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Here bigynneth the Seconde Nonnes Tale of the lyf of Seinte Cecile

	And whan this mayden sholde unto a man
	Ywedded be, that was ful yong of age,
	Which that ycleped was Valerian,
130	And day was comen of hir mariage,
	She, ful devout and humble in hir corage,
	Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful faire,
	Hadde next hir flessh yclad hir in an haire.

	And whil the organs maden melodie,
135	To God allone in herte thus sang she:
	"O Lord, my soule and eek my body gye
	Unwemmed, lest that I confounded be."
	And, for his love that dyde upon a tree,
	Every seconde and thridde day she faste,
140	Ay biddynge in hir orisons ful faste.

	The nyght cam, and to bedde moste she gon
	With hir housbonde, as ofte is the manere,
	And pryvely to hym she seyde anon,
	"O sweete and wel biloved spouse deere,
145	Ther is a conseil, and ye wolde it heere,
	Which that right fayn I wolde unto yow seye,
	So that ye swere ye shul me nat biwreye."

	Valerian gan faste unto hire swere
	That for no cas, ne thyng that myghte be,
150	He sholde nevere mo biwreyen here,
	And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she,
	"I have an aungel which that loveth me,
	That with greet love, wher so I wake or sleepe,
	Is redy ay my body for to kepe.

155	And if that he may feelen, out of drede
	That ye me touche, or love in vileynye,
	He right anon wol sle yow with the dede,
	And in youre yowthe thus ye sholden dye.
	And if that ye in clene love me gye,
160	He wol yow loven as me for youre clennesse,
	And shewen yow his joye and his brightnesse."

	Valerian, corrected as God wolde,
	Answerde agayn, "If I shal trusten thee,
	Lat me that aungel se, and hym biholde,
165	And if that it a verray aungel bee,
	Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me;
	And if thou love another man, forsothe
	Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe."

	Cecile answerde anon right in this wise,
170	"If that yow list, the aungel shul ye see,
	So that ye trowe in Crist, and yow baptize.
	Gooth forth to Via Apia," quod she,
	"That fro this toun ne stant but miles thre;
	And to the povre folkes that ther dwelle
175	Sey hem right thus as that I shal yow telle.

	Telle hem, that I Cecile yow to hem sente,
	To shewen yow the goode Urban the olde,
	For secree thynges and for good entente;
	And whan that ye Seint Urban han biholde,
180	Telle hym the wordes whiche that I to yow tolde,
	And whan that he hath purged yow fro synne,
	Thanne shul ye se that aungel er ye twynne."

	Valerian is to the place ygon,
	And right as hym was taught by his lernynge,
185	He foond this hooly olde Urban anon
	Among the seintes buryeles lotynge.
	And he anon, withouten tariynge,
	Dide his message, and whan that he it tolde,
	Urban for joye his handes gan up holde.

190	The teeris from hise eyen leet he falle.
	"Almyghty lord, O Jesu Crist," quod he,
	"Sower of chaast conseil, hierde of us alle,
	The fruyt of thilke seed of chastitee
	That thou hast sowe in Cecile, taak to thee.
195	Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gile,
	Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral Cecile!

	For thilke spouse that she took but now
	Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth heere
	As meke as evere was any lomb, to yow."
200	And with that word anon ther gan appeere
	An oold man clad in white clothes cleere,
	That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde,
	And gan bifore Valerian to stonde.

	Valerian as deed fil doun for drede
205	Whan he hym saugh, and he up hente hym tho,
	And on his book right thus he gan to rede,
	"O lord, o feith, o God, withouten mo,
	O Cristendom, and fader of alle also,
	Aboven alle, and over alle, everywhere."
210	Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were.

	Whan this was rad, thanne seyde this olde man,
	"Leevestow this thyng or no? sey ye or nay?"
	"I leeve al this thyng," quod Valerian,
	"For sother thyng than this, I dar wel say,
215	Under the hevene no wight thynke may."
	Tho vanysshed this olde man, he nyste where;
	And Pope Urban hym cristned right there.

	Valerian gooth hoom, and fynt Cecile
	Withinne his chambre with an aungel stonde.
220	This aungel hadde of roses and of lilie
	Corones two, the whiche he bar in honde;
	And first to Cecile, as I understonde,
	He yaf that oon, and after gan he take
	That oother to Valerian hir make.

225	"With body clene and with unwemmed thoght
	Kepeth ay wel thise corones," quod he,
	"Fro Paradys to yow have I hem broght,
	Ne nevere mo ne shal they roten bee,
	Ne lese hir soote savour, trusteth me,
230	Ne nevere wight shal seen hem with his eye
	But he be chaast and hate vileynye.

	And thow Valerian, for thow so soone
	Assentedest to good conseil also,
	Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy boone."
235	"I have a brother," quod Valerian tho,
	"That in this world I love no man so.
	I pray yow that my brother may han grace,
	To knowe the trouthe, as I do in this place."

	The aungel seyde, "God liketh thy requeste,
240	And bothe with the palm of martirdom
	Ye shullen com unto his blisful feste."
	And with that word Tiburce his brother coom;
	And whan that he the savour undernoom,
	Which that the roses and the lilies caste,
245	Withinne his herte he gan to wondre faste,

	And seyde, "I wondre, this tyme of the yeer,
	Whennes that soote savour cometh so
	Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer.
	For though I hadde hem in myne handes two,
250	The savour myghte in me no depper go,
	The sweete smel that in myn herte I fynde
	Hath chaunged me al in another kynde."

	Valerian seyde, "Two corones han we,
	Snow white and rose reed that shynen cleere,
255	Whiche that thyne eyen han no myght to see,
	And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere,
	So shaltow seen hem, leeve brother deere,
	If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe,
	Bileve aright and knowen verray trouthe."

260	Tiburce answerde, "Seistow this to me?
	In soothnesse or in dreem I herkne this?"
	"In dremes," quod Valerian, "han we be
	Unto this tyme, brother myn, ywes;
	But now at erst in trouthe oure dwellyng is."
265	"How woostow this," quod Tiburce, "in what wyse?"
	Quod Valerian, "That shal I thee devyse.

	The aungel of God hath me the trouthe ytaught
	Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye
	The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught."
270	And of the myracle of thise corones tweye
	Seint Ambrose in his preface list to seye.
	Solempnely this noble doctour deere
	Commendeth it, and seith in this manere:

	"The palm of martirdom for to receyve
275	Seinte Cecile, fulfild of Goddes yifte,
	The world and eek hire chambre gan she weyve,
	Witnesse Tyburces and Valerians shrifte,
	To whiche God of his bountee wolde shifte
	Corones two, of floures wel smellynge,
280	And made his aungel hem the corones brynge.

	The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above;
	The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn,
	Devocioun of chastitee to love."
	Tho shewed hym Cecile, al open and pleyn,
285	That alle ydoles nys but a thyng in veyn,
	For they been dombe and therto they been deve,
	And charged hym hise ydoles for to leve.

	"Whoso that troweth, nat this, a beest he is,"
	Quod tho Tiburce, "if that I shal nat lye."
290	And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this,
	And was ful glad he koude trouthe espye.
	"This day I take thee for myn allye,"
	Seyde this blisful faire mayde deere,
	And after that she seyde as ye may heere.

295	"Lo, right so as the love of Crist," quod she,
	"Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wise
	Anon for myn allyee heer take I thee,
	Syn that thou wolt thyne ydoles despise.
	Go with thy brother now, and thee baptise,
300	And make thee clene, so that thou mowe biholde
	The aungels face of which thy brother tolde."

	Tiburce answerde and seyde, "Brother deere,
	First tel me whider I shal, and to what man?"
	"To whom?" quod he, "com forth with right good cheere,
305	I wol thee lede unto the Pope Urban."
	"Til Urban? Brother myn Valerian,"
	Quod tho Tiburce, "woltow me thider lede?
	Me thynketh that it were a wonder dede."

	"Ne menestow nat Urban," quod he tho,
310	"That is so ofte dampned to be deed,
	And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro,
	And dar nat ones putte forth his heed;
	Men sholde hym brennen in a fyr so reed,
	If he were founde, or that men myghte hym spye;
315	And we also, to bere hym compaignye,

	And whil we seken thilke divinitee,
	That is yhid in hevene pryvely,
	Algate ybrend in this world shul we be!"
	To whom Cecile answerde boldely,
320	"Men myghten dreden wel and skilfully
	This lyf to lese, myn owene deere brother,
	If this were lyvynge oonly and noon oother.

	But ther is bettre lyf in oother place,
	That nevere shal be lost, ne drede thee noght,
325	Which Goddes Sone us tolde thurgh his grace.
	That fadres sone hath alle thyng ywroght,
	And al that wroght is with a skilful thoght,
	The goost, that fro the Fader gan procede,
	Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede.

330	By word and by myracel Goddes Sone,
	Whan he was in this world, declared heere
	That ther was oother lyf ther men may wone."
	To whom answerde Tiburce, "O suster deere,
	Ne seydestow right now in this manere,
335	Ther nys but o God, lord in soothfastnesse,
	And now of thre how maystow bere witnesse?"

	"That shal I telle," quod she, "er I go.
	Right as a man hath sapiences thre,
	Memorie, engyn, and intellect also,
340	So, in o beynge of divinitee
	Thre persones may ther right wel bee."
	Tho gan she hym ful bisily to preche
	Of Cristes come, and of hise peynes teche,

	And many pointes of his passioun;
345	How Goddes Sone in this world was withholde
	To doon mankynde pleyn remissioun,
	That was ybounde in synne and cares colde;
	Al this thyng she unto Tiburce tolde;
	And after this, Tiburce in good entente
350	With Valerian to Pope Urban he wente;

	That thanked God, and with glad herte and light
	He cristned hym, and made hym in that place
	Parfit in his lernynge, Goddes knyght.
	And after this Tiburce gat swich grace
355	That every day he saugh in tyme and space
	The aungel of God, and every maner boone
	That he God axed, it was sped ful soone.

	It were ful hard by ordre for to seyn
	How manye wondres Jesu for hem wroghte.
360	But atte laste, to tellen short and pleyn,
	The sergeantz of the toun of Rome hem soghte,
	And hem biforn Almache the Prefect broghte,
	Which hem apposed, and knew al hire entente,
	And to the ymage of Juppiter hem sente,

365	And seyde, "Whoso wol nat sacrifise,
	Swap of his heed, this my sentence heer."
	Anon thise martirs that I yow devyse,
	Oon Maximus, that was an officer
	Of the prefectes, and his corniculer,
370	Hem hente, and whan he forth the seintes ladde,
	Hymself he weep, for pitee that he hadde.

	Whan Maximus had herd the seintes loore,
	He gat hym of the tormentoures leve,
	And ladde hem to his hous withoute moore.
375	And with hir prechyng, er that it were eve,
	They gonnen fro the tormentours to reve,
	And fro Maxime, and fro his folk echone
	The fals feith, to trowe in God allone.

	Cecile cam whan it was woxen nyght,
380	With preestes that hem cristned alle yfeere,
	And afterward, whan day was woxen light,
	Cecile hem seyde, with a ful stedefast cheere,
	"Now Cristes owene knyghtes, leeve and deere,
	Cast alle awey the werkes of derknesse
385	And armeth yow in armure of brightnesse.

	Ye han for sothe ydoon a greet bataille,
	Youre cours is doon, youre feith han ye conserved,
	Gooth to the corone of lyf that may nat faille.
	The rightful juge which that ye han served
390	Shal yeve it yow as ye han it deserved."
	And whan this thyng was seyd as I devyse,
	Men ledde hem forth to doon the sacrifise.

	But whan they weren to the place broght,
	To tellen shortly the conclusioun,
395	They nolde encense ne sacrifise right noght,
	But on hir knees they setten hem adoun
	With humble herte and sad devocioun,
	And losten bothe hir hevedes in the place.
	Hir soules wenten to the kyng of grace.

400	This Maximus that saugh this thyng bityde,
	With pitous teeris tolde it anon-right,
	That he hir soules saugh to hevene glyde
	With aungels ful of cleernesse and of light;
	And with this word converted many a wight;
405	For which Almachius dide hym so bete
	With whippe of leed, til he the lyf gan lete.

	Cecile hym took, and buryed hym anon
	By Tiburce and Valerian softely,
	Withinne hir buriyng place, under the stoon,
410	And after this Almachius hastily
	Bad his ministres fecchen openly
	Cecile, so that she myghte in his presence
	Doon sacrifice, and Juppiter encense.

	But they, converted at hir wise loore,
415	Wepten ful soore, and yaven ful credence
	Unto hire word, and cryden moore and moore,
	"Crist, Goddes sone, withouten difference,
	Is verray God - this is al oure sentence -
	That hath so good a servant hym to serve.
420	This with o voys we trowen, thogh we sterve."

	Almachius, that herde of this doynge,
	Bad fecchen Cecile, that he myghte hir see,
	And alderfirst, lo, this was his axynge:
	"What maner womman artow?" tho quod he.
425	"I am a gentil womman born," quod she.
	"I axe thee," quod he, "though it thee greeve,
	Of thy religioun and of thy bileeve."

	"Ye han bigonne youre question folily,"
	Quod she, "that wolden two answeres conclude
430	In o demande; ye axed lewedly."
	Almache answerde unto that similitude,
	"Of whennes comth thyn answeryng so rude?'
	"Of whennes?" quod she, whan that she was freyned,
	"Of conscience and of good feith unfeyned."

435	Almachius seyde, "Ne takestow noon heede
	Of my power?" And she answerde hym this:
	"Youre myght," quod she, "ful litel is to dreede,
	For every mortal mannes power nys
	But lyke a bladdre ful of wynd, ywys;
440	For with a nedles poynt, whan it is blowe,
	May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe."

	"Ful wrongfully bigonne thow," quod he,
	"And yet in wrong is thy perseveraunce;
	Wostow nat how oure myghty princes free
445	Han thus comanded and maad ordinaunce
	That every cristen wight shal han penaunce,
	But if that he his cristendom withseye-
	And goon al quit, if he wole it reneye?"

	"Youre princes erren, as youre nobleye dooth,"
450	Quod tho Cecile, "and with a wood sentence
	Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth,
	For ye, that knowen wel oure innocence,
	For as muche as we doon a reverence
	To Crist, and for we bere a cristen name,
455	Ye putte on us a cryme, and eek a blame.

	But we that knowen thilke name so
	For vertuous, we may it nat withseye."
	Almache answerde, "Chees oon of thise two,
	Do sacrifise, or cristendom reneye,
460	That thou mowe now escapen by that weye."
	At which the hooly blisful faire mayde
	Gan for to laughe, and to the juge sayde,

	"O Juge, confus in thy nycetee,
	Woltow that I reneye innocence,
465	To make me a wikked wight," quod shee;
	"Lo, he dissymuleth heere in audience,
	He stareth, and woodeth in his advertence."
	To whom Almachius, "Unsely wrecche,
	Ne woostow nat how far my myght may strecche?

470	Han noght oure myghty princes to me yeven
	Ye, bothe power and auctoritee
	To maken folk to dyen or to lyven?
	Why spekestow so proudly thanne to me?"
	"I speke noght but stedfastly," quod she,
475	"Nat proudly, for I speke as for my syde,
	We haten deedly thilke vice of pryde.

	And if thou drede nat a sooth to heere,
	Thanne wol I shewe al openly by right
	That thou hast maad a ful grete lesyng heere,
480	Thou seyst, thy princes han thee yeven myght
	Bothe for to sleen, and for to quyken a wight.
	Thou that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireve,
	Thou hast noon oother power, ne no leve!

	But thou mayst seyn thy princes han thee maked
485	Ministre of deeth, for if thou speke of mo,
	Thou lyest, for thy power is ful naked."
	"Do wey thy booldnesse," seyde Almachius tho,
	"And sacrifise to oure goddes er thou go.
	I recche nat what wrong that thou me profre,
490	For I can suffre it as a philosophre.

	But thilke wronges may I nat endure
	That thou spekest of oure goddes heere," quod he.
	Cecile answerde, "O nyce creature,
	Thou seydest no word, syn thou spak to me,
495	That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee,
	And that thou were in every maner wise
	A lewed officer and a veyn justise.

	Ther lakketh no thyng to thyne outter yen
	That thou nart blynd, for thyng that we seen alle
500	That it is stoon - that men may wel espyen -
	That ilke stoon a god thow wolt it calle.
	I rede thee lat thyn hand upon it falle,
	And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it fynde,
	Syn that thou seest nat with thyne eyen blynde.

505	It is a shame that the peple shal
	So scorne thee, and laughe at thy folye;
	For communly men woot it wel overal
	That myghty God is in hise hevenes hye,
	And thise ymages, wel thou mayst espye,
510	To thee ne to hemself mowen noght profite,
	For in effect they been nat worth a myte."

	Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she,
	And he weex wrooth, and bad men sholde hir lede
	Hom til hir hous, and "in hire hous," quod he,
515	"Brenne hire right in a bath of flambes rede."
	And as he bad, right so was doon in dede,
	For in a bath they gonne hire faste shetten,
	And nyght and day greet fyre they underbetten.

	The longe nyght and eek a day also
520	For al the fyr and eek the bathes heete
	She sat al coold, and feelede no wo;
	It made hire nat a drope for to sweete.
	But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete,
	For he Almachius, with a ful wikke entente,
525	To sleen hir in the bath his sonde sente.

	Thre strokes in the nekke he smoot hir tho,
	The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce
	He myghte noght smyte al hir nekke atwo.
	And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce
530	That no man sholde doon men swich penaunce
	The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or soore,
	This tormentour ne dorste do namoore.

	But half deed, with hir nekke ycorven there,
	He lefte hir lye, and on his wey is went.
535	The Cristen folk, which that aboute hir were,
	With sheetes han the blood ful faire yhent.
	Thre dayes lyved she in this torment,
	And nevere cessed hem the feith to teche;
	That she hadde fostred, hem she gan to preche.

540	And hem she yaf hir moebles, and hir thyng,
	And to the Pope Urban bitook hem tho,
	And seyde, "I axed this at hevene kyng
	To han respit thre dayes, and namo,
	To recomende to yow er that I go
545	Thise soules, lo, and that I myghte do werche
	Heere of myn hous perpetuelly a chirche."

	Seint Urban with hise deknes prively
	This body fette, and buryed it by nyghte,
	Among hise othere seintes, honestly.
550	Hir hous the chirche of Seinte Cecilie highte;
	Seint Urban halwed it, as he wel myghte,
	In which, into this day, in noble wyse
	Men doon to Crist and to his seinte servyse.

Heere is ended the Seconde Nonnes Tale Next: The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue (ll. 1-166)

© Librarius All rights reserved.