| | That troublid is be the cogitacion | |
| | Of my body and also be the wight | |
| | Of ertly lust and fals affection | |
| 75 | O hauyn of refut o saluacion | |
| | Of hem that been in sorow and distresse | |
| | Now help forto my work I wol me dresse | |
| | Yet y pray you that redyn that I wryte | |
| | For yef me that I do no diligence | |
| 80 | This ilke story besily to endite | |
| | For bothe haue I the wordis and the sentence | |
| | Of hym that atte seyntis reuerence | |
| | The story wroot and folowed her legende | |
| | As ferforth as god wyl me grace sende | |
| 85 | First wolde I yow the name of saint Cecily | |
| | Expoune as men may in her story se | |
| | It is to say in englissh heuenys lylye | |
| | For pure chastnes of virginite | |
| | Or for she witnes hadde of honeste | |
| 90 | And grene of conscience and of god fame | |
| | The swete sauour lily was her name | |
| | Or Cecily is to say the wey to blynde | |
| | For she ensaumpil was be good techinge | |
| | Or ellis Cecily as I writyn fynde | |
| 95 | Is ioyned be a maner connynge | |
| | Of heuyn and lya in her infigurynge | |
| | The heuyn is set for thought of holynes | |
| | And lya for her lastinge besines | |
| | Cecily may eek be said in this manere | |
| 100 | Wantyng of blyndnes for her gret light | |
