Language:

De laude Cestrie - Lucian

Edited by Mark Faulkner

Excerpt 26

[Folio 60r]

Edes denique memorata uelut Dei castra fouet in Cestria, 1
uidimus momentis nostris quod utinam maneat sempiternis.
 Quod siquis sciolus rerum et locorum permiserit euidenter et bre
uiter inferre uerum, cognationem exigit porta cum patria,
 quod cuidam innotuit experientia propria, qui plusculum in pane
contractior et constrictus a panis fuit erogatione se
motus. 2 ¶Recordetur qui intelligit quod hic legit, quod scriptor honeste tangit. Illud etiam intuendum, qualiter ipsum uirginis monasterium ambiatur quatuor mansionibus alborum monacorum , 3 . qui Reginam celi profitentur dominam, 4 ad consolationem
presentis exilii et requiem futuram. Nam a fronte Cumbermare et a tergo Basinwerc
et a lateribus, ad euidentissimum modum crucis, competenter
et pulcre distinctis spaciis a quattuor monasteriis, uelut
preconum laudibus comendatur, ut almum et album sit
quicquid medium inuenitur. 5 Quippe instar uitalis ligni et
dominici patibuli, que ab oriente in occidentem protensa sunt,
paululum longiora sunt, et que ab aquilone in austrum,
iuxta transuersum crucis lignum, breuia sunt.

Que percipit
lector, nonne perspicit habitator? Quociens recordamur,
animo reparamur. Rebus ostenditur quod stilus loquitur.

Excerpt 27

[Folio 87r]

Iste
est igitur Michael prepositus Paradisi, quem honorificant i *** angelorum ciues, per quem Deus uoluit glorificare Cestrenses. Et quo ante diuinitatis aspectum dignior assistit,
 eo dulcius in suo ministerio Cestriam complectitur et custo
dit. Et qui de arce celesti auctore Deo conatus impi
os eliminauit, ipse Cestrie inimicos propellit et extin
guit. Qui etiam, prudentiores ammonens consequenter,
ad austrum posuit tentorium suum ut quos ab aquilonis
latere gloriosa uirgo Wereburga uictores probat,
 ad uerum requiem et meridianam lucem ipse perducat. ii Michael et Wereburga.
Isti enim simul unius platee duo inicia sortiti, conue
nientissime susceperunt asseruandas portas geminas
quia semper est angelis cognata uirginitas. Hec
prope portam Angeli dixisse sufficiat, ut ad ea, que
secuntur, series destinata pertendat.

Quod si recapi
tulari breuissime quatuor ingressus portarum placet:Recapitulacio.
Iohannes uigilat ab oriente ut felicitas oriatur, Petrus
ab occidente ut iniquitas moriatur, Wereburga
ab aquilione ut hostilitas confundatur, Michael
a meridie ut eternitas conferatur. Qui et alios
secum habent excellentissimos et idoneos urbis uigi
les et ciuium protectores qui sufficiant et suaue du
cant habitatores amplecti et fouere et ante Dei pre
sentiam precibus comendare.Limphas Dei quo plus biberis, dulciores inuenies; hoc habet usus, crede ueteribus. Nam cum pleni sint
dulcedine et sanctitate, in eternitatis fonte bibunt, *** quam misericorditer et benigne pupillis oporteat prouidere.
 Haec de quatuor portis tuis pingenda credidi, ciuitas Cestria, ut quod habet lector in litera, teneat habitator
in oculis et memoria. Memor tui sit superna pietas et
eterna clementia, quae me olim in primis annis alu
isti et cum nequirem discernere inter opposita, 6 literis institu
isti. Aucta sis Dei beneficiis et celesti misericordia, dulcis et alumpna prouincia, merearis auxilium et protec
tionem apud uniuersitatis Auctorem. Aperiat tibi
sua uiscera, qui nostras lauit maculas in columpna sancte
crucis arborea et in eius gratuleris nomine qui plenus
est nectarea pietate.

Apparatus Criticus

i.
honorificant] honorifi bod Back to context...
ii.
perducat] producat ta Back to context...

Footnotes

1.
Lucian alludes to the possible derivation of Cestria, the Latin name for Chester, from Latin Castra, 'camp', an etymology quoted by Bradshaw and interpreted as a reference to Chester's Roman history. Lucian christianises the etymology by making Chester a Dei castra, 'divine fortress'. Dei castra was indeed a common medieval Latin circumlocution for 'monastery' (DML castrum, 1c). Back to context...
2.
Lucian is punning here on the near homophones, porta, 'gate' and patria, 'suburb'. His point seems to be that the inhabitants of the suburb know St Werburgh's to nourish Chester, because they can receive both literal and spiritual bread from the monastery, that is, both alms and the eucharist. When Lucian was writing, St Oswald's parish covered a large area, including the North East part of the walled city, the abbot's manor of St Thomas outside the North Gate, and other monastic estates further afield. The chief place of worship for the parishioners was the altar of St Oswald in the south nave aisle of St Werburgh's. See Lewis and Thacker 2005, 150-1. Back to context...
3.
There is a cross-shaped diagram illustrating the location of these four monasteries in the lower margin of fol. 60v. It is reproduced as the frontispiece of Taylor 1912 Back to context...
4.
i. e. the Virgin Mary Back to context...
5.
Lucian is referring to Basingwork, Combermere, Stanlow and Poulton. Basingwork, Flintshire was founded in 1131 as a dependency of Savigny by Ranulf II. Combermere, another dependency of Savigny, was founded in 1133. Poulton and Stanlaw, both like Combermere in Chester, were daughter houses of Combermere founded in 1146x1158 and 1172 respectively. For further details, see Knowles and Hadcock, 1971, 110-28. Back to context...
6.
This suggests Lucian received an education in dialectic at St John's: see DML opponere, 13. Back to context...