The Physician's Tale
Folio 193r
5 of 10 folios
The sentence of it soþ is out of doute
Þis false Iuge goþ now faste aboute
To hasten his delyt al þat he may
160
And so bifeƚƚ sone after on a day
Þis false Iuge as telleþ vs þe story
As he was woned sat in his consistory
And ȝaf his domes vpon sondry cas
This false clerk cam forþ a wel good paas
165
And seyde lord if þat it be ȝour wille /
As doþ me rigħt vpon þis pitous bille
In which I pleyne vppon virginius
And if þat he wol seyn it is not þus
I wol proue it and fynde good witnesse /
170
That soþ is þat my bille wol expersse
Þe Iuge answerde of þis in his absence
I may not ȝiue diffinityf sentence
Let don him calle and I wol gladly heere
Thou schalt haue rigħt and no wrong heere
175
Virginius cam to wite þe Iuges wille
And rigħt anon was rad þis cursed bille /
The sentence of it was as ȝe schul heere
To ȝou my lord sire Apius so deere
Scheweþ ȝoure pouere seruaūt Claudius
180
How þat a knight called viginius
Aȝens þe lawe aȝeins aƚƚ equite
Holdeþ expres aȝeins þe will of me
My seruaunt which þat is my þral by rigħt
Which from mȳ hous was stolen on a nigħt
185
Whils sche was ful ȝong I wol it preue
By witnesse lord so þat ȝe ȝou not greue
Sche is nougħt his doughter what so he say
Wherfore my lord þe Iuge to ȝou I pay
Ȝelde me my þraƚƚ if þat it be ȝour wille
190
Lo þis was al þe sentence of þe bille
Virgineus gan vpon þe clerk biholde
But hastily er he his tale tolde /