, and he foamed at the mouth, and the devil rose up and cried out with a loud voice, saying, What hast thou to do with me, O George ? and why dost thou trouble me so much ? By Hercules, I am a lunatic, and no one shall cast me out." And he uttered great blasphemies, saying, "By Hercules, thou shalt not cast me out, O George." Then Saint George smote him with severe smitings, and again the devil cried out loud cries, saying, "O George, thou makest me suffer," and he sware mighty oaths, saying, "If thou wilt allow me to come forth I will never return to him again." And when the devil had cast him down in the midst he came out from him and never returned to him again; thus he was healed immediately. When Zogrator saw that the devil had come out of his son, he gave many thanks to the shrine of Saint George, and returned thanks to God. And he came to the shrine every year on Saint George's day, and made a great feast to the poor and the widows and the orphans, and his son stood by them with joy; and they glorified God and Saint George until the day of his death.

The seventh miracle of Saint George the holy martyr

And it came to pass that when the servants of the shrine of Saint George had increased, the steward made them go out to collect and [p. 259] gather in the first-fruits and gifts which were given to the holy shrine of Saint George. Moreover, many people in the country vowed and dedicated thewir sons and daughters and cattle to the shrine of Saint George, because of the mighty deeds and miracles which he wrought, and many barren women bore children after they had vowed cattle to the shrine. Whenever, too, a storm broke upon many ships at sea, so that they were suddenly in great danger, and the sailors cried out to God and Saint George, saying, "Help us," straightway the help of God strengthened them speedily and saved their ship until they arrived in haven. And much cattle which had been vowed, but had not been given by their masters to Saint George's shrine, went of their own accord until they came and entered into the shrine. But why should I mention the beasts which went of their own accord into the shrine, and omit the mighty miracles of soulless pieces of wood, and stones, and books, and pieces of gold which travelled through the air like birds until they came into the shrine of Saint George by the help of the living God ? if a ship were in danger and pieces of wood, or writings, or pieces of gold, and other things were cast out of it into the sea in faith in the name of Saint George, they would travel of their own accord through the air, untl they came into the shrine. Now many people believed in the mighty deeds and the many miracles but a few did not. And one of the servants of the shrine rose up and stole some of the property of the shrine, and took it into his house, and the holy martyr bore with him until the end of five years, saying, "Peradventure he will repent of his sins, and [p. 260] I will forgive him;" but he did not cease to steal, and he acted in this wise: everything that was given to him to take to the shrine, he took home to his wife like Judas, who when he stole from the Saviour out of the bag, took home to his wicked wife everything which had been given to the Saviour, Who put it into the bag in the hands of Judas; even so did the servant steal and give to his wicked wife. It was on account of his wife that great temptation came upon Judas, and made him hang himself, for when God had set them apart for apostleship, all the Apostles, except Judas, forsook their houses, and wives, and children, and followed after the Son of the living God. Judas alone did not follow after his God, but lived with his wife, and was impure with her, and for this reason the devil found a resting place within him until he made him an alien from God. And thus shall it happen to all who hgearken unto their wicked wives until they make them aliens from God who created them. Now this man who was a servant of the shrine of Saint George and to whom things were given as to all his other fellow servants, used to take them into his house, and did not cease to steal the property of the shrine. After these things the holy martyr put a very wicked devil in him, and inflicted great sufferings upon him day and night. And the devil brought him into the church and spake from within him, saying, "I have taken much property [p. 261] of the shrine into my house, go ye into it, and ye will find it there;" and they went and found it there. And after he had suffered thus for two monthsSaint George had compassion upon him, and healed him, and the steward cast him forth from the shrine; and all who heard of it glorified God and Saint George.

The eighth miracle of Saint George the holy martyr

There was a certain rich man in Antioch whose name was Eulogios; and he had a ship which went to sea, and he was occupied in great business. And he was a kind man, and gave great charities to the poor and the infirm, and he gave gifts and first-fruits to every church in his city Antioch, and he made a great feast to all the clergy of his city twice a year, and he ate and drank frequently woth the Archbishop, and prayed to God always; moreover, he visited the prisons, and was very rich. And he frequented the shrine of Saint George, and went there on the great day of his festival, which is the twenty-third of Pharmuthi, and he prayed there, and gave money to the shrine, and he ate and drank with the steward, and returned to his house in peace. And it came to pass that when he had done thus for twelve years, the devl, who is the enemy of every one that believes on Christ, was envious of him because of the kind deeds which he wrought, and raised up a great black darkness on the sea, and a storm. Now the ship of Eulogius was keeping close [p. 262] to the shore, for the saolors feared to put out to sea lest it should be destroyed under them, and they rose up and brought the merchandise and all their necessary clothing to land; and they passed the whole night sorrowfully while the wind carried awy the ship, and they knew not where it had gone. When the morning had come, they tired themselves out in seeking for the ship of Eulogios, but they found it not, and they came and told him everything that had happened; and he and his wife wept and were sorrowful. After these things they thanked God, saying, "God's will be done, blessed be His name for ever. If He wishes to be merciful to us we will build another ship like unto this;" and saying these things to each other, they comforted themselves in God, and were strong in the property which they still had. But behold the devil raised up for them a greater trial than this. Now there was a certain Egyptian who was a very skilful thief, and when he was sought after to be put to death, he rose up and fled, and came down to the sea, and by Satan's luck he found a ship about to sail to Antioch, and he went on board, and came thither, and lived in the house of Eulogios. After he had been there a few days he became a labourer for two years, and knew everything that was in the house of Eulogios, who knew not that he was a thief, but trusted him. And the thief found two other transgressors like unto himself and made companions of them, as the Scripture saith, "Every man cleaveth to him that is like unto him," and they took counsel together to rob the house of Eulogios. And it came to pass that when the day of the martyr drew near, that is to say, the twenty-third of Pharmuthi, Eulogios and many other people with [p. 263] him made ready to go to the shrine. And it came to pass that while they were there, the mother-in-law of Eulogios fell sick, and, according to the will of God, died; and his wife and her kinsfolk went to weep for her leaving the Egyptian alone in the house. Then he rose up and went quickly with his companions to the house, and took them in with him, and they ate and drank, and spent the whole day in robbing the house of Eulogios. And they carried off the gold and silver and all the other valuable things, and finding an Alexandrian ship they embarked, and came to Alexandria; and they set out all the property of Eulgios in the market, and sold it for much money, and the share of each one amounted to three thousand pounds in gold. And it came to pass that when Eulogios came back from the shrine of Saint George, he found his wife and kinsfolk sorrowing; and they told him what had happened, and he grieved for many days. After these things he took consolation in God and glorified Him, saying, "God's will be don." Meanwhile those who had stolen his property went into Egypt to Peremoun, and lived there; and one of them fell sick (?), and became possessed of a devil, and went away, and no one knew whither he had gone. After a few days there was anger between the remaining two, and they quarrelled with each other, and at midnight the Egyptian rose up, and took a sword, and slew his insensible companion, and took all the gold and went to the country of Palestine where he toiled in business, and ate and drank with the money of Eulogios a long [p. 264] time. And Eulogios, the true Christian and his wife Euphemia, true to God, did not relax their offerings, and first-fruits, and charities on festival days which they had been wont to give to the poor and the sick; and they did not cease their offerings, but continued them as formerly. And he gave awy that which he had laid by, and when that had come to an end, he spent everything that he had. When the day of the martyr drew nigh, Eulogios spake with his wife, saying, "Behold all the people of the city are going to the shrine of Saint George, but we have no income this year to give; behold, O God, may Saint George look upon our affliction." His God-loving wife answered and said meekly to him, "I know, brother, that we have nothing, and that thee is none to lend us anything, for we are poor, but behold, I have two garments, take this good one and sell it for money, that our offering to the sgrine may not cease." When Eulogios heard these things his eyes filled with tears and they both wept. And again Eulogios spake with his wife concerning the cost and carrying out of the journey. The blessed Euphemia answered and said, "O good brother, rise up and go to thy neighbours, perchance God will cause them to have compassion upon thee and to lend thee the money wherewith thou shalt be able to supply thy wants and to go to the shrine in peace. If they will not lend theee money, then give this garment to the people who are going to the shrine, and God's will be done." And Eulogios hearkened to her, and rose up and went to a neighbour of his, and said to him, "I want to speak with thee on a certain matter;" and he replied, "Speak, beloved brother." Eulogios said to him, "Behold the day of Saint George [p. 265] draweth nigh, and I do not wish to cease this year from giving the little gift which I am accustomed to give to his shrine; but behold I have nothing at all this year to give, for thou knowest all that has happened to me. And now, neighbour, perhaps I may borrow some money from thee until God show me a way in which I can work and make it up." And while Eulogios was speaking, his neighbour's eyes filled with tears, and he said to him, "O good brother, why sayest thou such things as these to me who have been thy servant until this day ? and why speakest thou such things as these to me about money ? As God liveth, hadst thou asked me for ten pounds in gold I would have given them to thee that I might obtain the blessing of the martyr. But behold now, I have here three pounds in gold, take them, and if thou needest more I will give it to thee." And Eulogios took them and brought them to his wife, saying, "I believe on God and Saint George, and if we cast all our care upon God, he will have mercy upon us again." His wife said to him, "God hath set apart the money for thee." And he said, "Thanks be to God and His holy martyr, for when I went to such and such a man and told him everything, he said to me, "If thou art in need of more, come hither to me, and I will give thee what thou needest;" and she rejoiced greatly, and thanked God. Then Eulogios rose up and embarked with those who were with him, to go to the shrine of Saint George. And behold the man who had stolen the property of Eulogios meditated within hinself, saying, "I know that I have sinned from my youth up, without counting the great sin which I committed when I [p. 266] rose up against my neighbour and slew him craftily, and I shall suffer everlasting punishment for the sake of the things belonging to other people. Behold now the day of the martyr draweth nigh, I will arise and go to his shrine, and will pray there and make a small offering that peradventure he may receive me favourably before God, and show mercy to my miserable soul." And it came to pass that when Eulogios came to the shrine of Saint George he with those who were with him, prayed; and they came to the steward and handed in their gifts to him. And the steward knew Eulogios from his being accustomed to come to the shrine year by year, and he ate and drank with him. When it was morning they came into the shrine and prayed, and they stood up until the service was ended, and Eulogios and his fellow citizens came out and walked to the market place. And behold the Egyptian who had robbed the house of Eulogios came in through the door of the shrine dressed in the dress of Eulogios with the money tied up in it; and they knew him immediately and ran upon him and laid hold of him, for he wished to flee away. Then they bound him and carried him to the steward, who said to him, "What hast thou done with the things thou hast stolen ?" and he said, "I have stolen nothing. O my master Eulogios, thou knowest that I served thee for two years, and that I never stole anything from thy house; and this dress (?) is one which I bought in the market." The steward said to him, "If thou wilt come in with me to the altar of Saint George, and wilt swear to me in the name of God and Saint George, saying, "I have not stolen", thou shalt depart." And the thief was glad that he was going to escape, and he cried out, saying, "I will swear wherever thou pleasest, [p. 267] and in whatever manner thou pleasest;" and the steward took him [in] that he might take the oath. and the steward said, "...... this man chooseth death rather than life. For I say unto you that when a man takes an oath it is received in the presence of God before he cam smite the earth thrice with his foot. As for me, Saint George has already told me in a dream during the past night, saying, "They will bring to thee tomorrow a man who has stolen what belongs to me, do not let him go, but punish him until he gives up to thee everything that he has stolen"; but I did not understand the vision until this moment." And he commanded two new whips to be brought to him, and when they were brought they beat the Egyptian with many stripes; bu the thief kept his mouth shut and did not speak at all. Then the steward took an oath, saying, "Thou shalt either be beaten with these whips until thou shalt die, or thou shalt restore the things thou hast stolen." And he commanded them to strip his clothes off him, and to beat him with many stripes; and when they had taken off his clothes they found money inside. They said unto him, "What are these ?" and he cried out, saying, Master, I have sinned," and he admitted [his theft] before the multitude in the shrine of Saint George, and confessed everything that had happened to him; and when they had beaten him with many stripes they cast him into a dungeon, and they left him without food and water to die. When Eulogios had received the money he gave sixty pounds in gold to the shrine, and made a great feast to the poor and the sick, and he rejoiced, and thanked God and Saint George who worked mighty deed and miracles. Now the money which they had [p. 268] found with the thief amounted to more than five thousand pounds in gold. After these things Eulogios besought the steward and the man was set free, and Eulogios gave him three pounds in gold and the dress which he had worn, and sent him away in peace. When the man saw the compassion of Eulogios and the mighty deeds and miracles of Saint George, how that he had told the steward [about him] in a dream, he gave the three pounds of gold to thes hrine of Saint George, and ministered unto the sick until the day of his death; and Saint George received himfavourably and forgave him his sins.

After these things Saint George appeared to Eulogios by night, and said to him, "God hath heard thy prayer and hath accepted thy alms, saying, "I know of thy charity to the poor and the sick, and I will show mercy unto thee in this world and in that which is to come." when thou shalt wish to return to thy house thou shalt find another ship, greater than thine which was lost, laden with stores and wood; take it to thy city that thou mayest build a shrine in my name, and I will bless thee, and thou shalt lack no good thing during thy life." And it came to pass that when it was light Eulogios told the people everything that Saint George had told him during the night, and they marvelled greatly; and they embarked in their ship and sailed to Antioch. And behold Saint George brought the ship of Eulogios to meet them laden with cypress wood and many good things. And Eulogios and those that were with him knew it, and they rose up and went up into it rejoicing, and they brought the ship to Antioch, and told the whole city; and when the people heard it they glorified God and Saint George. Then Eulogios gave great charities to the poor and the sick and the orphans on the day of Saint George, and his prayers and offerings and first-fruits continued in the church always. And he built a glorious shrine in the name of Saint George the holy martyr, and he and his wife and children ministered therin [p. 269] until the day of his death. And Saint George received him favourably before God, who made him a partaker in the heavenly Jersusalem, the place which he desired greatly, and he kept the festival with all the saints.

The ninth miracle of Saint George

And it came to pass during the reign of Diocletian the lawless idolater who destroyed the whole earth, that there was a certain general under his authority whose name was Euchios; and he was savage in appearance and of an exceeding wicked disposition. And the emperor Diocletian appointed him three thousand soldiers, and sent them into Egypt to overthrow the churches and to build temples to polluted idols in every place. When this man had come into the country of Egypt he appointed governors in every city and counts and dukes, and commanded them to bind all the Christians throughout their dominions; and he inflicted great punishments and fearful tortures upon them, and finally cut off their heads with the sword; and they became martyrs and died for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And he sent an edict throughout the whole land of Egypt, and all the churches were overthrown, and temples of idols were built, and devils worshipped in them.

After all these things it came to pass that the Good God remembered all the evil which the impious emperor Diocletian had wrought, and the innocent blood of the saints, the holy martyrs which he had poured out. And when his end drew nigh, he called to Euchios the general, and said to him, "I know that thou art a prudent man, and that thou dost perform the decrees and commands of the emperors. Rise up now and take soldiers and the edict of the emperor to help thee, and depart quickly into Syria of Palestine, and go first to the shrine of him that is called George, and overthrow it to its very foundations. For I cannot bear to bear to hear tell of the mighty deeds of magic which are [p. 270} wrought in the name of him whose head Dadianus the Persian cut off several years ago. And the Christians have built a shrine to his name, and they perform mighty deeds and signs by works of magic so that his name may be magnified in all the land, and many people have forsaken the glorious gods and follow after the mighty deeds of that man, and become Christians." So Euchios the general made obeisance to the emperor and took the edict, and the emperor appointed him three thousand soldiers and sent them to Syria and commanded him, saying, "Thou shalt first destroy the shrine of St. George. Then thou shalt pull down all the churches and bind all the Christians and cast them into prison. And thou shalt punish them and inflict fearful sufferings upon them, and thou shalt cut off with the sword the heads of those who will not worship our gods, and shalt spare them not." Then the general took the soldiers with him, and he embarked them in ships and sailed to Syria. When they came to the port of Saint George, they all went quickly into the city with swords, and weapons, and bows and arrows in their hands, and the whole city was disturbed by the multitude of the soldiers. And Euchios, like Holofernes of old who was the chief general of Nebuchadnezzar, went into the shrine of Saint George in great pride holding a staff in his hand, with a [p. 271} multitude of soldiers following after him. When he had come into the shrine and saw the lamp burning to Saint George, one said [to him], "Look at this senseless thing," and he said, "I see the folly of the Christians, and if the god of this people were not blind, the sun would give him light and he would have [no] need of a thousand lamps to give him light." And he took the stick in his hands and smote the lamp, saying, "What is this ?" and the lamp broke and fell in fragments upon him and some of the soldiers; and a little piece of glass stuck in his head without his knowing it, and every part of his body which the oil from the lamp touched became leprous. And he thought that that was all that would happen to him, and said to the soldiers, "Until today we have heard only with our ears that there is a magician in this place, but today we have seen [that there is] with our eyes, for look and see what has happened to my hands and feet;" and the multitude of soldiers round about him marvelled at the power of the holy martyr who had made him leprous. And his head pained him exceedingly and he said to the soldiers, "Let us rest here until the morning;" and he was greatly ashamed because of the multitude of the soldiers round about him. And since all the people of the city were Christians, none of them would take him into their house, for they were angry with him on account of the lamp of the shrine which he had broken; and they went out and left him there. Then he rose up and went forth ashamed, and when he reached the door of the shrine and was coming out, his head became dizzy and he fell headlong on the ground, and his whole body trembled and he was unable to stand. Then the soldiers [p. 272} came round him and carried him into their house, and they ate and drank, but he could taste nothing for his head was suffering great pain. When the evening had come the soldiers went to bed and slept, but Euchios saw a vision in this wise. He saw a soldier whose name was George shoot an arrow into the air, and the arrow stuck in his head, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "George, George," and straightway woke from his slumber. When those who were in the room with him heard the cries they said, "Master, to whom dost thou speak ?" and he was ashamed to tell them his dream, and he kept his mouth shut, not wishing to utter the name of Saint George from his lips at all. When the morning had come he was suffering greatly from the piece of glass in his head, and he cried out with loud cries frightening the soldiers and saying, "Take me up, and let us go into our own country that I may not die in this foreign land." And all the soldiers rose up joyfully, and embarked in ships, and sailed to Antioch greatly ashamed; and the head of the general suppurated and became very putrid, and on the third day God smote him and he died. And after five days his whole body became a mass of worms and very putrid, and the soldiers took him and buried him in the sea. When the soldiers had come into Antioch they showed the emperor everything that had taken place, and they told him of the mighty deeds and miracles which they had seen in the shrine of Saint George. But Diocletian the lawless and hateworthy apostate did not believe these things, for God wished to destroy him by an evil death on account of all the evil deeds he had wrought upon the saints. And he [p. 273] hardened his heart like Pharaoh of old, and said to the soldiers, "Ye have slain this great general of the empire, and ye utter these foul lies, saying that George the Galilean worketh mighty deeds and miracles. Now by our glorious gods, I will go myself to the shrine, and if I find that ye have foully lied I will cut off all your heads with the sword. And I will take an army there with me and will put the whole city to the sword, I will uproot the shrine to its very foundations, and I will make the Christians worship idols in its."

After these things Diocletian arose and gathered together all his army, and prepared ships for them to embark in and sail to Syria: and he made a herald proclaim throughout the whole city, saying, "Prepare yourselves, O soldiers, for we are going to Syria to overthrow the shrine of the arch-sorcerer of the Gaileans." Now while the words were in the emperor's mouth, behold the hly archangel Michael and Saint George came down from heaven and overturned under him the throne upon which he sat, and the golden pomegranates which were on the top of it struck his eyes and crushed in his eye-balls. And he cried out with a loud voice and wept, saying, "Woe is me, O my Lord, woe is me; O Lord God the Good, I have sinned, forgive me, for I have wrought great evil to Thy servants upon earth; O God, forgive me, for I am a sinner." Then the voice of the holy archangel Michael came to him straightway, saying, "There shall be forgivess to thee neither in this world nor in the world to come: and now thy dominion has passed away and is given to Constantine who is more excellent than three thousands of times." And all the multitude of the soldiers and all the senators who were assembled in the royal presence heard the voice of the archangel Michael speaking, and they marvelled at what had [p. 274] suddenly happened from heaven. And they straightway arose and cast him forth from the royal office, and they brought in Constantine in his stead and robed him in royal apparel. And he was a lover of God, a lover of charity, a lover of man, a lover of goodness and of evry person. He went to Church morning and evening every day; he made large assemblies at the Holy Communion, he prayed to God with great earnestness; he gave away large charities and gifts: and he, and his house, and his mother, the God-loving Queen Helena, feared the Lord always, and they praised and blessed and thanked our Lord and God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, through Whom be all glory and adoration and honour for the Father and the Son and Holy vivifying and consubstantial Spirit with Him, now and always and for ever and ever, Amen.
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Part 1 of 3

The Passion of St. George (Part 3)
(Translation From E.A.W. Budge(1888), 274-331)
by David Woods

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The Encomium which the blessed Abba Theodotus, Bishop of Ancyra in Galatia, pronounced on the day of the glorious commemoration - which is the twenty-third of the month Pharmuthi - of Saint George, the martyr of Diospolis of [p. 275] Palestine, the sun of the truth, the star of the morning, the mighty man of the Galileans from Melitene and the valiant soldier of Christ; and he showed forth his family relationships and the mighty conflicts which he endured, and the honours which he received in heaven; in the peace of God, Amen.

It is meet and right and fitting for our souls, O holy beloved, that we should commemorate the sufferings and honourable contests of the saints, and more especially of Saint George the mighty, the most excellent and honourable athlete and warrior - whose festival we celebrate to-day in this glorious commemoration - who has shown himself to us approved by God and loveworthy before men, by reason of the righteous deeds which he displayed, through which he was worthy of being called into the healthful sufferings of Christ and of bearing wounds in his body for Christ's sake. He was perfect in great endurance, and mighty valour, and a pure heart, and in giving up his entire will to God through the great zeal which he had in his heart towards God, and in the fear of Him which he had within him, which bore fruit plentifully to Him a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold. Moreover, he forsook his own will, and the multiplying of his great wealth, and his servants, and all his riches, and hearkened unto the voice of God, and took up his cross, and walked after our Lord Jesus, following after Him with an upright heart. On this account he received so great an honour from Christ that He spake to him with an oath, saying, "Among all the martyrs who have existed there shall not be one like unto thee in heaven, neither shall there be any like unto thee for ever." He burned with the Holy Spirit and [p. 276] performed his daily life witrh zeal that he might be among those that are chosen and that benefit out souls. In short, he performed the whole will of God and put himself beyod the reach of every thought which could offend the soul. He lived in the service of God, and was remote from the vain sights of this life which are like dreams and which pass away quickly like shadows. For this reason he longed for heaven, remembering what the blessed Paul said, "If ye be risen with Christ, seek after the things which are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God," and "Remember the things which are above and not those which are upon earth." Neither his father's rank of Count, nor the high birth of his mother, nor the glory of his soldierhood could overcome the decision of the truly noble and holy Saint George, neither could any one of these lead him astray or seduce him to forsake his piety and firm decision and perfect faith. The grace of God perfected him in every thing concerning which he was anxious, and he feared God who watched over him, and God strengthened him on every side, like a precious stone of admant, that he might never be moved. On this account when the time of persecution came, the heart of the holy Saint George was ready, and when God called him into the holy contest he was prompt to obey. Moreover, he went to the holy contest and marched through it by himself; and when they tortured him he became valiant, and was firm and resisted his enemies. He fought with impious governors and received the crown incorruptible for ever, and an imperial sceptre and royal throne from the true and holy Bridgreoom our Lord jesus Christ. And not only himself, but multitudes of souls received crowns through him during the seven years in which they tortured him. If God in His true knowledge permit us, we hope to make manifest to you in this encomium the exalted honours of Saint George, the valiant athlete and soldier of Christ, the holy and noble man of Melitene. For the subject under discussion weighs upon us and compels us to show you everything truly. My heart rejoices greatly within me [p. 277] this day and urges me to speak more especially in honour of Saint George the great luminary, whose festival is celebrated today throughout the whole world. To him the Lord testified by oath, saying, "I swear by Myself and by my Holy Father, and the Holy Spirit, that among all those born of women there is not one like unto John the Baptist, and that in the whole Army of Martyrs there is not one like unto thee, neither shall there be one like unto thee for ever. For thou shalt be more exalted than they all in the kingdom of heaven, and they all shall call thee, "George the beloved of God the Highest." I am afraid, O my beloved, to begin to speak in honour of this great illuminator and warrior, for I know the poverty of my intellect and the feebleness of my halting speech and that I shall not attain to the measure of his exalted and excellent contest. But I hope and trust that the Lord will send me the rays of the light of that valiant man to illuminate my heart and to quicken my halting tongue, that I may speak a few words in his honour to a Christ-loving congregation. and since the description of the honour of this valiant man, O beloved, is above the conception of every man upon earth, more especially of my humble tongue, I, who desire to speak in honour of holy Saint George, the valiant martyr, need wisdom from the Lord and a celestial tongue that I may not omit anything of the mighty and exalted contests of that noble and valiant man, which he fought before all people through his great endurance and bravery. And also, he is honourworthy for each deed of valour which he wrought with great sufferings and a great number of contests: and if the Lord permit we will set before you a few of them. But meanwhile we will set before you the qualities of which we have spoken of this brave soldier of Christ, Saint George. And what are these qualities ? His upright and unwavering faith in God; his certain hope; his sincere love; his compassion for every one and the whole human race; his gentleness to all creatures, both great [p. 278] and small; his benignity; his goodness; his zeal; his patient endurance of the cares of this life; his good disposition and the joy of his soul; the blamelessness of his heart; his taking his stand at the tribunal boldly; his freedom of speech before the governors, entirely without shame or fear of man, as David the Psalmist said, "I will speak thy testimonies before kings, and will not be ashamed;" his patient endurance of tortures with great joy of heart; and the other sufferings which he bore for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Of these contests we will set forth a few before you, as we promised to do in the beginning of the preface: the contests about which he heard that blessed voice of the Lord, saying, "As My Father has appointed Me a kingdom, so also will I appoint you who stand with Me in My temptation an unending and indestructible kingdom for ever." And again, "Ye shall eat and drink with Me in my kingdom." By reason of the words full of joy and every happiness Saint George was especially ready for the strife: and the remembrance of those good things made suffering light to him. He bore every thing with a ready will, for he was gladly prompt in every thing. Nothing stood in the way of his rigid resolution to suffer, for the sufferings of this world prepared him for the good things of the world to come, and patient endurance prepared for him the crown incorruptiblefor ever in heaven. We have extended our preface until now, O beloved, and have not as yet set forth before you the glorious and marvelworthy sufferings of Saint George the athletic martyr of Christ who warred and fought against impiety. But now we will proclaim to you the things which we have set down, together with those which we shall say after them.

Now it came to pass in times of old that when Dadianus, the great king of the Persians, had obtained sovereignty he ruled over the whole world. Now it is said of this tyrannical governor that he was lord of the whole world, but the true Lord of the world, Who is over all things and Who gave us this dominion was not known. And everyone carried his life in his hand for he [p. 279] knew that the devil, the father of all wickedness, was envious of our race at all times. Now when the devil saw the faith of Christ increasing day by day throughout the whole world, he was filled with great envy, and entered into the heart of that impious governor Dadianus, who was more wicked than anyone else on the whole earth, and who hardened his heart like Pharaoh of old and raised up a great persecution against all Christians. And he sat down and issued an edict to all the world in which was written as follows. "Inasmuch as a rumour has reached my ears that He whom Mary bore, and whom the ravening wolves of Jews slew, is to be worshipped and served by all people, and that Apollo and Poseidon and Hermes and Zeus and Artemis and the rest of the gods are not to be worshipped, I write to you, O all ye governors of the whole world upon whose head rests the authority of empire, that ye may all come to me with your followers, counts, generals, soldiers, tribunes and rustics, that ye may know what I wish to ask of you." And he sent copies of the edict throughout the whole world. And sixty-nine governors, each with his retinue, were gathered together from all parts of the world, and came to him at the end of five years: and when they came to him, the whole country was in an uproar by reason of the greatness of the vast and innumerable multitude of those who were with them.

When that wicked tyrant saw that they threw themselves down at his feet and worshipped him and gave him gifts, his heart was puffed up exceedingly, and he roared like a lion: and he feasted with them for seventy days, and did not sit in judgement at all, for he feasted every day. After seventy days Dadianus, the impious, godless, and senseless governor, (and sixty-nine other governors, making seventy godless governors in all), sat upon the tribune and caused them to bring before him all the instruments of the torture-chamber; the instruments for trial, the iron bars (?), the axes, the two-edged swords, the saws, the wheels, the iron hooks, the scrapers (?) of brass, the brazen cauldrons, the knives for splitting the tongue, the iron hands for splitting the bones, the large knives with saw-like edges, the workmen's [p. 280] chisels into which were fitted sharp pieces of iron, and other instruments of torture which we cannot describe. Now all these had been prepared by the governor for those days. And the tyrannical governor swore an oath before the sixty-nine governors and the whole army, saying, "If my hands find any persons throughout the whole world who are doubtful about serving the gods concerning whom we have given commands, I swear by the might of my kingdom that I will torture them with all these instruments which lie before me, I will smash in their skulls, I will saw off their legs, and I will take out their brains through their nostrils. And as for you, O governors, and everyone who hears me today, go ye all and worship the glorious gods that ye may receive the more honours from my majesty. But as for those who will not obey me and who believe on Jesus Whom the Jews crucified, I swear by the might of my kingdom and the crown upon my head, that I will lave all these instruments in the blood of their own bodies and in the blood of their sons and tender daughters, that I will confiscate all their property, and that I will burn them alive;" and the governors and all the multitude cast themselves down and worshipped the polluted gods. When all those who believed in God heard of this oath they were dismayed and terrorstricken by reason of the storm which had risen up against the church of Christ.

Thus three years passed over the world without any one daring to utter from his lips the words, "I am a Christian;" and there was much tribulation of heart throughout the whole world, and no-one uttered the name of the Lord from his mouth. But listen, O beloved, and I will declare to you what happened after these things, for it is time to lead you to this honourable man and champion of Jesus Christ; this valiant conqueror; this verifiable pearl of God; this new David who destroyed Goliath, which is the devil and his wicked dragon; this sun of truth in the heavens; this [luminary] whose radiance and light illuminated the whole world; this man whose festival is celebrated today throughout the whole world.

Saint George, the beloved of God and His angels, came [p. 281] from the country of Cappadocia and was the son of the governor of Diospolis. His father, an exceedingly orthodox man, died and left the righteous man, then ten years old, and his two sisters, one of whom was called Kasia and the other Mathrona. Now they were exceeding rich in gold and silver; and they had menservants and maidservants in exceeding great numbers, and immense herds of cattle, and fine horses, and countless flocks of sheep. In short, there were none like unto them in all Palestine and its borders, and all the city loved them because of the good deeds which they wrought for everyone.

Shortly after the death of Saint George's father, a new governor was appointed over the country of Palestine in his stead; and he was a great lover of God. And he knew of the rank of the righteous man and of the good birth of his parents, and he had no child except a daughter two years old. When he came into the city with a mighty following, such as befiited his dignity and honour and greatness, he sent and fetched the holy youth, Saint George, and kissed him many times, and wept for the removal of his father by death. And afterwards he entreated his mother to give him Saint George that he might be to him as a son, and that he might appoint him general over all the multitude that was with him; and she gave him. And he sent him to the king with one hundred soldiers, and he wrote to the king concerning him and showed him his rank and the good birth of his parents. When the king had read the letter he rejoiced in Saint George greatly, and immediately appointed him general over five thousand men, and wrote down that he should receive three thousand pieces of money every month besides his taxes for the public treasury which were remitted to him; and the king sent him back to the eparch with much royal pomp.

When Saint George came back to his house, the whole city and the eparch came out to meet him, and they carried him into his house with great joy. On the morrow his mother spread out a feast for the whole city, for rich and poor alike, male and female, small and great; andshe distributed much money among the widows and orphans. Then she invited the eparch and all [p. 282] his company and made a great feast for them three whole days. And the eparch wrote down Saint George as his son and the heir of every thing that he possessed, and he betrothed his daughter to him, and made him lord over all his house: and he was associated with him in the affairs of government, and lived with him until ten years were ended. When Saint George had completed his twentieth year he was so exceeding strong and valiant that he was the leader in the fight, and there was no one among all the company of soldiers who could be compared with him for strength and beauty. and the grace of God was with him, and He gave him such beauty and strength that all those who saw him marvelled at his power and youth. When he went into battle he was a terror to those who saw him and to those who stood up against him, and when he rushed upon the battle array of the enemy [seated upon] his horse, he carried his drawn sword in his hand, and cried out to then, "I am George of Melitene and I come against you in anger;" and straightway the weapons of battle fell from their hands, and he destroyed them all, and carried away their spoil. In short, God was with him in all his ways.

When Saint George had completed his twentieth year, the eparch was anxious that he should celebrate his marriage with his daughter; but he did not know that Christ was keeping him a pure virgin bridegroom for Himself. While the eparch was meditating these things in his heart, he went to his rest in God, and left every thing that he had to Saint George. And the good God wished to lead this very valiant man to Himself that His holy name might be glorified in him, and He made this suitable counsel come into his heart, saying, "Behold, I hear that Dadianus the governor has gathered together a number of governors to him in the city of Tyre in respect of the boundaries of the empire. I will arise and take gifts and money, and will go and give them to them, and will ask them to make me eparch in the place of my fathers who have passed away." So he rose straightway, and took much money and many gifts, and put them in a ship with himself and his servants, and went to the governors.

[p. 283] When the saint had come to them he left his servants in the ship with all the baggage, and came up to the governors at once. And he met the lawless Dadianus, and saw the idols before him and people offering up sacrifices to them with great zeal. And he was stupefied entirely for a long time and said within himself, "Why did I leave my own house and the beauty of a Christ-loving city in which they worship the Lord of heaven and earth by day and night, and come to these profane and lawless ones who have forsaken God and worship Satan ? Why did I seek the rank of count grom the hands of these godless and lawless ones ? Cursed be these polluted lawless governors and their dominion, which shall pass away in a moment, with them ! I know that the Lord will receive me to Himself, and I will not seek a destructible kingdom of this world, but I will seek the kingdom of my Lord Jesus Christ which endureth for ever; and I will not return to my native city to my mother. And now enough of my life in this world, for I will rely upon my Lord Jesus Christ, who endureth for ever, in His goodness to give me strength to die for His holy name, and to take my bones again to myplace of sojourning upon earth, and to lay them in the sepulchre of my dead ancestors." When Saint George had meditated these things in his heart he returned to the ship to his servants, and told them everything that was in his heart. And they entreated him, saying, "Master, if it is to be so let us return to our city with the ship, and let no one know for what purpose we came hither." Saint George said to them, "Far be it from me to return to my house to look upon the face of my mother again, but I will die in this place for the holy name of my Lord Jesus Christ, the king of heaven and earth and that which is beneath the earth, the Lord of all things. And now receive ye your freedom and your wages, and swear to me by God the true Almighty that ye will not return to my house again while I am alive, lest muy mother and my sisters know of my condition, and bring only death upon themselves. But now receive ye your wages and take each one of you three pounds of gold and ten changes of raiment and go wheresoever ye please in the whole [p. 284] world, my city alone excepted. And if ye are alive and hear that I am dead, do me the kindness for Christ's sake to take my body to my native city and bury it." When the servants of the blessed man George had heard these things they wept a long time, but afterwards they saluted him [and went their way]. Now one of them did not return to Diospolis until the holy man consummated his martyrdom, and three of them dwelt with the holy man in the city of Tyre to witness his strife. And the blessed man distributed the great wealth which he had brought among the poor and the infirm, and the gifts which he had brought for the governors he gave awy entirely to the destitute; and he gave away his very clothes to the naked.

Then Saint George leaped among the impious governors and cried out, saying, "I am a Christian openly, and I fear not your madness, O governors of violence, for your gods are devils; may the gods who have not made heaven and earth perish from under the whole heaven and let every one who worships them hold his peace. !" When the dragon of death, the lawless Dadianus, looked upon him and saw that he was refined in body and fair in face as the light of the moon when she shines, and that he was altogether handsome in his form like precious, pur, white, alabaster, he knew straightway that he was well born and that he was the son of an eminent eparch; and he rose up speechless, marvelling at his youth and his gentle answers. And he answered and said to him, "All we upon the earth are filled with all the good things of the gods, and we are very dear to them, and thou thyself art numbered with us in honour and majesty, and by thy noble bearing thou showest that thou art of exceeding high rank. And now be it known to thee, O beloved one, the beauty of whose countenance I love, that during the three years which I and the sixty-nine governors whoom I have gathered together from all parts of the world, have been sitting here, during these three years I say, we have not heard such a word as "Christian" uttered throughout the whole world until this moment. I know in my heart that thou art most noble, and that thou art mighty in thy strength and in the multitude of thy riches; but neither [p. 285] the other governors, nor the multitudes which surround them will regard thee with the same respect. But now, let the matter be manifest to thee, O noble one, it is not only we and the governors that thou hast despised, but thou hast also despised the righteous gods themselves; it is meet therefore for thee to repent, and to be changed in heart, and to worship the gods that they may forgive thee thy first ignorance. As for us and the governors, we will take thee to ourselves as one of our beloved sons, and thou shalt receive from the gods and from us all the greatest honours and imperial rank; and thou shalt be ruler over ten fine cities with their suburbs from whatever part of the world thou shalt choose them." Saint George the truly blessed man answered and said to him, "Cursed art thou, and the lawless governors who are with thee, and the foul idols to which thou givest the name of gods ! they are not gods but devils, perish thou and they together !" And the governor was enraged and said to him, "I spoke to thee as a father speaking to his son, and I advised thee for thine own honour and welfare; and thou hast despised us like a stupid and silly man. But tell me, Whence comest thou ? What is thy name ? What is the name of thy god ? What are the names of thy parents who brought thee into the world ? Why hast thou come hither ?" Now the blessed man did not wish to reveal his name nor the lofty rank of his parents. And the governor and all the other governors said to Saint George, "O beautiful youth, we adjure thee by Jesus Christ, whom thou callest God, to tell us what is thy name, and the name of thy parents, and the name of thy city, if those who begat thee are alive, if thou hast brother or sister, what thou seekest and for what purpose thou hast come to this city ?" Now because they had adjured Saint George by the name of Christ, he declared, saying, "Inasmuch as ye have adjured me by the name of my God I am unable to hide anything from you. I am a Christian, and the son of a Christian, and no one of my family was ever an idolator. My father was Anastasius the governor of Melitene, and was the son of John the chief governor of Cappadocia. When the emperor saw the valour of my father Anastasius, he demanded [p. 286] him from his father John, the governor of Cappadocia, and appointed him governor over Melitene and the whole country of Palestine. My father Anastasius was twenty-five years of age when he received the office of governor, and the emperor gave him a company of three thousand armed soldiers for the maintenance of his authority over the whole country of Palestine. And Anastasius sought out a noble lady, after the superior rank of the people of Melitene, among the great ones of the town, whom he might take to wife in holy wedlock. And they advised him, saying, "In all this city there is no one meet for thy rank and dignity and greatness except Kira Theognosta, the daughter of Dionysius, the count of Diospolis, who is associated with the rule of your majesty, for she is a virgin aged eighteen years, and there is no one [of like rank] in the whole country of Melitene except her father and his house." And Anastasius commanded, and they straightway brought her father Dionysius, and he gave him her dowry - twice her weight in gold - and many presents, and male and female servants. To her he gave raiment and gardens and fields and vineyards which could not be confiscated, and he took her to wife, and he loved her exceedingly so that he forgot Cappadocia and his parents; and he lived in Palestine until God visited him there. When my mother, Kira Theognosta, the noble lady, bore me to him, he called my name George after his father's father. And again my mother bore him my two sisters, the name of the one was Kasia and that of the other Mathrona. My blessed father, Anastasius the governor, went to his rest and left me when I was ten years old; one of my sisters was six years old and the other two. After this another governor whose name was Justus, was appointed in the room of my father, and he took the place of my blessed father to me; he moreover appointed me general over five thousand soldiers, and wrote my name to the king to receive three thousand pieces of money every month, and he knew nothing of what was in his house, except what he ate and drank, for it was I who ruled his possession and his house; and he betrothed me to his daughter that I might take her to wife in happy wedlock. And while he [p. 287] was purposing to carry out our marriage the time of all men came upon him, and he departed from the sojourning of this vain life, and I buried him in the sepulchre of my blessed fathers; may God grant them everlasting rest, Amen ! As for myself, I carried out my military duties satisfactorily, and by the skilful working of my lands and the generosity of my mother, I acquired wealth, and with wealth came honours, and then in a ship of my own I came with my servants to this city to present gifts and offerings to you and the other governors that ye might make me governor in the room of my fathers who have passed away. But when I saw that ye had forsaken the God of heaven and earth who had granted royalty unto you and that ye served Satan, I said in my heart, "Let every kingdom which proceedeth from Satan and his children - which ye are - perish !" And I gave all my gifts and possessions to the lesser brethren of my Lord Jesus Christ, who are more worthy of them than you, and I came to you to chide your folly, for the things which ye worship are not gods, but foul devils. Now, behold, I will inform you of the whole matter, I am a Christian boldly; whatsoever ye desire to do unto me, that do."

When the governors heard from him that he came from Melitene of Cappadocia, and that he was the son of the chief governor, they were afraid. And they spake to him with flattering words, saying, "O youth, we know thy rank and the good birth of thy ancestors, come now, listen to us, and let our advice be acceptable unto thee. Offer sacrifice unto the gods, that thou mayest receive from them not only the office of governor held by thy ancestors, but also the rulership over the whole world which we will give thee. Furthermore, next in order to these governors present, thou shalt appoint whomsoever thou thou pleasest to be counts in every province of the whole world, and they shall be generals and commanders and leaders under thy authority in every place." The just man answered, and said, "This counsel of yours is [p. 288] exceedingly wicked, for it would lead me to destruction with you. And now, O lawless ones, tell me to what god ye desire me to offer sacrifice ?" Dadianus replied, "George, we wish thee to offer sacrifice to Apollo who spread out the heavens." The blessed man answered, "If Apollo had in truth spread out the heavens, thou couldst rightly have called him "God"; and if Poseidon had in truth made fast the earth thou couldst rightly have called him "God" likewise. Art thou not ashamed, O godless, wicked one and dragon of hell, to call this impure and diabolical idol by the name of "God" ? I will now make mention of some of the saints, not for thy sake nor for the sake of the godless governors who are sitting with thee, but for the sake of these multitudes who are here present. To whom, O governor, wouldst thou compare Apollo ? Wouldst thou compare him to the great Peter, the Arch-apostle to whom were given the keys of the kingdom of heaven ? Or wouldst thou compare hoim to the mighty Elijah the Tishbite who was an angel upon earth, and who was taken up to heaven in chariots of fire ? Is he not more excellent than the wicked sorcerer Poseidon ? or Smaraktos (Scamandros ?) the profane who worked enchantment by fire ? and who lived with the defiled one, whom they call Timetia (Demeter ?) who gave birth to the Saraphin the sea warriors, who on account of their deeds were cast into the abyss of the sea ? In whom wouldst thou believe, O king, in Jezebel who slew the prophets, or in the most exalted Virgin Mary who bore us our Lord Jesus Christ ? Be ashamed then, O foolish one, for thy wicked and impure gods are devils."

When Dadianus the governor heard these things he was greatly enraged, and he commanded them to strip off the clothes which he had on and to tie a girdle round his loins and to hang him upon the wooden horse and to torture him until his bones protruded through his skin. Now he was twenty-one years and three months old, and it was on the first day of the new moon of Pharmuthi that they began to torture the righteous man. And his holy body was disfigure with blood; but the blessed man bore such fearful sufferings as these with patience and fortitude. [p. 289] And they forced iron boots upon his feet and drove iron nails into them; and his blood flowed forth like water. And again they threw him upon his back, and laid a stone weighing six hundred pounds (?) upon his belly until it burst asunder and his bowels poured forth upon the ground. And they beat upon his head with iron-headed bars until his brains poured out through his nostrils white like milk. But he was of good cheer in all these sufferings, for Christ strengthened his soul within him. And again they brought iron knives the edges of which were like saws, and they sawed his flesh into threads with them; and Dadianus commaned them to bring salt and strong vinegar, and to pour them upon his wounds. Then he made them lacerate his body with hair bands until his bones protruded, and his flesh fell in pieces on the ground; but the blessed man did not die, for God stengthened his spirit within him. And they threw him upon a wooden bed, and they drove twenty nails through his body into the wooden bed; and they lifted him up senseless, and carried him into the prison. And multitudes of those who were standing by in those days wept for his beauty and his stature and his youth, saying to each other, "Alas for the beauty of this youth from Melitene, and the comeliness of his noble body which the lawless ones are destroying with fearful tortures, such as they have brought upon him this night." And when they had gone to their homes they spake to their wives and children, saying, "Verily we have to-day seen with our eyes in what manner and in what form ........"; and the whole city was talking about him that night.

And it came to pass that an angel of light appeared to him in prison in the middle of the night, and there was a great earthquake and the city was moved to its very foundations. And behold God came into the prison with thousands of his holy angels, and the whole place was filled with exceeding precious incense. And God called to Saint George, saying, "George, my beloved, rise up healed and without corruption, from the couch on which thou sleepest;" and he straightway leaped up without any pain in his body, and he was like one who had risen up [p. 290] from a royal feast. Then he cast himself down and worshipped the Lord, but He took hin by the hand and raised him up, and saluted him lovingly, and laid His hand upon all his body, and filled him with strength, and said to him, "O beloved one, be strong and of good cheer, for I will be with thee until thou hast put to shame these lawless kings. I swear by Myself, O George My beloved, that as there has never arisen among those born of women one greater than John the Baptist, so there shall never be any one among the martyrs that can be compared with thee, or be like unto thee. And behold these seventy lawless kings shall torture thee for seven years, and thou shalt do many mighty deeds, and shalt die three times, and I will raise thee up again: but on the fourth time I will come to thee on a cloud of light with the celestial hosts and the Prophets and the Apostles and the holy Martyrs, and I will bring thee to the place of safe keeping which I have prepared for thee." When the Saviour had said these words to him, He gave him the salutation of peace and filled him full of joy; and He went up to heaven with His angels. And the blessed man was looking after Him and rejoicing greatly and blessing God until day-break by reason of the words which God had spoken to him. When it was morning, the lawless governor and those who were with him commanded that they should go into the prison and see if the righteous man was alive or not. When they opened the door of the prison they saw the saint standing up praying, and his face shone like the sun, and they marvelled greatly and ran and told the governor everything; and they commanded them to bring him up on the tribune. While they were bringing him the saint said, "My God, my God, hasten to me, O my God, why hast thou forsaken me, my God, haste thee to deliver me." When he had come to the tribune, he said, "O tribune, O tribune, I and my Lord Jesus Christ have come to thee and thy Apollo." And when the lawless ones saw him they marvelled, and said to him, "How is it that no harm has come to thee ? and who has healed thee ?" The righteous man said to them, O lawless ones, Ye are not worthy to hear with your orofane ears the name of Him that has healed me." [p. 291] Then Dadianus was furious with rage, and commanded them to tie the saint to four high stakes and to give him four hundred lashes on his back, and after that to turn him round, and to give him four hundred lashes on his belly; and his lacerated flesh fell to the ground piece by piece and his blood ran like water. And Dadianus made them bring hot ashes and lay them on his body, and pour vinegar and naptha over his flesh; and he caused eight soldiers and five military tribunes to watch over him in prison until the next day. Now the fire was kindling in the whole body of the blessed man, and he was in great suffering. And the Lord Jesus Christ saw his sufferings and that he was unable to speak at all, and came down from the summit of heaven and spake with him, saying, "I am strenthening thee, O My beloved George, stand forth from all thy sufferings and be of good cheer, for I am with thee." And the righteous man arose, and God laid His hand upon all his body and healed him, and He gave him the salutation of peace, and went up to heaven in glory and honour; and the blessed man sang psalms in prison until the morning. When the soldiers and the tribunes who were guarding him saw what had happened to the saint and that he was strong they marvelled and told the governors. Dadianus the governor said, "George is an arch-magician, but I will hear no more of him until I can bring an arch-magician more powerful than he." And he straightway sat down and wrote a rescript, saying, "Dadianus the governor writes to the whole world, greeting. Let any magician who has the power to put an end to the magic of the Christians come hither to me, and I will give him one hundred pounds of gold, and two hundred pieces of silver, and every sort of possession, and he shall be second in my kingdom;" and this rescript was read in every place. And behold there appeared before the governor a magician, whose name was Athanasius, saying, "O king, live for ever ! Command this man called George to perform something before thee, and I will destroy his magic." Dadianus rejoiced greatly and said to the magician, "What thing wilt thou do in my prsence that I may know that thou canst overcome the magic of this Christian ?" Athanasius said to the [p. 292] governor, "Command them to bring me an ox;" and he commanded them to bring an ox. And Athanasius spoke some words into the ears of the ox, and he split asunder into two pieces. The governor laghed, and said, "Verily thou art able to vanquish the magic of the Christians." Athanasius said to the governor, "Let tem bring me a pair of scales." And when they had brought them they threw the parts of the ox into the two pans of the scales, and they came out equal to one another. Then Dadianus the governor caused them to bring Saint George to him, and he said to him, "It is for thy sake that I have summoned this arch-magician into my kingdon; thou must either overcome his magic or he will overcome thine." Saint George said to the governor, "The Christian who has taken refuge in Christ never works magic, O impious one." And the saint said to the magician, "Hasten, my son, and what thou desirest to do unto me, do speedily; for I see that the grace of God has drawn nigh unto thee." Then Athanasius took a cup and filled it by his magic, and invoked the powerful names of demons over it, and gave it to Saint George to drink; and when he had drunk it no evil happened to him at all. Athanasius said, "O George, I will give thee another cup, and if no evil happens to thee I myself will believe on thy God." And Athanasius the Magician took the cup and pronounced the names of demons more evil than the first over it, and gave it to the righteous man; and he drank it, and no evil happened to him at all. Then Athanasius threw himself down at the feet of the saint, and said to him, "I conjure thee by Jesus Christ to give me the sign of the cross of Jesus Whom thou servest that He may open to me the kingdom of heaven." When the holy martyr saw his faith, he struck the earth with his foot, and there welled up a stream of water filled with an exceeding precious odour. An the blessed man prayed quietly, and Thomas the Apostle came and baptized Athanasius the magician in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, and he obtained the remission of his sins. And the Apostle gave them the salutation of peace secretly and him himself from them; and straightway the fountain of water returned [p. 293] to its place. When the governor and those that were with him saw what had happened they were silent and marvelled. And Athanasius cried out before the governor, and said, "I am a Christian, and I thank God and his servant George, that He hath numbered me - the workman of the eleveneth hour - among His servants, and I hope that His mercy will receive me through the prayer of George the holy and mighty martyr." And the lawless governors were enraged, and they commanded that Athanasius should be taken outside the city and have his head cut off with the sword: so he consummated his martyrdom on the 23rd of the month Tobi, on the Sabbath day; may his holy blessing be with us all for ever and ever, Amen.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

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Part 2 of 3

And the righteous man turned to the governor, and said to him, "Do unto me whatsoever thou pleasest." The governor answered, "By the gods, O George, I will make an end of thee." And he made them gather together workmen and materials (?) to make an exceeding high wheel, and he made them fix in it one hundred sword blades, each a cubit long, and they filled it entirely with very sharp iron knives, and drove deadly iron spikes and hooks into the flat part of the rim of the wheel. And he caused two flat tables to be made [beneath] the wheel having parts filled with spear heads and nails, and parts filled with cooking knives having edges like saws; and there were two poles of olive wood which fitted into cavities, and twenty men worked each pole [to turn the wheel]. Then Dadianus commaned them to bring the blessed man to him, and when they had brought him, he said, "Behold, George, if thou wilt worship Apollo thou shalt receive a sceptre of royalty from me; but if thou wilt still belong to Christ then look upon this machine which I have made, and into which I will cast thee in order to put thy body to the test, O thou valiant soldier !" The saint said, "I belong to Christ; [p. 294] do unto me whatsoever thou wishest." Then Dadianus commanded them to put him on the wheel and that forty men should make it revolve. When the blessed man saw the instrument of torture which was fixed in the wheel, he feared for himself because he carried flesh which was exceedingly tender; and he said within himself, "I shall not escape with my life this time." Then he straightway spread out his hands and prayed, saying, "I praise Thee, O my Lord Jesus Christ, and I give thanks unto Thee that Thou hast esteemed me worthy of the wonderfulness of healthful sufferings, even as they crucified Thee, my Lord, upon the cross and set Thee between two thieves. And behold they have made a double tearing wheel of torture for me for Thy holy name's sake, O my Lord; Hearken now, O Saviour, to Thy servant George. O thou Being unsurpassed from all time, O Thou unchanging crown of the martyrs, Who hast spread out the heavens like a chamber, Who in wisdom pourest out dew upon all creation when it is parched and dried up; Who hast made the clouds drop down rain upon the earth, on the just and unjust alike; Who hast weighed the mountains and hills in a measure and scales; Who hast rebuked the disobedient, wicked, and lawless ones and hast cast them into th4e lowest and darkest part of Amenti, where they now are in the bondsand fire of Amenti and are tortured by wicked dragons, rebuke, O my God, all these impious ones, , and let nothing stand against Thy command ! O Thou Who in the last days didst appear to us upon earth and didst take flesh through the God-bearer, Mary the Virgin, by an unfathomable and unknowable mystery; the true offspring [of God]; Who didst walk upon the waves of the sea and Whose feet were not wetted by them; Who with fives loaves of bread didst feed five thousand men, and they were satisfied; Who didst rebuke the sea and the waves and they subsided everywhere, and were obedient upon Thee, for all creatiion is Thine; let now Thy mercy come upon us and upon me, Thy servant George, for with Thee there is mercy, and to Thee and to Thy Good Father and to the Holy Spirit belongeth the glory for ever. Amen."

[p. 295] When he had said, "Amen", they threw him on the wheel and he fell down upon the cutting machine, and they dragged him over it once, and he was speedily put an end to; and his bones and his flesh were destroyed. Then the tyrant cried out befor the governors who were round about him, and said, "There is no god save Apollo and Hermes and Zeus and Herakles and Athene and Scamandros and Poseidon; these are they who have established the heavens, who give dominion to kings and who make the mighty to have power upon earth. Where is now St. George's god, whom the magistrates of the Jews slew ? Why has he not come to deliver him out of my hands ?" And Dadianus commanded them to take the fragments of his bones and flesh, and the earth which had drunk his holy blood, and to throw them into a dry, waterless pit; and they piled up dirt over it, saying, "Lest the Christians find a fragment of his body, and work miracles therewith." And Dadianus and the sixty-nine governors arose, and went in to eat, rejoicing that they had overcome their enemy.

Then straightway the whole air became black and the sky was covered with clouds, and there were thunders and lightnings, and the whole earth shook to its foundations. And the holy archangel Michael blew with his trumpet, and the Lord came upon a chariot of the Cherubim with thousands of angels, and stood by the pit. And the Lord said to Michael, "Speak unto this pit, saying, "Give me the blood and the bones and the flesh and the pieces of the righteous man George", for he said, "I shall not escape with my life this time", that he may understand with all his heart that I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;" and Michael laid them before Him. And the Lord took the bones in His hand, saying, "O my son George, the hand which fashioned Adam is now about to fashion thee, my beloved." And He breathed into him and gave him the breath of life; and Saint George arose from the dead; and the Lord embraced him and gave him the salutation of peace, and went up to heaven; and Saint George was looking after Him.

And he arose and came to the lawless governors and the soldiers who had thrown him into the pit, and said to them, [p. 296] "Know, O lawless ones, that I am George whom ye slew and cast into the pit." When the impious Dadianus had considered him, he said to the soldiers, "It is his shade." Magnentius the governor of Armenia said, "It is not his shade, but it is like him." Anatolius the general said to them, "Are ye not ashamed, O godless ones, to hide the truth ? Verily this is George, the servant of the living God, whom my Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, has raised up from the dead; and therefore I, and all the soldiers who march with me, believe on my Lord Jesus Christ." Then the impious Dadianus was enraged and commanded them to take them outside the city, and to divide them into ten parts, and to slay them with the sword. In this manner they consummated their martyrdom on the twenty-third day of the month Mechir, and received their incorruptible crowns. Now there were martyred three thousand soldiers and Anatolius the general and nine thousand people of the multitude who were standing by, male and female, and Saint George stood by comforting them all until they had nobly consummated their martyrdom: may their holy blessing be with us all for ever, Amen.

After these things Dadianus commanded them to throw him on to an iron bed and to fasten him to it by stakes driven through his back. Then he made them fill a brazen vessel with lead and heat it until the lead was as liquid as water, and he made them open the mouth of the Saint and pour it boiling hot into his belly; but no harm happened to him. Then the impious one commanded them to pull the stakes out of his body and to hang him up, head downwards, from the branch of a tree, and to tie a stone to his neck: and he passed ten days and ten nights hanging down until his blood ran out of his nose like water. When ten days had gone by Dadianus the tyrant took him down, and there was a little breath left in him. And he made them lay him upon the ground and hack his body with a sword from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head; and they hacked him to pieces. Then he made them beat his head with hatchets until it split asunder, and they cut off the top of his head and [p. 297] his legs with axes. And he made them bring a large red-hot iron rod and thrust it through his right ear, and some servants came and drove it through his head until it came out on the other side: and they lifted him up like one dead to carry him to the prison. Now the righteous man was in prison, and was suffering great pain by reason of the tortures of his holy body, and at the third hour of the night when the holy man was in agony the Lord Jesus Christ came to him in prison with His holy angels, and the whole prison was full of light. And the Lord said to him, "George, behold, I command thee to arise and stand upon thy feet healed;" and he straightway arose, and he was whole. And the Lord embraced him, and laid His hand upon his whole body, and filled him with comfort, and said to him, "Arise and go to these impious governors and put them and their gods to shame; be of good cheer and fear not, for I am with thee always. And I say unto thee, O beloved George, that there shall be joy in heaven over thy endurance, and the angels shall rejoice over thy good fight. Behold now thou shalt endure the tortures of these impious governors for six years, and shalt die [thrice]; but the third time I Myself will come with My holy angels and will receive thy soul, and will make thee to lie down in the bosom of Abraham and Isaac and Jacobin the Paradise of their joy;" and when the Lord had spoken these things to him, He gave him the salutation of peace and went up to heaven in glory, and Saint George was looking after Him. And he passed the whole night in prayer until the day broke.

When the morning came, the lawless governors commanded them to bring Saint George to the tribune. Magnentius the governor said to him, "O George, I want to see a sign at thy hands, and [if thou do it] verily, by my lord the Sun and by the Moon and by Artemis the Mother of all the gods, I will believe upon thy God, Jesus Christ." [Saint George said to him,] "I know that thou dost never speak the truth, but tell me what thou wouldst ask now." The governor said to him, "Behold there are seventy thrones here [made] of different sorts of wood, of which some bear fruit, and some do not. If these, through [p. 298] thy prayer, bud and put forth roots, and the trees which bear fruit are distinguished from these which do not, I will believe on thy God Jesus." And straightway Saint George bowed his knees and prayed to God. When he had said "Amen", the Spirit came upon the thrones and they budded and put forth roots. Those which bore leaves and fruit, and those which did not bear fruit sprouted with leaves [only]. When Dadianus and the other impious governors had seen what had happened through the righteous man, they were greatly ashamed, and they cried out, saying, "A great god art thou, O Apollo, for thy manifestest thy power in dry wood."

And the lawless governor commanded them to put Saint George upon a brass bed and he made them bring two iron nails, each a cubit long, and make them red hot and drive them through his two shoulders into the bed. Then he made them bring an artificer to split his head open with an iron axe, and he made them pour boiling pitch through the opening until it filled his body and ran out through his mouth(?) and ears and from under him. And immediately the fire kindled in his head and in all his body he became as a dead man. And they drew the nails out of his shoulders and cast him into a brass "ox", and they heated the "ox" which the blessed man was in for three days with vine and cypress wood. And the Lord looked upon the sufferings of the righteous man and came to him upon a cloud, and extinguished the fire under him, and healed all his body; and the brazen "ox" split asunder. And the blessed George came forth like one who had been bathing in a bath, and the Lord embraced him, and filled him with strength, and gave him the salutation of peace, and went up to heaven in glory; and Saint George was looking after him. Then the blessed man stood up before the governors without any blemish upon him. And when the multitude saw what had happened they cried out, "One is the God of George, O Jesus Christ, help us." Then the governors caused the multitude [p. 299] which stood round about them to be beheaded with the sword: thus five thousand souls consummated their martyrdom and received the crown of life on the tenth day of Phamenoth. And the holy man was encouraging them until they consummated their martyrdom in the peace of God, Amen.

After these things the governors commanded them to bring bundles of thick vine stakes which they sharpened with knives, and when they had set the righteous man upon a stone, they stuck them into his holy body, and they gashed his thighs, and stuck them in them. then they pulled out the nails of his hands and feet, and pricked the places with the sticks, moreover the attendants thrust two sharp sticks up his nostrils into his head. Then they rolled him on the stone and the sticks went into his holy body until his blood ran down upon the ground like a stream of water; and the righteous man suffered greatly during this torture. And then he made them fasten him by his back to a plank of wood and put another plank on his belly, and they nailed the two planks together and so held the saint fast between them; and they brought a huge iron saw and sawed him in two from his head to his feet; so he gave up the ghost. And immediately the governors saw he was dead they commanded a large brass cauldron to be brought, and the body of the saint with his blood and all his flesh and anything of it that had adhered to the sticks and the teeth of the saw to be thrown into. Then they threw lead and asphalt and pitch (?) into it until the flames mounted up to a height of more than fifteen cubits. Now the cauldron was placed in a pit dug in the earth to the depth of thirty cubits. And the governors commanded them to pile up earth over the cauldron and the pit to the height of nine cubits, and they built a fortress for the governors over the pit, saying, "That the Christians may not find the least particle of one of his limbs, or they will build a martyrium over it." And when the attendants were going away, behold there was a great trembling in the air, the sun became dark and the stars appeared at mid-day [p. 300]; and the Lord came down from heaven with thousands of angels, and the choirs of the saints, and the twelve Apostles were with them and David the king and all the Prophets. Now the whole place was filed with so great a light that all those coming into the city, and even the impious governors, saw the light which fell full upon their faces. And the Lord came to the place where the cauldron was and commanded the archangel Gabriel to cleave the earth and to bring up the cauldron. then the Lord cried out over the ashes of the bones of the righteous man that were in the cauldron, saying, "George, George, I am the God who raised Lazarus from the dead, and I now command thee to stand up and come forth from the cauldron;" and the righteous man arose straightway and stood up perfect without any defect in him at all. And the Lord embraced him and filled him with power and consolation, saying, "O George, My beloved, be strong and endure; for I have established a throne for thee in the heavenly Jerusalem, the like of which there is not among the thrones of all the martyrs which have been from the beginning; and there shall never be like unto thee among those who are yet to come, O george, My beloved." And all the multitude of the Prophets and of the Apostles came forward and saluted him, and said to him, "Verily, thou art blessed, O George, the beloved of God and His angel and of the Cherubim and the Seraphim, and we glorify ourselves in thee and in thy great endurance, and especially because thyself alone hast confessed the name of God in boldness throughout the whole world and the fulness thereof: for this reason our Savior will confess thee in heaven, and thou shalt dwell in unspeakable glory before the face of the whole creation of heaven and earth." And he was filled with joy, and the Lord gave him the salutation of peace, and He went up to heaven with His angels and all His saints in great honour and glory.

And the blessed man came into the theatre of the city with his face full of light, and he cried out, saying, "O all ye governors, and ye that are with them, O all ye soldiers and every person in this city, come forth all of you and look upon me, for, [p. 301] by the might of God, I am alive. I am the Galilean George from Melitene; I am he whom the godless governors slew and buried in the earth; but my Lord Jesus Christ raised me up from the dead, for He is the God of heaven and earth." When the multitude knew that it was George they cried out, saying, "There is no God in heaven or earth except Jesus Christ the God of George of Melitene."

And a certain woman among the multitude whose name was Scholastike, who saw the miracle which had taken place, believed and cried out to the martyr, saying, "O my Lord George, my son was yoking his ox to plough in the fields when it fell down and died; and now, O my lord, help us, for we are poor." The righteous man said to her, "Take this little stick which I now hold in my hand, and go to the field and lay it upon the ox, saying, "George, the servant of the Lord God says, Rise up, O ox, from the dead";" and she did as Saint George had told her, and the ox lived. And she glorified God, and continued with Saint George.

Now there was a multitude of people standing round Saint George who was teaching them the knowledge of Christ; and they cried out, "One is the God of Saint George the valiant soldier of Christ the King." The governors said to the soldiers, "What are these loud cries which we hear ?" and a soldier said to them, "It is for Saint George who has risen from the dead, and the multitude cried out, believing that his God had raised him from the dead." When the governors heard that George was alive again they were wholly stupefied and feared greatly; and they said to each other, "Perhaps it is not he." The soldiers said, "Behold we will bring him to you that ye may know of a certainty that he is George the soldier." And they brought the saint to the throne with the whole multitude following after him and crying out, "We are Christians boldly;" and they cursed the governors, and were enraged at them. And the governors commanded the soldiers to attack the multitude, and they slew [302] them from the third hour of that day until the tenth hour of the next day; and the number of those who received the crown on that day was eight thousand five hundred souls, and they entered heaven with glory; may their holy blessing be with us all for ever, Amen !

After these things the governors turned to Saint George and said to him, "How didst thou rise from the dead ?" The blessed man said to them, "My Lord Jesus Christ, for whose sake I have suffered all these tortures upon earth, raised me up from the dead." And one of the governors whose name was Raklilos answered and said to the righteous man, "Verily I marvel at thee how thou hast come forth from this cauldron when thou wast fragments, and hadst been buried in the earth. And now thou wouldst desire that I should believe on thy God in respect of the thrones which budded, but we do not know if it was thy God who wrought this miracle on our gods. And behold there is here, a rock sepulchre in which some of the ancients have been buried; now if thou prayest to thy God and He raises them up alive I myself will believe upon him." The blessed George said, "I know that thou wilt not believe except by the fire which shall consume you all, nevertheless for the sake of the multitude standing here I will make manifest the glory of my Lord Jesus Christ. Arise, then, thou and those whom thou wishest, open the tomb and bring hither before this multitude what is therein, that the name of my true king may be made manifest today." Then Rakillos the governor, and Dadianus the governor, and Dionysius the governor of Egypt arose and opened the stone tomb, and brought out the rotten bones of those who were dead. And the governors said to him, "O George, the bones are rotten and have fallen to dust by reason of the length of time [they have been buried]. The righteous man said to them, "Bring hither the dust"; so the three governors made the attendants carry the bones and the dust which they found and bring them and lay them before Saint George. Then the blessed man bowed his [p. 303] knees and prayed to God, and straightway there was a mighty earthquake and lightning and thunders, and the Spirit of God came over the earth and the bones and the dust. And there came forth from the dust five men and nine women and a little child: and great fear came upon the governors and the multitudes who were with them by reason of the miracle which took place, and they were all alike frightened. And the governors cried out to one of those who had reason from the dead, and said to him, "What is thy name ?" He replied, "My name was Boes." The governor said to him, "How many years is it since thou didst die ?" and he that had been dead replied, "Four hundred years." They said to him, "Had Christ come into the world when thou wast alive ?" and he said to him, "Not yet." And the governors said to him, "What god didst thou worship ?" and he said, "I worshipped the god Apollo, a deaf and blind and soulless idol. And it came to pass that when I died they threw me into a river of fire [which flowed along] in the depths of hell and which consumed me mercilessly, and they kept me in its torturing waves for ...... years. And the idol Apolo was in it with me and inflicted great sufferings upon me, saying, "Know, O wretched creature, that I am not God, but a soulless idol. Why didst thou forsake thy God and worship Satan ? For this reason thou shalt now receive everlasting punishment with me." And after a time Jesus the Son of the living God came down into Amenti, and a cross of light went before him, and all Amenti shone with splendour. And He carried away all the captivity of those imprisoned with Him, and when it was the Lord's day, God looked upon the remainder of those who were being punished and gave them rest; but to us who served idols there was never any rest given at any time." When the governors and the multitudes had heard these things they were stupefied. And Dadianus the governor said to him, "By Apollo the mighty god, thy understanding has perished by reason of the strength of him which has passed over thee: come now, thou and thy brethren who have risen from the dead, and worship the great god Apollo." Jovinus answered and said to him, "Curses on thee, O profane [p. 304] dog, and upon thy polluted Apollo with thee." Then he that had risen from the dead threw himself at the feet of the saint, saying, "I beseech thee, O my lord George, the martyr of Jesus Christ, upon whim the armies of God have looked with desire to bring him to themselves in Jerusalem, the city of Christ, to give us all together the seal of Christ and the baptism of Christ; and I beseech thee, O my lord George, to pray for us that we may not return again to that place from which we have come." When the righteous man saw their faith, he stamped on the ground with his foot, and a fountain of exceeding clear water appeared, and they all received baptism in it by the hands of James the holy Apostle, the brother of John, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. And Saint George made them go down into the sepulchre and they returned there; and they were perfect in peace and entered into the Paradise of their joy through the prayer of Saint George.

And after these things the governors said to each other, "What shall we do with this magician ?" and they commanded to bring the saint to the tribune. When they had brought him they said to him, "By thy sorcery thou hast shown us devils in the shape of men;" so they laid him down and beat him with spiked clubs until his blood ran down upon the ground.

Then Dadianus commanded search to be made throughout all the city until they found a poor widow woman whose like for poverty there was not in the whole city; and he made them put the righteous man in her house, saying, "I will disgrace the Galilean race."

. Now when it was morning the blessed George rose up, and found his body healed of its wounds, and the whole house was filled with light. When the soldiers who were with him in the house saw the great light they all fell upon their faces. And the Lord stayed His chariot over the place where the saint was and commanded the archangel Salathiel to minister to the righteous man; and the Lord filled him with strength and went up to heaven in glory. And Saint George took hold of the soldiers and raised them up and comforted them; and he sent them on their way in [p. 305] peace. Then he stood up in the house of the poor widow woman, and said to her, "Give me some bread to eat, for I have eaten nothing for six days." The poor widow answered, "forgive me, master, but I have no bread in my house." Saint George said to her, "What god dost thou belive on ?" The widow woman answered, "I believed on Apollo." The blessed man said to her, "Verily it is for this reason that thou hast no bread in thy house;" and the woman saw that his face was bright and shining like that of an angel of God. Then she said, "I will go and seek after bread for this holy man of God, peradventure I may find favour with my neighbours." When the widow had gone out the righteous man sat down and his face shone brightly, and his back leaned upon a wooden pillar close by him which supported one of the wooden beams that went into the roof of the house of the poor widow. And immediately the back of the righteous man touched the wood it took root, and budded, and forced its way up through the widow's roof, and towered up more than fifteen cubits above the greatest and the highest buildings of the city, and the archangel Michael came to him and brought him a table of food, and the blessed man ate and placed the heavenly bread upon the widow's table, and it was filled with exceeding choice bread; and Michael blessed her house and filled it full of all good things like the palaces of governors. When the woman came in and saw the face of Saint George shining like the sun, and the table filled with bread and all good things, and the pillar of wood that had budded, she said in her heart, "The God of the Galileans has come into my house to the wretched in spirit, and has helped my poverty." And she hastened and threw herself down at the feet of the righteous man and worshipped him, saying, "Master, have mercy upon me." Saint George answered and said to her, "Rise up, for I am not the God of the Galileans, but only his servant." The woman said to him, "If thou art His servant, and I have found favour in thy sight, O Master, let me speak before thee. The saint said to her, "Speak." The woman said, "I have a child nine months old, and he is blind, deaf, and lame, and I am ashamed to show him [p. 306] to my neighbours. His father died and left him when he had been conceived in me four months, and since I gave birth to him I have never allowed my neighbours to see him; if now, O master, thy mercy will help me I will believe upon thy God." The righteous man said to her, "The grace of God shall appear today; bring hither the child to me." And she brought the child from the third story of her house and laid him in St. George's bosom. And he prayed over him and made the sign of the cross over him and over his eyes, and breathed into his face; and the cales fell from his eyes and he saw immediately. His mother said to the saint, "Master, let him hear with his ears and let him walk." The righteous man said to her, "O woman, this is sufficient now; when I call him, he shall hear my voice, and shall walk and perform my words;" and she was unable to answer him a word, for she saw that his face was like that of an angel of God.

Then the seventy lawless governors came out and walked about through the open spaces of the city: and when they saw the tree which, through God and Saint George, towered up fifteen cubits high above the city, they were all astonished together. Dadianus said, "What is this sight which has come to the city today ? and why has this great and lofty tree put forth its leaves here ?" They said to him, "This miracle has happened through George the Galilean;" and the governor commanded to call St. George to him. Then he made eight executioners flog him with four fourfold leather whips until his flesh fell piece by piece upon the ground, and his blood ran through his nostrils like water to the ground; and he made them bring blazing torches and put [them] under his body. And he made them bring a plank of wood and lay him upon it, and they nailed his body to it with seventy nails, and poured sulphur and pitch over it, and then set fire to it and made it blaze; so the righteous man yielded up his spirit; and his bones and his flesh were burned to ashes. Then Dadianus made them take his ashes up to a high mountain called [p. 307] Asurion, and they scattered them on the mountain to the winds. And when the attendants had turned back and were coming to the city, suddenly there were thunders and lightnings and a mighty earthquake so that the earth shook to its foundations. And behold, our Lord Jesus Christ came upon a cloud of light with all His holy angels praising Him; and He commanded the four winds of the earth to gather together the dust of the body of Saint George. And He cried out with a divine voice, saying, "George, My servant and My beloved, rise up from the place where thou liest, for it is I who command thee;" and straightway the blessed man arose like a bridegroom coming forth from his chamber. And the Lord embraced him, and gave him the salutation of peace and went up to heaven in glory.

Then the blessed George ran after the soldiers, saying, "Wait a little for me, O my brethren, that I may come with you to these godless governors." When the soldiers saw him, they feared and marvelled and said with one voice, "O our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art a mighty God; for Thy holy name's sake, O Lord, Thou hast raised up alive again the man who was burnt to ashes which were driven hither and thither by the winds." And they cast themselves down and worshipped Saint George, saying, "Master, give us the seal of Christ." When the blessed George [saw their faith] he commanded and there welled up a fountain of exceeding sweet water, and he prayed, and John the Evangelist came and baptised the ten (or twenty) soldiers; and the Evangelist blessed Saint George and the soldiers and disappeared from them.

Then Saint George and the soldiers came together to the governors, and they cried out, saying, "Be ashamed, O godless governors, for behold Jesus Christ our Lord and God has raised up from the dead George whom ye scattered to the winds, and for this reason we all now believe on Him and are His soldiers." When the governors saw Saint George standing there they marvelled greatly and commanded to take him to prison until they [p. 308] had decided what to do with him. As for the soldiers, they gave Klekon and his three brothers, Lasiri and Dionysius and Joseph, to the wild beasts and they consummated their martyrdom: and they took off the heads [of the others] with the sword, and thus they consummated their martyrdom and received the imperishable crown on the second day of Pashons; may their holy blessing be with us all for evermore, Amen.

After these things the governors commanded them to bring Saint George to them secretly that the multitude might not see that he was alive and despise them. When they had brought him they said to him, "George, we know now that thou art a mighty magician, and that there is no one like unto thee in all the world. But now, accept one hundred pounds of gold and go forth from this city secretly and let no one know it, that thou mayest escape these tortures and sufferings which thou hast suffered." The blessed man answered and said to them, "O filthy dogs, I forsook the great wealth thayt my parents left me, and which amounted to more than twenty thousand pounds of gold and forty thousand pounds of silver, my numberless cattle, my male and female servants, my many horses, my ships, my large vineyards, my olive groves, and my houses beautiful according to the opinion of this vain world; I left all these and my mothers and sistersfor the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, and I endured all these sufferings at your hands for love of Him Whom I will never forsake. And now ye would advise me to take a thousand pounds of gold from you and to deny the God of the Christians, that I might go into the pit of Amenti, like you who are doomed to everlasting fire, and the devil and all his angels, for ever." When the lawless governors heard these things they were greatly enraged and commanded them to bring a shoemaker and his knife, and they cut the skin of his head in pieces; they brought two red-hot nails and drove them into his eyes and they thus dug out his two eyeballs; they tore out his tongue; and they put his feet in wooden fetters and broke his ankle bones [p. 309] with axes. Then they took him up and laid him in prison while there was still a little life in him, and with one accord they went their way together.

And at midnight the Lord came into prison with His holy angels and laid His hand upon his whole body, and healed him and established him. And He said to him, "Be of good cheer, My beloved and holy valorous one, for I, and My Good Father, and the Holy Spirit are with thee, and the day is drawing nigh in which thou shalt receive the sceptre of the kingdom and the seven crowns incorruptoble for ever and ever." When the Lord had said these things to him He embraced him and filled him with might, and He went up to heaven in glory and honour.

When Dadianus the governor rose up on the morrow, he said to the soldiers, "Go ye to the prison, and see what has become of this Christian sorcerer;" and when they had gone into the prison they found the blessed man as if they had not tortured him at all. And they cast themselves down and worshipped him, saying, "We beseech thee, O George, our master, to make us servants of thy mighty God." And he taught them concerning Christ, and through him they were worthy of the gift of holy baptism. Then they all came with Saint George to the governors, saying, "We are Christians and servants of Christ Jesus and God." When the multitudes saw Saint George standing there without any harm having happenred to him, and his face shining like the sun, they cried out, saying, "Verily there is no God in heaven or earth except the God of George, Jesus Christ our Lord and God, and from henceforth we are His."

Then the lawless governors were greatly ashamed and enraged, and they commanded the soldiers to take them outside the city and to behead them with the sword: thus they consummated their martyrdom and received the crown incorruptible for ever and ever on the twenty-fifth day of the month Epiphi. Now they were two thousand four hundred and eight in number, [p. 310] besides the eight soldiers who received baptism: may their holy blessing be with us all for ever, Amen.

Verily, my beloved, if I were to try to describe to you all the sufferings which Saint George the righteous and valiant soldier of Christ endured, time would failme before I had recounted them all, for they are so many. Moreover a man who passed seven years in one place while seventy governors and their armies sat round him and tortured him is quite without parallel in all the world and the borders thereof. Verily I am astonished and I cross myself and I marvel greatly, O brethren, that I can narrate the marvelworthy contests of holy Saint George the great luminary, the beloved of God, the valiant man of Christ, who stood alone in the whole world, and whom none confessed save Christ. Saint George chid all the governors and rulers of the world and manifested that the Lord our strength is the God of every one. O George, my master, by what holy name shall I call thee ? Shall I call thee "Prophet" or "Lawgiver" or shall I say "Apostle" or "Martyr" or "Righteous man" ? In very truth thou art worthy, O beloved of Christ, to be called by all these names, but if I call thee "Prophet" thou excellest the Prophets, and if I call thee "Lawgiver" thou art also more excellent than the Lawgivers. They sawed Isaiah in twain with a wood saw once for the sake of the truth, and he died at once, so likewise with all the saints: but they sawed thee, O george, my master, with a two-edged sword [and they tortured thee] with the wheels, and the two-edged swords, and the axes, and for the truth's sake thou didst die [three] times. Moses the lawgiver saw but a little of the glory of God; but to thee, O george, my master, did God speak mouth to mouth in glory and honour. The Apostles who were twelve and seventy preached in all the world, each in his own country, and rebiked those who served idols and turned them to Christ: but thou, O brilliant star, hast by thyself rebuked the idolaters, and governors with their armies and the whole world, and hast overthrown them with the fire of heaven, and hast made [p. 311] the name of Christ to shine throughout the whole world. Thou art more exalted than all the martyrs together who have manifested forth works, and it is not I who say this biut our Lord Jesus Christ the King of Kings Who testified concerning thee, saying, "O blessed one, as among those born of women there is none like unto John [the Baptist], so among all the martyrs who have been and shall be, there shall never be like unto thee forever. Thou art more exalted than the righteous by reason of thy patient endurance of hungerings and thirstings and imprisonments, and of the tortures which have been inflicted on thy body day and night for seven years and especially by reason of the purity of thy body. And, O Saint George, sun of the truth, verily thou art more exalted than all the patriarchs and judges, and, O beloved of Christ, I beseech thee not to despise the attempt of my feeble intelligence to declare thy exalted honour. Of a truth, I know, O beloved brethren, that neither I, nor the feeble Theodosius, nor those who will come after me, will be able to describe this valiant soldier of Christ by reason of the great torture which he received for seven years at the hands of seventy wild beasts; but, by the will of God, we will go back and complete our encomium that we may show you the end of the holy combat of the truly blessed man Saint George.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

Postby admin » Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:45 am

Part 3 of 3

And it came to pass after these things when the seventy governors saw that they had tortured the saint for seven years without having vanquished his firm resolve; and that they had slain him three times and that he had risen from the dead, they took counsel to take him by flattery: and so they commanded to bring the blessed man up to the tribune. And Dadianus the governor said to him, "George, I swear by my lord the Sun, and the moon, and by all the gods, and by their mother Artemis, that I will receive thee to myself like a beloved son and that I will give thee everything that thou shalt ask, even to the half of my kingdom will I give thee, if only thou wilt listen to me as to a father, and wilt worship Apollo once thou shalt become second in the kingdom." The righteous man answered and said, "Where have these words of thine been until to-day ? Behold [p. 312] thou hast tortured me daily, for seven years, and I have three tines tasted death at thy hands, but my Lord Jesus Christ raised me up, and I escaped from the tortures which thou didst inflict upon me. If my Saviour but preserve my soul within me I will not only die once but thousands of times, and I will never hearken to such words as these. Dost thou know, O king, that the whole that the whole race of the Galileans loves victory ? and that they will fight against those who fight against them ? and behold thy words gladden me this day and thy speech greatly persuades me." When Daianus heard these things he rejoiced greatly, and kissed Saint George upon his head. The blessed man said to the governor, "Stand away from me, and kiss neither me nor my head until I have first worshipped Apollo, and after that do unto me what thou pleasest. And now command them to take me to the prison until to-morrow, and when to-day has gone and the morning has come, let the herald bid every one come to see me worship the gods." Then the governor answered and said to him, "Nay, far be it from me to throw thee into prison, O beloved George, and forgive me for all the sufferings which I have inflicted upon thee, for I was ignorant, and receive me as a father, and come with me into the palace where Queen Alexandra is in her inner chamber." So the governor took him in and put him in the room where the Queen was, and came out to the governors and sat at meat with them.

And when the evening had come Saint George bowed his knees and prayed, saying, "O Lord God, there is none like unto thee among all the gods, thou art the Lord God and there is none that can be compared with thee. Why do the heathen cry out and the peoples imagine vain things ? The governors and the rulers of the earth have gathered together and they speak against God and against his Christ." The Queen answered and said to him, "O George, my master, who are these governors and rulers who are gathered together ? and who is the God Whom they resist ? and Who is his Christ ? teach me, O George, my [p. 313] master." And the blessed man opened his mouth and explained to her the deep questions of the Old and New Scriptures, and thus taught her to know the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. He showed her that it was God who had made the heavens, and the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and all creation, and he showed her that the Lord had made man out of the dust of the earth, saying, "Did not God create him out of the earth ? If He did not, whence did he find bones and sinews, and skin, and eyes, and tongue, and throat, and the senses of hearing, and smelling and the creation of all these works ? Did not God make all these things and man out of a clod of earth ? And He filled him with understanding and wisdom of the true knowledge of God, and placed him in a paradise of joy, and gave him His commandments and His words to keep like a god. But the man was disobedient to his God, and his enemy persuaded him, and he died with him in sin and went down to Amenti with him, but not for ever. When God saw that which He had made in the snares of His adversary, for his goodness' sake He could not bear it, and He sent His beloved Son into the world and by the Holy Spirit He took upon himself flesh of the spotless Virgin and God-bearer, Mary: and she bore as man, God, perfect, in truth, and He was the only man without sin. And they crucified Him upon the cross by His own desire and by the good will of the Father and the Holy Spirit, and He died for us in the flesh that He might redeem us out of the hands of our enemy; and He returned again to His home which is the Paradise of joy. When the adversary, the devil, saw that mankind knew the true Creator, God, he entered into the governors and rulers of the earth and they made idols and called them by the names of images of devils, and they worshipped them and forsook God the most High their Creator." The Queen said to him, "Are not these idols demons, O George, my master, after God ?" The blessed man said to her, "Yes, they are foul demons." The Queen said to him, "O George, my master, the governor Dadianus knoweth no God except Apollo: and now show me how the Son of God came into the world." [p. 314] the blessed man George said, "Hearken unto me, O Queen Alexandra, and hearken unto David who says, "Thou that sittest upon the cherubim show Thyself, lift up Thy strength and come to deliver us." And again David saith, "He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass", that is to say to the Virgin. Listen, O Queen, to Habakkuk the prophet, who said, "O God, I heard the noise of Thee and I was afraid, and I gave attention to Thy words and was speechless;" now the Holy Spirit spake all these things." The Queen said to him, "Master, why did the prophet fear when he heard the voice of God, and why was he speechless when he considered His works ?" The blessed man said to her, "Listen, O Queen. The prophet was afraid because he knew that God would come down from heaven; and he was speechless because he knw that He would dwell with men." The Queen answered and said to him, "Verily thou speakest well, O perfect illuminator; I beseech thee to pray to God for me that He may drive away from me the snares of foul idols." The blessed George said to her, "Believe in the holy and consubstantial Trinity, and no blemish of idols shall in any wise come near to thee." The Queen said, "Master, I believe, but I am afraid of this sinful governor and evil beast, for in truth he devours the flesh of men and is more lawless than any other man living upon the earth. And, O George, my master, keep this secret until I come to thee in the court of Christ the mighty King; leave me now to rest myself a little, O holy father, and God knows that I will cling fast to thee."

When the morning had come, the evil and lawless governor commanded them to bring the blessed man out to him from the palace into the temple of the city. And the governor sent to him, saying, "Haste thee and come forth to me and worship the gods that thou mayest receive great honours from the hands of all the governors; that they may give to thee a kingly sceptre; that my heart may be joyful in thee, O exceeding pleasant and beloved one; and that every one may see thee [sacrifice] before [p. 315] we go in to sit at meat". The blessed man said to him, "Sit thee down with the other governors here until I have sacrificed to the gods, and I will return unto thee." And the herald cried out with a loud voice saying, "Gather together to-day, O all ye people, into the temple that ye may see George the mighty Galilean worship Apollo the great god." And straightway the whole city was gathered together, both men and women and they all marvelled greatly at the blessed George the mighty illuminator, and said to one another, "What has happened to the righteous man ?" When the widow woman [whose son Saint George had healed] heard these things abou the blessed George, she cried out among the whole multitude, saying, "O George, my master, the valiant soldier of Jesus Christ the King, my God, thou who hast wrought thousands of miracles and mighty deeds in this city; who hast raised the dead, given light to the blind, made the lame to walk, the dumb to speak, and the deaf to hear; who hast cleaned the lepers, and cast out devils, and hast been an enlightener of the whole world; O George, my master, who didst make the dried up pieces of wood to bear fruit again; who didst come into my house when I was poor, and I became exceeding rich, and who when I was wandering turned me to God the true Almighty; wilt thou, after all these things which thou has wrought in the name of Christ, worship Apollo the polluted, and put to shame the whole Christian people ?" When Saint George heard her say these things he rejoiced at the firmness of her faith, and he smiled a holy smile at her, and said, "Put thy child down upon the ground," and she put him down. The saint answered and said to the child, "Christ my God says unto thee, "Arise, come to Me and perform My words";" and straightway his ears heard and his legs received strength, and he came to Saint George. And Saint George said to him in presence of all the multitude, "Go into the temple of Apollo and say to Apollo, "O idol, blind, deaf, senseless and foolish one, come forth, for George, the servant of God, called thee";" and the little child [p. 316] went into the temple and spake thus. And straightway the spirit which sojourned in the idol cried out, "O Jesus the Nazarene, Thou drawest every thing to Thee. Why hast Thou now raised up this little boy against me ?" And straightway the idol leaped down from his pedestal and came to the righteous man George. And the saint George said to the idol, "I am not the God of the Christians". The demon said to the saint, "Bear with me a little, O master, and I will show thee every thing;" and Saint George said to him, "Speak". And the spirit said to him, "I am the God of the Hellenes and a demon of darkness, but of old times, master, I was an angel of God. Through my disobedience to God, He commanded, and heaven was shut against me, and I was cast out from it, and became a devil. And I was jealous of mankind, for God took them up to heaven and cast me down into the depths of the eartrh, and therefore I became an adversary of mankind and made them to forsake God and to worship idols that God might cast them down with us into the abyss." Saint George said to him, "O evil and wicked snarer, since thou didst choose darkness of thy own free will, why didst thou become an enemy of God's image ?" The spirit said to him, "I swear by the seven heavens of heaven, and the circle of the sun and the moon, and the orbit of the abyss, if power had been granted to me I would have led thee astray. And I go up to the gates of heaven, and I listen to the sentence of death which comes forth from the mouth of God, and I bring numbers of afflictions upon every soul of mankind; and I bring sleep upon men and women in church that they may not listen to the words of God and deliver themselves from their punishments." Saint George said to him, "O wretched one, thou hast laid hold upon me several times, but by the power of my Lord Jesus Christ thou didst find nothing of thyself in me; and now, O polluted one, receive the punishment which God shall bring upon thee for ever and ever." Then Saint George with his foot smote the earth which opened yawning down to hell, and he said to the spirit, "Go down into the abyss, thou and the idol in which thou sojournest, and give speech unto all the souls that thou hast led [p. 317] astray from God;" and straightway he went down into the abyss before every one, and the earth closed over him.

Then the righteous man loosed his garments, and went into the temple, and made his way to the idol called Herakles, and said to him, "O wicked spirit who inhabitest this temple come forth from it, for I am George, and I have come against thee in wrath;" and straightway all the demons which dwelt in the idols disappeared. And Saint George loosed his shoe latchets and went against the idols upon their pedestals, and they fell down and became as dust, and he trampled upon them all with his feet. When the priests saw the destruction in the temple they rent their clothes, and went to the governors and showed them every thing that had happened. And they were filled with wrath and sent servants to bind Saint George, and they brought him to the governors with a whole multitude of people following after him, all crying out, "We are Christians, and we belong to the God of George." Then Dadianus the governor said to Saint George, O most wicked of all Christians, didst thou not swear to me last night, saying, "I will worship Apollo" ?" The righteous man said to him, "Go, O governor, and bring Apollo to me and I will worship him before thee." And again the blessed man said, "If thou wilt bring Herakles himself here I will worship him before thee". The governor said to him, "Where shall I find Apollo or Herakles, for according to what the priests have told me thou hast smashed Herakles to pieces and hast sent Apollo down into the abyss; and wouldst thou also send me thither alive, O George ?" Saint George said to him, "O senseless one, since thou art persuaded that they were not able to help themselves, how could they deliver thee in the great day of the True Judge when every one shall receive according to what he hath done ?" Then the governor was greatly ashamed, and rose up and went into the palace and said to the Queen, "O Queen Alexandra, I suffer much through this race of Christians, but especially through this magician George." The Queen said to him, "Have I not told thee, O pestilential flesh devourer, to let this race of Christians alone, for the King of Heaven is their [p. 318] God, and He is the God of heaven and earth and will humble thy pride straightway." The lawless governor said to her, "I think, O Queen Alexandra, that the magic of George, who came to thee, has entered into thee." And she said to him, "My Lord Jesus Christ has called me by the holy calling of George." When the lawless governor heard the name of Christ from her mouth, he was greatly enraged, and laid hold of her hair, and came forth to the governors: and he showed her all the sufferings which could be caused by the instruments of torture and brought her to the governors and told them everything she had said. Then the governors commanded to hang her naked upon the wooden horse, but she held her peace, and her eyes looked up to heaven, and she said to Saint George, "O George, my master, pray for me, for I suffer greatly." The righteous man said to her, "Bear patiently for a little, O Queen, that thou mayest receive the incorruptible crown from the hands of my Lord Jesus Christ." The Queen said to him, "Master, what shalt I do, for I have not received Christian baptism ?" The blessed man said to her, "Be of good cheer, for thou shall receive baptism in the fountain of thine own blood by the stroke of the sword;" and they straightway passed the sentence of death upon her, that her head was to be cut off by the sword. And when they took her out to take off her holy head, she cried out, saying, "Behold I have kept open the door of my palace [to Thee], O my Lord Jesus Christ, open to me the paradise of joy, and receive me to Thyself without shame." And when she had said these things they took off her holy head on the fifteenth day of Pharmuthi, and she received her crown incorruptible for ever.

After these things the governors were gathered together to Saint George, and said to him, "Behold, O George, thou hast destroyed the Queen and hast gained an advantage over us." Magnentius the governor said to them, "Let us pass the sentence of death upon him lest he destroy us all." Then Dadianus the governor sat down and wrote the death sentence of the blessed [p. 319] man George, saying, "George of Melitene, the chief of the Galileans, hath set behind his back the decrees of the seventy governors of the whole world, the ministers of the victorious gods; we therefore command that his head be taken off with the sword; and know, O ye peoples, that we are guiltless of his blood;" and the seventy governors signed the sentence of death. And Saint George took his sentence of death in his holy hands, and came forth with gladness, rejoicing greatly. When he came out to the place where he was to consummate his martyrdom, he said to the soldiers, "Brethren, wait a little for me, that I may pray to my God for these seventy lawless governors, who, as ye know, have tortured me for seven years." Now the governors had left the saint and had prepared a feast, and were rejoicing at the death of the blessed man. Then the blessed man looked up to heaven and said, "O my Lord Jesus Christ, who didst make fire come from heaven by the words of Thy servant Elijah the Prophet and devour the two captains of fifty and their hundred soldiers, send down to me, O my God, of that same fire that it may devour these seventy lawless governors." And while the words were yet in his mouth, fire came forth from heaven and devoured the five thousand godless soldiers who served them. Now the soldiers who were with Saint George knew not of the matter until they had taken off his holy head. When the righteous man knew that the fire had devoured the impious ones, he bowed his knees, and prayed, saying, "O my Lord and God, the joy of my soul and spirit, the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, hearken unto Thy servant George this day, and receive me to Thyself in Thy abundant joy. O my Lord, I see standing here a mighty multitude who think to take my body away with them when I shall soon have consummated my martyrdom. Thou knowest, O my Lord, that my body will not suffice for the whole world, but hear me, O Lord, at this present, and grant a favour to my name, that through Thee there may be salvation and help to all the the world; so that Thou, O Jesus Christ our Lord, together with Thy Good Father, and [p. 320] the Holy and Vivifying Spirit, mayest have the glory which is meet for Thee, for ever and ever, Amen." And when he had said, "Amen", the whole firmament was filled with the angels of the Highest, and our Lord Jesus Christ came to him seated upon the Cherubim and Seraphim, and the company of the Prophets and the Apostles, and the martyrs, and all the saints, and all the hosts of heaven were praising Him; and all the soldiers who were with the blessed man slept, and became as dead men. And the Lord said to the blessed George, "Hail, My George ! Hail, beloved of Myself and of My angels ! Hail, champion of the kingdom of heaven ! Blessed art thou this day, O George My beloved, for I have made ready for thee seven crowns of glory in the hands of My Father, and He will place them upon thy head this day. Blessed art thou, O My beloved George, for I have prepared for thee a royal crown set with gold and pearls and I will put it on thy head with My own hands this day. Blessed art thou this day, O My beloved George, for there is prepared for thee a great and exalted throne beautifully set with exceeding fine gold and a true priceless stone, and they will seat thee upon it this day in the highest heavens by the Holy Ghost. Blessed art thou, O My beloved George, for the pearly gates of the tabernacles of light are open to thee, and thou shalt go into the presence of the Holy Trinity and none shall prevent thee. Blessed art thou, O My beloved George, the valiant one, for My Good Father has written thy name upon the chariot of the Holy Trinity, that whosoever shall say, "o God of George, help us, hear us," them thou shalt hear straightway. Blessed art thou, O My beloved George, for thou didst confess My name, and the Good Father, and the Holy Ghost, before the governors of the whole world, and I will confess thee in heaven where thou shalt be in great light. And I say unto thee, O My beloved, that inasmuch as among all mankind and in the whole world there was, for three years, no one able to confess My name, neither elder, nor deacon, nor a lay person, except thyself alone, and thou didst stand up before the seventy governors of the whole world, I swear by My right hand, O My beloved one, that I will [p. 321] establish a covenant with thee that when thou shalt bow thyself upon thy spiritual face in heaven and shalt come with all thy congregation to worship the holy trinity, all the saints shall know thee by reason of the honour which I will show thee, O My beloved, and they all shall know that thou art George the beloved of God, and shall adore thee according to the command of My Good Father. And moreover, behold now My beloved, I have joined thy name to Mine, that it may be a haven of safety throughout the whole world, that every man or woman who shall happen to be in danger by judgements, by executioners, by prisons, by seas, by waters, or in harbours, or by travelling, by attacks, by thieves, by wild beasts, by fire, by lions, by violent death, by any necessity, by a multitude of deep afflictions, or in short by any afflictions whatever that befall the children of men, and they cry up to Me in thy name three times, saying, "O God of George, help us," I will hear them quickly and will fuflfil every thing that they shall ask with their heart. The name of every one who shall build a martyrium in thy name, or who shall cause a book of thy sufferings and thy contests to be placed in a church for reading in thy name, will I write in the Book of Life, and I will cause him to be in the same place with thee in My kingdom forever. Whosoever shall make a gift, or an offering of first-fruits to the church in thy name, or who shall feed the poor in thy name, or the widow on the day of thy glorious commemoration, to him will I give help in this world, and I will make him to enjoy with thee the good things of My kingdom. Whosoever shall clothe one naked person in thy name, him will I clothe with the garments of heaven. Whoever shall burn a lamp in the church in thy name or a little incense, upon him will I make My angels shine when he shall come to Me in joy. Whosoever shall give thy name to his son in faith, his heart will I comfort within him. Whosoever shall receive a stranger in thy name, his sins will I forgive him, and I will receive hin into My kingdom for ever. And I swear to thee by Myself, O George [p. 322] My beloved, as I have already said to thee, so I now say again to thee, that among those born of women there is none like unto John the Baptist, and that among the company of martyrs there shall be none like unto thee, neither among those who have been, nor among those who shall be. And now hasten, My beloved, and fulfil thy dispensation that I may take thee up with Me upon the chariot of the cherubim, and give thee as a gift to My Good Father and the Holy Spirit; and all the angels of heaven will rejoice with thee, for they are awaiting thee. As concerning thy body I will now cause an earthquake to take place that no man among these multitudes may take thy body away with him until thy servants come to carry it away. And behold, I have already taken thy mother, and thy two sisters, and thy bride, who was betrothed to thee, to My kingdom before thee that they might not see thy death in this world, but that they might see thee, and thy father, and thy dear [adopted father], and the great glory which I will give thee in My kingdom; and behold, for thy sake, I have destroyed the lawless governors of the whole world. When thy blood has been poured out upon the ground, the service of idols shall cease, and men shall glorify My name throughout the whole world. I will cause thy kinsman to build a shrine for thee in thy city and to lay thy body in it with honour. And after a short time Satan will stir up a persecution against the churches, and the blood of thousands of martyrs throughout the whole world shall be shed. And when twenty-one years have gone by, the impious governor of that time shall take counsel to destroy thy holy shrine by reason of the mighty deeds which I will work by thee in thy holy shrine. And he will send a general with his soldiers to do this thing, but I will cause thee to destroy him by an exceeding violent death, even as thou hast destroyed these governors, and the persecution shall cease through thee. And I will send thee to destroy that impious governor, and I will seat another in his place according to the command of My Good Father. And he shall build for thee a splendid and beautiful shrine, and he shall glorify thy church; and the whole world shall serve me in freedom for ever. And I will build thee a multitude [p. 323] of shrines throughout the whole world; I will make all the nations of the world to glorify thee; I will make thy name to fill the whole world; I will make a multitude of gifts to thy shrine; and I will make men to celebrate thy festival in the whole world and especially the day of thy commemoration, which is the day of the consummation of thy martyrdom. I will make all creatures upon earth to enjoy this day; and I will crown the fruits of the earth on the day in which thou art crowned; and on the day of the dedication to thee of the first-fruits of the earth, which is the seventh day of Athor, thy name, O My beloved George, My valiant soldier, shall be exalted in heaven and glorious upon earth for ever and ever, Amen." And when the Lord had said these things to him, He filled him with power and joy, and the blessed man rejoiced greatly and exulted, saying, "I thank thee, O my Lord Jesus, that thou hast honoured me more than I deserve;" and the Lord made the sign of the cross over him, and disappeared from his sight. Then the holy man roused the soldiers, saying, "Come, my brethren, and perform that which has been commanded you:" and he straightway stretched out his neck and the soldiers took off his holy head, and there came forth from it blood and milk. And the Lord caused Michael to receive the blood and milk in his garment of light, and the Lord received his soul in to His own hands, and embraced it, and He wrapped it in the purple of the aether and ascended into the heights with it. And the whole firmament was filled with the holy angels and the company of the saints, and they hymned it until the Lord gave it as a gift to His Good Father [p. 324] and the Holy Spirit. And He put upon it a garment of light and an excellent diadem of gold set with precious stones, and there were seven crowns upon the diadem wrethed with the flowers of the tree of life, and the Lord wrote his name with the first-born for ever. And He caused the whole company of heaven and all the bands of the saints to seat him upon a throne and to celebrate a festival with him in the heavenly Jerusalem.

And after these things there were earthquakes and thunders and lightnings and violent rains, and all the people who were standing by and the soldiers fled into the city. But Pasikrates the servant of Saint George stood outside beside the body of his master and wept over him, and there was neither rain nor storm in the place where the body of the saint was, but the whole place was full of light. Then the two servants of Saint George who were in the city, came out to their fellow-servant who was outside weeping by the body of their master, and when they saw that they had taken off his head, they straightway cast themselves down upon him, and worshipped him, and wept; and Apa Pasikrates told them everything that the Lord had said to their master, and they were exceeding glad. And they joined his holy head to his blessed body, and the head clave to it as if it had never been cut off from it; and there was no mark of the sword stroke left on it. And his servants said to one another, "Verily God hath received our master unto Himself, and He will perform for him everything that He hath promised him." Then they took the holy body sprinkled with incense and carried it into the house which they had hired for seven years, and there was no one in it except themselves, and they hid it there. And there was darkness and an earthquake, and the sea rose up over the city wishing to submerge it; and the faithful who had heard the words of the Lord when He spake with the blessed George, cried out, "O God of George, help us in this need;" and straightway the sea went down and the storm ceased, and the sun came forth. And on the morrow the servants of St. George sought after the governors, and when they found that the Lord had destroyed them there was great joy throughout the whole world, and they opened the doors of the churches again everywhere. Then the servants of Saint George bought exceeding fine napkins and very precious incense, and they carefully prepared the body of their lord for burial, and carried it secretly through the city, and laid it in a ship, and brought it to Diospolis together with the account of his sufferings. And they found that the relatives of Saint George had gone to their rest in God. Now there was there a man called Andrew, the brother of St. George's mother, and he received the body of the saint into his house rejoicing greatly. And the whole city was gathered together and they built a shrine to him in St. George's own house, and they sent to Jerusalem and brought the Archbishop, Abba Theodosius, who consecrated it on the seventh day of the month Athor, and they laid his holy remains in it. And on this same day, that is to say, the seventh day of the month Athor, they celebrated the holy sacrifice of the holy body and glorious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; and many signs and miracles took place in the holy shrine of Saint George. And Saint George came down from heaven according to the command of the Lord, and destroyed Euchios the general, and plucked out the eyes of Diocletian, and drove him forth from the palace, and set Constantine the emperor on the throne in his stead. and Constantine opened the churches throughout the whole world. And he went into the shrine of the Church of the Resurrection of our Lord in Jersusalem, and prayed there, and he went into the shrine of Saint George with his mother Helena, and his sister Eudoxia, and Saint George appeared to him by night, and told him what he should do. And he built the holy shrine of Saint George in Diospolis, which formerl was small, and made it beautiful, and it is that in which the many signs and mighty deeds which are written in other [p. 326] books than this took place. And they glorified God and His holy martyr Saint George, who consummated his strife on the twenty-third of the month Pharmuthi at the ninth hour of the day of preparation, and all those who were martyred through Saint George, being twenty-eight thousand six hundred and eighty, and Alexandra the Queen, and they received the incorruptible crown through our Lord Jesus Christ, and they now delight themselves with Saint George in Jerusalem the city of all the saints.

And behold now, [my brethren] we have hitherto only made known to you concerning the sufferings and the honourworthy strife which Saint George the victorious warrior of our Lord Jesus Christ endured patiently; but let us now consider the exalted honours which he received in heaven through our Lord Jesus Christ. Hear then, O beloved, what I the feeble Theodotus, have seen with my own eyes and heard with my own ears.

It came to pass in the time of the God-loving emperor Theodosius of glorious memory that on the first day of his regn he saw a marvellous thing, he saw saint George come from heaven with great glory and the archangel [Michael] with him, and he seated the God-loving emperor Theodosius upon the throne of the Greeks, and his faith within him was strong in Saint George all the time [of his rule]. And when he had reigned twenty years he built a large church to the name of Saint George, and he gathered together all the bishops to the consecration of the church of Saint George, and he sent for all the bishops and even for my feeble self, a weak old man. And when we had consecrated the holy church in the name of God and of Saint George, the precentor (?) sang the psalms in their proper order, and the emperor and his nobles and the whole [p. 327] city were with us. And after the emperor and the whole multitude had sat down, he commanded the martyrdom of Saint George to be read, for that day was the twenty-third of Pharmouthi, and we listened breathlessly. But when the reader came to that place where God testified to Saint George, saying, "There is none like unto thee among all the martyrs, neither shall there be any like unto thee for ever," the subject puzzled me, and I said, "Since so many generals and eparchs and governors of this world have forsaken all the glory of this world, and their rank, and wealth, and have died for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ under the impious and lawless emperor Diocletian, how can this holy martyr be more exalted than they all ? When we had celebrated the Holy Communion and the evening had come, we lighted a lamp for the emperor, and lay down to sleep, and neither the emperor nor any of the others did eat, but he slept with us in the holy church. Now it was the evening of the Lord's day, for the consecration of the church took place on the Sabbath day. And when the night had come and we had, as was meet, performed the office for the night, and had said, "Amen", we sat down to speak of the mightiness of God, and the emperor came with us. And one of our fathers, a bishop, was taken up to heaven in a vision, and he saw most exalted mysteries the which it is not lawful for an earthly being to utter. He said, "I saw that I was standing before the throne of the Father, and I saw thousands of thousands, and myriads of myriads praising the holy Trinity, and coming in bands, and they worshipped God, and glorified Him and blessed Him, and made their requests, and afterwards they stood in rows, and no earthly creature could describe the glory and the great honour which they had received from the Trinity. And I saw one coming forth from within the veil like unto a king wearing a diadem of gold with seven crowns upon it, and he was riding upon a white horse, and he was many [p. 328] times brighter than the sun, and was equipped with sword and armour and the apparel of a king; in short his kingly dignity was immeasurable. And when he came forth a mighty multitude followed him on this side and on that, and I saw all the saints bowing down before him, and when I looked I was speechless, and I wished to know who he was. And I looked on my right hand and I saw a monk standing having wings like an angel of God, and he wore a kingly crown and raiment the like of which there is not among the kingdoms of the world, and he had a golden staff in his right hand, and his face was full of joy, and great glory surrounded him. And I besought him, saying, "My father, I beseech thee to show me who thou art that art in such honour as this." And he embraced me and said to me, "I am Paul of Tamma, and well hast thou come, O shepherd of our true King, our Lord Jesus Christ;" and when he had said these things to me I rejoiced that I had found freedom of speech before him. And I said to him, "O master, my holy father, inasmuch as thou hast deemed me worthy of thy holy salutation, I bessech thee to tell me who is this great king that has just come, to whom all this multitude has bowed the knee ?" Then the blessed man broke into a spiritual smile and he said to me, "Knowest thou not who this is ?" And I said to him, "O father, how should I know who this is since I have never seen him before ?" He answered and said to me, "I have been sent to thee to make thee certain of the things which thou didst ponder over in thy heart yesterday in the church concerning [p. 329] Saint George, the beloved of God, the chosen martyr exalted above all the saints according to the words of our Saviour. The works of every soul which comes forth from the body, whether of righteous men or whether of sinners, are manifested forth on the spiritual tablet and the soul is in its presence always, and its deeds are written upon it. When it pleased my Lord Jesus Christ to take me, His servant, to my rest and to visit me, I came forth from the world, and He esteemed me worthy of His goodness, and He brought me into His city, and I saw this being whom thou hast seen. And he had on this royal diadem with seven crowns above it, and I looked upon it and read the writing which was upon it, which said, "I am George of Melitene, from Diospolis, who died three times for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," and I saw all the saints bowing their knees before him. Now I had endured many sufferings for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and died four times, and I said within myself, "Behold, I am equal to him in honour", and I refrained from bending the knee to him. And straightway, in a moment, He who knows the hearts of all men sent the Archangel Michael to me who said, "O excellent Paul, why hast thou not taken part in the spiritual salutation according to the command of the Almighty ?", and I told him what was in my heart. Then he took me immediately to the holy Apa Noub the confessor, who had been both a monk and a martyr, and he showed him the command of God. The holy confessor said to me, "O Paul my holy father, go and perform the command of God, and say not, I have suffered like the mighty George, for thou, of thine own free will, [didst suffer] greatly; but that just man did for God's sake suffer by axes, by double edged hatchets, by saws, by nails, by fire, by two edged swords, and by the mouths of wild beasts. And I say unto thee, O my beloved one, that when [p. 330] the attendant cometh and sayeth unto thee, "The Lord calleth for thee, come," is not thy going better than seventy years of a monk's life in his cell ?" When I heard these things I changed my mind through the words of the archangel and the holy man and I said, "Forgive me"; and they rejoiced with me, and I went to the holy nartyr of Christ and straightway made obeisance before him. [And the holy man said], "O faithful shepherd of Christ, console thyself, for there is no one like unto thyself among the martyrs who are crowned [except] Saint George himself." And while the holy man (Paul of Tamma) was talking with me, Saint George the soldier of Christ came up to me with his face beaming with rays of light, and he saluted me and filled me with joy and gladness, and said to me, "When thou goest to thy city Ancyra, build thou a temple to me in it, that I may come and dwell with thee, for it will be one hundred and five months before thou shalt come to me in this holy city." When he had said these things to me I rose up straightway from my vision." When the emperor and the twelve bishops saw the radiant face of that bishop they knew that he had seen a revelation, and they entreated him to tell them what he had seen. And he, as his mind came to him, told them all the vision he had seen, and they marvelled greatly, and glorified God and the holy martyr Saint George. And the emperor answered and said, "On the day when God seated me, unworthy though I be, upon the Roman throne, I saw with my sinful eyes, Saint George with glorious visage come from heaven holding a sceptre of gold in his right hand, and the archangel Michael was with him. And I saw a diadem of gold and seven crowns upon his head, and he shone a thousand times brighter than the sun, and he came to me filled with joy, and took hold of me, and seated me upon the imperial throne, and a number of the nobles of the army saw him face to face. And I saw him again in his holy church and he showed me things that would do good to my soul." Now when I (Theodotus) heard these things, I blessed my Lord Jesus and his holy martyrs. After these things that bishop went to his city and buit a beautiful church in the name of God and Saint [p. 331] George, and consecrated it with his own hands before he came out of the body. Now that bishop was one of the three hundred and eighteen bishops that were gathered together in Nicea; and he filled the office of bishop for seventy-five years, and he died in God when he was one hundred and eighteen years old.

Behold now, O beloved brethren, we have told you these things of the great honours which God has vouchsafed to the valiant soldier of strength, the mighty athlete, Saint George, whose festival is celebrated this day throughout all earth and heaven, and of the remainder of his glory and of the mighty and exalted honour he holds in the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of Christ the King. And now O beloved, blessed of God, since we know of a truth that Saint George has drawn nigh to God in this manner and has obtained freedom to enter into the presence of the Holy Trinity at all times and to show favour to every one, let us make ourselves champions, through love, of our poor brethren and strangers; let us love one another, let us keep innocence, and it shall come to pass to all of us, O beloved, that Saint George will, through our Lord Jesus Christ, show favour to us, and have compassion upon us, and forgive us our sins, and bless the gathering together of our people, small and great, old men and young men, and widows and virgins. And, finally, may He bless him that took the charge of preparing this book and of finishing it in true suffering through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be the glory meet for Him and His Good Father, and the Holy, and vivifying, and consubstantial Spirit, (who are) with Him, now and always and to etrnity of all eternities, Amen.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

Postby admin » Thu Oct 19, 2017 4:47 am

The Royal Military Order of Saint George For the Defense of the Faith and the Immaculate Conception (Bavaria)
by Guy Stair Sainty
October 4, 2001

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This foundation was first projected by Maximilian II Emmanuel, Elector of Bavaria (1662-1726), to provide for a means of honoring the nobility and recognizing distinguished military service. It was confirmed in a Papal Bull of March 15, 1728 specifically comparing the Order with the Teutonic Order, which had likewise been transformed from a Crusading Order to an exclusive chivalric religious institution for the Nobility. [1] The decision to found it may have been at least in part the consequence of the failed attempt by the Wittelsbachs to acquire the Grand Magistery of the Constantinian Order of Saint George, which by decision of the Holy See in 1701 was recognized as pertaining to the Farnese. [2] The tradition of loyalty to the patron Saint of Chivalry, Saint George, was also long established in Germany and the various Bavarian Princes who made pilgrimages to the Holy Sepulcher where they were invested as knights in the fifteenth century all made a promise to Saint George. Maximilian's son, the Elector Karl-Albrecht (1697-1745), gave the new Order its title of "Order of the Holy Knight and Martyr Saint George and the Immaculate Conception of the Holy Virgin Mary" and its statutes on March 28, 1729 as a Military Order of Chivalry for Roman Catholic noblemen. By a reform of 1741, a clerical class was introduced, also limited to noblemen, including a Bishop, Provosts, four Deans and Chaplains. The statutes in forty articles dedicate the members to an ardent Christian devotion unparalleled among institutions founded in the eighteenth century, the age of the Enlightenment. They required that the knights "must honor God above all else; You must be strong in faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ, honor your Sovereign Lord, love and respect him and his royal prerogatives" and, replicating the promises made at the Tomb, ..."you must protect virgins, widows and orphans and whenever possible, save the weak from oppression". [3]

In the same year Karl-Albrecht acquired the Crown of Bohemia and, on January 24, 1742 he was elected Emperor as Karl VI, but his rule was short and when he died three years later he was succeeded as Emperor by Francis of Lorraine while the latter's wife, Maria Theresa of Habsburg, inherited the Bohemian and Hungarians Crowns. This branch of the Wittelsbach family became extinct in 1777 and the Bavarian Electorate passed to Karl-Theodor, the senior Prince of the House of Bavaria who had been Elector Palatine since 1743 and now reunited in his person the government of the Palatine and Bavaria, separated for four centuries. Assuming the Grand Magistery of the Order he confirmed its statutes in 1778.

With Karl-Theodor's death in 1799, both Electorates passed collaterally to the next senior Prince (because of the exclusion of several morganatic lines), the Elector Maximilian-Josef (Duke of Zweibrücken) who in 1806 was elevated to the title of King, following substantial alterations in his territories. The new King now found himself ruling a very different state to that ruled by his ancestors, having lost all the Palatinate and instead been compensated with various immediate Bishoprics, principalities and counties adjacent or within the new, enlarged Bavarian state. [4] By the settlements at the Congress of Vienna the Bavarian lands were enlarged further with the absorption of the territories of the former Archbishopric, later Grand Duchy, of Wurzburg, while also recovering some of the former Palatinate estates such as Zweibrücken which were recovered from France. By the time Maximilian I of Bavaria died he was ruling a larger and richer state than any previous individual Wittelsbach Prince.

In reforming the various military and noble Orders, including the several organizations of noble ladies, he confirmed the privileges already enjoyed by the knights of Saint George, giving them precedence after the knights of Saint Hubert. By a new Constitution of 25 February 1827, Maximilian's son and successor, Ludwig I declared that the King (or Head of the Royal House) was always to be Grand Master, the Crown Prince the first Grand Prior and other Princes of the Bavarian Royal House second Grand Priors. These statutes, which have remained largely in force, established six Grand Commanders, twelve hereditary commanders (and by a new constitution of 17 April 1871, honorary commanders), and knights.

The requirements have always been formidable as originally members had to prove thirty two quarterings with thirty-four noble German ancestors, but since the 1871 reforms the requirement has been revised to proof of four hundred years of nobility in each of the four quarters and proof that all thirty-two great-great-great grandparents were noble, still rigidly enforced. They have to be at least twenty-one years of age and before admission (by a formal knighting ceremony) are examined by a committee of knights. Members cannot wear the badge of any foreign Order with that of Saint George without special permission of the Grand Master. There was originally a special "zungen" (langue or tongue) of foreign knights, who could comprise up to one third of the total membership, and did not have to prove German ancestry, but this no longer exists. The last King of Bavaria continued to maintain the Order after abdicating his throne and was succeeded by his son, Crown Prince Rupprecht. The present Grand Master of the Order is His Royal Highness Franz, Duke of Bavaria who succeeded his father, Duke Albrecht in 1996. Unlike all the other noble Orders the rules requiring noble proofs are strictly enforced and there is no category of "honorary" or "grace" knights. The Order is dedicated (since 1869) to the "practice of works of charity, and the establishment of hospitals and similar institutions" and until recently maintained a hundred-bed hospital at Bruckenau. There are about seventy-five members and the Order celebrates its feast days on Saint George's Day (24 April) and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December). The coadjutor Grand Master and first Grand Prior is H.R.H. Duke Max Emmanuel, and the T.R.H.'s Princes Rasso, Wolfgang, Eugen, and Joseph-Clemens are Grand Priors.

The badge of the Order is a pale blue and white enameled gold maltese cross with small gold balls on the point and diagonal lozenges between the arms. The medallion in the center has the image of the Virgin Mary on one side and Saint George slaying the Dragon on the other. It hangs from a lions head trophy suspended from a light and dark blue ribbon with white borders. The star is similar to the Cross but silver instead of white, with a blue and silver alternating lozenges between the arms; in the center is the red cross of Saint George.

_______________

Notes:

[1] Of Pope Benedict XIII.

[2]Brief of 20 April 1701,

[3] 1729 statutes.

[4] The families which lost their sovereign status to Bavaria were: Castell, Esterhazy, Fugger, Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Lobkowicz, Loewenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg, Oettingen, Ortenberg, Ostein, Rechteren-Limpurg, Schönborn, Schwarzenberg, Sinzendorf, Stadio and Thurn und Taxis.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

Postby admin » Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:04 am

Mar Jiryis (Saint George) and the Dragon
Source: J. E. Hanauer, Folk-Lore of the Holy Land: Moslem, Christian, and Jewish (London: The Sheldon Press, 1935), pp. 51-53. First published 1907

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There was once a great city that depended for its water supply upon a fountain without the walls. A great dragon, possessed and moved by Satan himself, took possession of the fountain and refused to allow water to be taken unless, whenever people came to the spring, a youth or maiden was given to him to devour. The people tried again and again to destroy the monster; but though the flower of the city cheerfully went forth against it, its breath was so pestilential that they used to drop down dead before they came within bow-shot.

The terrorized inhabitants were thus obliged to sacrifice their offspring, or die of thirst; till at last all the youth of the place had perished except the king's daughter. So great was the distress of their subjects for want of water that her heart-broken parents could no longer withhold her, and amid the tears of the populace she went out towards the spring, where the dragon lay awaiting her. But just as the noisome monster was going to leap on her, Mar Jiryis appeared, in golden panoply, upon a fine white steed, and spear in hand. Riding full tilt at the dragon, he struck it fair between the eyes and laid it dead. The king, out of gratitude for this unlooked-for succor, gave Mar Jiryis his daughter and half of his kingdom.
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Re: "Saint George": The Pork Salesman Who Became England's P

Postby admin » Thu Oct 19, 2017 5:08 am

Order of the British Empire
by biography.ms

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The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority:

• Knight or Dame Grand Cross (G.B.E.)
• Knight or Dame Commander (K.B.E. or D.B.E.)
• Commander (C.B.E.)
• Officer (O.B.E.)
• Member (M.B.E.)

Only the two highest ranks are knightly. There is also a related British Empire Medal, whose recipients are not members of the Order, but which is affiliated with the Order nonetheless.

The Order's motto is For God and the Empire. It is the most junior of the British orders of chivalry and has more members than any other.

History

King George V founded the Order to fill gaps in the British honours system: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath honoured only senior military officers and civil servants, The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats and the Royal Victorian Order honoured those who had personally served the Royal Family. In particular, King George V wished to honour the many thousands of people who served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War. Originally, the Order included only one division; soon after its foundation, in 1918, it was formally divided into Military and Civil Divisions. The Order has been used to honour not only British citizens, but also citizens of other Commonwealth nations. During the Second World War, the Order of the British Empire was also awarded to senior military officers of allied nations, such as General George S. Patton

Composition

The British Sovereign is the Sovereign of the Order and appoints all other members of the Order (by convention, on the advice of the Government). The next-most senior member is the Grand Master. The current Grand Master is HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Order is limited to 100 Knights and Dames Grand Cross, 845 Knights and Dames Commanders, and 8960 Commanders. There are no limits on the total number of members of the fourth and fifth classes, but no more than 858 Officers and 1464 Members may be appointed per year. Appointments are made on the advice of the governments of the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth nations. By convention, female judges of the High Court of England and Wales are created Dames Commanders after appointment. Male judges, however, are created Knights Bachelor.

Most members belong to the United Kingdom or to Commonwealth nations. Citizens of other countries, however, may be admitted as "honorary members." They do not count towards the numerical limits aforementioned, nor are they addressed as "Sir." (They may be made full members if they subsequently become British citizens.) Notable foreign members of the Order have included Pelé, Bob Geldof, Bill Gates, Rudy Giuliani, Alan Greenspan, Steven Spielberg and Wesley Clark (all Knights Commanders).

At the foundation of the Order, the "Medal of the Order of the British Empire" was instituted. In 1922, it was renamed the "British Empire Medal." Recipients, who are not members of the Order itself, are grouped into the Civil and Military Divisions. Only junior government and military officials are awarded the medal; senior officials are directly appointed to the Order of the British Empire. The United Kingdom's Government has not recommended the awarding of the medal since 1992, though some Commonwealth nations continue the practice.

The Order has six officials: the Prelate, the Dean, the Secretary, the Registrar, the King of Arms and the Usher. The Bishop of London, the most senior bishop in the Church of England, serves as the Order's Prelate. The Dean of St Paul's is ex officio the Dean of the Order. The Order's King of Arms is not a member of the College of Arms, like many other heraldic officers. The Usher of the Order is known as the Gentleman Usher of the Purple Rod; he does not, unlike his Order of the Garter equivalent (the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod), perform any duties related to the House of Lords.

Vestments and accoutrements

Members of the Order wear elaborate costumes on important occasions (such as quadrennial services and coronations), which vary by rank (the designs underwent major changes in 1937):

• The mantle, worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, was originally made of purple satin lined with white silk, but is now made of rose pink satin lined with pearl grey silk. On the left side is a representation of the star (see below).
• The collar, also worn only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross, is made of gold. It consists of six medallions depicting the Royal Arms, alternating with six medallions depicting the Royal and Imperial Cypher of George V ("GRI," which stands for "Georgivs Rex Imperator"). The medallions are linked with gold cables depicting lions and crowns.

At less important occasions, simpler insignia are used:

• The star is an eight-pointed silver star used only by Knights and Dames Grand Cross and Knights and Dames Commanders. It is worn pinned to the left breast. The Star, which varies in size depending on class, bears a crimson circle bearing the motto of the Order. Within the circle, a figure of Britannia was originally shown. Since 1937, however, the effigies of George V and his wife Queen Mary have been shown instead.
• The badge is the only insignia used by all members of the Order. Knights and Dames Grand Cross wear it on a rose pink and pearl grey (until 1937 plain purple) sash, passing from the right shoulder to the left hip. Male Knights Commanders and Commanders wear the badge from a ribbon around the neck; male Officers and Members wear the badge on a chest ribbon; all females (other than Dames Grand Cross) wear it on a bow on the left shoulder. The badge is in the form of a cross patonce, the obverse of which bears the same field the star (that is, either Britannia or George V and Queen Mary); the reverse bears George V's Royal and Imperial Cypher. The size of the badges varies by rank: the higher classes have slightly larger badges. The badges of Knights and Dames Grand Cross, Knights and Dames Commanders and Commanders are pale blue enamelled; those of Officers are gold; those of Members are silver.
• In 1957, it was decided that any individual made a member of the Order for gallantry could wear an emblem of two crossed silver oak leaves on the same riband, ribbon or bow as the badge. Since 1974, however, appointments for gallantry have not been made; instead, a separate Queen's Gallantry Medal has been awarded.
• The British Empire Medal is made of silver. On the obverse is an image of Britannia surrounded by the motto, with the words "For Merituous Service" at the botom; on the reverse is George V's Imperial and Royal Cypher, with the words "Instituted by King George V" at the bottom. The name of the recipient is engraved on the rim.

On certain "collar days" designated by the Sovereign, members attending formal events may wear the Order's collar over their military uniform or evening wear. When collars are worn (either on collar days or on formal occasions such as coronations), the badge is suspended from the collar. Collars are returned upon the death of their owners, but other insignia may be retained.

Chapel

The chapel of the order is in the far eastern end of the crypt of St Paul's Cathedral, but it holds its great services upstairs in the main body of the cathedral. (The Cathedral also serves as the home of the chapel of The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George.) Religious services for the whole Order are held quadrennially; new Knights and Dames Grand Cross are installed at these services. The chapel was dedicated in 1969.

Precedence and privileges

Members of all classes of the Order are assigned positions in the order of precedence. Wives of male members of all classes also feature on the order of precedence, as do sons, daughters and daughters-in-law of Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders; relatives of Ladies of the Order, however, are not assigned any special precedence. (As a general rule, individuals can derive precedence from their fathers or husbands, but not from their mothers or wives.) (See order of precedence in England and Wales for the exact positions.)

Knights Grand Cross and Knights Commanders prefix "Sir," and Dames Grand Cross and Dames Commanders prefix "Dame," to their forenames. Wives of Knights may prefix "Lady" to their surnames, but no equivalent privilege exists for husbands of Dames. Such forms are not used by peers and princes, except when the names of the former are written out in their fullest forms. Furthermore, honorary members and clergymen do not use the accolade of knighthood.

Knights and Dames Grand Cross use the post-nominal "GBE," Knights Commanders "KBE," Dames Commanders "DBE," Commanders "CBE," Officers "OBE" and Members "MBE." The post-nominal for the British Empire Medal is "BEM."

Knights and Dames Grand Cross are also entitled to receive heraldic supporters. They may, furthermore, enircle their arms with a depiction of the circlet (a circle bearing the motto) and the collar; the former is shown either outside or on top of the latter. Knights and Dames Commanders and Commanders may display the circlet, but not the collar, surrounding their arms. The badge is depicted suspended from the collar or circlet.
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