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 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.

83

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.

84

Certaynly her father / was called Ercomberte,
As afore is specyfyed / the kynge of Kent,
Her mother Sexburge / humble in her herte;

Of whome Ermenylde / a lady excellent,
Lynyally descended / by tytle full auncyent;
Her graundfather Edbalde / kynge Ethelbryctes sone,
The fyrst crysten prynce / of Saxons nacyon.

85

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.

86

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.

87

Suche synguler confort / of vertuous doctryne
In 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.

88

Euery tree or plante / is proued euydent
Whyther 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.

89

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.

90

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.

91

Neuerthelesse Ermenylde / escape ne myght
Worldely 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.

92

This noble lady / by deuyne prouydens
Elected 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.

93

At this maryage / was moche solempnyte.
Her father Ercomberte / and her frendes all,
Tho prynces her vncles / Egbryct and Lothary,

The kynge of eest-Englande / Aldulph in specyall,
Dukes / erles / barons / and knyghtes in generall:
Whiche sayd company / were redy that same day
To worshyp the matrymony / in theyr beest aray.

94

This royall maryage / was solempnysed
With 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.

95

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.

96

At the solempne spousage / of this lady bryght
Kynge 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.

97

The myghty realme of Mercyens / also of Kent
That 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.