The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 190v
11 of 14 folios
400
This Maximus / that saugħ this thyng bityde
With pitous teeris / tolde it anon rigħt
That he hir soules / saugħ to heuene glyde
With Aungels / ful of cleernesse and of ligħt
And with this word / conuerted many a wigħt
405
For which Almachius / dide hym so bete
With whippe of leed / til he the lif gan lete
¶ Cecile hym toook and buryed hym anon
By Tiburce / and Valerian softely
With Inne hir buriyng place vnder the stoon
410
And after this / Almachius hastily
Bad hise Ministres / fecchen openly
Cecile / so that she mygħte in his persence
Doon sacrifice / and Iuppiter encense
But they .s. Ministres conuerted / at hir wise loore
415
Wepten ful soore / and yauen ful credence
Vn to hir word / and cryden moore and moore
Crist goddes sone / with outen difference
Is verray god / this is oure sentence
That hath so good a seruant hym to serue
420
This with o voys / we trowen / thogħ we sterue
¶ Almachius / that herde of this doynge
Bad fecchen Cecile / that he myghte hir see
And alderfirst . lo this was his axynge
What maner wōman / artow quod he ;
425
I am a gentil wōman born quod she
I axe thee quod he / thougħ it thee greeue
Of thy Religioū / and of thy bileeue
¶ Ye han bigonne / youre questioū folily
Quod she / that wolden two answeres conclude
430
In o demande / ye axed lewedly
Almache answerde / vn to that similitude
Of whennes comth / thyn answeryng so rude ;
Of whennes quod she / ; whan þt she was freyned
Of Conscience / and of good feith vnfeyned
435
¶ Almachius seyde / ne takestow noon heede
Of my power / and she answerde hym
Youre mygħt quod she / ful litel is to dreede
For euery / mortal / mannes power nys
But lyk a bladdre / ful of wynd ywys
440
For with a nedles poynt whan it is blowe
May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe