University of Virginia Library

XLIII.—CECILE.

To say sume thing is myne entent
of sanct cecile, þe fare & gent,
þat cumyne wes of þe best kine
þat rome þane nere wes withine;
& scho folouyt wele þare trace,
for bath wyse & uertuse scho wes,
fare of fasone for to se,
enhornyt of al bewte;
& fosterit ves in cristis fay,
& cristis ewangele scho had ay
hyd in hire brest, & þare-on thocht,
na nycht na day cesit nocht.
mekly to god, þat kepe vald he
clenly hir virginite.
& scho eftir þe custume þane
ves handfast vith a ȝungmane,
þat in maryag vald hire haf tan.
& callit ves valaryane,
þe day ves cumyne þat þai twa
þat band of mariag suld ma.
next hire flesch, þat wes fare,
scho had al tyme þe harsk hare,
& ves owtirwart to þe sicht
cled in gold schenand brycht.
& quhene al mast mery
mad with mouth & menstra[l]sy,
þane wald scho in hart god pray
be hir ane, & til hyme say:
“god, grant þat my hart ma I
vnuemmyt kepe & my body,
sa þat I thole na varldis scham,
bot ay be thankful to þi name;”
& for þat fasting & prayere
scho mad to god tymis sere.
bot quhene þa suld to bed ga,
& nane wes þar bot þai twa,
scho tuk hyme by þe hand in hy,
& til hyme sad deuotely:
“my maste swet & lowit thing,
I wald tel þe a priwe thing,
sa þat I mycht sekire be
þu suld neuire discouer me,
for gud na il na for mede.”
“tel one þarfor & haf na dred!”
scho sad: “goddis angel haf I,
þat kepis me ay Ithandly,
& lufis me sa wele, þat he
wil thole na warldly men haf me;
þe quhilk gif he persawe þi wil
þat þu with lust nicht me til,
he sal þe sla, ore euire he fyne,
& þu þi fare ȝuthed sal tyne;
bot [gyf] he be þi wil can prowe
þat þu me lufit of clene lufe,
in gret daynte he sal haf þe,
& luf þe als wele as me,
& al his Ioy saw þe til.”
valaryane þan, thru godis wil
chastyit, sad: “gif þu wil I
trow þi wordis parfytly,
schaw me þe angel, þat I may
se þat þi wordis are verray,
& I sal do al þi bydyng;
bot gif I ma haf persawynge
þat þu luffis ony warldis man,
I sal sla þe & hyme rycht þane.”
quod scho þane: “gyf þat þu
wil prowe it suth I sa now,
þu sal trew in god, hicht me,
& in his name baptiste be;
& þu sal se þe suth rycht þane,
þat he is angel & na mane.
þarfor ga fra þe cyte ewine
thre myle in name of god of hewine,
& in a rew, callit ‘via apia,’
syndry poure men þu sal ourta,
& to þame sal þu sa but gyle,
þat ‘me til ȝou has send cecile,
to sanct wrbane to kene me
to tel hyme hire priwete.’
& quhen þu fyndis hym, þu ma
tel hyme þire wordis þat I say.
& quhen he has hofine þe,
þane godis angel þu sal se.”
valaryane þan but abad
passit furth þe gat scho hym bad,
& be þe taknys he had tane,
fand þe bischope sanct vrbane
lurkand ymang pure men mekly,
quhare mony marteris can ly.
& quhene þat he þam tald had
his erand as cecile hym bad,
þe ald his handis but mare
vphewit to þe hewine rycht þare,
& gretand sad: “lord Ihesu,
þat chast consal wele chewis nov,
of þat sede froit nov þu tak
þat in cecil þu can mak!
for cecil as besy be
ententifly seruit has þe;
for hyme, þat scho als fellone
til spouse [tuk] as a woud lyone,
mek as a lame scho has þe send,
þi treutht til ek & til amend.”
& as þe bischope þis & mare
had sad, þane apperit þare
a ȝung man, þat nan cuth knaw,
cled in quhytare thing þan snaw,
& in his hand bare a buke,
þe quhilk rycht fare ves on to luke,
vith goldine lettris wrytine brad.
quhame quhene valeryan sene had,
he fel for rednes in þat sted
as a man þat had bene ded.
bot rath þe ȝung man raisit hyme,
& bad hyme rede þe buk with-ine.
& he red; & fand þare:
“þar is a god, forout mare,
& bot a treutht, & a baptyme,
þai sal al leilemen saf fra pyne,
a fadir, a makare of al,
a-beoufe athing & euir be sal.”
& as he had red þis wryt,
þe bischope sais: “trewis þu It,
or art þu ȝet of dout
of It þu come here about?”
valaryane þane loud can cry,
& sad: “na thing sa weile trev I
vndir hewine as I trew It
þat I saw wrytine in ȝone wryt.”
þe ȝung man þan wanyst away;
& valeryane but delay
of sanct vrbane tuk baptyme,
& hame to cecile went syne,
& fand hire one hire bed stanand,
& ane angel, þat in his hand
had twa cronis mad wynnly
of spanyst rose & quhyt lely.
of þame to cecile he gef ane,
& ane to valaryane,
& sad: “þir cronys I brocht now
of paradyse, to gif til ȝow;
þe quhilkis gif ȝe kepe clenly
with hart wnuemmyt & body,
þai sal neuir falow, na tyne
þe odour þat ȝe think sa fyne,
na ȝet na vthire sal þame se
bot gif he kepe chastyte.
&, valeryane, sene þat þu
has trewit heilesum consel now,
ask at me quhat-euir þu wil,
& I þi ȝarnyng sal fulfil.”
sad he: “gif sa þat it sal be,
þar is na thing sa suet, think me,
as my nan brothire; þare-for I
ask þat he knaw in hy
þe suthfastnes þat nov I kene.”
þe angel sad til hyme þane:
“for þine askyne is rychtwyse
& to god plesand mony vise,
þu & þi bruthire, bath
cronit to god, sal cume rath,
of martirdome þe fare crone
to bruk in hewine as ȝoure wardone.”
tyburcyane syne enterit þare
quhare cecile & his bruthire ware,
& feld þe odoure in til hy
of þe rose & þe lely,
& sad: “bruthir, hou hapnis here
þis swet sawoure þis tym of ȝere,
of Nouember in þe moneth,
quhene flouris haldine ar vndirneth?
for betyre odire I cane neuir fele.
þare-for til ȝou twa I grant wele
þat I ame chengit sudendly.”
valaryane sad: “na ferly;
for fare cronis & fresch haf we,
þat þine ene ȝet ma nocht se,
of rose and lyle wynly mad,
þat neuir-mare sal falou na fad.
bot as þu nov be my prayere
has feld wele þis odere here,
sa sal þu, gif þu trewis me,
it þat þou felis clerly se.”
tyburcius cane hyme ansuere:
“gif þis in slepe be at I here
or it be in-to suthfastnes
þou me tellis mar & les.”
þane sad til hym valaryane:
“ve haf slepit al our tym gane,
bot in suthfastnes now we duel.”
tyburcius sad: “þu me tel
hou þis ma be?” þan one ane
til hyme sad valaryane:
“godis angele it tacht to me;
þe quhilkis gif þu ȝarnis to se,
tak baptyme & renunce til al
fals ydolis þat ȝe godis cal!”
þane cecile prechit hym in hy,
& schewit it hyme al opynly,
þat ydolis ma fele na thing,
bot ar dume & defe, but smelling,
na nocht ma grape na ȝet se,
“bot are mad ne ma helpe þe,
& þu ma heke þaim as þu wil.
quhy suld þu þan gif suth þaim til?”
& as scho had hire sermone done,
tyburcius sad til hire sone:
“quha trewis nocht þis, mast and leste,
in fawte of wit is bot a beste.”
cecile þane hyme in armys hynt,
& kissit his briste, or scho stynt,
& sad til him: “I grant þis day
þat þu art my mach verray;
for, richt as luf of god has mad
þi bruthire my husband, but bad,
richt sa sal godis luf mak þe
my mache, gif þu wil treu me,
gif þu al ydol[is] wil forsake,
& treu in god, & baptyme tak;
& sa sal god grace gif to þe,
his angel in-to face to se.
for-þi se þu na lettyng ma,
bot with þi bruthire son þou ga!”
til his bruthire tyburcyane
sad: “tel me, valaryane,
to quhat is it þu sal me led
to mak ful endyng of þis ded?”
sad he: “to bischope vrbane.”
þane sad tyburcius one ane:
“Is þat vrbane þat to þe dede
has bene condampnyt in þis sted,
[&] in til hydlis ay syne duellis?
for, be he fundine, as men tellis,
he wil be brynt for-out mare,
& we with hym mon fal þare,
& sa, til we are sekand
diuinite in hewine schenand,
ve sal be wappyt in til yre,
percace in erde in brynnand fyre.”
quod cecile til hyme: “gif war nan
life bot in þis warld alane,
ferly var na men wald dout
to tyne it, war þai neuir sa stout;
bot þar is a fere bettyre lyf,
þat ma [nocht] tynt be for þis strife,
þat godis sone [h]as til ws tald,
þat mad al think, as his fadir wald;
þis godis sone, command fra hewyn,
tacht ws with his stewyne,
þat lyf is, þat lestis ay
in hewine, but oþir tene or tray,
þat he has grathit til al his,
til bruk in euire-lestand blis.”
tyburcyane sad: “tel me þis;
sene þu sais bot a god is,
quhy is þat þu tellis me
þat þai are nov godis thre?”
& cecile sad, þat ves war:
“as in a man thre thingis ar,
wit frist, memor þe todire thing,
& þe thred, vndirstanding;
richt swa in þe mycht of godhed
thre personis are but ony dred;
þe fadire, þe son, þe haly gast,
& nocht ane of þire are in waste.”
þane tald scho hyme mare & les,
quhy god in warld come & in fles,
& how hyme lykit for to tak
passione of ded for mannis sak,
& tald hyme syne congruiyte
quhy his passione suld nedful be.
“& first he tholit hyme-self ta,
at as man suld be lattine ga,
þat had bene haldine lang in syne;
& to be myssad lykit hyme,
sa man, þat ves in malysone,
mycht þar chese lestand benysone;
& he tholit scornyt to be,
to mak men of fendis scorne fre;
& he tholit a crone of thorne
one his heid be put for scorne,
for þat [t]he heid sensses suld be
fra mankind tane þat first gef he;
& gal he tastit, for to bet
It þat man tynt tastand þe swet;
& nakit one þe croice he wes,
til hele adamys nakitnes;
& hangit one þe croice ves he,
of first trespas to mak ws fre.”
tyburcyus þane but delay
til his bruthire þis [c]an say:
“gud bruthire, haf in þe mercy,
I pray þe, & me led in hy
to godis man, þat I ma be
clene mad, þe angel to se!”
his bruthire þane hym has tan
be þe hand & led til vrbane,
þat, baptiste þane, he
þe angel clerly mycht se,
þat vald gif hyme his askin[g]e
debonarly but gruching.
tyburcius þane, or he fane,
& his bruthire valaryane
þare faculte, til It mycht leste,
til poure folk disponyt faste,
& of þe marteris þe bodyis
sa slane for godis seruice
þai enterit ful prywely.
almacius þane in hy
gert þai brethire til hym bring,
& sad to þame, as in hething:
“quharfor haf ȝe sa mykil cure
& besynes and laboure
to grawe þame þat for trespas,
as resone mad, condampnit ves?”
tyburcius þane but delay
to þe prefet sadly cane say:
“vald god we war seruandis al
to þame ȝe dampnyt cal,
þat has dispysit with clere thocht
It þat aperis & is nocht.”
þe prefet sad: “þu tel me
quhat manere þat may be?”
quod he: “þat semys & is nocht
is al þat in þis warld is wrocht,
& ledis man to vanyte,
& til it þat nocht sal be;
bot it þat semys nocht to be
& is, gif þu ma clerly se,
Is of richtwise men þe lyfe,
& of Il men þe payne but strife.”
þe prefet sad: “I trew nocht þis
þu sais; of þi-self al is,”
& bad þane þat valaryane
befor hyme suld be brocht on ane,
& sad hyme: “þo þi bruthire be
nocht of parfyt wit, as think me,
I consal þe for-out mare
þat þu to me mak gud ansuare;
for it war lyk þai ware wod
þat refusis bath Ioy & gud,
but folely þat maste ȝarnis
þat is maste fay to Ioy & blis.
for-þi is gud ȝe wyse ȝu weile,
or ȝe tyne al varldis sele.”
valaryane sad til hyme þane,
in froist þat he saw Idil men
playand þame, makand gud chere,
& scorne þame þat wirkand were,
bot in tyme of het, quhen þai
froyt of þare travale bar away,
& gret Ioy & mery mad,
þane þai þat Idil bene had,
mad anoy & ewil chere;
“richt sa til ws has hapnyt but were;
for we thole nov cald & het,
quhile t[h]riste, quhyle hungire gret,
bot sal resawe til oure med
ay-lestand Ioy, þat is na dred.
bot ȝe, þat warldis glore has now,
in tyme to cume ful sare sal grew,
& for a schort tyme lestand blis
in ȝour foly are lyk to mys.”
þane þe prefet ansuert hym but mare,
& sad: “be þe pryncis, are
vndisconfit of þis varld hale,
sal thole, as ȝe say, lestand bale,
& ȝe, þat are content! wrechis here,
sic lestand blis sal bruk but were?”
valaryane sad til hyme þane:
“ȝe ar na princys, bot smal men,
borne in our tyme, & de sal sone,
& ȝeld resone hou ȝe haf done.”
þe prefet sad, þat wes fel:
“in sic spek ganys nocht to duel.
mak sacryfice for-out delay,
&, quhar þu lykis, pas þi way!”
þai brethire þane vnerely
sad to þe prefet opynly:
“lele sacrifice to god we gife,
& sal do, til we ma lif.”
quod þe prefet to þame one ane:
“of ȝoure god tel me þe name!”
valaryane til hyme þan can say:
“certis, his name fynd þu na ma,
þo þu had wengis for to fle.”
þe prefet sad: “ȝet thinkis me
þat Iubiter is nocht þe name
of god þat suld be I[n] mast fame?”
valaryane sad: “Iubitere
ves þe name of a murtherere
& of a kyd houlloure,
þat racht noþire of mensk na honoure.”
þane ansuert hyme almachius,
& sad: “gif suth be þu sais ws,
al þis warld erris bot þu ane
& þi bruthire, þat has ȝow tane
to trew in a god verraly.”
valaryane þane sad in hy:
“It is nocht anerly we twa
þat a god al-ane cane ta,
bot þai ar sa feile ma þane we,
þat þai ma nocht nomeryt be,
þat resawit þis halynes,
& ay sal eke & be na les.”
þane gert þe prefet tak þaim bath
& put þame in til pressone rath,
in ȝemsale of maxymy,
þat sad til þame ful felloun[l]y:
“ȝe, þat ar ȝung & fals alsa,
& bruthire-lufe betwene ȝou twa,
me think ȝe haste ȝou to ded nov
as til a feste men callit ȝow!”
valaryane sad: “gif þat þu
wil hicht til ws þat þu sal treu,
þe Ioy þu sal se in þis sted
of oure sawlis, as we are ded.”
þane maxymyne sad: “fyre me bryn,
gyf I þat god þane trou nocht in
þat ȝe treu, gyf þat I se
þe thing suth ȝe sa to me.”
þare maximyne but ony mare,
& al þat euire with hyme ware,
& þe fel tormentouris alsua,
of pape vrbane can baptyme ta,
þat in hydlis come þame til,
& þare request [did] with gud wil,
& in þe dawing of þe day
in hye voice cane to þame say:
“ȝe, þat are cristis knychttis mad,
puttis fra ȝou nov but abad
vorkis of myrknes, & clethis ȝou
in armys of licht in hast nov!”
almachius þe prefet herd
how þat þer cristine knychttis ferd.
þane gert he tak þaim rycht sone,
& syne eftire for-out hone
he gert leid þame of þe ton
four myle, one þat condicione,
gyf þai to Iubitere rycht þare
vald sacryfy but ony mare,
þai suld ga fre at þare wil,
& al þar gudis tacht þame til;
& gif þai gruchit to do sa,
þare nekis suld þai strik in twa.
þane ware þe brethire one led,
til þai come til þe lymmytstede;
& for þai wald nocht sacryfy
þai war vnhedit bath in hy.
þane maximyne, þat þare was,
quhene þat ves done in þe place,
sad, he saw angelis cume done
in þe tyme of þare passione,
& þare sawlis vpe in hewine bare
vith þame in-to wynly fayre.
sone eftire as þis ves done,
to þe prefet ves tald sone
þat maximyn cristine ves mad.
þe quhilk þane but abad
gert men with lumpis of led
dyng hyme til he ves ded.
þane cecile tuk þe bodys thre,
& in a grawe gert þaim lad be,
vith sic honoure as scho cuth do,
& as þe tyme askyt to.
almacius þane wes besy
to get þe gudis gredely
of þe forsad valaryane,
þat til his spouse cecile had tane,
& of tyburcius his bruthire,
& lewit nocht ane for vthire.
& sowne wes fundyn þat cecile
þar gud[is] had to kepe a quhyle.
for-þi hir gert he bryng hyme til,
to grype þe gudis in-to wil.
& as scho brocht ves hyme befor,
he sad til hire with sturt & schore:
“til ydolis þu mak sacryfice,
& þame honoure in al wyse,”
ore ellis for to thole gret payne
& fynaly þare-for be slane.
þan turmentoris, þo þai vald fenȝe,
word of ned hire til distrenȝe,
gret rycht sare, for sa fare a thing,
sa vyse, sa far, & sa ȝyng
vald ta þe ded sa wilfully.
þane sad scho til þame in hy:
“It is nocht, ȝungmen, as ȝe thocht;
for my ȝouthed here tyne I nocht,
bot gifis filth & takis gold fyne,
& giffis a lacht place of duelling,
& takis a place of bewte,
sic as ma nocht comprisit be,
& giffis bot a lytil wra,
a vyd merkat þare-for I ta.
richt as man suld gif ȝow
tene shillings for a penny now,
I trew þat ȝe suld haste ȝou þene
to gife a penny & take tene;
sa to god gif we gife ocht
of warldly thing þat he has wrocht,
he sal gif ws þarefor in med
ane hundre tyme sa fele, but dred.”
sad scho þane: “trew ȝe þis?”
“ȝa,” sad þai, “sa hafe we blis,
ve trew þat criste is god verray,
þat sic a seruand has þis day.”
þay of a wil euirilkane
gert bryng þe bischope ald vrban,
of quham richt þane baptym can ta
four hundre personis & ma.
almachius gert hire til hym bring,
& sad hire, as with smylyng
he sad: “of quhat condicion is þu?”
scho sad: “gentil woman, I trew.”
almacius sad syne tyte:
“I spere, womane, of þi ryte.”
cecile sad hyme: “þine askin[g]e
of foly takis begynnynge,
venand I suld ansuer[is] twa
vndir a demand þe to ma.”
almacius sad til hire bon:
“quhene has þu sic presumpcion
of redy ansuere til a man?”
& cecile sad til hyme þane:
“of conscience gud & clere,
& fath vnfenȝet, but were.”
almacius sad hire one hicht:
“me think þu knawis nocht my mycht.”
scho sad: “ȝis, I cane wele fynd
þi poweste lik a bose of wynd
þat fillit ware, & with a prene
mocht out be latine for-out wene,
& seage, and to-giddire fal,
& tyne þe vowsty blawing al.”
almacius cane til hire say:
“vith inwy þu begynnis ay,
& in It syne perseueris;
quhat is he þat þe þis leris?”
quod scho: “iniure is it nocht
bot fraud in word be thocht;
þar-for, gif I do wrang, me teche,
or with fals wordis I þe fleche,
or blame þi-selfe þat me blamys,
or of fraud me defamys.
bot we, þe haly name þat wat
of god, ma nyt it na-gat,
& bettire is de happely
na for to de here wrechitly.”
almacius sad in þat tyde:
“quhy spekis þu with sic pryde?”
“na,” quod scho, “pryd is It nocht,
bot It is stedfastnes of thocht.”
almacius þan til hire can say:
“þu wreche, wat þu nocht I may,
gif me lykis, now sla þe,
or, gif me lykis, lat þe be?
for sic poweste is tacht me til
þat I ma do quhat-say I wil.”
þane sad scho: “I ma prewe wele
þat þu has leyt ilke deile
agane opyne suthfastnes;
for, þo þu of poware wes
þe lyf to tak of ony man,
of powere wes þu neuir ȝet þan
to quhykine man þat ded had bene.
for-þi is þu seruand but wene
of doulful ded & nocht of lyfe,
& nocht of quyet, bot of stryfe.”
almacius cane til hire say:
“þat wedand wodnes do away,
& sacryfy oure godis til,
gyf to luf langere be þi wil!”
sad cecile þane, or scho stynt:
“It semys þu has þine eyne tynt;
for, þat þu godis cane cal,
ar bot stanis & stokis al,
as þu ma with þi handis taste,
þo þu ma nocht se a laste.”
þane ves almacius rycht wa
þat scho sic ansuere cane til hym ma,
& gert men til hire ine hire led,
for he wald scho war dede.
& al a day & al þe nycht
he gert leid meelte in menis sycht,
& band hire faste fut & hand,
& kest hir in þe led brynnande.
bot of het scho feld nomare
þane scho in a bath set þane vare,
na changit contenance na chere,
for ocht þat scho cane se or here,
bot ves blyth, as scho had bene
in maste mycht þat euir wes sene.
and as almacius þat herde,
as out of wit nere he ferde;
in-to þat leid, þat brynnyt swa,
he bad strik hire nek in twa.
& þo þe basar strak hire thrise,
he mocht vnhied hire na-wyse;
&, for þe law bad, þat, quha
suld haf þe hed strikine hym fra,
þe ferd strak suld haf na-way,
for-þi þe basare ȝed his way,
& lefyt hire lyand in þat sted
thre days fullely, as nere ded.
& in þe meyne-tyme, nocht-for-thy,
scho delt hire gudis vysly
ymange powre folk þat had ned,
& til vntrowand godis sede
sew, & to god wysly wane
thru hire preching mony man,
& þame þat scho conuertit swa,
fra wrbane scho gert baptym ta,
& sad hym, þat scho had mad purchas
to god þat scho mycht luf þe space
þat scho mycht þaim til hym commend,
þat to be baptist scho hym send,
& of hire house of lyme and stane
gert mak a kirk, of sancte vrbane
halouyt, & eftire lad hire þare
quhare nov fele bischopis grawyn are.
& þis, þat I tel here, done wes
eftire þat criste had tane flesch
twa hundre thre & thretty ȝere;
& þane wes emperoure but were
marcyus, þat arelyane
had þane til his surname.
now, sancte cecile, þat had sic grace,
þat, quhat þu wald, þu mycht purches
fra Ihesu, þat þu lufit swa,
purches ws, ore we hyne ga,
of þis varld þat we ma twyne
but schame, det, or dedly syne.