The Physician's Tale
Folio 171r
4 of 8 folios
And gladde is of his sorwe & vnhele
The doctor makeþ þis discripcioūe
This maide went on a daie in to þe toune
To warde þe temple wiþ hir moder dere
120
As is of ȝonge maidens þe manere
Nowe was þer a Iustice in þe toune
Þat gouernor was of þat regioune
And so befel þis Iuge his eyȝen kast
Vppon þis maide a viseinge hir fulfast
125
As sche cam forþby þere þe Iuge stode
Anone his hert chaungeþ & his moode
So was he cauht wiþ þe beaute of þis maide
And to him self ful peruely he seide
This maiden schal be myne for any man
130
Anone þe fende in to his hert ran
And tauht him sodanly be what sleyht
The maiden to his prpos wynne he myht
For certes be no force ne be no meede
Him þouht he was not able for to spede
135
For he was stronge of frendes & eke sche
Confermed was in suche souereigne beute
That wele he wist he myht hir neuer wynne
As for to maake hire wiþ hire bodi synne
For whiche wiþ grete deliberacioūe
140
He sent after a clerk in to þe toune
The whiche he knewe ful sotel & ful bolde
This Iuge haþe vn to þis clerke his tale ytolde
In secre wise & maade him to assure
He schold tel it to no creature
145
And if he dide he scholde lese his hede
And whan assented was þis cursed rede
Gladde was þe Iuge & maade goode chiere
And ȝaf him ȝeftes percious & dere
Whan schapen was al þis conspiracie
150
From pointe to pointe howe þat his licherye
Parformed schold be ful sotellye
As ȝe sche schal heren afterward openlye
Home goþe þis clerk þat hiht Claudius
This fals Iuge þat hiht Apius
155
So was his name it is no fable
Bot knowen for an historaƚƚ þinge notable
The sentence of it soþ is oute of doute