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Animal Rights History Timeline » [c485-1450] Medieval Ages » Saint Richard de Wyche, Bishop of Chinchester

Saint Richard de Wyche of Chinchester

Labourer, Scholar, Bishop and Saint

Sister Mary Reginald Capes

Sister Mary Reginald Capes, "The Saint at Home, in Richard of Wyche, Labourer, Scholar, Bishop, and Saint (London, 1913; Online at Archive.org; [Complied from the chief authorities on the life of St. Richard including Ralph Bocking, his confessor, partly founded on the Acts of Canonisation, partly on an earlier life and his own personal knowledge of the saint; John Capgrave (15th c.), much of it compiled from an anonymous contemporary and friend of the saint; both are included in the Acta Scriptorium.]

But the strict abstinence of his youth was still rigorously observed, and, whilst his guests were free to enjoy the well-spread table, the cheerful host ate scarcely anything, contenting himself generally with bread and a little wine, and merely playing, for courtesy's sake, with the delicacies set before him. Meat he seems to have entirely forsworn, and grew in time to regard it with a sort of horror. When he saw a lamb or kid, or birds of any kind being brought to his kitchen he would cry out with pity and shame: "Ah, poor little creatures! If you were rational beings and could speak, how you would curse us. For we are the cause of your death; you who are so innocent, what have you done worthy of death?" and he would never touch any of such food when offered him. (216-217)