The Physician's Tale
Folio 193v
4 of 10 folios
He wolde haue defended it as scholde a knigħt
And by witnesse of many a trewe wigħt
195
That al was fals þat seyde his aduersarie
This cursed Iuge wolde no lenger tarie /
Ne here a word more of vigineus
But ȝaf his Iuggement and seyde þus
I deme anon þis clerk his seruant haue
200
Þou schalt no lenger in þin hous hire saue
Go bring hire forth and put hire in oure warde
Þis clerk schal haue his þral þus I awarde
And whan þis worþi knigħt vigineus
Þurgh þe assent of þe Iuge apius
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Moste by force his deere doughter ȝyuen
Vnto þe Iuge in lecchorie to lyuen
He goþ him hom and sette him in his halle
And leet anon his deere douȝter calle /
And with a face deed as ayssches colde
210
Vppon hire humble face he gan biholde
Wiþ fadres pite stiking þorugh his herte
Al wolde he not from his purpos conuerte
Doughter quod he virginea by þy name
Þer ben tuo weyes oþer deþ or schame
215
That þou most suffre allas þat I was bore
For neuer þou deseruedest wherfore
To deyen with a swerd or wiþ a knyf
O deere doughter endere of my lijf
Which I haue fostred vp wiþ such plesaunce
220
Þat þou ne were out of my remembance
O doughter which þat art my laste wo
And in my lijf my laste ioye also
O gēme of chastite in pacience
Tak þou þi deþ for þis is my sentence /
225
For loue and nat for hate þou most be deed
My pitous hond moot smyten of þin heed
Allas þat euer Apius þe say
Þus haþ he falsly iugged þe to day