Here begynneth the lyfe of Saynt Radegunde :: :: University of Virginia Library

Here begynneth the lyfe of Saynt Radegunde

[by Henry Bradshaw]

Bradshaw, Henry

[section]

Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde.

The prologe of the translatour in the lyfe of mayden Radegunde/quene and princesse.

Of the progeny of saynt Radegunde and howe she was taken in batell and maryed to Lothary a kynge of Fraunce.

Of the vertuous lyuing of saynt Radegund vndre spousage/and howe she contynued a pure virgyne

Of the great deuocion she vsed namely in tyme of lenton/and of the great pitie she had to all captiue prisoners.

Howe quene Radegunde shewed a great myracle deliueryng prisoners out of captiuite.

Howe quene Radegund desyred to be religyous/& of a myracle shewed/at her departyng by the way goyng

How Radegund was made relygious/& after elect abbasse of Pictauis/& howe by grace she was preserued from daunger of her husbande ye kyng.

Of the feruent deuocyon of saynt Radegunde and of the great penaunce and charitable warkes she vsed in religion.

Of the great perfeccion/and penaunce that lady Radegunde vsed in the tyme of lent.

Of the great affliccion/& hard punysshement that ye lady Radegunde vsed aboue the cours of nature in the sayd tyme of lent.

How this holy abbasse vsyng meditacyon refourmed her syster neglygent/with a lytell exortacion folowyng.

Howe blessyd Radegunde delyuered a woman possessyd with a fynde/from daunger and payne/to helth and prosperite.

Howe a ratte was slayne without hande aprochyng to hurt the vertuous labour of saynt Radegund.

Howe saynt Radegunde by prayer reuiued a laurell tre to burge and bryng forthe leaues without any rote.

Howe saynt Radegunde by humble intercession restored a yong Nunne from dethe to lyfe agayne.

Howe saynt Radegunde saued her seruantes from paryll of perisshyng which brought a parte of the holy crosse to Pectauis.

Of dyuerse myracles in generall/and how this abbasse saued dyuerse seke persons from Ieopardy of deth.

How Radegunde thabbasse cured .ii. sycke women from sickenesse/and infyrmite vnto helth and prosperyte.

How this abbasse healed dyuerse sicke women som from feuers/and some from vexacion of our gostly enemy.

Of the gostly visyon she had afore her infyrmyte & of the noble exortacion she made to her systers in her sykenes & payne.

With what pacience and deuocion lady Radegund receyued ye blessyd sacrament & extreme vnction afore her departure

Of the departure of this holy abbasse/and howe she apperyd ye same houre to a noble prefect/curyng hym from sickenesse of his throte.

How saynt Radegund cured one of her seruauntes from the plage of fier sittyng in her chayer without auctorite and right.

A breue rehersall of the great profet and remedy founde by true oblacion made to this moniall.

A prayer or orison of the blessyd quene Radegunde moniall and abbasse.

A breue conclucyon/& end of this poore translacyon mouyng the reders to accept this lytell vnworthy to be redde.

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Of the progeny of saynt Radegunde and howe she was taken in batell and maryed to Lothary a kynge of Fraunce.

The yere of our sauyour by full computacion
Fyue hundreth fully from the natiuite
As dyuers auctours makyn discripcion
Reyned in Fraunce in honour and ryalte
Two noble kynges/Childebert/and Lothary
Euery kyng knowing his parte and regyon
To them belonging/by ryght and custome

At the same season/as sayth the history
A noble prince/reyned in Affrica
Named in cronicles kyng Berengary
Borne at a citie named Thorynga
within the sayd kyndome now called Barbarea
Whiche prince Whylom famous in renowne
Tyll that dame fortune vnfrendly put hym downe.

Whiche forsayd prince kyng Berengarius
Had in succession a noble princesse
A deuout lady/and a virgyn glorious
Nominat Radegunde/a gemme of holynesse
A floure of vertu/and a myrrour of mekenesse
whose gostly gouernaunce enduryng her lyfe
Unto all people may be a perspectyfe

This kynge Berengary by mysfortune in batell
Was piteously subdued/by kynges of Fraunce
His realme conqueryd/piteously to tell
Losing his honour lande/and gouernaunce
And Radegunde taken/suche was her chaunce
By power remoued/from her land naturall
Amonge strangers to be continuall

Whan the kyng and the realme subdued were
And mayde Radegunde taken for a pray
Than the kynges of Fraunce for her in fere
Entended batell/whiche shulde haue the may
For she was beauteous and pleasant verray
Humble/gentyll/courtese/and moste fayre truly
yet she by lot fell/vnto kynge Lothary

For if Radegunde had nat delyuerd be
Great cruelte/besynesse/and vexacion
Had fortuned among kynges thre
Through great disdeyn/pryde/and ambicyon
For the realme of Fraunce in a triniall kyndome
Than was deuided cronicles do expresse
As the sequence of saynt Martyn doth reherse

This lady Radegunde/thus taken away
And by chaunce delyuered to kyng Lothary
Was brought with worship in to a countray
Callyd Ueromandensis vnto the kynges citie
Nominat Atheras/to be kept in suertie
There to be norisshed/and haue refeccion
Doctryne and disciplyne/with hie discrecyon

Kyng Lothary considering her gentilnesse
Her vertue/pacience/and proued wysdome
Her great humilite/constaunce/and sobernesse
Dayly encreasyng with augmentacion
Entended to mary spedely and soone
Lady Radegunde/and virgyn serene
To make her his spouses and louely quene

Unto this mariage and feast there was
Made great preparacion/and rialtie
The halles were hanged/with clothes of arras
Rychely embrodered in ryall Imagery
The .xii. apostelles well set in degre
Martyrs confessours/and virgyns withall
were theyr purtered/with crowne victoriall

Ouer the syde tables curiously were wrought
Auncient histories of auctorite
Of patriarkes/and prophetes wisely out sought
Of the olde and newe testament set properly
Histories were paynted of poetrie
Chambers were strawed with floures fragrant
well dect with hangynges/fresshe/fayre/and vernant

This princesse was clad in clothes of golde
In sylkesse/veluettes/and tyssues fyne
A coronall was ordeyned richely to be holde
And crowned therwith/as christall dyd shyne
Set with ryall stones/the sapher celestyne
The diamont/the diadeke/the ruby/the topas
The carbuncle/the emerall/the perle theyr was

Lordes of the lande were redy present
Dukes/erles/barons/and knyghtes doughty
The cōmons assembled euer delygent
To gyue attendaunce as was theyr duety
The day was apoynted/of the matrimony
The chapell enowrned with mycle rychesse
The clergy attending at an houre expresse

Kyng Lothary passed from his ryall palace
With many myghty peres and lordes of his lande
Radegunde hym folowed a princesse full of grace
With ladies many one the fearest coude befounde
They came to the chapell as we vnderstande
All thynge was prepared to that solempnite
Ornamentes and vestures of great ryaltie

The bysshop was redy/with his ministers all
To execute his office/of the sayd matrimony
The obseruauntes was done with honour ryall
The masse was songe/with mycle melody
With belles/and orgons/and solempne minstrelsy
The sacrament of spousage/was celebrat that day
With reuerence and worsship/in theyr best aray

From thens they departed/to the kynges palace
The sayd kyng and quene/the lordes/and clergy
All thinges well ordered (as afore sayd was)
To attende in the hall marshalles were redy
Of meates and drinkes/theyr was great plentie
Ueneson Wildfoule mycle aboundaunce
The condites of wyne ranne with great pleasaunce

But for all this ryaltie/and wordly pleasure
Whiche was prepared/at this solempnite
The quene Radegunde passyng course af nature
Moste dredfull in hert/was for her virginite
Desyred our sauyour of his endlesse charite
As he for vs all suffred better passion
To preserue her body from all corrupcion