In which I pleyne up-on Virginius.

And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus,

I wol it preve, and finde good witnesse,

That sooth is that my bille wol expresse.'

The Iuge answerde, 'of this, in his absence,

I may nat yeve diffinitif sentence.

Lat do him calle, and I wol gladly here;
Thou shalt have al right, and no wrong here.'

Virginius cam, to wite the Iuges wille,
And right anon was rad this cursed bille;
The sentence of it was as ye shul here.

'To yow, my lord, sire Apius so dere,
Sheweth your povre servant Claudius,
How that a knight, called Virginius,
Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee,
Holdeth, expres agayn the wil of me,

My servant, which that is my thral by right,
Which fro myn hous was stole up-on a night,
Whyl that she was ful yong; this wol I preve
By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greve.
She nis his doghter nat, what so he seye;
Wherfore to yow, my lord the Iuge, I preye,
Yeld me my thral, if that it be your wille.'
Lo! this was al the sentence of his bille.
Virginius gan up-on the cherl biholde,
But hastily, er he his tale tolde,

And wolde have preved it, as sholde a knight,
And eek by witnessing of many a wight,

170

175

180

185

190

That it was fals that seyde his adversarie,

This cursed Iuge wolde no-thing tarie,

195

Ne here a word more of Virginius,

But yaf his Iugement, and seyde thus:

'I deme anon this cherl his servant have; Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save. Go bring hir forth, and put hir in our warde, The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde.'

172. E. diffynyue; rest diffinitif. heere, glossed hic.

200

173, 174. E. heere, glossed audire; and 191, 199, 202. E. Hn. Cm. cherl; rest clerk. Hn. Cm. this; rest thus.

202. E.

And whan this worthy knight Virginius,

Thurgh sentence of this Iustice Apius,

Moste by force his dere doghter yiven

205

Un-to the Iuge, in lecherye to liven,

He gooth him hoom, and sette him in his halle,
And leet anon his dere doghter calle,

And, with a face deed as asshen colde,
Upon hir humble face he gan biholde,
With fadres pitee stiking thurgh his herte,
Al wolde he from his purpos nat converte.

'Doghter,' quod he, 'Virginia, by thy name,
Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame,
That thou most suffre; allas! that I was bore!
For never thou deservedest wherfore

To dyen with a swerd or with a knyf.
O dere doghter, ender of my lyf,

Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce,
That thou were never out of my remembraunce!
O doghter, which that art my laste wo,
And in my lyf my laste Ioye also,

O gemme of chastitee, in pacience

210

215

220

Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence.

For love and nat for hate, thou most be deed;

My pitous hand mot smyten of thyn heed.
Allas! that ever Apius thee say!

225

Thus hath he falsly Iuged thee to-day-
And tolde hir al the cas, as ye bifore

Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it more.
'O mercy, dere fader,' quod this mayde,
And with that word she both hir armes layde
About his nekke, as she was wont to do:
The teres broste out of hir eyen two,

And seyde, 'gode fader, shal I dye?
Is ther no grace? is ther no remedye?'

'No, certes, dere doghter myn,' quod he.
'Thanne yif me leyser, fader myn,' quod she,
'My deeth for to compleyne a litel space;

230

235

205. HI. Cp. yiuen; rest yeuen. 223. E. o; rest of. 234. E. Hn. teeris. E. bruste; Cm. broste; Pt. brosten; Hn. borste; Cp. Ln. barsten; Hl. brast.

For pardee, Iepte yaf his doghter grace
For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas!
And god it woot, no-thing was hir trespas,
But for she ran hir fader first to see,
To welcome him with greet solempnitee.'
And with that word she fil aswowne anon,
And after, whan hir swowning is agon,
She ryseth up, and to hir fader sayde,
'Blessed be god, that I shal dye a mayde.
Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame;
Doth with your child your wil, a goddes name!'
And with that word she preyed him ful ofte,
That with his swerd he wolde smyte softe,
And with that word aswowne doun she fil.
Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil,

240

245

250

Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente,

255

And to the Iuge he gan it to presente,

As he sat yet in doom in consistorie.

And whan the Iuge it saugh, as seith the storie,

260

He bad to take him and anhange him faste.
But right anon a thousand peple in thraste,
To save the knight, for routhe and for pitee,
For knowen was the false iniquitee.
The peple anon hath suspect of this thing,
By manere of the cherles chalanging,
That it was by the assent of Apius;
They wisten wel that he was lecherous.
For which un-to this Apius they gon,
And caste him in a prison right anon,
Wher-as he slow him-self; and Claudius,
That servant was un-to this Apius,

Was demed for to hange upon a tree;
But that Virginius, of his pitee,
So preyde for him that he was exyled;
And elles, certes, he had been bigyled.

243. E. Hn. for; rest first.

248. E. Ln. Blissed; rest Blessed.

265

270

252.

All but E. Hn. ins. hir before softe.
260. E. Hn. a thousand; rest al the.
the cherles; rest this clerkes.
And; rest Was.

The remenant were anhanged, more and lesse,
That were consentant of this cursednesse.--

275

Heer men may seen how sinne hath his meryte !

Beth war, for no man woot whom god wol smyte

In no degree, ne in which maner wyse
The worm of conscience may agryse
Of wikked lyf, though it so privee be,

That no man woot ther-of but god and he.
For be he lewed man, or elles lered,

He noot how sone that he shal been afered.
Therfore I rede yow this conseil take,

Forsaketh sinne, er sinne yow forsake.

280

285

Here endeth the Phisiciens tale.

275. E. Hn. Hl. anhanged; rest honged. 278. E. Hn. whom; rest how. 280. E. Hn. may agryse; rest wol (wil) arise. 283. E. ellis. Cp. Ln. Whether he be lewed man or lered; so Pt. (with Where for Whether); so Hl. (with Wher that for Whether). COLOPHON. So E. Hn.; Sloane has Here endethe the tale of the Mayster of phisyk; Hl. Here endeth the Doctor of phisique his tale.

WORDS OF THE HOST.

(T. 12221-12239.)

The wordes of the Host to the Phisicien and the

Pardoner.

UR Hoste gan to swere as he were wood,

OUR

'Harrow!' quod he, 'by nayles and by blood!

This was a fals cherl and a fals Iustyse!

As shamful deeth as herte may devyse

Come to thise Iuges and hir advocats!
Algate this sely mayde is slayn, allas!
Allas! to dere boghte she beautee!
Wherfore I seye al day, as men may see,
That yiftes of fortune or of nature
Ben cause of deeth to many a creature.
Hir beautee was hir deeth, I dar wel sayn;
Allas! so pitously as she was slayn !
Of bothe yiftes that I speke of now
Men han ful ofte more harm than prow.
But trewely, myn owene mayster dere,
This is a pitous tale for to here.
But natheles, passe over, is no fors;
I prey to god, so save thy gentil cors,

And eek thyne urinals and thy Iordanes,

HEADING. So E. E. Hoost.

287. Ln. oste; rest hoost, ost.

290

295

(10)

300

305

290.

E. shameful. 291, 292. So E. Hn. Pt.; but Cp. has-So falle vpon his body and his bones The deuyl I bekenne him al at ones; so also Ln. Hl. (alone) ins. false before Iuges. E. Hn. Aduocatz; Pt. aduocas.

Hn. and; rest or.

rest omit these lines. is; the rest omit this.

291. E. 295. E.

296. E. Hn. to; rest of. 297, 298. So Cp. Ln. HI.; 300. E. Hn. for harm; rest om. for. 303. Hl. this 305. Ln. Iordanes; Cp. Iurdanes; E. Hn. Iurdones.