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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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.