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.

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Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde.

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

WWhan the feruent heate/of the somer seasō
Was almost endyd by course of nature
And Phebus entred ye signe of Scorpiō
Passyng ye equinoctial thā ye may be sure
The day decresed/ye nyght dyd lōg ēdure
Colde frosty mornynges/and euintydes withall
Began to approche/a long space continuall.

That season lyueries ben vsed of duety
Ryght at the solempne feast of all Halomas
By the gentylnesse of England/and curtesy
To gladde theyr guestes in euery lordes place
And to theyr company to be great solace
To passe the euentide/after good humanite
In myrthes/in disportes/and liberalite

Than I reuolued with due circumstaunce
The gentyll maners/and discrete behauour
Of seculer people vsyng temperaunce
How they dispend the tyme/the day/the houre
Some in great policy for wordly honoure
Some in marchaundise for lucre and wynnyng
And some in chiualry/great fame opteynyng

Some other gyuen to wanton company
To wordly pleasours/and singuler affeccyon
Some to distemperaunce and vile glotony
And some to Christes/labour/and occupacion

yet some be disposed to contemplacion
To prayer to study/of theyr goodnesse
And some (the more pitie) to slouth/and ydelnesse

Nowe syth that I am lowest of degre
A man of holy churche by true profession
Consyderyng the condicions of people worldly
(As afore is sayd) my fully entencion
By diuyne grace and gostly supportacion
Is for to write the lyfe historiall
Of Radegunde the princesse quene and montall

After my reason me thynke more conuenient
To spende wynter nyghtes in suche besynesse
For drede of temptation and causles insolent
Rather than to lose suche tyme in ydelnesse
Whiche to all vyce/is rote and maistresse
Enuy to vertue/a stepmother to study
Occasyon of ruyne/and mycle malady.

A secondary cause/mouyng me therto
To write the lyfe of this virgyn glorious
Was the instant desyre/and peticyon also
Of speciall frendes/honest and vertuous
Whiche lately requyred me full memorious
With synguler request/and humble instaunce
This lyfe to discrybe/with due circumstaunce

To whome I graunted/vnder this condicyon
That of their wysedom/they wolde excuse me
And take this poore dede/of no presumpcion
Nor done for vauntage/auoyding vaynglore

But alonly to content theyr mynde and satisfy
Where they knowe well my insufficience
My great ignoraunce/and also necligence

The thyrde cause mouyng moste princypally
Is for to extolle/the glorious name
Of this holy virgyn/and gracious lady
With honour/reuerence/and excellent fame
To the cōmen people/desiryng the same
Whose lyfe hath ben kept scilent many a day
Knowen to fewe persons within this countray

Therfore I require/and pray you euerychone
That this litell treatyse shall reed or se
To accept my mynde with your discrecion
And it to correct after your charite
Amende the mater/where is necessite
For syth it is knowen/that I am no clarke
Under protestacion/I procede to Warke

And where I vnworthy/this treatyse begyn
I humble beseke our blessed sauyour
His mother also mary the virgyn
To be my helpe/comfort/and succoure
Nowe swete Radegunde/of virgins the floure
Make supplicacion/vnto the trinite
And direct my penne to describe thy stori

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

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.

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

Whan the tyme of lenton approched nere
To speke of her penaunce/is a strayte thyng
For at the same tyme/with conscience clere
She send to a religious woman in lyueng
Nominat Pia/her fully mynde sheweng
To whome this moniall/knowyng her entent
Send Radegunde an heer sealed full diligent

Whiche heer this lady (as rehersed is)
With reuerence receyued/and put next her body
Trustyng in the vesture great comfort and blis
Pleasaunt to our lorde/to her soule remedy
And yet she wolde were clothes richely
Upon the sayd heer in the tyme of lenton
Expellyng fame/and wordly commendacion

Upon solempne dayes/and feestes principall
The quene was reuest/with clothes of golde
With tissewes fyne/and veluettes at all
And whan the comon people/yong and olde
Praysed suche garmentes/with fame manyfolde
She vtterly abhorred suche riall riche clothyng
Sende them to churches/for preestes in to syng

By fortune if Lothary her lorde were absent
Who wolde than byleue/her singuler deuocion
Her prayer/abstinence/and hert penetent
Her great contricion and humble supplicacion
Euer remembryng our lordes passion
Submittyng her selfe as vnto his fete
Wasshesyng his woundes/with teares salt and wete

She refused glotony/by vertuous temparaunce
Our sauyour Iesu was her hole refeccion
Upon bodely feding/gaue litell attendaunce
Dayly prouidyng her soules sustentacion
Great vigilles/penaunce/and holy orison
Refresshed her soule/and the body also
No penaunce was tedious for her to do

If any transgressour were Iuged to dye
Or any man suffred wrong accusacion
She was so mercyable/and full of pitie
For them to the kyng/she made intercession
Knelyng full mekely/desyring peticyon
And to his counsell with prayer continuall
Tyll she had pardon/and grace for them all

All the kynges court/example myght take
To vse humilite/and great gentylnesse
At lady Radegunde/and synne to forsake
For why she was called/of more and of lesse
Rather a minister/than to be a maistresse
Deligent to serue/euery tyme and season
Pore/as well/as ryche with great deuocion

Nother man ne childe/dwellyng in the palace
Was discontent/at this swete lady
She had suche wysdone/and singuler grace
Transcendyng other ladyes/of memory
Dukes/erles/and barons/and all theyr progeny
Example may take/at this quene ryall
To encrease in mekenesse/and vertuous morall

By her great prudence/and exortacion
The kyng was moued/to grace and pitie
Merciable to the pore/in all his region
Hauyng compassion/lyberall/and fre
To execute Iustice prompte with mercie
A good benefactour/to places religyous
By the instant mocion/of his quene vertuous.

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

This noble quene euery solempne day
Of custome wolde ryse erly as the lyght
And go to her chapell secretly to pray
Seruyng our sauyour/with all her hert and myght
Ensuyng mary Magdalayne in mynde full ryght
To mattens/and to masse/after she wolde gone
And all day folowyng vse meditacion

Thus by contynuaunce/in grace and goodnesse
In prayer/abstinence/vigils/and chastite:
This lady Radegunde/quene and princesse
Replete with mekenesse/vertue and charyte
Shewed dyuerse myracles/within the countre
The fyrst myracle/was done in the palace
(As saythe the history) by deuyne grace

As Radegunde passed the palace by a prison
where many prisoners were fettred in durances
For her pastyme/solace/and consolacion
With lordes knyghtes and other seruauntes

Whan the prisoners perceyued/beynge in penaunce
That it was the quene theyr souerayne lady
With loude voyce/they began on her to call and cry

O noble princesse/O kynges doughter dere
O lady of grace/and quene imperiall
Succoure vs thy seruantes whiche lye bounde here
Extende thy charite/vpon vs wretches all
Delyuer vs from deth/saue from paynes thrall
Be mercyfull to vs/hartfully we the pray
And we wyll amende our lyues/after this day

This lady heryng/suche great lamentacion
Inwardly was moued to mercy and pitie
Required to knowe/with tender compassyon
What people cryed on her so piteously
The seruantes answered agayne (verite)
Sayeng that they were beggers at the gate
Comon to haue almes of so great estate

Also the Iayler agayne all conscience
Rebuked his prisoners vnpiteously
Causyd them be styll/and kepe scilence
Manasing them to beate/punisshe/and mortyfy:
Conciled the truethe/from his souerayne lady
Thus the sayd prisoners/put to more payne
Had payne vpon payne/without mercy certayne

But the next nyght folowyng/by myracle ryght
The fetters/the bondes/of the prisoners all
Sodenly were broken/and losed in theyr syght
And they were delyuered from paynes thrall

They passyng from prison/the gates downe dyd fall
They came the sayd nyght/to Radegunde theyr lady
Thankyng her echone/for her grace and mercy

They knelyd on kne/for gladnesse wepyng
Sayeng O souerayne lady/and maistresse
Honour be to the/grace and long lyueng
Whiche hath delyuered/vs from distresse
Personally this nyght/or els one in thy lykenesse
Nowe blessed Iesu/redemptour of vs all
Rewarde you this dede in the blysse eternall

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

Whiche myracle knowen this blessed lady
Made instant desyre/and hūble supplicacion
To her husband and lorde kyng Lothary
That she myght haue lycense to go to religyon
Whose meke request/and singuler peticion
At last was graunted/with difficulte
Of the sayd kyng to be at her lyberte

She loued our lorde/in hert/worde/and dede
Of this fre graunt/and good expedicyon
She send to saynt Inedard bysshop in good spede
Desyring hym for charite/and of his deuocyon
For to receyue her/in to holy religion
The palce was apoynted/the tyme secretly
Of her comyng to Pictauis religious to be

In the meane whyle Radegund gaue to the poore
Moche ryall rychesse/and vestures liberally
Reseruyng to her person/and her vse no more
Than she dayly vsed/for honour necessary
So alone proseded/vnto the monastery
From the kynges court/priuely in the nyght
Unknowen to eche creature/saue to ye kyng of myght

Upon the other day/where the kyng perceyued
The sodayne departure of his lady sufferayne
He bitterly wayled/that he was dysceued
Sende dyuerse messangers/with a sure capitayne
Fyrst to enquire/and bringe her agayne
Supposyng to haue her/in short tyme and space
After she aproched/to the religious place

But the holy goost/confortour of all care
Defendyd Radegunde/at this extremite
For as she passyd/the fayre feldes all bare
She sayd to an husbande/besy in husbandry
People wyll folowe after/for to persue me
From whiche company I declyne certayne
Prayeng the consyle/my presens/and it layne

It behoueth the nat/from the trueth to varray
Say that thou se mecome this same way
The season/day/and tyme/rennyng full hastely
Thou dyd sowe this corne affirmyng it varray
And thus excuse me/hertfully I the pray
She passyd this plowman/in to a secrete place
For drede druly daryng/trustyng our lordes grace

Incontinently the corne newly cast in grounde
Began for to blade and bere in euery place
To eare and to rype (her enemyes to confounde)
All redy to be shorne/within an houre space
The otes began to shede/the husbande besy was
And made great prouisiō with sicle & sythe that morne
To cut downe the otes/in sauyng of the corne

After the sayd virgyn/messangers made great haste
Shortly to to supple theyr lordes commaundement
They founde the husbande repyng corne full fast
Whome they required/to shewe on payne of prisōmēt
If any fayre lady/or mayde by hym went
To tell whan/and whyther/and whiche way yt she is
Auoydyng great displeasure/shewyng nat amys

Worshipfull maisters/the husbande than can say
Suche a fayre lady/we se this way gone
Rennyng fast and spedely the same selfe day
That we cast this corne in the erth alone
Sweryng to them depely for more affirmacion
The courteours/beleued this honest man certayne
And heuely retourned to the kyng agayne

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

Whan nyght aproched/this forsayd fayre lady
Priuely departyd to the place of Pictauense
Thankyng our lorde/and his mother Mary
Of her expedicion/with micle reuerence

The abbasse of the place gladed of her presence
So dyd the couent/and the company all
Of this noble quene/to be conuentuall

Mekely she made singuler peticion
To be religious vsyng lyfe monasticall
Thabbasse graunted/and the couent echone
Receyued her gladly/and made her a moniall
Where fyrst she layde a syde her purpull and pall
All riche vestures/of golde/and tissewes fyne
Her crowne/and coronall/set with stones celestyne

She was reclothed/with religious vesture
The mantell of mekenesse/the vaile of blacke colour
The wympull of wayling/of humble gesture
With other many vestures/of vertue that same hour
Thus for the loue of our sauyour
All wordly pleasures vayne/and transitore
She hath refusyd/obedient to be

Whan the yere passed of her probacion
She truly professyd the essencials thre
Made a solempne vowe afore the congregacyon
Obedience to kepe also pure chastite
Enduryng her lyfe/with wilfull pouerte
She receyued the ryng/of heuenly spousage
Was maryed to Iesu enduryng this pylgrymage

And as myne auctour playnly doth expresse
The venerable Antoninus/in his historie
This lady Radegund/of her great goodnesse
Bylded afore tyme the sayd monastery

By the helpe of her husbande kyng Lothary
Where after she was elect lady and abbasse
By helpe of saynt Medarde a man of great grace

Whan she was abbasse/she toke to her company
A nomber of virgyns in hye perfeccion
To whome she gaue the example dayly
Of pure humilyte/and perfyt deuocyon
Of vertuous lyueng/and contemplacion
Perfourmyng in her persone/for goostly mede
All thyng commaunded/to her systers in dede

But the mortall enemy/of all mankynde
Consideryng in her/suche grace and vertue
By malyce/and enuy/forcast in his mynde
By some subtylte/this mayd to subdue
He tempted her husbande/a prince full of vertue
By power/and slouth to take his wyfe agayne
Out of religion/the more pyte certayne

This sayd kyng Lothary/in conscience blynde
Came with his company/to the citie of Turon
Under craft/and polesy prepensyd in mynde
With the notable prince/Sygibert her son
Dyssemblyng pylgrymage/and goostly entencion
Approchyng Pectauis/the rather that he myght
Take from religyon/his wyfe that same nyght

Whan Radegunde/hard tell his subtell polysy
Howe he was paruerted as man without grace
She wept and wayled/in soule tenderly
For sorowe of her husbande/whiche somtyme was

In her hert no confort/was founde nor solace
For drede of deceyte/and ymagined treason
Prayeng to our lorde/for helpe that same season

She made secret letters/and send her entent
Closed and sealed/vnto saynt Garmayne
Bysshop of Parise/whiche than was present
With kyng Lothary/makyng her complaynt
Wofully lamenting/expressed in dede playne
Desiryng the bysshop/with humble supplycacion
To conuert the kyng/from his wrong opynion

Whan saynt Germayne these letters had reed
He prostrat hym selfe to the fete of the kyng
Afore saynt Martyns tombe prayeng hym in dede
By the order of charite/many salt teares wepyng
And for the loue of god/to conferme his askyng
That he no further/wolde procede in way
Nor come to Pectauis/for drede of deth that day

The kyng consideryng/in soule his great trespace
With bytternesse of hert/remembryng his peticion
Shulde come of Radegund/by singuler grace
With contrit hert and mynde/made playne confession
Excusing his defaute/by euyll suggestion
Prostrat his person vnto saynt Germaynes fete
Desiryng indulgence/with salt teares and wete

Reputyng his presence/symple and vnworthy
For to call agayne his wyfe/from religion
Whiche is the spouse/of our lorde almighty
And vnder his licence entred professyon

Required the bysshop spedely to gone
To lady Radegunde absolued for to be
Lest punysshement fell on hym/soone and hastele

Whiche thynge the bysshop was glad for to do
Came to Pectauis/vnto her oratorie
And kneled at her fete/desiryng her also
To forgyue the kyng/his entent and miserie
Whiche thyng she dyd in hert/and worde gladly
Thankyng our lorde/that she was at lyberte
To serue hym day & nyght/delyuered from captiuite.

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

What hert may thynke or tong is sufficient
To expresse the vertuous of this moniall
In deuout orison/in vigils conuenient
In discret abstinence/in vestures small
Example gyueng vnto her systers all
To the comon people/howe they in great vertu
Shulde dayly encrease/pleasyng our lorde Ihesu

This abbasse vsed silde/to eate whyte brede
But of rye or berly/kept secretly
That no man perceyued/howe that she fedde
Her drinke was water or litell better dayly
From her profession by saynt Medarde truly
Her repast was potage/and herbis for to eate
Nother fysshe/flesshe/egges/frutes/ne mylke meate

Also after the vsage/and rite of saynt Germayne
She had a litell mylne in her secret cell alon
In whiche all the lenton/she laboured certayne
As wolde well suffyce for .iiii. dayes refeccion
A maruell howe she dyd satysfy euery person
Where nothyng wanted/that was necessary
The more that was gyuen/euer the more plenty

Whan obseruaūtes were done/eche saturday at nyght
She toke a lynen cloth cloused about her body
And wasshed the heedes of all poore folkes aright
Rubbyng all theyr soris/sekenesse/and malady
She ayded and succoured/and dyd them remedy
After combyd them/or they passed the place
Nothyng abhorring suche mekenes in her was

To all poore creatures/the prouince round about
She euer ministred/the warkes of pytie
Gyuing to them clothyng/of almes without dout
Bothe lynen and wollyn/sytting for theyr degre
Whan they were greued/with any infyrmyte
She toke theyr vestures/and wasshed them echone
With her owne handes/after dyd them vpon

She send for poore folke/in her hall to dyne
Afore the ryche estates/for all theyr clothyng ryall
She serued the sayd poore/after Christis doctryne
Fyrst water to theyr handes/with a towell to them all
To persons impotent/she ministred speciall
Wasshyng theyr mouthes/theyr handes louingly
Suche was her custome/she was so full of pitie

Whan all the seruyce/on the table was set
She wolde stande fastyng/to make them good chere
And deuyde theyr vitayls/as she myght get
Shewyng them good counsell theyr soulis to lere
All blynde/halte/and lame/to her were full dere
Whome with her handes/she fed with a spone
After gaue them drinke/with Christes benesone

Women full of lepre and vile corrupcion
In armes she wolde embrace/and kysse swetely
And gaue to them clothing/and refeccion
That many of them/were healed therby
Wherfore it was sayd/O thou swete lady
Who shall the kysse/or aproche the nere
Which kysses/suche lepurs most vile in fere.

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

This noble Radegunde/& venerable abbasse
All the tyme of lent after her profession
Whan she solitary in her cell set was
She absteyned from breed/& costly refectiō
Using herbis/potage/made of malous alone
Without oyle/and salt/except vpon the sonday
She toke brede alon/a lytell for that day

She absteyned so sore/from drinkyng of water
The .xl. dayes of lent/with suche great penury
That she myght nat sing nor say with voyce clere
The seruice of god/nor orison priuatly

She vsed the rough heer/next her tender body
Watchyng all the nyght/vsyng meditacion
Her bed was dry asshes/and an heer layed vpon

Her clothyng was so poore/symple and small
She had nat a sleue/vpon her armes to do
But of her hoses/she made twayne at all
To couer her from colde/from frost/and wynters wo
Thus she dyd punysshe/her proure body so
That she assembled a seruaunt for to be
Rather than an abbasse of great auctorite

Also whan her systers all in bed were layed
This lady Radegunde/wolde euery nyght
Wype clene theyr showes lyke a poore mayde
And with soft oyntment anoyent them full right
Make all thynge redy/agayne the day light
Of all vile labours/that among them there was
She wolde fyrst serue moost subget in the place

Wherfore as her cours/came wekely about
She swepped all places/of the monastery
All great vile burthens/she bare them out
From stretes and corners/fulsom for to se
Secret purgacions horible to the eye
She nothyng disdayned nor was dismayde
On her childers to cary (in story as is sayd)

She humbled her selfe as lest in degre
Bearyng wod to the fyre/in her armes twayne
Seruyng her systers vexyd with infirmyte
Preparyng sustentacion/meate and drynke certayne

Wasshyng theyr fysnamy/and fedyng them playne
Sundry tymes kyssyng them with great humilyte
Therby recoueryng dyuers from penalite

Unto all people/she shewed good lyberalyte
Truly fulfyllyng her holy professyon
Theyr fete and handes/wasshyng at the fyrst entre
Of straungers to the place/desyryng them of pardon
Where was no offence/but all thyng well don
Example gyueng/of mekenesse and charyte
Unto all ladyes within christente.

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

This noble princesse mayden Radegunde
A comly quene/a moniall/an abbasse
A floure of vertue/a rose moost rubicunde
Of our lorde was elect/& circumfulsed with grace
To be ruler and lady/of a religyous place,
Whose strayte herd penaunce/fame and holynesse
We can nat discrybe nor them expresse

This blessyd abbasse/all the tyme of lenton
Suffred bytter penaunce/& maruelous punysshment
Usyng certayne bandes of yren in custome
Fast knyt to her necke/and armes in chastment
Also .iii. yren chenes/about her body went
Full straytely bounde/the holy fast enduryng
To punysshe more pytiously her flesshe freatyng

That whan fortie dayes of lent were past
And the mayde mynded to take them away
The sayd bandes and chenes/remayned so fast
Persyng her body that she ne myght verray
Without great violence/remoue them that day
That blode yssued downe fro the necke/to the fete
In dyuerse parties of her body full wete

She caused to be wrought for greatter penalty
A plate of coper/the sygne of the crosse hauyng
Whiche layed in the fyre/in her cell solitary
She toke the sayd plate/as it was hote brennyng
And layde to her flesshe/as a martyr sufferyng
Punysshyng her corps to bryng it in subiection
Obedient to the soule/by payne and deuocion

This abbasse addyd newe payne vpon payne
In punysshyng her person/more greuously
For why all the lent (sayth the story playne)
Natwithstandyng her vigils/and abstinence openly
She exercysed newe penaunce/and paynes secretly
The heer set with brystels/and yet she vsed more
A chafyng disshe of coles/to be set her afore

Thus whan she was set/solitary in her cell
Her body quakyng/and her membres all
Dredyng greuous paynes/maruelous to tell
Her soule was armed/to suffre payne temporall
She broyled her body/with the sayd fyre materiall
To anymat/and refresshe the soule in reason
To stand as a martyr/where was no persecucion

Hoote brennyng brasse/she layde to her sydes
Her tender flesshe tremblyng/ye skynne was cōsumed
The body was cōbust/with many greuous wondes
The flesshe from the bones/in sundre parts deuyded
The blode semydecot to the erthe distylled
Shewyng the verite/of the passyon certayne
Where scilence was kept/for all the greuous payne

Thus a fragill femynyn/for the loue of Ihesu
Paciently suffred greuous punysshment
Usyng contynually/deuocyon and vertue
Prayer/almisdedes/and charitable feruent
Thorowe which by grace/there folowed incontinent
Myracles (for why) all vayne pleasures transitory
Radegunde refused/myndyng moost our messy.

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

This lady neuer spake/agayne good conscience
She neuer defained/nor vsed detraccion
Agayne verite/she neuer bare euidence
She neuer dissymuled/nor vsed adulacion
Hastynes/ne yre/debate/nor derysyon
She prayed for her enemyes/to amende by grace
Mouyng her susters/to the same in the place

Great grauite goodnesse/and humilyte
True loue to god/in her hert was feruent
Pacience in aduersyte/faythe/hoope/and charyte

Iustyce attemperaunce/fortitude were lent
With prudence benygnite euer resplendent
Gostely example/with good exortacion
Had resydence in Radegunde/and holy religyon

Her example was better/than a commaundement
Unto her subgettes/within the monastery
Her doctryne was profytable/and expedyent
By her fact and dede/she gaue examplary
Unto her subgettes/and all the famyle
Her precepte and dede/agreed bothe in one
As Christ gaue example/for our saluacyon

Also afore mydnyght moost commenly she sayd
All Dauid psaulter/long before mattence
After whan her systers/in bedde were layed
She styll contynued/prayeng in presence
Of the blessyd sacrementes/departyd nat thence
Tyll the day lyght/knelyng in deuocion
With wepyng teares/and meke medytacyon

That vnder lycence/and reformacyon
Of all them that this lytell werke shall se
We purpose to reherse/with deuyne proteccyon
Parte of her myracles/folowyng the story
Requiryng all reders/of theyr pure charite
To excuse my ignoraunt boldnesse also
And acccept myne entent symple tho it be
Quia bona voluntas/reputetur pro facto

This gracyous Radegunde/ceasyd day nor nyght
Princypally to prayse our lorde/with supplicacyon

Her mynde hert/& mouth/with all her gostly myght
Syngulerly was set her spouse Ihesu vpon
As she was feruent/in her contemplacyon
A moniall Codegunde by a posterne preuatly
Passyd without lycence/out of the monastery

(Whiche thyng knowen) thabbasse folowed shortly
And wolde haue called her by name Codigunda
In stede of whiche name/she sayd veraly
Come agayne dere syster (alleluya alleluya)
As the mynde thought/so spake Radegunda
Ryght so it fortuned/after many a season
Her soule was so feruent/vpon meditacion

Swete worthy princesses/borne of great rialte
Duchesses/countesses/ladies euerychone
Folowyng your appetite/and sensualite
In worldly worship/and vayne detractacion
Diuersite of garmentes made of theyr newe facyon
With delicat dayntes repastyng euery day
The body to conserue/in lust and likyng ay

Beholde and considre with your interiour eye
This humble abbasse/lady and moniall
Howe she refused all wordly dignite
Rychesse/reuerence/and honour imperiall
Uayne/vestures/garmentes/possessyons withall
Entred religion/with great humilite
Truly obseruyng/the essencials thre

Also for sufferyng/in this present lyfe
A lytell whyle payne/for loue of our sauyour

Usyng prayer penaunce/and life contemplatyfe
Nowe she is exalted/in heuenly honour
Whose glory shall euer encrease/more and more
Wherfore noble ladies/example ye may take
At this holy quene/all vice to forsake

O blessyd Radegunde O worthy princesse
Lady and quene/virgyn/and moniall
O vertuous abbasse/and sufferayne maistres
Nowe triumphant/in the see celestiall
We pray the mekely/pray for vs all
That after this lyfe/and mortall passage
We may come to blis/and eterne herytage.

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

A certayne woman dwelled by the monastery
Whiche was possessyd/with a spirite infernall
By long contynuaunce enduryng misery
Sore vexed/and greued/with paynes thrall
Tearyng with violence/as a beest brutall
Man/woman/and childe/with great cruelte
In a hiduous rage/alas the more pite

Thus she possessyd suffred mycle payne
The mynde sore moued/alienat from reason
The profet of her soule/forgetyng certayne
To charitable werkes/had no entencion
Frewyll was tollyd so was deuocion

She had no power to say nor do truly
But as the sayd fende put in her memory

She was strayte bounde/bothe fote and hande
For drede of myschefe/and wickydnesse
Her frendes dwellyng within the lande
Were woful in hert/no meruell doutlesse
Consideryng theyr kynswoman/in suche distresse
With wepyng waylyng/they came mekely
Besekyng mayde Radegunde/for helpe and remedy

O cumly creature/and kynges doughter dere
O vertuous lady/moniall and abbasse
We call to the knelyng afore the here
Have pyte and compassyon/in this exstreme case
Be thou our succour/comfort and solace
Helpe this wofull wreche/humble we the pray
By thy prayer and myght as thou well may

Unto whose prayer peticyon and desyre
Saynt Radegunde/was moued to compassyon
Commaundyng them all/with loue entyre
To bryng the sayd woman/and wofull person
Unto her presence/hastely and soone
Her frendes were glad/and made good chere
Ioyfull to fulfyll the commaundement in fere

Whan they aproched/to this wofull pacient
Redy to conuey her/to the holy place
The sayd wickyd sporyte/moued her entent
Euer to the contrary/by power and manace
She rayled/and raged/and spyt in theyr face

At the last by power/wysdome and myght
This woman was brought/before this lady bryght

On whom she had compassion/and pety
And anone commaunded/in presence of them all
That wycked sprite/and mortall enemy
To cease of his greuaunce/and paynes thrall
And shortly to the grounde/before her to fall
Also to departe this sayd woman fro
Neuer more to vex her with payne nor wo

Anone the sprite obeyed/the commaundement
Myght no lenger tary/day nor yet houre
Immediatly departed/from the feble pacient
With an hydeous cry full of great doloure
The woman rose vp out of her langour
And kneled downe/thankyng god almyght
And blessed Radegunde of this myracle ryght.

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

This abbasse vsed somtyme meditacion
Somtyme prayer/vigils/and abstinēce
Whylom in labours/& wordly occupacion
The tyme to dispēd/in vertuous excellēce
And as my auctour gyueth intellygence
This lady had wrought/with great besynesse
A clew of yarne in auoyding ydelnesse

Whiche clew Radegunde hange forthe in the son

At her chamber windo to take ayre and dry
And anone theyr came a myghty great ratton
Aprochyng the yarne to gnawe it/and destry
But as soone as she touched the clewe certenly
In the fyrst morsell she fell to grounde deed
Without mannes hand (in story as is reed)

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

This venerable virgyn commaunded also
Her seruaūts to remoue a great laurell tre
Ferre from the place where it dyd gro
To set it securly within the monastere
Ryght afore her cell/to comfort the company
Whiche laurell tre/by the rote cut away
Was brought/and transplanted into a garden gay

The sayd laurell tre without rote whiche was
Began soone to fade/to wyder/and to dry
The leaues fell a downe of pleasure/and solace
Nature in it decayed/and no meruell securly
But whan the virgyn perceyued it truly
She supposed and imputed all to her person
Cause of negligence/or want of deuocion

Than Radegunde began mekely for to pray
That the sayd laurell myght reuiued be
And anone by myracle/the same selfe day
The tre newly burgened/plesaunt for to se

And brought forthe leaues vernant in suauite
With fresshe fayre braunches/couering the grounde
The tre had a newe rote/as it was tried and founde.

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

Another season/whan this holy abbasse
Was in her cell vsyng meditacion
She herd a great wepyng/& crieng alas
Among the seruauntes/& congregacion
The cause was this by playne demonstracyon
A vertuous syster/a yong moniall
That tyme departed from this lyfe mortall

Radegunde vp rose full spedely
To comfort the company/with compassyon
Desiryng the seruauntes/to bryng the deed body
Secretly to her cell/and solitary mansion
After she commaunded them/all and one
Without any taryeng to depart theyr way
Unto theyr besynesse/and for the soule to pray

Whan all thyng was redy for the buriall
In mean tyme Radegund prayed our sauyour
By space of .vii. houres for this yong moniall
Unto the body the sprite for to restore
Whose prayer endyd the soule that same houre
Reuerted to the corps/restored to lyfe agayne
Cured from all sekenes/vexacion/and payne.

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

This vertuous abbasse/send to the emperouer
Of Constantynople for a porcion
Of the holy crosse/on whome our sauyour
For vs suffred deth/and payed our raunsom
The messangers opteyned theyr meke peticion
Receyued a litell part of the crosse certayne
From thens departyd/to theyr lady agayne

And as they passed/saylyng on the see
Sodenly rose vp wyndes moste hideous
The ayre for derkened by craft of our enemy
Great stormes aproched myghty/and meruelous
The tempest encreasyd/euer more greuous
The maryners were besy in eche part to attende
And laboured full fast theyr lyues to amende

The stormes and tempestis/continued truly
Fortie dayes and fortie nyghtes/withouten ceasyng
The mariners were mased mated/and wery
The ship was euer in parell of perysshyng
So whan the messangers knewe no other thyng
But deth approchyng of theyr lyues desperate
They called on Radegund/& sayd with mynde eleuate

O louely lady and blessed abbasse
O holy virgyn/and kynges dougther dere
O vertuous moniall replete with great grace
Helpe nowe thy seruauntes from paryll and dangere

Defende vs from deth/which aprocheth nere
Ceasse these great sees O swete maistres
Spede vs in our Iorney/thorowe thy goodnes

Suffre neuer the enemy of all mankynde
By malyce and enuy/to drenche vs all
Also swete lady/call to thy mynde
That we haue nowe brought/a relique speciall
And don well our message/by grace supernall
Therfore madame/in this necessite
Pray for vs all/to the blessyd trinyte

Ryght shortly apperyd/in all theyr syght
A whyte doufe flyeng/the ship all about
The tempest ceasyd/by myracle right
The wyndes were layde/within and without
The see was quiet/withouten dout
The marchandes/the maryners/with voyce Iocunde
Magnyfied our maker/and mayden Radegunde

The messangers came whome/all in prosperyte
And brought with them/the relique/of reuerence
Whiche solemply was set/in the monastery
With honour/worshyp/and mycle dilygence
And whan it came to open syght and presence
Myracles were shewed/by it euery day
Unto the people/of the sayd countray.

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

What memory or reason is sufficient
To remembre the myracles of this lady
What tong can expresse/or pen is conuenient
Playnly to describe/all the noble story
It were a plesaunt werke for the monke of Bury
For Chaucer or Skelton/fathers of eloquens
Or for religious Barkeley to shewe theyr diligens

yet vnder licence/speke we in generall
Part of the myracles/of this virgyn bright
Where a sicke man in slepe by monicion speciall
Receyued of Radegunde a candell lyght
Soon after by her grace/comfort and myght
He was well cured from all infyrmite
Restored to helth/and to prosperite

Also a nother man feble and impotent
Endured suche sickenesse/and debylite
That by the space of .x. dayes consequent
He toke no sustenaunce/meate nor drynke truly
To whome this mayden (of her great charite)
Came for to visyt/and the pacient anone
Cured from sickenes/receyued refection.

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

A noble gentill woman Bella nominat
Wyfe vnto Gylbard/of the realme of Fraunce
With sundry sickenesse/and blyndnesse cruciat
Long tyme enduryng/suche wofull penaunce

Was brought to Radegunde/for helpe of her greuans
Her frendes wofull pensyue in mynde
Desyred this virgyn/for to helpe the blynde

This abbasse replete/with grace and pitie
Signed this woman/vnto our sauyour
With the signe of the crosse/for helpe and remedy
Makyng intercession/for her that houre
The sicke was delyuerd/from payne and langoure
Cured from blyndnes/had her sight agayne
She thankyd our lorde/and Radegunde certayne

Also a nother woman/was cured from payne
By merits of this mayde/and singuler supplicacion
Hauyng a great byle/bytwene her shulders twayne
Of long continuaunce/full of corrupcion
For the wofull woman/she made intercissyon
Unto our sauyour/and kyng of mercy
To sende her helth/helpe and remedy

And whan the sayd orison endyd was
This swollyn bonche horrible to nature
Dyd braste asundre/with the skyn in that place
A worme yssued out of a great stature
Whiche was distroyed afore them full sure
The pacient was healed/from payne in sight
By grace aboue kynd/and myracle right.

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

A certayne deuout religious moniall
Was vexed all ye day with great colnesse
And in the nyght tyme/with hete ouer all
As a feruent feuer/of wo & paynfulnesse
That she myght nat serue/our lorde god doutlesse
Nother nyght nor day/for sore vexacion
Whiche was to her soule/a dowble tribulacion

This blessyd mayden/replete with grace certayne
Commaunded warme water/to be had in hye
Which water she touched/with her handes twayne
Gaue it to her syster/the payne to mortyfy
So whan she touched/the sayd sycke body
The moniall receyued helth and prosperite
Cured from all qualites/of suche contrariete

Another woman long had in possessyon
Of a wickyd sprite prostrat/in the pauement
Was brought to this mayde for preseruacion
On whome she had pyte/and prayde full delygent
Our lorde to delyuer the spyrite from the pacient
She blessed this woman/and the deuell right sure
Departyd shortly/by the secretis of nature

A certayne mayden dwellyng in Fraunce
Nominat Roda was vexed day and nyght
With the colde feuers/and paynefull greuance
Whiche mekely was mesured/to this lady bryght
By whose humble orison all payne ceassyd right
The feuers were fled/helth aproched nere
Or the candell was endyd/sayth the story clere

A religyous abbasse/manassyd full sore
Blessyd Radegunde excōmunicat to be
Except she wolde heele/and saue from langore
A woman possessyd/with a spyrite paynefully
By grace so it fortuned/that within dayes thre
Our olde aduersary/departyd her fro
The woman was delyuerd/from payne & gostly wo.

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

Nowe to the glorious passage/of this abbasse
Passe we with gladnesse/and felicite
Whiche in her tyme/was a floure of grace
An example of vertue/and benygnite
A myrrour of mekenes/and pure chastite
A vertuous gouernour/of her congregacion
To bryng them to glory/and heuenly mansyon

Suche grace she obtayned/of our sauyour
That afore her passage/a hole yere full right
Our lorde sende his angell/with mycle honour
To be her comfort/helpe day and nyght
The angell aperyd/to this lady bryght
In fourme of a yong man/moost fayre to be tolde
Whiche gladdyd her soule/and mynde manyfolde

The angell shewed Radegunde in vision
A glorious place/in the celestyall see
Prepared for her/to haue fruicion
Where ioy is infinite/and endles glory

Rehersyng these wordes/with great Iocundite
O glorious abbasse/quene and moniall
Our lorde to the sendyth/gretyng speciall

Shewyng howe/for thy vertu and mekenesse
Thy vigils/fastynges/and deuocion
Thy wepynges/waylinges/and tendernesse
Thy bytter penaunce/and sharpe affliction
Thou shalt haue merite/and glorificacion
And in my diadem thou shalt sure be
A precious gēme/resplendent with beaute

Swete virgyn to the I playnly expresse
To Iesu thy spouse/thou shalt come hastely
From wordly vexacion/payne and besenesse
To abyde and endure/in ioy perpetually
Whiche singuler comfort/and visyon gostly
Secretly she shewed/vnto systers twayne
Uertuous in lyuyng/suche grace to optayne

Sone after this sayd gostly reuelacion
Sickenes approched her and infirmite
The messanger of deth/and wordly seperacion
Dayly increasyd with wo and penalyte
Her body was brought to suche debilyte
That she sore dred her lyfe euery day
The panges and passions doubled alway

As she endured suche langore and sickenes
She send for her systers/and all the couent
Erortyng them to vertu and goodnesse
Principally to kepe our lordes commaundment

With gostly perfection/and be euer pacient
Use mekenesse in hert/and true charite
With loue vnto god/from the hert fre

She sayd dere systers/I pray you euerychone
Dayly to obserue the essencials thre
Of saynt Benettes rule/your holy religion
Parfyt obedience/and wylfull pouerte
With the floure of clennesse and pure chastite
Kepe your doctrines/and customes sperituall
With gostly obseruauntes/and cerimonies all

Honour and loue our lorde aboue all thyng
Occupy the tyme in meditacion
In deuout prayer and discrete fastyng
In vigils penaunce/and contemplacion
Call vnto mynde your strayte profession
Obserue the order ye be professyd vnto
Remembre this lesson/what so euer ye do

Also my counsell is/that ye shalbe content
With the visitacion of god all myghty
Whether he send you pleasure or punysshement
Quietnes vexacion helth or infirmite
For this ye knowe/by his auctorite
The childe whome the father loueth most dere
He doth most punysshe tenderly in fere.

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

Afterward she askyd the holy communion
With mycle reuerence/and humilite
To comfort the soule agayne temptacion
At the sharpe passage/of this mortalyte
Where preistes/and clarkes/were all redy
Theyr offyce to supple right/conuenient
And brought with them/the blessyd sacrament

At whose commyng/this reuerent Radegunde
With gostly comfort humbled her body
Sayeng to the sacrament/with hert iocunde
Welcome my maker/god sonne almighty
Welcom my redemer/and kyng of glory
Welcom my ioy/comfort and solace
My trust/my treasure/in euery place

As the church techith/I beleue stydfastly
That thou descendyd from blis eternall
And was incarnat/in mayden Mary
Suffred passyon/and deth moost thrall
Man soule to redeme/from payne infernall
And that thou institute/thy blessed body
In furme of bredde to vs sacramentally

Thus with great wepyng/and feruent deuocion
In true fayth/hope/and charite
Radegunde receyued the holy communion
To preserue the soule from ieopardy
With all obseruaunce/and suffrage gostly
After all this she askyd extreme vnction
For spirituall comfort/and saluacyon

And as she lay in suche extremite
Sufferyng great payne/abyding the houre
She be toke her soule/vnto the custodie
Of Ihesu her spouse/our blessyd sauyour
Also to visyt her/they came with great honoure
Many sad citesyns wyddowes/virgyns pure
Lamentyng and wepyng/for her departure

They held vp theyr handes/towarde heuen on hye
Pyteously cryeng/made great lamentacion
Sayeng O blessyd lorde/god almyghty
Why suffers thou this mayde/departe from vs alon
Fatherles childerne without consolacion
Good lorde if it be thy wyll and pleasure
Permyt her to abyde with vs and endure

O blessyd abbasse/thou art our succoure
Our singuler comfort/both day and nyght
Our helpe and refuge/agayne all langoure
Our speciall defence/vnder god almyght
Alas swete maistres/and lady bryght
Why wyll you departe/from vs so hastely
But agayne deth/may be no remedy.

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.

This venerable virgyn/exspired sothely
The .xiii. day of August/to blis eternall
Angels were present/with mycle melody
To receyue the soule/from the lyfe temperall

For euer to reigne/in the see celestiall
To haue her merite/and glorificacion
For her great vertue/and contemplacion

And at the same houre/of her departyng
Quareours laboryng/in the mounte therby
Herd swete armony of angels singyng
One sayd howe the voyce of a sad company
Ascendeth to the eares of god almyghty
Suffre her no lenger to endure distres
Take her to ioy/and eterne quietnes

Whan the angels sayeng/thus endyd was
They receyued the soule/of this fayre lady
And brought it syngyng/to the celestiall palace
(As afore is sayd) to reigne eternally
Unto whiche place/of endles glory
Pray for vs abbasse/and holy moniall
That we may thyder come/both one and all

Manyfolde merites/and myracles memoratyue
Magnifien this mayde/with great magnificence
Enduryng the tyme/of this present lyfe
And at her departure/knowen by experience
For she apperyd gostly in presence
The same houre she passyd/from this lyfe dolorous
To a great gouernoure/called Demolemus

This sayd Demolemus/was paynfully cruciat
In his brest and throte/by host and swellyng
His breth restrayned with passyons tortuat
Ryght like to exspire/at euery hours endyng

Radegunde bad hym/straytely commaundyng
To lose .vii. presoners/within his Iayle and holde
And he shulde haue helth/and pleasure manyfolde

(Whiche visyon past) he waked sodenly
Callyng to mynde/her wyll and commaundement
Knewe well by the visyon/that this noble lady
Than was departed from this lyfe present
Prouyng the trueth/by messangers diligent
Afterwarde he sende his seruaunt to the prison
Deliuerd all captyue from payne and affliction

Incontynently by merit and grace of this abbasse
Demolemus mended/of sickenes and infyrmite
His throte and his heed/whiche wofull was
Were sone delyuered/from all penalyte
His breth restored/at his owne lyberte
This forsayd ruler/and the prisoners all
Praysed this virgyn/with mynde speciall

Whiche sayd myracles notyfied playne
Thorowe the countrey/and all the region
Many poore prisoners/sufferyng great payne
Made dayly prayers/and humble supplicacion
Unto this lady promisyng an oblacion
Desiryng her suffrage with humylite
Were saued from deth/and put at lyberte.

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

Soone after the departure of this pure virgin
A woman of Uiuoberga one of her famylye
Of hye ambicion willyng to domyn
Sat in her chayer/right presumptuously
Commendyng her selfe/that place moost worthy
So whan she had done/this offence greuous
The punysshement of god/fell on her dolorous

Her body brenned/as doth a hote furnace
The finde ascended/to the ayre on hye
The payne continued/and neuer ceassed was
Thre dayes and .iii. nyghtes/induryng feruently
This wofull woman seyng no remedy
With hert penitent/made playne confession
Of her euyll dede and hye presumpcion

She sayd swete Radegunde/haue pitie on me
O comly quene/forgyue me myn offence
Ceasse this feruent plage/I pray to the
Pardon my pryde/and great negligence
I haue offended/your hye prehemynence
And euill trespased/agaynst your hye honoure
Saue me swete lady/from payne and doloure

Also the people/on her had compassyon
Tenderly for her/prayde knelyng on kne
Unto our sauyour/with hye deuocion
And to saynt Radegunde/her helpe to be
Anone this virgyn/on her hauyng pite
Ceassed this feruent fyer of punysshement
This woman was saued/and cured from torment.

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

These forsayd myracles/and other many one
Infinite to reherse all seriously
This virgin shewed/by singuler deuocion
Unto all people sicke and in miserye
Desiryng her prayers/and suffrages mekely
All suche departed from her with gladnesse
Whiche came to her presence/in wo and heuenesse

Among all myracles after our intelligence
Whiche Radegunde shewed by her humilite
One is moost vsuall had in experience
Among the common people/noted with hert fre
By offeryng of otes/after theyr degre
At her holy aulters where myracles in sight
Dayly haue be done by grace day and nyght

By oblacion of othes/halt/lame/and blynde
Hath ben restored/vnto prosperite
Dombe men to speke/aboue cours of kynde
Sickemen delyuerd/from payne and miserie
Maydens hath kept theyr pure virginite
Wyddowes defended from greuous oppression
And clarkes exalted/by her to promocion

Many other myracles/she shewed expresse
To euery estate/religious and rurall
By her great vertue/merite/and goodnesse
Whiche be nat rehersed/here in speciall
But who so lyst to knowe her myracles all

May forther enquire/of theyr benignite
The boke of her myracles where in they written be

Whiche miracles/who redeth ceriously
Marke/mynde/and bere them well away
Shall fynde that our lorde god/the kyng of glory
Sheweth his myghty power day by day
For all suche: whiche in theyr hartes fynde may
Hym to loue/and serue aboue all thynge
And hym to folowe/gladly in theyr lyuynge

Lyke as dyd/this virgyn pudicall
As in her lyfe I haue made mencion
She forsoke the pleasures/great and small
Of this worlde: and set all her affection
Porely to lyue in strayte religion
In prayer/fastyng/and worthy penaunce
With watche/labour/and simple sustinaunce

She viseted the sicke persons impotent
And ministred/with good hert and mynde
To them suche thynges/as were conuenient
She succurred both lame/halt/and blynde
And the sore lazers/where she dyd them fynde
She wasshed/and touched theyr sores tenderly
And neuer abhorred/any malady

Her almes she gaue/there as she sawe nede
To monasteries/and persons religious
Brefely to speke/many a vertuous dede
She fulfylled: for whiche our lorde Iesus
For her shewed suche miracles glorious

What tyme she was here in this worlde lyuyng
And also syth her hens away partynge.

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

O noble princesse/flouryng in vertue
Borne of kyngs blodde/by course of nature
O blessyd Radegund the spouses of Iesu
A myrrour of mekenesse/to euery creature
In thy yong age/refusyng wordly pleasure
Nowe reignest in heuen/and ioy lastyng ay
We the beseke/swete virgyn pure
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

O comly quene/and lady excellent
Somtyme vnder spousage/lyueng in chastite
Entendyng for to please our lorde omnipotent
And the worlde refuse with all vanite
A wyfe and a mayde as fewe other be
Weryng the herd heare vnder garmentes gay
At our departure of thy benignite
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

Thy chast conuersacion vnder matrimonye
Euer entended holy perfeccion
Dayly fulfillyng the werkesse of mercye
And vpon the poore hauing compassion
Releuing prisoners in wofull affliccion
Most mercifull princesse proued all way
We the require/with humble supplicacion
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

And whan thou was in holy religion
Thou shewed example of humilite
To all thy systers/and congregacion
Howe they shulde kepe theyr chastite
Theyr true profession/the essencials thre
A lanterne of light/shening verray
Wherfore we pray the of thy charite
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

Euery creature in this present lyfe
May take of the parfyt imitacion
Both quene and princesse/lady and wyfe
Remembring thy straytenesse in religion
Thy prayers/penaunce/vigils/meditacion
The torment of thy body/without delay
In euery tyme namely in lenton
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

Also for thy vertue and great holynesse
Many myracles were shewed both day and nyght
People were cured/by the from sickenesse
Halt and lame heled/blynd had theyr sight
Impotent persons/restored to myght
Wickyd sprites abiecte/it is no nay
Of thy great charite swete lady bright
Preserue and defende vs both nygh and day

O beauteous gēme and saphyre celestiall
O worthy diamounde/shening with honour
In the heuenly troune with ioy angelicall
Praysing and louyng our blessed sauyour
Make thou intercession/sheweng thy deuour
For vs thy seruauntes/as thou well may

Namely at this tyme/and at euery houre
Preserue and defende vs/both nyght and day

O rubicunde rose vernant in pulcritude
Our dayly comfort/plesant to be holde
O lylly whyte floure/shenyng with claritude
O radiant ster/passyng perle and golde
Our singuler defence/and succoure to be tolde
To thy spouse Iesu/for vs thou daily pray
That we may repent/our synne manyfolde
Preserue and defende vs both nyght and day

For vs make instaunce/O gracious lady
O quene and princesse/moniall and abbasse
That we may optayne here pardon and mercy
And clere be absolued/from synne and trespasse
And after this lyfe/to se the glorious face
Of the blessyd trinite/in blis to our pay
Where ioy is infinite/and eternall grace
Helpe virgyn Radegunde/both nyght and day.

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

Dere beloued brother/in our lorde Iesu
My faythful louer/and speciall frynde
Glad I am to know your goodnes & vertu
To whome with humilite I me recōmēd
shewyng to you yt I haue brought to end
And translate in to englisshe/the noble story
Of mayden Radegunde as ye desyred me

Requiryng you tenderly of your gentilnes
To accept this present poore translacion
Excusyng my ignoraunce/and symplenesse
Takyng my mynde/and humble intention
Whiche warke is done/of no presumption
Also pardon my termes though they rude be
Frutles of sentence full of prolixite

Nowe to all poetis flouryng moost eloquent
And to all other/that this lyfe shall rede or se
With humble submission/I do it represent
Desiryng them all/of theyr charite
To correct and reforme it where is necessite
Which sayd translacion/and indigne werke
Is for common people/written for no clerke

And where this virgyn/and gracious lady
Hath be kept scilent and close a long season
Knowen to fewe persons/within this countrey
Therfore we purposed/vnder her proteccion
To declare her lyfe and gostly conuersacion
Dilatyng her fame/and shewe her excellence
Extollyng her name with great magnificence

Euery great estate/empresse/quene/and duchesse
Example may take at this moniall
To encrease in vertu/and proued mekenesse
In churche to be deuout/and courtesse in hall
And to the poore people for to be liberall
Euery true matrone her doctrine folowyng
In heuen may be sure to haue a wonnyng

And who so that is a person religious
May lerne at this lady to kepe pacience
To be humble in soule/gentyll and vertuous
Obseruyng chastite/and true obedience
With wilfull pouerte/without concupiscence
And euer content be with what Iesu doth sende
yeuyng humble thankes vnto your lyues end.

Go fourth lytell boke/blacke be thy vesture
As euer mournyng inable to come to lyght
Submit the also vnto euery creature
Whiche reason hath desiryng to haue a sight
O blessyd sauyour/and lorde moost of myght
Preserue this poore boke from hate and enmyte
With all humble reders of thy benignite.

Amen.