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 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.