|b{Wenefreda}
|b{in_PROSALEGENDEN,_Lambeth_306,_fol._188,_print:_Caxton_1484}
|b{ed._Horstmann,_C.,_Anglia_3_(1880)}
|b{pp.295-320.}



|p295


      here begynneth the lyf of the holy & blessid vyrgyn saynt Wenefryde.
|r(I) |r<b> I-N 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, / & em_bellisshed
 |r5 & 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
|r10 places. / & hit was so / at 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 dylig_ently 
     demanded, / & the seid Theuith graunted to hym gladly &
     with good wil, / & also commysed to hym his douter, named We_nefrede,
|r15 whome he louyd tenderly, for to be instruct & taut, / pray_eng 
     hym to biseche almyty god / that he wold dispose her conuersa_cion 
     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
|r20 temple of god in tyme comyng; / and suche thynges as she vnder_stode 
     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
|r25 Beunow the very purpose of her mynde, sayeng: / `I haue deter_myned 
     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
|r30 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 laye oft in the nytes in the
|r35 chirche, / and oftyme she solycyted the holy man to make a sermon /
     and to treate to her of her spouse Jhesu Crist / & to shewe his
     werkes digne & worthy of laude & praysynge. /  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



|p296


     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 hym what was his playsir. / And he
     sayd to her: / `Thou knowest well that I am a kynges sone, /
 |r5 whiche haue plente of rychesses & honours: / & of them shalle de_parte 
     / largely to the, yf thou wylt consente to my peticion & de_syre'. /
     She anon felyng hym to make his request for to haue a-do
     with her, / & a lytyll cast doun shamefastly her chere, / dyssy_mylyd 
     her to be ashamed that he had founden her not well arrayed
|r10 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
|r15 anone knowen to the yong man, / & thenne be beyng wood wroth,
     bycause she fledde fro hym, / bycause 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 embracementes; /
|r20 & now thou despysest hym at desyreth the? / Now know thow for
     certayn / at 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 her ful hope & truste in
     oure lord, answerd hym is this wyse: / `I am coupled in matrimonye /
|r25 to the sone of the euerlastyng kyng / & Juge of al men: / wherfor I
     may haue none other; / and bycause 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 pro_messes,
     maye departe me fro the swetenes of his loue, / to whos
|r30 enbracementes / I am strayned & coupled by deuocion'. / This lecher_ous 
     yonge man / herynge hym self to be despysed / and put fro
     his voluptuous 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
|r35 same place a bryght and fayre welle beganne to sprynge vp, /
     largely gynynge oute water and plentyuously; 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 (the) hangyng of an
|r40 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
|r45 shold haue ben a seruaunt of god & to haue lyued an holy lyf. / &



|p297


     whan Beunowe herd this noyse and rumour, he eam & 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
 |r5 man, / whiche hast defouled thy fair yougth / & arte sone of the
     lygnage of a kyng / & hast slayn by cryme as an homyeyde 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, / &
|r10 repentest the not? / Now for as moch as thou hast not spared the
     chirch / ne hast gynen reuerence to the sonday, / I byseche my
     lorde god, / to whom thou hast commysed synne vnworthely, / that
     he rewarde the by digne recompensacion'. / & these wordes said &
     expressid, / the yong man forthwith fyll doun to therthe & exspyred
|r15 & deyde. / & incontynent wonderfully the body of hym, so dede, in
     the syght & presence of many was molten & vanisshed awey & son_ken |r[!]
     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
|r20 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 bycause of
|r25 her deth she had not tyme congrue to fulfylle it: / `& therfor I ex_horte 
     & desyre you to knele doun to e ground & to pray deuoutely
     vnto almyghty god that of his grace it wold plese hym to reyse her
     fro deth to lyf, / to thende that many be the better / and more con_staunt 
     in the faythe / and that moche good shold therof enfolowe'. /
|r30  After thenne this longe prayer / the holy man Beunowe aroose vp,
     holdyng bis hondes vp in to heuen sayde: / `O lord Jhesu Crist,
     for whos loue this holy virgyn hath forsaken all worldly thynges /
     & hath desyred heuenly thynges, we humbly byseche the with al
     oure myght & deuocion that ou at this tyme graunte to vs theffect
|r35 of our peticion & prayer. / & for what cause this vyrgyne hath suf_fred 
     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
|r40 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
|r45 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



|p298


     assistentes stondynge with wonderfull admyracion & ioye. / Neuer_theles,
     in the place of her necke, where as her heede was smyten
     of / and after by dyuyne operacion was sett on ageyn & resoly_date, /
     a lytil redenes in maner of a threde wente aboute the necke /
 |r5 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
|r10 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 e vyrgyn & is called saint Wenefredes welle. & bycause
|r15 ther was moch blood of her shed in e welle & e descente of e
     hylle, e stones yet in to this day appiere as wel in the welle as
     in tbe ryuer rennyng doune al besparklyd with blood: / whiche
     thynge is merueyllous, / ffor yet at this day is sene the droppes of
     blood, / lyke as bit was the fyrst day; / and the mosse that groweth
|r20 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 fyst tyme, / and the stones,
     as we sayd tofore, ben yet dayly blody / or bespryncte with dropes
     of blood; / shewynge openly / that by the merytes of the sayd vyr_gyne 
|r25 / alle they that calle on her for ony nede or dysease, / oure
     lord shalle ease and delyuer them.
|r(II)  Thenne forto 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
|r30 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
|r35 with a ardaunt wylle for to be enformed fully to serue & please al_myghty 
     god. / Whiche done / & she sufficiently Instructe and enfor_med, 
     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
|r40  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,
|r45 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 /



|p299


     & said to them / that they shold satisfye the desyre of her, / for
     she was chosen of god, / & had gyuen to her hys dyuyn grace. /
     They thenne benyngnly consentid to e same, & the holy man thenne
     to-fore moche peple gaf to her the holy vayll / & professyd her / &
 |r5 halowed in the presence / of them alle. / Whiche blessyd vyrgyne
     after thaccomplysshement 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
|r10 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
     anaylle and do moche prouffyte to moche peple. / And ther-vpon
     he called the fader and moder of the blessyd vyrgyne / & sayd to
|r15 them: / `Ye shall vnderstande that I must departe from hens / and
     may no lenger be here with yow, / ffor god hath callyd me to
     another place. / Wherforec / I exhorte yow /that ye besyly entende
     vonto tbe admonycions and ensamples of youre doughter, / knowynge
     for certayne that she is not ordeyned an only ensample to yow, /
|r20 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 forto succede
     and folowe my labours and exercysitees and to honoure this habyt_acle, 
     / to folowe the weye of lyf / by me to the shewed, / and the
|r25 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
|r30 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 be shal adresse
     the thyder / where thow shalt enlumyne the derkenesse of many
     hertes. / And reteyne well / that thy memorye and remembraunce
|r35 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, / she was moche sorowful and heuy / and
|r40 wepte sorowfully for his departynge and absence. / Thenne the holy
     man Beunowe ladde her by the ryght honde to the welle whiche
     sprange at the place where her hede fylle / whanne hit was smyten
     of, / wherof we haue tofore remembryd, / and made her to stande
     vpon a stone / which lyeth there on the brynk of the sayd welle
|r45 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



|p300


     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
 |r5 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 prayeynge / and shalle be
     arettyd to the loue of thy deuocion in the myndes of them that
|r10 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 shewyng of thy
     passion shnllen alwey appiere rede and blody, / doynge myracle vnto
|r15 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 requyreth the and
     desyreth to be delyuerd by the / fro his dystresse or oppressyon, /
|r20 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 be desyred / ne that it folowe not after
     his peticion, / knowe he for certayne / that, yf ther be ony thynge
|r25 more godly for the helthe of his sowle / than hit that he demaunded, /
     at 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
|r30 departe & go fro the forto dwelle in a conuenyent 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 thou wylt adresse to me suche a
|r35 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
|r40 by the cours ot 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 ourelord



|p301


     god, / assigned specially / and gyuen to the by dyuyne prerogatyf; /
     and as longe as the world shalle endure, / this shalle be magnyfyed
     to the halowyng of thy memorye and glorye of thy lawde / by
 |r5 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. /
     And though soo be that the space bytwene them / and the distaunce
|r10 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 brought 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
|r15 vnhurte / as afore is reherced. /
      Hit happed that after this holy man Beunowe beynge aged de_parted 
     oute of this world and deyde. / Whoos dethe whanne it was
     told vnto saynt Wenefryde, / she left forto sende more ony yefte
     to hym. / And she remembrynge his wordes: that she shold after
|r20 seuen yere goo in to another place forto dwelle in, / and aftter
     seuen yere complete, she departed fro that oracle and place, / lyke
     as she was warned by the holy man: / and wente vnto seynt Deyfere. /
     This man was an holy man and grete toward oure lord, kepynge
     his commanudementes / and not departynge from his Justyfycacions. /
|r25 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 doughter
     Wenefryde / that she go in to the place whiche is callyd Henthlacus, /
     ffor there she shalle obteyne the desyre of her vowe'. / & whan he
|r30 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 com_ynge 
     / and gaf to her this answere: / `There is s certeyne place,
|r35 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 tofore by the holy ghoost, wente to mete her, /
|r40 and broughte her in to the Chirche / there forto 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 forto dwelle with yow: / this is that mayde
|r45 Wenefrede / whoos clere fame / now late hath (be) brought, to youre
     eres, whiche hath despysed, for to kepe her chastyte, the blandys_shyng 
     wordes and the concupyscence of hym that persecuted her, /



|p302


     and chase leuer the smytynge of / of her hede / than to lose her
     vyrgynyte, / and rather to deye than to consente forto 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
 |r5 be ye ioyefull for her comynge / and receyue ye enbracynge her de_uoutely 
     / 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 worlde shalle endure, / for her sake
     shalle be renommed by grete fame'. /  After thise wordes he
|r10 torned hym vnto a lady whiche was his owne moder / and was
     prelate and chyef aboue the other 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
|r15 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 con_fessour 
     departed and wente his wey. / And saynt Wenefrede re_mayned 
     and abode from than forthon with the maydens seruauntes
|r20 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 alle
|r25 thynges plentyuously that were of honeste and vertue. / Wherof for
     to recyte or reherce, of what abstynence that she was in her lyf, /
     what anguyeshes 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
|r30 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 Jhesu Cryst / and by the prayer
|r35 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
|r40 her hede, / and humbly prayd her to sbewe it to them: / to whoos
     deuocions and requestes she dredde to warne or gayn-saye, / lest
     their deuocion myght therby 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
|r45 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, and retorned home with grete
     wondre and admyracion. /  On a certayne daye the blessid Elerius 



|p303


     thabbot, entryd in to the cloystre of the nonnes for to vysyte saynt
     Wenefrede. / Thenne 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 joye gretely, sayd he, / that god hath prouyded
 |r5 the to come to this place, / ffor 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 ordeyned of god; / but it behoueth the to lyue after me, / and
|r10 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: / ffor thus god hath ordeyned'. /  And whanne
     this holy man had herd these wordes, he took his leue and de_parted 
     fro her. / And soone after / he fonde her prophecye true: / ffor
|r15 after a lytell tyme Theonia, his moder, 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 Jhesu Cryst desyrynge and wyllynge to take hys
|r20 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
|r25 felte herself 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
|r30 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 en_dure, 
|r35 / that he myght dwelle and abyde with her and this he desyred
     with grete deuocion.  Thenne after this the blessyd vyrgyne be_ganne 
     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
|r40 she lyfte vp her mynde toward almyghty god / and humbly prayd
     hym to haue 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
|r45 lord. / Thenne the day of the kalendes of Nouembre / she beganne
     to wexe feble by the dissolucion of her body; / but for all that



|p304


     she rested not, for al her payne and sekenesse, to preche and en_fourme 
     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
 |r5 departe and fynysshe her bodyly lyf, she lete doo calle to her
     saynt Elerye / and prayd him that her body myght be buryed /
     and put in the sepulture by the body of saynt Theonye, / his
     moder: / whiche request the holy man graunted benyngly. / And
     thenne the holy vyrgyne entendyng with all hir hole herte in prayer
|r10 vnto almyghty god, the day of the thyrdde Nonas in 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
|r15 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
|r20 whos tyme by dynyne 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 seken_esses 
     haue ben heled and maade all hole.  Thus endeth the
|r25 martirdome of this blessyd saynt / saynt Wenefrede, / whiche passion
     and decollacion was the one and twentyest day of Juyn. /  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. /
|r(III)  And herafter by the grace of god shalle folowe the translacion
     of this blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefrede, / how by grete myracle
     her bones were brought to thabbay of Shrewsbury, / whiche trans_lacion 
     is halowed the XIX day of Septembre. Whiche thre festes ben
     solempnly halowed in the sayd Ahbaye of Shrewesbury to the
|r35 laude and praysynge of almyghty god / and of thise blessyd and
     holy vyrgyne seynte Weneftryde, / to whome late vs praye to be a
     specialle aduocatryce for vs in alle thynges to vs necessarye and
     behoeffulle.
     
               The Translacion of saynt Wenefrede.
     
     (A)ffter that the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefryde, shynynge by
|r40 innumerable vertues, was departyd oute of thys lyf vnto the celesty_regne 
     all 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 Shrewes_bury:



|p305


     to whiche entendynge for to performe hit, endowed it wyth
     his propre cost and 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
 |r5 moche to many the way of helthe and was renommed of good fame and
     full of vertues vnto all them thbat 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,
|r10 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
|r15 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- / ffor whiche to gete, / they dylygently en_deuouryd 
|r20 them. / And trouth it is / that, sythe many holy and ex_cellente 
     confessours were in the sayd countrey, / 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 compas_syon 
|r25 on hym, were sore troublyd for his disease, / and for his helth
     they prayd deuontely 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 brother recommended in
     their special prayers. / And specially they lete haue knowleg of
|r30 the greuous Intyrmyte of hym vnto the monkes of the chirche of
     Chestre. / And thenne they in the same, astonyed in theyr mynydes |r(!),
     wente in to the chirche forto praye deuoutely for his helthe; / whiche
     fylle doune flatte tofore the holy Aulter / and sayd with humble
     deuocion the seuen psalmes. / And one of them, named Randolf,
|r35 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 &
     fayr virgyne stondynge tofore hym, / whiche with a moche plesaunt
     chere sayd to hym these wordes: / `What is this, said (s)he, and
     for whome is it that ye thus prostrate praye?' / The monke an_swerd:
|r40 / `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
|r45 welle of saynt Wenefrede / and in the chirche that is ther by / late
     hym saye masse in the remembraunce of hir: / and anone the seke



|p306


     broder shall be delyuerd of his sekenes'. / And this sayeng she
     vanysshed awey. / The monk awoke &, comyn ageyn to hymself, /
     remembryng what he had sene and herd in his mynde, / wold not
     shewe his vysion to his bretheren, / dredynge to be bad in scorne/
 |r5 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 alwey 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 forto speke of hym it
|r10 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
|r15 had be done by her merytes, / anone made them lyghtely to bileue
     to that whiche was sayd, / and also gaf faythe to the vysyon: ffor
     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
|r20 broder. / Thus thenne they takynge their counceylle togyder, / two
     monkes were sente to the welle of saynte Wenefrede / and forto
     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,
|r25 and thanked the said monkes for his helthe. / And a lytel whyle
     after / the same broder that had ben seke was ladde to 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
|r30 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
|r35 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, / knowynge 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, /
|r40 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 kynge Harry the fyrst,
     an hyhe and excellent prynce / and frende of pees, gouerned the
     Royamme of Englond, / by whos auctory te alle e yle obteyned
|r45 surete and pees, / in soo 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



|p307


     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
 |r5 place was, / they made the prynces and noble men of the countrey
     to be consentynge and fauourable to them. / This thynge procedyng
     dayly forward gaf grete courage to the bretheren that they shold
     come to thentent of theyr desyre. But the dethe of the forsayd
     kyng Harry, sodenly comynge on, oppressyd al Brytayne by ouer
|r10 grete stryf and trouble / And constrayned them a certayne tyme to
     leue theyre erande and desyre. / & the second yere of kynge Stephen
     the troubles ceased and the lond restored to tranquyllyte and pees, /
      Thabbot of the forsayd monasterye by tbe counceylle of his
     bretheren ordeyned for to sende in to Wales the pryour, named
|r15 Roberte, with another monke his felawe, named Rychard. / This
     pryour was moche (more) dylygent in the procuracion of this thynge /
     than the other messagers had ben, and sente his lettre and messages
     in the countrey. / and had answer ageyne that, yf he cam hymself, / that
     he shold retorne ioyefully / and haue his entente of that he desyred. /
|r20 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 answuerd in this wyse: / `I suppose
|r25 that thy-self / ne thy felawes haue not taken on yow so grete a
     laboure with-oute the wylle of god / and of the blessyd vyrgyne, /
     peraduenture seynge not due reuerence done to her of them dwell_in 
     yng this contrey, / wherfor she desyred to be born in to somme
     other place, / to thende that she be honoured of straungyers / whome
|r30 they that duelle here forgete / and haue in none reuerence. / Wher_fore 
     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
|r35 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. / ffor
     your labours and vysyons manyfeste and shewe that hit is her
     wylle / that her bones be transported, from hens. / Therfore go ye,
|r40 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
|r45 men / in whos patrymonye the body of the blessyd vyrgyne resteth, /
     whiche shal enforme to them my wyll / and shall make them som_what 
     the more peasyble to yow'- / this sayd, gaf them leue to goo
     forthe in pees. / Thenne they wente strayte vnto the Place where



|p308


     the body of the venerable Wenefred 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
 |r5 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. / To whome wbanne
     he was shewed, sayd these wordes: / `I haue an erand to the from
     l0  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 indyg_nacion,
     / bycause that thou labourest to haue awey the bodyes of
     sayntes buryed by them, / to whome they haue commytted them
|r15 self / and alle their goodes. / And knowe thou for certayn / that
     neyther the drede of the prynce, / ne the thretenyng. of his lordes, /
     ne e 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, /
|r20 & 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
|r25 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
|r30 the holy virgyne, / the pryour by counceylle sente two of his felawes,
     that is to saye tbe pryour of Chestre / and the forsayd preeste, te_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 bycause
|r35 of the message that he had herd, / & was therfor sore troubled.
     / & whanne he had said the laudes of his matyns, a sadde & 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
|r40 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, / sbal accomplysshe and fulfylle theffect of his desyre: /
     ffor in haste he shall haue that for whiche he shalle Joyously retorne
     home / & shal glade alle his felawes in his comynge'. / Another
|r45 vysyon that same nyght happed to the same pryour; / ther was an
     Abbot, a man of grete deuocion, / whiche bad ben afore tyme fader



|p309


     of that same Ahbaye of Shrewesbury / and hauyng old age & ful of
     vertues departid oute of this lyf, named Grodfrey: / 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 &
 |r5 truste, / ffor we shal well ouercome oure enemyes / & with them that
     shalle assiste vs by the helpe of god we shalle vaynquysshe 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
|r10 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, /
|r15 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
|r20 your entente with good wyll. / & bycause I shal the straitlyer be con_federed 
     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
|r25 & ympnes, whan tyme was; / & whan I had said the psaulter tofore
     the aulter, / I leyd me doun vpon the steppes, a lytel to take my
     rest; / and I sawe a vysyon, whiche moche fered me / and bycause
     I shold not resiste ne be rebell to yow, / by thretenynge he
     warned me; / and, as me thought, no grete slepe oppressyd me, /
|r30 but as I had be half wakyng. / A fayr yong man, hauyng an angels
     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
|r35 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
|r40 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 / & folowed hym. / And
     we cam to the sepulcre of the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Wenefrede, /
     whiche shewynge to me with his fyngre seyd: / `Marke dylygently
|r45 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



|p310


     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 &
 |r5 long languour and sekenecs / & sone after lese thy self'. / This said,
     the angelyk visyon vanysshed away. / Therfore be ye assured that
     I shal helpe to spede your purpos and dylygently mynystre to yow
     after my myght. / Therfore, of me be ye sure / & calle the otber
     to you / whiche ye may applye to your desyre, / for I, with all the
|r10 studye & industrye that I may & can, shall execute your playsyre, /
     & the good wyll of them of whom the ryght of this toune apper_teyneth 
     / 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
|r15 moyen of the preest or by his interpretacion spacke vnto alle the com_panye 
     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
|r20 deuocion that they hadde to the vyrgyne they had taken the labour
     on them. / After many wordes and causes leyd / and after innumer_abre 
     incidentes / and reasons alledged, / atte last they were al
     acorded, / and that they desyred / they benyngnlye consentyd. / The
     pryour and his felawes gyuynge thankynges to god, / desyred /
|r25 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
     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 of them that dwelle
|r30 in the countrey / that none of them dare presume to entre in to
     it, / but yf it be / bycause 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
|r35 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 blesayd virgyne. / And standynge at the hede of the
     blessyd vyrgyne, abydynge bis felawes, / he was admonysshed by
|r40 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 tofore had chosen / and stode by. /
     Thenne the peple beyng remeued, two of the monkes / with pykoys
|r45 and sapades beganne to digge in the ground,/ tyll they cam to the
     tresour desyred, / and the other sayde and redde theyr psalmes. / 



|p311



      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 hon
 |r5 estly 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, / besech_ynge 
|r10 almyghty god that they myghte haue somme token therof. /
     And it was not long to / but that god wold satisfye their wylle
     and desyre: / ffor 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 /
|r15 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
|r20 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
|r25 they were tofore, / & 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 a place vpon a ten myle fro Shrewesbury, / they
     restyd & taryed there. / And whanne they sholde haue departyd, /
|r30 they coude not remeue the bones: / wherfor they counceyled to
     gyder / and concluded that the bones shold he wesshen at that
     place. / And thenne there was no water: but anone sprang 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
|r35 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
|r40 a seuen dayes or ther-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 /
|r45 that they had that / for whiche they were sente fore. / Thenne the
     congregacion herynge these tydynges, were ryghte joyeful and
     thankyng our lord / concluded / that the bones sholde be sette in
     the chirche of saynt Gyles, / whiche is in issuynge oute of the towne, /



|p312


     sayeng / that so holy a tresour oughte not to be receyned 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
 |r5 pryour to the bisshop, / forto 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
|r10 the day tyme, / moche peple cam / that were dwellyng there in that
     countrey, commyttynge themself 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 merueyll_ous
     sekenes / and was benomen in alle his membres, / in so moche /
|r15 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 ffrendes was sette theron / and holden on bothe
     sydes by the handes of two men, and soo broughte to the chirche /
|r20 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.
|r25 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 that he had
     receyued, / and retorned all hole and stronge on his feet to the
|r30 hows of his fader and moder, / whiche the day before 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 excytcd moche the myndes of them that
|r35 herd hit vnto the deuocion & reuerence of the blessyd saynt.
      The name of hir grewe euery day more and more, / and the me_morye 
     of her. / Thenne the pryour retorned fro the bisshop, 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
|r40 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
|r45 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 jewel, / receyued celestyall bienfaittes by the
     



|p313


     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
 |r5 the ormamentes & 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
     l0  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
|r15 aferd leste the grete rayne that was lyke to falle shold haue trou_bled 
     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
|r20 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
|r25 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
|r30 monasterye, / and sette vpon the aulter / wiche was made in thon_our
     of the holy appostles Peter and Pawle honourably. / Where, for
     to shewe the prerogatyf of the same holy vyrgyne, is gyuen there,
     to sekemen helthe, / And haue ben shewed innumerable vertues
     there to the glorye and lawde of almyghty god, / to whome be gyuen
|r35 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 bad be smyton of the space of XV yere |r(!), / reduced
     in to Englysshe. by me William Caxton.



|p314


     |r(Beilage_zu_I.] De sancta Wenefrida sermo
     |r(Aus_dem_Festiall,_ms._Cott._Claud._A_II,_f.80b).

     |r<b> Thys day is seynt Wenefreday; it is not ordeynid to be haly day
     bot men as men han devocion. Wherefore who so eure hath devocion,
     comyth, at day to chyrche and doth hir worchep, e wyche was



|p315


     maydyn and martir. an How scheo Suffred martirdam, e schul
     here - for ow somme knowen it, somme doth not. er was in hir
     tyme an holy eremyte, at was called Bewmow. e wheche com to
     a gode man, was called Thewnyth, and was seynt Wynfryth fadur,
 |r5 and was a ryche man of londes and rentys he preyed is 'Thewnyth
     to eue hym a place of ere, vp-on e wyche he mythe buldon a



|p316


     chyrche, to serue god inne and to preche goddys worde to e
     pepul. an was is Thewnyth gladde of hys askyng, and ordeyned
     hym a place, nyghe to hys howne howce, at he mythe with oer
     sone com to goddys seruice. us e mene tyme whyl e chyrche
 |r5 was in byldyng, ofte he preched goddys worde to e pepul. And
     Wenfrede com idyr with hur fadur. And whan scheo herde hym
     spekyn of e grete mede and ioye at maydenus schuldyn haue in
     heven passing alle our orderes, an hadde scheo so gret deuocion
     in hys seying, at anone sche made a vow at scheo wolde neure
|r10 han parte of man, bot abydon eure in hyr maydyn-heuede, whyl
     scheo lyuid. an on a sonday, whan is schyrche was made and
     byggydde, Thewnyth with alle hys mayne ode to e chyrche; boc
     Wenfrede bode at home for a seknes, at hur greuid, at scheo
     mythe not gon with hem to chyrche. an as scheo satte at home
|r15 hure-one, com ere a kyngus sone, was called Craddok, to lygge
     be is maydyn. But whan he spak to hyr of doing of at synne,
     scheo sayde, at scheo wolde gon in to hyr schaumbur and makyn
     hyre more honest an scheo was, and so comon anone to hym
     aeyne. And whan scheo com in to e schambur, be anoer dore
|r20 scheo ran towarde e chyrche as fast as scheo mythe, hoppyng to
     haue sokur er. But whan Craddok saghe hur renne to-werde e
     chyrche, he oure-toke hur and sayde: bot scheo wolde assente to
     hys wylle, he wolde anone smyte of hur heued. an kneled Wene_frede 
     downe and seyde:`I haue lever ou do me to deth an de_foule 
|r25 my body, at I haue makyd a vow to kepe in maydenhed,
     whyl I lyve, to my lorde Jhesu Criste.'  an Cradok oute with
     hys swerde, and at on strok smote of hyre heued. And for it was
     doune e hylle to e chyrche, e hede stynt neure tomblyng, til it
     com idur in sygh(t) of alle at weren ere. Where-fore men weren
|r30 so afryght, at ei madon suche a noyce, at Bewnow hadde mer_vayle 
     whatte it myghte bene: and cam to ham to wyton whatte
     at was at ei maden suche a noyce. an whan he see e heued,
     he toke it vp and cussed it ofte-tymes, sore wepyng, and bere it
     vp to e body. And be-helde on Cradok, how he wypte hys swerde
|r35 on e gras at was alle blody of e strok. an sayde Bewnow to
     hym:`ou wykkyd man and vncely, aske mercy of god for is
     horrybul dede, and itte god wyl han mercy on e; and if ou wylt
     not, I pray god at he sende vengeans on e anone'. And ryghte
     in syghte of alle e pepul anone he fel dede to e ere. And er_wyth 
|r40 e ere openyd and swolowed hym doun, body and sowle, in
     to helle.  an toke Bewnow e hede and sette it aayne to e
     body, and hyllyd it with hyr mantyl, and ode to hys masae. And
     whan he badde songon and preched e pepul myche of is maydyn,



|p317


     he sayde: god wolde not at sche schulde be dede etc, for he hadde
     ordeyned myche pepul to be holpe be hyre; wherefore he badde vche
     man pray to god, to reyson hyr aeyne to lyve. And so dydde. And
     whan sheo seete vp, scheo wypte hyre face with hyr hande of e
 |r5  duste at was er-onne, and spak to hym, hol and sounde, os scheo
     was beforon. an god schewed ere re grete miracles: on was
     wan e erthe swolowed hym bodyly at hadde slayne hyr; anoer
     was: for ere os e heued abode, anone sprong a fayre welle ere
     or none was sene beforen; e rydde: whan scheo at was slayne
|r10 ros aeyne to lyue.  e fere was: eure whil scheo lyvyd er was
     a whyte serkul aboute hur nek, er as e strok was, leke a whyte
     threde. Wherefore, ere as scheo was before called Brewa, fro is
     day forthe men called hyr Wenefrede: at is in englys a whyte
     threde.  an see Wenefrede e grete miracul at god wroght in
|r15 hyr: scheo tok it heyly to herte and af hyr eure aftyr to holy
     lyuyng, and nyghte and day was bysy to serue god, as Bewnaw
     tawthe hur. an whan scheo was parfyte in alle doing, Bewnow
ode to anoer place to dwellyn. And as heo was warnyd be
     reueIacion, ode to anoer place, er weren inne many holy virgines.
|r20 And whan heo com idur, heo lyvd so parfyttly in alle wayes, at
     alle token ensanmpul be hyr. And for e whyte seme whas eure
     evedent tokyn of hyr martirdom, erfore alle men and wommen
     haddyn grete deuocion in hir wordys and in alle hur doinges; so
     at many lafton e worldys  occupacion and weren fayne to come
|r25 and dwellyn in hyr company. So whan scheo hadde lyuid ere
     fele erus, scheo was warnyd be god at hyr deth day was nyghe.
     Wherefore scheo makyd hyr redy. And whan scheo hadde e sacra_mentys 
     of holy chyrche in syghte of alle hyr systeres, scheo af
     hyr goste to Jhesu Criste, at scheo louid with alle hur herte. And
|r30 an was beryed in a chyrche-arde, er many oer seyntus were
     beryed before.  Now how is oly seynte cam to e abbey of
     Scresbery, e schal heryn. Whan e abbey of Scresbery (was new
     made), monkys of e place made of(t) grete mone for ei hadde
     no seynte with hem for to ben here patron and berer of here prey_eres 
|r35 to god, as other abbeys of e cuntre haddon. Wherefore e
     abbotte of at houce, for he hadde herde before of seynt Wene_frede,
     he made hys prioure gon in to Walys and sechyn where at
     seheo was byrred.  So wente is prioure forthe, and be grace of
     reuelacion of is holy maydon he com to e place where scheo lay;
|r40 and so be strench of lordeschep and help at he hadde, he broute
     hyr bonys in to seynt Gyles chyrche at Scresberyes tounos ende.
     And er abode a serteyne tyme tyl e day at scheo schulde be
     translatid and with honure and worschep be broght in to e abbey.
     an was is day com, grete multitude of pepul com idur, in parte
|r45 for a grete miracle at was don in at chirche of a chylde at was



|p318


     helyd of a grete sekenesse, and also to do worchep to is holy
     mayden. And so with e abbote of e place and e couent with
     mony oer men of holy chyrche ei browten hyr in to e abbey
     and setton hyr ere er scheo is now. Wherefore in schorte tyme
 |r5 aftur god wroghte ritty grete myracles at ben wryton, withowtyn
     mony othyr at ben not wryton, boe of tho at scheo dyd in hyr
     lyue and oer fele at ben wroghte at hyre welle. To styre oure deu_ocione 
     more to is seynte, I wil telle ow a myracul at was done to a
     man of Erkal toue, at was called Adam. is man was greuesly
|r10 peynid with e fallyng evel; and boe hys handys weren tornyd
     hyndewarde and lyne flatte to hys armys, so at e armes weren
     stompes ande none armes; he hadde also suche a grevauns in hys
     on legge, at he mythe not gone bot with myche pyne. So is
     Adam with eis ree woes with myche penaunce com to e scryne
     of seynte Wenefrede, and was er in hys prayeres alle a nyght.
     But on e morowe, whate for wakyng and for wery, he felle on
     sclepe. And whan he woke, he felde hymself holle in alle hys
     lymes, and see hys handes strawte even, and sterid hys fyngres at
     hys lykyng, and sayed wheer he myghte gone: and ode forthe
|r20 withoute gref, and felde wel at he was hol of alle hys sekenes.
     Wherefore with hye voyce he thankyd god and is holy maydon,
     and was so fayne of hys hele, at he made a vow at he wolde
     neure gon from hyr, bot ben a servaunte in at chyrche alle hys
     lyfe aftur -- and so he was. us e hae ensaumpul to do worchep
|r25 to is holy maydon aud martir; and af e ben hol in body, ful
     helte e ben seke in soule -- wherefore e haue more nede to
     seke hur for to hauen hele in soule, an to hauen hele in body --
     ofte for tyme god seudeth seknes in body to hele e soule; bot
     seknes of soule is here deth bot it be helyd e sonner. Wherefore
|r30 prayetb to hyre to geton ow hele boe in body and in soule, so
     at e may com to hym at is hele to alle sores and syknes: at is
     almythy god of heven.  Also in e toune of Scresbery seton
     ree men togydyr. And os ei seton talkyng, an atturcoppe, at
     somme callyn an vryne, com onte of e wowe and bote hem alle
|r35 ree in e nekke. Bot oghe it grevyd hem not at at tyme, bot
     euel sone aftyr it rankelled, and so swalle here rotes and forsette
     here breth, at too of em weren dede. e ridde was so nyghe
     dede, at he made hys testamente and makyd hym redy in alle
     wyse -- for he hopyd not ellys but only deth. an os he lay in hys
|r40  tormente, he oght on seynt Wenefrede and of hur myraclus. And
     so as he myght, he badde hys modyr go idir and offren a candul
     to e schryne and bryng hym of e watur at hur bonys wheryn
     wassyn inne. And so scheo dudde. And whan he hadde is watur,
     he made to wasson hys sore er-wyth. And whan he hadde don
|r45 soo, he feled at he amendyd. an he mde a vow to seynte Wen_frythe,
     at, if he myghte han lyf and hele, he wolde makyn an



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     ymage of syluyr and offren to hyr. us he mendud yche day aftur
     oer, vnto e tyme at he was alle hol. And an he dud make an
     ymage of syluyr, os he behytte, and ode idyr and ofred it vp to
     e scryne, and becam hur sernaunte, eure whyl he leuid aftur.
 |r5  Also at e day of hur translacion comyn oute of Walys knythes
     and many men with hem, to be at at solempnite and to see e
     maner erof And in here company com a grete man at was dome
     and mythe nothyng speke bot alle be synes. So whan ei comyn
     in to e chyrche, sodeyniy is dome man fel doune to grownde and
|r10 loste hys wytte. an os he lay, seynte Wenefryth com to hym and
     badde hym drink of e watur at hyr bonys weren wassyn inne,
     and he schuld ben hole of hys speche, and of our evel at he hadde.
     an anone he woke & badde euen hym holy watur. an haddyn
     hys felowes grete wondur at ei hardyn hyn spekyn, and askyd
|r15 whatte watyr at he wolde haue. an sayde he: e watyr at seynt
     Wynfryth bonus weren wasyn inne. And whan he had dronkyn of
     at watyr, he was hol as any fysche, and anone ode in to e quere
     and before e couente he tolde opynly at he com not idur for no
     noer (i)nge, bot only to sene e doing of e solempnite; `bot
|r20 now for scheo of hur grete curtesye hath evyn to me my speche
     and helud me in body also, I wil be hyr pylgrym hever wil I lyve'.
