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.

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How after dethe of Penda & his sone, prynce Peada, his seconde sone Vulfer / father to saynt Werburge, was electe to be kynge of all the Mercyens. Ca. v.

72

After that this Penda / of Mercyens kynge,
In batayle by kynge Oswy / cruelly was slayne,
And his prynce Peada / after hym thre yeres reygnynge
Was put vnto deth / by his quene, in certayne,
These people of Mercyens / rebelled sore agayne
The foresayd Oswy / kynge of Northumberlande,
And hym refused / as ye shall vnderstande.

73

All the sayd Mercyens / by a generall counsell
Fortyfyed themselfe / with power, myght and reason,
And crowned prynce Vulfer / as Bede doth vs tell,
with honour / worshyp / and great renowne,
Whiche prynce to kynge Penda / was the seconde sone;
This prynce was preserued / afore-tyme secretly
And saued by his subiectes / frome dethe and malady.

74

This valyaunt prynce / and redoubted knyght,
Kynge Vulfer thus crowned / with great prosperyte
Vpon the Mercyens regned / by tytle and myght—
Whiche realme was dyuyded / whylom in partes thre:
Fyrst in the West-marches / & in the South parte, truely,
The thyrde parte was nomynate / mydle-Englonde—
Ouer them all thre / he reygned, as is fonde.

75

This sayd kynge Vulfer / in honour famous,
Was deuoutely baptysed / with great solempnyte
By two holy bysshops / the blessed Finanus
And bysshop Ierumannus / saythe the hystorye;
The kynge made a vowe / of hye auctoryte
All temples of ydols / within his regyon
To destroy and chaunge / vnto chrysten relygyon.

76

This Vulfer was polytyke / replete with wysdom,
Vyctoryous in batayle / proued by his chyualry,
His enemyes oppressed / by manhode and reason,
Subdued his aduersaryes / and had the vyctory;
From his realme expelled / all cruell tyranny,
Conquered in batayle / at Ashdum ryght famous
The kynge of West-Saxons / called Kenwalcus.

77

Also he subdued / vnto his Empyre
The Ilande Vecta / called the yle of wyght:
And after that he had / of it his desyre,
He gaue the sayd yle / by tytle full ryght
To the kynge of eest-Englande / to enlarge his myght,
Vnder that condycyon / that he baptysed wolde be;
And was his godfather / of pure charyte.

78

In lykewyse as this prouynce / of Mercyens
Whylom was greatest realme / within Englande,
Many yeres contynuynge / in prehemynens,
Ryght so the spyrytualte— / well knowen and founde
How fyue bysshop-sees / within this sayd Merselande:
As at Chester / at Lychefelde / also at Worcester,
The fourth at Lyncolne / the fyfth at Dorchester.

79

Forthermore after dethe / of Ierumannus,
Bysshop of Lychfelde / Vulfer the sayd kynge
Desyred the archebysshop / and prymate Theodorus
To graunt them a bysshop / of holy lyuynge,
To gouerne the people / by spyrytuall techynge,
To shewe to his subiectes / the ensample of vertu
And to preche and teche / the fayth of Chryst Ihesu.

80

This holy archebyssop / and prymate Theodorus
Desyred saynt Cedda / of the kynge Oswy
For his perfeccyon / and lyuynge vertuous,

To be remoeued / to the prouy[n]ce of Mercy.
Kynge Vulfer was gladde / of his comynge, truly:
Ryght so were all / the people of his realme,
Thankynge therfore / the kynge of Ierusalem.

81

Kynge Vulfer graunted / to saynt Cedda the confessoure,
Than bysshop of Lychefelde / moche possessyon
To edyfy chyrches / vnto chrystes honoure;
But namely he gaue a certayne mansyon
In the prouynce of Lyndesy / ny vnto Lyncolne,
Suffycyent to suffyse / and well for to content
Fyfty seruauntes / of god, relygyous, obedyent.

82

This noble sayd prynce / and redoubted souerayne,
Flourynge in manheed / wysedome and polycy,
Excelled the peres / of this realme, certayne,
In person / fortytude / and proued chyualry;
Lyberall to his seruauntes / gentyll in company,
Gracyous to the poore / and a sure protectour,
A founder of chyrches / and a good benefactour.