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

What hert may thynke or tong is sufficient
To expresse the vertuous of this moniall
In deuout orison/in vigils conuenient
In discret abstinence/in vestures small
Example gyueng vnto her systers all
To the comon people/howe they in great vertu
Shulde dayly encrease/pleasyng our lorde Ihesu

This abbasse vsed silde/to eate whyte brede
But of rye or berly/kept secretly
That no man perceyued/howe that she fedde
Her drinke was water or litell better dayly
From her profession by saynt Medarde truly
Her repast was potage/and herbis for to eate
Nother fysshe/flesshe/egges/frutes/ne mylke meate

Also after the vsage/and rite of saynt Germayne
She had a litell mylne in her secret cell alon
In whiche all the lenton/she laboured certayne
As wolde well suffyce for .iiii. dayes refeccion
A maruell howe she dyd satysfy euery person
Where nothyng wanted/that was necessary
The more that was gyuen/euer the more plenty

Whan obseruaūtes were done/eche saturday at nyght
She toke a lynen cloth cloused about her body
And wasshed the heedes of all poore folkes aright
Rubbyng all theyr soris/sekenesse/and malady
She ayded and succoured/and dyd them remedy
After combyd them/or they passed the place
Nothyng abhorring suche mekenes in her was

To all poore creatures/the prouince round about
She euer ministred/the warkes of pytie
Gyuing to them clothyng/of almes without dout
Bothe lynen and wollyn/sytting for theyr degre
Whan they were greued/with any infyrmyte
She toke theyr vestures/and wasshed them echone
With her owne handes/after dyd them vpon

She send for poore folke/in her hall to dyne
Afore the ryche estates/for all theyr clothyng ryall
She serued the sayd poore/after Christis doctryne
Fyrst water to theyr handes/with a towell to them all
To persons impotent/she ministred speciall
Wasshyng theyr mouthes/theyr handes louingly
Suche was her custome/she was so full of pitie

Whan all the seruyce/on the table was set
She wolde stande fastyng/to make them good chere
And deuyde theyr vitayls/as she myght get
Shewyng them good counsell theyr soulis to lere
All blynde/halte/and lame/to her were full dere
Whome with her handes/she fed with a spone
After gaue them drinke/with Christes benesone

Women full of lepre and vile corrupcion
In armes she wolde embrace/and kysse swetely
And gaue to them clothing/and refeccion
That many of them/were healed therby
Wherfore it was sayd/O thou swete lady
Who shall the kysse/or aproche the nere
Which kysses/suche lepurs most vile in fere.