The Physician's Tale
Folio 169v
1 of 8 folios
Bot lat him go adeuelwaye þe compaigny is neuer þe wers
And al suche fals harlotes .I. sette not be hem a kers
Bot latt þas ouere nowe al þes subtilitees
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And sume worþi man tel vs sūme veritees
As ȝe worschipful Maister of Phisike
Telleþ vs sōme tale þat is a cronyke
Þat we may of ȝowe leren sum witte
Qd þe Maister of Phisik a tale þat .I. finde writte
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In cronyke passed of olde tyme
Herkeneþ for .I. wil tel it ȝow in rime
Ther was as telleþ vs titus liueus
A knyht þat cleped was virgineus
Fulfilled of honour & worþinesse
And stronge of frendes & of richesse
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Adouhteer he hadd be his wyf
And neuer hadde he mo in al his lif
Faire was þis maide in excellent beautee
Abouen euery whight þat maie see
For Nature haþe wiþ souereigne diligence
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Formed hir in so grete excellence
As þouhe sche wolde seie loo .I. Nature
Thus can .I. forme & painte a creature
Whan þat me leste who can me counterfete
Pigmalyon nouht þouhe he alweie forge or bete
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Or graue or peinte for .I. dar wele seine
Apollus zepherus schold werche in veine
To graue or peinte or forge or bete
If þei persumed me for to counterfete
For he þat is þe formor principal
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Haþe maade me his viser general
To forme & peinte eche erþely creature
Riht as me lest for al þinge is in my cure
Vnder þe mone þat maie wan\e/ & wax
And for my werke no þinge wil .I. ax
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My lorde & .I. bene fullye att a corde
.I. maade hire to þe worschip of my lorde
So do .I. al myn oþere creatures
Of color þei bue or what figures
Thus semeþ me þat Nature wold seie
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This maide was of age twelue ȝere & tweye
In whiche þat Nature haþe suche delite