The Second Nun's Prologue and Tale
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The Second Nun's Prologue and Tale is part of Geofrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales.
Told by a nun concerned only with spiritual matters, this tale tells the story of Saint Cecilia. The form of saints' lives popular in the middle ages is of less interest in modern times and as such, the tale is not as highly regarded as other parts of the Tales. It is among the best of rhyming saints' lives in English. The popularity of such tales mean there are numerous sources which Chaucer may have used including elements from Dante.
The lack of portrait for the second nun in the General Prologue have lead some scholars to speculate that the tale is merely the second tale of the single nun or Prioress but this idea is not widely held. Its relationship to the subsequent Canon's Yeoman's tale is to offer a serious and worthy religious themed story before a much more irreverent view of contemporary religious behaviour of foolish alchemists.
[edit] The plot
Having lived a life filled with extreme piety and a strong desire for eternal chastity, Cecilia's marriage to Valerian causes problems from the outset. Aside from her prayers for chastity, Valerian is unbaptized and heathen. According to Cecilia's confession to Valerian, the angel that acts as both her lover and protector is ready to end her husband's life if he loves her uncleanly or vulgarly. In an effort to prove his love and to gain the ability to see the angel, Valerian embarks on a voyage to see Urban, who would become Pope Urban I. After convincing Urban of his pure intentions, Valerian converts to Christianity and is baptized. His conversion leads to the conversion of his brother Tibruce. Once his is baptized, Valerian is able to see Cecelia's guardian angel and love her in a fitting manner.
Here follows a section of the prologue:
86 Interpretacio Nominis Caecilie
87 Quam Ponit Frater Iacobus
88 Ianuensis in Legenda Aurea.
89 First wolde I yow the name of seinte Cecile
90 Expowne, as men may in hir storie see.
91 It is to seye in Englissh, `hevenes lilie'
92 For pure chaastnesse of virginitee,
93 Or for she whitnesse hadde of honestee
94 And grene of conscience, and of good fame
95 The soote savour, lilie was hir name.
96 Or Cecilie is to seye, `the wey to blynde,'
97 For she ensample was by good techynge;
98 Or elles, Cecile, as I written fynde
99 Is joyned by a manere conjoynynge
100 Of `hevene' and `lia,' and heere in figurynge
101 The `hevene' is set for thoght of hoolynesse,
102 And `lia' for hir lastynge bisynesse.
103 Cecile may eek be seyd, in this manere,
104 `Wantynge of blyndnesse,' for hir grete light
105 Of sapience, and for hire thewes cleere
106 Or elles, loo, this maydens name bright
107 Of `hevene' and `leos' comth, for which by right
108 Men myghte hir wel `the hevene of peple' calle,
109 Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle.
110 For `leos' `peple' in Englissh is to seye,
111 And right as men may in the hevene see
112 The sonne and moone and sterres every weye,
113 Right so men goostly, in this mayden free,
114 Syen of feith the magnanymytee,
115 And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,
116 And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.
117 And right so as thise philosophres write
118 That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge,
119 Right so was faire Cecilie the white
120 Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge,
121 And round and hool in good perseverynge,
122 And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte.
123 Now have I yow declared what she highte.
