University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
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

collapse section 
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.
collapse section 
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.
collapse section 
[Whan Phebus had ronne his cours in sagittari]
collapse sectionI. 
[BOOK I.]
 i. 
The prologe of the translatour of this lytell werke, þe lyfe of saynt Werburge. [Ca. i.]
 ii. 
A descrypcyon of the realme of Mercyens / of bondes and commodytes of the same. [Ca. ii]
 iii. 
A descrypcyon of the Geanalogy of saynt Werburge, and how she descended of foure kynges of this lande / & of the royall blode of Fraunce. [Ca.iii.]
 iiii. 
A descrypcyon of the actes & chyualry of kynge Penda, graundfather to saynt Werburge / & of his noble and vertuous yssue and progenye. Ca. .iiii.
 v. 
How after dethe of Penda & his sone, prynce Peada, his seconde sone Vulfer / father to saynt Werburge, was electe to be kynge of all the Mercyens. Ca. v.
 vi. 
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.
 vii. 
A breue declaracyon of the holy lyfe and conuersacyon of saynt Werburge / vsed in her tender youthe / aboue the comyn cours of nature. Ca. vii.
 viii. 
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.
 ix. 
How þe false Werbode desyred kynge Vulfer to haue Werburge, his doughter, in maryage. And how ye kynge graunted therto. Ca. ix.
 x. 
How the quene saynt Ermenylde wolde not consente therto / & how her bretherne saynt Wulfade and Ruffyn were agaynst the sayd maryage. Ca. x.
 xi. 
How the false Werbode complayned vpon Vulfade and Ruffyn to kynge Vulfare by malyce and enuy / and was the cause of theyr dethe. Ca. xi.
 xii. 
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.
 xiii. 
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.
 xiiii. 
Of the meke answere saynt Werburge gaue to her father whan she was moeued to maryage. Ca. xiiii.
 xv. 
How saynt Werburge was made a moynes after her desyre at the monastery of Ely vnder saynt Audry / lady and abbesse. Ca. xv.
 xvi. 
Of the great solempnyte kynge Vulfer made at the ghostly maryage of saynt Werburge his doughter / to al his louers / cosyns / and frendes. Ca. xvi.
 xvii. 
Of the holy professyon & ghostly conuersacyon saynt Werburge vsed at Ely in relygyon / vnder saynt Audry her abbesse and cosyn. Ca. xvii.
 xviii. 
A lytell treatyse of the lyfe of saynt Audry, abbesse of Ely / and of her holy couersacyon and great deuocyon / vnder whome saynt Werburge was made nonne / and professed. Ca. xviii.
 xix. 
A breue rehersal of þe lyfe of saynt Sexburge / graundmother to saynt Werburge. And of her comynge to Ely to her syster Audry from Shepay monastery. Ca. xix.
 xx. 
How saynt Ermenylde after the dethe of kynge Vulfer, her husbande, was made a nonne at Ely / vnder her mother saynt Sexburge abbesse / and Werburge her deuoute doughter. Ca. xx.
 xxi. 
How kynge Ethelrede, seynge the holy conuersacyon of Werburge, his nece / made her lady and abbesse at Wedon / Trentam / and Hambury. And by her counseyll and exsample was made monke at Bardeney abbay. Ca. xxi.
 xxii. 
The holy conuersacyon of kynge Kenred, brother to saynt Werburge / & how he refused his crowne / and was made monke at Rome / & ther departed a holy confessour. Ca. xxii.
 xxiii. 
Of þe feruent & ghostly deuocyon of saynt Werburge / & vertuous governaunce of her places / & of þe great humilite she vsed to her sisters / & al other creatures. Ca. xxiii.
 xxiiii. 
How at Wedon wylde gees were pynned by her commaundyment / & also releshed & put at lyberte. Ca. xxiiii.
 xxv. 
How a tyraunt without pyte punyshynge an Innocent was punyshed / & after made hole. Ca. xxv.
 xxvi. 
How dyuers prynces folowynge sensualyte, intendynge to violate this vyrgyn bi power / bi myracle were put to confusyon. Ca. xxvi.
 xxvii. 
How saynt Werburge gaue knowlege to her systers of her departure, & how she ordered in vertue her sayd monasteryes afore her dethe. Ca. xxvii.
 xxviii. 
Of þe ghostli exortacyon saynt Werburge made to her systers in her sekenesse / and how deuoutely she receyued þe sacramentes of holy chyrche byfore her deth. Ca. xxviii.
 xxix. 
Of the departure of saynt Werburge vnto heuen at the abbay of Trentam / fro this myserable lyfe / & what lamentacyon her systers made for her dethe. Ca. xxix.
 xxx. 
How the hamburgenses toke the blessed body of Werburge frome Trentam by myracle & brought it to Hambury / & of þe buryall of werburge / & of manyfolde myracles shewed for her merytes .ix. yere after her translacyon. Ca. xxx.
 xxxi. 
A litle breue rehersall of her lyfe / and howe for her myracles shewed þe couent of Hambury purposed to translate her body / by the helpe of Mercyens. Ca. xxxi.
 xxxii. 
Of the solempne translacion of this glorious virgyn saynt Werburge / and of the great myracles done at the sayd season by the myght of god and merite of this gracious lady. Cap. xxxii.
 xxxiii. 
Howe the body of saynt Werburge contynued hole / and substanciall at Hambury after the translacion by the space of two hundreth yeres / tyll the danes were comon to this lande / or it felle and was resolued vnto powder. The .xxxiii. Chapitre.
 II. 
[BOOK II.]
  
A balade to the auctour.
  
An other balade.
  
An other balade to saynt werburge.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section Of the holy professyon & ghostly conuersacyon saynt Werburge vsed at Ely in relygyon / vnder saynt Audry her abbesse and cosyn. Ca. xvii. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
next section
67

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.
68

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
69

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.
70

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.
previous section Of the holy professyon & ghostly conuersacyon saynt Werburge vsed at Ely in relygyon / vnder saynt Audry her abbesse and cosyn. Ca. xvii. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
next section