Atkinson, The Passions and the Homilies from Leabhar Breac (1887) — translated from the Irish.

¹ The Passion of George begins.

² “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” In the Spirit [of holiness, one of] the three Persons of the noble Godhead — co-eternal and co-praiseworthy with the Father and with the Son — it is that Spirit who revealed these words through the mouth of the royal prophet, David son of Jesse, saying:

³ “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints”; of whose praise it is said: “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man chosen according to My heart.”

⁴ It is that David who composed thrice fifty psalms in praise of God. The psalm in which this verse is written is sung in the person of Hezekiah the penitent; but allegorically the words of the invincible martyrs are referred to throughout the whole psalm.

⁵ Now one of the words of that psalm which is fitting for the praise of the Lord’s martyrdom is what the prophet says here: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” Truly precious and blessed is the death that imitates the death of Christ; for on account of the great abundance of grace He brought death upon His servants, which death He Himself deigned to assume. O wondrous death that wins for us eternal life! O lovely passing that raises us to the heights! O glorious departure that makes the members of Christ imitators of their Head!

⁶ Many indeed in the Old Testament and in the New Testament went to glorious martyrdom for the Lord’s sake, as went the noble and honourable martyr whose feast and memorial is at this season and this time, namely, Saint George the Martyr. Now the feast and commemoration of George is celebrated at this season, on the eighth of the Kalends of May [24 April], which is a month’s day hence [sic]. It will be related, then, something of the contest and struggle of this martyr — how he overcame the impious warriors of the world, and how he endured martyrdom for the Lord. It is under him that this martyrdom was endured — under the impious commander whose name was Datian. And in that time the commander Datian ruled over the four quarters of the world, and he caused to be proclaimed that all the kings should come into one place.

⁷ When the seventy-two kings had come, the commander Datian sat upon his royal throne, and his kings and his champions with their numberless hosts about him. Then Datian caused every torture to be displayed openly, that all might see them; and this is what he said: “Whoever shall dispute concerning sacrifice to the gods — his tongue shall be cut out, his ears shall be blinded and closed, his cheeks shall be slashed, his teeth shall be struck out of his head, his brains shall be scattered, his jaws broken, his shins and all his limbs shattered.”

⁸ Now many of the Lord’s faithful, when they saw those tortures prepared for them — so great was the number filled with dread — not one of them dared to confess himself a Christian at all. And when the numberless peoples had gathered from every quarter, there came the holy servant and the shining star, George, of Cappadocia by his race. Wonderful though it was that he should come, for he was a mighty captain of a host; and thus he came, with gold and many treasures, to the king.

⁹ Now when George saw the king with his host denying Christ and worshipping demons, then he gave all his gold and treasures to the Lord’s poor; and he cast his mantle from him, saying: “A demon and a devil has blinded this host, so that they know not the Lord.” And he cried with a loud voice in the middle of the people: “O kings, lay aside your strife and your arrogance, for they avail you nothing; and the things you worship are no gods at all, but the works of men’s hands.”

¹⁰ When the commander heard his voice, he was silent, and gazed at him attentively, saying to him: “You, O man — it was not for us you did plead, but for all the gods who give gifts to men, and uphold the earth, and govern the world. Nevertheless, tell me what city is yours, or what your name, or on what errand you are come here.”

¹¹ Saint George answered him: “My name among men is George the Christian, and my kindred is of Cappadocia. I had much wealth under my dominion, while I served Christ”; and he said: “O commander, it is shameful for you, for the things you believe are no gods, but blind and dumb idols, the works of men’s hands.” Then the bloody king was seized with anger, and commanded that he be raised aloft and his flesh torn from him with hooks, and then dragged down, and salt ground into him, and afterwards scraped clean with tile-shards.

¹² Then he bade him be seized by the feet until the blood ran like water from a spring; and he commanded further that an iron band be put upon his head until his brains should come out through his nose. When the commander saw that none of those torments prevailed — no, his mind was strengthened in God — he bade him be taken to prison. Now while he was in the prison, the Lord blessed him, gave him courage, and strengthened his limbs to break the demons’ power. Then a great light shone in the prison, for the Lord opened the doors of the city in the night and said: “George, be of good courage; fear not, for I am with you. I swear by Myself and by My angels that there shall not be, before you or after you, a martyr more wondrous than you. For great tribulations shall come upon you from the seventy-two kings for the space of seven years, yet no harm shall befall you from them. you shall die thrice, and thrice I shall raise you up; at the fourth death you shall come to Me, and shall go with Me to rest. Fear not, then, for I am with you.” When the Lord had blessed George, He was received with His angels into heaven.

¹³ Now Saint George was not weary of praying until morning; and his heart was glad, for the Lord had appeared to him. In the morning the next day, the commander bade the servant of God be brought out of the prison. And this is what George said as he came forth: “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.”

¹⁴ When he came to the commander, the commander said to him: “you have your lord Apollo with you; but I — I have my Lord with me, Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, the Saviour of mankind.” Then the bloody king commanded that a hundred strokes of the lash be given upon his back, and forty upon his belly, and that he be put in prison with fetters upon his feet. Then letters were sent by him throughout all the earth; and this was in them: “Whatever wizard can put an end to the magic arts of this Christian, let him come to me, and I will give him gold and many treasures besides, and he shall be second to me in my kingdom.” The letter was read throughout all the world, and a certain wizard named Athanasius heard of it; he came to the commander, and the commander said to him with great joy: “What means have you of putting an end to this man’s magic arts?” The wizard Athanasius answered him: “On this wise — let a bull be brought to me.” When it was brought, he whispered a spell in its ear, and it was split into two pieces. The commander rejoiced at this, and said to him: “Now you have truly proved the power of this man’s magic arts.”

¹⁵ The wizard said: “Tarry a little, O commander, and you shall see greater wonders.” Then the bull that had been split was joined together again and made whole; and the people wondered at the wizard’s deeds. Then the king commanded Saint George to be brought to him, and said to him: “George, it is for you to contend with this wizard — either you shall be freed from his magic, or he shall slay you.”

¹⁶ Now Saint George, when he saw the man, said to him: “Do quickly what you have to do, for I see that the Lord’s chastisement is coming upon you.” Then Athanasius took a chalice in his hand, and called the names of the demons over it, and gave it to George to drink; and it did him no hurt. The wizard said: “One thing more I have to do, and if you are not harmed by it, I will believe in the crucified Christ.” Athanasius took a poisonous drink to himself, and called over it the names of the demons — stronger names than the first — and gave it to George to drink; and it did him no hurt. Then Athanasius cried with a loud voice, saying: “O George, you lamp of truth, by the crucified Christ, by the Son of the living God, who came from heaven to earth and delivered all who were in the demons’ power — deliver my soul, and give me the sign of Christianity, that I may be worthy to reach Paradise!” Now when the commander saw what had come to pass, he bade Athanasius be taken outside the city and beheaded; and George to be taken to prison, that they might consider how to destroy him.

¹⁷ On the next day the king commanded a great wheel to be brought, and sharp spikes and keen-edged swords to be set within it, and George to be placed thereon. Now when George came and saw the wheel, he debated in himself how he might be delivered from it, and he said — bowing his head in contrition: “Woe is you, O George — be you mindful at this hour that Christ was crucified by two robbers. Hear me now, O nameless God, deliver me from the torments that surround me, for in You my soul trusts.” When he had finished his prayer, he was cast into the wheel, and his body was cut into ten pieces, and his spirit departed. This was the first death of him.

¹⁸ Then the commander lifted up his voice and said: “See now, all you kings, that there is no other God but Apollo and Hercules and Neptune; it is they that uphold the heavens, and through them the kings and powers rule their kingdoms. Where now is the God of George — the crucified Christ whom the Jews crucified? And why did he not come to deliver him from my hands?” Then Datian commanded that the bones of holy George be thrown into a pit, lest any of the Christians should carry off anything of his limbs or relics and venerate them. Then the commander went to his palace, and his kings with him, to feast. The Lord compassed the pit with a cloud, and there was a great thunder and an earthquake.

¹⁹ Then Michael the archangel came and stood upon the edge of the pit, and gathered the bones of holy George into one place, so that the Lord raised up George again. And George saw the commander, and he said: “That is George,” said he; “No,” said another company, “but one who resembles him.” Then the servant of God said: “It is I, George — it is I who was slain by you.” Now when Athanasius, the master of the soldiers, saw that George had risen, he believed in Christ with all his household, and cried with a loud voice: “O George, servant of God, we too believe in Christ.” When the commander heard that, he commanded that he be beheaded, and that molten lead and iron be poured into George’s mouth: and it befell him as if it were cold water. He commanded also that sixty sharp stakes be driven into his head; and they were driven in by the Lord’s command, and no blemish was found in the holy head. Then he bade him be hung up with his feet upwards and his head downwards, and stones bound to his neck and [his members?]; yet none of these things hurt him. Then he commanded that a great bronze cauldron be brought, with sharp iron spikes in the middle, and holy George to be put into it, that his limbs might be made into fragments and ashes. But Saint George gave thanks to God, who gave him strength. The Lord appeared to him again in the night, and said to him: “Be of good courage; let not the torments that are inflicted on you bring fear or dread upon you, for I am with you. I was dead once, and rose again; you shall die a second time, and I shall raise you up.” When the Lord had blessed George, He ascended into heaven. And Saint George was not weary that night of giving thanks to God, for it was joyful to him to see the Lord.

²⁰ When the next day had dawned, Datian bade holy George be brought to him. Now when King Magentius looked upon George, he said: “O George, servant of God, grant me this one petition, and I will believe in Christ.” George said: “Name what you desire.” “There are here fourteen royal seats made of dry wood: cause them to take root in the earth, and let each one bear fruit after its own kind.” Then George bent his knees for the space of an hour, until the fourteen seats were loosened, and the dry boards [took root], and they put forth their fruit each after its own likeness. Then said Magentius: “I give thanks to Apollo and to Hercules and to all the gods, that their power and might has appeared in these dry woods.” Then he commanded that Saint George be bound, and an iron saw be set upon his head, and that he be sawn into two pieces until his spirit departed. That was George’s second death. Then the commander commanded a brazen cauldron to be filled with pitch and lead, and Saint George to be put into it: and it boiled for fifteen cubits [high]. He declared to the king that his flesh and his bones melted like water. The king bade him be buried with the cauldron, lest any of the Christians should carry anything of his relics. Then the Lord said from heaven to the archangel Michael: “Pour out the cauldron and gather all the ashes.” Then a great light shone, and the Lord called George, and he at once arose from death.

²¹ Then he came into the city, and was teaching; and the king bade him be brought to him. When he came, he said: “you have Apollo for your god; but I have my Lord, Jesus Christ.” After that, King Tranquillus said: “There is here,” said he, “a leaden coffin sheathed in iron — none knows who was buried therein; if you can raise that company, we will believe in you.” The servant of God said: “I know that God can do it through me; and you will not believe at all — but that this company may believe in Christ, I will do what you ask. Arise, all you kings, and bring whatever is found in the tomb between bones and ashes.” They did so, and brought it before him. Then the servant of God bent his knees for the space of two hours, and prayed. A great cloud came with thunder and earthquake, and a wondrous light and radiance shone upon the ashes of the dead. When the prayer was ended, the servant of God said: “Arise in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and stand upon your feet!” Then there arose five men and nine women and three infants. When the king saw that, he called one of them to him and asked him: “What is your name?” “Job,” said he. The king said: “How long have you been here?” “Five hundred years,” said he. The king said: “Is it Christ whom you worshipped?” “No,” said he, “for He was not yet born into manhood at that time.” “Whom then did you worship?” said he. “Tell me not to say it, for I am ashamed to tell it: we believed in Apollo, that he was our lord — that blind and dumb idol, the deceiver of all souls; and for his worship I was given a dark and narrow place, wherein are rivers of fire and deathless worms. Hear you, O commander — whoever believes in Christ now and departs from his sins, shall be brought thereafter into a place of delight.” The commander said: “you are beside yourself, fellow!” But the man who had been raised through holy George said: “O holy George, servant of God, lamp of truth, shining star — I beseech you to have mercy upon me and upon all that are with me, and give us the sign of Christianity, that we may not go into that same dark place.”

²² When George saw the faith of this man, he struck the earth with his right foot, and a spring of many colours came forth, and he at once baptised them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, saying: “Go with my blessing!” and they were seen no more. Then the king said to his servants: “Seek out a woman — a poor widow who has no food in her house — and bind George in her house.” When George came to the woman’s house, he said to her: “Give me a little food to eat.” The widow said to him: “O servant of God, I have no food.” George said: “What god do you worship?” The widow answered: “The great god Apollo and Hercules I worship,” said she. George said: “It is right you should have no food.” When the woman saw his face like an angel’s, she went out to seek food. Meanwhile he remained in the house, and he blessed the dry post [of the house] — a forked post — until it grew fifteen cubits high with its fruit upon it. An angel came with food for him to eat. When the woman came to her house, she saw what amazed her — the dry post in heavy bloom, and the table full of food. The woman at once knelt down, and besought Saint George to heal her son, who was blind, deaf and dumb, so that he could make no gesture, and it was a shame for anyone to look upon him. When George saw the faith of the woman, he took the little child upon his knee, and breathed upon his eyes, and they were at once opened, and he saw. Then the woman said: “Lord, may his ears be opened and his feet be healed!” George said: “I would that he remain in this state until the day they send him to speak with Apollo.”

²³ Then the king bade George be taken to the palace, and candles to be burned under his thighs and at his sides, and his flesh melted like wax; and he cried with a loud voice to the Lord, and yielded up his spirit — and that was his third death. The king bade him be taken to the top of a mountain, that beasts and birds might devour him, lest any of the Christians should carry anything of him.

²⁴ When he had been thus disposed, the Lord sent a company of angels, and called George, and said: “George! servant of God! arise from your sleep!” George arose at once, and the Lord went to heaven. Then George came down quickly from the mountain, and called after the soldiers. When the soldiers saw him, they fell on their knees at his feet and said: “O George! servant of God! give us the sign of Christianity!” Saint George struck the earth with his right foot, and a spring of living water came forth, and he baptised them, and they went together into the city, and said to the king: “you are with Apollo for your god; but we are with the Lord, Jesus Christ.” The king said to Saint George: “By Apollo and by Diana and by the mother of the gods, you shall yield to me.” George said: “I will do your will.” Then the king rejoiced and kissed his head; but Saint George did not let him kiss his head, but said: “After I have made sacrifice to the gods, you may kiss my head; and I shall go to prison to pray to your gods.” The king said: “It shall not be so; you shall go to the palace to my queen, Alexandria, and there abide.” Now when Saint George went into the palace, he bent his knees and prayed without ceasing until morning. When the next day had dawned, the king bade George come into the temple of Apollo. George said to him: “Gather all the people and the priests of the gods into one place, that they may see me sacrificing to Apollo and to the other gods.”

²⁵ Now when all had come, the woman came also — she whose son George had healed of blindness — with her hair loosed and tearing her garments, and her son with her. She cried with a loud voice, saying: “Woe to you, holy George, going into Apollo’s temple to sacrifice to him! you did raise the dead, did heal lepers and blind men and every other affliction, did make the dry trees fruitful, did fill my table with every good thing.” Then George called the woman to him and said to her: “Set the child down on the ground.” Her child was brought to him, and he said to it: “I command you,” said George, “in the name of Jesus Christ — arise!” At once he arose and walked, and speech and hearing were given him. Then he went to the man of God and knelt before him and kissed his feet. And this is what George said to him: “I say to you, little lad — go into the temple of the pagans and say to Apollo: ‘Come quickly out of the place where you are! The servant of God, holy George, calls you.’” Then the little lad went into the temple and said: “I say to you, you blind and dumb idol, without voice, without hands, without feet, you deceiver of souls — see now, the servant of God calls you.” The idol came without delay, and said: “O Jesus of Nazars, you have drawn all things to You; you have made Your kingdom known to all; you have given me a child of but a year and a half against me.” Then it cast itself at George’s feet, and George said to it: “are you the god of the pagans?” The idol answered: “Know you not that it is I?” George said: “I know you not,” said he. The idol said: “By the God who is in heaven, and by all creation that He rules, if I had my power over you, I would destroy you now.” George said: “O destroyer of the Christians, you shall go into the depths of the earth, and there shall you abide until the Day of Judgement.” Then George struck the earth with his foot, and it opened, and the idol was cast into the depths of the earth, where his father the devil is. Now when the great wailing of the pagans rose to heaven at the destruction of the idol, and the Christians [rejoiced] at the victory that God and George had won, the commander said to the servant of God: “O accursed race, O perverse kindred! You said you would sacrifice to the gods — no, you cast them into the depths of the earth, and you desire to cast me there too!”

²⁶ Then he went into his palace to his queen, to Alexandria, and said to her: “George, of the race of the Christians, has taken our life from us.” Queen Alexandria said: “Listen to me, O commander; the God of George is mighty, and His works are great — He will overthrow your kingdom and your dominion about you.” The commander was enraged, and said: “Woe is me, Alexandria, that it has befallen you to plead for George, for I see that George’s evil deeds have strengthened within you.” Then he seized her by the hand and gave her to his servants; and he bade her be hung up by her hair and her body stripped and beaten with scourges until her bones were laid bare. Yet none heard her voice the while; but she turned her eyes to heaven and said to George: “O servant of God, make intercession with the Lord for me, for I am in these great torments!” George prayed and taught; and she went victorious into martyrdom on the fourth of the Kalends of May [28 April], after these great deeds.

²⁷ Then the commander said to Saint George: “Since you have destroyed the queen, it is my own destruction you seek.” Then all the kings said: “Listen to us, O commander! George, of the race of the Christians — who worships not and heeds not our gods — we say he should be beheaded with the sword.” When George had received the sentence of martyrdom from the commander, he went to fulfil his desire; and when he reached the iron gate, with one foot outside and the other within, he said to the executioners: “Tarry a little while I pray. For seven years I have been judged by these seventy-two kings; I beseech you to grant me one hour of prayer.” And when he looked up to heaven he said: “O almighty God, who did send down fire there upon Elijah the prophet and consume the thrice fifty — O my Lord, O Jesus Christ, send fire from heaven and consume Datian with all the kings who are with him!” It came at once and consumed them all — and their number was five thousand. Then George came to the place of beheading, and said to the executioners: “Tarry yet a while, that I may pray for those who have believed hitherto and shall believe in Christ hereafter; for the souls of the people covet portions of my clothing and my burial, and I think my body and my clothing will not suffice the people.” Then Saint George lifted up his eyes to heaven, and this is what he said: “O my Lord, O God of heaven and earth, grant me this petition: that everyone who is present at my passion may believe in You, O Saviour of the world; and to everyone who desires honour and reverence for the relics of my body, grant them their desire, O my Lord! Grant me also that you will succour everyone who shall be mindful of Your servant George in the hour of his trial — whether it be bodily health or souls they seek, give it them! for I know that men are wretched.” When the prayer was finished, all said “Amen.”

²⁸ Then the Lord said to him out of the cloud: “O George, O George, servant of God, come into the kingdom of My Father! I promise by Myself — whoever shall take a fragment of your clothing, or build a church in your name, [I will bless him]; and with multitudes I will hear that thing.” The Lord ended His converse with George. George said to the executioners: “Come and fulfil what is appointed you.” Then the servant of God bent his knees in prayer, and he was beheaded thus; and water and milk came from his body. That was the fourth death of Saint George. A great light and a great shower came there, so that the earth could not bear it, and none could look upon the light that shone about the body of holy George.

²⁹ Thus Saint George finished his martyrdom on the eighth of the Kalends of May [24 April], and on the same day [he was glorified], with confession to the Lord. Now nine hundred over three thousand believed in Christ through the teaching of holy George. His relics are here with honour and reverence. And though his honour be great now, it shall be greater on the Day of Judgement, when he shall shine like the sun, in the union of the saints and righteous of the world, in the union of the nine orders of heaven who have not transgressed — in the union noblest of all unions, the union of the Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit. I pray the mercy of God through the intercession of George; may we all be healed, may we all deserve, may we all inhabit [the kingdom], world without end. Amen. Finit. Amen.