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 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.

357

This venerable Werburge / & moynes gracyous,
For her great vertue / and perfyte holynesse
Electe to be gouernour / ouer the nonnes relygeous
By her vncle kynge Ethelrede / of his goodnesse
Ouer dyuers monasteryes (as is sayd) expresse,
Was consecrate abbesse / and lady gracyous
By the bysshop of Lychefelde / nomynat Sexwulfus.

358

And thus she departed / fro the hous of Ely,
Wherin she vsed / heuenly medytacyon,
With lycence optayned / in mynde sad and heuy;
So were the systers / and all the congregacyon
Of her departure / knowynge her conuersacyon;
But, as wolde charyte / they had great gladnes,
Knowynge by her vertue / relygyon to encres.

359

The spouses of Ihesu / and floure of benygnyte
Consyderynge her-selfe / a lady and presydent,
Ordered her monasteryes: ryght well and wysele,
Receyued in systers / chast / humble / obedyent,
Ouer them made rulers / vertuous / and pacyent,

Her subiectes to instructe / and counseyll day and nyght,
Vertue to exalte / and vyce depryue aryght.

360

This noble abbesse / remembrynge her duty,
What charge it is / to rule a congregacyon,
Humble requyred / the grace of god almyghty
And dylygently prepared / to supple her rowme;
Pryncypally she gaue / to them euerychone
Perfyte exsample / of vertue in her dede,
With vertuous doctryne / the same to procede.

361

A myrrour of mekenesse / she was to them all,
A floure of chastyte / and well of clennes,
The fruyte of obedyence / in her was specyall;
Refusynge vayne pleasures / honours and ryches
Content with lytell / an exsample of lowlynes
As dothe belonge / vnto wylfull pouerte;
Pryde had no resydence / but all humylyte.

362

She was a mynyster / rather than a maystres,
Her great preemynence / caused no presumpcyon;
She was a handmayd / rather than a pryores,
Seruynge her systers / with humble subieccyon;
Subduynge her body / to penaunce and afflyccyon,
Subiecte to the soule / as reason wolde shulde be,
A true sacryfyce / offered to the trynyte.

363

It was no merueyll / tho all her couent
Vnder suche a ruler / encreased in vertu,
Seynge her exsample / afore them dayly present,
Euer augmentynge / throwe the helpe of Ihesu;
Worldy desyres / she clerely dyd subdue;
She neuer ware lynon / by day or by nyght,
All ryche vayne vestures / she set by them but lyght.

364

In prayer, medytacyon / the tyme she dyspent,

Proued: for euery nyght / longe afore matyns
She wolde vpryse / at an houre conuenyent
And deuoutely say / afore our lordes presens
Dauyd spalter holly knelynge / with great reuerence,
Or that her systers / came to the oratory
To say dyuyne seruyce / fyndynge her all redy.

365

At after matyns / she vsed contemplacyon,
Contynually abydynge / vnto the day-lyght
Prostrate on the grounde / or knelynge in deuocyon,
Wepynge full tenderly / with teeres downe ryght;
Many holy oraysons / she sayd day and nyght;
Pyteous / mercyable / and full of charyte
To the poore people / in theyr necessyte.

366

This lady obserued / suche sharpe abstynence
That one dayly repast / wolde her well suffyse;
Delycate dysshe meetes / were put out of her presence;
So nature were content / in moost humble wyse,
The Worde of god / was moost delycate seruyse;
Myndynge moche more / the soule to satysfy
Than please and content / her enemy, the body.

367

These sayd exemples / with many other mo
Pleasaunte vnto Ihesu / she taught her couent,
Them to preserue / frome theyr mortall fo,
By synguler vertue / grace to augment.
Her precepte and lyuynge / were euer corespondent,
She neuer commaunded syster / do any thynge
But it was fulfylled / in her owne doynge.

368

She exorted her chyldren / euer to deuocyon,
With manyfolde doctrynes / ydlenes to exchewe;
Lyke a tender mother / had pyte and compassyon,
She dayly fedde them / and nourysshed in all vertue,
And dylygently prayed / our sauyour Ihesu

Them to preserue / of his infynyte grace
Frome peryll of peryshynge / in blysse to se his face.

369

Also the .xii. degrees / of humylyte,
Pacyence / quyetnes / and great perfeccyon
Were well obserued / with true loue and charyte,
Amonge her systers / the hole congregacyon;
And the thre essencyals / of relygyon:
Wylfull pouerte / chastyte / and obedyence,
were truly fulfylled / proued by the consequence.

370

As for a pastyme / amonge her systers all
She caused to be redde / auoydynge ydlenesse,
The swete legendary / for a memoryall,
And Vitas patrum / shewynge great swetenesse,
With other narracyons / of grace and goodnesse.
Ofttymes to her couent / she had a comyn sayenge:
‘Please god and loue hym / and doubte ye nothynge.’

371

All reders excuse me / tho I can not expresse
For lacke of lernynge / the vertues morall,
The hye perfeccyon / and proued holynesse
Of this pure vyrgyn / and sanctymonyall,
Wherwith was decorate / her lyfe monestycall,
Manyfest with myracles / by meryte of her mekenesse,
As the true hystory / playnly dothe expresse.

372

The worthy myracles / of this vyrgyn pure
Dylated were / thrugh all this regyon,
By deuyne sufferaunce / aboue nature,
Profytable / to euery chrysten synguler persone;
In sekenesse / trouble / peyne or vexacyon
Of her they haue refuge / helpe / and socoure
By her merytes / and prayer / that euery honoure(!).

373

Her merytes were / moche more commendable

Than were her myracles— / manyfest and playne:
For why by her merytes / famous and notable
Sygnes and myracles / were shewed full playne,
In the house of Ely / by grace of our sufferayne
And in euery place / where she kepte resydence.
Of whome parte folowen / in this rude sentence.