From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Second Nun's Tale, lines 141-182

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

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

	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."

	The night came, and to bed she must be gone
	With her young husband, but she had no fear,
	And privately to him she said anon:
	"O sweet and well-beloved spouse so dear,
145	There is a secret, if you will to hear,
	Which I am fain enough to you to say,
	So that you swear that me you'll not betray."

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.

Valerian to her his oath did swear

That evermore, whatever thing might be,

150 He never would betray what she said there

And so beginning straightway thus said she:

"I have an angel lover that loves me,

And with a great love, whether I wake or sleep,

He will my body ever guard and keep.

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."

155 "And if it happens that he feels" she said

"That you will touch or love me vulgarly,

At once he'll slay and leave you with the dead,

And in your days of youth thus shall you die;

And if you love me cleanly, so say I,

160 He'll love you as now me, for your cleanness,

And show you all his joy and his brightness."

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."

Valerian, checked thus as God would mould,

Replied: "If I'm to trust you, let me see

That angel with my eyes and him behold;

165 And if that it a very angel be,

Then will I do as you have asked of me;

And if you love another man, forsooth

Right with this sword then will I slay you both."

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.

Cecilia replied right in this wise:

170 "If you so wish, that angel shall you see,

So you believe in Christ and you baptize.

Go forth to Via Appia," said she,

"That from this town is distant but miles three,

And to the poor folk who in that place dwell

175 Say to them what I'll now proceed to tell.

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."

Tell them that I, Cecilia, have sent

You to the good man Urban, who is old,

For secret need, and with a good intent.

And when this holy Urban you behold,

180 Tell him the thing that I to you have told;

And when he shall have purged you of your sin,

That angel shall you see before thence you win."

Next:
From The Second Nun's Tale, lines 183-217:
Valerian is baptized