Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde

Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde

Table of contents

Title page

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¶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 in fyrmite 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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¶Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde.

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The table.

¶The prologue of the trāslatour of the lyfe of maydē Radegunde

¶Of the progeny of saynt Redegunde and howe she was taken in batell and brought in to fraūce and theyr maryed to kyng Lothary.

¶Of the vertuous lyuyng of saynt Radegunde vndre spousage / and howe she contynued a virgin.

¶Of the great deuocion of mayden Radegund in the tyme of lenton / and of the great mercy & pitie she vsed to all captiue prisoners.

¶Howe quene Radegunde shewed a myracle delyueryng prisoners out of captiuite.

¶Howe blessed Radegunde desired to be religious and of a myracle shewed at her departure by the way goyng to religion.

¶How she was made religious & after electe abbasse and how by grace she was preserued from daunger of her husbande kyng Lothary.

¶Of the feruent deuocyon and the great penaūce and charitable werkes this moniall vsed in religion.

¶Of the great perfection and strayte penaunce this abbasse Radegunde vsed in tyme of lenton.

¶Of the great affliccion and hard punysshement lady [Page] Radegund vsed aboue the course of nature in the sayd tyme of lenton and of her gostly conuersacion to euery creature.

¶How this holy abbasse refourmed her syster negligent with a lytell exhortacion folowyng.

¶Howe blessed Radegunde deliuered a woman possessed with a fende from daunger and payne to helth and prosperite.

¶How a ratte was slayne without hand approchyng to hurt the vertuous labour of saynt Radegunde.

¶Howe saynt Radegund by prayer reuiued a laurell tre to burge & bryng fourth leaues without rote.

¶Howe saynt Radegunde by humble supplicacion restored a yong Nonne from deth to lyfe agayne.

¶How saynt Radegund saued her seruauntꝭ from perell of perisshynge / whiche brought a parte of the holy crosse from the emperour.

¶Of dyuerse myracles in generall / and howe this abbasse saued diuerse sicke ꝑsons frō Ieopardy of deth

¶Howe Radegunde thabbasse cured two sicke womē from infirmite / vnto helth and prosperite.

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[Page]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 moniall

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 fall 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

[Page]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.

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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

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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

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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

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¶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 pass [...]ng course of 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

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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

[Page]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

[Page]Her landes and tentes / 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

[Page]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.

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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 churhces / 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

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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

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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

[Page]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

[Page]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 dis ficulte

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

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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 seme come 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

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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 Pictauens

Thankyng our lorde / and his mother Mary

Of her expedicion / with micle reuerence

[Page]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

[Page]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

[Page]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

[Page]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 common 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

[Page]

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 obsruaūtes 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

[Page]

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 soul is 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 bene sone

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

[Page]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 propre 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

[Page]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

[Page]

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 chafyngdisshe 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

[Page]

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 partꝭ 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 defamed / 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

[Page]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

[Page]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 dilectacion

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 woma [...]

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

[Page]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.

ACertayne 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

[Page]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

Haue 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

[Page]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

A none 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

Aclew of yarne in auoyding ydelnesse

Whiche clew Radegunde hange forthe in the son

[Page]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 seruaūtꝭ to remoue a great laurell tre

Ferre from the place where it dyd gro

To set it securl [...] within the monastere

Ryght afore her cell / to comfort the company

Whiche laurell tre / by the rote cut a way

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

[Page]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.

[Page]

THis vertuous abbasse / send to the emperoure

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 [...]uly

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

[Page]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.

[Page]

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 another 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 in fyrmite 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

[Page]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 another woman / was cured from payne

By merite 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 a sundre / 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.

[Page]

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

Acertayne 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

[Page]

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.

HOwe 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

[Page]Rehersyng these wordes / with great Iocundite

O glorious abbass [...] / 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

Exortyng them to vertu and goodnesse

Principally to kepe our lordes commaundment

[Page]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

[Page]

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

[Page]

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

[Page]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

[Page]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.

[Page]

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 cha [...]er / 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.

[Page]

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

[Page]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

[Page]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 kyngꝭ 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

[Page]

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 deuou [...]

For vs thy seruauntes / as thou well may

[Page]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 faythfull louer / and speciall frynde

Glad I am to know your goodnes & v (er)tu

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 Radegun [...]e as ye desyred me

[Page]

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

[Page]

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.

§

¶Thus endeth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde Imprinted by Rycharde Pynson printer to the kynges noble grace Cum priuilegio a rege indulto. *⁎*

[Page]

[figure]

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde

Bradshaw, Henry, d. 1513.

Edition statement

1525

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2005-12 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A68972

ID [STC]

STC 3507

ID [STC]

ESTC S104675

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99840408

ID [PROQUEST]

99840408

ID [VID]

4909

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Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A68972)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 4909)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 132:06, 875:13)

Source

— Here begynneth the lyfe of saynt Radegunde, Bradshaw, Henry, d. 1513..

Extent

[60] p.

Imprinted by Rycharde Pynson printer to the kynges noble grace,. [[London] :: [ca. 1525]]. (By Henry Bradshaw.) (In verse.) (Place of publication and printer's name from colophon; publication date estimated by STC.) (Signatures: a-d·⁴ e⁶.) (Reproductions of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.) (Appears at reel 132 and at reel 875 (same copy filmed twice).)

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Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.