The Physician's Tale
Folio 184r
6 of 8 folios
Holdeth expresse aȝeinst þe wille of me
My seruaunt which þat my þral is by right
Which fro myn hous was stolen on a nigħt
185
Whiles sche was ful ȝong þat wol I preue
By witnesse lord so þat ȝe ȝow not greue
Sche is nought his douȝter what so he say
Wherfore to ȝow my lord þe Iugge I pray
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 by holde
But hastily er he his tale tolde
He wolde haue proued it as schold a knigħt
And eek by witnessyng of many a wigħt
195
That al was fals þat sayde his aduersarie
This cursed Iuge wold no lenger tarye /
Ne heere a word more of virgineus
But ȝaf his Iugement and saide þus
I deme anoon þis clerk his seruaunt haue
200
Thou schalt no lenger in þin hous hir haue
Go bringe hir forþ and put hir in oure warde
This clerk schal haue his thral þus I a warde
And whan þis worþy knigħt virgineus
Thurgh þassent of þis Iuge apius
205
Moste by force his deere douȝter ȝiuen
Vnto þe Iuge in lecchery to lyuen
He goþ him hom and sette him in his halle /
And leet anoon his deere douȝter calle /
And wiþ a face deed as aisschen colde /
210
Vpon hir humble face he gan byholde /
With fadres pite stiking þorugh his herte /
Al wolde he from his prpos not conuerte /
Doughter quod he viginea by þy name
Ther ben tuo weyes eyþer deþ or schame
215
That þou most suffre allas þat I was bore
For neuer þou deseruedest wherfore
To deyen with a swerd or with a knyf
O deere doughter ender of my lif
Which I haue fostred vp with such plesaunce /