chapter 4

A brefe rehersall of the first foundacion of the mynstre of Chestre / and of the institucion of secular chanons in the tyme of kyng Edwarde senior.

stanza 89

618 Spirituall ministres were elect also:
Secular chanons, of great humilite, ¹
To synge and psalmodise oure sauiour vnto,
Within the sayd mynstre hauynge a perpetuite;
Prebendes were assigned to that fraternite,
With townes / borowes / and fredomes manifest,
Continually encreasyng vnto the conquest.

stanza 90

625And the olde churche of Peter and of Paule
By a general counsell of the spiritualte
With helpe of the duke moost principall ²
Was tranlate to the myddes of the sayd cite;
Where a paresshe-churche was edified, truele,
In honour of the aforesayd apostoles twayne ,
Whiche shall for euer by grace diuine remayne.

stanza 91

632Also we may note, holdyng none opinion,
This lady Elflede of her charite
Of the sayd mother-churche translate the patron,
Caused the sayd oratorie reconciled to be
In the honour of the most blessed trinite
And of saynt Oswalde, martyr and kyng,
For the loue she had to hym continuynge. ³

stanza 92

639 The yere of our lorde .ix. hundreth and .viii.
This noble duchesse with mycle royalte
Reedified Chestre / and fortified it full ryght,
Churche / house / and wall, decayed piteousle.
Thus brought vnto ruyne was Chestre cite
First, by Ethelfride, kyng of Northumberlande, ⁴
And by danes / norwaies, vexyng all Englande. ⁵

stanza 93

646Also she enlarged this sayd old cite
With newe myghty walles stronge all-about,
Almost by proporcion double in quantite
To the forther byldynge brought without dout;
She compassed in the castell enemies to hold out
Within the sayd Walles, to defende the towne
Agaynst danes and walshemen, to dryue them all downe.

stanza 94

653After the deth of her husband Ethelrede ⁶
She ruled the realme of mercelande manfully, ⁷
Buylded churches / and townes repared in dede,
As Staforde / Warwike / Thomwort / and Shirisbury ;
Of newe she edified Runcorn and Edisbury.
The body of saynt Oswalde also she translate
From Bardeney to Gloucetur , there to be tumulate: ⁸

stanza 95

660 Where she edified a noble monastery,
With licence of her brother ⁹ afore nominate,
In honour of saint Peter / ouer the blessed body
Of the sayd saynt Oswalde / kyng and martyr coronate.
In wiche monastery this lady was tumulate,
The yere of our lorde .ix. hundreth and nyntene;
Whom myn auctor prayseth in this wordes serene:

stanza 95a

666aO Elfleda potens / o terror virgo virorum:
Victrix nature, nomine digna viri.
Te quoque splendidior fecit natura puellam,
Te probitas fecit nomen habere viri.
Te mutare docet sed solum nomina sexus,
Tu regina potens / rexque trophea parans.
Iam nec cesarei tantum meruere triumphi,
Caesare splendidior virgo virago. Vale. ¹⁰