The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 168v
14 of 15 folios
And do sacrifice to oure goddes er þou go
I recche nougħt what wrong þat þou me profre /
490
For I can suffre it as a philosophre
But þilke wronges may I not endure
That þou spekis of oure goddis her quod he /
Cecilie answered . O nice creature
Thou saydest no word sins þou spak to me /
495
That I ne knew þer wiþ þy nicete /
And þat þou were in euery maner wise /
A lewed officer a vein Iustise
Ther lakketh no þing to þin outer eyen
That þou art blynd for þing þat we seen aƚƚ
500
That it is stoon þat men may wel aspien /
That ilke stoon a god þou wilt it calle /
I rede þe let þin hond vpon it falle /
And tast it wel and stoon þou schalt it fynde
Siþ þat þou seest / not wiþ þin eyȝen blynde
505
IT is a schame þat þe poeple schal
So scorne þe and laughe at þi folye /
For comunly men woot it wel ouer al
That mighty god is in his heuen hye /
And þese ymages wel þou mayst espie /
510
To þe ne to hemself may nought profyte
For in effect . þey ben nouȝt worþ a myte
Thise wordes and such oþer sayde sche
And he wax wroþ and bad men schold hir lede
Hom to hir hous / and in hir hous quod he /
515
Brenne hir right in a bath of flames rede /
And as he bad right so was doon þe dede /
For in a bath þay gonne hir faste schetten
And nygħt and day greet fuyr þey vnder betten
The longe night and eek a day also /
520
For al þe fuyr and eek þe baþes hete
Sche sat al cold and felte of no woo
Hit made hir not . oon . drope for to swete
But in þat bath hir lif sche moste lete
For he almachius with ful wikke entente
525
To sleen hir in þe bath his sondes sente