The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester :: :: University of Virginia Library

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

Bradshaw, Henry

Here begynneth the holy lyfe and history of saynt werburge / very frutefull for all christen people to rede.

The Prologe of .J. T. in the honour & laude of saint Werburge / and to the prayse of þe translatour of the legende folowynge.

Here foloweth the lyfe of the gloryous virgyn saynt werburge / also many miracles that god hath shewed for her. / & fyrst the prologe of the auctour.

[Whan Phebus had ronne his cours in sagittari]

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A descrypcyon of the actes & chyualry of kynge Penda, graundfather to saynt Werburge / & of his noble and vertuous yssue and progenye. Ca. .iiii.

61

The yere of grace .vi. C. syxe and twenty
The foresayd prynce Penda / began for to reygne,
The tenth man fro Woden / a prynce in Saxony;
Sone and heyre to Wybbe / sayth myne auctour playne.
Fyfty yeres of aege / that tyme he was, certayne,
Whan he was fyrst crowned / kynge of Mercyens;
Thyrty yeres he reygned / with great reuerens.

62

Fyue kynges in batayle / this Penda dyd subdue:
Saintes Edwyn & Oswald / kinges of Northumberlande,
With Sygebert / Egnycius / and Anna full of vertu,
Thre noble kynges / regnynge in eest-Englande,
With helpe of Brytones / by Bede we vnderstande;
Dylated his regyon / with worshyp and honoures,
Moche more than dyd / any of his predecessoures.

63

He maryed Keneswith / a lady fayre and bryght,
And by her had yssue / a goodly generacyon:
Peada his prynce / Vulfer a noble knyght,

Saynt Ethelred / and Merwalde full of deuocyon,
Also saynt Mersellyn / of holy conuersacyon,
Saynt Keneburge / also saynt Keneswyde,
Auntes to saynt Werburge / vpon the fathers syde.

64

Thre of his chyldren / as we vnderstande,
Prynce Peada / Kyneburge / and Ethelrede,
He maryed with Oswy / Kynge of Northumberlande,
To .iii. of his yssue / for loue and for mede.
Vulfer and Merwalde / the story sayth in dede,
Were maryed vnto / the royall blode of Kent:
To Ermenylde and Domneue / two ladyes excellent.

65

Soone after by grace / the myddyll parte of Mercyens
Vnder prynce Peada / were baptysed euery-chone;
Whiche Peada maryed / Elflede with reuerens,
Doughter vnto Oswy / kynge of the North regyon.
Penda therto graunted / without contradyccyon,
Vnder a fre lycence / his people were at lyberte
Within all his regyon / baptysed for to be.

66

Also prynce Alfryde / sone to kynge Oswy,
Maryed saynt Keneburge / syster to prynce Peada.
Whiche sayd Peada / brought from the north party
Foure holy preestes / Ced / Beccy / and Adda,
To preche to his people / the fourth was Duyna;
Whiche .iiii. selden seased / day / nyght nor tyme
To conuert the people / vnto chrystes doctryne.

67

Kynge Penda consented / as afore is sayd,
And permytted doctours / to preche in euery place
Thrughout his realme / and neuer it denayed,
To baptyse his subgectes / by fayth and ghostly grace;
He ayded them with socour / and helpe in that case
That wolde be conuerted / for theyr synguler mede,
As sayth myne auctour / the venerable Bede.

68

But by the temptacyon / of our ghostly enemy
This sayd kynge Penda / this vyctoryous knyght,
Of valyaunt men in armure raysed a great company
And to the North partyes went / purposynge to fyght
And cruelly to slee / by power / mayne / and myght
The foresayd kynge Oswy / as he afore had slayne
Say[n]t Oswalde, his brother / kynge and martyr playne.

69

Shortly was forgoten / the fauour of his affynyte
That fully was contracte / bytwene these kynges twayne
Ioyned at the maryages / of theyr chyldren thre,
Euer to haue endured / in loue by reason playne.
yet Oswy offered Penda / many ryche gyftes, certayne,
To auoyde his malyce / and for to kepe the peas;
Whiche Penda refused / replete with wyckednes.

70

Bytwene these .ii. kynges / was a stronge myghty batell,
Not ferre frome yorke / ny the flood of Wynwed,
In the regyon of Leedes / where by fortune cruell
Kynge Penda perysshed / & carefully was leed,
And .xxx. dukes with hym / were slayne and lefte deed.
The kynge Oswy offered gladly / with good entent
His yonge doughter Edelfled / to god omnypotent.

71

He set her for doctryne / to the abbesse saynt Hylde,
Lady of Strenyshalt— / now called Whytby—
And gaue .xii. possessyons / a monastery to buylde—
Whiche place is from yorke / myles thyrty.
He gaue great landes / to his sone-in-lawe, Peade.
But the thyrde yere after / this sayd prynce was slayne
By treason of his wyfe Elflede / for certayne.