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,
With lilies in theyr handes
1
/
coronate with chastite,
Good widowes and wuyes appoynted well were,
Gyuynge true thankes vnto this virgin
fre.
Nex[t] them assemble all the commonte
In all goodly maner, dyuised by discrecion,
Praysyng saynt Werburge with
humiliacion.
stanza 43
295Whan they approched to her hie
presence
And comon were afore this relique
most riall,
They kneled all downe with mycle reuerence,
Salutynge
the shryne with honour
victoriall,
2
Magnifying with melodye and
tunys musicall
This glorious virgin / nothyng done
amis,
Syngynge Te deum to the kyng of
blysse.
stanza 44
302The lordes / the citezins / and all the commons
3
Mekely submytted
them-selfe to the shryne,
With manyfolde prayses and humble supplicacions,
With interiour loue / and morall
discipline,
Trustyng all in her to saue them from
ruyne,
From greuous daunger / and cruell enmite
By her entercession vnto the trinite.
stanza 45
309They gaue due thankes vnto this
abbasse,
Deuoutly sayenge knelyng vpon kne:
'Welcome, swete lady, replet with
grace,
The
floure of mekenes
/ and of
chastite,
The cristall of clennes
and virginite;
4
Welcome thou art to vs euerychone,
A speciall comfort for vs to trust vpon!
stanza 46
316'Welcome, swete princesse /
kynges doughter
dere,
Welcome, faire creature /
and
rose of merciens ,
The diamonde of dignite /
and
gemme shenynge clere
,
Virgin and
moiniall
of mycle
excellence;
Welcome, holy abbasse of hie
preeminence,
The
rutilant saphire
of
syncerite,
5
Welcome, swete patronesse, to Chestre cite!
stanza 47
323
Thou art our refuge / and
singular succour,
Our sure tuicion, next
to
the trinite,
Oure speciall defence at euery houre
To releue thy
seruauntes in all necessite;
Thou art our solace and helpe in eche
degre,
Oure ioye / trust / and comfort / and
goostly treasure:
Welcome to this towne, for euer to
endure!'
stanza 48
330Agaynst her
comynge into Chestre cite
The stretes
were
strawed with
flours fragrant,
The mancions and halles
edified rialle
Were hanged with arras precious and
plesaunt,
Torches were carried on eche syde
flagrant;
Also ouer the shryne was prepared a
canaby
Of cloth of golde and tissewe riche and
costly.
6
stanza 49
337Thus with great worship, decoure and
dignite
Of all clergie, lordis and citezens
She was receuyed with great humilite
Into the cite with humble reuerence,
The clergie syngyng with mycle
diligence,
The comons
prayeng with loue feruent,
Folowynge this relique after their entent.
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...