The Canterbury Tales; The Seconde Nonnes Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales; The Seconde Nonnes Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part	A
	-
GROUP G	B
	-
THE SECONDE NONNES TALE	C
	-
The Prologe of the Seconde Nonnes Tale	C
	-
The ministre and the norice unto vices	D
Which that men clepe in Englissh ydelnesse	D
That porter of the gate is of delices	D
To eschue and by hir contrarie hir oppresse	D
That is to seyn by leveful bisynesse	D
Wel oghten we to doon al oure entente	A
Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us shente	A
	-
For he that with hise thousand cordes slye	E
Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe	F
Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye	E
He kan so lightly cacche hym in his trappe	F
Til that a man be hent right by the lappe	F
He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde	A
Wel oghte us werche and ydelnesse withstonde	A
	-
And though men dradden nevere for to dye	E
Yet seen men wel by resoun doutelees	D
That ydelnesse is roten slogardye	E
Of which ther nevere comth no good encrees	D
And seen that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees	D
Oonly to slepe and for to ete and drynke	B
And to devouren al that othere swynke	B
	-
And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse	D
That cause is of so greet confusioun	G
I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse	D
After the legende in translacioun	G
Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun	G
Thou with thy gerland wroght with rose and lilie	C
Thee meene I mayde and martir seint Cecilie	C
	-
Invocacio ad Mariam	H
	-
And thow that flour of virgines art alle	C
Of whom that Bernard list so wel to write	A
To thee at my bigynnyng first I calle	C
Thou confort of us wrecches do me endite	A
Thy maydens deeth that wan thurgh hir merite	A
	-
The eterneel lyf and of the feend victorie	I
As man may after reden in hir storie	I
	-
Thow mayde and mooder doghter of thy sone	G
Thow welle of mercy synful soules cure	I
In whom that God for bountee chees to wone	G
Thow humble and heigh over every creature	I
Thow nobledest so ferforth oure nature	I
That no desdeyn the makere hadde of kynde	A
His sone in blood and flessh to clothe and wynde	A
	-
Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydis	D
Took mannes shape the eterneel love and pees	D
That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is	D
Whom erthe and see and hevene out of relees	D
Ay heryen and thou virgine wemmelees	D
Baar of thy body and dweltest mayden pure	I
The creatour of every creature	I
	-
Assembled is in thee magnificence	D
With mercy goodnesse and with swich pitee	A
That thou that art the sonne of excellence	D
Nat oonly helpest hem that preyen thee	I
But oftentyme of thy benygnytee	A
Ful frely er that men thyn help biseche	J
Thou goost biforn and art hir lyves leche	J
	-
Now help thow meeke and blisful faire mayde	A
Me flemed wrecche in this desert of galle	C
Thynk on the womman Cananee that sayde	A
That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle	C
That from hir lordes table been yfalle	C
And though that I unworthy sone of Eve	K
Be synful yet accepte my bileve	K
	-
And for that feith is deed withouten werkis	D
So for to werken yif me wit and space	D
That I be quit fro thennes that moost derk is	D
O thou that art so fair and ful of grace	D
Be myn advocat in that heighe place	D
Ther as withouten ende is songe Osanne	G
Thow Cristes mooder doghter deere of Anne	G
	-
And of thy light my soule in prison lighte	A
That troubled is by the contagioun	G
Of my body and also by the wighte	A
Of erthely lust and fals affeccioun	G
O havene of refut O salvacioune	G
Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse	D
Now help for to my werk I wol me dresse	D
	-
Yet preye I yow that reden that I write	A
Foryeve me that I do no diligence	D
This ilke storie subtilly to endite	A
For bothe have I the wordes and sentence	D
Of hym that at the seintes reverence	D
The storie wroot and folwe hir legende	A
I pray yow that ye wole my werk amende	A
	-
First wolde I yow the name of seinte Cecile	C
Expowne as men may in hir storie see	D
It is to seye in Englissh hevenes lilie'	C
For pure chaastnesse of virginitee	A
Or for she whitnesse hadde of honestee	A
And grene of conscience and of good fame	L
The soote savour lilie was hir name	L
	-
Or Cecilie is to seye the wey to blynde '	-
For she ensample was by good techynge	M
Or elles Cecile as I writen fynde	A
Is joyned by a manere conjoynynge	M
Of hevene' and lia ' and heere in figurynge	M
The hevene' is set for thoght of hoolynesse	D
And lia' for hir lastynge bisynesse	D
	-
Cecile may eek be seyd in this manere	I
Wantynge of blyndnesse ' for hir grete light	A
Of sapience and for hire thewes cleere	I
Or elles loo this maydens name bright	A
Of hevene' and leos' comth for which by right	A
Men myghte hir wel the hevene of peple' calle	C
Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle	C
	-
For leos' peple' in Englissh is to seye	E
And right as men may in the hevene see	D
The sonne and moone and sterres every weye	E
Right so men goostly in this mayden free	D
Syen of feith the magnanymytee	A
And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience	D
And sondry werkes brighte of excellence	D
	-
And right so as thise philosophres write	A
That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge	M
Right so was faire Cecilie the white	A
Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge	M
And round and hool in good perseverynge	M
And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte	A
Now have I yow declared what she highte	A
	-
Here bigynneth the Seconde Nonnes tale of the lyf of Seinte Cecile	C
	-
This mayden bright Cecilie as hir lyf seith	N
Was comen of Romayns and of noble kynde	A
And from hir cradel up fostred in the feith	O
Of Crist and bar his gospel in hir mynde	A
She nevere cessed as I writen fynde	A
Of hir preyere and God to love and drede	A
Bisekynge hym to kepe hir maydenhede	A
	-
And whan this mayden sholde unto a man	G
Ywedded be that was ful yong of age	M
Which that ycleped was Valerian	G
And day was comen of hir mariage	M
She ful devout and humble in hir corage	M
Under hir robe of gold that sat ful faire	I
Hadde next hir flessh yclad hir in an haire	I
	-
And whil the orgnes maden melodie	A
To God allone in herte thus sang she	D
'O Lord my soule and eek my body gye	E
Unwemmed lest that I confounded be '	-
And for his love that dyde upon a tree	D
Every seconde and thridde day she faste	A
Ay biddynge in hir orisons ful faste	A
	-
The nyght cam and to bedde moste she gon	G
With hir housbonde as ofte is the manere	D
And pryvely to hym she seyde anon	G
'O sweete and wel biloved spouse deere	D
Ther is a conseil and ye wolde it heere	D
Which that right fayn I wolde unto yow seye	E
So that ye swere ye shul me nat biwreye '	-
	-
Valerian gan faste unto hire swere	D
That for no cas ne thyng that myghte be	D
He sholde nevere mo biwreyen here	D
And thanne at erst to hym thus seyde she	D
'I have an Aungel which that loveth me	D
That with greet love wher so I wake or sleepe	F
Is redy ay my body for to kepe	F
	-
And if that he may feelen out of drede	A
That ye me touche or love in vileynye	E
He right anon wol sle yow with the dede	A
And in youre yowthe thus ye sholden dye	E
And if that ye in clene love me gye	E
He wol yow loven as me for youre clennesse	D
And shewen yow his joye and his brightnesse '	-
	-
Valerian corrected as God wolde	A
Answerde agayn 'If I shal trusten thee	D
Lat me that aungel se and hym biholde	A
And if that it a verray aungel bee	D
Thanne wol I doon as thou hast prayed me	D
And if thou love another man forsothe	D
Right with this swerd thanne wol I sle yow bothe '	-
	-
Cecile answerde anon right in this wise	D
'If that yow list the aungel shul ye see	D
So that ye trowe in Crist and yow baptize	D
Gooth forth to Via Apia ' quod she	D
'That fro this toun ne stant but miles thre	D
And to the povre folkes that ther dwelle	C
Sey hem right thus as that I shal yow telle	C
	-
Telle hem that I Cecile yow to hem sente	A
To shewen yow the goode Urban the olde	A
For secree thynges and for good entente	A
And whan that ye Seint Urban han biholde	A
Telle hym the wordes whiche that I to yow tolde	A
And whan that he hath purged yow fro synne	G
Thanne shul ye se that aungel er ye twynne '	-
	-
Valerian is to the place ygon	G
And right as hym was taught by his lernynge	M
He foond this hooly olde Urban anon	G
Among the seintes buryeles lotynge	M
And he anon withouten tariynge	M
Dide his message and whan that he it tolde	A
Urban for joye his handes gan up holde	A
	-
The teeris from hise eyen leet he falle	C