The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 172v
15 of 16 folios
xxx thilke wronges may I nat endure
xhat thow spekest of oure goddes here quod he
Cecilie answerde / o nyce creature
Thow seydest no word / syn thow spak to me
495
That I ne knew ther with thy nycetee
And that thow were / in euery maner wise
A lewed Officer / a veyn Iustise
¶ Ther lakketh no thyng to thyne outter eyen exterioribus oculis
That thow nart blynd / for thyng þt we seen alle
500
That is a stoon / that men may wel espien
That ilke stoon / a god thow wolt it calle
I rede thee / lat thyn hand vp on it falle
And taste it wel / and stoon thow shalt it fynde
Syn that thow seest nat / with thyne eyen blynde
505
¶ It is a shame / that the peple shal
So scornen thee / and laughe at thy folye
For cōēly / men woot it wel ouer al
That myghty god / is in hise heuenes hye
And thise ymages / wel thow mayst espye
510
To thee / ne to hem self / mowe noght profite
For in effect they be nat worth a myte
¶ Thise / and swiche othere / seyde she
And he weex wrooth / and bad men sholde hir lede
Hoom til hir hous / and in hir hous quod he
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Bren hir / right in a Bath of flambes rede
And as he bad / right so was doon the dede
For in a Bath / they gonne hir faste shetten
And nyght and day / greet fyr they vnder betten
¶ The longe nyght and eek a day also
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For al the fyr / and eek the Bathes hete
She sat al coold / and feeled no wo
It made hir nat o drope for to swete
But in that Bath / hir lyf she moste lete
For he Almachius / with a ful wikke entente
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To sleen hir in the Bath / his sonde sente