Birgitta of Sweden (also Brigida, Bride, Bridget) lived from 1303 to 1373. Coming from a privileged, educated family, she maintained her devout life through marriage and eight children and long years of widowhood. Her shrine is at Vadstena, but she never led a settled, conventual ife, travelling as a pilgrim throughout Europe and to Jerusalem. She dealt as an equal with popes and emperors, and was acknowledged by almost all as God"s ambassador. Her "Book of St Bride" is a series of revelations, and the present text, written in England in the 15th century, extracts the scribes" favourite episodes from the lengthy Latin "Revelations".