The Physician's Tale
Folio 145r
2 of 8 folios
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Mi lord and I ben ful of on accord
I made hir to the worship of my lord
So do I al myn other creaturis
What colour that thei han or what figuris
Thus semeth me that nature wold seye
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¶ This maide of age .xij. yer was and tweye
In which that nature had swich delite
For right as she can peynt a lilie white
And reed rose right with swich peynture
She peynted hath this noble creature
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Or she were born vpon hir lymes fre
Wher as bi right such colours sholde be
And phebus hath dyed hir tresses grete
Lik to the stremes of his burned hete
And yif that excellent was hir beaute
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A thousand fold more vertuous was she
For whiles she floured in viginite
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Wyth al humilite and abstinence
With al attemperaunce and pacience
Of mesure ek and beryng of aray
Discreet she was in answering alway
Though she were wis Pallas dar I seyn
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Hir facond ek ful wommanly and pleyn
No countrefeted termes had she
To seme wis but aftyr hir degre
She spak and alle hir wordes more and lesse
Sounynge in vertue and in gentilesse
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Shamfast she was in maidens shamfastnesse
Constant in hert and euer in bisinesse
To dryue hir out of al slogardie
Bachus had of hir mouth right no Maistrye
For wyne in youth doon venus encrese
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As men in fir wol casten oille and grece
And of hir owne vertue vnconstreyned
She hath ful ofte tyme sike hir feyned
For that she wolde fle the compaignye
Ther likly was to treten of foly
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As is at festes Reuels and at daunces