The Physician's Tale
Folio 191r
9 of 10 folios
Whan þat me list who can me countrefete
Pigmalion nouȝt þougħ he alwey forge and bete
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Or graue or peynte for I dar wel sayn
Apollus zephirus schulde worche in vayn
To graue or paynte or forge or bete /
Ȝif þey persumede me for to countirfete
For he þat is þe formour pinicipal
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Haþ maad me his viker general
To forme and peynte ech erþely creature
Right as me lyst for al þing is in my cure
Vnder þe moone þat may wane and waxe
And for my werke no þing wol I axe
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My lord and I ben fully at acord
I made hire to þe worschip of my lord
So do I aƚƚ myn oþre creatures
Of what colour þey be or what figures
Thus semeþ me þat nature wolde say
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This mayde was of age .xij. ȝeer and tway
In which þat nature haþ such delyt /
For rigħt as sche can paynte as lily whit
And rody as rose right wiþ such peynture
Sche peynted haþ þis noble creature /
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Er sche was born vppon hire lymes fre
Were also brigħt as such colours scholde be /
And Phebus dyed haþ his tresses grete
Like to þe stremes of his boornyd hete
And if þat excellent was hire beaute
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A þousend fold more vertuous was sche
In hire ne lakkeþ no condicioū /
Þat is to preise as by discrecioū
As wel in body as gost chaste was sche
For which sche floured in virginite
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Wiþ aƚƚ humilite and abstinence
Wiþ aƚƚ attemperance and pacience
Wiþ mesure eek and beryng of array
Discret sche was in answering alway