The Physician's Tale
Folio 146r
4 of 8 folios
For of hir lyuyng maydens myght rede
As in a book euery good word and dede
That longeth vnto a mayden vertuous
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She was so prudent and so bonteuous
For which the fame out spronge on euery side
Bothe of hir beaute and hir bonte wide
That thurgh that lond thei preised hir echone
That loueden vertue saue enuye allone
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That sori is of other mannes wele
And glad is of his sorwe and his vnhele
The doctour maketh this discipcioun
This maiden on a day went in the toun
Toward a temple with hir modre dere
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As is of yonge maidens the manere
¶ Now was ther thanne a Iustice in the toun
That gouernour was of al that Regioun
And so bifil this Iuge his eyen caste
Vpon this mayden auysyng him ful faste
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As she cam forby ther this Iuge stood
Anon his hert chaunged and his mood
So was he caught wyth beaute of this maide
And to himself ful piuely he seyde
¶ This mayden shal be myn for any man
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Anon the feende in to his hert ran
And taught him sodeynly that bi slyghte
This mayden vn to his purpos brynge he myghte
For certes bi no force ne bi no mede
Him thoght he was nat able for to spede
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For she was stronge of frendes and ek she
Confermed was in swich souereigne bounte
That wel he wist he myght neuer wynne
As for to make hir with hir body synne
For which bi gret deliberacioun
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He sente after a clerk was in the toun
Which that he knew for sotil and for bold
This Iuge vnto the clerke his tale hath told
In secree wise and made him to ensure
That he shuld telle it to no creature