The Second Nun's Prologue
1: The ministre and norice unto vices 
2: Which that men clepe in englissh ydelnesse, 
3: That porter of the gate is of delices, 
4: To eschue, and by hire contrarie hire oppresse, 
5: That is to seyn, by leveful bisynesse, 
6: Wel oghten we to doon al oure entente, 
7: Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us hente. 
8: For he that with his thousand cordes slye 
9: Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe, 
10: Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye, 
11: He kan so lightly cache hym in his trappe, 
12: Til that a man be hent right by the lappe, 
13: He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde. 
14: Wel oghte us werche, and ydelnesse withstonde. 
15: And though men dradden nevere for to dye, 
16: Yet seen men wel by resoun, doutelees, 
17: That ydelnesse is roten slogardye, 
18: Of which ther nevere comth no good n' encrees, 
19: And syn that slouthe hire holdeth in a lees 
20: Oonly to slepe, and for to ete and drynke, 
21: And to devouren al that othere swynke, 
22: And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse, 
23: That cause is of so greet confusioun, 
24: I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse 
25: After the legende, in translacioun 
26: Right of thy glorious lif and passioun, 
27: Thou with thy gerland wroght with rose and lilie, -- 
28: Thee meene I, mayde and martyr, seint cecile. 

Invocacio ad mariam
29: And thow that flour of birgines art alle, 
30: Of whom that bernard list so wel to write, 
31: To thee at my bigynnyng first I calle; 
32: Thou confort of us wrecches, do me endite 
33: Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hire merite 
34: The eterneel lyf, and of the feend victorie, 
35: As man may after reden in hire storie. 
36: Thow mayde and mooder, doghter of thy sone, 
37: Thow welle of mercy, synful soules cure, 
38: In whom that God for bountee chees to wone, 
39: Thow humble, and heigh over every creature, 
40: Thow nobledest so ferforth oure nature, 
41: That no desdeyn the makere hadde of kynde 
42: His sone in blood and flessh to clothe and wynde. 
43: Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydis 
44: Took mannes shap the eterneel love and pees, 
45: That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is, 
46: Whom erthe and see and hevene, out of relees, 
47: Ay heryen; and thou, virgine wemmelees, 
48: Baar of thy body -- and dweltest mayden pure -- 
49: The creatour of every creature. 
50: Assembled is in thee magnificence 
51: With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee 
52: That thou, that art the sonne of excellence 
53: Nat oonly helpest hem that preyen thee, 
54: But often tyme, of thy benygnytee, 
55: Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche, 
56: Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche. 
57: Now help, thow meeke and blisful faire mayde, 
58: Me, flemed wrecche, in this desert of galle; 
59: Thynk on the womman cananee, that sayde 
60: That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle 
61: That from hir lordes table been yfalle; 
62: And though that I, unworthy sone of eve, 
63: Be synful, yet accepte my bileve. 
64: And, for that teith is deed withouten werkis, 
65: So for to werken yif me wit and space, 
66: That I be quit fro thennes that most derk is! 
67: O thou, that art so fair and ful of grace, 
68: Be myn advocat in that heighe place 
69: Theras withouten ende is songe osanne, 
70: Thow cristes mooder, doghter deere of anne! 
71: And of thy light my soule in prison lighte, 
72: That troubled is by the contagioun 
73: Of my body, and also by the wighte 
74: Of erthely lust and fals affeccioun; 
75: O havene of refut, o salvacioun 
76: Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse, 
77: Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse. 
78: Yet preye I yow that reden that I write, 
79: Foryeve me that I do no diligence 
80: This ilke storie subtilly to endite, 
81: For bothe have I the wordes and sentence 
82: Of hym that at the seintes reverence 
83: The storie wroot, and folwen hire legende, 
84: And pray yow that ye wole my wek amende. 

interpretacio nominis Cecilie quam ponit Frater Jacobus Januensis in legenda
85: First wolde I yow the name of seint cecilie 
86: Expowne, as men may in hir storie see. 
87: It is to seye in englissh hevenes lilie, 
88: For pure chaastnesse of virginitee; 
89: Or, ofr she whitnesse hadde of honestee, 
90: And grene of conscience, and of good fame 
91: The soote savour, lilie was hir name. 
92: Or cecilie is to seye the wey to blynde, 
93: For she ensample was by good techynge; 
94: Or elles cecile, as I writen fynde, 
95: Is joyned, by a manere conjoynynge 
96: Of hevene and lia; and heere, in figurynge, 
97: The hevene is set for thoght of hoolynesse, 
98: And lia for hire lastynge bisynesse. 
99: Cecile may eek be seyd in this manere, 
100: Wantynge of blyndnesse, for hir grete light 
101: Of sapience, and for hire thewes cleere; 
102: Or elles, loo, this maydens name bright 
103: Of hevene and leos comth, for which by right 
104: Men myghte hire wel the hevene of peple calle, 
105: Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle. 
106: For leos peple in englissh is to seye, 
107: And right as men may in the hevene see 
108: The sonne and moone and sterres every weye, 
109: Right so men goostly in this mayden free 
110: Seyen of feith the magnanymytee, 
111: And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience, 
112: And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence. 
113: And right so as thise philosophres write 
114: That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge, 
115: Right so was faire cecilie the white 
116: Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge, 
117: And round and hool in good perseverynge, 
118: And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte. 
119: Now have I yow declared what she highte. 


The Second Nun's Tale
120: This mayden bright cecilie, as hir lif seith, 
121: Was comen of romayns, and of noble kynde, 
122: And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith 
123: Of crist, and bar his gospel in hir mynde. 
124: She nevere cessed, as I writen fynde, 
125: Of hir preyere, and God to love and drede, 
126: Bisekynge hym to kepe hir maydenhede. 
127: And whan this mayden sholde unto a man 
128: Ywedded be, that was ful yong of age, 
129: Which that ycleped was valerian, 
130: And day was comen of hir marriage, 
131: She, ful devout and humble in hir corage, 
132: Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful faire, 
133: Hadde next hire flessh yclad hire in an haire. 
134: And whil the organs maden melodie, 
135: To God allone in herte thus sang she: 
136: O lord, my soule and eek my body gye 
137: Unwemmed, lest that it confounded be. 
138: And, for his love that dyde upon a tree, 
139: Every seconde and thridde day she faste, 
140: Ay biddynge in hire orisons ful faste. 
141: The nyght cam, and to bedde moste she gon 
142: With hire housbonde, as ofte is the manere, 
143: And pryvely to hym she seyde anon, 
144: O sweete and wel biloved spouse deere, 
145: Ther is a conseil, and ye wolde it heere, 
146: Which that right fayn I wolde unto yow seye, 
147: So that ye swere ye shul it nat biwreye. 
148: Valerian gan faste unto hire swere 
149: That for no cas, ne thyng that myghte be, 
150: He sholde nevere mo biwreyen here; 
151: And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she: 
152: I have an aungel which that loveth me, 
153: That with greet love, wher so I wake or sleepe, 
154: Is redy ay my body for to kepe. 
155: And if that he may feelen, out of drede, 
156: That ye me touche, or love in vileynye, 
157: He right anon wol sle yow with the dede, 
158: And in youre yowthe thus ye shullen dye; 
159: And if that ye in clene love me gye, 
160: He wol yow loven as me, for youre clennesse, 
161: And shewen yow his joye and his brightnesse. 
162: Valerian, corrected as God wolde, 
163: Answerde agayn, if I shal trusten thee, 
164: Lat me that aungel se, and hym biholde; 
165: And if that it a verray angel bee, 
166: Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me; 
167: And if thou love another man, for sothe 
168: Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe. 
169: Cecile answerde anon-right in this wise: 
170: If that yow list, the angel shul ye see, 
171: So that ye trowe on crist and yow baptize. 
172: Gooth forth to via apia, quod shee, 
173: That fro this toun ne stant but miles three, 
174: And to the povre folkes that ther dwelle, 
175: Sey hem right thus, as that I shal yow telle. 
176: Telle hem that I, cecile, yow to hem sente, 
177: To shewen yow the goode urban the olde, 
178: For secree nedes and for good entente. 
179: And whan that ye seint urban han biholde, 
180: Telle hym the wordes whiche I to yow tolde; 
181: And whan that he hath purged yow fro synne, 
182: Thanne shul ye se that angel, er ye twynne. 
183: Valerian is to the place ygon, 
184: And right as hym was taught by his lernynge, 
185: He foond this hooly olde urban anon 
186: Among the seintes buryeles lotynge. 
187: And he anon, withouten tariynge, 
188: Dide his message; and whan that he it tolde, 
189: Urban for joye his handes gan up holde. 
190: The teeris from his eyen leet he falle. 
191: Almyghty lord, o jhesu crist, quod he, 
192: Sower of chaast conseil, hierde of us alle, 
193: The fruyt of thilke seed of chastitee 
194: That thou hast sowe in cecile, taak to thee! 
195: Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gile, 
196: Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral cecile. 
197: For thilke spouse that she took but now 
198: Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth heere, 
199: As meke as evere was any lomb, to yow! 
200: And with that word anon ther gan appeere 
201: An oold man, clad in white clothes cleere, 
202: That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde, 
203: And gan bifore valerian to stonde. 
204: Valerian as deed fil doun for drede 
205: Whan he hym saugh, and he up hente hym tho, 
206: And on his book right thus he gan to rede: 
207: O lord, o feith, o god, withouten mo, 
208: O cristendom, and fader of alle also, 
209: Aboven alle and over alle everywhere. 
210: Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were. 
211: Whan this was rad, thanne seyde this olde man, 
212: Leevestow this thyng or no? sey ye or nay. 
213: I leeve al this thyng, quod valerian, 
214: For sother thyng than this, I dar wel say, 
215: Under the hevene no wight thynke may. 
216: Tho vanysshed the olde man, he nyste where, 
217: And pope urban hym cristned right there. 
218: Valerian gooth hoom and fynt cecilie 
219: Withinne his chambre with an angel stonde. 
220: This angel hadde of roses and of lilie 
221: Corones two, the which he bar in honde; 
222: And first to cecile, as I understonde, 
223: He yaf that oon, and after gan he take 
224: That oother to valerian, hir make. 
225: With body clene and with unwemmed though 
226: Kepeth ay wel thise corones, quod he; 
227: Fro paradys to yow have I hem broght, 
228: Ne nevere mo ne shal they roten bee, 
229: Ne lese hir soote savour, trusteth me; 
230: Ne nevere wight shal seen hem with his ye, 
231: But he be chaast and hate vileynye. 
232: And thow, valerian, for thow so soone 
233: Assentedest to good conseil also, 
234: Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy boone. 
235: I have a brother,quod valerian tho, 
236: That in this world I love no man so. 
237: I pray yow that my brother may han grace 
238: To knowe the trouthe, as I do in this place. 
239: The angel seyde,god liketh thy requeste, 
240: And bothe, with the palm of martirdom, 
241: Ye shullen come unto his blisful feste. 
242: And with that word tiburce his brother coom. 
243: And whan that he the savour undernoom, 
244: Which that the roses and the lilies caste, 
245: Withinne his herte he gan to wondre faste, 
246: And seyde,i wondre, this tyme of the yeer 
247: Whennes that soote savour cometh so 
248: Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer. 
249: For though I hadde hem in myne handes two. 
250: The savour myghte in me no depper go. 
251: The sweete smel that in myn herte I fynde 
252: Hath chaunged me al in another kynde. 
253: Valerian seyde: two corones han we, 
254: Snow white and rose reed, that shynen cleere, 
255: Whiche that thyne eyen han no myght to see; 
256: And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere, 
257: So shaltow seen hem,leeve brother deere, 
258: If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe, 
259: Bileve aright and knowen verray troughe, 
260: Tiburce answerde, seistow this to me 
261: In soothnesse, or in dreem I herkne this? 
262: In dremes, quod valerian, han we be 
263: Unto this tyme, brother myn, ywis. 
264: But now at erst in trouthe oure dwellyng is. 
265: How woostow this? quod tiburce, and in what wyse? 
266: Quod valerian, that shal I thee devyse. 
267: The aungel of God hath me the trouthe ytaught 
268: Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye 
269: The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught. 
270: And of the myracle of thise corones tweye 
271: Seint ambrose in his preface list to seye; 
272: Solempnely this noble doctour deere 
273: Commendeth it, and seith in this manere: 
274: The palm of martirdom for to receyve, 
275: Seinte cecile, fulfild of goddes yifte, 
276: The world and eek hire chambre gan she weyve; 
277: Witnesse tyburces and valerians shrifte, 
278: To whiche God of his bountee wolde shifte 
279: Corones two of floures wel smellynge, 
280: And make his angel hem the corones brynge. 
281: The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above; 
282: The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn, 
283: Devocioun of chastitee to love. 
284: Tho shewed hym cecile al open and pleyn 
285: That alle ydoles nys but a thyng in veyn, 
286: For they been dombe, and therto they been deve, 
287: And charged hym his ydoles for to leve. 
288: Whoso that troweth nat this, a beest he is, 
289: Quod tho tiburce, if that I shal nat lye. 
290: And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this, 
291: And was ful glad he koude trouthe espye. 
292: This day I take thee for myn allye, 
293: Seyde this blisful faire mayde deere, 
294: And after that, she seyde as ye may heere: 
295: Lo, right so as the love of crist, quod she, 
296: Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wise 
297: Anon for myn allye heer take I thee, 
298: Syn that thou wolt thyne ydoles despise. 
299: Go with thy brother now, and thee baptise, 
300: And make thee clene, so that thou mowe biholde 
301: The angels face of which thy brother tolde. 
302: Tiburce answerde and seyde, brother deere, 
303: First el me whider I shal, and to what man? 
304: To whom? quod he, com forth with right good cheere, 
305: I wol thee lede unto the pope urban. 
306: Til urban?brother myn valerian, 
307: Quod tho tiburce, woltow me thider lede? 
308: Me thynketh that it were a wonder dede. 
309: Ne menestow nat urban,quod he tho, 
310: That is so ofte dampned to be deed, 
311: And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro, 
312: And dar nat ones putte forth his heed? 
313: Men sholde hym brennen in a fyr so reed 
314: If he were founde, or that men myghte hym spye, 
315: And we also, to bere hym compaignye; 
316: And whil we seken thile divinitee 
317: That is yhid in hevene pryvely, 
318: Algate ybrend in this world shul we bel 
319: To whom cecile answerde boldely, 
320: Men myghten dreden wel and skilfully 
321: This lyf to lese, myn owene deere brother, 
322: If this were lyvynge oonly and noon oother. 
323: But ther is bettre lif in oother place, 
324: That nevere shal be lost, ne drede thee noght, 
325: Which goddes sone us tolde thurgh his grace. 
326: That fadres sone hath alle thyng ywroght, 
327: And al that wroght is with a skilful though, 
328: The goost, that fro the fader gan procede, 
329: Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede. 
330: By word and by myracle heigh goodes sone 
331: Whan he was in this world, declared heere 
332: That ther was oother lyf ther men may wone. 
333: To whom answerde tiburce,o suster deere, 
334: Ne seydestow right now in this manere, 
335: Ther nys but o god, lord in soothfastnesse? 
336: And now of three how maystow bere witnesse? 
337: That shal I telle,quod she, er I go. 
338: Right as a man hath sapiences three, 
339: Memorie, engyn, and intellect also, 
340: So in o beynge of divinitee, 
341: Thre persones may ther wright wel bee. 
342: Tho gan she hym ful bisily to preche 
343: Of cristes come, and of his peynes teche, 
344: And manye pointes of his passioun; 
345: How goddes sone in this world was withholde 
346: To doon mankynde pleyn remissioun, 
347: That was ybounde in synne and cares colde, 
348: Al this thyng she unto tiburce tolde. 
349: And after this, tiburce in good entente 
350: With valerian to pope urban he wente, 
351: That thanked god, and with glad herte light 
352: He cristned hyn, and made hym in that place 
353: Parfit in his lernynge, goddes knyght. 
354: And after this, tiburce gat swich grace 
355: That every day he saugh, in tyme and space, 
356: The aungel of god; and every maner boone 
357: That he God axed, it was sped ful soone. 
358: If were ful hard by ordre for to seyn 
359: How manye wondres jhesus for hem wroghte; 
360: But atte laste, to tellen short and pleyn, 
361: The sergeantz of the toun of rome hem soghte, 
362: And hem biforn almache, the prefect, broghte, 
363: Which hem apposed, and knew al hire entente, 
364: And to the ymage of juppiter hem sente, 
365: And seyde, whoso wol nat sacrifise, 
366: Swape of his heed; this my sentence heer. 
367: Anon thise martirs that I yow devyse, 
368: Oon maximus, that was an officer 
369: Of the prefectes, and his corniculer, 
370: Hem hente, and whan he forth the seintes ladde, 
371: Hymself he weep for pitee that he hadde. 
372: Whan maximus had herd the seintes loore, 
373: He gat hym of the tormentoures leve, 
374: And ladde hem to his hous withoute moore, 
375: And with hir prechyng, er that it were eve, 
376: They gonnen fro the tormentours to reve, 
377: And fro maxime, and fro his fold echone, 
378: The false feith, to trowe in God allone. 
379: Cecile cam, whan it was woxen nyght, 
380: With preestes that hem cristned alle yfeere; 
381: And afterward, whan day was woxen light, 
382: Cecile hem seyde with a ful stedefast cheere, 
383: Now, Christes owene knyghtes leeve and deere, 
384: Cast alle awey the werkes of derknesse, 
385: And armeth yow in armure of brightnesse. 
386: Ye han for sothe ydoon a greet bataille, 
387: Youre cours is doon, youre feith han ye conserved. 
388: Gooth to the corone of lif that may nat faille; 
389: The rightful juge, which that ye han served, 
390: Shal yeve it yow, as ye han it deserved. 
391: And whan this thyng was seyd as I devyse, 
392: Men ledde hem forth to doon the sacrefise. 
393: But whan they weren to the place broght 
394: To tellen shortly the conclusioun, 
395: They nolde encense ne sacrifise right noght, 
396: But on hir knees they setten hem adoun 
397: With humble herte and sad devocioun, 
398: And losten bothe hir hevedes in the place. 
399: Hir soules wenten to the kyng of grace. 
400: This maximus, that saugh this thyng bityde, 
401: With pitous teeris tolde it anonright, 
402: That he hir soules saugh to hevene glyde 
403: With aungels ful of cleernesse and of light, 
404: And with his word converted many a wight; 
405: For which almachius dide hym so tobete 
406: With whippe of leed, til he his lif gan lete. 
407: Cecile hym took and buryed hym anon 
408: By tiburce and valerian softely 
409: Withinne hire buriyng place, under the stoon; 
410: And after this, almachius hastily 
411: Bad his ministres fecchen openly 
412: Cecile, so that she myghte in his presence 
413: Doon sacrifice, and juppiter encense. 
414: But they, converted at hir wise loore, 
415: Wepten ful soore, and yaven ful credence 
416: Unto hire word, and cryden moore and moore, 
417: Crist, goddes sone, withouten difference, 
418: Is verray God -- this is al oure sentence -- 
419: That hath so good a servant hym to serve. 
420: This with o voys we trowen, thogh we sterve! 
421: Almachius, that herde of this doynge, 
422: Bad fecchen cecile, that he myghte hire see, 
423: And alderfirst, lo! this was his axynge. 
424: What maner womman artow? tho quod he. 
425: I am a gentil womman born, quod she. 
426: I axe thee, quod he, though it thee greeve, 
427: Of thy religioun and of thy bileeve. 
428: Ye han bigonne youre questioun folily, 
429: Quod she, that wolden two answers conclude 
430: In o demande; ye axed lewedly. 
431: Almache answerde unto that similitude, 
432: Of whennes comth thyn answeryng so rude? 
433: Of whennes? quod she, whan that she was freyned, 
434: Of conscience and of good feith unfeyned. 
435: Almachius seyde, ne takestow noon heede 
436: Of my power? and she answerde hym this: 
437: Youre myght, quod she, ful litel is to dreede. 
438: For every mortal mannes power nys 
439: But lyk a bladdre ful of wynd ywys. 
440: For with nedles poynt, whan it is blowe, 
441: May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe. 
442: Ful wrongfully bigonne thow, quod he, 
443: And yet in wrong is thy perserveraunce. 
444: Wostow nat how oure myghty princes free 
445: Han thus comanded and maad ordinaunce, 
446: That every cristen wight shal han penaunce 
447: But if that he his cristendom withseye, 
448: And foon al quit, if he wole it reneye? 
449: Yowre princes erren, as youre nobleye dooth, 
450: Quod tho cecile, and with a wood sentence 
451: Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth. 
452: For ye, that knowen wel oure innocence, 
453: For as muche as we doon a reverence 
454: To crist, and for we berre a cristen name, 
455: Ye putte on us a cryme, and eek a blame. 
456: But we that knowen thilke name so 
457: For vertuous, we may it nat withseye. 
458: Almache answerde, chees oon of thise two: 
459: Do sacrifice, or cristendom reneye, 
460: That thou mowe now escapen by that weye. 
461: At which the hooly blisful faire mayde 
462: Gan for to laughe, and to juge sayde: 
463: O juge, confus in thy nycetee, 
464: Woltow that I reneye innocence, 
465: To make me a wikked wight? quod shee. 
466: Lo, he dissymuleth heere in audience; 
467: He stareth, and woodeth in his advertence! 
468: To whom almachius, unsely wrecche, 
469: Ne woostow nat how fer my myght may strecche? 
470: Han noght oure myghty princes to me yiven, 
471: Ye, bothe power and auctoritee 
472: To maken folk to dyen or to lyven? 
473: Why spekestow so proudly thanne to me? 
474: I speke noght but stedfastly, quod she; 
475: Nat prudly, for I seye, as for my syde, 
476: We haten deedly thilke vice of pryde. 
477: And if thou drede nat a sooth to heere, 
478: Thanne wol I shewe al openly, by right, 
479: That thou hast maad a ful gret lesyng heere. 
480: Thou seyst thy princes han thee yeven myght 
481: Bothe for to sleen and for to quyken a wight; 
482: Thou, that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireve, 
483: Thou hast noon oother power ne no leve. 
484: But thou mayst seyn thy princes han thee maked 
485: Ministre of deeth; for if thou speke of mo, 
486: Thou lyest, for thy power is ful naked. 
487: Do wey thy booldnesse, seyde almachius tho, 
488: And sacrifice to oure goddes, er thou go! 
489: Irecche nat what wrong that thou me profre, 
490: For I kan suffre it as a philosophre; 
491: But thilke wronges may I nat endure 
492: That thou spekest of oure goddes heere, quod 
493: Cecile answerde, o nyce creature! 
494: Thou seydest no word syn thou spak to me 
495: That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee; 
496: And that thou were, in every maner wise, 
497: A lewed officer and a veyn justise. 
498: Ther lakketh no thyng to thyne outer yen 
499: That thou n' art blynd; for thyng that we seen alle 
500: That it is stoon, -- that men may wel espyen, -- 
501: That ilke stoon a God tho wolt it calle. 
502: I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle, 
503: And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it fynde, 
504: Syn that thou seest nat with thyne eyen blynde. 
505: It is a shame that the peple shal 
506: So scorne thee, and laughe at thy folye; 
507: For communly men woot it wel overal 
508: That myghty God is in his hevenes hye; 
509: And thise ymages, wel thou mayst espye, 
510: To thee ne to hemself mowen noght profite, 
511: For in effect thy been nat worth a myte. 
512: Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she, 
513: And he weex wroth, and bad men sholde hir lede 
514: Hom til hir hous, and in hire hous, quod he, 
515: Brenne hire right in a bath of flambes rede. 
516: And as he bad, right so was doon the dede; 
517: For in a bath they gonne hire faste shetten, 
518: And nyght and day greet fyr they under betten. 
519: The longe nyght, and eek a day also, 
520: For al the fyr, and eek the bathes heete, 
521: She sat al coold, and feelede no wo. 
522: It made hire nat a drope for to sweete. 
523: But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete, 
524: For he almachius, with ful wikke entente, 
525: To sleen hire in the bath his sonde sente. 
526: Thre strokes in the nekke he smoot hire tho, 
527: The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce 
528: He myghte noght smyte al hir nekke atwo; 
529: And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce 
530: That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce 
531: The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or soore, 
532: This tormentour ne dorste do namoore, 
533: But half deed, with hir nekke ycorven there, 
534: He lefte hir lye, and on his wey is went. 
535: The cristen folk, which that aboute hire were, 
536: With sheetes han the blood ful faire yhent. 
537: Thre dayes lyved she in this torment, 
538: And nevere cessed hem the feithe to teche 
539: That she hadde fostred; hem she gan to preche, 
540: And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thyng, 
541: And to the pope urban bitook hem tho, 
542: And seyde, I axed this of hevene kyng, 
543: To han respit thre dayes and namo, 
544: To recomende to yow, er that I go, 
545: Thise soules, lo! and that I myghte do werche 
546: Heere of myn hous perpetuilly a cherche. 
547: Seint urban, with his deknes, prively 
548: The body fette, and buryed it by nyghte 
549: Among his othere seintes honestly. 
550: Hir hous the chirche of seint cecilie highte; 
551: Seint urban halwed it, as he wel myghte; 
552: In which, into this day, in noble wyse, 
553: Men doon to crist and to his seint servyse.

Return to: directory.html Canterbury Tales Directory