The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 168r
13 of 15 folios
450
Quod þo Cecilie and with a wood sentence /
Ȝe make vs gulty and it is nouȝt soþ
For ȝe þat knowen wel oure Innocence /
For as moche as we doon reuerence /
To crist and for we bere a cristen name
455
Ȝe putten on vs a crym and eek a blame /
But we þat knowen þilke name so
For vertuous we may it not wiþseye
Almache sayde cheese oon of þese tuo
Do sacrifice and cristendom reneye
460
Þat þou mow now eschapen by þat weye
At which þe holy blisful faire mayde /
Gan for to laughe and to þe Iugge sayde /
O Iugge confus in þis nycete
Wilt þou þat I refuse Innocence
465
To make me a wikked wigħt quod sche /
Lo he dissimuleþ heer in audience /
He starith and woodith in his aduertence /
To whom almachius vnsely wrecche /
Ne wostow nougħt how fer my might may strecche
470
Han nougħt our mighty princes to me y ȝiuen
Ȝe boþe power and eek auctorite /
To make folk to deyen or to lyuen
Why spekestow so proudly þan to me
I speke not but stedefastly quod sche /
475
Nought proudly for I say as for my syde /
We haten deedly þilke vice of pryde
And if þou drede nouȝt a soþ to heere
Than wol I schewe al openly by right
That þou hast maad a ful greet lesyng heere
480
Thou saist þy princes han I ȝiue þe migħt
Boþe for to sleen and eek to quike a wigħt
Thou þat ne maist but oonly lif byreue
Thou hast noon oþer power ne no leue
But þou maist sayn þi pinces han þe maked
485
Minister of deþ for if þou speke of moo /
Thow liest for þy power is ful naked
Do way þy lewednes sayd almachius þo