The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 171v
13 of 14 folios
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O heuene o refute O saluacioū
Of hem þat ben in sorwe and in destresse /
Now help for vnto my werk I wol me dresse
¶ Ȝet pray I ȝou þat reden þat I write
Forȝeueþ me for I do no diligence
80
Þis ilke story subtil to endite
For boþe haue I þe wordes and þe sentence /
Of hem þat atte seyntes reuerence /
The story wroot & solewen ħ legende
And pray I ȝou þat ȝe woln my werk amende
85
Ferst wolde I ȝou þe name of seint Cecile
Expoune as men may in here stories se
It is to say on englissħ heuene lylye
For pure chastnesse of virginite
Oþer for sche witnesse hadde of honeste
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Of grene of conscience and of good fame
The soote sauour lilye was hire name
Ouþer Cecile is to say þe way to blynde
For sche ensample was by good techynge
Or elles Cecile is as I writen fynde /
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Is ioyned by a maner conioygnynge
Of heuen and lya and heiher in figuringe
The heuen is set for þougħt of holynesse
And lya for hire lastyng busynesse /
Cecile may eek be sayd in þis manere
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Wantynge of blyndnesse for hire grete ligħt
Of sapiens and for hir þewes clere
Oþer elles þis maydenes name brigħt
Of heuen and leos comeþ for which by rigħt
Men mighte þe heuene of poeple hire calle
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Ensample of goode and wise werkes aƚƚ
For leos poeple in englissch is to say
And right as men may in þis heuene se
Þe sonne and moone and þe sterres euery way
Right so gostly in þis mayden fre
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Seyen þe feiþ of magnificence