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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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previous section 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. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
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115

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.

454

This gloryous vyrgyn / and moost blessed abbace
Departed from this lyfe / caduce and transytory
(As afore is sayd) the yere and tyme of grace
Almoost seuen hundreth / the thyrde day of February,
To celestyall blysse / and infynyte glory;
Her subiectes oppressed / with wylfull pensyuenesse,
With great trybulacyon / care and heuynesse.

455

But where werburge gaue / in commaundyment
To bury her corps / at place of Hambury,
As was the wyll / of our lorde omnypotent;
Her subiectes of Trentam / whiche had her body,
Purposed her wyll / and entent to deny,
Prepared to kepe / the corps by stronge hande,
With them to remayne / as ye shall vnderstande.

456

The sayd people of Trentam / watched full dylygent
Her corps, fulfyllynge / the obsequyes funerall,
Entendynge to auoyde / and frustrate her testament
Gate a great company / by power Marcyall,
Closed fast theyr doores / and gates one and all,
Made sure yche place / by theyr prouydens
For to kepe the corps / excludynge Thamburgens.

457

But, as Salomon sayth / sentencyously,
‘There may be no counseyll / power ne prudence,
Wysedome of man / nor naturall polycy,
To derogate or chaunge / deuyne sentence;’
Proued euer[y] day / by true experyence:
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‘Tho mankynde prepose / his mynde to fulfyll,
yet god dysposeth / all thynge at his wyll.’

458

And as they watched / the same sayd nyght
Moost busyly / to execute they[r] wyll and entent,
By deuyne prouydence / passynge mannes myght
Sodeynly on slepe / was all that couent,
Theyr company and mynysters / that were there lent,
Hauynge no power / for to waken, doubtles;
God so prouyded / for theyr great maystres.

459

Than shortly resembled / vnto that sayd place
The people of Hamburgens / a great company,
With the mynysters of god / people full of grace:
And anone by the wyll / of our lorde almyghty
The lockes and the barres / of that sayd monastery
Fell downe to the grounde / by power supernall,
Without mannes hande / that enter they myght all.

460

Whiche myracle proued / the people of Hambury
Entred Trentam abbay / with mynde reuerent,
And founde there on slepe / all the other company,
Man / woman / and chylde / all that were present.
They kneled all downe / and worshypped the sacrament,
Praysynge our maker / of theyr good spede,
Theyr specyall socour / euer at theyr nede.

461

Her blessed body / from Trentam they dyd take,
Gladly departynge / out of the monastery—
Nother man nor woman / had power to wake,
Tyll they were passed / all greuous Ieopardy;
Magnyfyenge our lorde / of his grace deuoutly,
Solemply syngyng their songes celestiall
With infinite gladnes / and comfort spirituall.

462

After all this done / this holy congregacion
117

With reuerence / honour / and solempnite,
With wepynge tearis / for pure affection,
With lamentable songes / masse and dirige
Buried the corps / of this blessed ladie
Right in the chauncell / of the sayd abbay,
There bodily to rest / as her wyll was alway.

463

All obsequies ended / therto belongynge
As was agreable for suche a president,
The systers departed / with clamour and mournynge,
Plonged in heuynes / and to their celles went,
To wepe and wayle secretly / their hartis to content,
Criynge: ‘alas, alas / nowe buried haue we
The exemple of vertu / mekenes / and chastite!’

464

And as the history of her lyfe / doth expresse
In a boke nominat / the thrid Passionary,
After the buriall of this patronesse
The place was decorat / with myracles many,
Manifest to the people / of euery progeny
Howe god almyghty of his speciall grace
Hath done for his seruant / in short tyme and space.

465

For many people greued with infirmite,
Dolorous of hert / and interiour tribulacion,
Heuynes of mynde / or other penalite,
To her graue resortyng / with feruent deuocion,
Sekynge for remedy / with great contricion,
Anon by her prayer / vnto our sauyour
They were released from peyne and langour.

466

Also by her merite, suffrage and peticion
Euery humble creature had helpe and succour;
To distract persons / was yelded reason,
wikked spirites expulsed were that same hour,
Impotent and feble to helth she dyd restour,
118

Halt and lame had passage / the blynde had perfect syght,
The dombe had speche / the deffe herynge ryght.

467

Women with childe / beynge in great ieopardy,
Namely in trauelyng / greued with wo and payne,
Whan they myght nat come / sendyng to her oratorye,
Makynge true oblacion / restaured were, certayne,
To helth and prosperite / from wo delyuered playne;
And if they obteyned a relique from the place,
The mother and childe / by it founde speciall grace.

468

The deuout pilgrym / the perfit maryner,
The true laborer / the marchant with richesse,
The carefull pore man / the peynfull prisoner
Were sondry tymes delyuered from wo and distresse;
Men / women / childer / sekynge with mekenes
This glorious virgyn / with humble supplicacion,
Founde soone remedie / helpe and consolacion.
previous section 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. The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester
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