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 lytell descrypcyon of the noble maryage bytwene Kynge Vulfer & saynt Ermenylde, ye kynges doughter of Kent / & of the solempnyte done at þe same season. Ca. vi.
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In meane whyle the kynge / mynded maryage,By the sufferaunce of our lorde god omnypotent,
Issue to encrease / acordynge to his lygnage,
After hym to succede / kynge and presydent.
He mynded moost / the kynges doughter of Kent,
Prynces Ermenylde / nomynate she was;
A beautefull creature / replete with great grace.
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Certaynly her father / was called Ercomberte,As afore is specyfyed / the kynge of Kent,
Her mother Sexburge / humble in her herte;
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Lynyally descended / by tytle full auncyent;
Her graundfather Edbalde / kynge Ethelbryctes sone,
The fyrst crysten prynce / of Saxons nacyon.
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Of foure myghty kyngdomes / she is descended:From the royall blode of Fraunce / also of Kent
Vpon her fathers party / as afore is notyfyed;
And on her mothers syde / by lyne auncyent
Frome the eest-Englande / famous and excellent,
Also of Northumberlande / flourynge in honour,
Conuerted and baptysed / vnto our sauyour.
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This sayd Ermenylde / this floure of vertue,Was euer dysposed / from her natyuyte
Vnto the dyscyplyne / of our lorde Ihesu;
Enspyred with his grace / and benygnyte,
Refused this worlde / ryches and vanyte;
He vsed the maners / of sadde dysposycyon,
Passynge fragyll youth / and naturall reason.
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Suche synguler confort / of vertuous doctryneIn her so dyd water / a pure perfyte plante,
Whiche dayly encreased / by sufferaunce deuyne,
Merueylously growynge / in her fresshe and varnaunt,
With dyuers proprytes / of grace exuberaunt,
As sobrynes / dyscrecyon / and mekenesse vyrgynall,
Obedyence / grauyte / and wysedome naturall.
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Euery tree or plante / is proued euydentWhyther good or euyll / by experyence full sure,
By the budde and fruyte / and pleasaunt descent;
A swete tree bryngeth forth / by cours of nature
Swete fruyte and delycyous / in tast and verdure:
Ryght so Ercombert / by his quene moost mylde
Brought gracyously forth / the swete Ermenylde.
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She folowed her father / in worshyp and honoure,At her mother Sexburge / she toke imytacyon
To lyue in clennes; / presentynge in behauyour
Her father in power / her mother in relygyon.
Humble in herte / hauynge compassyon,
Pyteous and lyberall / where was necessyte,
Ioyfull to obserue / the dedes of charyte.
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Forther of her lyfe / to make declaracyon,As the true legende playnly dothe expresse,
Consyder the hystory / with good inspeccyon
Of blessed Sexburge / that noble pryncesse.
The sayd conuersacyon / and ghostly swetenesse
That is perceyued / in her holy mother,
The same perfeccyon / was in the other.
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Neuerthelesse Ermenylde / escape ne myghtWorldely honours / and seculer dygnyte,
As requyred so noble a state of ryght,
Ryches / possessyon / namely her beaute.
But vnto maryage / compelled was she
Of her parentes / contrary to her entent;
To whome she was founde / euer obedyent.
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This noble lady / by deuyne prouydensElected to her / a spouse commendable,
A valyaunt prynce / the kynges sone of Mercyens,
Called kynge Vulfer / famous and honorable,
Reygnynge in Mercelande / with ioy incomparable,
Excellynge many other / prynces of this regyon
In ryches / retynu / fortune / honour / and wysdome.
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At this maryage / was moche solempnyte.Her father Ercomberte / and her frendes all,
Tho prynces her vncles / Egbryct and Lothary,
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Dukes / erles / barons / and knyghtes in generall:
Whiche sayd company / were redy that same day
To worshyp the matrymony / in theyr beest aray.
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This royall maryage / was solempnysedWith synguler pleasures / ryches and royalte,
Theyr frendes, cosyns / redy on euery syde
To do theyr deuoyre / and shewe humanyte,
Nothynge wantynge / euery thynge was plente,
Of delycate metes / and myghty wynes stronge,
With mynstrels / melody / and myrthes amonge.
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Whan this fayre prynces / resplendent in vertue,Came vnto Mercelande / in the order of matrymony,
Than grace with good gouernaunce / dyd vyce subdue,
Vertue was maystres / chefe ruler and lady;
The faythe of holy chyrche / dyd growe and multyply,
Relygyon encresed / honour and prosperyte,
In euery place pacyence / true loue and charyte.
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At the solempne spousage / of this lady bryghtKynge Vulfer promysed / on his fydelyte
Errours to correcke / by his wysdome and myght,
Clerely to expell / all sectes of ydolatrye
Frome his realme / and fulfyll by his auctoryte
The promyse truely made / at the fonte of baptyme:
The chyrche to conserue / and saue it from ruyne.
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The myghty realme of Mercyens / also of KentThat season were brought / bothe vnto vnyte,
And as one kyngedome / ruled full excellent,
Theyr subiectes and seruauntes / in tranquyllyte.
Kynge Vulfer by his quene / had a noble progenye:
Vulfade and Ruffyn / with prynce Kenrede,
And Werburge / of whome we purpose to procede.