| 120 | This mayden bright Cecilie, as hir lif seith, |
| Was comen of Romayns and of noble kynde, |
| And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith |
| Of Crist, and bar his gospel in hir mynde. |
| She nevere cessed, as I writen fynde, |
| 125 | Of hir preyere and God to love and drede, |
| Bisekynge hym to kepe hir maydenhede. |
| |
| And whan this mayden sholde unto a man |
| Ywedded be, that was ful yong of age, |
| Which that ycleped was Valerian, |
| 130 | And day was comen of hir marriage, |
| She, ful devout and humble in hir corage, |
| Under hir robe of gold, that sat ful faire, |
| Hadde next hire flessh yclad hire in an haire. |
| |
| And whil the organs maden melodie, |
| 135 | To God allone in herte thus sang she: |
| "O Lord, my soule and eek my body gye |
| Unwemmed, lest that I confounded be." |
| And for his love that dyde upon a tree |
| Every seconde and thridde day she faste, |
| 140 | Ay biddynge in hire orisons ful faste. |
| |
| The nyght cam, and to bedde moste she gon |
| With hire housbonde, as ofte is the manere, |
| And pryvely to hym she seyde anon, |
| "O sweete and wel biloved spouse deere, |
| 145 | Ther is a conseil, and ye wolde it heere, |
| Which that right fayn I wolde unto yow seye, |
| So that ye swere ye shul it nat biwreye." |
| |
| Valerian gan faste unto hire swere |
| That for no cas ne thyng that myghte be, |
| 150 | He sholde nevere mo biwreyen here; |
| And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she: |
| "I have an aungel which that loveth me, |
| That with greet love, wher so I wake or sleepe, |
| Is redy ay my body for to kepe. |
| |
| 155 | "And if that he may feelen, out of drede, |
| That ye me touche, or love in vileynye, |
| He right anon wol sle yow with the dede, |
| And in youre yowthe thus ye shullen dye; |
| And if that ye in clene love me gye, |
| 160 | He wol yow loven as me, for youre clennesse, |
| And shewen yow his joye and his brightnesse." |
| |
| Valerian, corrected as God wolde, |
| Answerde agayn, "If I shal trusten thee, |
| Lat me that aungel se and hym biholde; |
| 165 | And if that it a verray angel bee, |
| Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me; |
| And if thou love another man, for sothe |
| Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe." |
| |
| Cecile answerde anon-right in this wise: |
| 170 | "If that yow list, the angel shul ye see, |
| So that ye trowe on Crist and yow baptize. |
| Gooth forth to Via Apia," quod shee, |
| "That fro this toun ne stant but miles three, |
| And to the povre folkes that ther dwelle, |
| 175 | Sey hem right thus, as that I shal yow telle. |
| |
| "Telle hem that I, Cecile, yow to hem sente |
| To shewen yow the goode Urban the olde, |
| For secree nedes and for good entente. |
| And whan that ye Seint Urban han biholde, |
| 180 | Telle hym the wordes whiche I to yow tolde; |
| And whan that he hath purged yow fro synne, |
| Thanne shul ye se that angel, er ye twynne." |
| |
| Valerian is to the place ygon, |
| And right as hym was taught by his lernynge, |
| 185 | He foond this hooly olde Urban anon |
| Among the seintes buryeles lotynge. |
| And he anon withouten tariynge |
| Dide his message; and whan that he it tolde, |
| Urban for joye his handes gan up holde. |
| |
| 190 | The teeris from his eyen leet he falle. |
| "Almyghty Lord, O Jhesu Crist," quod he, |
| "Sower of chaast conseil, hierde of us alle, |
| The fruyt of thilke seed of chastitee |
| That thou hast sowe in Cecile, taak to thee! |
| 195 | Lo, lyk a bisy bee, withouten gile, |
| Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral Cecile. |
| |
| "For thilke spouse that she took but now |
| Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth heere, |
| As meke as evere was any lomb, to yow!" |
| 200 | And with that word anon ther gan appeere |
| An oold man, clad in white clothes cleere, |
| That hadde a book with lettre of gold in honde, |
| And gan bifore Valerian to stonde. |
| |
| Valerian as deed fil doun for drede |
| 205 | Whan he hym saugh, and he up hente hym tho, |
| And on his book right thus he gan to rede: |
| "O Lord, o feith, o God, withouten mo, |
| O Cristendom, and Fader of alle also, |
| Aboven alle and over alle everywhere." |
| 210 | Thise wordes al with gold ywriten were. |
| |
| Whan this was rad, thanne seyde this olde man, |
| "Leevestow this thyng or no? Sey ye or nay." |
| "I leeve al this thyng," quod Valerian, |
| "For sother thyng than this, I dar wel say, |
| 215 | Under the hevene no wight thynke may." |
| Tho vanysshed this olde man, he nyste where, |
| And Pope Urban hym cristned right there. |
| |
| Valerian gooth hoom and fynt Cecilie |
| Withinne his chambre with an angel stonde. |
| 220 | This angel hadde of roses and of lilie |
| Corones two, the which he bar in honde; |
| And first to Cecile, as I understonde, |
| He yaf that oon, and after gan he take |
| That oother to Valerian, hir make. |
| |
| 225 | "With body clene and with unwemmed thoght |
| Kepeth ay wel thise corones," quod he; |
| "Fro paradys to yow have I hem broght, |
| Ne nevere mo ne shal they roten bee, |
| Ne lese hir soote savour, trusteth me; |
| 230 | Ne nevere wight shal seen hem with his ye, |
| But he be chaast and hate vileynye. |
| |
| "And thow, Valerian, for thow so soone |
| Assentedest to good conseil also, |
| Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy boone." |
| 235 | "I have a brother," quod Valerian tho, |
| "That in this world I love no man so. |
| I pray yow that my brother may han grace |
| To knowe the trouthe, as I do in this place." |
| |
| The angel seyde, "God liketh thy requeste, |
| 240 | And bothe with the palm of martirdom |
| Ye shullen come unto his blisful feste." |
| And with that word Tiburce his brother coom. |
| And whan that he the savour undernoom, |
| Which that the roses and the lilies caste, |
| 245 | Withinne his herte he gan to wondre faste, |
| |
| And seyde, "I wondre, this tyme of the yeer, |
| Whennes that soote savour cometh so |
| Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer. |
| For though I hadde hem in myne handes two, |
| 250 | The savour myghte in me no depper go. |
| The sweete smel that in myn herte I fynde |
| Hath chaunged me al in another kynde." |
| |
| Valerian seyde: "Two corones han we, |
| Snow white and rose reed, that shynen cleere, |
| 255 | Whiche that thyne eyen han no myght to see; |
| And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere, |
| So shaltow seen hem, leeve brother deere, |
| If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe, |
| Bileve aright and knowen verray trouthe." |
| |
| 260 | Tiburce answerde, "Seistow this to me |
| In soothnesse, or in dreem I herkne this?" |
| "In dremes," quod Valerian, "han we be |
| Unto this tyme, brother myn, ywis. |
| But now at erst in trouthe oure dwellyng is." |
| 265 | "How woostow this?" quod Tiburce, "and in what wyse?" |
| Quod Valerian, "That shal I thee devyse. |
| |
| "The aungel of God hath me the trouthe ytaught |
| Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye |
| The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught." |
| 270 | And of the myracle of thise corones tweye |
| Seint Ambrose in his preface list to seye; |
| Solempnely this noble doctour deere |
| Commendeth it, and seith in this manere: |
| |
| "The palm of martirdom for to receyve, |
| 275 | Seinte Cecile, fulfild of Goddes yifte, |
| The world and eek hire chambre gan she weyve; |
| Witnesse Tyburces and [Valerians] shrifte, |
| To whiche God of his bountee wolde shifte |
| Corones two of floures wel smellynge, |
| 280 | And made his angel hem the corones brynge. |
| |
| "The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above; |
| The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn, |
| Devocioun of chastitee to love." |
| Tho shewed hym Cecile al open and pleyn |
| 285 | That alle ydoles nys but a thyng in veyn, |
| For they been dombe, and therto they been deve, |
| And charged hym his ydoles for to leve. |
| |
| "Whoso that troweth nat this, a beest he is," |
| Quod tho Tiburce, "if that I shal nat lye." |
| 290 | And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this, |
| And was ful glad he koude trouthe espye. |
| "This day I take thee for myn allye," |
| Seyde this blisful faire mayde deere, |
| And after that she seyde as ye may heere: |
| |
| 295 | "Lo, right so as the love of Crist," quod she, |
| "Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wise |
| Anon for myn allye heer take I thee, |
| Syn that thou wolt thyne ydoles despise. |
| Go with thy brother now, and thee baptise, |
| 300 | And make thee clene, so that thou mowe biholde |
| The angels face of which thy brother tolde." |
| |
| Tiburce answerde and seyde, "Brother deere, |
| First tel me whider I shal, and to what man?" |
| "To whom?" quod he, "com forth with right good cheere, |
| 305 | I wol thee lede unto the Pope Urban." |
| "Til Urban? Brother myn Valerian," |
| Quod tho Tiburce, "woltow me thider lede? |
| Me thynketh that it were a wonder dede. |
| |
| "Ne menestow nat Urban," quod he tho, |
| 310 | "That is so ofte dampned to be deed, |
| And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro, |
| And dar nat ones putte forth his heed? |
| Men sholde hym brennen in a fyr so reed |
| If he were founde, or that men myghte hym spye, |
| 315 | And we also, to bere hym compaignye; |
| |
| "And whil we seken thilke divinitee |
| That is yhid in hevene pryvely, |
| Algate ybrend in this world shul we be!" |
| To whom Cecile answerde boldely, |
| 320 | "Men myghten dreden wel and skilfully |
| This lyf to lese, myn owene deere brother, |
| If this were lyvynge oonly and noon oother. |
| |
| "But ther is bettre lif in oother place, |
| That nevere shal be lost, ne drede thee noght, |
| 325 | Which Goddes Sone us tolde thurgh his grace. |
| That Fadres Sone hath alle thyng ywroght, |
| And al that wroght is with a skilful thoght; |
| The Goost, that fro the Fader gan procede, |
| Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede. |
| |
| 330 | "By word and by myracle heigh Goddes Sone, |
| Whan he was in this world, declared heere |
| That ther was oother lyf ther men may wone." |
| To whom answerde Tiburce, "O suster deere, |
| Ne seydestow right now in this manere, |
| 335 | Ther nys but o God, lord in soothfastnesse? |
| And now of three how maystow bere witnesse?" |
| |
| "That shal I telle," quod she, "er I go. |
| Right as a man hath sapiences three -- |
| Memorie, engyn, and intellect also -- |
| 340 | So in o beynge of divinitee, |
| Thre persones may ther right wel bee." |
| Tho gan she hym ful bisily to preche |
| Of Cristes come, and of his peynes teche, |
| |
| And manye pointes of his passioun; |
| 345 | How Goddes Sone in this world was withholde |
| To doon mankynde pleyn remissioun, |
| That was ybounde in synne and cares colde; |
| Al this thyng she unto Tiburce tolde. |
| And after this Tiburce in good entente |
| 350 | With Valerian to Pope Urban he wente, |
| |
| That thanked God, and with glad herte and light |
| He cristned hym and made hym in that place |
| Parfit in his lernynge, Goddes knyght. |
| And after this Tiburce gat swich grace |
| 355 | That every day he saugh in tyme and space |
| The aungel of God; and every maner boone |
| That he God axed, it was sped ful soone. |
| |
| It were ful hard by ordre for to seyn |
| How manye wondres Jhesus for hem wroghte; |
| 360 | But atte laste, to tellen short and pleyn, |
| The sergeantz of the toun of Rome hem soghte, |
| And hem biforn Almache, the prefect, broghte, |
| Which hem apposed, and knew al hire entente, |
| And to the ymage of Juppiter hem sente, |
| |
| 365 | And seyde, "Whoso wol nat sacrifise, |
| Swape of his heed; this my sentence heer." |
| Anon thise martirs that I yow devyse, |
| Oon Maximus, that was an officer |
| Of the prefectes, and his corniculer, |
| 370 | Hem hente, and whan he forth the seintes ladde, |
| Hymself he weep for pitee that he hadde. |
| |
| Whan Maximus had herd the seintes loore, |
| He gat hym of the tormentoures leve, |
| And ladde hem to his hous withoute moore, |
| 375 | And with hir prechyng, er that it were eve, |
| They gonnen fro the tormentours to reve, |
| And fro Maxime, and fro his folk echone, |
| The false feith, to trowe in God allone. |
| |
| Cecile cam, whan it was woxen nyght, |
| 380 | With preestes that hem cristned alle yfeere; |
| And afterward, whan day was woxen light, |
| Cecile hem seyde with a ful stedefast cheere, |
| "Now, Cristes owene knyghtes leeve and deere, |
| Cast alle awey the werkes of derknesse, |
| 385 | And armeth yow in armure of brightnesse. |
| |
| "Ye han for sothe ydoon a greet bataille, |
| Youre cours is doon, youre feith han ye conserved. |
| Gooth to the corone of lif that may nat faille; |
| The rightful Juge, which that ye han served, |
| 390 | Shal yeve it yow, as ye han it deserved." |
| And whan this thyng was seyd as I devyse, |
| Men ledde hem forth to doon the sacrefise. |
| |
| But whan they weren to the place broght |
| To tellen shortly the conclusioun, |
| 395 | They nolde encense ne sacrifise right noght, |
| But on hir knees they setten hem adoun |
| With humble herte and sad devocioun, |
| And losten bothe hir hevedes in the place. |
| Hir soules wenten to the Kyng of grace. |
| |
| 400 | This Maximus, that saugh this thyng bityde, |
| With pitous teeris tolde it anonright, |
| That he hir soules saugh to hevene glyde |
| With aungels ful of cleernesse and of light, |
| And with his word converted many a wight; |
| 405 | For which Almachius dide hym so bete |
| With whippe of leed til he his lif gan lete. |
| |
| Cecile hym took and buryed hym anon |
| By Tiburce and Valerian softely |
| Withinne hire buriyng place, under the stoon; |
| 410 | And after this, Almachius hastily |
| Bad his ministres fecchen openly |
| Cecile, so that she myghte in his presence |
| Doon sacrifice and Juppiter encense. |
| |
| But they, converted at hir wise loore, |
| 415 | Wepten ful soore, and yaven ful credence |
| Unto hire word, and cryden moore and moore, |
| "Crist, Goddes Sone, withouten difference, |
| Is verray God -- this is al oure sentence -- |
| That hath so good a servant hym to serve. |
| 420 | This with o voys we trowen, thogh we sterve!" |
| |
| Almachius, that herde of this doynge, |
| Bad fecchen Cecile, that he myghte hire see, |
| And alderfirst, lo, this was his axynge. |
| "What maner womman artow?" tho quod he. |
| 425 | "I am a gentil womman born," quod she. |
| "I axe thee," quod he, "though it thee greeve, |
| Of thy religioun and of thy bileeve." |
| |
| "Ye han bigonne youre questioun folily," |
| Quod she, "that wolden two answeres conclude |
| 430 | In o demande; ye axed lewedly." |
| Almache answerde unto that similitude, |
| "Of whennes comth thyn answeryng so rude?" |
| "Of whennes?" quod she, whan that she was freyned, |
| "Of conscience and of good feith unfeyned." |
| |
| 435 | Almachius seyde, "Ne takestow noon heede |
| Of my power?" And she answerde hym this: |
| "Youre myght," quod she, "ful litel is to dreede, |
| For every mortal mannes power nys |
| But lyk a bladdre ful of wynd, ywys. |
| 440 | For with a nedles poynt, whan it is blowe, |
| May al the boost of it be leyd ful lowe." |
| |
| "Ful wrongfully bigonne thow," quod he, |
| "And yet in wrong is thy perseveraunce. |
| Wostow nat how oure myghty princes free |
| 445 | Han thus comanded and maad ordinaunce |
| That every Cristen wight shal han penaunce |
| But if that he his Cristendom withseye, |
| And goon al quit, if he wole it reneye?" |
| |
| "Yowre princes erren, as youre nobleye dooth," |
| 450 | Quod tho Cecile, "and with a wood sentence |
| Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth. |
| For ye, that knowen wel oure innocence, |
| For as muche as we doon a reverence |
| To Crist, and for we bere a Cristen name, |
| 455 | Ye putte on us a cryme and eek a blame. |
| |
| "But we that knowen thilke name so |
| For vertuous, we may it nat withseye." |
| Almache answerde, "Chees oon of thise two: |
| Do sacrifice, or Cristendom reneye, |
| 460 | That thou mowe now escapen by that weye." |
| At which the hooly blisful faire mayde |
| Gan for to laughe, and to the juge sayde: |
| |
| "O juge, confus in thy nycetee, |
| Woltow that I reneye innocence, |
| 465 | To make me a wikked wight?" quod shee. |
| "Lo, he dissymuleth heere in audience; |
| He stareth, and woodeth in his advertence!" |
| To whom Almachius, "Unsely wrecche, |
| Ne woostow nat how fer my myght may strecche? |
| |
| 470 | "Han noght oure myghty princes to me yiven, |
| Ye, bothe power and auctoritee |
| To maken folk to dyen or to lyven? |
| Why spekestow so proudly thanne to me?" |
| "I speke noght but stedfastly," quod she; |
| 475 | "Nat proudly, for I seye, as for my syde, |
| We haten deedly thilke vice of pryde. |
| |
| "And if thou drede nat a sooth to heere, |
| Thanne wol I shewe al openly, by right, |
| That thou hast maad a ful gret lesyng heere. |
| 480 | Thou seyst thy princes han thee yeven myght |
| Bothe for to sleen and for to quyken a wight; |
| Thou, that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireve, |
| Thou hast noon oother power ne no leve. |
| |
| "But thou mayst seyn thy princes han thee maked |
| 485 | Ministre of deeth; for if thou speke of mo, |
| Thou lyest, for thy power is ful naked." |
| "Do wey thy booldnesse," seyde Almachius tho, |
| "And sacrifice to oure goddes er thou go! |
| I recche nat what wrong that thou me profre, |
| 490 | For I kan suffre it as a philosophre; |
| |
| "But thilke wronges may I nat endure |
| That thou spekest of oure goddes heere," quod he. |
| Cecile answerde, "O nyce creature! |
| Thou seydest no word syn thou spak to me |
| 495 | That I ne knew therwith thy nycetee |
| And that thou were in every maner wise |
| A lewed officer and a veyn justise. |
| |
| "Ther lakketh no thyng to thyne outter yen |
| That thou n' art blynd; for thyng that we seen alle |
| 500 | That it is stoon -- that men may wel espyen -- |
| That ilke stoon a god thow wolt it calle. |
| I rede thee, lat thyn hand upon it falle |
| And taste it wel, and stoon thou shalt it fynde, |
| Syn that thou seest nat with thyne eyen blynde. |
| |
| 505 | "It is a shame that the peple shal |
| So scorne thee and laughe at thy folye, |
| For communly men woot it wel overal |
| That myghty God is in his hevenes hye; |
| And thise ymages, wel thou mayst espye, |
| 510 | To thee ne to hemself mowen noght profite, |
| For in effect they been nat worth a myte." |
| |
| Thise wordes and swiche othere seyde she, |
| And he weex wroth, and bad men sholde hir lede |
| Hom til hir hous, and "In hire hous," quod he, |
| 515 | "Brenne hire right in a bath of flambes rede." |
| And as he bad, right so was doon the dede; |
| For in a bath they gonne hire faste shetten, |
| And nyght and day greet fyr they under betten. |
| |
| The longe nyght, and eek a day also, |
| 520 | For al the fyr and eek the bathes heete |
| She sat al coold and feelede no wo. |
| It made hire nat a drope for to sweete. |
| But in that bath hir lyf she moste lete, |
| For he Almachius, with ful wikke entente, |
| 525 | To sleen hire in the bath his sonde sente. |
| |
| Thre strokes in the nekke he smoot hire tho, |
| The tormentour, but for no maner chaunce |
| He myghte noght smyte al hir nekke atwo; |
| And for ther was that tyme an ordinaunce |
| 530 | That no man sholde doon man swich penaunce |
| The ferthe strook to smyten, softe or soore, |
| This tormentour ne dorste do namoore, |
| |
| But half deed, with hir nekke ycorven there, |
| He lefte hir lye, and on his wey he went. |
| 535 | The Cristen folk, which that aboute hire were, |
| With sheetes han the blood ful faire yhent. |
| Thre dayes lyved she in this torment, |
| And nevere cessed hem the feith to teche |
| That she hadde fostred; hem she gan to preche, |
| |
| 540 | And hem she yaf hir moebles and hir thyng, |
| And to the Pope Urban bitook hem tho, |
| And seyde, "I axed this of hevene kyng, |
| To han respit thre dayes and namo |
| To recomende to yow, er that I go, |
| 545 | Thise soules, lo, and that I myghte do werche |
| Heere of myn hous perpetuelly a cherche." |
| |
| Seint Urban with his deknes prively |
| The body fette and buryed it by nyghte |
| Among his othere seintes honestly. |
| 550 | Hir hous the chirche of Seint Cecilie highte; |
| Seint Urban halwed it, as he wel myghte; |
| In which, into this day, in noble wyse, |
| Men doon to Crist and to his seint servyse. |