Here begynneth the lyfe of Saynt Radegunde :: :: University of Virginia Library

Here begynneth the lyfe of Saynt Radegunde

[by Henry Bradshaw]

Bradshaw, Henry

[section]

Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde.

The prologe of the translatour in the lyfe of mayden Radegunde/quene and princesse.

Of the progeny of saynt Radegunde and howe she was taken in batell and maryed to Lothary a kynge of Fraunce.

Of the vertuous lyuing of saynt Radegund vndre spousage/and howe she contynued a pure virgyne

Of the great deuocion she vsed namely in tyme of lenton/and of the great pitie she had to all captiue prisoners.

Howe quene Radegunde shewed a great myracle deliueryng prisoners out of captiuite.

Howe quene Radegund desyred to be religyous/& of a myracle shewed/at her departyng by the way goyng

How Radegund was made relygious/& after elect abbasse of Pictauis/& howe by grace she was preserued from daunger of her husbande ye kyng.

Of the feruent deuocyon of saynt Radegunde and of the great penaunce and charitable warkes she vsed in religion.

Of the great perfeccion/and penaunce that lady Radegunde vsed in the tyme of lent.

Of the great affliccion/& hard punysshement that ye lady Radegunde vsed aboue the cours of nature in the sayd tyme of lent.

How this holy abbasse vsyng meditacyon refourmed her syster neglygent/with a lytell exortacion folowyng.

Howe blessyd Radegunde delyuered a woman possessyd with a fynde/from daunger and payne/to helth and prosperite.

Howe a ratte was slayne without hande aprochyng to hurt the vertuous labour of saynt Radegund.

Howe saynt Radegunde by prayer reuiued a laurell tre to burge and bryng forthe leaues without any rote.

Howe saynt Radegunde by humble intercession restored a yong Nunne from dethe to lyfe agayne.

Howe saynt Radegunde saued her seruantes from paryll of perisshyng which brought a parte of the holy crosse to Pectauis.

Of dyuerse myracles in generall/and how this abbasse saued dyuerse seke persons from Ieopardy of deth.

How Radegunde thabbasse cured .ii. sycke women from sickenesse/and infyrmite vnto helth and prosperyte.

How this abbasse healed dyuerse sicke women som from feuers/and some from vexacion of our gostly enemy.

Of the gostly visyon she had afore her infyrmyte & of the noble exortacion she made to her systers in her sykenes & payne.

With what pacience and deuocion lady Radegund receyued ye blessyd sacrament & extreme vnction afore her departure

Of the departure of this holy abbasse/and howe she apperyd ye same houre to a noble prefect/curyng hym from sickenesse of his throte.

How saynt Radegund cured one of her seruauntes from the plage of fier sittyng in her chayer without auctorite and right.

A breue rehersall of the great profet and remedy founde by true oblacion made to this moniall.

A prayer or orison of the blessyd quene Radegunde moniall and abbasse.

A breue conclucyon/& end of this poore translacyon mouyng the reders to accept this lytell vnworthy to be redde.

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Howe quene Radegund desyred to be religyous/& of a myracle shewed/at her departyng by the way goyng

Whiche myracle knowen this blessed lady
Made instant desyre/and hūble supplicacion
To her husband and lorde kyng Lothary
That she myght haue lycense to go to religyon
Whose meke request/and singuler peticion
At last was graunted/with difficulte
Of the sayd kyng to be at her lyberte

She loued our lorde/in hert/worde/and dede
Of this fre graunt/and good expedicyon
She send to saynt Inedard bysshop in good spede
Desyring hym for charite/and of his deuocyon
For to receyue her/in to holy religion
The palce was apoynted/the tyme secretly
Of her comyng to Pictauis religious to be

In the meane whyle Radegund gaue to the poore
Moche ryall rychesse/and vestures liberally
Reseruyng to her person/and her vse no more
Than she dayly vsed/for honour necessary
So alone proseded/vnto the monastery
From the kynges court/priuely in the nyght
Unknowen to eche creature/saue to ye kyng of myght

Upon the other day/where the kyng perceyued
The sodayne departure of his lady sufferayne
He bitterly wayled/that he was dysceued
Sende dyuerse messangers/with a sure capitayne
Fyrst to enquire/and bringe her agayne
Supposyng to haue her/in short tyme and space
After she aproched/to the religious place

But the holy goost/confortour of all care
Defendyd Radegunde/at this extremite
For as she passyd/the fayre feldes all bare
She sayd to an husbande/besy in husbandry
People wyll folowe after/for to persue me
From whiche company I declyne certayne
Prayeng the consyle/my presens/and it layne

It behoueth the nat/from the trueth to varray
Say that thou se mecome this same way
The season/day/and tyme/rennyng full hastely
Thou dyd sowe this corne affirmyng it varray
And thus excuse me/hertfully I the pray
She passyd this plowman/in to a secrete place
For drede druly daryng/trustyng our lordes grace

Incontinently the corne newly cast in grounde
Began for to blade and bere in euery place
To eare and to rype (her enemyes to confounde)
All redy to be shorne/within an houre space
The otes began to shede/the husbande besy was
And made great prouisiō with sicle & sythe that morne
To cut downe the otes/in sauyng of the corne

After the sayd virgyn/messangers made great haste
Shortly to to supple theyr lordes commaundement
They founde the husbande repyng corne full fast
Whome they required/to shewe on payne of prisōmēt
If any fayre lady/or mayde by hym went
To tell whan/and whyther/and whiche way yt she is
Auoydyng great displeasure/shewyng nat amys

Worshipfull maisters/the husbande than can say
Suche a fayre lady/we se this way gone
Rennyng fast and spedely the same selfe day
That we cast this corne in the erth alone
Sweryng to them depely for more affirmacion
The courteours/beleued this honest man certayne
And heuely retourned to the kyng agayne