Life of St. Werburge - Henry Bradshaw
Edited by Catherine A. M. Clarke
chapter 2
Howe the people of Hambury brought the shryne to Chestre / and of the solemne receuyung of it by all the inhabitauntes of Chesshyre.
stanza 42
288
Venerable virgins next sette in
ordre clere,illustrious order
With lilies in theyr handes
1
/
coronate with chastite,crowned
Good widowes and
wuyes appoynted well were,wives were
well arranged
Gyuynge true thankes vnto this virgin
fre.noble
Nex[t] them assemble all the commonte
commoners
In all goodly maner, dyuised by discrecion,arrayed by good
judgement
Praysyng saynt Werburge with
humiliacion.humility
stanza 43
295Whan they approched to her hie
presenceexalted
And comon were afore this relique
most riall,were come before
They kneled all downe with mycle reuerence,much
Salutynge
the shryne with honour
victoriall,
2
saluting, showing respect towards / of victory
Magnifying with melodye and
tunys musicallPraising / tunes
This glorious virgin / nothyng done
amis,nothing done wrong
Syngynge Te deum to the kyng of
blysse.Singing 'Te Deum' (a Latin hymn of
praise)
stanza 44
302The lordes / the citezins / and all the commons
3
Mekely submytted
them-selfe to the shryne,Meekly / themselves
With manyfolde prayses and humble supplicacions,
With interiour loue / and morall
discipline,inner
Trustyng all in her to saue them from
ruyne,
From greuous daunger / and cruell enmite
By her entercession vnto the trinite.intercession
stanza 45
309They gaue due thankes vnto this
abbasse,
Deuoutly sayenge knelyng vpon kne:
'Welcome, swete lady, replet with
grace,full of grace
The
floure of mekenes
/ and of
chastite, flower of meekness / chastity
The cristall of clennes
and virginite;
4
crystall of cleanness, chastity
Welcome thou art to vs euerychone,each and every
one
A speciall comfort for vs to trust vpon!
stanza 46
316'Welcome, swete princesse /
kynges doughter
dere,king's daughter
Welcome, faire creature /
and
rose of merciens ,rose of
the Mercians
The diamonde of dignite /
and
gemme shenynge clere
,jewel shining clear
Virgin and
moiniall
of mycle
excellence;nun / great
Welcome, holy abbasse of hie
preeminence,exalted pre-eminence
The
rutilant saphire
of
syncerite,
5
glistening (with a gold or red hue) sapphire / sincerity
Welcome, swete patronesse, to Chestre cite!
stanza 47
323
Thou art our refuge / and
singular succour,special aid
Our sure tuicion, next
to
the trinite,guidance / second to
Oure speciall defence at euery houre
To releue thy
seruauntes in all necessite;relieve / servants
Thou art our solace and helpe in eche
degre,comfort / in every way
Oure ioye / trust / and comfort / and
goostly treasure:joy / spiritual
Welcome to this towne, for euer to
endure!'
stanza 48
330
Agaynst her
comynge into Chestre cite
To greet her arrival
The stretes
were
strawed with
flours fragrant,streets / strewn / flowers
The mancions and halles
edified rialle
royally built
Were hanged with arras precious and
plesaunt,tapestries
Torches were carried on eche syde
flagrant;burning
Also ouer the shryne was prepared a
canaby
canopy
Of cloth of golde and tissewe riche and
costly.
6
fabric
stanza 49
337Thus with great worship, decoure and
dignitedecorum
Of all clergie, lordis and citezens
She was receuyed with great humilite
Into the cite with humble reuerence,
The clergie syngyng with mycle
diligence,singing / great care
The comons
prayeng with loue feruent,commoners
Folowynge this relique after their entent.according to their
desire
Footnotes
- 1.
- The lily is a conventional symbol of virginity and chastity in medieval literature. Back to context...
- 2.
- 'Victoriall' appears in several late Middle English texts in specific collocations which refer to the (actual or metaphorical) pilgrim's badge or symbol of victory. See for example 'crownys victoriall' in Wisdom, Eccles, 1969, 150. Bradshaw's choice of language this subtly casts the Chester procession as proto-pilgrims approaching Werburgh's shrine. The particular incidence of 'victoricall' in medieval English dramatic texts might also suggest its association with a performative, ritual context, such as that depicted by Bradshaw here. Back to context...
- 3.
- Here again Bradshaw distinguishes three groups amongst urban secular society: the nobility, fully enfranchised citizens, and the commoners - either inhabitants of the city or those living outside who did not enjoy the full status and rights of a citizen. Back to context...
- 4.
- The words of the prayer to Werburgh echo those of the Marian prayer Ave Maria ('Hail Mary'), in which the Virgin is addressed as 'gratia plena' ('full of grace'). The other metaphors used here for Werburgh ('floure of mekenes', 'cristall of clennes', also 'rose' in line 317 and 'diamonde' or 'gemme' in line 318 also recall the conventional imagery of medieval Marian hymns. Back to context...
- 5.
- The sapphire is a common epithet for the Virgin Mary in medieval literature. Bradshaw seems specifically to suggest a yellow sapphire here, which was associated with powers of healing and protection in medieval gemology. See for example Evans and Serjeantson, 1933, 100-123 and 120 or Stones in Sharon Coolidge, Medieval Literature Annotated Bibliography. Back to context...
- 6.
- The pageantry accompanying the arrival of Werburgh's relics into Chester suggests the pomp and ceremonial of the medieval 'civic triumph' or 'royal entry', in which a monarch was welcomed into an - obedient and celebrating - city. For discussion of the practice, see Kipling, 1998, and for a late-medieval literary account, see Richard Maidstone's Concordia (Carlson, 2003 or the TEAMS online edition). Back to context...