The Franklin's Tale
Folio 162r
18 of 24 folios
My lyf / than of my body to haue a shame
Or knowen my seluen fals / or lese my name
655
And with my deeth / I may be quyt ywis
Hath ther nat many a noble wyf er this
And many a mayde / yslayn hir self allas
Rather / than with hir body doon trespas
¶ Yis certes / lo thise stories beren witnesse
660
Whan .xxx. tirauntz / ful of cursednesse
Hadde slayn Phidon / in Atthenes atte feste
They comaunded / his doghtren for tareste
And bryngen hem / biforn hem in despit
Al naked / to fulfille hir foul delit
665
And in hir fadres blood / they made hem daunce
Vp on the pauement god yeue hem meschaunce
For which / thise woful maydens / ful of drede
Rather / than they wolde lese hir maydenhede
They pryuely / been stirt in to a welle
670
And dreynte hem seluen / as the bokes telle
¶ They of Mecene / leete enquere and seke
Of Lacedomye / fifty maydens eke
On whiche / they wolden doon hir lecherye
But was ther noon / of al that compaignye
675
That she nas slayn / and with a good entente
Chees rather for to dye / than assente
To been opperssed / of hir maydenhede
Why sholde I thanne / to dye been in drede
¶ Loo eek / the tiraunt Aristoclides
680
That loued a mayden / highte Stymphalides
Whan þt hir fader / slayn was on a nyght
Vn to Dianes temple / gooth she right
And hente the ymage / in hir handes two
Fro which ymage / wolde she neuere go
685
No wight ne myghte / hir handes of it arace
Til she was slayn / right in the selue place
Now sith þt maydens / hadden swich despit
To been defouled / with mannes foul delit
Wel oghte a wyf / rather hir seluen sle
690
Than be defouled / as it thynketh me
¶ What shal I seyn / of hasdrubales wyf
That at Cartage / birafte hir self hir lyf