The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester By Henry Bradshaw. Englisht. A.D. 1513, printed by Pynson A.D. 1521, and now re-edited by Carl Horstmann |
A descrypcyon of the Geanalogy of saynt Werburge, and
how she descended of foure kynges of this lande / & of
the royall blode of Fraunce. [Ca.iii.]
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester | ||
A descrypcyon of the Geanalogy of saynt Werburge, and how she descended of foure kynges of this lande / & of the royall blode of Fraunce. [Ca.iii.]
Regnum Merc'. ex parte patris.
38
This noble prynces / the doughter of Syon,The floure of vertu / and vyrgyn gloryous,
Blessed saynt Werburge / full of deuocyon,
Descended by auncetry / and tytle famous
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Reynynge in this lande / by true successyon,
As her lyfe hystoryall / maketh declaracyon.
39
The yere of our lorde / frome the natyuyteFyue hundreth .xiiii. and also .iiii. score,
Whan Austyn was sende / frome saynt Gregorye
To conuert this regyon / vnto our sauyoure,
The noble kynge Cryda / than reygned with honoure
Vpon the mercyens / whiche kynge was father
Vnto kynge Wybba / and Quadriburge, his syster.
40
This Wybba gate Penda / kynge of mercyens;Whiche Penda subdued / fyue kynges of this regyon,
Reygny[n]ge thyrty yere / in worshyp and reuerens,
Was grauntfather to Werburge / by lynyall successyon.
By his quene Kyneswith / had a noble generacyon,
Fyue valeant prynces / Peada, and kynge Wulfer /
Kynge Ethelred / saint Marceyl / saint marwalde in-fere;
41
And two holy doughters / blessed and vertuous:Saynt Keneburge / and saynt Keneswyde the vyrgyn—
Whiche ladyes were buryed / full memorous
At peturborowe abbay / and now there lyen in shryne.
The sayd kynge Ethelrede / by sufferaunce deuyne
Had a prynce Cochede / whiche after reygned kynge,
That translated Werburge / the .x. yere of her buryenge.
42
Saynt Merwalde specyfyed / vncle to saint Werburge,By his quene saint Ermenberge, a princes doughter of kent,
Gate .iii. holy vyrgyns / saint myldred, & saint mylburge,
Saynt Mylgyde the thyrde / of vertu equypolent;
With a sone Mereum / whiche frome the holy sacrament
Of baptym was taken / by myracle expresse
To the blys of heuen / to reygne there endelesse.
19
43
The seconde sone of Penda / we meane kynge Wulfere,A noble valyant prynce / by lynyall dyscent
Reygnynge vpon the Mercyens with royalte & power,
Maryed saynt Ermenylde / þe kynges doughter of kent;
Where[by] throughe the grace of god omnypotent
He had fayre yssue / saynt Werburge / saynt Kenrede,
Saynt wulfade / saynt Ruffyn / in story as we rede.
Regnum Northumbrorum / ex parte matris.
44
The seconde realme of whom saynt Werburge dyd descende,Was of saynt Edwyn / kynge of Northumberlande;
Whiche maryed Quadryburge / his ryghtes to defende,
Doughter of Cryda / kynge of Merslande.
Bytwene them descended / as we vnderstande,
Two comly prynces / the fyrst we call Eadfryde,
The seconde sone, in batayle slayne, was named Offryde.
45
Kyng Eadfryde gate Hereryc, yt was kynge of Deiram.This Hereryc by Beorswyde, his quene fayre & fre,
Had saynt Hylde, the abbesse / saynt Bede sayth ye same,
Lady, also foundresse / of the abbay of Whytbye.
This sayd kynge Hereryc / had another lady,
The quene of eest-Englande / saynt Heryswith she hyght,
Mother to saynt Sexburge / & thre other ladies bryght.
46
This holy Sexburge / full of grace and goodnes,Was maryed to Ercombert / a noble kynge of Kent.
Bytwyx them descended / a precyous ryches:
The blessyd Ermenylde / humble and pacyent;
Whiche for her vertue / was maryed full excellent
To Wulfer, kynge of Merciens / with great solempnyte,
And mother was to werburge / a swete floure of chastite.
20
Regnum Estanglorum / ex parte matris.
47
The thyrde noble kyngedome / of her parentageWas the realme of eest-England / whylom in great degre.
Tytylus, kynge of the same / vyctoryous and sage,
Gate Redwald his fyrst sone / a chrysten prynce was he.
This Redwalde had .ii. sones / flourynge in chyualrye:
The fyrst was Kenuherus / a noble man of fame,
The seconde Eorpwaldus / called by his name.
48
This foresayd kynge Tytylus / had a seconde sone,Called Egnicius / accepted as a martyre.
Whiche sayd Egnicius / by lynyall progressyon
Had .iii. noble prynces / that worthy euer were:
The fyrst was called Ethelwod / þe seconde Adelhere,
The thyrde was saynt Anna / a kynge moost vertuous
In batayle slayne vnryghtfully / now a martyr gloryous.
49
This forsayd kynge Anna / maryed, as we rede,The holy prynces Hereswith / for loue and amyte.
They had a noble yssue / to encrease theyr mede:
The blessed Sexburge / saynt Audry of Elye,
Saynt Ethelburge the thyrd— / in Bryges now lyeth she—
Saynt Withburge the .iiii., ye martyr saynt Iurwyne,
And Aldulph, after kynge / whiche regned a longe tyme.
50
The lady saynt Sexburge / eldest of them all,A gracyous matrone / endurynge all her lyfe,
Was maryed to Ercombert / þe kynge of Kent royall.
They brought fourth a progeny / noble to dyscryue:
The blessed Ermenylde / vertuous mayd and wyfe:
Whiche lady was mother / by grace of god almyght
Vnto blessed Werburge / our confort and our lyght.
21
Regnum Cancie et Francie / ex parte matris.
51
The .iiii. myghti kyngdome / of whom this royal princesSaynt Werburge descended / was the realme of kent;
Where reygned fyrst Hengystus / by vyctory & prowes,
Whiche was the fourth man / by lygnage euydent
Procedynge fro Woden / a prynce full prepotent,
Of whom our progenytours / Angles / Iutes / & Saxons,
Lynyally succeded / kynges of dyuers nacyons.
52
This foresayd prynce Woden / as dyuers auctours sayne,Was the .xv. fro Noe / by naturall progressyon,
Of his eldest sone Sem / descendynge playne,
In saxons tongue Geaf / after ryte and custome,
Not of the lygne of Iaphet / by theyr opynyon.
Retourne we to Hengyst / and to his successoures
And speke of theyr royalte / to please the audytoures.
53
Ermenrycus, kynge of kent / reygned with great powerThe yere of our sauyoure / fyue hundreth fyue & thyrte,
Vnto whome Engystus was great-graundfather.
This sayd kynge Ermenryc / had yssue fayre and fre:
A doughter called Ricula / which maried was to sledde,
Of Estsex and Mydylsex / gouernoure and kynge;
Of whom a myghty kynred / by proces was comynge.
54
This Ermenryc gate Ethelbryct full vertuous,Whiche kynge reygned in kent / the yere of our sauyour
Fyue hundreth fyue & fyfty / & baptysed was gracyous
By blessyd bysshop Austyn / of Englande called doctour;
He was fyrst crysten kynge / & pryncypall protectour
Of the fayth within this lande / and founder was also
Of dyuers holy places / and monasteryes both-tow.
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This sayd kynge Ethelbryc / for the great habundaunceOf ryches and honour / was maryed solemply
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And of them proceded a vertuous progeny:
Eadburg & Ethelburg saintes— / whiche Ethelburg, truly,
By Edwyne, kyng of North / had .iiii. princes honorable,
And .iii. holy doughters / gracyous and commendable.
56
Also kynge Ethelbryct / had to his successoureKynge Eadbalde / in Kent reygnynge a longe space;
He maryed lady Emma / of fraunce the chosen floure,
And by her had yssue / saynt Enswyde full of grace,
Also prynce Ermenred, his seconde sone / whiche wace
Maryed to quene Oslaua: / of them dyd procede
Two holy martyrs / Ethelbryct and Etheldrede.
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This prynce Ermenred / had .iiii. ladyes bryght,Lyke the .iiii. floodes of Paradyse / shynynge in vertu:
The eldest of the systers / saynt Ermenberge hyght,
The seconde saynt Ermenburge / the spouses of Ihesu,
The thyrde saynt Adeldryde / all vyces dyd subdu,
The .iiii. saynt Ermengyde / sayth theyr lyues hystoryall;
Thre of them holy vyrgyns / the fourth matrone we call.
58
This foresayd Eadbalde / a souerayne myghty kynge,By Emma of Fraunce / had to his enherytoure
The noble kynge Ercumbert / full gracyous in lyuynge;
Whiche maryed Sexburge / with worshyp & honoure,
The kynges doughter of eest-England specyfyed afore.
This prynce loued vertue / prayer and deuocyon,
Commaundynge all his realme / to kepe þe fast of Lenton.
59
Ercombert .xxx. yere / regnynge in his regalyHad a noble progeny / in grace and all goodnes:
His prynce hyght Egbryct / his seconde sone Lothary;
Whiche prynce reygned but ten yere / kynge expresse,
Lothary succeded hym / raynynge .xii. yeres doubtlesse.
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The other hyght saynt Erkengode / a moynes serene.
60
This lady Ermenylde / was maryed royallyTo the aforesayd Vulfer / kynge of Mercyens;
Bytwene them descended / full gracyously
A noble Margaryte / of hye magnyfycens,
A roose of Paradyse / full of prehemynens:
Moost blessed Werburge / the gemme of holynes,
Our synguler suffrage / and sterre of our clerenes.
A descrypcyon of the Geanalogy of saynt Werburge, and
how she descended of foure kynges of this lande / & of
the royall blode of Fraunce. [Ca.iii.]
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester | ||