The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 167v
5 of 16 folios
xxx nyght cam / and to bedde moste she gon
With hir housbonde / as ofte is the manere
And piuely / to hym she seyde anon
O swete / and wel biloued spouse deere
145
Ther is a conseil / and ye wolde it heere
Which that right fayn / I wolde vn to yow seye
So that ye swere / ye shul it nat biwreye
¶ Valerian gan faste / vn to hir swere
That for no cas / ne thyng þt myghte be
150
He sholde neuere mo biwreyen here
And thanne at erst to hym seyde she
I haue an Aungel which that loueth me
That with gret loue / wher so I wake or slepe
Is redy ay / my body for to kepe
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¶ And if that he / may feelen out of drede
That ye me touche / or loue in vileynye
He right anon / wol sleen yow with the dede
And in youre youthe / thus ye shullen dye
And if that ye / in clene loue me gye
160
He wol yow loue as me / for youre clennesse
And shewe to yow / his ioye and his brightnesse
¶ This Valerian / corrected as god wolde
Answerde agayn / if I shal trusten thee
Lat me that aungel seen / and hym biholde
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And if that it / a verray Aungel be
Thanne wol I doon / as thow hast prayed me
And if thow loue another man / for sothe
Right with this swerd / than wol I sle yow bothe
¶ Cecile answerde / right in this wise
170
If that yow list the Aungel shal ye se
So that ye trowe on crist and yow baptise
Goth forth / to Via Apia . quod she
That fro this town / ne stant but Milys thre
And to the poure folkes / that ther dwellen
175
Sey hem right thus / as that I shal yow tellen