The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 89v
16 of 16 folios
The longe nyght and eke the day also
520
For al the fire and eke the bathes heete
She sat al colde and feled no wo
It made hir nat a drope for to swete
But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete
For he Almachius wyth a ful wykked entente
525
To slee hir in the bath his sonde sente
Thre strokes in the nekke he smote hir tho
The tormentour but for no maner chaunce
He myght not smyte al hir nekke atwo
And for ther was that tyme an ordynaunce
530
That no man shold doon swich penaunce
The ferthe strook to smyten softe and soore
This tormentour ne dorste do namoore
But half ded wyth hir nekke I coruen there
He left hir lye and on his wey is went
535
The cristen folk which that aboute hir were
Wyth shetes han the blood fair I hent
Thre dayes lyued she in this torment
And neuer cesed hem the feyth to teche
That she had fostred hem she gan to perche
540
And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thing
And to the pope vrban bitook hem tho
And seyde I axed this of heuene kyng
To haue respit thre dayes and no moo
To recommende to yow er that I go
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Thise soules lo and that I myght do werche
Here of myn hous perpetuelly a cherche
Seint vrban wyth his dekenes piuily
The body fet and buried it bi nyght
Amonge hise other seyntes honestly
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Hir hous the chirche of seynt Cecilie hight
Seint vrban halowed it as he wel myght
In which vnto this day in noble wyse
Men doon to criste and to his seint seruise.