The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 171v
13 of 16 folios
xxxachius / that herde of this doynge
Bad fecchen Cecilie / that he myghte hir se
And alderfirst lo / this was his axynge
What maner womman / artow quod he
425
I am a gentil womman born / quod she
I axe thee quod he / thogh it the greue
Of thy religiou / and of thy bileue
¶ Ye han bigonne / youre question folily
Quod she / that wolden two answeres conclude
430
In o demande / ye axed lewedly
Almachie answerde / vn to that similitude
Of whennes comth / thyn answeryng so rude
Of whennes quod she / whan that she was freyned
Of conscience / and of good feith vnfeyned
435
¶ Almachius seyde / ne takestow noon hede
Of my power / and she answerde hym / this
Youre myght quod she / ful litel is to drede
For euery / mortal mannes power nys
But lyk a bladdre / ful of wynd ywys
440
For with a nedles point whan it is blowe
May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe
¶ Ful wrongfully / bigonne thow quod he
And yet in wrong is al thy perseueraūce
Wostow nat how / oure myghty pinces free
445
Han thus comanded / and maad ordinaūce
That euery cristen wight shal han penaūce
But if that he / his cristendom withseye
And goon al quyt if he wol it reneye
¶ Youre Prynces erren / as youre nobleye dooth
450
Quod tho Cecile / and with a wood sentence
Ye make vs gilty / and is nat sooth
For ye þt knowen wel / oure Innocence
For as muche / as we doon a reuerence
To crist / and for we bere a cristen name
455
Ye putte on vs / a cryme / & eek a blame