Page:Goldenlegendlive00jaco.djvu/49

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S. Martha
35

longer than an horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent, and defended him with two wings on either side, and could not be beaten with cast of stones ne with other armour, and was as strong as twelve lions or bears; which dragon lay hiding and lurking in the river, and perished them that passed by and drowned ships. He came thither by sea from Galicia, and was engendered of Leviathan, which is a serpent of the water and is much wood, and of a beast called Bonacho, that is engendered in Galicia. To whom Martha, at the prayer of the people, came into the wood, and found him eating a man. And she cast on him holy water, and showed to him the cross; which [dragon] anon was overcome, and standing still as a sheep, she bound him with her own girdle; and then was slain with spears and glaives of the people. The dragon was called of them that dwelled in the country Tarasconus, whereof, in emembrance of him that place is called Tarasconus, which tofore was called Berlue, and the Black Lake, because there be woods shadowous and black. And there the blessed Martha, by licence of Maximin her master and of her sister, dwelled and abode in the same place after, and daily occupied in prayers and in fastings, and thereafter assembled and gathered together a great convent of sisters, and builded a fair church at the honour of the blessed Mary virgin, where she led a hard and a sharp life. She eschewed flesh and all fat meat, eggs, cheese and wine; she ate but once a day. An hundred times a day and an