An old man, clad in whitë clothës clear,
That had a book with letters of gold in hand,
And gan before Valerian to stand.
Valerian, as dead, fell down for dread,
When he him saw; and he up hent4494 him tho,4495
And on his book right thus he gan to read;
“One Lord, one faith, one God withoutë mo’,
One Christendom, one Father of all alsó,
Aboven all, and over all everywhere.”
These wordës all with gold y-written were.
When this was read, then said this oldë man,
“Believ’st thou this or no? say yea or nay.”
“I believe all this,” quoth Valerian,
“For soother4496 thing than this, I dare well say,
Under the Heaven no wight thinkë may.”
Then vanish’d the old man, he wist not where;
And Pope Urban him christened right there.
Valerian went home, and found Cecílie
Within his chamber with an angel stand;
This angel had of roses and of lily
Coronës4497 two, the which he bare in hand,
And first to Cecile, as I understand,
He gave the one, and after gan he take
The other to Valerian her make.4498
“With body clean, and with unwemmed4499 thought,
Keep aye well these coronës two,” quoth he;
“From Paradise to you I have them brought,
Nor ever morë shall they rotten4500 be,
Nor lose their sweetë savour, trustë me,
Nor ever wight shall see them with his eye,
But4501 he be chaste, and hatë villainy.
“And thou, Valerian, for thou so soon
Assented hast to good counsél, also
Say what thee list, and thou shalt have thy boon.”4502
“I have a brother,” quoth Valerian tho,4503
“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, “God liketh thy request,
And bothë, with the palm of martyrdom,
Ye shallë come unto this blissful rest.”
And, with that word, Tiburce his brother came.
And when that he the savour undernome4504
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,
Whencë that sweetë savour cometh so
Of rose and lilies, that I smellë here;
For though I had them in mine handës two,
The savour might in me no deeper go;
The sweetë smell, that in my heart I find,
Hath changed me all in another kind.”4505
Valerian said, “Two crownës here have we,
Snow-white and rosë-red, that shinë clear,
Which that thine eyen have no might to see;
And, as thou smellest them through my prayére,
So shalt thou see them, levë4506 brother dear,
If it so be thou wilt withoutë sloth
Believe aright, and know the very troth.”4507
Tiburce answéred, “Say’st thou this to me
In soothness, or in dreamë hear I this?”
“In dreamës,” quoth Valerian, “have we be
Unto this timë, brother mine, y-wis:4508
But now at erst4509 in truth our dwelling is.”
“How know’st thou this,” quoth Tiburce; “in what wise?”
Quoth Valerián, “That shall I thee devise.4510
“The angel of God hath me the truth y-taught,
Which thou shalt see, if that thou wilt reny4511
The idols, and be clean, and ellës nought.”
[4512And of the mirácle of these crownës tway
Saint Ambrose in his preface list to say;
Solemnëly this noble doctor dear
Commendeth it, and saith in this mannére:
“The palm of martyrdom for to receive,
Saint Cecilie, full filled of God’s gift,
The world and eke her chamber gan to weive;4513
Witness Tiburce’s and Cecilie’s shrift,4514
To which God of his bounty wouldë shift4515
Coronës two, of flowers well smellíng,
And made his angel them the crownës bring.
“The maid hath brought these men to bliss above;
The world hath wist what it is worth, certáin,
Devotión of chastity to love.”]
Then showed him Cecilie all open and plain,
That idols all are but a thing in vain,
For they be dumb, and thereto4516 they be deave;4517
And charged him his idols for to leave.
“Whoso that trow’th4518 not this, a beast he is,”
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 takë thee for mine ally.”4519
Saidë this blissful fairë 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 allý here take I thee,
Since that thou wilt thine idolës 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 answér’d, and saidë, “Brother dear,
First tell me whither I shall, and to what man?”
“To whom?” quoth he, “come forth with goodë cheer,
I will thee lead unto the Pope Urbán.”
“To Urban? brother mine Valerián,”
Quoth then Tiburce; “wilt thou me thither lead?
Me thinketh that it were a wondrous deed.
“Meanest thou not that Urban,” quoth he tho,4520
“That is so often damned to be dead,
And wons4521 in halkës4522 always to and fro,
And dare not onës puttë forth his head?
Men should him brennen4523 in a fire so red,
If he were found, or if men might him spy:
And us also, to bear him companý.
“And while we seekë that Divinity
That is y-hid in heaven privily,
Algatë4524 burnt in this world should we be.”
To whom Cecilie answer’d boldëly;
“Men mightë dreadë well and skilfully4525
This life to lose, mine owen dearë brother,
If this were living only, and none other.
“But there is better life in other place,
That never shall be lostë, dread thee nought;
Which Goddë’s Son us toldë through his grace,
That Father’s Son which allë thingës wrought;
And all that wrought is with a skilful4526 thought,
The Ghost,4527 that from the Father gan proceed,
Hath souled4528 them, withouten any drede.4529
“By word and by mirácle, high God’s Son,
When he was in this world, declared here,
That
