The Physician's Tale
Folio 191v
1 of 8 folios
¶ Here bigynneth / the Phisiciens tale ~
THer was / as telleth Titus Liuius
A knyght that called was Virginius
Fulfild of honour / and of worthynesse
And strong of freendes / and of greet richesse
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¶ This knyght a doghter hadde by his wif
No children hadde he mo / in al his lif
Fair was this mayde / in excellent beautee
Abouen euery wight þt man may see
For Nature hath / with souereyn diligence
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Yformed hir / in so greet excellence
As thogh she wolde seyn / lo I nature
Thus kan I forme / and peynte a xx creature
Whan þt me list who kan me countrefete
Pigmalion noght thogh he ay forge and bete
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Or gaue / or peynte / for I dar wel seyn
Apelles zanzis / sholde werche in veyn
Outher to graue / or peynte / or forge / or bete
If they persumeden / me to countrefete
For he that is / the former principal
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Hath maked me / his vicaire general
To forme and peynten / erthely creaturis
Right as me list and ech thyng in my cure is
Vnder the Moone / that may wane and waxe
And for my werk right no thyng wol I axe
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My lord and I / been ful of oon acord
I made hire / to the worshipe of my lord
So do I / alle myne othere creatures
What colour þt they han / or what figures
Thus semeth me / that nature wolde seye
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This mayde of age / xij. yeer was and tweye
In which þt nature / hadde swich delit
For / right as she kan peynte a lilye whit
And reed a Rose / right with swich peynture
She peynted hath / this noble creature
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Er she were born / vp on hir lymes free
Wher as by right swiche colours sholden be