The Physician's Tale
Folio 192r
7 of 10 folios
85
Kan kepe a forest best of ony man
Now kepeþ hem wel for and ȝe wil ȝe can
Lokeþ wel to no vice þat ȝe assente
Lest ȝe be dampned for ȝoure yuel entente
For who so doþ a tretour is certayn
90
And takeþ heed of þat þat I schal sayn
Of alle tresoun suffreyn pestilence
Is whan a wigħt betrayeþ Innocence
Ȝe fadres and ȝe modres eek also
Þougħ ȝe haue children be it oon or mo
95
Ȝoure is þe charge of aƚƚ here sufferaūce
Whil þey ben vnder ȝoure gouernaūce
Beþ war þat by ensample of ȝoure lyuynge
Owþer by necligence in chastysynge
Þat þey ne perissche I dar wel seye
100
If þat þey don ȝe schuƚƚ ful sore abeye
Vnder a schepperde softe and necligent
Þe wolf haþ many a scheep and lamb torent
Sufficeth oon ensample now as heere /
For I moot torne aȝen to my mateere /
105
This mayde of which I telle my tale expersse /
Sche kepte hir self hir needed no maistresse
For in hire lyuyng maydens migħte rede /
As in a book euery good word and dede /
Þat longeþ to a mayde vertuous
110
Sche was so prudent and so bountyuous
For which out sprong þe fame on euery syde /
Boþe of hire beaute and of hire bounte wyde /
Þat þurgħ þe lond þey preised hire echone
That louede vertu saue envye alone /
115
Þat sory is of oþer mennes wele
And glad is of his sorwe and vnhele /
The doctour makeþ þis discripcioū
Þis mayde wente on a day in to þe toun
Toward þe temple wiþ hire mooder deere /
120
As is of ȝonge maydens þe maneere