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 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. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
next section

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.

423

The day knowen / to her by reuelacyon
Of her departure / by sygnes euydent,
She sende for all / the hole congregacyon,
And in presence / of all her holy couent
She called for the blessed sacrament;
To whome she sayd / with wordes expresse
With wepynge teeres / and great mekenesse:
108

424

‘Well-come my lorde / well-come my kynge,
Well-come my sufferayne / and sauyour,
Well-come my conforte / and ioy euerlastynge,
My trust / my treasure / my helpe and socour,
Well-come my maker / and my redemptour,
The sone of god / moost in maieste,
Withouten begynnynge / and endeles shalbe.

425

‘I byleue that thou / for all mankynde
Frome heuen descended / of thy charyte
And was incarnate / scrypture dothe mynde,
In the vyrgynall wombe / of blessed marye,
And suffered dethe / to make vs all fre,
Descended to hell / roose the thyrde day,
Ascended to heuen / and our raunson dyd pay;

426

‘And I knowlege to the / with pure entent:
On Shorpthursday / after thy passyon
Thy moost blessed body / in sacrament
Thou gaue to vs / for our communyon,
To be our defence / and ghostly tuycyon,
Now present here / in forme of breed,
To Iudge mankynde / bothe quycke and deed.

427

‘O sufferayne sauyour / replete with grace,
I the beseche / haue pyte vpon me
And in my soule / make a dwellynge-place,
Expulce all vyce / synne and mysery;
Defende my soule / frome our aduersary,
Saue and protecte me / from peynes infernall
And brynge thrugh thy mercy / to ioye perpetuall.’

428

Thus with reuerence / and great humylyte
She receyued / the blessed sacrament,
The seconde persone / in trynyte,
109

In perfyte fayth / hope / and loue feruent,
With great contrycyon / as it was apparent,
Her herte lyfte vp / to-warde heuen on hye
Abydynge the wyll / of god almyghty.

429

She exorted / her systers euerychone
That were there present / in companye,
Desyrynge them all / with supplycacyon
To remembre her / sayenge with humylyte:
‘My systers in god / now knowe may ye
My dayes ben ferre past / comynge is the houre.
Wherfore I betake you / fyrst to our sauyour;

430

‘Prayenge you tenderly / for the loue of me
In deuyne seruyce / loke ye contynu;
Obseruynge pacyence / mekenes / and chastyte,
Encresynge in relygyon / by the grace of Ihesu—
“Who-so perceuers / in herte and mynde true
Vnder obedyence / to the extreme day,
Is sure to be saued” / scrypture so doth say.

431

‘Also remembre / that all worldly royalte,
Honour / ryches / pleasure / possessyon,
If ye consyder / are but a vanyte,
Nothynge assured / to trust thereupon;
Wherfore dyspose you / to vertue alon
Whyle ye endure / in this lyfe mortall,
Tyll that ye come / to Ioy perpetuall.

432

‘Secondly’ she sayd / ‘systers, I you pray
Kepe well the order / of perfyte charyte,
Neuer declynynge / fro it by no way,
As ye haue taken / exemple of me;
Iche loue other / and worshyp in theyr degre,
So that no murmure / nor dyssymulacyon
Be founde amonge / this holy congregacyon.
110

433

Be euer lowly / humble / and obedyent
With due reuerence / worshyp and honoure,
Folowe the mynde / of your presydent,
Vnto your heed / and ghostly gouernoure.
Kepe well chastyte / that precyous floure,
So that no thought / of sensualyte
Corrupte your mynde / to breke vyrgynyte.

434

Se that ye vse / dyscrete temperaunce,
Abstenynge frome vayne superfluyte;
Se that amonge you / be founde no varyaunce,
Kepe well the degrees / of humylyte.’
These and many other / exemples of charyte
She taught her couent / of synguler deuocyon,
How they shulde optayne / to hye perfeccyon.

435

Thyrdly she prayed / sayenge with mynde dylygent:
‘O blessed sauyour / I desyre the
Saue and defende / my hole couent
And theyr monasteryes / of thy great pyte
Frome peryll of peryshynge / and frome enmyte,
That all the subiectes / of our congregacyon
May well obserue / theyr holy professyon.

436

‘And graunt me, swete lorde / throwe thy goodnes:
Who-so in thy name / vpon me dothe call
In langour / mysery / in peyne / or sekenes,
Also women with chylde / in peynes thrall,
May haue remedy / and helpe specyall;
And people in pryson / halte / blynde / and lame
By me may magnyfy / thy gloryous name.’

437

Than she requyred / with humylyte
The spyrytuall sufferage / of holy vnccyon,
Her soule to conforte / frome all aduersyte;
111

She toke her leue / and kyssed them ycheon.
Alas, what herte / myght shewe the lamentacyon,
The wepynge / waylynge / and wofull heuynes
At the departure / of theyr swete maystres?
previous section 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. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
next section