University of Virginia Library

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Of the holy professyon & ghostly conuersacyon saynt Werburge vsed at Ely in relygyon / vnder saynt Audry her abbesse and cosyn. Ca. xvii.

249

So whan this vyrgyn / the spouse of Ihesu,
Had fully contynued / in holy relygyon
With mekenesse / pacyens / and all vertu
Fully the yere / of her probacyon,
Than she made instaunce / for her professyon
Vnto saynt Audry / her lady and abbesse;
Whiche soone was graunted / with great gladnesse.

250

Ordynaunce they made / and great royalte,
Her frendes were called / agaynst that season;
She was professed / with great humylyte,
The obseruaunce done / with due deuocyon:
She made solempne vowe / of ghostly conuersacyon,
Mekely to obserue / obedyence and chastyte
Endurynge her lyfe / and wylfull pouerte.

251

By the exsample / of her perfeccyon
Many dyuers persones / of her noble lynage
Refused this worlde / and entred relygyon,
Renounsynge vayne pleasures / ryches and maryage,
Enclyned to vertue / for theyr ghostly auauntage,
As may be specyfyed / here after folowynge
Theyr names / theyr astate / and theyr good lyuynge.

252

Now this gloryous vyrgyn / after her desyre
Is ghostly maryed / to our lorde Ihesu,
Accordynge to her entent / and true loue entyre,
She dayly encresed / frome vertu to vertu,
With more strayter lyfe / vyces to subdu;
The longer she endured / in relygyon
The better she prepared / her herte to deuocyon.

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253

And tho this vyrgyn / clerely dyd forsake
All ryches, honours / and pleasures worldly,
With all possessyons / for her lordes sake,
She thought than she reygned / moost lyke a lady,
Cause that she lyued / in chrystes seruyce dayly;
And certayne it is / holy scrypture recordynge,
‘Who serues well god / dothe reygne lyke a kynge.’

254

In prayer / penaunce / and / contemplacyon
Was all her busynesse / and study alway,
Compasynge by what maner of medytacyon
She myght best please / our lorde to his pay,
Offerynge her persone / a true sacryfyce euery day;
No labour her greued / loue was so feruent;
Her body vpon erthe / her soule in heuen lent.

255

Swete / comly creatures / ladyes euerychone,
Sekynge for pleasures / ryches and arayment,
Blynded by your beaute / and synguler affeccyon,
Consyder this vyrgyn / humble and pacyent:
A spectacle of vertue / euer obedyent;
Beholde how she hase / clerely layde away
Her royall ryche clothes / and is in meke aray.

256

your garmentes now be gay and gloryous,
Euery yere made / after a newe inuencyon,
Of sylke and veluet / costly and precyous,
Brothered full rychely / after the beest facyon,
Shynynge lyke angels / in your opynyon,
Where lesse wolde suffyse / and content as well
As all that great cost / folowynge wyse counsell.

257

A playne exsample / now ye may take
Of this myghty kynges doughter dere,
Whiche for the loue of god / dyd forsake

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All suche vayne pleasures / and garmentes clere;
She gaue herselfe / to penaunce and prayere:
Wherfore, fayre ladyes / do way suche vanyte,
Prepare your-selfe / to vertue and humylyte!

258

Some of lowe byrthe / excellynge theyr degre
Done couet to haue / as royall ryche vesture,
Worldly honours / also the sufferaynte,
As they were ladyes / by lyne of nature:
Of dredefull mysery / they bere the fygure,
Prowde as a Pecocke / whelynge full bryght;
All is but vanyte / contentynge the syght.

259

O gloryous vyrgyn / replete with synguler grace,
Endowed with souerayne gyftes celestyall,
Refusynge voyde pleasures / whan thou had space,
And honours transytory / whiche hath brought in thrall
A thousande persones / in ruyne to fall;
A myrrour thou arte / of vyrgynall clennes,
Of true obedyence / and perfyte mekenes.

260

So Werburge professed / to her rule full ryght,
A redolent floure / all vertue to augment,
As Lucyfer shynynge / a clere lampe of lyght;
For whome her spouse / god sone omnypotent,
Shewed many myracles / to euery pacyent,
A sygne her loue was / supernaturall,
Closed in our lorde / by grace supernall.

261

The excellent goodnes / of this moynes,
And fame of vertue / with humylyte,
Transcended all other / in perfyte holynes;
So that sundry persones / approched that party
For ghostly conforte / counsell and remedy.
Suche as to her came / pensyue / woo / and sadde,
Departed ioyfull / in soule mery and gladde.

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262

She dayly prouyded / for ghostly treasure
To buylde her a place / a sure mansyon,
Euer to remayne / with ioye and endure
In pleasure perpetuall / without corrupcyon:
Whiche she optayned by her deuocyon
After this departure / to reygne as a presydent
In eterne blys / with god omnypotent.