The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.

About this Item

Title
The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.
Author
Chaucer, Geoffrey, d. 1400.
Publication
London,: Pub. for the Chaucer society by N. Trübner & co.,
1885.
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Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AGZ8246.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The Harleian ms. 7334 of Chaucer's Canterbury tales. Ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall." In the digital collection Corpus of Middle English Prose and Verse. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/AGZ8246.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 17, 2024.

Pages

(13) [THE TALE.]
First wol I ȝow þe name of seint Cecile Line 85 Expoune as men may in hir story se / It is to say on englisch heuenes lilie For pure chastenesse of virginite Or for sche witnesse hadde of honeste Line 89 And grene of conscience and of good fame / The soote sauour lilie was her name Line 91
(14)
Or cecile is to say þe way of blynde / Line 92 For sche ensample was by way of techynge Or elles Cecily as I writen fynde Is ioyned by a maner of conioynynge Of heuen and lya and here in figurynge Line 96 The heuen is sette for þought of holynesse / And lya for hir lastyng besynesse / Line 98
(15)
Cecili may eek be seyd in þis manere / Line 99 wantyng of blyndnes for hir grete light [folio 163b] Of sapience and of þilke þewes cleere / Or elles lo þis maydenes name bright Of heuen and loos comes of which by right Line 103 Men might hir wel þe heuen of peple calle / Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle Line 105

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[6-text p 531] Line 105
(16)
For leos peple in englissh is to say Line 106 And righ as men may in þe heuen see The sonne and moone and sterres euery way Right so men gostly in þis mayden free Seen of faiþ þe magnanimite / Line 110 And eek þe clernes hool of sapience And sondry werkes bright of excellence Line 112
(17)
And right so as þese philosofres wryte Line 113 That heuen is swyft and round and eek brennynge Right so was faire Cecily þe whyte Ful swyft and besy euer in good werkynge / And round and hool in good perseuerynge Line 117 And brennyng euer in charite ful bright Now haue I ȝow declared what sche hight Line 119
(18)
This mayden bright Cecilie as hir lyf saiþ Line 120 was comen of Romayns and of noble kynde / And from hir cradel vp fostred in þe faiþ Of crist and bar his gospel in hir mynde Sche neuer cessed as I writen fynde Line 124 Of hire prayer and god to loue and drede Byseching him to kepe hir maydenhede Line 126
(19)
And whan þis mayde schuld vnto a man Line 127 Y-wedded be. þat was ful ȝong of age which þat I-cleped was walirian And day was comen of hir mariage Sche ful deuout and humble in hir currage Line 131 vnder hir robe of gold þat sat ful faire Hadde next hir fleissh I-clad hir in an heire Line 133

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(20)
And whil þe organs made melodie / Line 134 To god alloon in herte þus sang sche / O lord my soule and eek my body gye Vnwemmed. lest þat I confounded be / And for his loue þat deyde vpon a tre [folio 164a] Line 138 Euery secound or þridde day sche faste Ay biddyng in hire orisouns ful faste / Line 140
(21)
The nyght cam and to bedde most sche goon Line 141 with hir housbond as oft is þe manere And priuely to him sche sayde anoon O swete and wel biloued spouse deere / Ther is a counseil and ȝe wold it heere / Line 145 which þat right fayn I wold vnto ȝou saye So that ȝe swere ȝe schul it not bywraye Line 147
(22)
Valirian gan fast/ vnto hir swere Line 148 That for no caas ne þing þat mighte be he scholde neuer mo bywreye hire And þanne at erst þus sayde sche I haue an aungel which þat loueþ me Line 152 That wiþ gret loue wher so I wake or slepe Is redy ay my body for to kepe Line 154
(23)
. . . . . [No gap in the MS.] Line 155 Iff ȝe me touche or loue in vilonye he right anoon wil sle ȝou wiþ þe dede And in ȝoure ȝouþe þus schulde ȝe dye And if þat ȝe in clene loue me gye Line 159 he wol ȝow loue as me for ȝour clennesse / And schewe to ȝou his ioye and his brightnesse/ Line 161

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(24)
Valirian corrected as god wolde / Line 162 Answerde agayn if I schal truste þe / Let me þat aungel se and him biholde And if þat it a verray aungel be / Than wol I doon as þou hast prayed me Line 166 And if þou loue anoþer man forsoþe Right wiþ þis swerd þan wol I slee ȝou boþe / Line 168
(25)
Cecilie answerd anoon right in þis wise Line 169 If þat ȝow list þe aungel schul ȝe see So that ȝe trowe on crist and ȝou baptise Goþ forþ to Via apia quod sche / That fro þis toun ne stant but myles þre Line 173 And to þe pore folkes þat þer duelle Saith hem right þus. as þat I schal ȝou telle / Line 175
(26)
Telle hem I cecilie. ȝow vnto hem sent Line 176 To schewen ȝow þe good vrban þe olde / [folio 164b] For secre needes and for good entente / And whan þat ȝe seint vrban han byholde / Tel him þe wordes which þat I to ȝow tolde / Line 180 And whan þat he haþ purged ȝou fro synne Than schul ȝe se þat aungel er ȝe twynne / Line 182
(27)
Valirian is to þe place y-goon Line 183 And right as him was taught by his lernynge He fond þis holy old vrban anoon Among þe seyntes buriels lotynge And he anoon wiþoute taryinge Line 187 Did his message and whan þat he it tolde vrban for ioye his handes gan vp holde Line 189

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(28)
The teres from his eyȝen let he falle Line 190 Almyȝty lord O. ihū crist quod he / Sower of chaste counseil herde of vs alle The fruyt of þilke seed of chastite That þou hast sowe to Cecilie tak to þe Line 194 loo lik a busy bee wiþouten gyle / The serueþ ay þin owne þral Cecile Line 196
(29)
For þilke spouse þat sche took right now Line 197 Ful lyk a fers lyoun sche sendeþ here As meek as euer was eny lamb to ȝow And wiþ þat word anoon þer gan appere / An old man clad in white cloþes clere Line 201 That had a book wiþ lettres of gold in honde / And gan to-forn Valirian to stonde / Line 203
(30)
Valirian as deed fyl doun for drede Line 204 whan he him say / and he him vp hente þo And on his book right þus he gan to rede / O lord. o feith oon god wiþouten mo On cristendom and oon fader of alle also Line 208 Abouen alle and ouer alle euery where . . . . . Line 210
(31)
. . . . . Line 211 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Line 215 . . . . . [no gap in the MS.] And pope vrban him cristened right þere Line 217

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(32)
Valirian goþ home and fint Cecilie Line 218 wiþinne his chambre with an aungel stonde / This aungel had of Roses and of lilie Corounes tuo þe which he bar in honde And first to Cecilie as I vnderstonde [folio 165a] Line 222 he ȝaf þat oon and after can he take / That oþer to valerian hir make Line 224
(33)
Wiþ body clene and wiþ vnwemmed þought Line 225 kepeþ ay wel þese corounes þre Fro paradys to ȝou I haue hem brought Ne neuer moo ne schul þey roten be Ne leese here soote sauour trusteþ me Line 229 Ne neuer wight schal seen hem wiþ his ye But/ he be chast and hate vilonye Line 231
(34)
And þou valirian for þou so soone Line 232 Assentedist to good counseil also Say what þe list and þou schalt haue þi boone I haue a broþer quod Valirian þo That in þis world I loue no man so Line 236 I pray ȝow þat my broþer may haue grace To knowe þe trouþe as I doo in þis place Line 238
(35)
The aungel sayde god liketh þy request Line 239 And boþe with þe palme of martirdom Ȝe schullen come vnto his blisful feste / And with þat word tiburce his broþer com And whan þat he þe sauour vndernom Line 243 which þat þe roses and þe lilies cast wiþinne hir hert/ he gan to wondre fast / Line 245

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(36)
And sayde I wondre þis tyme of þe ȝer Line 246 whennes þat soote sauour comeþ so Of Rose and lilies þat I smelle her For þough I had hem in myn hondes tuo The sauour might in me no depper go Line 250 The swete smel þat in myn hert I fynde Hath chaunged me al in anoþer kynde Line 252
(37)
Valirian sayd tuo corouns haue we Line 253 Snow whyt and rose reed þat schinen cleere / whiche þat þine eyȝen han no might to see / And þou smellest hem þurgh my prayere So schalt þou seen hem my lieue broþere deere Line 257 If so be þou wilt wiþouten slouþe Bilieuen aright and knowen verray trouthe / Line 259
(38)
Tyburce answerde says þou þus to me [folio 165b] Line 260 In soþenes or in drem I herkne þis In dremes quod valirian han we be Vnto þis tyme broþer myn I-wys As now at erst in trouþe oure duellyng is Line 264 how wost þou þis quod tyburce and in what wise Quod valirian þat schal I þe deuyse Line 266
(39)
The aungel of god haþ me trouþe y-taught Line 267 which þou schalt seen if þat þou wilt reneye The ydols and be clene and elles nouȝt And of þe miracles of þese corones tweye Seynt ambrose in his prefas list to seye Line 271 Solempnely þis noble doctour deere Comendeþ it and saiþ in þis maneere Line 273

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(40)
The palme of martirdom for to receyue / Line 274 Seynt Cecilie fulfilled of goddes ȝifte The world and eek hir chamber gan sche weyue / witnes tyburces and Cecilies schrifte To whiche god of his bounte wolde schifte Line 278 Corounes tuo of floures wel smellynge And made his aungel home þe croune brynge Line 280
(41)
The mayde haþ brought þis men to blisse aboue / Line 281 The world haþ wist what it is worþ certeyn Deuocioun of chastite to loue Tho schewed him Cecilie al open and pleyn That alle ydoles nys but þing in veyn Line 285 For þay ben doumbe and þerto þey ben deue And chargeþ him his ydoles for to leue Line 287
(42)
Who so troweþ not þis a best he is Line 288 Quod tyburce if þat I schal not lye And sche gan kisse his brest þat/ herde þis And was ful glad he couþe trouþe espye This day I take þe for myn allye Line 292 Sayde þis blisful faire mayde deere / And after þat sche sayde as ȝe may heere Line 294
(43)
Lo right so as þe loue of crist/ quod sche Line 295 Made me þy brotheres wyf right in þat wyse Anoon for myn allye heer take I þe / Sin þat þou wilt thyne ydoles despise [folio 166a] Go with þi broþer now and þe baptise Line 299 And make þe clene so þat þou mowe biholde The aungeles face of which þy broþer tolde Line 301

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(44)
Tyburce answerde and sayde broþer dere/ Line 302 First tel me whider I schal and to what man To whom quod he / com forth with good cheere / I wol þe lede vnto þe pope vrban Til vrban broþer myn quod valirian Line 306 Quod tyburce wilt þou me þider lede / Me þenkeþ þat it were a wonder dede / Line 308
(45)
Ne menist þou nat vrban quod he þo Line 309 That is so ofte dampned to be deed And woneþ in halkes alway to and fro And dar nouȝt oones putte forþ his heed Men schold him brenne in a fuyr so reed Line 313 If he were founde or if men might him spye And we also to bere him companye Line 315
(46)
And whil we seken þilke diuinite Line 316 That is I-hyd in heuen priuely Algate I-brent in þis world schal we be To whom Cecilie answerde bodyly Men mighten wel and skilfully Line 320 This lyf to lese myn oughne dere brother If þis were lyuyng oonly and noon oþer Line 322
(47)
But þer is better lif in oþer place Line 323 That neuer schal be lost drede þe nouȝt which goddes sone vs tolde þurgh his grace The fadres sone þat alle þing hath wrought And al þat wrought is wiþ a skilful þought Line 327 The gost þat fro þe fader gan procede haþ sowled hem wiþouten eny drede Line 329

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(48)
By word and miracle hihe goddes sone Line 330 whan he was in þis world declared heere / That þer was oþer lyf þer men may wone / To whom answerde Tyburce of suster deere Ne seydest þou right now in þis manere Line 334 Ther nys but oo god. o .lord. in soþfastnesse And now of þre how maystow bere witnesse [folio 166b] Line 336
(49)
That schal I telle quod sche er þat I go Line 337 Right as a man haþ sapiences þre Memorie eyen and intellect also So in oo being in diuinite Thre persones may þer right wel be Line 341 Tho gan sche him ful besily to preche / Of cristes come and of his peynes teche / Line 343
(50)
And many pointes of his passioun Line 344 how goddes sone in þis world was wiþholde To doon mankynde pleyn remissioun That was I-bounde in synne and cares colde / Al þis þing sche vnto Tyburce tolde / Line 348 And after þis thiburce in good entente wiþ valirian to pope vrban he wente / Line 350
(51)
That þanked god and wiþ glad hert and light Line 351 he cristened him and made him in þat place / Parfyt in his lernynge goddes knyght And after þis thiburce gat such grace / That euery day he say in tyme and space / Line 355 The aungel of god and euery maner boone / That he god asked / it were sped ful soone Line 357

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(52)
IT were ful hard by ordre for to sayne Line 358 how many wondres Ihc for hem wroughte But atte last to tellen schort and playne · The sergeantȝ of þe toun of Rome hem soughte And hem byforn almache þe prefect broughte Line 362 which hem apposed and knew alle here entente And to þe ymage of Iubiter hem sente Line 364
(53)
And saide who-so wil not sacrifise Line 365 Swope of his heued þis my sentence heere Anoon þese martires þat I ȝou deuyse Oon maximus þat was an officere / Of þe prefectes and his counceilere / Line 369 hem hent . and whan he forþ þe seyntes ladde him self he wept for pite þat he hadde / Line 371
(54)
Whan maximus had herd þe seintes lore Line 372 he gat him of his tormentoures leue And bad hem to his hous wiþouten more [folio 167a] And with her preching er þat it were eue Thay gonne fro þe tormentoures to reue Line 376 And fro maxime and fro his folk echoone The false faith to trowe in god alloone Line 378
(55)
Cecilie cam whan it was waxen night Line 379 with prestis þat hem cristenid alle in feere / And afterward whan day was waxen light Cecilie hem sayde with a ful stedefast chere / Now cristes owne knyȝtes leef and deere Line 383 Cast al away þe werkes of derknes And armith ȝou in armur of brightnes Line 385

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[6-text p 541] Line 385
(56)
Ȝe han forsoþe y-doon a greet batayle / Line 386 Ȝoure cours is doon ȝoure faith han ȝe conserued Goþ to þe coroun of lyf þat may not fayle / The rightful iugge which þat ȝe han serued Schal ȝeue it ȝow as ȝe han it deserued Line 390 And whan þis þing was sayd as I deuyse Men ladde hem forþ to doon þe sacrifise / Line 392
(57)
But/ whan þey were to þe place y-brouȝt Line 393 To telle schortly þe conclusioun They nolde encense ne sacrifice right nought But on her knees þey setten hem adoun wiþ humble hert and sad deuocioun Line 397 And leften boþe her heedes in þe place here soules wenten to þe king of grace / Line 399
(58)
This maximus þat say þis king betyde / Line 400 wiþ pitous teeres tolde it anoon right That he here soules saugh to heuen glyde with aungels ful of clernes and of light And with his word conuerted many a wight Line 404 For which almachius dede him so bete with whippes of leed til he his lif gan lete / Line 406
(59)
Cecilie him took and buried him anoon Line 407 By Thiburce and valirian softely wiþinne hire berieng place vnder þe stoon And after þis almachius hastily Bad his ministres fecchen openly Line 411 Cecilie. so þat sche might in his presence [folio 167b] Doon sacrifice and Iubiter encense / Line 413

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(60)
But þey conuerted at hir wise lore Line 414 wepten ful sore and ȝauen ful credence Vnto hir word and cryden more and more Crist goddes sone wiþouten difference Is verray god þis is al oure sentence / Line 418 That haþ so good a seruaunt him to serue This with oon vois we trowen þough we sterue Line 420
(61)
Almachius þat herd of þis doynge Line 421 Bad fecchen Cecilie þat he might hir se And alþer first lo þis was his axinge what maner womman art þou quod he I am a gentil womman born quod sche Line 425 I axe þe quod he though þe it greue Of þi religioun and of þi byleue / Line 427
(62)
Ȝe han bygonne ȝour questioun folily Line 428 Quod sche þat wolden tuo answers conclude / In oo demaunde ȝe axen lewedly Almache answerde to þat similitude Of whens comeþ þin answering so rude Line 432 Of whens quod sche whan sche was I-freyned Of conscience and good faith vnfeyned Line 434
(63)
Almachius sayde takest þou noon heede / Line 435 Of my power and sche answerde him þis / Ȝoure might quod sche ful litel is to drede / For euery mortal mannes power nys But lyk a bladder ful of wynd I-wis Line 439 For with a nedeles poynt what it is blowe / May al þe bost of it be layd ful lowe / Line 441

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[6-text p 543] Line 441
(64)
Ful wrongfully bygan þou quod he / Line 442 And ȝet in wrong is þy perseueraunce wostow nough how oure mighty princes fre han þus comaunded and maad ordinaunce That euery cristen wight schal haue penaunce / Line 446 But if þat he his cristendom wiþseye And goon al quyt if he wil it reneye / Line 448
(65)
¶ Ȝoure princes erre as ȝoure nobleye doþ Line 449 Quoþ þo Cecilie and with a wood sentence / [folio 168a] Ȝe make vs gulty and it is nouȝt soþ For ȝe þat knowen wel oure Innocence For as moche as we doon reuerence / Line 453 To crist and for we bere a cristen name ȝe putten on vs a crym and eek a blame / Line 455
(66)
But we þat knowen þilke name so Line 456 For vertuous we may it not wiþseye Almache sayde cheese oon of þese tuo Do sacrifice and cristendom reneye þat þou mow now eschapen by þat weye Line 460 At which þe holy blisful faire mayde / Gan for to laughe and to þe Iugge sayde / Line 462
(67)
O Iugge confus in þis nycete Line 463 wilt þou þat I refuse Innocence To make me a wikked wight quod sche / lo he dissimuleþ heer in audience he starith and woodith in his aduertence Line 467 To whom almachius sayde vnsely wrecche / Ne wostow nought how fer my might may strecche Line 469

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(68)
Han nought our mighty princes to me y-ȝiuen Line 470 Ȝe bothe power and eek auctorite To make folk to deyen or to lyuen why spekestow so proudly þan to me I speke not but stedefastly quod sche Line 474 Nought proudly for I say as for my syde / we haten deedly þilke vice of pryde Line 476
(69)
And if þou drede nouȝt a soþ to heere Line 477 Than wol I schewe al openly by right That þou hast maad a ful greet lesyng heere Thou saist þy princes han I-ȝiue þe might Boþe for to sleen and eek to quike a wight Line 481 Thou þat ne maist but oonly lif byreue Thou hast noon oþer power ne no leue Line 483
(70)
But þou maist sayn þi princes han þe maked Line 484 Minister of deþ for if þou speke of moo Thow liest for þy power is ful naked Do way þy lewednes sayd almachius þo And do sacrifice to oure goddes er þou go [folio 168b] Line 488 I recche nought what wrong þat þou me profre / For I can suffre it as a philosophre Line 490
(71)
But þilke wronges may I not endure Line 491 That þou spekis of oure goddis her quod he Cecilie answered. O nice creature Thou saydest no word sins þou spak to me / That I ne knew þer-wiþ þy nicete / Line 495 And þat þou were in euery maner wise / A lewed officer a vein Iustise/ Line 497

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[6-text p 545] Line 497
(72)
Ther lakketh no þing to þin outer eyen Line 498 That þou art blynd for þing þat we seen alle That it is stoon þat men may wel aspien / That ilke stoon a god þou wilt it calle / I rede þe let þin hond vpon it falle / Line 502 And tast it wel and stoon þou schalt it fynde Siþ þat þou seest / not wiþ þin eyȝen blynde Line 504
(73)
IT is a schame þat þe poeple schal Line 505 So scorne þe and laughe at þi folye / For comunly men woot it wel ouer al That mighty god is in his heuen hye And þese ymages wel þou mayst espie Line 509 To þe ne to hemself may nought profyte For in effect. þey ben nouȝt worþ a myte Line 511
(74)
Thise wordes and such oþer sayde sche Line 512 And he wax wroþ and bad men schold hir lede hom to hir hous / and in hir hous quod he / Brenne hir right in a bath of flammes rede / And as he bad right so was doon þe dede / Line 516 For in a bath þay gonne hir faste schetten And nyght and day great fuyr þey vnder betten Line 518
(75)
The longe night and eek a day also Line 519 For al þe fuyr and eek þe baþes hete Sche sat al cold and felte of no woo Hit made hir not. oon drope for to swete But in þat bath hir lif sche moste lete Line 523 For he almachius with ful wikke entente To sleen hir in þe baþ his sondes sente Line 525

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[6-text p 546] Line 525
(76)
Thre strokes in þe nek he smot hir þo [folio 169a] Line 526 The tormentour but for no maner chaunce / he might nouȝt smyte hir faire necke a-tuo / And for þer was þat tyme an ordinaunce That no man scholde do man such penaunce Line 530 The ferþe strok to smyten softe or sore / This tormentour ne dorste do no more / Line 532
(77)
But half deed with hir nekke coruen there Line 533 he laft hir lye and on his way he went The cristen folk which þat about hir were / wiþ scheetes han þe body ful faire y-hent þre dayes lyued sche in þis torment Line 537 And neuer cessed hem þe faith to teche / That sche had suffred hem sche gan to preche Line 539
(78)
And hem sche ȝaf hir moebles and hir þing Line 540 And to þe pope Vrban bytook hem þo / And sayd I axe þis of heuen kyng To haue respit þre dayes and no mo To recomende to ȝow er þat I go Line 544 These soules lo and þat I mighte do wirche heer of myn hous perpetuelly a chirche Line 546
(79)
Seynt vrban wiþ his Dekenes priuely Line 547 The body fette and buried it by nighte / Among his oþer seyntes honestely hir hous þe chirch of seynt Cecily ȝit highte Seynt vrban halwed it as he wel mighte Line 551 In which in to þis day in noble wyse Men doon to crist and to his seint seruise / Line 553 Here endeth þe secounde Nonne hir tale of þe lif of seint Cecilie [[No break in the MS.]]
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