The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

<1ES SECOND NUN'S TAIL. 13
And burning ever in charity full bright; And to the poore folkis that there dwell
Now have I you declared what she hight.l Say them right thus, as that I shall you tell.
This maiden bright Cecile, as her life saith, " Tell them, that I, Cecile, you to them sent,
Was come of Romans, and of noble kind, To shewe you the good Urban the old,
And from her cradle foster'd in the faith For secret needes,14 and for good intent;
Of Christ, and bare his Gospel in her mind: And when that ye Saint Urban have behold,
She never ceased, as I written find, Tell him the wordis which I to you told;
Of her prayere, and God to love and dread, And when that he hath purged you from sin,
Beseeching him to keep her maidenhead. Then shall ye see that angel ere ye twin." 15
And when this maiden should unto a man Valerian is to the place gone;
Y-wedded be, that was full young of age, And, right as he was taught by her learning,
Which that y-called was Valerian, He found this holy old Urban anon
And comi was the day of marrifge, Among the saintes' burials louting; 1
She, full devout and humble in her corige,2 And he anon, withoute tarrying,
Under her robe of gold, that sat full fair, Did his message, and when that he it told,
Had next her flesh y-clad her in an hair.3 Urban for joy his handes gan uphold.
And while the organs made melody, The tearis from his eyen let he fall;
To God alone thus in her heart sang she; "Almighty Lord, O Jesus Christ," quoth he,
"O Lord, my soul and eke my body gie4 "Sower of chaste counsel, herd 17 of us all;
Unwemmed,5 lest that I confounded be." The fruit of thilke i seed of chastity
And, for his love that died upon the tree, That thou hast sown in Cecile, take to thee:
Every second or third day she fast', Lo, like a busy bee, withoute guile,
Aye bidding 6 in her orisons full fast. Thee serveth aye thine owen thrall 19 Cecile.
The night came, and to beddi must she gon "For thilke spouse, that she took but new,20
With her husband, as it is the mann6re; Full like a fierce li6n, she sendeth here,
And privily she said to him anon; As meek as e'cr was any lamb to ewe."
" sweet and well-beloved spouse dear, And with that word anon there gan appear
There is a counsel,7 an' 8 ye will it hear, An old man, clad in white clothes clear,
Which that right fain I would unto you say, That had a book with letters of gold in hand,
So that ye swear ye will it not bewray." And gan before Valerian to stand.
Valerian gan fast unto her swear Valerian, as dead, fell down for dread,
That for no case nor thing that mighte be, When he him saw; and he up hent 21 him tho,22
He never should to none bewrayen her; And on his book right thus he gan to read;
And then at erst 9 thus to him said she; " One Lord, one faith, one God withoute mo',
" I have an angel which that loveth me, One-Christendom, one Father of all als6,
That with great love, whether I wake or sleep, Aboven all, and over all everywhere."
Is ready aye my body for to keep; These wordes all with gold y-written were.
" And if that he may feelen, out of dread,0 When this was read, then said this olde man,
That ye me touch or love in villainy, "Believ'st thou this or no? say yea or nay."
He right anon will slay you with the deed, "I believe all this," quoth Valerian,
And in your youthe thus ye shoulde die. "For soother 23 thing than this, I dare well say,
And if that ye in cleane love me gie,l Under the heaven no wight thinke may."
He will you love as me, for your cleann6ss, Then vanish'd the old man, he wist not where;
And shew to you his joy and his brightness." And Pope Urban him christened right there.
Valerian, corrected as God wo'ld, Valerian went home, and found Cecilie
Answer'd again, " If I shall truste thee, Within his chamber with an angel stand;
Let me that angel see, and him behold; This angel had of roses and of lily
And if that it a ve a v ngel be, Corones 24 two, the which he bare in hand,
Then will I do as thou hast prayed me; And first to Cecile, as I understand,
And if thou love another man, forsooth He gave the one, and after gan he take
Right with this sword then will I slay you both." The other to Valerian her make.2
Cecile answer'd anon right in this wise; "' With body clean, and with unwemmed5
"If that you list, the angel shall ye see, thought,
So that ye trow 12 on Christ, and you baptise; Keep aye well these corones two," quoth he;
Go forth to Via Appia," quoth she, "From Paradise to you I have them brought,
"That from this towni 13 stands but mils Nor ever more shall they rotten26 be,
three, Nor lose their sweete savour, truste me,
wise man, who,' among other things, is "in se ipso 14 Business. 15 Depart.
totus, teres, atque rotundus." —" Satires," 2, vii. 86. 16 Lingering, or lying concealed, among the buriala
1 Why she had her name. 2 Heart. places of the saints; the Latin original has "inter
3 Garment of hair-cloth. 4 Guide, keep. sepulchra martyrum latitantem."
5 Unspotted, blameless. 16 Praying. 17 Shepherd, keeper. 18 That.
7 Secret. a If. 19 Servant, handmaid. 20 But lately, newly,
9 For the first time. 21 Took, lifted. 22 Then. 23 Truer.
10 Doubt. 11 Govern, dispose of. 24 Crowns. 23 Mate, husband.
12 Believe. 13 Rome. 26 Decayed.