The Second Nun's Tale
Folio 165v
1 of 16 folios
The Ministre / and the norice vn to vices
Which that men clepeth in englissh ydelnesse
That porter at the gate is / of delices
To eschuen / and by hir contarie hir oppersse
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That is to seyn / by leueful bisynesse
Wel oghte we / to doon al oure entente
Lest that the feend / thurgh ydelnesse vs hente
¶ For he / that with his thousand cordes slye
Continuelly / vs wayteth to biclappe
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Whan he may man / in ydelnesse espye
He kan so lightly / cacche hym in his trappe
Til that a man / be hent right by the lappe
He nys nat war / the feend hath hym in honde
Wel oghte vs werche / and ydelnesse withstonde
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¶ And thogh men dradden / neuere for to dye
Yet seen men wel / by reson doutelees
That ydelnesse / is roten slogardye
Of which ther neuere comth / no good nencrees
And seen that slouthe / hir holdeth in a lees
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Oonly for to slepe / and ete and drynken
And to deuouren / al that othere swynken
¶ And for to puxxx vs / from swich ydelnesse
That cause is / of so greet confusioū
I haue here doon / my feithful bisynesse
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After the legende / in translacioū
Right of thy glorious lyf / and passioū
Thow with thy gerland / wroght of rose & lilie
Thee mene I / mayde and martir Seinte Cecilie
And thow / that flour of virgines art alle
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Of whom that Bernard / list so wel to write
To thee / at my bigynnyng I first calle
Thow confort of vs wrecches / do mendite
Thy maydens deeth / that wan thurgh hir merite
The eternal lyf / and of the feend victorie
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As man may after / reden in hir Storie