The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 156v
10 of 13 folios
Wiþ humble hert & sadde deuocion
And losten boþe her hedes in þe place
Her soules went to þe kenge of grace
400
¶ This maxinius þat sawe þis þinge be tide
Wiþ pitous tales tolde it a none riht
Þat he her soules sawhe to heuen glide
Wiþ algels ful of clerenesse & of liht
And wiþ his worde conuerted mony a wyht
405
For whiche almachius dide him so to bete
Wiþ whippe of leede to he his lif gan lete
Cecilie him toke & beried him anone
Be tiburce & valeriane softly
Wiþ inne hire heriynge place vnder a stone
410
And after þis Almachius hastely .
Badde his ministres Fecchen openly
Cecile so \sche/ myht in his presence
Do sacrifice & Iubite encense
¶ Bot þei conuerted þorwhe here wise lore
415
Wepten sore & ȝaf credence
Vnto her worde & cryden more & more
Crist god soū wt outen difference
Is verrey god . þis is al oure sentence
Þat haþe so good a seruant him to serue
420
Þus wiþ o voice ; we trowe þei we sterue
Almachius þat herd al þis
Bad fecche Cecile þat he miht hir see
And alþer ferst lo þis was his askeinge
What maner wōman ert þou þo qd he
425
.I. am gentiƚƚ wōman borne qd sche
.I. ax qd he þouhe it þe greue
Of þi religion & of þi be leue
Whi þan began ȝoure questione folilye
Qd sche þat woldest þou ansewere conclude
430
In o demande ȝe axed lewdly
Almachius anseward to þat similitude
Of w\h/ense qd sche when þat sche was refreynede
Of concience & of good feiþe vnfeynede
435
Almachius seide takest þou none hede
Of þin Ansewere & sche him ansewerd þus
Ȝoure myhte qd sche litel is to drede
For euery motel manesse power ne is
Bot y lyke abledder ful of wynde y wis