The Second Nun’s Prologue
The Prologe of the Seconde Nonnes Tale.
The ministre and the norice un-to vyces,
Which that men clepe in English ydelnesse,
That porter of the gate is of delyces,
To eschue, and by hir contrarie hir oppresse,
That is to seyn, by leveful bisinesse,
Wel oghten we to doon al our entente,
Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us hente.
For he, that with his thousand cordes slye
Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,
Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,
He can so lightly cacche him in his trappe,
Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,
He nis nat war the feend hath him in honde;
Wel oughte us werche, and ydelnes withstonde.
And though men dradden never for to dye,
Yet seen men wel by reson doutelees,
That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,
Of which ther never comth no good encrees;
And seen, that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees
Only to slepe, and for to ete and drinke,
And to devouren al that othere swinke.
And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse,
That cause is of so greet confusioun,
I have heer doon my feithful bisinesse,
After the legende, in translacioun
Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun,
Thou with thy gerland wroght of rose and lilie;
Thee mene I, mayde and martir, seint Cecilie!
..
Inuocacio ad Mariam.
..
And thou that flour of virgines art alle,
Of whom that Bernard list so wel to wryte,
To thee at my biginning first I calle;
Thou comfort of us wrecches, do me endyte
Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hir meryte
The eternal lyf, and of the feend victorie,
As man may after reden in hir storie.
Thou mayde and mooder, doghter of thy sone,
Thou welle of mercy, sinful soules cure,
In whom that god, for bountee, chees to wone,
Thou humble, and heigh over every creature,
Thou nobledest so ferforth our nature,
That no desdeyn the maker hadde of kinde,
His sone in blode and flesh to clothe and winde.
Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydes
Took mannes shap the eternal love and pees,
That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is,
Whom erthe and see and heven, out of relees,
Ay herien; and thou, virgin wemmelees,
Bar of thy body, and dweltest mayden pure,
The creatour of every creature.
Assembled is in thee magnificence
With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee
That thou, that art the sonne of excellence,
Nat only helpest hem that preyen thee,
But ofte tyme, of thy benignitee,
Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche,
Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche.
Now help, thou meke and blisful fayre mayde,
Me, flemed wrecche, in this desert of galle;
Think on the womman Canacee, that sayde
That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle
That from hir lordes table been y-falle;
And though that I, unworthy sone of Eve,
Be sinful, yet accepte my bileve.
And, for that feith is deed with-outen werkes,
So for to werken yif me wit and space,
That I be quit fro thennes that most derk is!
O thou, that art so fayr and ful of grace,
Be myn advocat in that heighe place
Ther-as withouten ende is songe ‘Osanne,’
Thou Cristes mooder, doghter dere of Anne!
And of thy light my soule in prison lighte,
That troubled is by the contagioun
Of my body, and also by the wighte
Of erthly luste and fals affeccioun;
O haven of refut, o salvacioun
Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse,
Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse.
Yet preye I yow that reden that I wryte,
Foryeve me, that I do no diligence
This ilke storie subtilly to endyte;
For both have I the wordes and sentence
Of him that at the seintes reverence
The storie wroot, and folwe hir legende,
And prey yow, that ye wol my werk amende.
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Interpretado nominis Cecilie, quam ponit frater Iacobus Ianuensis in Legenda Aurea.
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First wolde I yow the name of seint Cecilie
Expoune, as men may in hir storie see,
It is to seye in English ‘hevenes lilie,’
For pure chastnesse of virginitee;
Or, for she whytnesse hadde of honestee,
And grene of conscience, and of good fame
The sole savour, ‘lilie’ was hir name.
Or Cecile is to seye ‘the wey to blinde,’
For she ensample was by good techinge;
Or elles Cecile, as I writen finde,
Is ioyned, by a maner conioininge
Of ‘hevene’ and ‘Lia’; and heer, in figuringe,
The ‘heven’ is set for thoght of holinesse,
And ‘Lia’ for hir lasting bisinesse.
Cecile may eek be seyd in this manere,
‘Wanting of blindnesse,’ for hir grete light
Of sapience, and for hir thewes clere;
Or elles, lo! this maydens name bright
Of ‘hevene’ and ‘leos’ comth, for which by right
Men mighte hir wel ‘the heven of peple’ calle,
Ensample of gode and wyse werkes alle.
For ‘leos’ ‘peple’ in English is to seye,
And right as men may in the hevene see
The sonne and mone and sterres every weye,
Right so men gostly, in this mayden free,
Seyen of feith the magnanimitee,
And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,
And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.
And right so as thise philosophres wryte
That heven is swift and round and eek brenninge,
Right so was fayre Cecilie the whyte
Ful swift and bisy ever in good werkinge,
And round and hool in good perseveringe,
And brenning ever in charitee ful brighte;
Now have I yow declared what she highte.
Explicit.
The Prologue of the Second Nun’s Tale.
The minister and the nourish unto vices,
Which that men clepe in English idleness,
That porter of the gate is of delices,
To eschew, and by their contrary their oppress,
That is to sayn, by lawful busyness,
Well oughten we to do all our intent,
Lest that the fiend through idleness us hent.
For he that with his thousand cords sly
Continually us waiteth to beclap,
When he may man in idleness espy,
He can so lightly catch him in his trap,
Till that a man be hent right by the lap,
He nis not ware the fiend hath him in hand;
Well ought we wirche, and idleness withstand.
And though men dreaden never for to die,
Yet seen men well by reason doubtless,
That idleness is rotten sluggardy,
Of which that never cometh no good increase;
And sin, that sloth their holdeth in a leash
Only to sleep, and for to eat and drink,
And to devouren all that other swink.
And for to put us from such idleness,
That cause is of so great confusion,
I have here done my faithful business,
After the legend, in translation
Right of thy glorious life and passion,
Thou with thy garland wrought of rose and lily;
Thee mean I, maid and martyr, Saint Cecilie.
..
Invocacio ad Mariam.
..
And thou that flower of virgins art all,
Of whom that Bernard list so well to write,
To thee at my beginning first I call;
Thou comfort of us wretches, do me indite
Thy maiden’s death, that won through her merit
The eternal life, and of the fiend victory,
As man may after readen in her story.
Thou maid and mother, daughter of thy son,
Thou well of mercy, sinful souls’ cure,
In whom that god, for bounty, chose to wont,
Thou humble, and high over every creature,
Thou nobledest so far-forth our nature,
That no disdain the maker had of kind,
His son in blood and flesh to clothe and wind.
Within the cloister blissful of the sides
Took man’s shape the eternal love and peace,
That of the trien compass lord and guide is,
Whom earth and sea and heaven, out of release,
Aye heryen; and thou, virgin wemless,
Bear of thy body, and dweltest maiden pure,
The creator of every creature.
Assembled is in thee magnificence
With mercy, goodness, and with such pity
That thou, that art the sun of excellence,
Not only helpest ’em that prayen thee,
But oft time, of thy benignity,
Full freely, ere that men thine help beseech,
Thou goest beforn, and art their live’s leech.
Now help, thou meek and blissful fair maid,
Me, flemed wretch, in this desert of gall;
Think on the woman Canace, that said
That whelps eaten some of the crumbs all
That from her lord’s table been y-fall;
And though that I, unworthy son of Eve,
Be sinful, yet accept my belief.
And, for that faith is dead without works,
So for to worken give me wit and space,
That I be quit from thence that most dark is!
O thou, that art so fair and full of grace,
Be mine advocate in that high place
Thereas withouten end is sung “Hosann,”
Thou Christ’s mother, daughter dear of Anne!
And of thy light my soul in prison light,
That troubled is by the contagion
Of my body, and also by the weight
Of earthly lust and false affection;
O haven of refuge, o salvation
Of ’em that been in sorrow and in distress,
Now help, for to my work I will me ’dress.
Yet pray I you that readen that I write,
Forgive me that I do no diligence
This ilk story subtly to indite,
For both have I the words and sentence
Of him that at the saints reverence
The story wrote, and follow her legend,
And pray you, that ye will my work amend.
..
Interpretacio nominis Cecilie,
quam ponit Frater Jacobus Januensis in Legenda Aurea.
..
First would I you the name of Saint Cecilie
Expound, as men may in her story see.
It is to say in English “heaven’s lily,”
For pure chasteness of virginity;
Or, for she whiteness had of honesty,
And green of conscience, and of good fame
The sole savour, “lily” was her name.
Or Cecilie is to say “the way to blind,”
For she example was by good teaching;
Or else Cecile, as I written find,
Is joined, by a manner conjoining
Of “heaven” and “Lia”; and here, in figuring,
The “heaven” is set for thought of holiness,
And “Lia” for her lasting busyness.
Cecile may eke be said in this manner,
“Wanting of blindness,” for her great light
Of sapience, and for her thews clear;
Or else, lo! this maiden’s name bright
Of “heaven” and “leos” cometh, for which by right
Men might her well “the heaven of people” call,
Example of good and wise works all.
For “leos” “people” in English is to say,
And right as men may in the heaven see
The sun and moon and stars every way,
Right so men ghostly, in this maiden free,
Sayen of faith the magnanimity,
And eke the clearness whole of sapience,
And sundry works, bright of excellence.
And right so as these philosophers write
That heaven is swift and round and eke burning,
Right so was fair Cecilie the white
Full swift and busy ever in good working,
And round and whole in good persevering,
And burning ever in charity full bright;
Now have I you declared what she hight.
Explicit.
