The Physician's Tale
Folio 147v
7 of 8 folios
O doughter which that art my last wo
And in my lif my last ioy also
¶ O gemme of chastitee in pacience
Take thow thi deth for this is my sentence
225
For loue and nat for hate thow most be deed
Mi pitous hond most smyten of thin heed .
Allas that euer apius the say
Thus hath he falsly Iuged the to day
And told hir al the cas as ye bifore
230
Han herd nat nedeth to telle it more
¶ Mercy deere fader quod this humble maide
And with that word she bothe hir armes leide
Aboute his nekke as she was wonte to do
The teres braste out of hir eyen two
235
And seide good fadyr shal I dye
Is ther no gace is ther no remedye
¶ No certes dere doughter myn quod he
¶ Than yeue me leiser fader myn quod she
Mi deth for to compleyn a litel space
240
For parde Reptha yaf his doughter space
For to compleyne or he hir slow allas
And god it woot nothing hir trespas
But for she ran hir fader first to se
To welcome him with gret solempnitee
245
And with that word she fil a swoun anon
And aftyr whan hir swonyng was agon
She riseth vp and to hir fadyr saide
Blessed be god that I shal dye a mayde
Yeue me my deth er that I haue a shame
250
Dooth with your childe your wille a goddes name
And with that word she preide him ful ofte
That with his swerd he wold smyte hir softe
¶ And with that word a swoun doun she fil
Hir fadyr with ful sorweful herte and wil
255
Hir heed of smote and bi the toppe hit hente
And to the Iuge he gan it to persente
As he sat yit in dome in Consistorie
And whan the Iuge it saugh as seith the storye
He bad to take him and enhange him faste