The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 157v
12 of 13 folios
Thou þat ne maist bot onely lif here be reue
Thou na haste þerto neiþer pouer neleue
Bot þou maist seie þi Pinces han þe maked
485
Ministre of deþe for if þou speke of mo
Þou liest for þi pouer is ful naked
Do waie þi boldenes seide Almachius þo
Or sacrifice to oure goddes or tuo
.I. reche nouht what wronge þat þou me profer
490
For .I. can suffre it as a philosofer
Bot þilke wronges maie .I. not endure
Þat þou spekest of owre goddes here qd he
Cecile ansewerd .o. nice creature
Þou seidest no word seproens þou spak to me
495
Þat .I. ne knewe þere wiþ þi nicete
And þat þou were in euery maner wise
A lewde Officer & a veine Iustise
Þere lakkeþ no þinge to þine vtter yȝen
Þat þou nart blinde for þinge þat wee seen aƚƚ
500
Þat is a stone þat men wele maie aspyen
Þat ilke stone a god þou wol it caƚƚ
.I. rede þe latt þine honde vpon hit faƚƚ
And tast it wele & stone þou schalt it finde
Sens þat þou sixt it not wiþ þine yȝen blinde
505
It is a schame þat þe peple schal
Schal scoren þe & lauhe att þi folye
For cōmunly wēmen wote it wele ouere al
Þat myhte goddes is in his heuenes hihe
And þes ymages wele þan maistowe aspie
510
To þe ne to hem self ne maie þei profit
For in hire effecte þei bue nouht worþe a myte
Þus & suche oþer wordes seide sche
And he wex wroþe & badd sche scholde be ledde
Home to hire hous & in hir hous qd he
515
Birne hire riht in a fire wiþ flāmes rede
And as he bad riht so was done þe dede
And in abathe þei gan hir fast schetten
And nyht & daie grete fire vnder þei maden
Al þe longe niht & þe daie also
520
For al þe fire & eke þe baþes hete
Sche satt al colde & felt of it no wo
Ne maade hire nouȝt a drepe for to swete
Bot in þat baþe hir lif sche moste lete .