The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 163v
4 of 15 folios
100
Wantyng of blyndnes for hir grete ligħt
Of sapience and of þilke þewes cleere /
Or elles lo þis maydenes name brigħt
Of heuen and loos comes of which by rigħt
Men migħt hir wel þe heuen of peple calle /
105
Ensample of goode and wise werkes aƚƚ
For leos peple in englissħ is to say
And righ as men may in þe heuen see
The sonne and moone and sterres euery way
Right so men gostly in þis mayden free
110
Seen of faiþ þe magnanimite /
And eek þe clernes hool of sapience
And sondry werkes brigħt of excellence
And right so as þese philosofres wryte
That heuen is swyft and round and eek brennynge
115
Right so was faire Cecily þe whyte
Ful swyft and besy euer in good werkynge /
And round and hool in good perseuerynge
And brennyng euer in charite ful brigħt
Now haue I ȝow declared what sche higħt
120
This mayden brigħt Cecilie as hir lyf saiþ
Was comen of Romayns and of noble kynde /
And from hir cradel vp fostred in þe faiþ
Of crist and bar his gospel in hir mynde
Sche neuer cessed as I writen fynde
125
Of hire prayer and god to loue and drede
Byseching him to kepe hir maydenhede
And whan þis mayde schuld vnto a man
Y wedded be . þat was ful ȝong of age
Which þat I cleped was Walirian
130
And day was comen of hir mariage
Sche ful deuout and humble in hir currage
Vnder hir robe of gold þat sat ful faire
Hadde next hir fleissħ I clad hir in an heire
And whil þe organs made melodie /
135
To god alloon in herte þus sang sche /
O lord my soule and eek my body gye
Vnwemmed . lest þat I confounded be /