The Life of Saint Werburge of Chester :: :: University of Virginia Library

This holy vyrgyn / whan she dwelled at Wedon,
In Northamptonshyrn / with a deuoute couent—
Whiche place somtyme / was the kynges mansyon,
Translated to an abbay / by her commaundyment—
A myracle was done / by this noble presydent,
As the true legende / playnly dothe vs say
And all the inhabytauntes / vnto this present day.

375

A great multytude / somtyme of wylde gees—
Comunely called Gauntes— / made great destruccyon
Vpon her landes / pastures / waters / and feldes,
Deuourynge the cornes / and fruytes of Wedon,
Greuous to her subiectes / within that possessyon;
The people coude fynde / no suffycyent remedy,
But shewed theyr complaynte / to Werburge theyr lady.

376

Whan Werburge had herde / this greuous complayne
How the cornes were wasted / þe tenauntes hurte therby,
Her herte was moeued / with charyte than, certayne,
To saue her fruytes / and helpe her company;
Wherfore she commaunded a seruaunt go hastely
To dryue those wylde gees / & brynge home to her place,
There to be pynned / and punysshed for theyr trespace.

377

The messanger merueyled / and mused in his mynde

Of this straunge message / stode styll in a study,
Knowynge it well / it passed course of kynde
Wylde gees for to pynne / by any mannes polycy,
Syth nature hath ordeyned / suche byrdes to fly;
Supposynge his lady / had ben vnreasonable
Commaundynge to do / a thynge vnpossyble.

378

With wordes of conforte / she sayd to hym agayne:
‘Go in my name / do my commaundyment.’
The seruaunt went forth / thynkynge all but vayne,
Vnto the foldes / where the byrdes were lent,
And sayd his message / with mynde and good entent:
‘My lady commaundes you / byrdes euerychone,
Afore me to go / vnto her proper mansyone.’

379

A merueylous thynge / transcendynge nature:
Vnto his wordes / the gees were obedyent,
Not one departed / fro thens, ye may be sure,
Of all the nombre / that there were present;
Towarde her place / afore hym they went,
Mekely / as yf they had reason naturall;
Vnto her presence / he brought the gauntes all.

380

Dredefully darynge / comen now they be,
Theyr wynges traylynge / entred into the hall,
For great confusyon / after theyr kynde and propryte,
Mournynge in theyr maner / abydynge one and all
Her wyll and Iudgment / with mercy specyall;
Lamentynge all nyght / there in captyuyte
Tyll the morowe after / withouten lyberte.

381

All that same nyght / Werburge dyd contynue
In deuoute prayers / and ympnes celestyall,
After her olde custome / vsed in all vertue.
In the mornynge after / the byrdes that were thrall
With hye voyces (as yf it were) on her dyd call

For grace and pardon / of theyr offence,
And of departure / to haue fre lycence.

382

Than she, full pyteous / to euery creature,
Vpon these byrdes hauynge compassyon
Delyuered them / frome all daunger and cure,
Frely to departe / vnder this condycyon
That none of them / vpon the lordshyp of Wedon
Shulde make destruccyon / nor lyght by any way
On cornes or fruytes / neuer after that day.

383

Neuertheles a seruaunt / one of the gees dyd take
And pryuely hydde it / agaynst iustyce and ryght,
Vnknowynge to Werburge / suche brybry to make.
The byrdes departed / moost glad to take theyr flyght,
From theyr tender Iudge. / but whan they sawe in syght
One of theyr felawes / taken frome theyr company,
The sayd great nombre / of gees retourned hastely.

384

They flewe ouer / this blessed vyrgyns hall
Mournynge and waylynge / after theyr entent,
And wolde not departe / but fast on her dyd call—
yet they durst not lyght / for drede of her commaundyment—
But in theyr maner & kynde they sayd / ‘o swete presydent,
Why suffer ye suche wyckednes / done for to be
Anendes our felawe / agaynst all ryght and charyte?’

385

Werburge went fyrst / to knowe wherfore and why
These byrdes retourned / so hastely, certayne.
By grace she perceyued / the cause of it, truly,
And tryed out the truthe / of all the mater playne.
She restaured the byrde / to his felyshyp agayne,
And gaue them a lesson / or they went her fro,
How they shulde prayse / theyr maker and sufferayne,
Sayenge (benedicite volucres celi domino).

386

But, as Wyllyam Maluysbury / sheweth expresse,
The goos that was taken / and stollen afore away,
Was rosted and eten / the same nyght, doubtlesse;
So whan it was asked / for vpon the other day,
The bare bones were brough[t] / afor this lady, veray:
And there by the vertue / of her benedyccyon
The byrde was restaured / and flewe away full soone.

387

Certaynly, frome that tyme / vnto this present day,
As all the people knowe / dwellynge aboute Wedon,
The foresayd wylde gees / attempten by no way
To hurte theyr fruytes / ne lyght in that possessyon.
No merueyll it is / remembrynge the deuocyon
And true loue she had / to god omnypotent:
For vnto vertue / all thynge is obedyent.