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.

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

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.