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St. Winifred ¶Here begynneth the lyf of the holy & blessid vyrgyn saynt Wenefryde/
¶And anone as the hede of the virgyne fylle to the erthe / In the same place a bryght and fayre welle beganne to sprynge vp / largely gyuynge oute water and plentyuously whiche contynueth to flowe vnto this day / gyuynge helthe by the merytes of this blessyd vyrgyn to many seke peple & malades / Now was it so that the place where her hede was smyton of was hangyng of an hylle / & the hede rollyd doun to the chirche dore / & whan the peple in the chirche sawe the hede / there was a grete noyse & rumour / in so moche that her fader & moder cam /& sawe how her doughter was biheded / wherof they were sore basshed / & made a lamentable noyse & sorow sayeng that they had hoped / that she shold haue ben a seruaunt of god & to haue lyued an holy lyf / & whan beunowe herd this noyse & rumour / he cam & sawe this hede of the holy vyrgyn / & anone he took it vp / & sawe where the kynges sone stode & wyped his swerd on the grasse / to whom he said lokyng in his visage these wordes / O thou wycked man whiche hast defouled thy fair yongth / & arte sone of the lygnage of a kyng / & hast slayn by cryme as an homycyde this noble vyrgyn / why repentest the not that hast commysed so grete a synne / thou hast troubled the pees & hast defowled the chirche by thy sacrylege & hast gretely trespaced & wratthed our lorde / & repentest the not/ Now for as moch as thou hast not spared the chirch / ne hast gyuen reuerence to the sonday / I byseche my lorde god / to whom thou has commysed synne vnworthely / that he rewarde the by digne recompensacion / & these wordes said & expressid / the yong man forthwith fyll doun to therthe & exspyred & deyde / & incontynent wonderfully the body of hym so dede in the syght & presence of many was molten & vanisshed awey & sonken in to therthe / & his soule drowned in helle / thenne the fader & moder hauyng no comfort / but wayllyng the deth of their douhter desyred to make bewaillynges / & the holy man beunow went to thaulter to say the masse / whiche beyng fynysshed / & al the peple awaityng on hym / & hauyng hope vnto god / he went to the body lyeng dede / & vnto the peple made a sermon / & emong al other wordes he said how this blessid virgyn had made a vowe to almyghty god / but for taccomplisshe the same by cause of her deth she had not tyme congrue to fulfylle it / & therfor I exhorte & desyre you to knele doun to the ground / & to pray deuoutely vnto almyghty god that of his grace it would plese hym to reyse her fro deth to lyf / to thende that many be the better / and more constaunt in the faythe / and that moche good shold therof enfolowe /¶After thenne this longe prayer / the holy man beunowe aroose vp holdyng his hondes vp in to heuen sayde / O lord Ihesu crist for whos loue this holy virgyn hath forsaken all worldy thinges / & hath desyred heuenly thynges we humbly byseche the with al oure myght & deuocion that thou at this tyme graunte to vs theffect of our peticion & prayer / & for what cause this vyrgyne hath suffred deth we knowe not but that she is in euerlastyng ioyes / hauyng no nede of oure company / thou neuertheles most debonayr fader graunte to vs thy sonnes / mekely besechyng the benyngne & exaudyble / that it may please the to gyue thyn assente to oure peticions & prayers / & commaunde thou that the sowle of this holy vyrgyne may be brought ageyn to her body / & that she may be restored to her fyrst lyf / And that by the grace of thy mercy may magnefye thy name / And after longe space of lyf / she may retorne to the her spouse / that is the only sone of god the fader with whome / & with the holy ghost lyuest world without ende / & whan al had answerd amen / he sette the hede to the body / & the holy vyrgyne aroos / as she had arysen fro slepe / wypyng her visage / & clensynge it fro the duste & swette / & replenysshed alle the assistentes stondynge with wonderfull admyracion & ioye / Neuertheles in the place of her necke where as her heede was smyten of / And after by dyuyne operacion was sett on ageyn & resolydate / a lytil redenes in maner of a threde wente aboute the necke / and shewed the place where as hit had be cutte of / And that euer after abode for to shewe the absicycion and thostencion of the myracle / as longe as the vyrgyn lyuyd / and alwey abode in one maner / and the place where as her blood was shedde was callyd fyrst / the drye valeye / And after that the hede of the holy vyrgyne was cut of and touchyd the ground / as we afore haue said sprang vp a welle of spryngyng water largely / enduryng vnto this day / which heleth al languours and sekenesses as well in men as in bestes / whiche welle is named after the name of the vyrgyn & is called saint wenefredes welle & by cause ther was moche blood of her shed in the welle & the descente of the hylle that stones yet in to this day appiere as wel in the welle as in the ryuer rennyng doune al besparklyd with blood / whiche thynge is merueyllous / For yet at this day is sene the droppes of blood / lyke as hit was the fyrst day / And the mosse that groweth vpon the sayd stones / smellyth lyke encence / whiche welle is famous and of grete renomme / and well knowen / to al them that goo thyder / and endureth as it dyd the fyrst tyme / and the stones as we sayd to fore ben yet dayly blody / or bespryncte with dropes of blood / shewynge openly / that by the merytes of the sayd vyrgyne / alle they that calle on her for ony nede or dysease / oure lord shalle ease and delyuer them/ ¶Thenne for to knowe how this holy vyrgyne wenefryde lyuyd after that she was reysed fro dethe to lyf / or what maner of lyf she hadde vnto the ende she departed oute of this world / ye shalle here al alonge herafter folowynge / ¶Thenne after she was thus reysed as afore is sayd / Alle that daye after she was abydynge at the feet of the holy fader Beunowe / and entended wyth dylygente cure and feruent deuocion vnto his sermons / and to alle thynges that apperteynen to god / desyrynge with a ardaunt wylle for to be enformed fully to serue & please almyghty god / whiche done / & she sufficiently Instructe and enformed after the lernynge of the disciplyne of the holy Chirche / fyll doun on her knees & desyred humbly of her mayster to be professyd and to receyue the holy veyle / Sayenge / I may in no wyse departe fro thy feet vnto the tyme / that thow hast accomplysshed in me theffect of this holy profession / & so thou to clothe me outward in thabyte of relygyous disciplyn / & that I may be blessyd by thyn hondes in suche wyse that I may in the inward thought of my soule perseuere in the seruyse of our blessid lord wherfor holy fader I humbly byseche the / that thou wil not lenger differre my peticion ne desyre / but to fulfylle my requeste / & incontynent late me make myn auowe as it apperteyneth/ ¶Thenne this holy man shewed the desyre & wil of this blessid vyrgyn to her fader & moder / & said to them / that they shold satisfye the desyre of her / for she was chosen of god / & had gyuen to her his dyuyn grace / they thenne benyngnly consentid to the same & the holy man thenne to fore moche peple gaf to her the holy vayll/& professyd her / & halowed in the presence of them alle / whiche blessyd vyrgyne after thaccomplyshhement and vowe made of her holy desyre / anone she flouryd in alle vertue / and deuoutely studyed / how she myght best obserue the rewlys of the disciplyne of Relygyon / And in short space she acquyred and was ful Instructe in the perfection of alle the obseruaunce that therto bylongeth / After this this holy man Beunow was admonesshed by a vysyon / that he shold departe thens / and goo dwelle in another place / to thende that he myght auaylle and do moche prouffyte to moche peple / And ther vpon he called the fader and moder of the blessyd vyrgyne / & sayd to them / ye shall vnderstande / that I must departe from hens / and may no lenger be here with yow / For god hath callyd me to another place / wherfore / I exhorte yow / that ye besyly entende vnto the admonycions and ensamples of youre doughter / knowynge for certayne that she is not ordeyned an only ensample to yow / but also a very ensample of helthe vnto alle peple herafter for to come / Thenne he torned hym to the holy vyrgyne / and sayd to her / our lord almyghty god hath commaunded the for to succede and folowe my labours and excercysitees / and to honoure this habytacle / to folowe the weye of lyf / by me to the shewed / And the same to shewe to other / Thy charge shall be from hens forth for the loue of god to haunte and dwelle in this place / and to gadre and assemble vyrgyns to lyue here in the seruyse of god with the / But one thynge knowe thow for certayne / that thow shalte not fynysshe thy lyf in this place / For whan thow hast seruyd god here in besy abstynence of the body and afflyction of spyryte / by the space of seuen yere / hit behoueth the to goo to another place / whiche shall be shewed to the by oure lord / and he shal adresse the thyder / where thow shalt enlumyne the derkenesse of many hertes / And reteyne well / that thy memorye and remembraunce shall be clerly spred in this world / & as moche thow shalt be more of meryte / so moche more shall many be remedyed by the of their myseryes and hurtes / Whanne this hooly vyrgyne vnderstode the departynge of her mayster and doctour / she was moche sorowful and heuy / And wepte sorowfully for his departynge and absence / Thenne the holy man Beunowe ladde her by the ryght honde to the welle whiche sprange at the place where her hede fylle / whanne hit was smyten of / wherof we haue to fore remembryd / and made her to stande vpon a stone / which lyeth there on the brynk of the sayd welle vnto this daye / and is callyd the stone of saynt Beunowe of them that dwelle there / And he sayd to her these wordes folowynge / Beholde sayd he and see here the steppes of thy passion / loo these stones here besprynct with thy blood shewe that thow hast for goddes loue suffryd here martirdome / & to the perpetuel honoure of the / & to the monumente of many other they kepe the shedynge of thy blood of whiche they ben besprynct / fresshe and rody / Now therfore with a dylygent and good mynde reteyne and kepe my wordes / that they maye come reuerently to the knowlege of many other / Knowe thow for certayne / that thre yeftes ben gyuen and graunted to the of almyghty god / whiche shall be solempnly shewed to the tytle of thy lawde and praysynge / And shalle be arettyd to the loue of thy deuocion in the myndes of them that shalle come herafter / The fyrste is this / that the stones besprynct and wette by sprynclyng of thy bloode / shalle neuer in this world be wasshen awey / and putte oute / ne by the swyfte cours of this water be taken awey / but for euydence and shewyng of thy passion shullen alwey appiere rede and blody / doynge myracle vnto the glorye of god and of his mageste / and also to the tryumphe of thy chastyte The second yefte or graunt is this / that who someuer he be / that is hurte by ony Infortune / and reguyreth the / & desyreth to be delyuerd by the fro his dystresse or oppressyon / the fyrst / the second / or the thyrd / certaynly the thyrdde tyme / yf it be done effectuelly with a good wyll he shall enioye that thynge that he demaunded and asked / And yf hit so happe that he gete ne haue not that thynge that he desyred / ne that it folowe not after his peticion / knowe he for certayne / that yf ther be ony thynge more godly for the helthe of his sowle / than hit / that he demaunded that it shal folowe & come to hym for his good / for oftymes we of our frelnes aske and desyre thynges / whiche parauentur shold torne more to our hurte / than to our wele / god knoweth what is best for vs / The thyrd yefte is thys / that whan now I shal departe & go fro the for to dwelle in a conuenyent place stondynge on the see syde / whiche god of his benygne grace hath graunted to me / And though hit be soo / that I shalle be ferre fro the / yet almyghty god hath commaunded the to remembre me euery yere with thy yeftes / wherfor when thow wylt adresse to me suche a thynge / as thow shalt make redy for me / thow shalt hastely come with thy yeft to this present welle / And what someuer it be / commytte hit fyrste vnto god / and after put it in to this welle confidently / and thou shalt see anone that thynge soo putte in be taken vp fro the welle / and be ledde forth by the myght of god by the cours of the water in to the grete floode vnhurte / And by the wylle of almyghty god thorugh the flodes of the see / it shall come vnto the yate of my lytel lodge or dwellynge by the tornynge of the wawes vndefowled / And this behoueth the to doo euery yere / as longe as god wylle that I shalle lyue / for god commaunded the so to do / These thre thynges ben graunted to the of oure lord god / assigned specially / and gyuen to the by dyuyne prerogatyf / And as longe as the world shalle endure / this shalle be magnyfyde to the halowynge of thy memorye and glorye of thy lawde / by the tellynge and vtterynge of moche peple / These thynges thus expressyd and sayd / the holy man fynally departed fro her / For whiche cause euery yere the fyrst day of Maye she sente to her mayster a yefte whyle he lyued in the maner as is afore sayd / ¶And though soo be that the space bytwene them / and the distaunce was more than fyfty myle / yet neuertheles in space and tyme of one nyght / by the rollynge of the wawes and stremes of the see it was broughte to the yate of his monasterye / and was founden on the grauell of the Ryuage / And the fyrste yefte that she sente to hym was a chesyble of her owne makynge whiche was founden vnhurte / as afore is reherced ¶Hit happed that after this holy man Beunowe beynge aged departed oute of this world and deyde / whoos dethe whanne it was told vnto saynt Wenefryde / she left for to sende more ony yefte to hym / And she remembrynge his wordes that she shold after seuen yere goo in to another place for to dwelle in / And after seuen yere complete she departed fro that oracle and place / lyke as she was warned by the holy man / And wente vnto seynt deyfere / This man was an holy man and grete toward oure lord kepynge his commaundementes / and not departynge from his Iustyfycacions / And after whan she was come as he was in the nyght besy in his prayers and perseuerynge in deuocion / A voys from heuen souned in his eres sayeng / Saye thou to my most dere doghter wenefryde / that she go in to the place whiche is callyd henthlacus / For there she shalle obteyne the desyre of her vowe / & whan he had told to her this / anone she toke leue of this holy man / and bad hym fare well / And gladly wente vnto that place / And there she fyndynge saynt Saturne / whiche knewe by dyuyne reuelacion the purpose of hyr iourneye and sayd to her theffecte of her comynge / and gaf to her this answere / There is a certeyne place called wytheryacus / where as is Abbot Elerius a man of grete vertues / he shalle telle to the what the behoueth to doo / whiche thynge anone as she had vnderstanden / forthwith she tooke her way and wente to that holy man / whoos comynge the holy man hauyng knowlege to fore by the holy ghoost / wente to mete her / and broughte her in to the Chirche / there for to praye and saye her deuocions / and that fynysshed he tooke her by the honde/and ladde her in to the Couente of vyrgyns / whiche was there / to whome he sayd these wordes / loo almyghty god hath ordeyned this deuoute vyrgyne for to dwelle with yow / This is that mayde wenefrede / whoos clere fame now late hath brought to youre eres whiche had despysed for to kepe her chastyte the blandysshyng wordes / and the concupyscence of hym that persecuted her / And chase leuer the smytynge of / of her hede / than to lose her vyrgynyte / and rather to deye than to consente for to do synne / Therfore now she is comen to yow for to dwelle with you And to abyde here the day of her departyng out of this world wherfore be ye ioyefull for her comynge / and receyue ye enbracynge her deuoutely / as celestyall tresoure dwellynge amonge yow entendyng besyly to her werkes / and with all your entente folowynge her / For this place as longe as the world shalle endure / for her sake shalle be renommed by grete fame / ¶After thise wordes he torned hym vnto a lady whiche was his owne moder / and was prelate and chyef aboue the other relygyouse nonnes / and sayd to her / O thow my mooste dere moder / I commytte to the specially the cure and charge of this vyrgyne / whiche is wel byloued to god / thow therfore folowe her stappes and werkes / And take thou the charge of all thynges that long to her / And what thow mayst knowe that shall please her / that do and execute dylygently and incontynent / These wordes fynysshed and sayd / the holy confessour departed and wente his wey / And saynt wenefrede remayned and abode from than forthon with the maydens seruauntes of god / Thenne was in her / grete abstynence / kepyng her good and hooly lyf / prayer perseueryng / and humble conuersacion / other vyrgyns took of her ensample of pacyence & obedyence / They made her in alle thynges that apperteyne to theyr helthe / a forgoar and ensample to them / And in her were founden alle thynges plentyuously that were of honeste and vertue / wherof for to recyte or reherce of what abstynence that she was in her lyf / what anguysshes or what payne that she suffryd in her body / what scarcenes or penaunce she excercysed it were ouer longe to telle / but shortely I shalle saye yow / that she lefte no thyng vndone that she knewe myght be to the helthe of her sowle / or to the good ensample of other / dyuerse and many of deuoute peple cam to her by companyes desyryng to see this blessyd vyrgyne / and to beholde the place where as the token was in her necke / that her hede was smyten of for the loue of Ihesu Cryst / and by the prayer of the hooly confessour was reysed fro dethe and reuyued ageyne / And they helde the place worthy of hyhe reuerence in which she duellyd / To somme it suffysed only to see her / and to speke wyth her / And somme were so inportune / that they wold not be content / but they myght see the place in her neck of the cuttynge of / of her hede / and humbly prayd her to shewe it to them /To whoos deuocions and reguestes she dredde to warne or gaynsaye / lest their deuocion myght ther by be lassed / or that they myght depute it to the pryde of her / And whanne they sawe in her necke the skynne / and the place of the cuttynge by a moche differente colour vnlyke to the remenaunt / they couthe / ne myght not absteyne them fro wepyng / blessyng & gyuyng laude to almyghty god in his grete and merueylous werkes And retorned home with grete wondre and admyracion / ¶On a certayne daye the blessid Elerius thabbot entryd in to the cloystre of the nonnes for to vysyte saynt Wenefrede ¶Thenne the holy Abbot for occasion to shewe to her / that he ofte had remembryd in his mynde sayd to the holy vyrgyne saynt wenefrede / I Ioye gretely sayd he /that god hath prouyded the to come to this place / For to helpe to brynge my body to sepulture / And after my deth that thou remembre and haue me in thy mynde and prayers / To whome the holy vyrgyne answerd / Not so fader / shall it not be / neyther it is not so predestynate ne ordeyned of god / But it behoueth the to lyue after me / and fyrste thou brynge to the erthe my lady thy moder after that she shall be departed / & after certayn yeres passed after that for to burye my body / For thus god hath ordeyned / ¶And whanne this holy man had herd these wordes he took his leue and departed fro her / And soone after / he fonde her prophecye true / For after a lytell tyme Theonia mother deyde and departed oute of this world / And after that the holy saynt wenefrede was made prelate and vpperist of alle the couent of the nonnes / And had the rewle & gouernaunce of them many yeres / And at the laste our blessyd lord Ihesu Cryst desyrynge and wyllynge to take hys handmayde and seruaunt fro the laborouse seruytude of thys lyf / and to brynge her to the rest of perpetuel blysse / ¶On a nyght as she was in her oratorye / our lord lete her haue knoulege of the daye of her obyte and departyng oute of this lyf / whiche shold hastely ensiewe and folowe / And anone as she vnderstode and felte her self called and vysyted by the grace of god / she with an holy deuocion beganne to make her redy vnto the ioyes that she was called to / Thenne contynuelly in the nyghtes she was prayenge in the Chirche / And in the day tyme she vertuously occupyed her self in all thynges longynge to her cure and charge / And whanne this rumour cam to the knowlege of saynt Elerius / he anone was in grete anguysshe and wayllynge for the departyng of this holy virgyne / whome he entierly loued / knowyng certaynly / that she was endowed with specialle grace / And desyred for his synguler wele / that as longe as he shold in the pylgremage of this lyf endure / that he myght dwelle and abyde with her And this he desyred with grete deuocion ¶Thenne after this the blessyd vyrgyne beganne to suffre grete sekenes in all her body / ¶And as the languour and maladye was vehement and encreaced dayly / she knewe veryly that she approched toward hir last ende / Thenne she lyfte vp her mynde toward almyghty god / and humbly prayd hym to haue mercy on her / And that he wold be the kepar and wardeyn of her sowle / And that the deuyll shold haue no praye of her / Thenne she dyd do calle to her the hooly Confessour saynt Elerye thabbot whiche houseled her with the blessid body of oure lord / Thenne the day of the kalendes of Nouembre / she beganne to wexe feble by the dissolucion of her body / but for all that she rested not for al her payne and sekenesse to preche and enfourme them that were assistent with holy and blessid exhortacions ¶Thenne whanne she was enfeblyd with ouermoche payne / of greuous sekenesses / And felte well that on the morne she shold departe and fynysshe her bodyly lyf / she lete doo calle to her saynt Elerye / and prayd hym that her body myght be buryed / and put in the sepulture by the body of saynt Theonye his moder / whiche reguest the holy man graunted benyngly / And thenne the holy vyrgyne entendyng with all hir hohe herte in prayer vnto almyghty god the day of the thyrdde Nonas of Nouembre / she commended her spyryte in to the handes of her maker to be associate vnto the celestyalle companye of sayntes / Thenne the holy man commendyng her sowle vnto god / beganne to procure besyly / and make al thyng redy that he sawe apperteyne to the exequyes of the blessyd virgyne / And whanne alle was done that apperteyned to her funerall seruyse / he buryed her in the place that she desyred / And with grete wayllynges and lamentacions her body was leyd in the sepulture / And in the same place the sayd body lay vnto the tyme of kyng Steuen kynge of Englond / In whos tyme by dyuyne reuelacions and myracles before goynge the bones of the blessyd vyrgyne were translated vnto thabbeye of Shrewsburye / where moche peple comyng by the suffrages and merytes of many askyng remedye of theyr Infyrmytees and sekenesses haue bene heled and maade all hole ¶Thus endeth the martirdome of this blessyd saynt / Saynt wenefrede / whiche passion and decollacion was the one and twentyest day of Iuyn /
The unedited version of the complete text of St. Winifred
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the west ende of grete Britayn / whiche now is callyd Englond is
a prouynce whiche is named walys / This said prouynce was somtyme
inhabyted of sayntes of many & dyuerse merytes / & embelisshed
& decorate vnto this day with Innumerable prerogatyuys in many
wyses / Emong whom ther was an holy & deuout man named beunow
a man of hye merite/ & this holy man lad religious lyf/ &
was a monk in the said englond / he edyffyed chirches / & ordeyned
certayn bretheren & prestes for to serue god in many places
/ & hit was so / that by dyuyn prouydence he was warned &
admonested to desyre & aske of a myghty man named Theuith a
certeyn place to bylde on a chirch for his helthe / which he dyligently
demanded / & the seid theuith graunted to hym gladly & with
good wil & also commysed to hym his doughter named wenefrede
whome he louyd tenderly for to be instruct & taught / prayeng
hym to biseche almyghty god / that he wold dispose her conuersacion
to the wil & honour of hym / which thyng god knowyng what shold
folowe therof wold not suffre her to be lost ne perisshed / for
the maide wenefrede desyred by an ardaunt desyre to be the temple
of god in tyme comyng / And suche thynges as she vnderstode by heryng
of her eres she held & enprynted fast in her mynde / & that
she conceyued in her thought / purposed verily taccomplysshe hastely
in werkes / so thenne by thynspyracion of the holy ghost this holy
vyrgyn prouffytyng in vertues shewed vnto her mayster beunow the
very purpose of her mynde sayeng / I haue determyned in my self
to forsake al the lust & plaisir of the world / & haue disposed
to conserue & kepe my virgynyte vndefowled vnto Cryst / whiche
thyng o holy fader I byseche the deuoutely that thou wylt impetre
& gete graunte of my fader & moder / whiche thynge he shewed
to hem /& they gladly consentid /& therwyth were wel pleasid
/ Thenne this holy vyrgyn recordyng & desyryng tenprynte in
her mynde suche holy wordes & lessons as floweden oute of the
mouth of her mayster / suffred none erthely ne worldly vanytees
to entre in to her / but laye oft in the nyghtes in the chirche
/ And oftyme she solycyted the holy man to make a sermon / and to
treate to her / of her spouse Ihesu crist / & to shewe his werkes
digne & worthy of laude and praysynge / ¶ It happed on a sonday
that her fader & moder were gone to the Chirche / & this
blessid virgyne was lefte for certayn cause at home / & one
named Cradoke sone of kyng Alane entryd & sawe this holy virgyne
syttyng by the fyre / whiche anone as she sawe the kynges sone aroos
/ & humbly demaunded hym what was his playsir / and he sayd
to her / thou knowest well that I am a kynges sone / whiche haue
plente of rychesses & honours / & of them shalle departe
largely to the yf thou wylt consente to my peticion & desyre
/ she anon felyng hym to make his request for to haue a do with
her / & a lytyll cast doun shamefastly her chere dyssymylyd
her to be a shamed that he had founden her not well arrayed ne apparaylled
/ & sayd to hym suffre a whyle lest my fader come & I shal
go in to my chambre / & shal come to the ageyne withoute taryeng
/ to whiche the yong man graunted / & she wente in to the chambre
& by a bye dore of the chambre she wente oute / & ran faste
toward the chirche / whiche so fleyng was anone knowen to the yong
man / & thenne he beyng wood wroth by cause she fledde fro hym
/ by cause she wold kepe her virgynyte / & with a suerd hastely
folowed after & ouertoke her & holdyng hir with a sterne
chere said to her in this wyse / somtyme I louyd the / & desyred
the to be ioyned to myn enbracementes / & now thou despysest
hym that desyreth the / Now know thow for certayn that either thou
shalt this present tyme suffre me to haue my wyl of the or without
taryeng I shal smyte of thyn hede with this swerd The holy vyrgyn
hauyng her ful hope & truste in oure lorde answerd hym in this
wyse / I am coupled in matrimonye to the sone of the euerlastyng
kyng & Iuge of al men / wherfor I may haue none other / And
by cause I wyll not long abuse the whyle I lyue I shal neuer leue
ne forsake hym / & therfor be thou assured that thy menaces
/ ne fair wordes / thretenynges / ne promesses maye departe me fro
the swetenes of his loue / to whos embracementes I am strayned &
coupled by deuocion / This lecherous yonge man herynge hym self
to be despysed / and put fro his voluptuous desyre toke oute his
swerd / and smote of the hede of this blessyd vyrgyne /