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 |
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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.
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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.
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester | ||
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.
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This gloryous lady / and gemme of holynesseOf fyue myghty kynges / descended lynyally,
A prynces / an enherytryce / replete with mekenes
Refused all pleasures / pompe / and vayne glory,
Entred relygyon / professed at Ely,
A spectacle of vertue / dwellynge in that place
And a floure of chastyte / electe by synguler grace.
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Her honorable vncle / kynge Ethelrede,Consyderynge her vertue / and hye deuocyon
Made her gouernour / for ghostly helthe and mede
Ouer all the monasteryes / within his regyon,
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Foure of these monasteryes / we haue in memory:
As Wedon / Trentam / Repton / and Hambury.
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Whan she was ruler / and chefe presydentOf these sayd places / vnder god almyghty,
Than vertue and goodnes / dayly dyd augment
By heuenly grace / to the soule-helthe of many,
And by her exemple / and doctryne ghostly
Kynges / lordes / barons / refusynge theyr royalte
Entred relygyon / with great humylyte.
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Her lyfe and doctryne / agreed bothe in one,Proued in effecte / by specyall gyftes of grace:
Many she conuerted / vnto contemplacyon,
To prayer and penaunce / whyle they had here space.
Her couent and subiectes / within euery place
By her excellent vertue / and hye dyscrecyon
Were gratiously gouerned / for theyr saluacion.
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Her dwellynge was most at the place of Wedon,Where many myracles were shewed openly;
And at Trentam abbay / of her foundacion,
From peyne she departed to eternall glory;
After her entent was buried at Hambury;
Of whom it may be sayd / ‘here lyeth nowe present
A princesse / a virgin / a nonne / and a president.’
474
The deuout couent of her congregacion,Whiche hath long wayled / with sorowfull payne,
Nowe haue great cause to make consolacion
And gyue due honour to our lorde and sufferayne,
Knowynge that Werburge / in blysse is nowe, certayne,
For them all dayly a true mediatrice
In the heuynly trone / afore the hie Iustice.
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Our sauiour Iesus / graunter of all goodnes,Consyderyng the mekenes / and pure virginite
Of Werburge his spouse / and proued holynes,
By speciall grace / preserued her body
To his laude and honour / his name to magnifye,
Both hole and sounde / from naturall resolucion,
As her soule was clere from vice and corruption.
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This immaculat mayde / shenyng more bryghtThan radiant phebus in the triumphant trone,
With the quere of virgins / prayseth day and nyght
The blessed trinite with due adoracion,
Of perpetuall pleasure hauyng the fruycion,
A singular intercessour for her seruauntes all
That here in erth mekely to her wyll call.
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And though her body do rest nowe in graue,yet notable signes contynually be done:
Some warned in their slepe comfort to haue
By visityng her place / callynge her vpon,
With contrite hert makyng true oblacion.
Whiche thynge contynued by space of .ix. yere
With meruailous myracles euydent and clere.
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The couent, consyderyng suche great companyFrom diuers partes / resortynge to theyr place
In pylgrimage to Werburge / for helpe and remedy,
Entended to translate this glorious abbasse,
To exalte her body replet with great grace
To her great honour / comfort to eche creature—
Pite that suche a relique shulde lye in sepulture.
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To the prayes and honour of god omnipotentAnd of saint Werburge laude and reuerence
The couent and the people by one assent
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For aide in this case / helpe and diligence.
(Whiche thynge graunted) the day appointed was;
The clergy and the comons reioised with solace.
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.
The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester | ||