[6-text p 530]
(12)
Ȝet pray I ȝou þat reden þat I write /
Line 78
Forȝeue me þat I doo no diligence
This ilke story subtilly to endite
For boþe haue I þe wordes and sentence
Of him þat at þe seintes reuerence
Line 82
The story wroot and folwen hir legende /
And pray ȝow þat ȝe wol my werk amende /
Line 84
(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
