The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 167v
12 of 15 folios
Cecilie so þat sche might in his presence
Doon sacrifice and Iubiter encense /
But þey conuerted at hir wise lore
415
Wepten ful sore and ȝauen ful credence /
Vnto hir word and cryden more and more
Crist goddes sone wiþouten difference
Is verray god þis is al oure sentence /
That haþ so good a seruaunt him to serue
420
This with oon vois we trowen þough we sterue
Almachius þat herd of þis doynge
Bad fecchen Cecilie þat he might hir se
And alþer first lo þis was his axinge
What maner wōman art þou quod he /
425
I am a gentil wōman born quod sche
I axe þe quod he thougħ þe it greue
Of þi religioū and of þi byleue /
Ȝe han bygonne ȝour questioū folily
Quod sche þat wolden tuo answers conclude /
430
In oo demaunde ȝe axen lewedly
Almache answerde to þat similitude
Of whens comeþ þin answering so rude
Of whens quod sche whan sche was I freyned
Of conscience and good faith vnfeyned
435
Almachius sayde takest þou noon heede /
Of my power and sche answerde him þis /
Ȝoure might quod sche ful litel is to drede /
For euery mortal mannes power nys
But lyk a bladder ful of wynd I wis
440
For with a nedeles poynt what it is blowe /
May al þe bost of it be layd ful lowe /
Ful wrongfully bygan þou quod he /
And ȝet in wrong is þy perseueraunce
Wostow nough how oure mighty princes fre
445
Han þus comaunded and maad ordinaunce
That euery cristen wigħt schal haue penaunce /
But if þat he his cristendom wiþseye
And goon al quyt if he wil it reneye /
¶ Ȝoure princes erre as ȝoure nobleye doþ