The Physician's Tale
Folio 192v
6 of 10 folios
Now was þer a Iustice in þe toun
That gouernour was of þat regioū
And so bifeƚƚ þis Iuge his yhen caste
Vppon þis mayde hire ful faste
125
As sche cam fortħby þer þe Iuge stood
Anon his herte chaungeþ and his mood
So was he caugħt wiþ beaute of þis mayde /
And to himself ful priuely he sayde /
This mayde schal be mȳ for ony man
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Anon þe feend in to his herte ran
And taugħt him sodeynly by what sleigħte
Þe mayde to his purpos wynne he migħte
For certes by no force ne by no meede
Him þougħt he was not able for to speede /
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For he was strong of freendes and eek sche
Confermed was in such souereyn beaute
Þat wel he wiste he migħt hire neuer wynne
As for to make hire wiþ hire body synne
For which wiþ gret deliberacioū
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He sente after a clerk in to þe touñ
The which he knew for subtil and for bold
This Iuge vnto þis clerk his tale haþ told
In secre wise and made him to assure
He scholde telle it to no creature
145
And if he dide he scholde leese his heed
Whan assented was þis cursed reed
Glad was þe Iuge and made glad chere /
And ȝaf him ȝiftes precious and deere /
Whan schapen was al þis conspiracie
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From poynt to poynt how þat his leccherie
Parformed schulde be ful subtilly
As ȝe schal here aftirward openly
Hom goþ þis clerk þat highte Claudius
Þis false Iuge þat higħte Apius
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So was his name for it is no fable /
But knowen for an historial þing notable þe sentence