The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 83v
4 of 16 folios
Cecilie may ek be seyde in this maner
100
Wantyng of blyndenesse for hir gret lyght
Of sapience and for hir thewes clere
Or elles lo this maydenes name bryght
Of heuene and leos comth for which be ryght
Men myght hir wel the heuene of peple calle
105
Ensample of good and wyse werkes alle
For leos peple in englyssh is to seye
And ryght as men may in the heuen se
The sonne and moone and sterres euery wey
Ryght so men goostly in this mayden fre
110
Sayn of faith the magnanymyte
And ek the clerenesse hool and sapience
And sondry werkes bryght of excellence
And ryght so as this philosophres wryte
That heuene is swift and round and brennyng
115
Ryght so was feire cecilie the white
Ful swift and bisy euer in good werkyng
And round and hool in good perseueryng
And brennyng euer in charite ful bryght
Now haue I yow declared what she hight
120
This mayden bryght Cecilie as hir lyf seyth
Was come of Romaynes and of noble kynde
And from hir cradel vp fostred in feyth
Of crist and bar his gospel in hir mynde
She neuer cesed as I wryten fynde
125
Of hir praier and god to loue and drede
Bysekyng hym to kepe hir maydenhede
And whan this mayden sholde vntil a man
I wedded be that was ful yonge of age
Which that I cleped was valaryan
130
And day was comen of hir mariage
She ful deuoute and humble in hir corage
Vndyr hir robe of gold that sat ful fair
Had next hir flessh y cladde hir in an hair