The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 177r
2 of 14 folios
And sacrifice to oure goddes or two
I ne recche nouȝt what wrang þat þou me profre
490
For I can suffre it as a philosophre
But þilke wronges may I nougħt endure
Þat þou spekest of oure goddes here qd he /
Cecile answerde O nyce creature
Þou saydest no word syns þou speeke to me
495
Þat I ne knewe þerwith þy nycete
And þat þou were in euery maner wyse /
A lewed officer and a vein Iustise
Þer lackeþ noþing to þin vtter yhen
Þat þou nart blynd for þing þat we seen aƚƚ
500
That is a ston yt men wel may aspyen
That ilke ston a god þou wilt it calle
I rede þe let þin hond vpon it falle
And taste it wel and stoon þou schalt it fynde /
Syns þat þou sixt it nought wiþ þin yȝen blynde
505
It is a schame þat þe poeple schaƚƚ
So skorne þe and lawhe at þy folye /
For comunely wōmen woot it wel ouer al
Þat mighty god is in his heuenes hihe
And þese ymages wel þanne mayst þou aspye
510
To þe ne to hemself may þey not profyte
For in here effecte þey be not worþ a myte
Þis and such oþer wordes seyde sche /
And he wax wroþ and bad þey schulde hire lede
Home to hire hous and in hire hous quod he
515
Brenne hire in a fire wiþ flāmes reede
And as he bad right so was don in dede
And in a bathe þey gan hire faste scheten
And nigħt and day gret fuyr vnder þey beetyn
Al þe longe nigħt and eek þe day also /
520
For aƚƚ þe fuyr and eek þe baþes hete /
Sche satte al colde and felt of it no wo
Ne made hire a drop nouȝt for to swete /
But in þat baþe hire lyf sche moste lete /