The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems Part 69

"And thou, Valerian, for thou so soon a.s.sented hast to good counsel, also Say what thee list,* and thou shalt have thy boon."** *wish **desire "I have a brother," quoth Valerian tho,* *then "That in this world I love no man so; I pray you that my brother may have grace To know the truth, as I do in this place."

The angel said, "G.o.d liketh thy request, And bothe, with the palm of martyrdom, Ye shalle come unto this blissful rest."

And, with that word, Tiburce his brother came.

And when that he the savour undernome* *perceived Which that the roses and the lilies cast, Within his heart he gan to wonder fast;

And said; "I wonder, this time of the year, Whence that sweete savour cometh so Of rose and lilies, that I smelle here; For though I had them in mine handes two, The savour might in me no deeper go; The sweete smell, that in my heart I find, Hath changed me all in another kind."

Valerian said, "Two crownes here have we, Snow-white and rose-red, that s.h.i.+ne clear, Which that thine eyen have no might to see; And, as thou smellest them through my prayere, So shalt thou see them, leve* brother dear, *beloved If it so be thou wilt withoute sloth Believe aright, and know the very troth. "

Tiburce answered, "Say'st thou this to me In soothness, or in dreame hear I this?"

"In dreames," quoth Valorian, "have we be Unto this time, brother mine, y-wis But now *at erst* in truth our dwelling is." *for the first time*

How know'st thou this," quoth Tiburce; "in what wise?"

Quoth Valerian, "That shall I thee devise* *describe

"The angel of G.o.d hath me the truth y-taught, Which thou shalt see, if that thou wilt reny* *renounce The idols, and be clean, and elles nought."

[And of the miracle of these crownes tway Saint Ambrose in his preface list to say; Solemnely this n.o.ble doctor dear Commendeth it, and saith in this mannere

"The palm of martyrdom for to receive, Saint Cecilie, full filled of G.o.d's gift, The world and eke her chamber gan to weive;* *forsake Witness Tiburce's and Cecilie's shrift,* *confession To which G.o.d of his bounty woulde s.h.i.+ft Corones two, of flowers well smelling, And made his angel them the crownes bring.

"The maid hath brought these men to bliss above; The world hath wist what it is worth, certain, Devotion of chast.i.ty to love."] <10> Then showed him Cecilie all open and plain, That idols all are but a thing in vain, For they be dumb, and thereto* they be deave;** *therefore **deaf And charged him his idols for to leave.

"Whoso that troweth* not this, a beast he is," *believeth Quoth this Tiburce, "if that I shall not lie."

And she gan kiss his breast when she heard this, And was full glad he could the truth espy: "This day I take thee for mine ally."* *chosen friend Saide this blissful faire maiden dear; And after that she said as ye may hear.

"Lo, right so as the love of Christ," quoth she, "Made me thy brother's wife, right in that wise Anon for mine ally here take I thee, Since that thou wilt thine idoles despise.

Go with thy brother now and thee baptise, And make thee clean, so that thou may'st behold The angel's face, of which thy brother told."

Tiburce answer'd, and saide, "Brother dear, First tell me whither I shall, and to what man?"

"To whom?" quoth he, "come forth with goode cheer, I will thee lead unto the Pope Urban."

"To Urban? brother mine Valerian,"

Quoth then Tiburce; "wilt thou me thither lead?

Me thinketh that it were a wondrous deed.

"Meanest thou not that Urban," quoth he tho,* *then "That is so often d.a.m.ned to be dead, And wons* in halkes** always to and fro, *dwells **corners And dare not ones putte forth his head?

Men should him brennen* in a fire so red, *burn If he were found, or if men might him spy: And us also, to bear him company.

"And while we seeke that Divinity That is y-hid in heaven privily, Algate* burnt in this world should we be." *nevertheless To whom Cecilie answer'd boldely; "Men mighte dreade well and skilfully* *reasonably This life to lose, mine owen deare brother, If this were living only, and none other.

"But there is better life in other place, That never shall be loste, dread thee nought; Which G.o.dde's Son us tolde through his grace That Father's Son which alle thinges wrought; And all that wrought is with a skilful* thought, *reasonable The Ghost,* that from the Father gan proceed, *Holy Spirit Hath souled* them, withouten any drede.** *endowed them with a soul **doubt By word and by miracle, high G.o.d's Son, When he was in this world, declared here.

That there is other life where men may won."* *dwell To whom answer'd Tiburce, "O sister dear, Saidest thou not right now in this mannere, There was but one G.o.d, Lord in soothfastness,* *truth And now of three how may'st thou bear witness?"

"That shall I tell," quoth she, "ere that I go.

Right as a man hath sapiences* three, *mental faculties Memory, engine,* and intellect also, *wit <11> So in one being of divinity Three persones there maye right well be."

Then gan she him full busily to preach Of Christe's coming, and his paines teach,

And many pointes of his pa.s.sion; How G.o.dde's Son in this world was withhold* *employed To do mankinde plein* remission, *full That was y-bound in sin and cares cold.* *wretched <12> All this thing she unto Tiburce told, And after that Tiburce, in good intent, With Valerian to Pope Urban he went.

That thanked G.o.d, and with glad heart and light He christen'd him, and made him in that place Perfect in his learning, and G.o.dde's knight.

And after this Tiburce got such grace, That every day he saw in time and s.p.a.ce Th' angel of G.o.d, and every manner boon* *request, favour That be G.o.d asked, it was sped* full anon. *granted, successful

It were full hard by order for to sayn How many wonders Jesus for them wrought, But at the last, to telle short and plain, The sergeants of the town of Rome them sought, And them before Almach the Prefect brought, Which them apposed,* and knew all their intent, *questioned And to th'image of Jupiter them sent.

And said, "Whoso will not do sacrifice, Swap* off his head, this is my sentence here." *strike Anon these martyrs, *that I you devise,* *of whom I tell you*

One Maximus, that was an officere Of the prefect's, and his corniculere <13> Them hent,* and when he forth the saintes lad,** *seized **led Himself he wept for pity that he had.

When Maximus had heard the saintes lore,* *doctrine, teaching He got him of the tormentores* leave, *torturers And led them to his house withoute more; And with their preaching, ere that it were eve, They gonnen* from the tormentors to reave,** *began **wrest, root out And from Maxim', and from his folk each one, The false faith, to trow* in G.o.d alone. *believe

Cecilia came, when it was waxen night, With priestes, that them christen'd *all in fere;* *in a company*

And afterward, when day was waxen light, Cecile them said with a full steadfast cheer,* *mien "Now, Christe's owen knightes lefe* and dear, *beloved Cast all away the workes of darkness, And arme you in armour of brightness.

Ye have forsooth y-done a great battaile, Your course is done, your faith have ye conserved; <14> O to the crown of life that may not fail; The rightful Judge, which that ye have served Shall give it you, as ye have it deserved."

And when this thing was said, as I devise,* relate Men led them forth to do the sacrifice.

But when they were unto the place brought To telle shortly the conclusion, They would incense nor sacrifice right nought But on their knees they sette them adown, With humble heart and sad* devotion, *steadfast And loste both their heades in the place; Their soules wente to the King of grace.

This Maximus, that saw this thing betide, With piteous teares told it anon right, That he their soules saw to heaven glide With angels, full of clearness and of light Andt with his word converted many a wight.

For which Almachius *did him to-beat* *see note <15>*

With whip of lead, till he his life gan lete.* *quit

Cecile him took, and buried him anon By Tiburce and Valerian softely, Within their burying-place, under the stone.

And after this Almachius hastily Bade his ministers fetchen openly Cecile, so that she might in his presence Do sacrifice, and Jupiter incense.* *burn incense to

But they, converted at her wise lore,* *teaching Wepte full sore, and gave full credence Unto her word, and cried more and more; "Christ, G.o.dde's Son, withoute difference, Is very G.o.d, this is all our sentence,* *opinion That hath so good a servant him to serve Thus with one voice we trowe,* though we sterve.** *believe **die

Almachius, that heard of this doing, Bade fetch Cecilie, that he might her see; And alderfirst,* lo, this was his asking; *first of all "What manner woman arte thou?" quoth he, "I am a gentle woman born," quoth she.

"I aske thee," quoth he,"though it thee grieve, Of thy religion and of thy believe."

"Ye have begun your question foolishly,"

Quoth she, "that wouldest two answers conclude In one demand? ye aske lewedly."* *ignorantly Almach answer'd to that similitude, "Of whence comes thine answering so rude?"

"Of whence?" quoth she, when that she was freined,* *asked "Of conscience, and of good faith unfeigned."

Almachius saide; "Takest thou no heed Of my power?" and she him answer'd this; "Your might," quoth she, "full little is to dread; For every mortal manne's power is But like a bladder full of wind, y-wis;* *certainly For with a needle's point, when it is blow', May all the boast of it be laid full low."

"Full wrongfully begunnest thou," quoth he, "And yet in wrong is thy perseverance.

Know'st thou not how our mighty princes free Have thus commanded and made ordinance, That every Christian wight shall have penance,* *punishment But if that he his Christendom withsay,* *deny And go all quit, if he will it renay?"* *renounce

"Your princes erren, as your n.o.bley* doth," *n.o.bility Quoth then Cecile, "and with a *wood sentence* *mad judgment*

Ye make us guilty, and it is not sooth:* *true For ye that knowe well our innocence, Forasmuch as we do aye reverence To Christ, and for we bear a Christian name, Ye put on us a crime and eke a blame.

"But we that knowe thilke name so For virtuous, we may it not withsay."

Almach answered, "Choose one of these two, Do sacrifice, or Christendom renay, That thou may'st now escape by that way."

At which the holy blissful faire maid Gan for to laugh, and to the judge said;

"O judge, *confused in thy nicety,* *confounded in thy folly*

Wouldest thou that I reny innocence?

To make me a wicked wight," quoth she, "Lo, he dissimuleth* here in audience; *dissembles He stareth and woodeth* in his advertence."** *grows furious **thought To whom Almachius said, "Unsely* wretch, *unhappy Knowest thou not how far my might may stretch?

"Have not our mighty princes to me given Yea bothe power and eke authority To make folk to dien or to liven?

Why speakest thou so proudly then to me?"