The Physician's Tale
Folio 183v
5 of 8 folios
He schulde telle it to no creature
145
And if he dede he schulde lese his heed
Whan þt assented was þis cursed reed .
Glad was þe Iuge and made glad cheere /
And ȝaf him ȝiftes precious and deere /
Whan schapen was al þis conspiracye /
150
Fro poynt to poynt how þat his leccherie /
Parformed scholde be ful subtilly
As ȝe schul here afterward openly /
Hom goþ þis clerk þat highte Claudius
This false Iuge þat highte apius
155
So was his name for it is no fable
But knowen for a storial þing notable
The sentence of hit soþ is out of doute
This false iugge goþ now fast aboute /
To hasten his delit al þat he may /
160
And so bifel soone after on a day
This false Iuge as telleþ vs þe story /
As he was wont sat in his consistory
And ȝaf his domes vpon sondry caas
This false clerk com forþ a ful good paas
165
And saide lord if þat it be ȝour wille
As doþ me rigħt vpon þis pitous bille
In which I pleyne vpon virgilius
And if he wile seyn it is nouȝt þus
I wil proue hit and fynde good witnesse
170
That soþ is þat my bulle wol expresse /
The Iuge answerd of þis in his absence /
I may not ȝiue diffinityf sentence
Let do him calle and I wol gladly hiere
Thou schalt haue aƚƚ rigħt and no wrong heere /
175
Virginius com to wite þe Iugges wille /
And right anoon was red þis cursed bille
The sentence of hit was as ȝe schul heere
¶ To ȝow my lord sire apius so deere
Scheweþ ȝoure pore seruaunt Claudius
180
How þat a knight called virginius /
Aȝeins þe lawe aȝens aƚƚ equyte /