NOTES TO GROUP G.
The Second Nonnes Tale.
For general remarks on this Tale, see vol. iii. p. 485. Chaucer chiefly follows the Legenda Aurea; see note to l. 84 below, and to l. 25. It further appears that he consulted another Latin life of St. Cecilia, derived from Simeon Metaphrastes; as well as the Lives of Valerian and Tiburtius, in the Acta Sanctorum (April 14). See note to l. 369.
Prologue. This consists of twelve stanzas, and is at once divisible into three parts.
(1) The first four stanzas, the idea of which is taken from Jehan de Vignay's Introduction to his French translation of the Legenda Aurea. This Introduction is reprinted at length, from the Paris edition of 1513, in the Originals and Analogues published by the Chaucer Society, pt. ii. p. 190.
(2) The Invocation to the Virgin, in stanzas 5-11; see note to ll. 29, 36.
(3) An Envoy to the reader, in stanza 12; see note to l. 78.
Line 1. Jehan de Vignay attributes the idea of this line to St. Bernard. He says—'Et pour ce que oysiuete est tant blasmee que sainct Bernard dit qu'elle est mere de truffes [mother of trifles], marrastre de vertus: ... et fait estaindre vertu et nourrir orgueil,' &c. Chaucer says again, in his Persones Tale (de Accidia), I. 710:—'And how that ignoraunce be moder of alle harme, certes, necligence is the norice.'