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 |
 |
 |
How this yonge vyrgyn saynt Werburge was desyred of
dukes & erles in maryage / and of the answere she gaue
to them / in auoydynge worldly pleasures. Ca. viii.
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester |  |
How this yonge vyrgyn saynt Werburge was desyred of dukes & erles in maryage / and of the answere she gaue to them / in auoydynge worldly pleasures. Ca. viii.
110
As tender youthe passed / this blessed maydynDayly encreased / more and more in vertue,
In ghostly scyence / and vertuous dyscyplyne,
35
Had his commaundymentes / in her herte full tru;
So that no creature / more perfyte myght be
In vertuous gyftes (by grace) than she.
111
She was replete / with gyftes naturall:Her vysage moost pleasaunt / fayre and amyable,
Her goodly eyes / clerer than the crystall,
Her countenaunce comly / swete and commendable;
Her herte lyberall / her gesture fauourable.
She, lytell consyderynge / these gyftes transytory,
Set her felycyte / in chryst perpetually.
112
She hadde moche worshyp / welthe / and ryches,Vestures / honoures / reuerence and royalte;
The ryches she dysposed / with great mekenesse
To the poore people / with great charyte.
But her sadnes / constaunce / and humylyte,
Vertue / gentylnes / so pacyent and colde,
Transcended all these other / a thousande folde.
113
The vertuous maners / and excellent fameOf this holy vyrgyn / redoubted so ferre
In all this regyon / in praysynge her name,
That the nobles of this lande / wolde not dyfferre,
But with ryche apparell / and myghty power
Came for to seke her— / lyke as to Salomon
Quene Saba approched / to here of his wysedome.
114
So lyke-wyse some came / to her of her vertue,Some of her sadnesse / and prudent dyscrecyon,
Some for her constaunce / so stable and true,
Some of her chastyte / and pregnaunt reason,
Some for her beaute / and famous wysedome;
And some, that were borne / of kynges lygnage,
Desyred yf they myght / haue her in maryage.
36
115
In beaute amyable / she was equall to Rachell,Comparable to Sara / in fyrme fidelyte,
In sadnes and wysedom / lyke to Abygaell:
Replete as Delbora / with grace of prophecy,
Equyualent to Ruth / she was in humylyte,
In pulchrytude Rebecca / lyke Hester in lolynesse,
Lyke Iudyth in vertue / and proued holynesse.
116
The prynce of Westsaxons / a pere of this lande,Wyllynge to haue her by way of maryage,
With humble reuerence / as we vnderstande,
Sayd to her these wordes / wysely and sage:
‘O souerayne lady / borne of hye lynage,
O beautefull creature / and imperyall prynces,
This is my full mynde / that I now rehers.
117
‘From my fathers realme / hyder I am comeVnto our presence / yf ye be so content,
With worshyp and honour / and moche renowne,
In all honest maner / aperynge euydent;
My mynde is on you set / with loue feruent,
To haue you in maryage / all other to forsake,
If it be your pleasure / thus me for to take.
118
‘ye shalbe asured / a quene for to be,ye shall haue ryches / worshyp / and honour,
Royall ryche appareyll / and eke the sufferaynte,
Precyous stones in golde / worthy a kynges tresour,
Landes / rentes / and lybertees / all at your pleasur,
Seruauntes euery houre / your byddynge for to do,
With ladyes in your chambre / to wayte on you also.’
119
With these kynde wordes / the vyrgyn abasshed soreAnd with mylde countenaunce / answered hym agayne
The playnes of her mynde / to rest for euermore,
37
For youre gentyll offer / shewed to me so playne,
ye be well worthy / for your regalyte
To haue a better maryage / an hundreth folde than me.
120
‘But now I shewe you / playnly my true mynde:My purpose was neuer / maryed for to be;
A lorde I haue chosen / redemer of mankynde,
Ihesu, the seconde persone in trynyte,
To be my spouse / to Whome my vyrgynyte
I haue depely vowed / endurynge all my lyfe,
His seruaunt to be / true spouses and wyfe.
121
‘Therfore, noble prynce / hertfully I you pray,Tempte me no forther / after suche condycyon,
Whiche am so stedfast / and wyll be nyght and day
Neuer for to chaunge / nor make alteracyon.
Take ye this answere / for a sure conclusyon:
The promyse I haue made / and vowe of chastyte
Endurynge my lyfe / shall neuer broken be.’
122
Dyuers other astates / came her for to assayle,Made instaunt requestes / vnto this vyrgyn fre:
For all theyr busynesse / they myght not preuayle,
So constaunt, fyrme & stable / in herte & mynde was she:
A mountayne or hyll / soner, leue ye me,
Myght be remoeued / agaynst the course of nature
Than she for to graunte / to suche worldly pleasure.
123
She well consydered / the texte of holy scrypture:‘Who byleueth her chast / for the loue of Ihesu,
The temple of god / they be clypped sure
And shalbe rewarded / for that noble vertu
An hundreth folde (by grace), vyces to subdu,
And heuen for to haue / at theyr departynge’—
Whiche she remembred wysely / aboue all thynge.
|
How this yonge vyrgyn saynt Werburge was desyred of
dukes & erles in maryage / and of the answere she gaue
to them / in auoydynge worldly pleasures. Ca. viii.
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester | |