The Corpus ms (Corpus Christi coll., Oxford) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400., Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.
[THE PROEM.]*. [[No breaks in the Corpus MS between the stanzas.]]
[And next bigynneth the seconde nonne hir tale. &c. [MS Arch. Seld. B. 14 folio 215a]
(1)
The ministre and norice / vn-to vices
1
which that men clepen / in englissh / Idelnesse
that porter of the gate is / of delices
to eschewen / and bi hir contrarie to oppresse
4
that is to seyne / bi leoful besynesse
wel oughte we to don / al oure entente
lest that the fende / thorugh Idelnesse vs hente.
7
(2)
ffor he that with his thousand cordes slighe
8
contenuelly vs waiteth / to bi-clappe
whan he may man/ in Idelnesse aspie
he can so lightly cacche him / in his trappe
11
til that a man be hente / right bi the lappe
he nys not ware / the fende hath him in honde
wel oughte vs werche / and Idelnesse with-stonde.
14
(3)
And though men dradden neuere / for to die
15
yit se men wel bi reson / doutelese
that Idelnesse is hoten / slogardie
of whiche cometh neuere / noon encrese
18
and sithen that slouth hir holdith in a lese
only for to slepe / and ete and drynke
and to devouron / al that other swynke [MS Arch. Seld. B. 14 folio 215b] Page 378 [6-text p 528]
21
(4)
¶ And for to putten vs / from suche Idelnesse*. [[MS Arch. Seld. B. 14]]
that cause is / of so grete confusion
I haue here don / my feithful besynesse
after the legende / in translacion
25
right after thi glorious liff / and passion
thow with thi garland / wroughte of rose and lylye
the mene I / maide / and martir / seynt Cecelye.
28
(5)
¶ And thow that floure art / of virgynes alle
29
of whom that Bernard / list so wel to write
to the at my bigynnyng / first I calle
thow comforte of vs wrecches / do me endite
32
thi maidens deth / that was thorugh hir merite
the eternal liff / and of the fende victorie
as men mow after rede / in hir storie.
35
(6)
¶ Thow maiden and moder / doughter of thi sone]*. [[Arch. Seld. B. 14 extr. ends]]
Thou welle of mercy synful soules cure [folio 171a]
In whom þat god for bounte chees to wone
Thou humble and heih ouer euery creature
39
Thou nobledest so ferre oure nature
That no desdeyn þe makere hadde of kynde
his sone in blood and fleissch to cloþe and wynde
42
(7)
¶ Wiþinne þe cloystre blisful of þine sydes
43
Took mannes schap þe eterne loue and pees
That of þe trine compas lord and gyde is
Whom erþe and see and heuene out of reles
46
Ay herien and þou virgine wemmeles
Bare of þy body and dwelledest/ mayde pure
The creatour of euery creature
Page 379 [6-text p 529]
49
(8)
¶ Assembled is in þi magnificence
50
Wiþ mercy goodnesse and with such pite
þat þou art þe sonne of excellence
Nouȝt only helpest hem þat prayen þe
53
But ofte tyme of þin benignite
fful frely er þat men þin helpe beseche
þou gost byforn and art here lyfes leche
56
(9)
¶ Now help þou meke and blisful faire mayde
57
Me flemyd wrecche in þis desert of galle
Thenk on þe womman Canane þat sayde
That whelpes eten some of þe crommes alle
60
þat from here lordes table ben y-falle
And þough þat I þe vnworþy sone of eue
be synful ȝit accepte my byleeue
63
(10)
And for þat feiþ is deed wiþoute werkes
64
So for to worchen ȝif me witte and space
þat I be quyt from place þat most derk is
O þou þat art so fair and so ful of grace
67
Be myn aduocate in so heih a place
Ther as wiþouten ende is longe Osanna
Thou cristes moder and doughter of Anna
70
(11)
And of þin light my soule kepe in prison
71
That troubled is by þe contagioun
[of my body / & also bi the wighte*. [[MS Arch. Seld. B. 14]]
of erthely lust / & fals affeccion]
74
O heuene o refute O saluacion [folio 171b]
Of hem þat ben in sorwe and in destresse /
· Now help for vnto my werk I wol me dresse /
Page 380 [6-text p 530]
77
(12)
¶ ȝet pray I ȝou þat reden þat I write
78
fforȝeueþ me for I do no diligence
þis ilke story subtil to endite
ffor boþe haue I þe wordes and þe sentence /
81
Of hem þat atte seyntes reuerence /
The story wroot & solewen hir legende
And pray I ȝou þat ȝe woln my werk amende
84
