To whom answér’d Tiburce, “O sister dear,
Saidest thou not right now in this mannére,
There was but one God, Lord in soothfastness,4531
And now of three how may’st thou bear witnéss?”
“That shall I tell,” quoth she, “ere that I go.
Right as a man hath sapiénces three,
Memory, engine,4532 and intellect also,
So in one being of divinity
Three personës there mayë right well be.”
Then gan she him full busily to preach
Of Christë’s coming, and his painës teach,
And many pointës of his passión;
How Goddë’s Son in this world was withhold4533
To do mankindë plein4534 remissión,
That was y-bound in sin and carës cold.4535
All this thing she unto Tiburcë told,
And after that Tiburce, in good intent,
With Valerián to Pope Urban he went;
That thanked God, and with glad heart and light
He christen’d him, and made him in that place
Perféct in his learníng, and Goddë’s knight.
And after this Tiburcë got such grace,
That every day he saw in time and space
Th’ angel of God, and every manner boon4536
That be God asked, it was sped4537 full soon.
It were full hard by order for to sayn
How many wonders Jesus for them wrought.
But at the last, to tellë short and plain,
The sergeants of the town of Rome them sought,
And them before Almach the Prefect brought,
Which them appos’d,4538 and knew all their intent,
And to th’ imáge of Jupiter them sent;
And said, “Whoso will not do sacrifice,
Swap4539 off his head, this is my sentence here.”
Anon these martyrs, that I you devise,4540
One Maximus, that was an officére
Of the preféct’s, and his corniculére,4541
Them hent,4542 and when he forth the saintës lad,4543
Himself he wept for pity that he had.
When Maximus had heard the saintës’ lore,4544
He got him of the tormentorës leave,
And led them to his house withoutë more;
And with their preaching, ere that it were eve,
They gonnen4545 from the tórmentors to reave,4546
And from Maxim’, and from his folk each one,
The falsë faith, to trow4547 in God alone.
Cecilia came, when it was waxen night,
With priestës, that them christen’d all in fere;4548
And afterward, when day was waxen light,
Cecile them said with a full steadfast cheer,4549
“Now, Christë’s owen knightës lefe4550 and dear,
Cast all away the workës of darknéss,
And armë you in armour of brightnéss.
Ye have forsooth y-done a great battaile;
Your course is done,4551 your faith have ye conserved;
Go to the crown of life that may not fail;
The rightful Judgë, which that ye have served,
Shall give it you, as ye have it deserved.”
And when this thing was said, as I devise,4552
Men led them forth to do the sacrifice.
But when they were unto the placë brought,
To tellë shortly the conclusión,
They would incénse nor sacrifice right nought.
But on their knees they settë them adown,
With humble heart and sad4553 devotión,
And lostë both their headës in the place;4554
Their soulës wentë to the King of grace.
This Maximus, that saw this thing betide,
With piteous tearës told it anon right,
That he their soulës saw to heaven glide
With angels, full of clearness and of light;
And with his word converted many a wight.
For which Almachius did him to-beat4555
With whip of lead, till he his life gan lete.4556
Cecile him took, and buried him anon
By Tiburce and Valerian softëly,
Within their burying-place, under the stone.
And after this Almachius hastily
Bade his ministers fetchen openly
Cecile, so that she might in his presénce
Do sacrifice, and Jupiter incénse.4557
But they, converted at her wisë lore,4558
Weptë full sore, and gavë full credénce
Unto her word, and criëd more and more;
“Christ, Goddë’s Son, withoutë difference,
Is very God, this is all our senténce,4559
That hath so good a servant him to serve:
Thus with one voice we trowë,4560 though we sterve.”4561
Almachius, that heard of this doíng,
Bade fetch Cecilie, that he might her see;
And alderfirst,4562 lo, this was his askíng;
“What manner woman artë thou?” quoth he.
“I am a gentle woman born,” quoth she.
“I askë 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 answérs conclude
In one demand? ye askë lewëdly.”4563
Almach answér’d to that similitude,
“Of whencë comes thine answering so rude?”
“Of whencë?” quoth she, when that she was freined,4564
“Of consciénce, and of good faith unfeigned.”
Almachius saidë; “Takest thou no heed
Of my powér?” and she him answer’d this;
“Your might,” quoth she, “full little is to dread;
For every mortal mannë’s power is
But like a bladder full of wind, y-wis;4565
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 perséveránce.
Know’st thou not how our mighty princes free
Have thus commanded and made ordinánce,
That every Christian wight shall have penánce,4566
But if that he his Christendom withsay,4567
And go all quit, if he will it renay?”4568
“Your princes erren, as your nobley4569 doth,”
Quoth then Cecile, “and with a wood4570 senténce4571
Ye make us guilty, and it is not sooth:4572
For ye that knowë 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 knowë thilkë namë 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 escapë by that way.”
At which the holy blissful fairë maid
Gan for to laugh, and to the judgë said;
“O judge, confused in thy nicety,4573
Wouldest thou that I rény innocence?
To makë me a wicked wight,” quoth she,
“Lo, he
