Life of St. Werburge - Henry Bradshaw
Edited by Catherine A. M. Clarke
chapter 15
A brefe rehersall of certayne kynges / and how kyng Edgare came to Chestre. Also howe Leofric, Erle of Chestre, repared diuers churches.
stanza 172
1199
This Edgare was
nominate in cronicles
expresse
'The floure of Englande',
regnyng as emperour,
Lyke-wise
Romulus to romains was of prowes,
Cyrus to the persis / to the grekes their
conquerour,
Great Charles to frenchemen / to troians
Hectour;
Famous in victorye, preignant in
wysdome,
Vertuous and pacient /
feruent in deuocion.
1
stanza 172a
1199a
Auctor opum, vindix scelerum / largitor honorum,
Sceptriger Edgarus regna superna petit.
Hic alter Solomon / legum pater / orbita
pacis,
Quod claruit bellis / claruit inde magis.
Templa deo / templis monachos / monachis dedit agros:
Nequitie lapsum / iusticieque loquum.
2
stanza 173
1206Also from the byrthe of our blessed sauiour
A thousande fyfty yere / and seuen
expresse,
In the tyme of saynt Edwarde kyng and
confessour,
3
As William Maluesbury
beareth wytnes,
4
Than Leofricus, a man of great
mekenes,
5
Was erle of Chestre and duke of merciens ,
Son to duke Leoffwin by liniall
discence.
stanza 174
1213This noble Leofric, sayth
policronicon,
6
Of his deuocion and
beningne grace,
Namely by the counsell and vertues mocion
Of his lady Godith, countes whiche was,
7
Reedified churches decayed in many a
place,
Also he founded the monastery of
Leonence
,
By the towne of
Herforde
and the place of
Wenlecence
.
stanza 175
1220
This erle
repareled a noble olde monastery,
Euesham vpon Auen
/ gaue them great riches;
Also founder was of the abbay in
couentre
,
Made the cite free, for loue of his
countesse:
8
At the cite of Chestre
of his great goodnes
He repared the College-churche of saynt
Iohn,
Endowed it with riches and enormentes
many on.
stanza 176
1227This erle of Chestre, the sayd
Leofricus,
Of his charite / and feruent deuocion
To the honour of god /
reedified
full gracious
The mynstre of Werburge within the sayd towne,
Gaue vnto it riches and singular
possession,
Endowed the sayd place with fredoms and liberte
And speciall priuileges, confirmed by
auctorite.
stanza 177
1234So the sayd place encreased in
honour,
In great possessions / fredoms / and richesse;
With singular deuocion vnto our
sauiour
And prayse to saynt Werburge, theyr
patronesse,
The chanons obserued vertue and
clennes,
Daily augmentyng by diuine
sufferaunce
Vnto the comyng to this lande of normans.
chapter 16
Of the comyng of Willyam conquerour to this lande, and howe Hug. Lupe, his syster sonne, was founder of Chestre monasterye.
stanza 178
1241The yere of grace .M. sixe and
thre-scour,
The .xiii. day of the
moneth of october
The duke of normandy / William conquerour,
9
Pight a stronge batell / displayed his
baner,
Of normans and frenchemen hauynge great power,
Subdued kyng Harolde /
opteyned all the londe,
Was coronate at London / made saxons all
bonde.
Footnotes
- 1.
- In this stanza, Bradshaw compares Edgar, as flower and champion of the English, to great leaders of other nations from history and myth. These include Romulus, founder of Rome; Cyrus the Great, founder of Persia; the 'conquerour' of the Greeks, probably Alexander the Great; 'Great Charles' or Charlemagne, founder of the Carolingian empire; and Hector, the prince of Troy and leader in the Trojan War. This selection of figures recalls the tradition of the 'nine worthies' in later medieval art and literature. See 'King Arthur - Romancing Politics: Texts and Contexts', Norton Topics Online. Back to context...
- 2.
- These lines derive from a slightly longer panegyric to Edgar in Henry of Huntingdon’s Historia Anglorum. The text given by Diana Greenway is largely identical, except for a few differences in orthography and punctuation, although the first word varies between manuscript versions and she prefers ‘Tutor’ (‘Protector’). Bradshaw’s version would give the alternative opening epithet ‘Giver of treasure’). Greenway’s translation of these lines runs thus: 'Protector of treasure, avenger of crimes, distributor of honours, Edgar the sceptre-bearer seeks the celestial kingdoms. A second Solomon, the father of laws, the way of peace: he was all the more glorious for having no wars. He gave churches to God, monks to churches, lands to monks, a fall to wickedness, and a place to justice'. See Greenway 1996, 322, 323. Back to context...
- 3.
- Edward the Confessor (ruled 1042-1066). See PASE. Back to context...
- 4.
- Bradshaw refers to one of his sources, the twelfth-century chronicler William of Malmesbury. William of Malmesbury gives an account Leofric, for example, in the Gesta Regum Anglorum, Book II, Ch. 196 (Mynors, 1998-9), 348-51. Back to context...
- 5.
- Leofric, Earl of the Mercians (died 1057). See PASE. Back to context...
- 6.
- Higden, Polychronicon, Book V, Ch. XXVI (Babington and Lumby, 1865-86, vol. 7, 198-201). Back to context...
- 7.
- Godgifu or 'Godiva', wife of Earl Leofric. See PASE. Back to context...
- 8.
- Bradshaw alludes here to the popular mythology surrounding Godgifu or 'Lady Godiva', and the story of her riding naked through the streets of Coventry in order to free the citizens from a punitive tax. See Higden, Polychronicon, Book VI, Ch. XXV (Babington and Lumby, 1865-86, vol. 7, 198-200); Donoghue 2003 . Back to context...
- 9.
- William I or William the Conqueror (Duke of Normandy from 1035 and ruled Normandy and England 1066-87). See DNB (subscription only). Back to context...