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St.
Winifred
This
is the full English text of Winifred, transcribed from the edition
translated and printed by William Caxton about 1484. The text is
a transcription from microfilm of a copy in the British Library
(C.10.b.89) checked against the printed edition prepared by Carl
Horstmann, “Caxton’s ausgabe de leg. Von S. Wenefreda,”
Anglia 3, 1880, pp. 295-313. Horstmann’s edition is based
on the copy in the Lambeth Palace Library and differs from this
in a number of minor details: there are a number of differences
in the placement of the “/” punctuation mark and words
such as bycause, tofore, forto, therby and hymself are one word
in the Horstmann edition, two words in Caxton. More important variations
between Horstmann’s and this reading are footnoted. Until other
copies of Winifred have been compared, variations between Horstmann’s
and this text from different copies of Caxton’s edition cannot be
considered press variants.
I have kept editorial intrusion at a minimum. The only abbreviations
that are expanded are n and m denoted by macrons in the original.
These expansions are shown in italics. Notes in brackets indicate
original text (emended in the case of turned letters) or suggestions
toward emendation.
For readers unused to Middle English texts, the þ symbol (thorn)
stands for “th” and the 
symbol (yogh) stands for “gh” for this text. Caxton used
these symbols in the original edition as a form of abbreviation.
Marks of punctuation for this text is limited to the sign “/”
which performs the roles of full or half stop.
This text was last updated 10/02.
folio a2a
¶Here begynneth the lyf of the holy & blessid vyrgyn saynt Wenefryde/
[three line initial]IN the west ende of grete Britayn / whiche now
is callyd Englond is a prouynce whiche is named walys / This said
prouynce was somtyme inhabyted of sayntes of many & dyuerse
merytes / & embelisshed & decorate vnto this day with Innumerable
prerogatyuys in many wyses / Emong whom ther was an holy
& deuout man named beunow a man of hye merite/
& this holy man lad religious lyf / & was a monk in the
said englond / he edyffyed chirches / & ordeyned certayn bretheren
& prestes for to serue god in many places / & hit was so
/ þt by dyuyn prouydence he was warned & admonested to
desyre & aske of a myty man named Theuith
a certeyn place to bylde on a chirch for his helthe / which he dyligently
demanded / & the seid theuith graunted to hym
gladly & with good wil & also commysed to hym his
douter named wenefrede whome he louyd tenderly
for to be instruct & taut / prayeng
hym to biseche almyty god / that he wold
dispose her conuersacion to the wil & honour of hym / which
thyng god knowyng what shold folowe therof wold not suffre her to
be lost ne perisshed / for the maide wenefrede desyred by an ardaunt
desyre to be the temple of god in tyme comyng / And suche thynges
as she vnderstode by heryng of her eres she held & enprynted
fast in her mynde / & that she conceyued in her thout
/ purposed verily taccomplysshe hastely in werkes / so thenne
by thynspyracion of the holy ghost this holy vyrgyn prouffytyng
in vertues shewed vnto her mayster beunow the very purpose of her
mynde sayeng / I haue determyned in my self to forsake al the lust
& plaisir of the world / & haue disposed to conserue &
kepe my virgynyte vndefowled vnto Cryst / whiche thyng o holy fader
I byseche the deuoutely that thou wylt impetre & gete graunte
of my fader & moder / whiche thynge he shewed to hem /&
they gladly consentid /& therwyth were wel pleasid / Thenne
this holy vyrgyn recordyng & desyryng tenprynte in her mynde
suche holy wordes & lessons as floweden oute of the mouth
of her mayster / suffred none erthely ne worldly vanytees to entre
in to her / but [bnt C.] laye oft in the nytes
in the chirche / And oftyme she solycyted the holy man to make a
sermon / and to treate to her / of her spouse Ihesu crist / &
to shewe his werkes digne & worthy of laude and pray=
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synge / ¶ It happed on a sonday that her fader & moder were
gone to the Chirche / & this blessid virgyne was lefte for certayn
cause at home / & one named Cradoke sone of kyng Alane entryd
& sawe this holy virgyne syttyng by the fyre / whiche anone
as she sawe the kynges sone aroos / & humbly demaunded [demannded
C.] hym what was his playsir / and he sayd to her / thou knowest
well that I am a kynges sone / whiche haue plente of rychesses &
honours / & of them shalle departe largely to the yf thou wylt
consente to my peticion & desyre / she anon felyng hym to make
his request for to haue a do with her / & a lytyll cast doun
shamefastly her chere dyssymylyd her to be a shamed that he had
founden her not well arrayed ne apparaylled / & sayd to hym
suffre a whyle lest my fader come & I shal go in to my chambre
/ & shal come to the ageyne withoute taryeng / to whiche the
yong man graunted / & she wente in to the chambre & by a
bye dore of the chambre she wente oute / & ran faste toward
the chirche / whiche so fleyng was anone knowen to the yong man
/ & thenne he beyng wood wroth by cause she fledde fro hym /
by cause she wold kepe her virgynyte / & with a suerd hastely
folowed after & ouertoke her & holdyng hir with a sterne
chere said to her in this wyse / somtyme I louyd the / & desyred
the to be ioyned to myn enbracementes / & now thou despysest
hym þt desyreth the / Now know thow for certayn þt either
thou shalt this present tyme suffre me to haue my wyl of the or
without taryeng I shal smyte of thyn hede with this swerd The holy
vyrgyn hauyng [hauyug C.] her ful hope & truste in oure lorde
answerd hym in this wyse / I am coupled in matrimonye to the sone
of the euerlastyng kyng & Iuge of al men / wherfor I may haue
none other / And by cause I wyll not long abuse the whyle I lyue
I shal neuer leue ne forsake hym / & therfor be thou assured
that thy menaces / ne fair wordes / thretenynges / ne promesses
maye departe me fro the swetenes of his loue / to whos embracementes
I am strayned & coupled by deuocion / This lecherous yonge man
herynge hym self to be despysed / and put fro his voluptuous [voluptuons
C.] desyre toke oute his swerd / and smote of the hede of this blessyd
vyrgyne /
¶And anone as the hede of the virgyne fylle to the erthe / In the
same place a bryght and fayre welle beganne to sprynge vp / largely
gyuynge oute water and plentyuously
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whiche contynueth to flowe vnto this day / gyuynge helthe by the
merytes of this blessyd vyrgyn to many seke peple & malades
/ Now was it so that the place where her hede was smyton of was
hangyng of an hylle / & the hede rollyd doun to the chirche
dore / & whan the peple in the chirche sawe the hede / there
was a grete noyse & rumour / in so moche that her fader &
moder cam /& sawe how her doughter was biheded / wherof they
were sore basshed / & made a lamentable noyse & sorow sayeng
that they had hoped / that she shold haue ben a seruaunt of god
& to haue lyued an holy lyf / & whan beunowe herd this noyse
& rumour / he cam & sawe this hede of the holy vyrgyn /
& anone he took it vp / & sawe where the kynges sone stode
& wyped his swerd on the grasse / to whom he said lokyng in
his visage these wordes / O thou wycked man whiche hast defouled
thy fair yongth1
/ & arte sone of the lygnage of a kyng / & hast slayn by
cryme as an homycyde this noble vyrgyn / why repentest the not that
hast commysed so grete a synne / thou hast troubled the pees &
hast defowled the chirche by thy sacrylege & hast gretely trespaced
& wratthed our lorde / & repentest the not/ Now for as moch
as thou hast not spared the chirch / ne hast gyuen reuerence to
the sonday / I byseche my lorde god / to whom thou has commysed
synne vnworthely / that he rewarde the by digne recompensacion /
& these wordes said & expressid / the yong man forthwith
fyll doun to therthe & exspyred & deyde / & incontynent
wonderfully the body of hym so dede in the syght & presence
of many was molten & vanisshed awey & sonken in to
therthe / & his soule drowned in helle / thenne the fader
& moder hauyng no comfort / but wayllyng the deth of
their douhter desyred to make bewaillynges / & the holy man
beunow went to thaulter to say the masse / whiche beyng fynysshed
/ & al the peple awaityng on hym / & hauyng hope vnto god
/ he went to the body lyeng dede / & vnto the peple made a sermon
/ & emong al other wordes he said how this blessid virgyn had
made a vowe to almyty god / but for taccomplisshe
the same by cause of her deth she had not tyme congrue to
fulfylle it / & therfor I exhorte & desyre you to knele
doun to þe ground / & to pray deuoutely vnto almyghty
god that of his grace it would plese hym to reyse her fro deth to
lyf / to thende that many be the better / and
folio a3b
more constaunt in the faythe / and that moche good shold therof
enfolowe /¶After thenne this longe prayer / the holy man beunowe
aroose vp holdyng his hondes vp in to heuen sayde / O lord Ihesu
crist for whos loue this holy virgyn hath forsaken all worldy thinges
/ & hath desyred heuenly thynges we humbly byseche the
with al oure myght & deuocion that þu at this tyme graunte
to vs theffect of our peticion & prayer / & for what cause
this vyrgyne hath suffred deth we knowe not but that she is in euerlastyng
ioyes / hauyng no nede of oure company / thou neuertheles most debonayr
fader graunte to vs thy sonnes / mekely besechyng the benyngne
& exaudyble / that it may please the to gyue thyn assente to
oure peticions & prayers / & commaunde thou that the sowle
of this holy vyrgyne may be brought ageyn to her body / & that
she may be restored to her fyrst lyf / And that by the grace of
thy mercy may magnefye thy name / And after longe space of lyf /
she may retorne to the her spouse / that is the only sone of god
the fader with whome / & with the holy ghost lyuest world without
ende / & whan al had answerd amen / he sette the hede to the
body / & the holy vyrgyne aroos / as she had arysen fro slepe
/ wypyng her visage / & clensynge it fro the duste & swette
/ & replenysshed alle the assistentes stondynge with wonderfull
admyracion & ioye / Neuertheles in the place of her necke where
as her heede was smyten of / And after by dyuyne operacion was sett
on ageyn & resolydate / a lytil redenes in maner of a threde
wente aboute the necke / and shewed the place where as hit had be
cutte of / And that euer after abode for to shewe the absicycion
and thostencion of the myracle / as longe as the vyrgyn lyuyd /
and alwey abode in one maner / and the place where as her blood
was shedde was callyd fyrst / the drye valeye /
And after that the hede of the holy vyrgyne was cut of and touchyd
the ground / as we afore haue said sprang vp a welle of spryngyng
water largely / enduryng vnto this day / which heleth al languours
and sekenesses as well in men as in bestes / whiche welle is named
after the name of þe vyrgyn & is called saint wenefredes
welle & by cause ther was moche blood of her shed in þe
welle & þe descente of þe hylle þt stones
yet in to this day appiere as wel in the welle as in the ryuer rennyng
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doune al besparklyd with blood / whiche thynge is merueyllous /
For yet at this day is sene the droppes of blood / lyke as hit was
the fyrst day / And the mosse that groweth vpon the sayd stones
/ smellyth lyke encence / whiche welle is famous and of grete renomme
/ and well knowen / to al them that goo thyder / and endureth as
it dyd the fyrst tyme / and the stones as we sayd to fore ben yet
dayly blody / or bespryncte with dropes of blood / shewynge openly
/ that by the merytes of the sayd vyrgyne / alle they that calle
on her for ony nede or dysease / oure lord shalle ease and delyuer
them/
¶Thenne for to knowe how this holy vyrgyne wenefryde lyuyd after
that she was reysed fro dethe to lyf / or what maner of lyf she
hadde vnto the ende she departed oute of this world / ye shalle
here al alonge herafter folowynge /
¶Thenne after she was thus reysed as afore is sayd / Alle that daye
after she was abydynge at the feet of the holy fader Beunowe / and
entended wyth dylygente cure and feruent deuocion vnto his sermons
/ and to alle thynges that apperteynen to god / desyrynge with a
[sic C.] ardaunt wylle for to be enformed fully to serue & please
almyghty god / whiche done / & she sufficiently Instructe and
enformed after the lernynge of the disciplyne of the holy Chirche
/ fyll doun on her knees & desyred humbly of her mayster to
be professyd and to receyue the holy veyle / Sayenge / I may in
no wyse departe fro thy feet vnto the tyme / that thow hast accomplysshed
in me theffect of this holy profession / & so thou to clothe
me outward in thabyte of relygyous disciplyn / & that I may
be blessyd by thyn hondes in suche wyse that I may in the inward
thout of my soule perseuere in the seruyse
of our blessid lord wherfor holy fader I humbly byseche the
/ that thou wil not lenger differre my peticion ne desyre / but
to fulfylle my requeste / & incontynent late me make myn auowe
as it apperteyneth/ ¶Thenne this holy man shewed the desyre
& wil of this blessid vyrgyn to her fader & moder / &
said to them / that they shold satisfye the desyre of her / for
she was chosen of god / & had gyuen to her his dyuyn grace /
they thenne benyngnly consentid to þe same & the
holy man thenne to fore moche peple gaf to her the holy vayll/&
professyd her / & halowed in the presence of them alle /
folio a4b
whiche blessyd vyrgyne after thaccomplyshhement and vowe made of
her holy desyre / anone she flouryd in alle vertue / and deuoutely
studyed / how she myght best obserue the rewlys of the disciplyne
of Relygyon / And in short space she acquyred and was ful Instructe
in the perfection of alle the obseruaunce that therto bylongeth
/ After this this holy man Beunow was admonesshed by a vysyon /
that he shold departe thens / and goo dwelle in another place /
to thende that he myght auaylle and do moche prouffyte to moche
peple / And ther vpon he called the fader and moder of the blessyd
vyrgyne / & sayd to them / ye shall vnderstande / that I must
departe from hens / and may no lenger be here with yow / For god
hath callyd me to another place / wherfore / I exhorte yow / that
ye besyly entende vnto the admonycions and ensamples of youre doughter
/ knowynge for certayne that she is not ordeyned an only ensample
to yow / but also a very ensample of helthe vnto alle peple herafter
for to come / Thenne he torned hym to the holy vyrgyne / and sayd
to her / our lord almyghty god hath commaunded the for to succede
and folowe my labours and excercysitees2
/ and to honoure this habytacle / to folowe the weye of lyf / by
me to the shewed / And the same to shewe to other / Thy charge shall
be from hens forth for the loue of god to haunte and dwelle in this
place / and to gadre and assemble vyrgyns to lyue here in the seruyse
of god with the / But one thynge knowe thow for certayne / that
thow shalte not fynysshe thy lyf in this place / For whan thow hast
seruyd god here in besy abstynence of the body and afflyction of
spyryte / by the space of seuen yere / hit behoueth the to goo to
another place / whiche shall be shewed to the by oure lord / and
he shal adresse the thyder / where thow shalt enlumyne the derkenesse
of many hertes / And reteyne well / that thy memorye and remembraunce
shall be clerly spred in this world / & as moche thow shalt
be more of meryte / so moche more shall many be remedyed by the
of their myseryes and hurtes /
Whanne this hooly vyrgyne vnderstode the departynge of her mayster
and doctour [doctonr C.] / she was moche sorowful and heuy / And
wepte sorowfully for his departynge and absence / Thenne the holy
man Beunowe ladde her by the ryght honde to the welle
folio a5a
whiche sprange at the place where her hede fylle / whanne hit was
smyten of / wherof we haue to fore remembryd / and made her to stande
vpon a stone / which lyeth there on the brynk of the sayd welle
vnto this daye / and is callyd the stone of saynt Beunowe of them
that dwelle there / And he sayd to her these wordes folowynge /
Beholde sayd he and see here the steppes of thy passion / loo these
stones here besprynct with thy blood shewe that thow hast for goddes
loue suffryd here martirdome / & to the perpetuel honoure of
the / & to the monumente of many other they kepe the shedynge
of thy blood of whiche they ben besprynct / fresshe and rody / Now
therfore with a dylygent and good mynde reteyne and kepe my wordes
/ that they maye come reuerently to the knowlege of many other /
Knowe thow for certayne / that thre yeftes ben gyuen and graunted
to the of almyghty god / whiche shall be solempnly shewed to the
tytle of thy lawde and praysynge / And shalle be arettyd to the
loue of thy deuocion in the myndes of them that shalle come herafter
/ The fyrste is this / that the stones besprynct and wette by sprynclyng
of thy bloode / shalle neuer in this world be wasshen awey / and
putte oute / ne by the swyfte cours of this water be taken awey
/ but for euydence and [aud C.] shewyng of thy passion shullen alwey
appiere rede and blody / doynge myracle vnto the glorye of god and
of his mageste / and also to the tryumphe of thy chastyte The second
yefte or graunt is this / that who someuer he be / that is hurte
by ony Infortune / and reguyreth the / & desyreth to be delyuerd
by the fro his dystresse or oppressyon / the fyrst / the second
/ or the thyrd / certaynly the thyrdde tyme / yf it be done effectuelly
with a good wyll he shall enioye that thynge that he demaunded and
asked / And yf hit so happe that he gete ne haue not that thynge
that he desyred / ne that it folowe not after his peticion / knowe
he for certayne / that yf ther be ony thynge more godly for the
helthe of his sowle / than hit / that he demaunded þt it shal
folowe & come to hym for his good / for oftymes we of our frelnes
aske and desyre thynges / whiche parauentur shold torne more to
our hurte / than to our wele / god knoweth what is best for vs /
The thyrd yefte is thys / that whan now I shal departe & go
fro [for C.] the for to dwelle in a conuenyent
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place stondynge on the see syde / whiche god of his benygne grace
hath graunted to me / And though hit be soo / that I shalle be ferre
fro the / yet almyghty god hath commaunded the to remembre me euery
yere with thy yeftes / wherfor when thow wylt adresse to me suche
a thynge / as thow shalt make redy for me / thow shalt hastely come
with thy yeft to this present welle / And what someuer it be / commytte
hit fyrste vnto god / and after put it in to this welle confidently
/ and thou shalt see anone that thynge soo putte in be taken vp
fro the welle / and be ledde forth by the myght of god by the cours
of the water in to the grete floode vnhurte / And by the wylle of
almyghty god thorugh the flodes of the see / it shall come vnto
the yate of my lytel lodge or dwellynge by the tornynge of the wawes
vndefowled / And this behoueth the to doo euery yere / as longe
as god wylle that I shalle lyue / for god commaunded the so to do
/ These thre thynges ben graunted to the of oure lord god / assigned
specially / and gyuen to the by dyuyne prerogatyf / And as longe
as the world shalle endure / this shalle be magnyfyde to the halowynge
of thy memorye and glorye of thy lawde / by the tellynge and vtterynge
of moche peple / These thynges thus expressyd and sayd / the holy
man fynally departed fro her / For whiche cause euery yere the fyrst
day of Maye she sente to her mayster a yefte whyle he lyued in the
maner as is afore sayd / ¶3And
though soo be that the space bytwene them / and the distaunce was
more than fyfty myle / yet neuertheles in space and tyme of one
nyght / by the rollynge of the wawes and stremes of the see it was
broughte4
to the yate of his monasterye / and was founden on the grauell of
the Ryuage / And the fyrste yefte that she sente to hym was a chesyble
of her owne makynge whiche was founden vnhurte / as afore is reherced
¶Hit happed that after this holy man Beunowe beynge aged departed
oute of this world and deyde / whoos dethe whanne it was told vnto
saynt Wenefryde / she left for to sende more ony yefte to hym /
And she remembrynge his wordes that she shold after seuen yere goo
in to another place for to dwelle in / And after seuen yere complete
she departed fro that oracle and place / lyke as she was warned
by the holy
folio a6a
man / And wente vnto seynt deyfere / This man was an holy man and
grete toward oure lord kepynge his commaundementes / and not departynge
from his Iustyfycacions / And after whan she was come as he was
in the nyght besy in his prayers and perseuerynge in deuocion /
A voys from heuen souned in his eres sayeng / Saye thou to my most
dere doghter wenefryde / that she go in to the place whiche is callyd
henthlacus / For there she shalle obteyne the desyre of her vowe
/ & whan he had told to her this / anone she toke leue of this
holy man / and bad hym fare well / And gladly wente vnto that place
/ And there she fyndynge saynt Saturne / whiche knewe by dyuyne
reuelacion the purpose of hyr iourneye and sayd to her theffecte
of her comynge / and gaf to her this answere / There is a certeyne
place called wytheryacus / where as is Abbot Elerius a man of grete
vertues / he shalle telle to the what the behoueth to doo / whiche
thynge anone as she had vnderstanden / forthwith she tooke her way
and wente to that holy man / whoos comynge the holy man hauyng knowlege
to fore by the holy ghoost / wente to mete her / and broughte her
in to the Chirche / there for to praye and saye her deuocions /
and that fynysshed he tooke her by the honde/and ladde her in to
the Couente of vyrgyns / whiche was there / to whome he sayd these
wordes / loo almyghty god hath ordeyned this deuoute vyrgyne for
to dwelle with yow / This is that mayde wenefrede / whoos clere
fame now late hath brought5
to youre eres whiche had despysed for to kepe her chastyte the blandysshyng
wordes / and the concupyscence of hym that persecuted her /
And chase leuer the smytynge of / of her hede / than to lose her
vyrgynyte / and rather to deye than to consente for to do synne
/ Therfore now she is comen to yow for to dwelle with you And to
abyde here the day of her departyng out of this world wherfore be
ye ioyefull for her comynge / and receyue ye enbracynge her deuoutely
/ as celestyall tresoure dwellynge amonge yow entendyng besyly to
her werkes / and with all your entente folowynge her / For this
place as longe as the world shalle endure / for her sake shalle
be renommed by grete fame / ¶After thise wordes he torned hym vnto
a lady whiche was his owne moder / and was prelate and chyef aboue
the other
folio a6b
relygyouse nonnes / and sayd to her / O thow my mooste dere moder
/ I commytte to the specially the cure and charge of this vyrgyne
/ whiche is wel byloued to god / thow therfore folowe her stappes
and werkes / And take thou the charge of all thynges that long to
her / And what thow mayst knowe that shall please her / that do
and execute dylygently and incontynent / These wordes fynysshed
and sayd / the holy confessour departed and wente his wey / And
saynt wenefrede remayned and abode from than forthon with the maydens
seruauntes [sernauntes C.] of god / Thenne was in her / grete abstynence
/ kepyng her good and hooly lyf / prayer perseueryng / and humble
conuersacion / other vyrgyns took of her ensample of pacyence &
obedyence / They made her in alle thynges that apperteyne to theyr
helthe / a forgoar and ensample to them / And in her were founden
[fonnden C.] alle thynges plentyuously that were of honeste and
vertue / wherof for to recyte or reherce of what abstynence that
she was in her lyf / what anguysshes or what payne that she suffryd
in her body / what scarcenes or penaunce she excercysed it were
ouer longe to telle / but shortely I shalle saye yow / that she
lefte no thyng vndone that she knewe myght be to the helthe of her
sowle / or to the good ensample of other / dyuerse and many of deuoute
peple cam to her by companyes desyryng to see this blessyd vyrgyne
/ and to beholde the place where as the token was in her necke /
that her hede was smyten of for the loue of Ihesu Cryst / and by
the prayer of the hooly confessour was reysed fro dethe and reuyued
ageyne / And they helde the place worthy of hyhe reuerence in which
she duellyd / To somme it suffysed only to see her / and to speke
wyth her / And somme were so inportune / that they wold not be content
/ but they myght see the place in her neck of the cuttynge of /
of her hede / and humbly prayd her to shewe it to them /To whoos
deuocions and reguestes she dredde to warne or gaynsaye6
/ lest their deuocion myght ther by be lassed / or that they myght
depute it to the pryde of her / And whanne they sawe in her necke
the skynne / and the place of the cuttynge by a moche differente
colour vnlyke to the remenaunt / they couthe / ne myght not absteyne
them fro wepyng / blessyng & gyuyng laude to almyghty god in
his grete and merueylous werkes
folio a7a
And retorned home with grete wondre and admyracion /
¶On a certayne daye the blessid Elerius thabbot entryd in to the
cloystre of the nonnes for to vysyte saynt Wenefrede ¶7Thenne
the holy Abbot for occasion to shewe to her / that he ofte had remembryd
in his mynde sayd to the holy vyrgyne saynt wenefrede / I Ioye gretely
sayd he /that god hath prouyded the to come to this place / For
to helpe to brynge my body to sepulture / And after my deth that
thou remembre and haue me in thy mynde and prayers / To whome the
holy vyrgyne answerd / Not so fader / shall it not be / neyther
it is not so predestynate ne [no C.] ordeyned of god / But it behoueth
the to lyue after me / and fyrste thou brynge to the erthe my lady
thy moder after that she shall be departed / & after certayn
yeres passed after that for to burye my body / For thus god hath
ordeyned / ¶And whanne this holy man had herd these wordes he took
his leue and departed fro her / And soone after / he fonde her prophecye
true / For after a lytell tyme Theonia his doughter [sic C. should
be mother] deyde and departed oute of this world / And after that
the holy saynt wenefrede was made prelate and vpperist of alle the
couent of the nonnes / And had the rewle & gouernaunce of them
many yeres / And at the laste our blessyd lord Ihesu Cryst desyrynge
and wyllynge to take hys handmayde and seruaunt fro the laborouse
seruytude of thys lyf / and to brynge her to the rest of perpetuel
blysse / ¶On a nyght as she was in her oratorye / our lord lete
her haue knoulege of the daye of her obyte and departyng oute of
this lyf / whiche shold hastely ensiewe and folowe / And anone as
she vnderstode and felte her self called and vysyted by the grace
of god / she with an holy deuocion beganne to make her redy vnto
the ioyes that she was called to / Thenne contynuelly in the nyghtes
she was prayenge in the Chirche / And in the day tyme she vertuously
occupyed her self in all thynges longynge to her cure and charge
/ And whanne this rumour cam to the knowlege of saynt Elerius /
he anone was in grete anguysshe and wayllynge for the departyng
of this holy virgyne / whome he entierly loued / knowyng certaynly
/ that she was endowed with specialle grace / And desyred for his
synguler wele / that as longe as he shold in the pylgremage of this
lyf endure / that he myght dwelle and abyde with her
folio a7b
And this he desyred with grete deuocion ¶Thenne after this the blessyd
vyrgyne beganne to suffre grete sekenes in all her body / ¶And as
the languour and maladye was vehement and encreaced dayly / she
knewe veryly that she approched toward hir last ende / Thenne she
lyfte vp her mynde toward almyghty [al myghty C.] god / and humbly
prayd hym to haue [hane C.] mercy on her / And that he wold be the
kepar and wardeyn of her sowle / And that the deuyll shold haue
no praye of her / Thenne she dyd do calle to her the hooly Confessour
saynt Elerye thabbot whiche houseled her with the blessid body of
oure lord / Thenne the day of the kalendes of Nouembre / she beganne
to wexe feble by the dissolucion of her body / but for all that
she rested not for al her payne and sekenesse to preche and enfourme
them that were assistent with holy and blessid exhortacions ¶Thenne
whanne she was enfeblyd with ouermoche payne / of greuous sekenesses
/ And felte well that on the morne she shold departe and fynysshe
her bodyly lyf / she lete doo calle to her saynt Elerye / and prayd
hym that her body myght be buryed / and put in the sepulture by
the body of [ef C.] saynt Theonye his moder / whiche reguest the
holy man graunted benyngly / And thenne the holy vyrgyne entendyng
with all hir hohe8
[sic C.] herte in prayer vnto almyghty god the day of the thyrdde
Nonas of Nouembre / she commended her spyryte in to the handes of
her maker to be associate vnto the celestyalle companye of sayntes
/ Thenne the holy man commendyng her sowle vnto god / beganne to
procure besyly / and make al thyng redy that he sawe apperteyne
to the exequyes of the blessyd virgyne / And whanne alle was done
that apperteyned to her funerall seruyse / he buryed her in the
place that she desyred / And with grete wayllynges and lamentacions
her body was leyd in the sepulture / And in the same place the sayd
body lay vnto the tyme of kyng Steuen kynge of Englond / In whos
tyme by dyuyne reuelacions and myracles before goynge the bones
of the blessyd vyrgyne were translated vnto thabbeye of Shrewsburye
/ where moche peple comyng by the suffrages and merytes of many
askyng remedye of theyr Infyrmytees and sekenesses haue bene heled
and maade all hole
folio a8a
¶Thus endeth the martirdome of this blessyd saynt / Saynt wenefrede
/ whiche passion and decollacion was the one and twentyest day of
Iuyn /
¶ And also as is afore sayd the lyf whiche she after hyr decollacion
lyued by the space of xv yere / and the departyng of hyr oute of
thys lyf was the thyrdde day of Nouembre /
¶And herafter by the grace of god shalle folowe the translacion
of this blessyd vyrgyne saynt wenefrede / how by grete myracle her
bones were broughte to thabbay of Shrewsbury / whiche translacion
is halowed the xix of Septembre
Whiche thre festes ben solempnly halowed in the sayd Abbaye of Shrewesbury
to the laude and [aud C.] praysynge of almyghty god / and of this
blessyd and holy vyrgyne seynte Wenefryde / To whome late vs praye
to be a specialle aduocatryce for vs in all thynges to vs necessarye
and behoeffulle /
¶9The
Translacion of saynt Wenefrede
[three line initial][A]Fter that the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefrede
shynynge by Innumerable Vertues was departyd oute of thys lyf vnto
the celestyall regne and blysse / many yeres after kynge william
regnynge / whiche fyrste of the Normannes regned in Englond / One
Rogere Erle a noble man and shynynge in alle honeste of maner and
Relygyon beganne to edyfye a monasterye in the Towne of shrewesbury
To whiche entendynge for to performe hit endowed it wyth
folio a8b
his propre cost & expencys / And ordeyned therin an Abbot /
And constytued certayne bretheren monkes for to serue god / By processe
of tyme / that place encreacyng by the mercy of god prouffyted moche
of many the way of helthe / And was renommed of good fame and full
of vertues vnto all them that dwellyd in that countreye / Whan thenne
the bretheren of that Abbeye shone by vertues / And all that was
vertuous they beganne folowe dylygently / Oftymes they complayned
among them self that they had nede to haue relykes And for to gete
and purchace somme they dyd alle their deuoyr and dylygence / And
for as moche as in wales whiche was fast by them they herde saye
that there were reteyned the bodyes of many sayntes / whoos merytes
were prechyd in dyuerse places / And for to haue somme of them they
studyed & sought alle the meanes they couthe / knowyng veryly
/ that by the suffrages of suche one they myght the better serue
our lord and be kepte the better from alle aduersytees / whoos dayly
seruyse they shold kepe with deuocion here in this world / to thende
that he shold to them be a patrone in heuen / For whiche to gete
/ they dylygently endeuouryd them / And trouth it is / that sythe
many holy and excellente Confessours were in the sayd contrey /
they beganne to doubte whome they myght specially desyre and haue
/ ¶Hit happed afterward that one of the bretheren of that Abbaye
was oppressyd by grete Infyrmyte / And the other bretheren hauyng
grete compassyon on hym were sore troublyd for his disease / And
for his helth they prayd deuoutely with the Inward deuocion of their
hert vnto god / And sente vnto other howses of Relygyon prayeng
them that they the same wyse wold haue theyr seek broder recommended
in their special prayers / And specially they lete haue knowleg
of the greuous Infyrmyte of hym vnto the Monkes of the chirche of
Chestre / And thenne they in the same astonyed in their mynydes
wente in to the Chirche for to praye deuoutely for his helthe /
whiche fylle doune flatte to fore the holy Aulter / and sayd with
humble deuocion the seuen psalmes / And one of them named Randolf
whiche was Suppryour of the hows a man of good lyf and symple courage
fylle a slepe / And he sawe by a vysyon an excellent &
folio b1a
fayr virgyne stondynge to fore hym / whiche with a moche plesaunt
chere sayd to hym these wordes / what is this said she [he C.] And
for whome is it that ye thus prostrate praye / The monke answerd
/ It is for a broder of our ordre whiche is payned by grete Infyrmyte
/ And for his helthe here we lye prostrate for to offre our prayers
to god for his helthe / To whome she sayd / I knowe wel sayd she
that that same Monke suffreth alienacion of his mynde / but &
yf ye desyre veryly his helthe/ late one of yow go to the welle
of saynt wenefrede / And in the chirche that is ther by / late hym
saye masse in the remembraunce [remembrannce C.] of hir / And anone
the seke broder shall be delyuerd of his sekenes / And this sayeng
she vanysshed awey / The monk awoke & comyn ageyn to hym self
/ remembryng what he had sene and herd in his mynde / wold not shewe
his vysion to his bretheren / dredynge to be had in scorne of them
/ & that they wold depute for a fantasye that he had sene &
herd / So after this nyghe vpon a fourty dayes / the seke man was
al wey gretely vexyd / & lay in his bedde / And it was shewed
ageyne to the monkes of Chestre of the grete and greuous payne that
the sayd Monke suffred / And for to speke of hym it gaf occacion
to the monkes of Chestre / And after many wordes when they bewaylled
the seke man / he that had sene the vysyon toke hardynes to hym
/ And told to them al by ordre what the holy vyrgyn had said to
hym / Thenne they whiche afore tyme had herd the fame of hir / &
knowyng also that many myracles had be done by her merytes / anone
made them lyghtely to bileue to that whiche was sayd / and also
gaf faythe to the vysyon / For sithe they were warned to go to her
welle / and in thonoure of her to saye masse in the chirche / they
were callyd therto by saynte Wenefrede / And sayd certaynly that
she had appiered to the sayd broder / Thus thenne they takynge their
counceylle to gyder / two monkes were sente to the welle of saynte
wenefrede / And for to saye masse in the chirche that was fast by
/ and there to pray for the seke man / And it was so that the same
houre that the masse was ther songen / the seke Monke at shrewesbury
was made al hole And thanked the said Monkes for his helthe / And
a lytel whyle after / the same broder that had ben seke was ladde
to
folio b1b
the same place for to gyue laude and praysynge to god and to the
holy vyrgyne for his helthe / And whanne he had fyrst made his prayers
in the chirche / And after had dronken of the welle / And with the
water therof wasshen / he was parfyghtely made hole / & retorned
to his monastery in good helth And fro thenne forthon the memorye
and remembraunce of this holy vyrgyn / beganne tencreace more deuoutely
in the hertes of the bretheren / in suche wyse that they estemed
them blessyd and happy / yf they myght haue and gete a lytel parte
or relyque of her most blessyd body / And though this semed to them
hard and dyffycyle / and supposed shold passe theyre power / yet
they ordeyned to tempte and proue it / knowynge10
[knowynye C.] that ther is nothyng may resiste the wylle of god
/ prayenge hym that he wold be debonayr and helper to bryng their
purpos to effecte / by whoos wylle alle thynges hard diffycile &
impossyble withoute doubte may lyghtely be broughte by his myght
to honde / And therof they doubted not / ¶That tyme that kinge harry
the fyrst an hyhe and excellent prynce / and frende of pees gouerned
the Royamme of Englond / by whos auctoryte alle the11
yle obteyned surete and pees / in so moche that euery man myght
go and ryde peasybly whyder someuer he wold / By occasion wherof
the sayd bretheren sente messagers in to wales for to knowe where
the most and excellente relygues rested / and in especiall to seche
where the tombe of the forsayd vyrgyne was / And whan they had founde
that place in whiche the bones of the blessyd vyrgyn wenefrede rested
/ they were gladde and fulfylled with ouer grete ioye / And by the
consente of the Bisshop of Banguour / in whos dyocise the place
was / they made the prynces and noble men of the countrey to be
consentynge [consentyuge C.] and fauourable to them / This thynge
procedyng dayly forward gaf grete courage to the bretheren that
they shold come to thentent [thenteut C.] of theyr desyre But the
dethe of the forsayd kyng harry sodenly comynge on oppressyd al
Brytayne by ouer grete stryf and trouble / and constrayned them
a certayne tyme to leue theyre erande and deysyre / & the second
yere of kynge stephen the troubles ceased and the lond restored
to tranguyllyte and pees / ¶Thabbot of the forsayd monasterye by
the counceylle of his bretheren
folio b2a
ordeyned for to sende in to wales the pryour named Roberte with
another Monke his felawe named Rychard / This pryour was moche dylygent
in the procuracion of this thynge / than the other messagers had
ben / And sente his lettres and messages in the countrey / And had
answer ageyne / that yf he cam hym self / that he shold retorne
ioyefully / and haue his entente of that he desyred /
Thenne he wente / and cam fyrste to the Bisshop of Banguour / And
fro hym he was sente to the Prynce of that countrey / And of hym
was benyngly receyued
And whanne he had shewed to hym by ordre the cause of his iourney
/ he sayd to hym / and ansuerd in this wyse / I suppose that thy
self / ne thy felawes haue not taken on yow so grete a laboure withoute
[withonte C.] the wylle of god / and of the blessyd vyrgyne / peraduenture
seynge not due reuerence done to her of them dwellyng in this contrey
/ wherfor she desyred to be born in to somme other place / to thende
that she be honoured of straungyers / whome they that duelle here
forgete / and haue in none reuerence / wherfore I graunte it gladly
/ and to her plaisyr I knowlege me to assente / lest in resystyng
and gaynsayenge of hit / I be compellyd to suffre her indignacion
/ ne auengyng it on me / And though I be defowled in al vnclennesse
/ and am werst of all other men // yet neuertheles I shal helpe
to breke vp hir tombe / and touchyng her holy bones I shal delyuer
them to yow / but yf so be for the comyn prouffyte of the countreye
I muste nedes otherwyse entende / For your labours and vysyons manyfeste
and shewe that hit is her wylle / that her bones be transported
from hens / Therfore go ye confermed by the lycence of myn auctorite
vnto the place where the blessyd vyrgyne resteth / and as I suppose
ye shal fynde somme rebelles ageynst your disposicion / but truste
ye veryly that the virgyne shall appease them / whos affection hath
incyted yow to so moche laboure / Neuertheles I shal sende a messager
to tho men / in whos patrymonye the body of the blessyd vyrgyne
resteth / whiche shal enforme to them my wyll / & [& and
C.] shall make them somwhat the more peasyble to you / this sayd
gaf them leue to goo forthe in pees / Thenne they wente
folio b2b
strayte vnto the place where the body of the venerable wenefrede
was leyd / And they were of them seuen persones / that is to wyte
the pryour / And with hym the pryour of Chestre named wulmare /
& a preest a man of grete vertue named Idon born of the same
countrey / a monke also whome the pryour toke with hym / and thre
other men / And as they wente walkynge and spekynge of the mater
that they wente fore / they met a man of the same countrey / demaundynge
of them whiche of them was priour of Shrewesbury [Shrewesbnry C.]
/ To whome whanne he was shewed sayd these wordes / I haue an erand
to the from tho men that duelle in the place / in whiche reste the
bones of saynte Wenefrede whiche is called wytheryake / And lete
the haue knowlege / that they be moeued ageynst the by grete indygnacion
/ by cause that thou labourest to haue awey the bodyes of sayntes
buryed by them / to whome they haue commytted them self / and alle
their goodes / And knowe thou for certayn / that neyther the drede
of the prynce / ne the thretenyng of his lordes / ne þe couetyse
of ony money shal not make them to consente to yow in this thynge
/ And this sayd / he went his way / The pryour thenne and his felawes
for these wordes were heuy and soroufull [soroufnll C.] / &
what to doo / ne whyther to torne they wyste neuer / Thenne they
torned them to almyghty god And prayd to hym with alle the deuocion
of theyr myndes that it myght please hym to sende to them his spyryte
of counceyl / And that he whiche only by the commaundement of his
word appeaseth the tempestes of the wyndes and the see / that it
plese hym to appease these inimytees / & to confedere the myndes
and courages of these men vnto them / they humbly praid Thenne they
hauynge very confidence in the holy ghoost held forth their iourney
as they had begonne / whan they cam nygh vnto the place where as
were conteyned the bones of the holy virgyne / the pryour by counceylle
sente two of his felawes that is to saye the pryour of Chestre /
and the forsayd preeste to [te C.] fore whiche were wel knowen in
al the countreye for to prouyde and solycyte all thynges that shold
be necessary to them he reteynynge his felawe with hym abode that
nyght in a thorpe by cause of the message that he had herd / &
was therfor sore troubled / & whanne he said the laudes of his
matyns [note break in continuity - about one line of text is missing]
folio b3a
sadde12
& an honest persone in lykenes of a woman appiered to one his
seruaunt sayeng these wordes / Aryse anone / and saye to thy lord
that he put awey his heuynes / and sorowes that he is oppressyd
with / And that he lyft vp his hope in god / knowyng for certayne
that he shall from hens with grete ioye / she for whos loue he is
comen to this prouynce / shal accomplysshe and fulfylle theffect
of his desyre / For in haste he shall haue that for whiche he shalle
Ioyously retorne home / & shal glade alle his felawes in his
comynge / Another vysyon that same nyght happed to the same pryour
/ Ther was an Abbot a man of grete deuocion / whiche had ben afore
tyme fader of that same Abbaye of Shrewesbury / And hauyng old age
& ful of vertues departid oute of this lyf named Godfrey / whiche
appiered to hym that same nyght / & of the drede that he had
blamed hym sayeng / Be thou not of faynt herte / but haue good faythe
& truste / For we shal well ouercome oure enemyes / & with
them that shalle assiste vs by the helpe of god we shalle vaynguysshe
them / & knowe thow verily that we shal shortely opteyne that
thyng which we with hyhe deuocion so moche desyre / After these
wordes he vanysshed aweye from his eyen / Of these vysyons
grewe somme surete in their myndes & was gyuen to them an hope
to opteyne that they sought And on the morne erly they told what
they had sene in their slepe / & gaf grete comfort to the herers
/ & sodenly one of the messagers that had ben with them the
daye before cam & sayde that they myt
surely come / warnyng them to folowe hym / for that they desyred
they shold fynde / whiche anone toke their horses and cam thyder
/ & fyrst their prayers sayd / they called the preest of the
sayd place secretely / & prayd hym hertely that he wold be helpyng
to them / The preest paciently heryng their wordes gaf to them an
answer in this wyse / I shal lyghtly accorde me to your entente
with good wyll / & by cause I shal the straitlyer be confedered
to yow / & that I knowe the wyll of god & of the blessid
virgyn touchyng your desyre I shal here in your presence shewe to
yow / On the satirday the vigyle of ester in the chirche whiche
ye here see & beholde I was al the nyght for to syng & say
matyns & ympnes whan tyme was & whan I had said the psaulter
to fore the aulter / I leyd me doun vpon the steppes
folio b3b
a lytel to take my rest / and I sawe a vysyon whiche moche fered
me / And by cause I shold not resiste ne be rebell to yow / by thretenynge
he warned me / And as me thought no grete slepe oppressyd me / but
as I had be half wakyng / a fayr yong man hauyng an angels [augels
C.] chere stode before me and callyd me sayeng aryse / I wenyng
that he wold haue awaked me that I shold haue begonne my nocturnal
offyce / & ansuerd to hym / It is not yet tyme to begynne thoffyce
/ I wyl not aryse / And he thenne as me semed wente his way / And
the second tyme he cam / & callyd me ludder / & sayd / aryse
/ aryse / & I wolde not take no hede to his wordes / & ansuerd
hym as I dyd before / And with my mantell that I ware I couerd my
hede and fylle in to a sadde slepe / and after a lytel whyle the
same yong man cam & with his hand drewe awey by grete strength
the mantel fro my hede / & leyd it vnder my sholders sayenge
to me the thyrd tyme / Aryse / aryse / aryse / & folowe me /
¶Thenne me thought I aroos / and13
folowed hym / And we cam to the sepulcre of the blessyd vyrgyne
saynt wenefrede / whiche shewynge to me with his fyngre seyd / Marke
dylygently thys place / And the wordes that I shalle saye reteyne
faste in thy mynde / yf ony come hyder this yere or the nexte whiche
wil remeue this stone / & remeue the erthe / In no wyse gaynsaye
it not / & yf he wyll bere away with hym the bones of this blessyd
Vyrgyn / repugne not ther ageynst / but put hond to / & in all
thynges that thou mayst helpe hym / & yf thou therin be neclygent
/ & be founde a despysar of my wordes / whiche ben shewed to
the by goddes commaundement / thou shalt be payned by myserable
& long languour and sekenes / & sone after lese thy self
/ This said the angelyk visyon vanysshed away / Therfore be ye assured
[assnred C.] that I shal helpe to spede your purpos And dylygently
mynystre to yow after my myght / Therfore of me be ye sure / &
calle the other to you / whiche ye may applye to your desyre / for
I wyll with all the studye & Industrye that I may & can
shall execute your playsyre / & the good wyll of them of14
whom the ryght of this toune apperteyneth / I shal do my best to
brynge them to your wyll / & by cause they now be here present
/ say ye to them what ye will / for they be redy for to here you
/ Thenne the pryour by the moyen of the preest or by
folio b4a
his Interpretacion spacke vnto alle the companye of men that were
there / And exposed to them the cause of his iourney / And desyred
them by fayre wordes / that they wold gyue theyr assente / shewynge
no thynge to them of theyr vysyons ne recytynge what hadde happed
to them / but only for deuocion that they hadde to the vyrgyne they
had taken the labour on them / After many wordes and causes leyd
/ And after Innumerabre incidentes / and reasons alledged / atte
last they were al acorded / And that they desyred / they benyngnly15
consentyd / The pryour and his felawes gyuynge thankynges to god
/ desyred / that they shold shewe to them the place / And sothly
the place where so moche tresour was reteyned is a chirche yerde
of a good [agood C] distaunce fro the chircheyerd where now the
bodyes of dede men ben buryed / And in that chirche yerd resten
the bodyes of many other sayntes / And is had in soo grete reuerence
[renerence C.] of them that dwelle in the countrey / That none of
them dare presume to entre in to it / but yf it be / by cause for
to praye / And whan the sayd Monkes with theire felaushyp were brought
to that place / the sayd pryoure goyng before his felaushyp by thynstynct
/ as I suppose of the hooly ghoost anone withoute ony man ledynge
or shewynge cam strayte to the sepulture of saynt Wenefrede / And
he whiche neuer was there before ne knewe by techynge of ony man
that place by the ledynge of god withoute goyng oute of the wey
cam to the tombe of the blessyd vyrgyne / And standynge at the hede
of the blessyd vyrgyne abydynge his felawes / he was admonysshed
by a dyuyne reuelacion within forth / that that was the sepulture
of the blessyd vyrgyne / and there he sholde haue that he desyred
/ Thenne they comyng that shold haue shewed the place / assigned
to hym that same place that he to fore had chosen / and stode by
/ Thenne the peple beyng remeued two of the Monkes / with pykoys
and spades beganne to digge in the ground / tyll they cam to the
tresour desyred / And the other sayd and redde theyr psalmes / ¶And
whanne the body was founden / they gaf and rendryd thankynges vnto
god / And tooke oute the bones fro the erthe / And as they thought
that tyme best for them / bonde them fair in theyr mantels / &
honestly leid them therin / And they there honestly
folio b4b
toke their leue / commendynge them that there were to god beganne
to retorne homeward with grete ioye / And soo they wente forth with
grete ioye / sayenge oftymes emonge other wordes that they had goten
a grete tresour / whiche was better than many and grete Rychesses
/ And knewe not of what meryte hit was / besechynge almyghty god
that they myghte haue somme token therof / And it was not long to
/ but that god wold satisfye their wylle and desyre / For anone
the daye beganne to faylle and to wexe derke / and were lodgyd in
a good mannes hows / And there they beynge sette to souper they
herd in the Inner parte of the hows / a seke man grone and gyuynge
oute a terryble voys / Thenne the pryour demaunded the cause of
his dysease / And it was answerd / that ther was a man vexid with
grete sekenesses / And yf he myght be heled / he shold gyue a grete
reward therfore / Thenne the pryour toke a lytell water / and blessyd
hit / and he took a lytell of the pouldre or dust that was in her
hede / and put therin / And badde to gyue it to the seke man / whiche
anon after he hadde receyued hit slepte / And anone after he awoke
/ & aroos all hoole gyuynge thankynges to god and to the blessyd
vyrgyne / And by this myracle / they were confermed in the faythe
/ and were gladder than they were to fore / & more deuoute in
worshippynge of the vyrgyne / And many other signes and myracles
they had by the waye / whiche affermed that hit was a godly yefte
that they bare / And whanne they cam to place vpon a ten myle fro
shrewesbury / they restyd & taryed there / And whanne they sholde
haue departyd / they coude not remeue the bones / whefor they counceyled
to gyder / And concluded that the bones shold be wesshen at that
place / And thenne there was no water / but anone sprange vp there
a fayr welle / whiche yet renneth a grete cours contynuelly in to
this day lyke to the rather welle / In which welle they wesshe the
bones of the blessyd saynt Wenefrede / And euer after the stones
that lye and reste in that water ben besprynct as it were with dropes
of blood in so moche that for certayne ther hath ben certayne deuoute
persones / whiche haue done to be leyd certayne whyte asshen cuppes
in this sayd welle / And whanne they haue ben in the water a seuen
dayes or ther
folio b5a
aboutes / they haue appieryd al besprynct as it were with blood
And this is dayly shewed / whiche is a grete myracle /
¶Thenne they sente messagers vnto the toune of Shrewesbury / from
whens they were departed / And sente word to the monastery / that
they had that / for whiche they were sente fore / Thenne the congregacion
herynge these tydynges were ryghte Ioyeful and thankyng our lord
/ concluded / that the bones sholde be sette in the chirche of saynt
Gyles / whiche is in Issuyng oute of the towne / sayeng / that so
holy a tresour oughte not to be receyued in to the monasterye withoute
auctoryte and benediction of the bisshop / and with the grete concourse
of the peple of that prouynce / This counceylle pleased them alle
/
And thenne they sente ageyne the pryour to the Bisshop / for to
conferme by his auctoryte what they shold doo with suche a relyque
/ to them graunted from heuen / ¶And in the mene whyle the Monkes
were departed for to synge thoffyce of the daye and nyght before
the body of the blessyd vyrgyne wyth deuoute courage / To whome
they songe besyly on the day tyme / moche peple cam / that were
dwellyng there in that countrey commyttynge them self to the prayers
and merytes of the holy vyrgyne saynte wenefrede / ¶There was in
the same town a certayne yonge man whiche was gretely vexyd with
merueyllous sekenes / And was benomen in alle his membres / in so
moche / that his hede bowed doune almost to the erthe / And in no
wyse he myght lyfte vp his hede / And whanne he herd of the noyse
of the comyng of this holy vyrgyne / he dyde do be made redy an
hors / And by helpe of his Frendes was sette theron / And holden
on bothe sydes by the handes of two men And soo broughte to the
chirche / where the relyques of saynte wenefrede were conteyned
and kepte / And there abode all nyght in prayer / And there was
vexyd with moche greuous payne / And on the morne / whanne the day
beganne to wexe clere / And as the preest beganne thoffyce of the
masse / he beganne to amende / And anone was restored to his fyrst
helth And whanne the gospell was redde / he lefte his bedde / that
he laye on / And wente hastely to the Aulter for to make his offryng
to god / and to the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefrede yeuyng grete
thankes to god / and hyr deuoutely / for the helthe
folio b5b
that he had recyued16
[sic C.] / And retorned [retorued C.] all hole and stronge on his
feet to the hows of his fader and moder / whiche the day be fore
was brought thyder on an hors by the handes of other / This grete
myracle gladded the hertes of alle them that there were gadred /
And anone in short space after was shewed & told this myracle
thorugh alle the prouynce whiche excyted moche the myndes of them
that herd hit vnto the deuocion & reuerence of the blessyd saynt
/
¶The name of hir grewe euery day more and more / and the memorye
of her / Thenne the pryour retorned fro the Bishop hauynge his auctoryte
/ that alle they that in the worship of the holy virgyne / and in
her honour were deuoute shold haue goddes blyssyng and his / And
thenne a certayne day was named / And shewed vnto the paroches there
aboute / that alle they shold be warned that wold come to the venerable
translacion of thys holy vyrgyne / ¶Thenne on the day assigned the
monkes wente in procession with crosses and candellys / & Innumerable
multitude of peple for to fetche the holy body of the blessyd vyrgyne
saynt wenefrede / euery man knelynge with his knees / and many for
ioye myght not absteyne them from wepyng / The couente of the bretheren
that wente out for to receyue this holy Iewel / receyued celestyall
bienfaittes by the merytes of the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefrede
/ For hit rayned by grete shoures al aboute in the feldes therby
/ And the couent that were gone oute cladde them with precious ornamentes
of the chirche to mete with the blessyd body / and dredde not a
lytell / that the ornamentes & munymentis shold be sore hurte
by the fallyng of the rayne / but that they hadde begonne in no
wyse wold leue / mekely prayd to oure lord / that by the prayer
of saynt wenefrede they myghte be kepte drye / and that they myghte
be preseruyd fro the fallynge of the rayne / Thenne in al that procession
of them that went out of the monasterye / And in the receyuynge
of the holy relykes ye shold haue sene the water of the shoures
nyghe to the erthe hangynge ouer them / And the dropes redy for
to haue fallen by the myght of god reteyned / so that none fylle
on them / And where alle the peple that were there / beyng gretely
aferd
folio b6a
leste the grete rayne that was lyke to falle shold haue troubled
and haue fallen / yet by the myght and power of god / & by the
merytes of the holy vyrgyn they were withdrawen / whiche caused
them to gyue the more worship and lawde to the merytes of hir. And
at the laste it pleasid to alle the peple that the pryour whiche
had brought thyder the venerable relyques of the sayd hooly vyrgyne
shold preche and enforme the grete multytude of the peple of what
vertue / and of what meryte this hooly vyrgyne was of / of whome
that tyme there was made the translacion / And whanne he had told
to them al this / a longe / ye shold haue sene the shoures falle
aboute nyghe to them / and fleyng in the ayer / and wetyng alle
the countreye by the infusion of the water / excepte only the procession
/ thenne was the holy body taken vp of the couent and bretheren
/ And with couenable reuerence syngyng on hye preysynges and lawde
to almyghty god / and brought to the monasterye / and sette vpon
the aulter / whiche was made in thonour of the holy appostles Peter
and pawle honourably / where for to shewe the prerogatyf of the
same holy vyrgyne is gyuen there to seke men [sekemen C.] helthe
/ and haue ben shewed Innumerable vertues there to the glorye and
lawde of almyghty god / to whome be gyuen honour glorye and Imperye
world without ende AMEN
¶Thus endeth the decollacion / the lyf after / and the translacion
of saynte Wenefrede virgyn and martir / whiche was reysed after
that her hede had be smyton of the space17
of xv yere / reduced in to Englysshe by me William Caxton /
1
yougth — Horstmann
2 exerciystees — Horstmann
3 ¶ not in Horstmann
4 brought — Horstmann
5 hath be brought — Horstmann
6 gayn|saye [line break in original]
7 ¶ not in Horstmann
8 hole — Horstmann
9 ¶ not in Horstmann. This line is centered in the original.
10 knowynye — no correction in Horstmann
11 þe — Horstmann
12 a sadde — Horstmann. There seems to be a line
from the original MS missing here.
13 & — Horstmann
14 Horstmann marks correction: of]to
15 benyngnlye — Horstmann
16 receyued — Horstmann
17 the space of the space — Horstmann
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