How we cite our quotes: Citations follow this format: (Line). We used the line numbering found on Librarius's online edition.
Quote #7
'Whoso that troweth, nat this, a beest he is,;
Quod tho Tiburce, 'if that I shal nat lye.'
And she gan kisse his brest that herde this,
And was ful glad he koude trouthe espye.'
(288 – 291)
In saying that those who don't recognize Christianity are beasts, Tiburtius is claiming that Christianity is an eminently reasonable thing that anyone with reason (i.e., not beasts) would acknowledge as true. Yet Cecilia's pleasure that Tiburtius "koude trouthe espye" raises the real possibility that many might not be able to recognize it when they saw it.
Quote #8
'Youre princes erren, as youre nobleye dooth,'
Quod tho Cecile, 'and with a wood sentence
Ye make us gilty, and it is nat sooth.'
(449 – 451)
In claiming that Christians are not guilty of any crime, Cecilia is implicitly placing all Christians before a different judge: God. For in fact, in the eyes of Roman law, Christians are guilty of a crime in refusing to obey their prefect's order.
Quote #9
And if thou drede nat a sooth to heere,
Thanne wol I shewe al openly by right
That thou hast maad a ful grete lesyng heere,
Thou seyst, thy princes han thee yeven myght
Bothe for to sleen, and for to quyken a wight.
Thou that ne mayst but oonly lyf bireve,
Thou hast noon oother power, ne no leve!
(477 – 483)
The irony of this passage is that of course Almachius dreads hearing Cecilia's "sooth," or truth, because, in claiming that power over life belongs to the Christian God, it deprives Almachius of his authority.