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 geÌ„me 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 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 shal be 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 y e blessyd sacrament extreme vnction afore her departure 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 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 y e 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 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 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 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 chaâ—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.
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 coÌ„mons 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 ¶ 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 passâ—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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 ¶ A prayer or orison of the blessyd quene Radegunde moniall and abbasse O Noble princesse flouryng in vertue Borne of kyngê 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 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 geÌ„me 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 deuouâ— For vs thy seruauntes as thou well may 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 vertu To whome with humilite I me recoÌ„meÌ„d shewyng to you y t I haue brought to end And translate in to englisshe the noble story Of mayden Radegunâ—e as ye desyred me 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 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 * ⎠*