The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 172r
14 of 16 folios
¶ But we that knowen / thilke name so
For vertuous / we may it nat withseye
Almache answerde / chees oon of thise two
Do sacrifice / or cristendom reneye
460
That thow mowe now / escapen by that weye
At which / this holy / blisful faire mayde
Gan for to laughe / and to the Iuge she sayde
¶ O Iuge confus / in thy nycetee
Wiltow / that I reneye Innocence
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To maken me / a wikked wight quod she
Lo / he dissimuleth heere in audience
He stareth and woodeth / in his aduertence
To whom Almachius / vnsely wrecche
Ne wostow nat how fer my myght may strecche
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¶ Han noght oure myghty pinces / to me yeuen
Ye bothe power and auctoritee
To maken folk / to dyen or to lyuen
Why spekestow so prowdly / thanne to me
I speke noght but stedefastly quod she
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Nat proudly / for I seye / as for my syde
We haten dedly / thilke vice of pryde
¶ And if thow drede nat a sooth to here audire
Thanne wol I shewe / al openly by right
That thow hast maad / a ful greet lesyng here hic
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Thow seist thy pinces / han thee yeuen myght
Bothe for to sleen / and for to quyken a wight
Thow that ne mayst but oonly lyf byreue
Thow hast noon oother power / ne no leue
¶ But thow mayst seyn / thy pinces han thee maked
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Ministre of deeth / for if thow speke of me
Thow lyest for thy power is ful naked
Do wey thy boldnesse / seyde Almachius tho
And sacrifice / to oure goddes / er thow go
I recche nat what wrong that thow me profre
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For I kan suffre it / as a Philosophre