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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

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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.
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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.
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[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.

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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.

438

In all her infyrmyte / peyne and busynesse
She vsed prayer / and medytacyon,
Callynge for mercy / by interyor mekenesse
With wepynge eyes / and great lamentacyon;
Remembrynge in herte / our lordes passyon;
Commendynge her couent / vnto our sauyour
To be theyr defence / ayde / and protectour.

439

The peynes encreased / of her infyrmyte,
The panges doubled / her peyne to augment,
Nature decayed / vnto suche debylyte
That the sygnes of dethe / appered euydent.
The houre approched / after all Iudgment:
Wherfore all thynges / were redy preparate,
As was conuenyent / for so noble a state.

440

Her spouse Ihesus / hauynge pyte and cure
Vpon his spouses / in extreme dystresse,
Wolde not suffer her peyne / longer endure,
But sende his angels / with great lyghtnesse
To conforte his seruaunt / in peyne and sekenesse,
To dyssolue her wo / and great penalte
And brynge vp her soule / to eterne felycyte.

441

There derknes was tourned / all vnto lyght,
Langour and trouble / vnto prosperyte,
112

The day was gouernour / ouer the nyght
Whan that she passed / this lyfe transytory,
Bondage and thraldome / were brought to lyberte.
The tyme of Ioye / and euerlastynge pleasure
Was approchynge to Werburge / euer to endure.

442

A multytude of angelles / shynynge moost clere
Were redy to gyde / with humble reuerence
The soule of werburge / as truly dyd apere,
And brought it to blys / vnto the hye presence
Of almyghty god / moost of magnyfycence,
Clerely releashed / frome peynes of purgatory
To be rewarded / with euerlastynge glory.

443

This blessed vyrgyn / gloryous and pure,
In stedfast fayth / hope / loue / and charyte
The thyrde day of February / ye may be sure,
Expyred frome this lyfe / caduce and transytory
To eterne blysse / coronate with vyctory,
Chaungynge her lyfe / myserable and thrall
For infynyte ioye / and glory eternall.

444

With moche honour / these spyrytuall mynysters
Conueyed the soule / aboue the fyrmament,
Passynge the seuen planettes / and all the sterres,
Vnto the presence / of god omnypotent,
Syngynge full swetely / theyr songes equyualent
Of pleasaunt armony / of conforte and blys,
Salutynge her mekely / with wordes reuerent
Veni dilecta: veni coronabiris.

445

The thre Ierarcheses / were redy present
With heuenly melody / to receyue this monyall,
The quere of vyrgyns / mette her incontynent
With great solempnyte / and processyon royall,
Presentynge her soule / with myrthes angelycall
113

To Ihesu, her spouse / to whome he sayd, truly,
‘Well-come, dere doughter / to blysse celestyall,
Intra in gaudium: domui tui.’

446

In meane tyme and space / this venerable body
(The soule departed) lay whyte / streyght / and colde,
Semynge as on slepe / she had ben, verely,
With swete odours fragrant / passynge manyfolde
All spyces and herbes / in erth may be tolde;
The place was so pleasaunt / full of delyce
Lyke as it had ben / an erthly paradyce.

447

This forsayd venerable congregacyon
With wepynge teeres / and syghes lamentable
Wasshed the swete body / after the olde custome,
And dressed the corps / with clothes honorable,
Prepared all necessaryes / pleasaunt and commendable;
To churche she was brought / solemply in syght,
With feruent deuocyon / to be watched all nyght.

448

And as they watched / with due mynystracyon
Ouer the sayd corps / deuoutly prayenge,
They made great mournynge / and lamentacyon
Euerychone to other / for her departynge;
‘Alas,’ they all sayd / with wofull waylynge,
‘Our solace / our helthe / is clere gone away!
Alas for sorowe / what shall we now say?

449

‘The sterre of our conforte / is extyncte clere,
The lanturne of our lyght / is taken vs fro,
The floure of chastyte / is layd vpon a bere,
The myrrour of mekenes / now lyeth full loo,
The treasure of relygyon / from vs now is ago.
Our sorowe encresed / wretchednes / and mysery,
Syth thou arte departed. / alas, what remedy?
114

450

‘Our hertes ben plonged / in great wo and peyne,
Our myndes are medled / with heuy langour;
How shulde we now rest / frome mornynge, certayne,
Beholdynge now deed / whylom our protectour?
Swete lady, thou art gone / frome vs for euermore;
Our deedly sorowe / replete with bytternes,
For waylynge and wepynge / can neuer ceas.

451

‘With herte, mynde and voyce / to the we do call:
O blessed Werburge / our moost dere maystres,
O sufferayne lady / and ruler of vs all,
Why hase thou vs lefte / in suche heuynesse?
If thy wyll had ben / it is knowen expresse,
Thou myght haue taryed / with vs by petycyon.
Alas, remedylesse / is our lamentacyon!

452

‘Frome vs thou arte taken / and gone is our solace,
The myrrour of vertue / is deed now with the,
The tryed stock of truth / and the grounde of grace
Is pyteously decayed / our hope and sufferaynte.
O blessed sauyour / vpon vs haue pyte,
Sende vs our conforte / by thy great myght agayne
As thou hase reysed many / from dethe to lyfe, certayne.

453

‘O dredefull dethe / cruell enemy to nature,
With dolefull heuynes / on the we may complayne,
Takynge our heed frome vs / to our great dysconfyture,
Hath brought vs to thraldome / wofulnes and peyne;
Nother kynge ne emperour / thy fauour may optayne,
But he must departe / arested with thy launce.
Thanke we god of all / for it is his pleasaunce.’
previous section 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. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
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