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And Newel crieth every lufty man.

Aurelius in all that ever he can
Doth to his maister chere and reverence,
And praieth him to don his diligence
To bringen him out of his peines fmerte,
Or with a fwerd that he wold flit his herte.

This fotil clerk fwiche routh hath on this man, That night and day he spedeth him that he can To wait a time of his conclufion;

This is to fayn, to make illufion,

By fwiche an apparence or joglerie,
(I can no termes of aftrologie)

That the and every wight fhuld wene and fay
That of Bretaigne the rockes were away,
Or elles they were fonken under ground.
So at the last he hath his time yfound
To make his japes and his wretchedneffe
Of swiche a fuperftitious curfedneffe.
His tables Toletanes forth he brought,
Ful wel corrected, that ther lacked nought,
Nother his collect ne his expans yeres,
Nother his rotes ne his other geres,
As ben his centres and his argumentes,
And his proportionel convenientes,
For his equations in every thing:
And by his eighte fperes in his werking
He knew ful wel how fer Alnath was fhove
Fro the hed of thilke fix Aries above
That in the ninthe spere confidered is :
Ful fotilly he calculed all this.
Whan he had found his firfte mansion
He knew the remenant by proportion,
And knew the rifing of his mone wel,
And in whos face, and terme, and every del;
And knew ful wel the mones manfion
Accordant to his operation;

And knew alfo his other obfervances,
For fwiche illufions and swiche meschances
As Hethen folke ufed in thilke daies;
For which no lenger maketh he delaies,
But thurgh his magike, for a day or tway,
It feemed all the rockes were away.

Aurelius, which that defpeired is
Whether he shal han his love or fare amis,
Awaiteth night and day on this miracle;
And whan he knew that ther was non obftacle,
That voided were thife rockes everich on,
Doun to his maifteres feet he fell anon,
And fayd, I, woful wretch Aurelius,
Thanke you, my lord, and lady min Venus,
That me han holpen fro my cares cold
And to the temple his way forth hath he hold,
Theras he knew he fhuld his lady fee;
And whan he faw his time anon right he
With dredful herte and with ful humble chere
Salued hath his foveraine lady dere.

My rightful Lady, quod this woful man,
Whom I most drede and love as I best can,
And lotheft were of all this world difplefe,
Ne're it that I for you have swiche difefe
That I muft die here at your foot anon,
Nought wold I tell how me is wo begon;
But certes other muft I die or plaine;
Yele me gilteles for veray peine :

But of my deth though that ye han no routh
Avifeth you or that you breke your trouth:
Repenteth you, for thilke God above,
Or ye me fle, because that I you love :
For, Madame, wel ye wote what ye have hight;
Not that I chalenge any thing of right
Of you my foveraine Lady, but of grace;
But in a garden yond, in fwiche a place,
Ye wote right wel what ye behighten me,
And in myn hond your trouthe plighten ye
To love me beft: God wote ye faied fo,
Although that I unworthy be therto.
Madame, I fpeke it for the honour of you,
More than to fave my hertes lif right now,
I have don fo as ye commanded me,
And if ye vouchefauf ye may go fee.
Doth as you lift, have your beheft in mind,
For quick or ded right ther ye fhul me find.
In you lith all to do me live or dey,
But wel I wote the rockes ben awey.

He taketh his leve, and fhe aftonied stood;
In all hire face n'as o drope of blood:
She wened never han come in fwiche a trappe.
Alas! quod fhe, that ever this should happe!
For wend I never by poffibilitee
That swiche a monftre or mervaille might be:
It is again the proceffe of Nature.
And home the goth a forweful creature;
For veray fere unnethes may the go.
She wepeth, waileth, all a day or two,
And fwouneth that it routhe was to fee,
But why it was to no wight tolde fhe,
For out of toun was gon Arviragus;
But to hireself she spake, and faied thus,
With face pale, and with ful fory chere,
In hire complaint, as ye fhul after here.

Alas! quod fhe, on thee, Fortune, I plain,
That unaware haft me wrapped in thy chain,
Fro which to escapen wote I no foccour
Sauf only deth or elles difhonour :
On of thise two behoveth me to chefe.!
But natheles, yet had I a lever lefe
My life than of my body have a shame,
Or know myfelven falfe, or lefe my name:
And with my deth I may be quit ywis;
Hath ther not many a noble wif or this,
And many a maid, yflaine hireself, alas!
Rather than with hire body don trefpas?
Yes certes; lo, thise stories bere witnesse.

Whan thirty tyrants ful of curfednesse
Had flain Phidon in Athens at the feft,
They commanded his doughtren for to arre
And bringen hem beforne him despit
Al naked, to fulfil hire foule delit;
And in hir fadres blood they made hem dance
Upon the pavement, God yeve hem mefchance!
For which thife woful maidens, ful of drede,
Rather than they wold lefe hir maidenhede,
They prively ben ftert into a welle,
And dreint hemfelven, as the bookes telle.
They of Meffene let enquere and feke
Of Lacedomie fifty maidens eke
On which the wolden don hir lecherie;
But ther was non of all that compagnie

That the n'as flaine, and with a glad entent
Chees rather for to dien than affent
To ben oppreffed of hire maidenhede.
Why fhuld I than to dein ben in drede?
Lo eke the tyrant Ariftoclides,
That loved a maid hight Stimphalides,
Whan that hire father flaine was on a night,
Unto Dianes temple goth the right,
And hente the image in hire handes two,
Fro which image wold she never go;
No wight her handes might it of it arrace
Til fhe was flaine right in the felve place.
Now fin that maidens hadden swiche despit
To be defouled with mannes foule delit,
Wel ought a wif rather hireselven fle
Than be defouled, as it thinketh me.

What fhal I fayn of Hafdrubales wif,
That at Cartage beraft hireself hire lif?

For whan the law that Romains wan the toun,
She toke hire children all, and skipt adoun
Into the fire, and chees rather to die
Than any Romain did hire valanie.

Hath not Lucrece yflaine hireself, alas!
At Rome, whan that the oppreffed was
Of Tarquine? for hire thought it was a shame
To liven whan she hadde loft hire name.
The feven maidens of Milefie alfo

Han flaine hemfelf, for veray drede and wo,
Rather than folk of Gaule hem fhuld oppreffe.
Mo than a thousand stories, as I geffe,
Coude I now tell as touching this matere.

Whan Abradate was flain, his wif fo dere
Hirefelven flow, and let hire blood to glide
In Abradates woundes depe and wide,
And fayd, My body at the lefte way
Ther fhal no wight defoulen if I may.
What fhuld I mo enfamples hereof fain?
Sin that fo many han hemselven flain,
Wel rather than they wold defouled be,
I wol conclude that it is bet for me
To se myself than be defouled thus:
I wa be trewe unto Arviragus,
Orelles ile myself in fome manere,
As Did Demotiones doughter dere,
Because the wolde not defouled be.
O Sedafus! it is ful gret pitee
Teraden how thy doughtren died, alas!
That flowe hemselven for swiche maner cas.
As gret a pitee was it, or wel more,
The Theban maiden that for Nichanore
Hirefelven flow right for fwiche menere wo.
Another Theban mayden did right fo,
For on of Macedoine had hire oppreffed;
She with hire deth hire maidenhed redressed.
What fhal I fain of Nicerates wif,
That for fwiche cas bereft hireself hire lif?
"How trewe was eke to Alcibiades
His love, that for to dien rather chees
Than for to fuffre his body unburied be?

Lo, which a wif was Alcefte eke? (quod fhe)
What fayth Homerç of good Penelope?
All Greece knoweth of hire chastitce.
Parde of Laodomia is wretten thus,
That what at Troye was flain Prothefilaus

No lenger wolde fhe live after his day.
The fame of noble Portia tell I may;
Withouten Brutus coude the not live,
To whom the had all whole hire herte yeve.
The parfit wifhood of Artemifie
Honoured is thurghout all Barbarie.

O Teuta quene! thy wifly chastitee
To alle wives may a mirrour be.

Thus plained Dorigene a day or twey, Purpofing ever that she wolde dey; But natheles upon the thridde night Home came Arviragus, the worthy knight, And axed hire why that she weep fo fore? And the gan wepen ever lenger the more. Alas, quod fhe, that ever I was yborne ! Thus have I faid, (quod fhe) thus have I fworne, And told him all, as ye have herd before: It nedeth not reherse it you no more.

This hufbond with glad chere, in frendly wife, Anfwerd and fayd as I fhal you devise; Is ther ought elles, Dorigene, but this? Nay, nay, quod fhe, God, helpe me so, as wis This is to much, and it were Goddes will.

Ye, wif, quod he, let slepen that is still;
It may be wel paraventure yet to-day.
Ye fhal your trouthe holden by my fay;
For God fo wifly have mercy on me,
I had wel lever ftiked for to be,,
For veray love which that I to you have,
But if ye fhuld your trouthe kepe and fave:
Trouth is the hieft thing that man may kepe.
But with that word he brast anon to wepe,
And fayd; I you forbede, on peine of deth,
That never while you lasteth lif or breth
To no wight tell ye this mifaventure;
As I may best I wol my wo endure:
Ne make no contenance of hevineffe,
That folk of you may demen harme or geffe.
And forth he cleped a fquier and a maid.
Goth forth anon with Dorigene, he said,
And bringeth hire to swiche a place anon.
They take hir leve, and on hir way they gon:
But they ne wiften why the thider went;
She n'olde no wight tellen hire entent.
This fquier which that highte Aurelius,
On Dorigene that was so amorous,
Of aventure happed hire to mete
Amid the toun, right in the quickest ftrete,
As fhe was boun to go the way forthright
Toward the gardin, ther as fhe had hight;
And he was to the gardinward also,
For wel he fpied whan fhe wolde go
Out of hire hous to any maner place:
But thus they met of aventure or grace,
And he falueth hire with glad entent,
And axeth of hire whiderward fhe went.

And the answered half as fhe were mad,
Unto the gardin, as myn husbond bad,
My trouthe for to hold, alas! alas!

Aurelius gan wondren on this cas,
And in his herte had gret compaffion
Of hire, and of hire lamentation,
And of Arviragus, the worthy knight,
That bad hire holden all that he had hight,

So loth him was his wif fhuld breke hire trouthe;
And in his herte he caught of it gret routhe,
Confidering the beft on every fide,
That fro his luft yet were him lever abide
Than do fo high a cherlish wretchedneffe
Ageins fraunchise and alle gentilleffe
For which in few wordes fayd he thus:
Madame, fay to your Lord Arviragus
That fin I fee the grete gentilleffe

Of him, and eke I fee wel your diftreffe,

With herte fore he goth unto his cofre, And broughte gold unto this philfophre, The value of five hundred pound I geffe, And him befecheth of his gentilleffe To graunt him daies of the remenaunt, And fayde; Maifter, I dare wel make avaunt I failled never of my trouthe as yet; For fikerly my dette fhal be be quit Towardes you, how fo that ever I fare To gon a begging in my kirtle bare:

That him were lever have shame (and that were But wold ye vouchen sauf upon seurtee

routhe)

Than ye to me fhuld breken thus your trouthe,

1 hadde wel lever ever to fuffren wo
Than to depart the love betwix you two,
1 you relefc, Madame; into your hond
Quit every feurement and every bond
That ye han made to me as herebeforne
Sin thilke time that ye were yborne.
Have nere my trouthe, I fhai you never repreve
Of no beheft; and here I take my leve
As of the trewest and the beste wif
That ever yet I knew in all my lif.
But every wif beware of hire beheft;
On Dorigene remembreth at the left.
Thus can a fquier don a gentil dede
As wel as can a knight, withouten drede.

She thanketh him upon hire knees bare,
And home unto hire husbond is the fare,
And told him all as ye han herd me fayd;
And, trufteth me, he was fo wel apayd
That it were impoffible me to write.

What fhuld I lenger of this cas endite? Arviragus and Dorigene his wif In foveraine bliffe leden forth hir lif, Never eft ne was ther anger hem betwene; He cherished hire as though the were a quene, And fhe was to him trewe for evermore. Of thife two folk ye get of me no more. Aurelius, that his coft hath all forlorne, Curfeth the time that ever he was borne. Alas! quod he, alas that I behight Of pured gold a thousand pound of wight Unto this philofophre! how fhal I do? I fee no more but that I am fordo. Min heritage mote I nedes fell, And ben a beggar here I n'ill not dwell, And shamen all my kinrede in this place, But I of him may geten better grace: But natheles I wol of him affay At certain daies yere by yere to pay, And thanke him of his grete curtefie. My trouthe wol I kepe, I wol not lie.

Two yere or three for to refpiten me,
Than were I wel, for elles mote I fell
Min heritage; ther is no more to tell.

This philofophre fobrely answerd,
And faied thus, whan he thife wordes herd;
Have I not holden covenant to thee?

Yes, certes, wel and trewely, quod he.
Haft thou not had thy lady as thee liketh?

No, no, quod he, and forwefully he fiketh. What was the caufe? tell me if thou can. Aurelius his tale anon began,

And told him all as ye han herd before;
It nedeth not reherse it any more.
He fayd, Arviragus of gentilleffe
Had lever die in forwe and in diftreffe
Than that his wif were of hire trouthe fals.
The forwe of Dorigene he told him als,
How loth hire was to ben a wicked wif,
And that the lever had lost that day hire lif;
And that her trouth fhe fwore thurgh innocence
She never erft hadde herd fpeke of apparence:
That made me han of hire fo gret pitee,
And right as freely as he fent hire to me
As freely fent I hire to him again.
This is all and fom; ther n'is no more to fain.

The philofophre anfwerd; Leve brothre,
Everich of you did gentilly to other :
Thou art a fquier, and he is a knight,
But God forbede, for his blifsful might,
But if a clerk could don a gentil dede
As wel as any of you, it is no drede.

Sire, I relese thee thy thousand pound,
As thou right now were crope out of the ground
Ne never er now ne haddeft knowen me:
For, Sire, I wol not take a peny of thee
For all my craft, ne nought for my travaille :
Thou haft ypsied wel for my vitaille.
It is ynough, and farewel, have good day.
And toke his hors, and forth he goth his way.

Lordings, this question wold I axen now,
Which was the mofte free, as thinketh you?
Now telleth me or that ye further wende,
I can no more, my Tale is at an cnde,

THE DOCTOURES PROLOGUE.

Yi,kt that paffen, quod our Hofte, as now.
Sre Doctour of Physike, I prey you,
Telusa Tale of fom honeft matere,

It fhal be don, if that ye wol it here,

Said this Doctour, and his Tale began anon.
Now, good men, quod he, herkeneth everich on.

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THE DOCTOURES TALE*.

was, as telleth Titus Livius,

A knight that cleped was Virginius,
Fulfiled of honour and worthineffe,
And firong of frendes, and of gret richeffe.
This knight a doughter hadde by his wif;
No children had he mo in all his lif.
Faire was this maid in excellent beautee
Aboven every wight that man may fee,
For Nature hath with foveraine diligence
Yed hire in fo gret excellence
As though the wolde fayn, Lo, I Nature,
This can I forme and peint a creature,
Whan that me lift: who can me coutrefete?
Pgmalion? not though he ay forge and bete,
Or grave, or peinte; for I dare wel fain
Apelles, Xeuxis, fhulden werche in vain
Other to grave, or peinte, or forge, or bete,
they prefumed me to countrefete :
For he that is the former principal
Hath maked me his vicaire general
To forme and peinten earthly creatures

Light as we lift; and eche thing in my cure is
Under the mone that may wane and waxe;
And for my werk right nothing wol I axe:
My lord and I ben ful of on accord;
Imade hire to the worship of my lord,

So do I all min other creatures,

What colour that they han or what figures.
Thus femeth me that Nature wolde fay.

This maid of age twelf yere was and tway
In which that nature hadde fwiche delit;
For right as she can peint a lily whit
And red a rofe, right with fwiche peinture
She peinted hath this noble creature
Er fhe was borne upon hire limmes free,
Wheras by right fwiche colours fhulden be;
And Phebus died hath hire treffes grete
Like to the ftremes of his burned hete.
And if that excellent were hire beautee,
A thousand fold more vertuous was fhe.
In hire ne lacked no condition
That is to preife, as by difcretion.
As wel in goft as body chaft was fhe,
For which the floured in virginitee
With all humilitee and abftinence,
With all attemperance and patience,
With measure eke of bering and array.
Difcrete fhe was in anfwering alway,
Though the were wife as Pallas, dare I fain,
Hire facounde eke ful womanly and plain :
No countrefeted terms hadde fhe

To femen wife, but after hire degree
She-fpake, and all hire werdes more and leffe

Virginius layeth his only daughter rather than the Souning in vertue and in gentillesse.
all be defiled by the letcherous judge Appius. Sp.

Shamefaft fhe was in maidens fhamefastnesse,
Conftant in herte out of idel befinesse
To drive hire out of idel flogardie.
Bacchus had of hire mouth right no maistrie,
For wine and youthe don Venus encrefe,
As men in fire wol casten oile and grefe.
And of hire owen vertue unconftreined
She hath hirefelf ful often fike yfeined,
For that she wolde fleen the compagnie
Wher likely was to treten of folie,

As is at feftes, at revels, and at dances
That ben occafions of daliances.
Swiche thinges maken children for to be
To fone ripe and bold, as men may fee,
Which is ful perilous, and hath ben yore ;
For al to fone may fhe lernen lore
Of boldneffe whan fhe woxen is a wif.

And ye maiftreffes in your olde lif,
That lordes doughters han in governance,
Ne taketh of my wordes difplefance :
Thinketh that ye ben fet in governinges
Of lordes doughters only for two thinges,
Other for ye han kept your honeftee,
Or elles for ye han fallen in freeltee,
And knowen wel ynough the olde dance,
And han forfaken fully fwiche meschance
For evermo; therefore for Chriftes fake
To teche hem vertue loke that ye ne flake.
A theef of venifon, that hath forlaft
His likeroufneffe and all his olde craft,
Can kepe a forest best of any man :
Now kepeth hem wel, for if ye wol ye can.
Loke wel that unto no vice affent,
Left ye be damned for your wikke entent,
For who fo doth a traytour is certain:
And taketh kepe of that I fhal you fain;
Of alle trefon foveraine peftilence
Is whan a wight betrayeth innocence.

Ye fathers, and ye mothers eke also,
Though ye han children, be it on or mo,
Your is the charge of all hir furveance,
While that they ben under your governance:
Beth ware that by ensample of your living.
Or by your negligence in chaftifing,
That they ne perifh, for I dare wel faye
If that they don ye fhul it dere abeye.
Under a fhepherd soft and negligent
The wolf hath many a fhepe and lamb to-rent,
Sufficeth this enfample now as here,
For I mote turne agen to my matere.

This maid, of which I tell my Tale expreffe, She kept hirefelf, hire neded no maistresse, For in hire living maidens mighten rede, As in a book, every good word and dede That longeth to a maiden vertuous: She was fo prudent and fo bounteous, For which the fame out fprong on every fide Both of hire beautee and hire bountee wide, That thurgh the lond they preised hire ech one That loved vertue, fauf Envie alone, That fory is of other mannes wele, And glad is of his forwe and his unhele. The Doctour maketh this defcriptioun.

This maiden on a day went in the toun

Toward a temple, with hire mother dere,
As is of young maidens the manere.

Now was ther than a justice in that tour
That governour was of that regioun ;
And fo befell this juge his eyen caft
Upon this maid, avifing hire ful fast
As the came forth by ther this juge stood:
Anon his his herte changed and his mood,
So was he caught with beautee of this maid,
And to himself ful prively he said,
This maiden fhal be min for any man.

Anon the fend into his herte ran,
And taught him sodenly that he by fleight
This maiden to his purpos winnen might;
For certes by no force ne by no mede
Him thought the was not able for to spede;
For fhe was strong of frendes, end eke she
Confermed was in fwiche foveraine bountee
That wel he wift he might hire never winne
As for to make hire with hire body finne:
For which with gret deliberatioun
He fent after a cherl was in the toun,
The which he knew for fotil and for bold.
This juge unto this cherl his tale hath told
In fecree wife, and made him to ensure
He fhulde tell it to no creature,

And if he did he fhulde lefe his hede.
And whan affented was this cursed rede,
Glad was the juge, and maked him gret chere,
And yaf him yeftes precious and dere

Whan fhapen was all hir confpiracie
Fro point to point, how that his lecherie
Parformed fhulde be ful fotilly,
As ye fhul here it after openly,

Home goth this cherl, that highte Claudius;
This falfe juge, that highte Appius,
(So was his name, for it is no fable,
But knowen for an hiftorial thing notable;
The fentence of it foth is out of doute)
This falfe juge goth now fast aboute
To haften his delit all that he may.
And fo befell, fone after on a day
This falfe juge, as telleth us the storie,
As he was wont, fat in his confiftorie,
And yaf his domes upon fondry cas,
This falfe cherl came forth a ful gret pas,
And faide; Lord, if that it be your will,
As doth me right upon this pitous bill,
In which I plaine upon Virginius;
And if that he wol fayn it is not thus,
I wol it preve, and finden good witnesse
That foth is that my bille wol expreffe.

The juge anfwerd, Of this in his abfence
I may not yeve diffinitif fentence.
Let don him call, and I wol gladly here:
Thou shalt have right and wrong as now here.
Virginius came to wete the juges will,
And right anon was red this curfed bill;
The fentence of it was as ye fhul here.

To you my Lord Sire Appius fo dere Sheweth your poure fervant Claudius How that a knight called Virginius Agein the lawe, agein all equitce, Holdeth, expreffe agein the will of me,

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