The Franklin's Tale
Folio 136r
12 of 18 folios
On whicħ they wolden doon / here lecherie
But was there noon / of al that companye
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That she nas slayn / and witħ a good entente
Ches rather for to deye / than assente
To ben oppressed / of here maydenhede
Why shulde I thāne to dye / ben in drede
Lo eke the Tiraunt / Aristoclides
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That loued a mayden / higħt Stymphalides
Whan that hire fader / slayn was / on a nygħt
Vn to Dianes temple / gootħ she rigħt
And hente the Ymage / in hire handes twoo
Fro whicħ Ymage / wold she neuere goo
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¶ No wigħt ne mygħt / hire handes of it arrace
Til she was slayn / rigħt in the selue place
Now sithe that maydenes / hadden swicħ despit
To ben defouled / witħ mānes foule delit
Wel ougħt I wyf / rather my seluen slee
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Than be defouled / as it thynketħ me
What shal I seyn / of hasterubales wyf
That at Cartage / byrafte hire selue hire lif
For whan she saw / that Romeyns wan the Toun
She took hire children alle / and skipte a doun
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In to the fire / and ches rathere to deye
Than any Romayn / dide hire velanye
¶ Hatħ nat lucresse / I slayn hire self allas
At Rome / whan she oppressed was
Of Tarquyn / for hire thougħte it was a shame
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To lyuen / whan she had lost hire name
¶ The Seuene Maydenes / of Melesie also
Han slayn hem self / for verrey drede and woo
Rather than folk of Sawle / hem shulde oppresse
Moo thanne a thousand stories / as I gesse
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Coude I now telle / as touchyng this matere
¶ Whan habradate was slayn / his wyf so deere
Hire seluen slow / and leet hire blood to glide
In habradeces woundes / depe and wyde
And seide my body / atte þõþõ leste weye
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There shal no wygħt defoulen / if I maye
What shulde I moo ensaumples / here of sayn
Sithe that so manye / han hem seluen slayn
Wel rathere than they wolde / defouled be
I wol conclude / that it is bet for me
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To sleen my self / than be defouled thus
I wol be trewe / vn to Arueragus
Or rather slee my self / in some manere