The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 163r
3 of 15 folios
And þough þat I vnworþy sone of Eue
Be synful / ȝet accepte my bileue
And for þat faith is deth wiþouten werkis
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So for to werken ȝiue me witt and space /
That I be quit fro þennes þat most derk is
O þou þat art so fair and ful of gace /
Be myn aduocat in þat hihe place /
Ther as wiþoutē ende is songe Osanne
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Thou cistes moder douȝter deere of Anne
And of þi ligħt my soule in pison light
That troubled is by þe contagiou~
Of my body and also by þe wigħt
Of euerich lust and fals affeccioun
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O heuen of refuyt O sauaciou~
Of hem þat ben in sorwe and in destresse /
Now help for to my werk I wil me dresse /
Ȝet pray I ȝou þat reden þat I write /
Forȝeue me þat I doo no diligence
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This ilke story subtilly to endite
For boþe haue I þe wordes and sentence
Of him þat at þe seintes reuerence
The story wroot and folwen hir legende /
I pray ȝow þat ȝe wol my werk amende /
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First wol I ȝow þe name of seint Cecile
Expoune as men may in hir story se /
It is to say on engliscħ heuenes lilie
For pure chastenesse of virginite
Or for sche witnesse hadde of honeste
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And grene of conscience and of good fame /
The soote sauour lilie was hir name
Or cecile is to say þe way of blynde /
For sche ensample was by way of techynge
Or elles Cecily as I writen fynde
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Is ioyned by amaner of conioynynge
Of heuen and lya and here in figurynge /
The heuen is sette for þought of holynesse /
And lya for hir lastyng besynesse /
Cecili may eek be seyd in þis manere /