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.

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Of the feruent desyre & great deuocyon yt saynt Werburge hadde to be relygyous / & of þe dayly supplycacyons she made to the kynge, her father, for the same. Ca. xiii.

191

As this myghty prynces / encreased in age,
So dayly encresed / her good condycyons,
That greatly enioyed / her honorable lynage
Consyderynge in her / suche vertuous dysposycyons;
In vygyls / prayers / and ghostly medytacyons
Set all her mynde / power / myght / and mayne,
To serue our sauyour / day and nyght, certayne.

192

She well consydered / with due dyscrecyon
Of this present lyfe / the great wretchydnesse,
How dredefull it is / full of varyacyon,
Deceuable / peryllous / and of no sykernesse;
The tyme vncertayne / to be knowen, doubtlesse;
For here is no cytee / nor sure dwellynge place,
All thynge is transytory / in short proces and space.

193

Wherfore this vyrgyn / gladde and benyuolent,
Folowynge the counseyll / of blessed Mathewe,
Was on of fyue vyrgyns / euer redy present,
Had her lampe replete / with oyle full of vertue,
Redy for to mete / her spouse, swete Ihesu,
With charytable werkes / in her soule contynuall—
Therfore she was taken / to his blys eternall.

194

She well consydered / the wordes of the gospell
‘Who refuses pleasures / and naturall generacyon
For the loue of Ihesu / rewarded shalbe well
With a hundreth-folde grace / here for theyr guerdon,
And after this lyfe / haue eterne fruycyon’:
Whiche she remembred / and euer fro that day
On her father wolde call / and mekely to hym say:

195

‘Reuerent myghty prynce / and lorde honorable,
Moost dere byloued father / my synguler helpe & socour,
My trust / tresure / and solace / to me moost amyable,
Instauntly I beseche you / for loue of our sauyoure
And of his mother mary / of vyrgyns the floure,
With all the company / that in heuen be,
My humble petycyon / now graunt it vnto me.

196

‘Well-byloued father / this is my fully mynde,
My instaunte desyre / and humble supplycacyon:
By the grace of god / maker of all mankynde,
And by your lysence / helpe / and tuycyon
I purpose to enter / into holy relygyon
And vtterly refuse / all pleasures transytory,
To be professed / at the house of Ely.’

197

‘O my dere doughter’ / sayd this noble kynge,
‘My pleasure / solace / and hope of my gladnesse,
Moost dere byloued / and my synguler swete derlynge,

I well consyder / your vertue and sadnesse,
your instaunt request / and humble gentylnesse,
And of your desyre / inwardly I am gladde;
But yet your mocyon / makes my herte full sadde.

198

‘All my ioye and conforte / now resteth in the,
Syth thy dere bretherne / from vs ben agone;
Thou arte the trusty treasure / to thy mother and me,
Our synguler solace / and sure consolacyon.
Wherfore, swete derlynge / as for my heyre alone
I wolde the mary / and a quene the make,
If thou wyll consent / and my counseyll take.

199

‘Consyder and beholde / thrugh all this lande,
Take the a maryage / at thyne owne pleasure,
A prynce moost valyaunt / moost noble to be founde:
And of helpe and ayde / I shall the assure,
With ryches / royalte / welthe / and tresure,
Clothes of golde / and royall ryche apparell
And all thynges necessary / as man can of tell.

200

‘Remembre also / how after course of kynde
Aege dothe sore greue / thy moder and me also.
Therfore naturall loue (swete chylde) dothe me bynde
To gyue the best counseyll / what thou shall do,
To honour and worshyp / how thou may come to:
Whiche great renowne / and hye astate, certayne,
To se the a quene / wyll make vs yonge agayne.

201

‘God ordeyned matrymony / fyrst in Paradyse
Bytwene man & woman / whan he the worlde dyd make,
That mankynde myght encrese / multyply, and ryse,
Eche persone at pleasure / a spouse for them to take;
Now ioyned by holy chyrche / all other to forsake,
The chylde of the father / to take his dyscyplyne,
And after that to teche / his yssue theyr doctryne.

202

‘Also man and beest / haue dysposycyon naturall
To brynge forth theyr lykenesse / by generacyon;
But man, hauynge reason / and fre wyll with-all,
As lawe requyreth / hath his procreacyon
Vnder true matrymony / by his owne eleccyon,
Orels to obserue / and lyue in pure vyrgynyte,
For the greater meryte / and rewarde of glorye.

203

‘And yf all maydens / shulde kepe theyr chastyte
As ye now do / how shulde the worlde encrese?
Swete louely creature / ryght ioyfull wolde I be
To kysse a chylde of thyne / hauynge thy lykenesse,
And se the also coronate / as a myghty pryncesse!
Enclyne, dere derlynge / thy mynde to myne entent,
And all these sayd honours / wyll folowe consequent.’