Canterbury Tales Pope Urban Quotes

"Almyghty Lord, O Jhesu Crist," quod he,
"Sower of chaast conseil, hierde of us alle,
The fruyt of thilke seed of chastitee
That thou hast sowe in Cecile, taak to thee!"

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Second Nun’s Tale. When Pope Urban is confronted with Valerian’s desire to be baptized into Christianity, he says that the shepherd of us all Jesus Christ sowed the seed of chastity in Cecilia. He describes Valerian as the fruit of that seed. There are a number of metaphors used in this passage.

"Ne menestow nat Urban," quod he tho,
"That is so ofte dampned to be deed,
And woneth in halkes alwey to and fro,
And dar nat ones putte forth his heed?
Men sholde hym brennen in a fyr so reed
If he were founde, or that men myghte hym spye,
And we also, to bere hym compaignye;

– Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales, The Second Nun’s Tale. When Valerian tries to persuade Tiburtius to be baptized by Pope Urban, Tiburtius doesn’t like the idea. He tells his brother Valerian that Urban has so often been condemned to be dead that if people ever found him they would burn him. They too would be burned if they were in his company.
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