The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Errata.
• Additions to ‘the Minor Poems’ In Vol. I.
• XXIV.: Womanly Noblesse.
• XXV.: Complaint to My Mortal Foe.
• XXVI.: Complaint to My Lode-sterre.
• Notes to the Preceding Poems.
• The Canterbury Tales. Group A.
• The Prologue.
• The Knightes Tale.
• The Miller’s Prologue.
• The Milleres Tale.
• The Reeve’s Prologue.
• The Reves Tale.
• The Cook’s Prologue.
• The Cokes Tale.
• Group B.
• Introduction to the Man of Law’s Prologue. (t. 4421-4446.)
• The Tale of the Man of Lawe.
• The Shipman’s Prologue.
• The Shipmannes Tale.
• The Prioress’s Prologue. (t. 13365-13382.)
• The Prioresses Tale.
• Prologue to Sir Thopas. (t. 13621-13641.)
• Sir Thopas.
• Prologue to Melibeus. (t. 13847-13875.)
• The Tale of Melibeus.
• The Monk’s Prologue. (t. 13895-13924.)
• The Monkes Tale.
• The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale. (t. 14773-14798).
• The Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Nonne Preestes Tale.
• Group C.
• The Phisiciens Tale. (t. 11935-11957.)
• Words of the Host. (t. 12221-12239.)
• The Prologue of the Pardoners Tale. (t. 12263-12288).
• The Pardoners Tale. ( Numbered In Continuation of the Preceding. )
• Group D.
• The Wife of Bath’s Prologue. (t. 5583-5602; For T. 5582, See P. 164.)
• The Tale of the Wyf of Bathe.
• The Friar’s Prologue. (t. 6847-6868).
• The Freres Tale.
• The Somnour’s Prologue. (t. 7247-7270.)
• The Somnours Tale.
• Group E.
• The Clerk’s Prologue. (t. 7877-7898.)
• The Clerkes Tale.
• The Merchant’s Prologue. (t. 9089-9120).
• The Marchantes Tale.
• Epilogue to the Marchantes Tale.
• Group F.
• The Squieres Tale. (t. 10315-10334).
• The Franklin’s Prologue. (t. 11021-11040).
• The Frankeleyns Tale.
• Group G.
• The Seconde Nonnes Tale.
• The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue. (t. 16022-16043.)
• The Chanouns Yemannes Tale.
• Group H.
• The Manciple’s Prologue. (t. 16950-16968).
• The Maunciples Tale.
• Group I.
• The Parson’s Prologue. (t. 17312-17330).
• The Persones Tale.
• Appendix to Group A.
• The Tale of Gamelyn.

THE SECONDE NONNES TALE.

*∗*In Tyrwhitt’s text, ll. 15469-15489; see p. 508

• • THE ministre and the norice un-to vyces,
  • Which that men clepe in English ydelnesse,
  • That porter of the gate is of delyces,
  • To eschue, and by hir contrarie hir oppresse,
  • That is to seyn, by leveful bisinesse,5
  • Wel oghten we to doon al our entente,
  • Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us hente.
• • For he, that with his thousand cordes slye
  • Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,
  • Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,10
  • He can so lightly cacche him in his trappe,
  • Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,
  • He nis nat war the feend hath him in honde;
  • Wel oughte us werche, and ydelnes withstonde.
• • And though men dradden never for to dye,15
  • Yet seen men wel by reson doutelees,
  • That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,
  • Of which ther never comth no good encrees;
  • And seen, that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees
  • Only to slepe, and for to ete and drinke,20
  • And to devouren al that othere swinke.
• And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse,
• That cause is of so greet confusioun,
• I have heer doon my feithful bisinesse,
• After the legende, in translacioun25
• Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun,
• Thou with thy gerland wroght of rose and lilie;
• Thee mene I, mayde and martir, seint Cecilie!

• Inuocacio ad Mariam.
• • AND thou that flour of virgines art alle,
  • Of whom that Bernard list so wel to wryte,30
  • To thee at my biginning first I calle;
  • Thou comfort of us wrecches, do me endyte
  • Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hir meryte
  • The eternal lyf, and of the feend victorie,
  • As man may after reden in hir storie.35
• • Thou mayde and mooder, doghter of thy sone,
  • Thou welle of mercy, sinful soules cure,
  • In whom that god, for bountee, chees to wone,
  • Thou humble, and heigh over every creature,
  • Thou nobledest so ferforth our nature,40
  • That no desdeyn the maker hadde of kinde,
  • His sone in blode and flesh to clothe and winde.
• • Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydes
  • Took mannes shap the eternal love and pees,
  • That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is,45
  • Whom erthe and see and heven, out of relees,
  • Ay herien; and thou, virgin wemmelees,
  • Bar of thy body, and dweltest mayden pure,
  • The creatour of every creature.
• • Assembled is in thee magnificence50
  • With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee
  • That thou, that art the sonne of excellence,
  • Nat only helpest hem that preyen thee,
  • But ofte tyme, of thy benignitee,
  • Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche,55
  • Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche.
• • Now help, thou meke and blisful fayre mayde,
  • Me, flemed wrecche, in this desert of galle;
  • Think on the womman Cananee, that sayde
  • That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle60
  • That from hir lordes table been y-falle;
  • And though that I, unworthy sone of Eve,
  • Be sinful, yet accepte my bileve.
• • And, for that feith is deed with-outen werkes,
  • So for to werken yif me wit and space,65
  • That I be quit fro thennes that most derk is!
  • O thou, that art so fayr and ful of grace,
  • Be myn advocat in that heighe place
  • Ther-as withouten ende is songe ‘Osanne,’
  • Thou Cristes mooder, doghter dere of Anne!70
• • And of thy light my soule in prison lighte,
  • That troubled is by the contagioun
  • Of my body, and also by the wighte
  • Of erthly luste and fals affeccioun;
  • O haven of refut, o salvacioun75
  • Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse,
  • Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse.
• • Yet preye I yow that reden that I wryte,
  • Foryeve me, that I do no diligence
  • This ilke storie subtilly to endyte;80
  • For both have I the wordes and sentence
  • Of him that at the seintes reverence
  • The storie wroot, and folwe hir legende,
  • And prey yow, that ye wol my werk amende.

• Interpretacio nominis Cecilie, quam ponit frater Iacobus Ianuensis in Legenda Aurea.
• • FIRST wolde I yow the name of seint Cecilie85
  • Expoune, as men may in hir storie see,
  • It is to seye in English ‘hevenes lilie,’
  • For pure chastnesse of virginitee;
  • Or, for she whytnesse hadde of honestee,
  • And grene of conscience, and of good fame90
  • The sote savour, ‘lilie’ was hir name.
• • Or Cecile is to seye ‘the wey to blinde,’
  • For she ensample was by good techinge;
  • Or elles Cecile, as I writen finde,
  • Is ioyned, by a maner conioininge95
  • Of ‘hevene’ and ‘Lia’; and heer, in figuringe,
  • The ‘heven’ is set for thoght of holinesse,
  • And ‘Lia’ for hir lasting bisinesse.
• • Cecile may eek be seyd in this manere,
  • ‘Wanting of blindnesse,’ for hir grete light100
  • Of sapience, and for hir thewes clere;
  • Or elles, lo! this maydens name bright
  • Of ‘hevene’ and ‘leos’ comth, for which by right
  • Men mighte hir wel ‘the heven of peple’ calle,
  • Ensample of gode and wyse werkes alle.105
• • For ‘leos’ ‘peple’ in English is to seye,
  • And right as men may in the hevene see
  • The sonne and mone and sterres every weye,
  • Right so men gostly, in this mayden free,
  • Seyen of feith the magnanimitee,110
  • And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,
  • And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.
• And right so as thise philosophres wryte
• That heven is swift and round and eek brenninge,
• Right so was fayre Cecilie the whyte115
• Ful swift and bisy ever in good werkinge,
• And round and hool in good perseveringe,
• And brenning ever in charitee ful brighte;
• Now have I yow declared what she highte.

• • THIS mayden bright Cecilie, as hir lyf seith,120
  • Was comen of Romayns, and of noble kinde,
  • And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith
  • Of Crist, and bar his gospel in hir minde;
  • She never cessed, as I writen finde,
  • Of hir preyere, and god to love and drede,125
  • Biseking him to kepe hir maydenhede.
• • And when this mayden sholde unto a man
  • Y-wedded be, that was ful yong of age,
  • Which that y-cleped was Valerian,
  • And day was comen of hir mariage,130
  • She, ful devout and humble in hir corage,
  • Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful fayre,
  • Had next hir flesh y-clad hir in an heyre.
• • And whyl the organs maden melodye,
  • To god alone in herte thus sang she;135
  • ‘O lord, my soule and eek my body gye
  • Unwemmed, lest that I confounded be:’
  • And, for his love that deyde upon a tree,
  • Every seconde or thridde day she faste,
  • Ay biddinge in hir orisons ful faste.140
• • The night cam, and to bedde moste she gon
  • With hir housbonde, as ofte is the manere,
  • And prively to him she seyde anon,
  • ‘O swete and wel biloved spouse dere,
  • Ther is a conseil, and ye wolde it here,145
  • Which that right fain I wolde unto yow seye,
  • So that ye swere ye shul me nat biwreye.’
• • Valerian gan faste unto hir swere,
  • That for no cas, ne thing that mighte be,
  • He sholde never-mo biwreyen here;150
  • And thanne at erst to him thus seyde she,
  • ‘I have an angel which that loveth me,
  • That with greet love, wher-so I wake or slepe,
  • Is redy ay my body for to kepe.
• • And if that he may felen, out of drede,155
  • That ye me touche or love in vileinye,
  • He right anon wol slee yow with the dede,
  • And in your yowthe thus ye shulden dye;
  • And if that ye in clene love me gye,
  • He wol yow loven as me, for your clennesse,160
  • And shewen yow his Ioye and his brightnesse.’
• • Valerian, corrected as god wolde,
  • Answerde agayn, ‘if I shal trusten thee,
  • Lat me that angel se, and him biholde;
  • And if that it a verray angel be,165
  • Than wol I doon as thou hast preyed me;
  • And if thou love another man, for sothe
  • Right with this swerd than wol I slee yow bothe.’
• • Cecile answerde anon right in this wyse,
  • ‘If that yow list, the angel shul ye see,170
  • So that ye trowe on Crist and yow baptyse.
  • Goth forth to Via Apia,’ quod she,
  • ‘That fro this toun ne stant but myles three,
  • And, to the povre folkes that ther dwelle,
  • Sey hem right thus, as that I shal yow telle.175
• • Telle hem that I, Cecile, yow to hem sente.
  • To shewen yow the gode Urban the olde,
  • For secree nedes and for good entente.
  • And whan that ye seint Urban han biholde,
  • Telle him the wordes whiche I to yow tolde;180
  • And whan that he hath purged yow fro sinne,
  • Thanne shul ye see that angel, er ye twinne.’
• • Valerian is to the place y-gon,
  • And right as him was taught by his lerninge,
  • He fond this holy olde Urban anon185
  • Among the seintes buriels lotinge.
  • And he anon, with-outen taryinge,
  • Dide his message; and whan that he it tolde,
  • Urban for Ioye his hondes gan up holde.
• • The teres from his yen leet he falle—190
  • ‘Almighty lord, o Iesu Crist,’ quod he,
  • ‘Sower of chast conseil, herde of us alle,
  • The fruit of thilke seed of chastitee
  • That thou hast sowe in Cecile, tak to thee!
  • Lo, lyk a bisy bee, with-outen gyle,195
  • Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral Cecile!
• • For thilke spouse, that she took but now
  • Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth here,
  • As meke as ever was any lamb, to yow!’
  • And with that worde, anon ther gan appere200
  • An old man, clad in whyte clothes clere,
  • That hadde a book with lettre of golde in honde,
  • And gan biforn Valerian to stonde.
• • Valerian as deed fil doun for drede
  • Whan he him saugh, and he up hente him tho,205
  • And on his book right thus he gan to rede—
  • ‘Oo Lord, oo feith, oo god with-outen mo,
  • Oo Cristendom, and fader of alle also,
  • Aboven alle and over al everywhere’—
  • Thise wordes al with gold y-writen were.210
• • Whan this was rad, than seyde this olde man,
  • ‘Levestow this thing or no? sey ye or nay.’
  • ‘I leve al this thing,’ quod Valerian,
  • ‘For sother thing than this, I dar wel say,
  • Under the hevene no wight thinke may.’215
  • Tho vanisshed the olde man, he niste where,
  • And pope Urban him cristened right there.
• • Valerian goth hoom, and fint Cecilie
  • With-inne his chambre with an angel stonde;
  • This angel hadde of roses and of lilie220
  • Corones two, the which he bar in honde;
  • And first to Cecile, as I understonde,
  • He yaf that oon, and after gan he take
  • That other to Valerian, hir make.
• • ‘With body clene and with unwemmed thoght225
  • Kepeth ay wel thise corones,’ quod he;
  • ‘Fro Paradys to yow have I hem broght,
  • Ne never-mo ne shal they roten be,
  • Ne lese her sote savour, trusteth me;
  • Ne never wight shal seen hem with his yë,230
  • But he be chaast and hate vileinyë.
• • And thou, Valerian, for thou so sone
  • Assentedest to good conseil also,
  • Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy bone.’
  • ‘I have a brother,’ quod Valerian tho,235
  • ‘That in this world I love no man so.
  • I pray yow that my brother may han grace
  • To knowe the trouthe, as I do in this place.’
• • The angel seyde, ‘god lyketh thy requeste,
  • And bothe, with the palm of martirdom,240
  • Ye shullen come unto his blisful feste.’
  • And with that word Tiburce his brother com.
  • And whan that he the savour undernom
  • Which that the roses and the lilies caste,
  • With-inne his herte he gan to wondre faste,245
• • And seyde, ‘I wondre, this tyme of the yeer,
  • Whennes that sote savour cometh so
  • Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer.
  • For though I hadde hem in myn hondes two,
  • The savour mighte in me no depper go.250
  • The sote smel that in myn herte I finde
  • Hath chaunged me al in another kinde.’
• • Valerian seyde, ‘two corones han we,
  • Snow-whyte and rose-reed, that shynen clere,
  • Whiche that thyn yen han no might to see;255
  • And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere,
  • So shaltow seen hem, leve brother dere,
  • If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe,
  • Bileve aright and knowen verray trouthe.’
• • Tiburce answerde, ‘seistow this to me260
  • In soothnesse, or in dreem I herkne this?’
  • ‘In dremes,’ quod Valerian, ‘han we be
  • Unto this tyme, brother myn, y-wis.
  • But now at erst in trouthe our dwelling is.’
  • ‘How woostow this,’ quod Tiburce, ‘in what wyse?’265
  • Quod Valerian, ‘that shal I thee devyse.
• • The angel of god hath me the trouthe y-taught
  • Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye
  • The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught.’—
• • And of the miracle of thise corones tweye270
  • Seint Ambrose in his preface list to seye;
  • Solempnely this noble doctour dere
  • Commendeth it, and seith in this manere:
• • The palm of martirdom for to receyve,
  • Seinte Cecile, fulfild of goddes yifte,275
  • The world and eek hir chambre gan she weyve;
  • Witnes Tyburces and Valerians shrifte,
  • To whiche god of his bountee wolde shifte
  • Corones two of floures wel smellinge,
  • And made his angel hem the corones bringe:280
• • The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above;
  • The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn,
  • Devocioun of chastitee to love.—
  • Tho shewede him Cecile al open and pleyn
  • That alle ydoles nis but a thing in veyn;285
  • For they been dombe, and therto they been deve,
  • And charged him his ydoles for to leve.
• • ‘Who so that troweth nat this, a beste he is,’
  • Quod tho Tiburce, ‘if that I shal nat lye.’
  • And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this,290
  • And was ful glad he coude trouthe espye.
  • ‘This day I take thee for myn allye,’
  • Seyde this blisful fayre mayde dere;
  • And after that she seyde as ye may here:
• • ‘Lo, right so as the love of Crist,’ quod she,295
  • ‘Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wyse
  • Anon for myn allye heer take I thee,
  • Sin that thou wolt thyn ydoles despyse.
  • Go with thy brother now, and thee baptyse,
  • And make thee clene; so that thou mowe biholde300
  • The angels face of which thy brother tolde.’
• • Tiburce answerde and seyde, ‘brother dere,
  • First tel me whider I shal, and to what man?’
  • ‘To whom?’ quod he, ‘com forth with right good chere,
  • I wol thee lede unto the pope Urban.’305
  • ‘Til Urban? brother myn Valerian,’
  • Quod tho Tiburce, ‘woltow me thider lede?
  • Me thinketh that it were a wonder dede.
• • Ne menestow nat Urban,’ quod he tho,
  • ‘That is so ofte dampned to be deed,310
  • And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro,
  • And dar nat ones putte forth his heed?
  • Men sholde him brennen in a fyr so reed
  • If he were founde, or that men mighte him spye;
  • And we also, to bere him companye—315
• • And whyl we seken thilke divinitee
  • That is y-hid in hevene prively,
  • Algate y-brend in this world shul we be!’
  • To whom Cecile answerde boldely,
  • ‘Men mighten dreden wel and skilfully320
  • This lyf to lese, myn owene dere brother,
  • If this were livinge only and non other.
• • But ther is better lyf in other place,
  • That never shal be lost, ne drede thee noght,
  • Which goddes sone us tolde thurgh his grace;325
  • That fadres sone hath alle thinges wroght;
  • And al that wroght is with a skilful thoght,
  • The goost, that fro the fader gan procede,
  • Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede.
• • By word and by miracle goddes sone,330
  • Whan he was in this world, declared here
  • That ther was other lyf ther men may wone.’
  • To whom answerde Tiburce, ‘o suster dere,
  • Ne seydestow right now in this manere,
  • Ther nis but o god, lord in soothfastnesse;335
  • And now of three how maystow bere witnesse?’
• • ‘That shal I telle,’ quod she, ‘er I go.
  • Right as a man hath sapiences three,
  • Memorie, engyn, and intellect also,
  • So, in o being of divinitee,340
  • Three persones may ther right wel be.’
  • Tho gan she him ful bisily to preche
  • Of Cristes come and of his peynes teche,
• • And many pointes of his passioun;
  • How goddes sone in this world was withholde,345
  • To doon mankinde pleyn remissioun,
  • That was y-bounde in sinne and cares colde:
  • Al this thing she unto Tiburce tolde.
  • And after this Tiburce, in good entente,
  • With Valerian to pope Urban he wente,350
• • That thanked god; and with glad herte and light
  • He cristned him, and made him in that place
  • Parfit in his lerninge, goddes knight.
  • And after this Tiburce gat swich grace,
  • That every day he saugh, in tyme and space,355
  • The angel of god; and every maner bone
  • That he god axed, it was sped ful sone.
• • It were ful hard by ordre for to seyn
  • How many wondres Iesus for hem wroghte;
  • But atte laste, to tellen short and pleyn,360
  • The sergeants of the toun of Rome hem soghte,
  • And hem biforn Almache the prefect broghte,
  • Which hem apposed, and knew al hir entente,
  • And to the image of Iupiter hem sente,
• • And seyde, ‘who so wol nat sacrifyse,365
  • Swap of his heed, this is my sentence here.’
  • Anon thise martirs that I yow devyse,
  • Oon Maximus, that was an officere
  • Of the prefectes and his corniculere,
  • Hem hente; and whan he forth the seintes ladde,370
  • Him-self he weep, for pitee that he hadde.
• • Whan Maximus had herd the seintes lore,
  • He gat him of the tormentoures leve,
  • And ladde hem to his hous withoute more;
  • And with hir preching, er that it were eve,375
  • They gonnen fro the tormentours to reve,
  • And fro Maxime, and fro his folk echone
  • The false feith, to trowe in god allone.
• • Cecilie cam, whan it was woxen night,
  • With preestes that hem cristned alle y-fere;380
  • And afterward, whan day was woxen light,
  • Cecile hem seyde with a ful sobre chere,
  • ‘Now, Cristes owene knightes leve and dere,
  • Caste alle awey the werkes of derknesse,
  • And armeth yow in armure of brightnesse.385
• • Ye han for sothe y-doon a greet bataille,
  • Your cours is doon, your feith han ye conserved,
  • Goth to the corone of lyf that may nat faille;
  • The rightful Iuge, which that ye han served,
  • Shall yeve it yow, as ye han it deserved.’390
  • And whan this thing was seyd as I devyse,
  • Men ladde hem forth to doon the sacrifyse.
• • But whan they weren to the place broght,
  • To tellen shortly the conclusioun,
  • They nolde encense ne sacrifice right noght,395
  • But on hir knees they setten hem adoun
  • With humble herte and sad devocioun,
  • And losten bothe hir hedes in the place.
  • Hir soules wenten to the king of grace.
• • This Maximus, that saugh this thing bityde,400
  • With pitous teres tolde it anon-right,
  • That he hir soules saugh to heven glyde
  • With angels ful of cleernesse and of light,
  • And with his word converted many a wight;
  • For which Almachius dide him so to-bete405
  • With whippe of leed, til he his lyf gan lete.
• • Cecile him took and buried him anoon
  • By Tiburce and Valerian softely,
  • Withinne hir burying-place, under the stoon.
  • And after this Almachius hastily410
  • Bad his ministres fecchen openly
  • Cecile, so that she mighte in his presence
  • Doon sacrifyce, and Iupiter encense.
• • But they, converted at hir wyse lore,
  • Wepten ful sore, and yaven ful credence415
  • Unto hir word, and cryden more and more,
  • ‘Crist, goddes sone withouten difference,
  • Is verray god, this is al our sentence,
  • That hath so good a servant him to serve;
  • This with o voys we trowen, thogh we sterve!’420
• • Almachius, that herde of this doinge,
  • Bad fecchen Cecile, that he might hir see,
  • And alderfirst, lo! this was his axinge,
  • ‘What maner womman artow?’ tho quod he.
  • ‘I am a gentil womman born,’ quod she.425
  • ‘I axe thee,’ quod he, ‘thogh it thee greve,
  • Of thy religioun and of thy bileve.’
• • ‘Ye han bigonne your question folily,’
  • Quod she, ‘that wolden two answeres conclude
  • In oo demande; ye axed lewedly.’430
  • Almache answerde unto that similitude,
  • ‘Of whennes comth thyn answering so rude?’
  • ‘Of whennes?’ quod she, whan that she was freyned,
  • ‘Of conscience and of good feith unfeyned.’
• • Almachius seyde, ‘ne takestow non hede435
  • Of my power?’ and she answerde him this—
  • ‘Your might,’ quod she, ‘ful litel is to drede;
  • For every mortal mannes power nis
  • But lyk a bladdre, ful of wind, y-wis.
  • For with a nedles poynt, whan it is blowe,440
  • May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe.’
• • ‘Ful wrongfully bigonne thou,’ quod he,
  • ‘And yet in wrong is thy perseveraunce;
  • Wostow nat how our mighty princes free
  • Han thus comanded and maad ordinaunce,445
  • That every cristen wight shal han penaunce
  • But-if that he his cristendom withseye,
  • And goon al quit, if he wol it reneye?’
• • ‘Your princes erren, as your nobley dooth,’
  • Quod tho Cecile, ‘and with a wood sentence450
  • Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth;
  • For ye, that knowen wel our innocence,
  • For as muche as we doon a reverence
  • To Crist, and for we bere a cristen name,
  • Ye putte on us a cryme, and eek a blame.455
• • But we that knowen thilke name so
  • For vertuous, we may it nat withseye.’
  • Almache answerde, ‘chees oon of thise two,
  • Do sacrifyce, or cristendom reneye,
  • That thou mowe now escapen by that weye.’460
  • At which the holy blisful fayre mayde
  • Gan for to laughe, and to the Iuge seyde,
• • ‘O Iuge, confus in thy nycetee,
  • Woltow that I reneye innocence,
  • To make me a wikked wight?’ quod she;465
  • ‘Lo! he dissimuleth here in audience,
  • He stareth and woodeth in his advertence!’
  • To whom Almachius, ‘unsely wrecche,
  • Ne woostow nat how far my might may strecche?
• • Han noght our mighty princes to me yeven,470
  • Ye, bothe power and auctoritee
  • To maken folk to dyen or to liven?
  • Why spekestow so proudly than to me?’
  • ‘I speke noght but stedfastly,’ quod she,
  • ‘Nat proudly, for I seye, as for my syde,475
  • We haten deedly thilke vyce of pryde.
• • And if thou drede nat a sooth to here,
  • Than wol I shewe al openly, by right,
  • That thou hast maad a ful gret lesing here.
  • Thou seyst, thy princes han thee yeven might480
  • Bothe for to sleen and for to quiken a wight;
  • Thou, that ne mayst but only lyf bireve,
  • Thou hast non other power ne no leve!
• • But thou mayst seyn, thy princes han thee maked
  • Ministre of deeth; for if thou speke of mo,485
  • Thou lyest, for thy power is ful naked.’
  • ‘Do wey thy boldnes,’ seyde Almachius tho,
  • ‘And sacrifyce to our goddes, er thou go;
  • I recche nat what wrong that thou me profre,
  • For I can suffre it as a philosophre;490
• • But thilke wronges may I nat endure
  • That thou spekest of our goddes here,’ quod he.
  • Cecile answerede, ‘o nyce creature,
  • Thou seydest no word sin thou spak to me
  • That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee;495
  • And that thou were, in every maner wyse,
  • A lewed officer and a veyn Iustyse.
• • Ther lakketh no-thing to thyn utter yen
  • That thou nart blind, for thing that we seen alle
  • That it is stoon, that men may wel espyen,500
  • That ilke stoon a god thou wolt it calle.
  • I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle,
  • And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it finde,
  • Sin that thou seest nat with thyn yen blinde.
• • It is a shame that the peple shal505
  • So scorne thee, and laughe at thy folye;
  • For comunly men woot it wel overal,
  • That mighty god is in his hevenes hye,
  • And thise images, wel thou mayst espye,
  • To thee ne to hem-self mowe nought profyte,510
  • For in effect they been nat worth a myte.’
• • Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she,
  • And he weex wroth, and bad men sholde hir lede
  • Hom til hir hous, ‘and in hir hous,’ quod he,
  • ‘Brenne hir right in a bath of flambes rede.’515
  • And as he bad, right so was doon in dede;
  • For in a bath they gonne hir faste shetten,
  • And night and day greet fyr they under betten.
• • The longe night and eek a day also,
  • For al the fyr and eek the bathes hete,520
  • She sat al cold, and felede no wo,
  • It made hir nat a drope for to swete.
  • But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete;
  • For he, Almachius, with ful wikke entente
  • To sleen hir in the bath his sonde sente.525
• • Three strokes in the nekke he smoot hir tho,
  • The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce
  • He mighte noght smyte al hir nekke a-two;
  • And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce,
  • That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce530
  • The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or sore,
  • This tormentour ne dorste do na-more.
• • But half-deed, with hir nekke y-corven there,
  • He lefte hir lye, and on his wey is went.
  • The cristen folk, which that aboute hir were,535
  • With shetes han the blood ful faire y-hent.
  • Thre dayes lived she in this torment,
• • And never cessed hem the feith to teche;
  • That she hadde fostred, hem she gan to preche;
• • And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thing,540
  • And to the pope Urban bitook hem tho,
  • And seyde, ‘I axed this at hevene king,
  • To han respyt three dayes and na-mo,
  • To recomende to yow, er that I go,
  • Thise soules, lo! and that I mighte do werche545
  • Here of myn hous perpetuelly a cherche.’
• • Seint Urban, with his deknes, prively
  • The body fette, and buried it by nighte
  • Among his othere seintes honestly.
  • Hir hous the chirche of seint Cecilie highte;550
  • Seint Urban halwed it, as he wel mighte;
  • In which, into this day, in noble wyse,
  • Men doon to Crist and to his seint servyse.

[683. ]E. Discheuelee.

[685. ]Hl. Cp. on; rest vp on.

[686. ]Hl. lay; which the rest omit.

[687. ]Hl. Cm. come; rest comen.

[688. ]Hl. eny (for hath a).

[690. ]Hn. yshaue; E. shaue.

[695. ]All oure.

[713. ]Hl. right (for ful).

[714. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. so meriely; E. Hn. Cm. the murierly.

[715. ]E. Hl. shortly; rest soothly.

[716. ]Hl. Thestat; Hn. Thestaat; E. The staat; Cm. Cp. The estat.

[*∗* ]For ll. 11929-34 in Tyrwhitt’s text, see Note at the foot of p. 289; for ll. 11935-12902, see pp. 290-319; for ll. 12903-15468, see pp. 165-289.

[7. ]Hn. Hl. hente; E. shente, Pt. shent, Ln. schent, wrongly.

[17. ]E. Hn. Pt. Ln. Hl. roten; Cm. rote.

[18. ]E. Hn. no good nencrees; Pt. Ln. non encrese; Hl. good encres; Cm. encrees.

[19. ]Cm. hire; Pt. hure; Hn. Ln. hir; E. it; Hl. her.

[27. ]Hn. Pt. of; E. Cm. Ln. Hl. with.

[28. ]Hn. Cm. Pt. Ln. martir seinte (seint); Hl. martir; E. mooder.

[32. ]Hn. mendite (showing the scansion).

[34. ]E. eterneel; Hn. Cm. eternal.

[43. ]E. Hn. Cm. Pt. sydis.

[44. ]E. eterneel; Hn. Cm. eternal.

[54. ]E. often; Hn. Cm. ofte.

[80. ]Hn. Cm. tendite (shewing the scansion).

[82. ]E. Hn. Cm. Hl. him; but Cp. Pt. Ln. hem.

[83. ]Cm. folwe; E. Hn. Hl. folwen; Cp. Pt. Ln. folowen.

[84. ]E. I pray; Cp. And pray I; rest And pray (or prei, or preye).

[]Heading.In margin of E. Hn. (E. om. Aurea).

[85. ]E. omits yow.

[91. ]E. favour; rest savour; see l. 229.

[95. ]E. maneré.

[110. ]E. Syen; Cp. Ln. Seyen; Hn. Sayen.

[134. ]Hl. Hn. organs; Ln. orgens; E. Orgues; Cp. Orgles; Pt. Orgels.

[137. ]E. it; rest I.

[138. ]Hn. Cm. Cp. Hl. deyde; E. dyde.

[139. ]E. Hn. and; rest or.

[147. ]E. me; rest it; see l. 150.

[152. ]E. aungel; but angel in 165, 170.

[164. ]E. aungel; but angel in 165, 170.

[171. ]on] E. in.

[178. ]E. thynges; rest nedes, nedis, needes

[180. ]E. Cp. Ln. Hl. whiche þat I; but Hn. Cm. Pt. omit that.

[190. ]Ln. yen; rest eyen, eyhen.

[192. ]E. Hn. hierde.

[197. ]E. Hl. right; rest but.

[203. ]E. bifore; Hl. to-forn; rest biforn, biforne, beforne.

[208. ]E. Hn. Cm. O; Hl. On; Cp. Pt. Ln. Of.

[209. ]E. omits and.

[210. ]Hl. omits.

[211. ]Hl. omits.

[212. ]Hl. omits.

[213. ]Hl. omits.

[214. ]Hl. omits.

[214. ]E. oother; rest sother.

[215. ]Hl. omits.

[216. ]Hl. omits.

[216. ]E. Hn. Cm. this; Pt. that; Cp. Ln. the.

[217. ]Hl. Pt. cristened; Cm. cristenede; E. Hn. Cp. cristned.

[226. ]E. three; Hl. thre; rest quod he.

[251. ]The MSS. have swete here; but in l. 247 we find only sote, soote, swote, suote, except swete in Pt.; in l. 229, E. Hl. soote; Hn. swote; Cm. sote; Cp. Pt. Ln. swete.

[267. ]E. Ln. Hl omit the.

[273. ]E. hym; rest it.

[277. ]The MSS. have Cecilies, wrongly (for Valerians); Lat. text—Ualeriani; cf. l. 281.

[281. ]E. Hn. omit thise; the rest retain it, except Cm., which has brought hem to blysse.

[284. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit al.

[288. ]E. Hn. Pt. beest; Hl. best; Cm. Cp. Ln. beste.

[303. ]E. Hn. Cm. that I; rest omit that.

[304. ]Hl. om. right.

[323. ]Ln. Hl. Pt. better; E. Hn. bettre.

[326. ]E. thyng ywroght; Hn. Cm. thynges wroght.

[326. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[327. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[328. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[329. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[330. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[331. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[332. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[333. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[334. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[335. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[336. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[337. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. omit.

[340. ]E. omits o.

[355. ]E. saugh; Hl. say.

[363. ]Hl. apposed; the rest opposed, wrongly.

[366. ]E. Cm. Hl. omit is.

[373. ]E. Hn. Pt. Ln. tormentours.

[382. ]E. Hn. Hl. ful stedefast; Cm. ful sobere; Cp. Pt. Ln. sobre.

[384. ]Cp. Pt. Casteth; rest Cast.

[392. ]E. Hn. Cm. ledde.

[398. ]E. Hn. Cm. heuedes; rest hedes.

[400. ]E. saugh; Hn. Cp. Hl. say.

[404. ]E. this; rest his.

[405. ]E. Hn. Cm. Hl. so bete; Cp Pt. Ln. so to-bete.

[406. ]E. the; rest his.

[418. ]E. omits al.

[424. ]Cp. Pt. Ln. tho; rest omit.

[436. ]Hn. Hl. this; Cm. Cp. Pt. Ln. thus; E. omits.

[451. ]E. Hn. Cm. omit it.

[467. ]E. and he; rest omit he.

[475. ]E. speke; rest seye.

[487. ]Hl. lewednes; rest boldnesse.

[510. ]E. Ln. insert ne before mowe; E. mowen; Hn. mowe.

[518. ]E. fyre; Hn. Cm. fyr.

[521. ]Cm. felede; E. Hn. feled; Cp. Pt. Ln. felt of it.

[524. ]E. Hn. a ful; Cm. a; rest ful.

[528. ]Cp. Pt. smyten; rest smyte.

[530. ]man (2)] E. men.

[534. ]Cm. is went; rest he wente (or he went) against the rime.

[542. ]E. at; rest of; see G 621.

[548. ]E. This; rest The.

[550. ]E. Hn. Ln. seinte.

[553. ]E. Hn. Pt. seinte; Cp. seintz; Pt. seintes.

Colophon.From E. Hn.; Hl. Here endeth the secounde Nonne hir tale of the lif of seint Cecilie.