The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 88r
13 of 16 folios
But thei conuerted at hir wyse loore
415
Wepten ful sore and yauen ful credence
Vnto hir word and criden more and more
Criste goddes sone wyth outen difference
Is verray god this al our sentence
That hath so good a seruant him to serue
420
This wyth. o voys we trowen thogh we sterue
Almachius that herd of this doyng
Bad fecchen Cecilie that he myght hir se
And aldirfirst lo this was his axinge
What maner womman artow quod he
425
I am a gentil womman born quod she
I axe the quod he though it the greue
Of thi religioun and of thi bileue
Whi thanne biganne your questioun folily
Quod she that woldest two answers conclude
430
I. o. demaunde ye axed lewdely
Almache answerde vnto that similitude
Of whennes comth thyn answeryng so rude
Of whennes quod she whan that she was freyned
Of conciens and of good feith vnfeyned
435
Almachius seyde ne takestow noon hede
Of my power and she answerde him thus
Youre myght quod she ful litel is to drede
For euery mortal mannes power nys
But like a bladdre ful of wynde I wis
440
For wyth a nedles poynt whan it is blowe
May al the bost of it be leide ful lowe
Ful wrongfully biganne thow quod she
And yit in wrong is al thi perseueraunce
Wostow not how our myghty prynces fre
445
Ben thus commaunded and made ordinaunce
That euery cristen wyght shal han penaunce
But yif that he his cristendoom wythsey
And goon al quyt if he wil it reneye.