The Franklin's Tale
Folio 296r
18 of 21 folios
705
Coude I now telle as touchȳge this mateere
Whan Hadrabate was slayn his wyf so deere
Hire selvyn slow / & leet hire blood to glyde
In hadrabatis woundis deepe & wyde
And seyde myn body at the leste way
710
There schal no man defoylyn ȝif I may
What schulde I mo ensaūplys hereof sayn
Syn that somanye / han hē selue slayn
Wel rathere thā they wolde defoyled be
I wele cōclude that it is bet to me
715
To slen myn self thā ben defoyled thus
I wele been trewe vn to xArueragus
Or rathere slen myn self in sū manere
As dede democienys doughtyr deere
Bi cause sche wolde not defoylyd be
O Cedasus it is ful greet pite
To redyn how thȳne doughteryn deyedȳ allas
That slow hē self for swych manere cas
As greet a pyte was it or wel moore
The theban maydyn that for nychanore
725
Hire seluyn slow / ryȝt for swych maner wo
A nothir theban maydyn dede ryȝt so
For on of massedoyne hadde hire oppressed
Sche with hyre deth hyre maydȳhed redressed
What schal I seyn of nycherates wyf
730
That for swich cas berafte hire self hyre lyf
How trowe ȝe ek was Althebiades
Hyre loue al rathere for to deyen chees
Than for to sufferyn hyse body onburyede be
Loo which a wyf was Alceste quod sche
735
What seyth Omer of goode penolopee
As Crece knowyth of hire chastitee
Parde of Lacedomya is wrytyn thus
That whan at troye was slayn Protheselaus
No lengere wolde sche leuyn aftyr hise day
740
The same of noble porcya tellyn I may
W outyn Brutus coude sche nat lyue
To whō sche hadde al hol hire herte ȝyue