The Physician's Tale
Folio 172r
6 of 8 folios
200
Thou schalt no longer in þin house hir saue
Go bringe hir forþe & bringe hir in owre warde
This clerk schal haue his þralle þus .I. awarde
And whan þis worþi knyht virgineus
Thoruhe þassent of þe Iuge Apius
205
Most be force his dere douhter ȝeuen
Vn to þe Iuge in lichere to leuen
He goþe him home & sett him in his haƚƚ
And lete anone his dere douhter caƚƚ
And wiþ a face dede as asshen colde
210
Vpon hire hum face he gan be holde
Wiþ faders pite stikinge þoruhe his hert
Al wolde he nouht foom his purpos cōuert
Douhter qd he virginea be þi name
There bien tuo weys eyþer oþer schame
215
Þat þou must soffer alas þat .I. was bore
For neuer þou deseruest where fore
To deyen wiþ a swerde or wiþ a knyf
O der douhter ender of my lif
Whiche .I. haue fosterd vp wiþ suche plesance
220
Þat þou ne weer oute my remembrance
O douhter whiche þat ert my last woo
And in lif my last ioy also
O gēme of chastite in pacience
Take þou þi deþ for þis is my sentence
225
For loue & nouht for hate þou must bedede
My pitous honde most smyte of þin hede
Alas þat euer Apius þe seyhe
Thus haþe he falsly Iugged þe to day
And tolde hire al þe cas as ȝe be fore
230
Haue herd it nedeþ nouht to tel it nomore
Merce dere fadere qd þis maide
And wiþe þat worde sche boþe hire armes leide
Aboute his nekke as sche was wont to do
The teres barsten oute of hire yen tuo
235
And seide goode fader schal .I. deye
Is þere no grace is þere no remedie
No certes dere douhter myne qd he
Than ȝeue me leue fader myn qd sche
My deþ to compleyne alitel space
240
For perde Ieffa ȝaue his douhter grace
For to compleine ar he hir slowhe alas