The Canterbury Tales: The Second Nun's Tale Prologue, Lines 78-119 Summary

Yet I ask you who read what I write: forgive me though I don't write this same story carefully, for I follow both the words and the sense of him who wrote the story to honor the saint, and follow her legend.
I pray you that you will amend my work.
First I will explain to you the meaning of the name of Saint Cecilia, which men see in her story.
In English, it means 'heaven's lily,' symbol of pure and chaste virginity.
Or it could be a symbol of how she had the whiteness of modesty, green of conscience, and sweet smell of a good reputation, so that her name was lily.