The Franklin's Tale
Folio 159r
5 of 11 folios
Raþer þan þey wolde lese her maydenhede
They priuely ben stert in to a welle /
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And drenched hemselfen as þe bookes telle /
They of mecene leet enquere and seeke /
Of lacidomye fifty maydenes eeke /
On which þay wolden doon her leccherie
But was þer noon of al þat companye
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Wsa slayn and wiþ a good entente
Ches raþer for to deye þan to assente
To ben oppressed of hir maydenhede
Why schuld I þan to deyen ben in drede
Lo eek þe Tyraunt aristoclides
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That loued a mayden heet Stimphalides
Whan þat hir fader slayn was on a nigħt
Vnto dyanes temple goþ sche rigħt
And hent þe ymage in hir hondes tuo
Fro which ymage wold sche neuer go
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No wight might of hit hir hondes race
Til sche was slayn right in þe selue place
Now siþ þat maydens hadde such despit
To ben defouled with mannes foul delit
Wel aught a wif rather hirself to sle
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Than be defouled as it þenkeþ me
What schal I seyn of hasdrubaldes wyf
That at Cartage byraft hir self þe lyf
For whan sche saugh þat Romayns wan þe toun
Sche took hir children aƚƚ and skipte a doun
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In to þe fuyr and ches raþer to deye
Than eny romayn dide hir vilonye
Haþ nougħt lucresse slayn hirself allas
At Rome whanne sche oppressid was
Of tarquyn for hir þougħt it was a schame /
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To lyuen whan sche hadde lost hir name
The seuen maydens of milisie also
Han slayn hemself for verray drede and wo
Raþer þan folk of Gawle hem schulde oppresse
Mo þan a þousand stories as I gesse
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Couþe I now telle as touching þis matiere