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.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

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

Whan the day declyned & come was the nyght
And all people passyd echone to his lodgynge
The hert of Radegunde was litell of myght
yet priuatly she went to her chamber wepyng
Made great lamentacion dolefully sighing
Required our lorde to helpe of his pytie
To whome she had offred afore her virginite

Alas what tong can playnly expresse
Or hert may thynke/the dredfull Ieopardy
This lady Radegunde feared doutlesse
Whan her lorde was laid her swete body by
Her soule was rapt/her mynde in an extasy
Plonged in heuenes/wo and penalite
More leuer to be deed/than lose her chastite

But as scripture sayth/our blessed sauiour
Is euer redy in extreme necessite
To helpe his seruauntes both day and houre
Whan they do call/with pure humilite
He saued saynt Agnes/saynt Lucie/saynt Cecilie
With many other mo/from all corrupcion
Ryght so he preserued Radegunde that season

For whan Lotharias desired to supplie
Naturall pleasure and voluptious entention
By diuyne power and by myracle sothlie
His feruent desyre with carnall affeccion

Were clerly extincted for aboue reason
Suche frayle concupiscence of loue entyre
Soone seased as water quencheth the fyre

Other sondry seasons/whan the sayd kyng
Was moued at wyll/to haue his desiderye
The quene founde remedy/at her owne likyng
Somtyme feynyng sickenesse/and infirmite
Somtyme nat disposed to suche fragilite
Somtyme occupied/in labours diligent
Other tyme obiectyng/the tyme nat conuenient

Thus by the grace/of her spouse Iesu
She euer preserued her true chastite
Geuyng her selfe/to prayer and to vertue
Lowyng our lorde/of his benignite
And his mother Mary/floure of virginite
Whiche of his mercy/and infinite goodnesse
Hath her preserued/in all distresse

And though she was maryed to kyng Lothary
A wordly prince/sekyng for honoure
She clerely refused/suche pompe and vayne glory
And serued her spouse/our sauyoure
Transitory pleasurs/worship and decoure
Were truly abiected/and all suche felicite
More humble in wyll/than parmitted dignite

In wordly vanites/she had no pleasure
To gyue good example/was her hole entent
Sermons to here/was all her great cure
Loue and charite in hert were ay feruent

Her landes and rentes/geuen by assigment
Were truly tithed/Where was necessite
To captiue prisoners/and people in pouerte

All rentes/and richesse/that she myght com to
Were distribute to monasteris in deuocion
Besekyng the couent to pray for her also
And for her lorde/and all the region
Unto suche places/as she myght nat come
By personall presence/for distaunce of place
Thyder she sende almys in short tyme and space

This noble quene had a principall mynde
Upon the poore people in great penalite
Shewyng werkes of mercy/acordyng to kynde
Helpyng all wofull wretchesse in miserie
Thynkyng all myspend/that they had nat truly
Beleuyng that Christ in euery poore creature
Lay secret and priue vnder theyr figure

Whan she was richely/serued at her table
With costly dayentes and delicacy
with myghty wyndes strong and comfortable
Conuenient for her estate and regalie
With suche metes she nolde content her body
But dyd absteyne/and toke refeccion
With small potage of her owne decoccion

To punysshe her person/more strayte & sharply
Reuiuyng her sprite to meditacion
She ware the herd here/next to her body
With precious clothes reclothed ther vpon

Discrete abstinence/agaynst rebellion
Wysely oppressed/by the helpe of Iesu
Her corps makyng/apte to prayre and vertue

As Radegunde lay with her prince of right
She askyd lycence of a comyn custome
To depart and rise from bed euery nyght
For naturall necessite/acordyng to reason
From whome whan she was departed and gone
She went to prayer all nyght folowyng
Platte vpon an heer/on her knes knelyng

So with continuaunce/all the nyght season
Feruent in soule/to please god almyghty
Tyll her vitall sprite by true deuocion
Were almost confused/and put in Ieopardy
Thorowe colnesse frost/and all her body
From sensuall felyng of her wittes fyue
Clerely were expulsed/by mynde contemplatiue

Wherfore it was sayd of her lorde and kyng
Of his true subgettes/and the comons all
That his noble lady/by gostly lyueng
Was nat as quene/but rather a moniall
The kyng her blamed in termys rurall
Reprouyng her customes/with great confusion
Whom she humble suffred without contradiccion.