chapter 3

A litel descripcion of the foundacion of Chestre / and of the abbay-churche within the sayd cite / where ye holy shryne by grace remayneth.

stanza 65

449Certaynly, sith baptym came to Chestre cite,
Soone after Lucius / and afore kynge Arthure,
By the grace of god and their humilite,
The faith of holy churche dyd euer there endure
Without rediciuacion and infection / sure;
Wherefore it is worthy a singular commendacion,
Aboue all the citees and townes of this region.

stanza 66

456The perfect begynnyng and fyrst foundacion
Of the monasterie within the sayd cite
Was at the same tyme by famus opinion
That baptym began within this countre;
The great lordes of Chestre of landes and auncetre
First edified the churche for comfort spirituall
In honour of the apostels Peter and Paule.

stanza 67

463 Whiche churche was principall to all the citie,
And the mouther-churche called withouten doubt;
It was their buriall by great auctorite,
To all this sayd cite / and .vii. myle without;
The cemiterie was large to compase it about.
But what by sufferaunce and processe of tyme
Many olde customes ben brought now to ruyne.

stanza 68

470In whiche mother-churche of Peter and Paule
All holy sacramentes ministred dayly were,
With great encreasement of vertues all,
Continuall endurynge more than .CCC. yere,
In the britons tyme / of blodde noble and clere,
Afore the comyng of saxons to this lande,
Which with apostasie enfected all Englande.

stanza 69

477So after that the Angles / Iutes / and saxons ¹
By fortune of batell / power and policie
Had clerely subdued all the olde britons
And them expulsed to wales and wylde countre,
The faith of holy churche remayned at chestre cite
In the sayd churche, truely, by singular grace alone,
Like as the faith of Peter neuer fayled at Rome.

stanza 70

484What tyme saint Austin, the doctour of Englande, ²
Had baptized Ethelbrut, kynge of Kent, ³
And by relacion dyd fully vnderstande
That the faith of Christ most digne and excellent
In the cite of legions was truely remanent,
In the churche of the apostoles Peter and Paul,
He magnified our lorde with thanke speciall.

stanza 71

491That season there was a noble monasterie
xii. myles from Chestre, nominate Bangour,
Where religious monkes lyued vertuouslye,
Almost .iii. thousande / obedient euery houre,
Without possessions / lyuyng by theyr labour:
Vnto whiche place he sende for helpe at nede,
To conuert the saxons (sayth venerable Bede). ⁴

stanza 72

498 Saynt Austin approched the cite of legions,
Where the sayd couent afore hym were present: ⁵
Whom he required to preche to the saxons
The faith of holy churche and baptym diligent.
To whose humble prayer / they were disobedient,
Obseruyng no charite / yet for theyr great pride
Many of them were slayne by kyng Ethelfride. ⁶