Chaucer's Works-The Canterbury Tales Part 97

The teres from his yen leet he falle-- 190 'Almighty lord, o Iesu Crist,' quod he, 'Sower of chast conseil, herde of us alle, The fruit of thilke seed of chast.i.tee That thou hast sowe in Cecile, tak to thee!

Lo, lyk a bisy bee, with-outen gyle, 195 Thee serveth ay thyn owene thral Cecile!

190. Ln. yen; _rest_ eyen, eyhen. 192. E. Hn. hierde.

For thilke spouse, that she took but now Ful lyk a fiers leoun, she sendeth here, As meke as ever was any lamb, to yow!'

And with that worde, anon ther gan appere 200 An old man, clad in whyte clothes clere, That hadde a book with lettre of golde in honde, And gan biforn Valerian to stonde.

197. E. Hl. right; _rest_ but. 203. E. bifore; Hl. to-forn; _rest_ biforn, biforne, beforne.

Valerian as deed fil doun for drede Whan he him saugh, and he up hente him tho, 205 And on his book right thus he gan to rede-- [516: T. 15675-15706.]

'Oo Lord, oo feith, oo G.o.d with-outen mo, Oo Cristendom, and fader of alle also, Aboven alle and over al everywhere'-- Thise wordes al with gold y-writen were. 210

208. E. Hn. Cm. O; Hl. On; Cp. Pt. Ln. Of. 209. E. _omits_ and.

Whan this was rad, than seyde this olde man, 'Levestow this thing or no? sey ye or nay.'

'I leve al this thing,' quod Valerian, 'For sother thing than this, I dar wel say, Under the hevene no wight thinke may.' 215 Tho vanisshed the olde man, he niste where, And pope Urban him cristened right there.

210-216. Hl. _omits_. 214. E. oother; _rest_ sother. 216. E. Hn.

Cm. this; Pt. that; Cp. Ln. the. 217. Hl. Pt. cristened; Cm.

cristenede; E. Hn. Cp. cristned.

Valerian goth hoom, and fint Cecilie With-inne his chambre with an angel stonde; This angel hadde of roses and of lilie 220 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 other to Valerian, hir make.

'With body clene and with unwemmed thoght 225 Kepeth ay wel thise corones,' quod he; 'Fro Paradys to yow have I hem broght, Ne never-mo ne shal they roten be, Ne lese her sote savour, trusteth me; Ne never wight shal seen hem with his ye, 230 But he be chaast and hate vileinye.

226. E. three; Hl. thre; _rest_ quod he.

And thou, Valerian, for thou so sone a.s.sentedest to good conseil also, Sey what thee list, and thou shalt han thy bone.'

'I have a brother,' quod Valerian tho, 235 '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.'

[517: T. 15707-15737.]

The angel seyde, 'G.o.d lyketh thy requeste, And bothe, with the palm of martirdom, 240 Ye shullen come unto his blisful feste.'

And with that word Tiburce his brother com.

And whan that he the savour undernom Which that the roses and the lilies caste, With-inne his herte he gan to wondre faste, 245

And seyde, 'I wondre, this tyme of the yeer, Whennes that sote savour cometh so Of rose and lilies that I smelle heer.

For though I hadde hem in myn hondes two, The savour mighte in me no depper go. 250 The sote smel that in myn herte I finde Hath chaunged me al in another kinde.'

251. _The MSS. have_ swete _here; but in_ l. 247 _we find only _sote, soote, swote, suote, _except_ swete _in_ Pt.; _in_ l. 229, E. Hl.

soote; Hn. swote; Cm. sote; Cp. Pt. Ln. swete.

Valerian seyde, 'two corones han we, Snow-whyte and rose-reed, that shynen clere, Whiche that thyn yen han no might to see; 255 And as thou smellest hem thurgh my preyere, So shaltow seen hem, leve brother dere, If it so be thou wolt, withouten slouthe, Bileve aright and knowen verray trouthe.'

Tiburce answerde, 'seistow this to me 260 In soothnesse, or in dreem I herkne this?'

'In dremes,' quod Valerian, 'han we be Unto this tyme, brother myn, y-wis.

But now at erst in trouthe our dwelling is.'

'How woostow this,' quod Tiburce, 'in what wyse?' 265 Quod Valerian, 'that shal I thee devyse.

The angel of G.o.d hath me the trouthe y-taught Which thou shalt seen, if that thou wolt reneye The ydoles and be clene, and elles naught.'-- [518: T. 15738-15769.]

And of the miracle of thise corones tweye 270 Seint Ambrose in his preface list to seye; Solempnely this n.o.ble doctour dere Commendeth it, and seith in this manere:

267. E. Ln. Hl. _omit_ the. 273. E. hym; _rest_ it.

The palm of martirdom for to receyve, Seinte Cecile, fulfild of G.o.ddes yifte, 275 The world and eek hir chambre gan she weyve; Witnes Tyburces and Valerians shrifte, To whiche G.o.d of his bountee wolde s.h.i.+fte Corones two of floures wel smellinge, And made his angel hem the corones bringe: 280

277. _The MSS. have_ Cecilies, _wrongly_ (for Valerians); Lat.

_text_--Ualeriani; cf. l. 281.

The mayde hath broght thise men to blisse above; The world hath wist what it is worth, certeyn, Devocioun of chast.i.tee to love.-- Tho shewede him Cecile al open and pleyn That alle ydoles nis but a thing in veyn; 285 For they been dombe, and therto they been deve, And charged him his ydoles for to leve.

281. E. Hn. _omit_ thise; _the rest retain it, except_ Cm., _which has_ brought hem to blysse. 284. Cp. Pt. Ln. _omit_ al.

'Who so that troweth nat this, a beste he is,'

Quod tho Tiburce, 'if that I shal nat lye.'

And she gan kisse his brest, that herde this, 290 And was ful glad he coude trouthe espye.

'This day I take thee for myn allye,'

Seyde this blisful fayre mayde dere; And after that she seyde as ye may here:

288. E. Hn. Pt. beest; Hl. best; Cm. Cp. Ln. beste.

'Lo, right so as the love of Crist,' quod she, 295 'Made me thy brotheres wyf, right in that wyse Anon for myn allye heer take I thee, Sin that thou wolt thyn ydoles despyse.

Go with thy brother now, and thee baptyse, And make thee clene; so that thou mowe biholde 300 The angels face of which thy brother tolde.'

[519: T. 15770-15804.]

Tiburce answerde and seyde, 'brother dere, First tel me whider I shal, and to what man?'

'To whom?' quod he, 'com forth with right good chere, I wol thee lede unto the pope Urban.' 305 'Til Urban? brother myn Valerian,'

Quod tho Tiburce, 'woltow me thider lede?

Me thinketh that it were a wonder dede.

303. E. Hn. Cm. that I; _rest omit_ that. 304. Hl. _om._ right.

Ne menestow nat Urban,' quod he tho, 'That is so ofte dampned to be deed, 310 And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro, And dar nat ones putte forth his heed?

Men sholde him brennen in a fyr so reed If he were founde, or that men mighte him spye; And we also, to bere him companye-- 315

And whyl we seken thilke divinitee That is y-hid in hevene prively, Algate y-brend in this world shul we be!'

To whom Cecile answerde boldely, 'Men mighten dreden wel and skilfully 320 This lyf to lese, myn owene dere brother, If this were livinge only and non other.

But ther is better lyf in other place, That never shal be lost, ne drede thee noght, Which G.o.ddes sone us tolde thurgh his grace; 325 That fadres sone hath alle thinges wroght; And al that wroght is with a skilful thoght, The goost, that fro the fader gan precede, Hath sowled hem, withouten any drede.

323. Ln. Hl. Pt. better; E. Hn. bettre. 326. E. thyng ywroght; Hn.

Cm. thynges wroght. 326-337. Cp. Pt. Ln. _omit_.

By word and by miracle G.o.ddes sone, 330 Whan he was in this world, declared here That ther was other lyf ther men may wone.'

To whom answerde Tiburce, 'o suster dere, Ne seydestow right now in this manere, Ther nis but o G.o.d, lord in soothfastnesse; 335 And now of three how maystow bere witnesse?'

[520: T. 15805-15839.]

'That shal I telle,' quod she, 'er I go.