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 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.