The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 199r
13 of 14 folios
Cōmendetħ it / and seitħ in this manere
¶ The palme of martirdom / for to receyue
275
Seynt Cecile / fulfild of goddes ȝifte
The world and eke hire chaumbre / gan she weyue
Wytnesse Tiburces / and Cecilies shrifte
To whicħ / god of his bountee wolde shifte
Corones two / of floures wel smellynge
280
And made his Aungel / hē the corones brynge
¶ The mayde hatħ brougħt hē / to blisse a boue
The world hatħ wist / what it is wortħ certeyn
Deuocioū of Chastitee / to loue
Tho shewed hī Cecile / al open & pleyn
285
That alle ydoles / nys but a thyng in veyn
For they ben doumbe / & þer to they ben deeue
And charged hī / his ydoles for to leeue
¶ Who so þt trowetħ nat this / a beest he is
Quod tho Tiburce / if that I shal nat lye
290
And she gan kisse his breest / that herde this
And was ful glad / he coude trouthe espye
This day / I take the / for myn allye
Seide this blisful / faire mayde deere
And after þt she seide / as ȝe moun heere
295
¶ Lo / rigħt so / as the loue of Crist / quod she
Made me thy brothers wyf / rigħt in that wyse
A noon for myn allye / heere take I the
Syn þt þu wolt / thyne ydoles despise
Go witħ thy brother now / and the baptise
300
And make the clene / so þt þu mowe byholde
The Aungels face / of whicħ thy brother tolde
¶ Tiburce answerde / and seide Brother deere
First telle me / whider þt I shal / & to what man
To whom qd he / come fortħ wt rigħt good cheere
305
I wol the lede / vn to the Pope vrban
To vrban / Brother myn valerian
Quod tho Tiburce / woltow me thider lede
Me thynketħ / that it were a wonder dede
¶ Ne menestow nat Vrban / quod he thoo
310
That is so ofte dampned / to be ded
And wonetħ in halkes / alwey to and froo
And dar nat oones / putte fortħ his hed
Men shulde hī brennen / in a fyr so red
If he were founde / or þt men mygħt hī spie