The Physician's Tale
Folio 183r
4 of 8 folios
So kept hir self hir neded no maystresse
For in hir lyuyng maydens mighte rede
As in a book euery good word and dede /
That longeþ vnto a mayden vertuous
110
Sche was so prudent and so bounteous
For þe which out sprong on euery syde /
Boþe of hir beaute and bounte wyde
That þurgh þe lond þay praysed hir ilkoone /
That louede vertu saue enuye alloone /
115
That sory is of oþer mennes wele /
And glad is of his sorwe and vnhele
The doctor made þis descripciou~
This mayde wente vpon a day in to þe toun
Toward þe temple with hir moder deere
120
As is of ȝonge maydenes þe manere
Now was þer a Iustice in þe toun
That gouernour was of þat Regiou~
And so bifel þis Iuge his eyȝen cast
Vpon þis mayde auysing hir ful fast
125
As sche cam forby þer þe Iuge stood
Anoon his herte chaunged and his mood
So was he caught wiþ beaute of þis mayde
And to himself ful priuely he sayde
This mayde schal be mȳ for any man
130
Anoon þe feend in to his herte ran
And taughte him sodeinly by what slighte
This mayde to his purpos wynne he mighte /
For certes by no fors ne by no meede /
Him þougħt he was not able for to speede /
135
For she was strong of frendes and eek sche
Conformed was in such souerayn beaute
That wel he wist he migħt hir neuer wynne
As for to make hir with hir body synne
For which wiþ gret deliberaciou~
140
He sent after a clerk was in þe toun
The which he knew for subtil and for bold
This Iuge vnto þe clerk his tale haþ told
In secre wyse and made him to assure