From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Second Nun's Tale, lines 120-140

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From The Second Nun's Prologue, lines 85-119:
The meaning of the name 'Cecilia'

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Second Nun's Tale
lines 120-140: Cecilia the virgin is married to Valerian

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

120	This mayden, bright Cecilie, as hir lyf seith,
	Was comen of Romayns, and of noble kynde,
	And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith
	Of Crist, and bar his gospel in hir mynde.
	She nevere cessed, as I writen fynde,
125	Of hir preyere, and God to love and drede,
	Bisekynge hym to kepe hir maydenhede.

120	This virgin bright, Cecilia, her life saith,
	Was Roman born and of a noble kind,
	And from the cradle tutored in the faith
	Of Christ, and bore his gospel in her mind;
	She never ceased, as written do I find,
125	To pray to God, and love him, and to fear,
	Beseeching him to keep her virginity clear.

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 when this maiden must unto a man

Be married, who was a young man in age,

And who had to his name Valerian,

130 And when the day was come for her marriage,

She, meek of heart, devout, and ever sage,

Under her robe of gold, well-made and fair,

Had next her body placed a shirt of hair.

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.

And while the organ made its melody,

135 To God alone within her heart sang she:

"O Lord, my soul and body guide to the

Unsoiled, lest I in spirit ruined be."

And for his love who died upon a tree,

Each second or third day she used to fast,

140 And ever prayed she till the day was past.

Next:
From The Second Nun's Tale, lines 141-182:
Cecilia's virginity is guarded by an angel