Radegunde ceasyd day nor nyght Princypally to prayse our lorde with supplicacyon 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 womaâ— 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 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 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 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 abstineÌ„ce Whylom in labours wordly occupacion The tyme to dispeÌ„d in vertuous excelleÌ„ce 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 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 seruauÌ„tê to remoue a great laurell tre Ferre from the place where it dyd gro To set it securlâ— 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 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 THis vertuous abbasse send
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
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 â—â—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 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 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 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 A Certayne deuout religious moniall Was vexed all y e 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 A religyous abbasse manassyd full sore Blessyd Radegunde excoÌ„municat 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 Rehersyng these wordes with great Iocundite O glorious abbassâ— quene and moniall Our lorde to the sendyth gretyng speciall