The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 154v
6 of 13 folios
And pope vrbane him cristene riht þere
Valerian goþe home & sein cecile
¶ Wiþ inne his chambur he sauhe an Aungel stande
220
Þis Aungel hadde of Roses & of lyle
Corons tuo whiche he bare in hande
And first to Cecile as .I. vnderstande
He ȝaf þat one & after gan he take
Þe toþer to valerian hire make
225
¶ Wiþ body clene & vnwēmed þouht
Kepe ay wele þis Corounes qd he
Frome paradise to ȝowe haue .I. hem brouht
Ne neuer more schoƚƚ þei roten be
Ne lese her swete sauore trusteþ me
230
Ne neuer whight schal seen hem wiþ his eyȝe
Bot he be chaste & hate velanye
¶ And þou walerian for þou sone
Assentest to good counsel alsoo
Sey what þe lust & þou schalt haue þi bone
235
.I. haue a broþer qd valerian þoo
Þat in þis werd .I. loue no man soo
.I. praie ȝowe þat my broþer maie haue grace
To knowe þe trouþe as .I. do in þis place
¶ The Angel ansewarde god lykeþ ȝoure request
240
And boþe wiþ þe paine of marterdome
Ȝe schol com vnto þe blisful feste
And wiþ þat worde Tiburce his broþer come
And whan þat he þe sauoure vnder nome
Wiþ þat þe roses & þe lyles Caste
245
Wiþ inne his herte he gan to wonder fast
¶ And seide in þis time .I. wonder of þe ȝere
Whens þis suote sauor comeþ so
And Roses & lilys it .I. smeƚƚ here
For þouhe .I. had hem in myn hondes tuo
250
The sauoure in me myht no depper go
The swete smel it in myne here .I. finde
Haþe chaūged me al in anoþer kinde
¶ Valerian seide tuo corounes haue we
Snowe white & rose rede þat schyneþ clere
255
Whiche þat þine yen haue no myht to se
And as þou smellest hem þoruhe my preiere
So schalt þou seen leue broþer dere
If it so be þat wolte wiþ oute slouþe