The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 88v
14 of 16 folios
Your princes erren as your nobley doth
450
Quod tho Cecilie and wyth a wood sentence
Ye make vs gilty and it is nat soth
For ye that knowen wel our Innocence
For as moche as we doon a reuerence
To crist and for we bere a cristen name
455
Ye put on vs a cryme and eke blame
But we that knowen thilke name so
For vertuous we may it nat withseye
Almache answerde chees on of this two
Do sacryfise or cristendoom reneye
460
That thow mowe escapen bi that weye
At which this holy blisful feire maide
Gan for to laugh and to the Iuge saide
O Iuge confus in thi nicetee
Woltow that I reneye Innocence
465
To maken me a wykked wyght quod she
Lo he dissimileth here in audience
He stareth and wodeth in his aduertence
To whom Almachius vnsely wrecche
Ne wostow nat how fer my myght may strecche
470
Han nought our myghty princes to me yeuen
Ye bothe power and auctorite
To maken folk to dyen or to lyuen
Whi spekestow so proudely thanne to me
I speke not but stedfastly quod she
475
Nat proudely for I sey as for my syde
We haten deedly thilke vices of pride
And yif thou drede not a soothe to here
Thanne wil I shewe al openly bi ryght
That thow hast maad a ful gret lesyng here
480
Thou seist thi prynces han the yeuen myght
Bothe for to sleen and quyken a wyght
Thou that ne maist but oonly lif bireue
Thou hast noon other power ne no leue