churche, to serue God in, and to preche Goddus worde to be pepulle. pen was his Thewny the glad of his askyng, & ordeynyd hym a place nyz to his owne howse, þat he mygte so cum to Goddus seruice. pus pe meyne tyme while the churche was in byldynge, ofte he preched Goddus worde to be pepulle, and Wenefrede com bydur with her fader to here hit. And when sche harde hym speke of þe grete mede & joy, þat madones schuld haue in Heyuon, passyng ober oorderes, ben had sche so grett deuocyon in his sayinge, þat a non sche made a woye, þat sche wolde neuer haue parte of mon, but a byde euer in her madon hode, whille pat sche lyffed. pen on a Sonday, when pis churche was made and bylde, Thewnythe, with alle his mene, zude to be churche, but Wenefrede bode at home, for a seknus pat greuyd her poo, þat sche mygte nott goo with hem to churche. pen as sche sott at home her selfe, per com a kyngus sonne, was called Cradoke, to haue layen by his madon. But when he spake to hur of doyng of be synne, sche said, sche,wolde go in to hur chambur, & make her more honeste pen sche was, & cum á gayne to hym a non. and when sche cum to her chawmbur by an vtter durre, sche ran towarde churche as faste as sche myzte, hopyng to haue socur perre. but when Cradok syz hur ren towarde churche, he ron aftur, and ouer toke her, & sayde, but sche wolde assent to his wylle, he wolde a non smyte of hur hed. pen kneled Wenefrede downe & saide, "I haue leuer þat pou do me to dethe, pen defowle my "body, pat I have made a woo to kepe in maydon hede, "whille pat I lyue, to my lorde Jhesu Criste." pen Cradok owte with his swerde, and at on stroke he smotte of her hed, & for hit was downe the hylle to be churche, þe hed stynte neuer tumbullynge, tylle hit com bydur in to be sygte of alle þat were perre. Wherfore men weren so a frygte, þat þey madon suche a nowse, þat Bennowe had grett merwayle what hit mygte be, & com to hem to wytte what was pe cause of pat noyse. pen when he syz the hed, he toke hit vppe, and cussed hit ofte tymes sore wepyng, and bare hit vp to the body, by holldyng on Cradoke how he wyped his swerd on be gras, þat was allé blody of the stroke. þen said Bennow to hým, "þou wykked mon & an selý, aske mercy

0 2.

66

A no

66 mercy of God for his orribulle dede, and gett God wulle "haue mercy on þe; & yf how wylt nott, I pray God pat "he send vegance on þe". & a non rygte in sygte of þis alle pepulle, and for he wolde not crye mercy in sygte of alle pepulle, a non he felle downe to be èrbe, & per with the erbe oponyd & suowlowyd hym down, body and sowle in to Helle. pen toke Bennow be hed, and sett hit agayne to be body, & helled hit with her mantelle, & zude to his masse, and when he had songon and preched þe pepulle, & tolde myche of his madon, he sayde, God wold nott that sche schulde so be ded gett. For he had ordey nyd myche pepulle to be holpon by hur. Wherfore he bad yche mon pray to God, to reyse hur a gayne to lyue, and so God dyd; & when bey commyn to hur, sche satt vppe, and with her honde sche wypid of her face pe doste þat was per on, & spake to hem as holle and sownde as sche was by fore. þen God schewned perre pree grett myraculis. On was when þe erbe swoloyd hym bodily, þat had slayne hur. per was, for per as be hed a bod, a non spronge a fayre welle þerre as non seen be fore. Je pride was, when sche þat was slayne sche rose a gayne to lyue. pe IIIIrith. was, þat euer aftur whille sche lyffed, þer was a white circle a bowte her nekke per as he stroke was lyke a white prede. Wherfore þer as sche was called be fore Brewa, fro þat day forthe men called hur Wenefrede, pat is in Englysche, a white prede. þen syz Wenefrede pe grett myraculle þat God wrowzte in hur, and toke hit hyzly to herte, and gaff hur euer aftur to holy lyffynge, and nygte and day was besy to serue God, as Bennow thawgte hur. pen when sche was perfytt in alle doyngus, Bennow zude to a noper place per as weron inne mony holy virgynnus, and when he com by. dur schee lyffyd so perfettly in alle pyngus, þat alle tokon ensampulle of hur, & for þat ylke white cerue was an euydent tokon of her martirdome, perfore alle men and womon haddon grett deuocion in her wordus, and in alle her doyngus, so pat mony lafton þe worldis ocupacion, and weron fayne to comme and dwelle in her companye. So when sche had lyffyd þerre mony eyrus, sche was warned by God,

1 Sic.

þat

1

bat her dethe day was nygte. Wherfore sche made hur redy, & when sche had be sacramentis of holy churche, þen, in sygte of halle her systereň, scho gaff vpp þe goste to Jhesu Criste, þat sche louyd with alle her herte, and byrryed in the churche zorde per mony oper seyntis weron byrryed in by fore. Now how the holy sent com in to be abbey of Schrowysbury, ze schalle here. When þey abbey of Scrowysbury was newe made, þe monkus of þe place madon ofte gret mone, for þey haddon no sent with hem to be her patrone, and beyrer of her preyers to God, as oper abbeus of pe cun. trey hoddon. Wherfor be abbot of þat howse, for he had herde by fore of sent Wenefrede, he made his prior to go in to Waylys, and seche were pat sche was byrryed. So wente pis prior forthe, and, by the grace of God and reuelacion of be holy madon, he com to be place where sche laye, and so with strenpe of lordschip, and oper helpe pat he hadde, he browgte her bownus in to sent Gylus churche at Scrowesbury townus ende, and þerre abode to a certen day, in be whiche sche schulde be translated, & with honour and worschip be browzte in to be abbey. þen when þis day com, gret multitude of pepulle com þyder in party for a gret miraculle, bat was done in that churche, of a chelde þat was heyled of grett sekenes, and also to do worschip to þat holy madon, and so þen the abbot of þe place and þe conuent, with mony oper men of holy churche, browztan hur in to be abbey, and setton her þere as sche is nowe, where God in schorte tyme aftur wrowzte prytty grett myraculs þat byn wrytton, with owte oper mony þat byn not writton, bothe of pose pat sche dyd in her lyue, and oper mo mony þat byn wrowgte at her walle. þen to sterre yowre deuocyon be more to pis sent, now I wulle telle yow a myraculle pat was done to a mon of Erkalle towne, þat was called Adam. Jis mon was greuesly payned with pe fallyng euelle, and bothe his hondus weron turned ageynward, and layen flatt to his armes, so pat pe armys weron stompus and noe armes. He had also suche a greuance in his on legge, hat he mygte nott goo but with myche peynance. So pis Adam, with pese grett greuus, with myche penance he comme to be schryne of sent Wenefrede, & was perre in his prayers alle a nygte. But an þe morowe, what for wach

ched, what for wery, he felle on slepe, and when he woke he feld hym selfe hoole in alle his lymmys, & syg his hondus streygte euon owte, and stirryd his fyngurs alle at his lyk. ynge, and sayed whedur he myggte goo, and zude forthe wythe owton greue, and felde welle þat he was hoole of þe fallyng euelle. Wherfore with hyg voyce he bonked God & þis holy madon, and was fayne of his heyle, þat he made woo, þat he wolde neuer goo from hur, but by a seruand in þat churche alle his lyue aftur, and so he was. pus, gode men & women, ze han ensampulle to do worschip to pis holy maydn and martir, and pawz ze by now hooly in body fulle helt, mony of yow byn seke in sowle; wherfore ye han be more nede to seche hur to haue heyle in sowle ben in body. For ofte tymes God sendus sekenes in body fo hele to be sowle. but sekenes of sowle ys here dethe, but sche be be soner heylyd. Wherfore prayth too hur to gete yow hele bothe in body and in sowle, so pat ye cum to hym Fat is heyle to alle sowlus, pat is, Jhesu Criste God son of heyuon. Alyud miraculum. In the towne of Schrowysbury setan IIIe men to gedur, and as þey seton talkyng, an ́atturcoppe cum owte of be wowg, and bote hem by the nekkus alle pre, & powz hit greuyd hem at þat tyme but ly. tulle, sone aftur it roncoled & so swalle her protus, & forset her breythe, þat II. of hem weron deed, and þe prydde was so nyz deed, þat he made his testament, & made hym redy in alle wyse, for he hoped nowgte but only dethe. ben as he lay in his turment, he powzt on sent Wenefrede and of her myraculus, & so as he mygte he had his modur go þyder, & offur a candulle to be schryne, & brynge hym of be water þat her bones were wasschon yn, and so sche dyd. & when he had þis water, he made whasseche his sore þer with, & when he had done so, he felde þat he amended, & pen he made a wooe to sente Wenefrede, pat giff he myzte haue lyffe & hele, he wolde make an ymage of syluer & offur to her. pus he mended yche day aftur ober, tylle he was alle hoole, & þen he made an ymage of syluer as he be hette, & gude þyder, & offeryd hit to be schryne, & be cum her seruant euer while he lyffyd aftur. Aliud miraculum. Also to a day of her translacion per cum owte of Wayles knyztus, & mony men with hem, to se the solempnite & pe maner þer of,

& so in her company' com a gret mon, þat was dowmbe, & myzte no þynge speke, but alle by signès. So when pey common in to be churche, sodenly his dowmbe mon felle doune to be grownde, & felle on slepe. pen as he lay sent Wenefrede com to hym, and bad hym drynke watur þat her bonus were wasschon yn, & he schuld be hoole of his speche, & of oper euel þat he had. þen a non he woke, and bad giff hym holy watur. pen haddon his felowus gret wondur, þat bey hardon hym speke, & asked hym what watur he wolde haue. pen sayd he, pe watur þat sent Wenefredus bonus weron waschon yn; & when he had dronkon of þat water, he was hoole as any fysche, & a non he zude in to be quere, & by be couent he tolde oponly þat he com þydur for no oper þyng, but only to se pe doyng of pe solempnite. but now for sche hathe, of her grét curtesy, geffen me my speche, and heled me in my body also, perfore I walle be her pylgryme whille bat I lyue, & so he was euer aftur.

Num. XVI. Vide Præf. §. XIX.

Extract of a Letter, written to the Publisher from Winchester July 4th. 1724. by the Reverend Mr. Richard Furney, relating to the Election of an Abbess of Rumsey Nunnery in Hampshire Anno D. 1333. which confirms what is asserted in this Chronicle, that the suid Nunnery was founded by K. Edgar for an hundred Nunns.

Dear Sir,

Upon receiving your's, I look'd into the Register of John Stratford, some time Bishop of Winton, afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury, and therein, fol. 82. found the following particulars, which relate to what you o 4

mention

ed,