The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 157r
11 of 13 folios
440
For wiþ a nedeles point whan þat is blowe
Maie al þe bost of it be leid ful lowe
¶ Ful wrongefully began þou qd he
And ȝut in wronge is þis perseuerance
Woste þou nouht howe owre mihti pinces fre
445
Bene þus cōmanded & maken ordinance
Þat euery cristen whight scha haue penance
Bot if þat he his cristendome wiþ seie
And gone al quyte if he wil it renaye
¶ Ȝoure Princes erren as ȝoure noblen doþe
450
Qd þo Cecile & a woode sentence
Ȝe maake us gilti & it is nouht soþe
Fore þat knowen wele oure Innocence
For as muche as we done a reuerence
To criste ; & for we bere a cristen name
455
Ȝe put on vs a crme & eke a blame
¶ Bot we þat knowen þelk name so
For vertuous we maie it nouȝt seie
Almachie seide chese one of þes tuo
Do sacrifice or cristendom reneye
460
Þat þou mowe skapen be þat weie
Att whiche þe holy blisful maide
Gan for to lauhe & to þe Iuge sche saide
¶ O Iuge confuse in þi nycete
Wilt þou þat .I. reney Innocence
465
To maken me a wikked wyht qd sche
Lo he dissimuleþ here in audience
He stareþ & wodeþ in his aduertence
To whome Almachius seide o vncely wrecche
Ne wost þou not houe fer my miht mai streche
470
¶ Haþe nouht oure myhte pince to me y ȝouen
Ȝe \boþe/ power & auctorite
To make folke to deyȝen or to leuen .
Whi spekest þou so proudely þan to me
.I. speke it nouȝt bot stedfastly qd sche
475
Nouht proudly for .I. saie as for my side
.I. hate dedely þilke vice of pide
¶ And ȝif þou drede nouht a soþe to here
Þan wil .I. schewen al openly be riht
Þat þou hast maade a ful grete leseinge here
480
Þou seist þi pinces haue ȝeue þe myht
Bothe to slene & for to whikke a wiht