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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How kynge Vulfer was conuerted & toke great repentaunce for his offences. And by the counseyll of saynt Ceade was a deuoute man / and a good benefactour to holy chyrche / and a founder of dyuers holy places relygyous. Ca. xii.

178

Than Vulfer, consyderynge / with due dyscrecyon
His cruell hastynes / and furyous mynde,
How ferre he had / abused his reason,
Agaynst his chyldren / by nature and kynde:
He sore repented / in hystory as we fynde,
His greuous trespas / and homycyde vnnaturall,
In conscyence greued / for his synnes mortall;

179

Namely lamentynge / in soule his apostasy
After his baptyme / and ghostly conuersyon,
And for the departure / of his prynces truly
Contrary to ryght / kynde and all reason,
The losse of his fame / thrugh this regyon,
A dethe to his quene / and his louers all,
Greuous to his kynnesmen / and frendes naturall.

180

All these consydered / with due cyrcumstaunce,
He wayled and weped / sobbynge fullsore,
Plonged in sorowe / heuynes / and greuaunce,
Lamentynge his offence / a thousande tymes therfore;
His intollerable peyne / encreased more and more,
Wofully he went / to his bed by and by,
Supposynge some dethe / withouten any remedy.

181

Some of his louers / beynge there present
Gaue hym theyr counseyll / to hunte in the forest,
Some to dysportes / and pleasures euydent,
Some vnto melody / all thoughtes to degest.
But Ermenylde, his quene / whiche loued hym best,
Counseyled hym truly / to take contrycyon
And mendes make / by due satysfaccyon.

182

Of this ghostly counseyll / the kynge was very glad,
And in the morowe after / prepared besyly
With mekenesse to seke / blessed saynt Cead.
So whan the kynge came / to his oratory,
The bysshop was at masse / and ryght consequently
Fro heuen descended / so gloryous a lyght
That of the mystery / Vulfer had no syght.

183

Whan masse was ended / saynt Cead his vestures caste
Vpon the sonne-beame / by myracle there hangynge,
Supposynge on a forme / and made moche haste
To mete at the doore / mekely the sayd kynge,
Whiche laye there prostrate / penaunce desyrynge;
With reuerence hym eleuate / and gaue an exortacyon;
The kynge was agreable / for to do satysfaccyon.

184

The bysshop hym enioyned / in parte of penaunce
To destroye all ydolles / and sectes of ydolatry
In all his realme / and the temples of paganes

To translate to the honour / of god almyghty,
With preestes and clerkes / to pray and synge deuoutly,
Also peas and iustyce / to be kepte contynuall,
With the werkes of mercy / to be vsed in specyall.

185

Forther he enioyned hym / of his charyte
Monasteryes to make / of great perfeccyon,
Endowed with landes / possessed in lyberte,
Therin for to set / men of relygyon,
To pray to our lorde / for his saluacyon;
Whiche Vulfer promysed / to fulfyll gladle,
As soone as he myght / by possybylyte.

186

Than the foresayd kynge / and the holy confessour
Went to theyr prayers / in the oratory.
And as the kynge loked vp / to our sauyour,
The sayd sacrat vestures / he sawe euydently
Hangynge on the sonne-beame / full merueylously;
His gloues / his gyrdell / the kynge had vpon,
Whiche shortly to grounde / falled adowne.

187

Wherby he perceyued / the great holynesse
Of blessed saynt Cead / and interyor deuocyon,
Desyred his prayer / dayly with mekenesse
To almyghty god / for his remyssyon;
Frome thens departed / with his benedyccyon,
Ioyfull in his soule / to-warde his place,
Thankynge god mekely / of his great grace.

188

As the kynge promysed / to our sauyour,
Shortly he auoyded / all ydolatry,
Brenned theyr ydolles / correcked theyr errour,
Translated theyr temples / vnto god almyghty,
Founded monasteryes / of relygyon many,
Of men and women / gaue them possessyons,
Landes / rentes / ryches / to encrese deuocyons.

189

Namely he founded / a ryche monastery
For dethe of the prynces / in satysfaccyon
To the honour of god / and saynt Peter, truly,
Called Peterborowe abbay / in all this regyon;
Endowed it with rentes / lybertes / possessyon—
A place where many / relygyous persones be,
Seruynge day and nyght / our lorde with charyte.

190

Also there was founded / at Stone a pryore
In the honour of god / and the martyrs twayne,
Possessed with landes / rentes and lyberte,
Where deuoute chanons / ben inhabyte, certayne.
Myracles and sygnes / haue ben shewed there playne
To the laude and prayse / of god omnypotent
And of these holy martyrs / patrones there present.