The Physician's Tale
Folio 148r
8 of 8 folios
260
But right anon a thousand peple inthraste
To saue the knyght for routh and for pitee
For knowen was the fals iniquytee
The peple anon had suspect in this thing
By maner of the Clerkes chalengyng
265
That it was bi thassent of Apius
Thei wisten wel that he was lecherous
For which vnto this apius thei gon
And cast him in a pisoun right anon
Wher as he slow him self / and Cladius
270
That seruant was vnto apius
Was demed for to hange vpon a tre
But that virginius of his pitee
So preide for him that he was exiled
And elles certes he had ben bigiled
275
The Remenant were anhanged more and lesse
That consentant were of this cursednesse
¶ Heer may men seen how syn hath his merite
Beeth war for no man woot . whom god wol quyte
In no degre ne in what maner wise
280
The worm of conscience wol agrise
Of wikked lif though it so piue be
That no man wot ther of saue god and he
For be he lewde man or elles lered
He not how sone that he shal ben aferid
285
Therfore I rede yow this counseil take
Forsaketh synne or synne yow forsake
Here ende the Maister of phisikes tale
Here bigynneth the prologe of the reheytyng of our hoost
Our hoost gan to swere as he were wood
Harrow quod he bi nayles and bi blood
This was a fals clerk and a fals Iustice
As shameful deth as hert can deuyse
5
Come to this Iugis and theis aduocas
Alwey this Sely maide is slayn allas
Allas to deere abought she beaute
Wherfore y se alday that men may se
That yifte of fortune or of nature
10
Ben cause of deth to many a creature