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HERE WE TELL THE HISTORY OF THE BLESSED WALTER OF BIRBECH, AND HOW THE VIRGIN MARY HONOURED HIM IN THE LISTS
IN Germany there lived a certain noble knight, that had to name Sir Walter of Birbech: he was a right powerful lord of that land, for he possessed much riches and was beside a very valiant man. But this knight, though all did him great honour, had a pious and an humble heart; for all his love was set on things unseen, and even from his childhood he had been accustomed to count himself above all else the friend and servant of God and of His Mother, Madame Saint Mary. Therefore, when that he was come to the flower of his age, at the which time it is the custom of chivalry to swear fealty to some fair lady, whose gage one may bind upon one's arm, and for whose sake one may tilt in the lists, jousting against all comers to uphold her fame: then did it seem to Sir Walter that no better Queen of Love could he choose for his Mistress than the Virgin Mother of the Love Divine, to wit, Our Lady, Queen of Heaven. And he dedicated himself altogether
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to the upholding of her honour, and dubbed himself her liege servant and very faithful knight: taking her device that is the lily flower to set upon his pennon and his shield, and binding about his arm her favour, that is a scarf of blue exceeding fair. Great joy did he have of this devotion, as all that Lady's lovers do; and he fasted and gave alms that he might make himself more worthy of his Mistress, every day hearing her Mass if he might contrive it. And thus in the secret places of his heart he greatly increased in her love.
Now on a certain time it was decreed and proclaimed that a great tourney should be held in a castle of that land. Thither would Sir Walter go with many knights and squires of his company to do battle for his Lady's fame: for verily all his heart was given to the worship of the Blessed Virgin, so that she seemed to him the fairest Maid and most noble Mistress knight could desire, and whensoever he dreamed of womanhood, then that Queen of Women came into his mind. Therefore, having made himself ready, he set out for this tournament on the day that was ordained, having with him his esquire and divers knights of his meinie, that would join in the jousts. And it was Saturday, the which day is most specially dedicate to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
And it happened that their road passed by a certain Abbey, that was consecrated in the name of the Mother of God: and it was very early in the morning, being close upon the hour of
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Prime. And when Sir Walter saw this abbey-church, he, knowing that very surely the Mass of his Lady was at that time sung therein, did exhort his companions with exceeding fervour that they should enter and hear Mass before they went into the lists. "For it may be," he said, "that we shall this day lose our lives, and then we may never again do this devoir for the Queen of Heaven; and moreover this is Saturday, that is the day whereon all her friends should do her worship if they can."
But the knights his companions refused him, saying, "It grows late, and if we loiter we shall but arrive when the tourney is at an end. Therefore tarry not for this office this morning, for indeed there is danger in delay."
Saith Sir Walter, "Natheless I will go in; for never did faithful knight come to misfortune for any courtesy he did to the Lady of his desire.
Then he entered into the church, that was very great, having several fair chapels and altars therein: and at one of the said altars a priest was, that said with his clerk the Mass of the Blessed Virgin. Thither Sir Walter went, and kneeled down upon the ground right humbly, that he might have the benefits of that most sweet and piteous miracle whereby the Lady Mary's Son is brought anew into the world.
But or ever this Mass was ended, came a priest to another altar, and there began to say the Introit of Our Lady, that is the "Salve, sancta
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Parens." Then did Sir Walter think within himself, "Verily, it would be greatly discourteous were I to rise up and go from the church whiles that my Lady's Mass is being said. Rather must I wait till this one be finished, and so soon as the Ite is come I will go out right quickly and haste me to the tourney lest I be too late."
But when the second Mass was nearly over, came the Lord Abbot to recite his confiteor before the High Altar that was in the midst of the choir; for it was the pious custom of this abbey to honour Our Lady each Saturday with so many Masses as they might. And one following another as quickly as could be, Sir Walter left not his devotion, but heard each right humbly to the end: for he held it but unknightly to break by his departure this pageant of worship which so sweetly honoured the Lady that he loved.
Then when at last the Masses were done and the clerks gone out of the choir, he went out from the church and pursued after his comrades as quickly as he could: and now the morning was well-nigh spent, but he knew it not, for short had seemed the time whilst he made his orisons. And when he drew near to the castle where the tourneying should be, there he met many knights all armed for the lists that came from it.
Then he hailed them, and said, "What! is not the jousting yet begun?"
They answered, “Yea, and is long since
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over, for it is close on noon, and we go homewards."
And he, greatly vexed because of his ill fortune, said, "Who has prevailed?"
Replied these gentlemen, "Sir Walter of Birbech, a most fair and valiant knight; and indeed his name is in all men's mouths, for he carried all before him."
Then was Sir Walter full of amazement, for he could not understand how this might be: howsoever he went on his way to that place where the tourney was, and there he entered into his pavilion that was set upon the field and made him ready ; putting on his armour that was bound about the arm-piece with the gage of blue stuff that he wore for his Lady's sake, and taking his shield whereon was blazoned her lily flower. Then he went forth into the field: but the joust was altogether done, as those knights he met upon the way had said, and the ladies were gone from the galleries and the heralds from the lists. Natheless, much folk yet there was, that spoke upon the fortunes of the day; and so soon as Sir Walter was come into the ground, behold divers knights that were there armed cap-a-pie separated themselves from this company, and came, and set themselves before him exceeding humbly, and begged of him that he would be pleased to show them mercy and use them courteously.
Then said Sir Walter, "Fair sirs, I know not of what you speak nor what may be the cause of your petition."
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Said the knights, "Know you not that this day you have overcome us in the lists; wherefore we are every one your prisoners according to the law of chivalry? Therefore we make our submission, and ask only that you do entreat us graciously and use us well."
Sir Walter replied, "My sweet friends, here is some error; for very surely I have neither jousted with you nor overcome you this day."
"Nay," said the knights; "but it is a true thing that this day we have given ourselves into your hand: and indeed no man could resist you, so well and fiercely did you tilt. Never have we seen such marvellous deeds of arms as those that you have done in these jousts: for wherever the press was thickest, there did we see your shield that has the lily flower, and wherever you went, good fortune went with you. Verily, it seemed that some power was with you; for none might touch you, however valiant, and no man, however skilled, went free of your spear. And no error can there be, for we heard your voice, that cried perpetually, Virgo Virginum! and also Jesu Maria! and likewise we saw the blue gage that is yet bound about your arm."
Then did Sir Walter fall down upon his knees right humbly, giving thanks; for he perceived that no less an one than his dear Mistress, that is the very Mother of God, had that day upheld his honour in the field. For whilst that her knight did kneel before her altar and there do her all the courtesy he could, that sweet Lady
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did arm her in his likeness, and ride to the tourney in his place. And when he disclosed of the the matter to those knights his adversaries, greatly were they amazed; and they cried mercy, one and all, to the Blessed Virgin, for that they had presumed to tilt against her spear. Then did each embrace other, all weeping for gladness, and they went altogether to the Abbey Church of Saint Mary, that there they might give thanks.
And Sir Walter made offering of his shield upon the altar, for he knew that he had a better defender than any earthly weapon, even that scutum fidei of which the Apostle speaks: and he thanked his Lady very heartily for this courtesy of hers, and swore ever to keep spotless the pennon that she had deigned to bear, and never to use that spear wherewith she had helped his honour save for the defending of pure womanhood or the succouring of the oppressed.
Now after many years had gone, it happened on a certain high feast of the glorious Virgin Mary, that Sir Walter came with many others to a church where her Mass was said. And now his age was ripe, and the fame of his valour and holiness was gone out into many lands; whereby it was known of all that he was the knight of Madame Saint Mary, and rode not save in defence of the just. But the priest that said this Mass was a stranger unto him, being newly come to the place, and he knew not whom the knight might be to whom all did so great a
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reverence. And behold! when he was come to the sacring of the Blood of Christ, and raised the holy chalice from the altar whereon it stood, that priest saw beneath the place where the cup had been, a cross of pure gold, exceeding rich and fair, and therewith a cartel of vellum; and on the cartel there was much writing, that was in letters of fine gold like to those Gospel
books that are made for the use of pious kings.
And he took it in his hand and read it, and these were the words thereon: "This holy cross you shall bear on my part, that am Mary the Mother of Christ, to my dear friend and servant, Walter, knight of Birbech; and for my sake and that of my Son, Whose sign and gage it is, this token he shall now put on and bear even until the end of his life, in the place of that favour of blue that he hath long worn about his arm."
When this matter he had read, the priest was greatly amazed; but he doubted not the truth of it, for he was a right faithful man. Therefore, being come to the ending of the Mass, he mounted into the pulpit, and cried, saying: " Is there here a knight that has to name Sir Walter of Birbech?"
Then several of them that stood about Sir Walter, that knew him well, cried: "This is he," and they brought him to the priest, the which led him apart a little way, that they might speak together privily. Then when they were alone, that priest saith to him:
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"Give thanks, my brother, for Our Lady Saint Mary is pleased to show you a most sovereign grace."
Saith the knight: "This may well be, for the loving kindness of that Lady is beyond aught that we can understand."
The priest said to him: "Kneel down upon the earth, the more fitly to receive the holy gift that she hath sent you." And when Sir Walter had so done, he gave to him the fair cross and also the cartel, saying, "Now have you received the very gage of Jesu Christ, even the Sign of our salvation."
Then did Sir Walter receive the cross with exceeding great joy, giving thanks upon his knees in that his glorious Mistress had held him worthy of this gift; for thereby he knew that he was called to an higher service than that of earthly warfare namely, to the very chivalry of God and of His saints. And being wholly converted to thoughts of heaven by this high mystery that the glorious Virgin had declared to him, he did betake himself straitway to the Abbey of Hemmerode in that country; and there he made offering of Our Lady's cross upon the altar, and took the habit of religion according to the Rule of Citeaux. Many years did he live in that brotherhood, in God's fear and much gladness, and great and arduous battle did wage against the Enemy in hell, the which is doughty foe for any knight. Many wonders did he also by Saint Mary's grace, that here were too long to set in writing, and the
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Order of Citeaux had great honour because of the sanctity of his life.
And when he was come to a great age, being full of faith and of charitable works, contrite though holy, for he knew that nought he might compass could make him worthy of his Mistress' love, the Blessed Mother of God was pleased to call him to herself. And by her safe conduct, that had vanquished alike his temporal and his spiritual foes, he did pass from darkness unto light, from labour to rest, from warfare to reward; from this world's tournament to the pleasaunce of his heavenly home. Whereto we do pray one and all that our Lord Jesu Christ, that is the Lady Mary's Son, may lead us:
QUI EST VIA IN EXEMPLO, VERITAS IN PROMISSO, VITA IN PRAEMIO, AMEN.
