The Physician's Tale
1: ther was, as telleth titus livius, 
2: A knyght that called was virginius, 
3: Fulfild of honour and of worthynesse, 
4: And strong of freendes, and of greet richesse. 
5: this knyght a doghter hadde by his wyf; 
6: No children hadde he mo in al his lyf. 
7: Fair was this mayde in excellent beautee 
8: Aboven every wight that man may see; 
9: For nature hath with sovereyn diligence 
10: Yformed hire in so greet excellence, 
11: As though she wolde seyn, lo! I, nature, 
12: Thus kan I forme and peynte a creature, 
13: Whan that me list; who kan me countrefete? 
14: Pigmalion noght, though he ay forge and bete, 
15: Or grave, or peynte; for I dar wel seyn, 
16: Apelles, zanzis, sholde werche in veyn 
17: Outher to grave, or peynte, or forge, or bete, 
18: If they presumed me to countrefete. 
19: For he that is the formere principal 
20: Hath maked me his vicaire general, 
21: To forme and peynten erthely creaturis 
22: Right as me list, and ech thyng in my cure is 
23: Under the moone, that may wane and waxe; 
24: And for my werk right no thyng wol I axe; 
25: My lord and I been ful of oon accord. 
26: I made hire to the worshipe of my lord; 
27: So do I alle myne othere creatures, 
28: What colour that they han, or what figures. 
29: Thus semeth me that nature wolde seye. 
30: this mayde of age twelve yeer was and tweye, 
31: In which that nature hadde swich delit. 
32: For right as she kan peynte a lilie whit, 
33: And reed a rose, right with swich peynture 
34: She peynted hath this noble creature, 
35: Er she were born, upon hir lymes fre, 
36: Where as by right swiche colours sholde be; 
37: And phebus dyed hath hire tresses grete 
38: Lyk to the stremes of his burned heete. 
39: And if that excellent was hire beautee, 
40: A thousand foold moore vertuous was she. 
41: In hire ne lakked no condicioun 
42: That is to preyse, as by discrecioun. 
43: As wel in goost as body chast was she; 
44: For which she floured in virginitee 
45: With alle humylitee and abstinence, 
46: With alle attemperaunce and pacience, 
47: With mesure eek of beryng and array. 
48: Discreet she was in answeryng alway; 
49: Though she were wis as pallas, dar I seyn, 
50: Hir facound eek ful wommanly and pleyn, 
51: No countrefeted termes hadde she 
52: To seme wys; but after hir degree 
53: She spak, and alle hire wordes, moore and lesse, 
54: Sownynge in vertu and in gentillesse. 
55: Shamefast she was in maydens shamefastnesse, 
56: Constant in herte, and evere in bisynesse 
57: To dryve hire out of ydel slogardye. 
58: Bacus hadde of hir mouth right no maistrie; 
59: For wyn and youthe dooth venus encresse, 
60: As men in fyr wol casten oille or greesse. 
61: And of hire owene vertu, unconstreyned, 
62: She hath ful ofte tyme syk hire feyned, 
63: For that she wolde fleen the compaignye 
64: Where likly was to treten of folye, 
65: As is at feestes, revels, and at daunces, 
66: That been occasions of daliaunces. 
67: Swich thynges maken children for to be 
68: To soone rype and boold, as men may se, 
69: Which is ful perilous, and hath been yoore. 
70: For al to soone may she lerne loore 
71: Of booldnesse, whan she woxen is a wyf. 
72: and ye maistresses, in youre olde lyf, 
73: That lordes doghtres han in governaunce, 
74: Ne taketh of my wordes no displesaunce. 
75: Thenketh that ye been set in governynges 
76: Of lordes doghtres, oonly for two thynges -- 
77: Outher for ye han kept youre honestee, 
78: Of elles ye han falle in freletee, 
79: And knowen wel ynough the olde daunce, 
80: And han forsaken fully swich meschaunce 
81: For everemo; therfore, for cristes sake, 
82: To teche hem vertu looke that ye ne slake. 
83: a theef of venysoun, that hath forlaft 
84: His likerousnesse and al his olde craft, 
85: Kan kepe a forest best of any man. 
86: Now kepeth wel, for if ye wole, ye kan. 
87: Looke wel that ye unto no vice assente, 
88: Lest ye be dampned for youre wikke entente; 
89: For whoso dooth, a traitour is, certeyn. 
90: And taketh kep of that that I shal seyn -- 
91: Of alle tresons sovereyn pestilence 
92: Is whan a wight bitrayseth innocence. 
93: ye fadres and ye moodres eek also, 
94: Though ye han children, be it oon or mo, 
95: Youre is the charge of al hir surveiaunce, 
96: Whil that they been under youre governaunce. 
97: Beth war, that by ensample of youre lyvynge, 
98: Or by youre necligence in chastisynge, 
99: That they ne perisse; for I dar wel seye, 
100: If that they doon, ye shul it deere abeye. 
101: Under a shepherde softe and necligent 
102: The wolf hath many a sheep and lamb torent. 
103: Suffiseth oon ensample now as heere, 
104: For I moot turne agayn to my matere. 
105: this mayde, of which I wol this tale expresse, 
106: So kepte hirself hir neded no maistresse; 
107: For in hir lyvyng maydens myghten rede, 
108: As in a book, every good word or dede 
109: That longeth to a mayden vertuous, 
110: She was so prudent and so bountevous. 
111: For which the fame out sprong on every syde, 
112: Bothe of hir beautee and hir bountee wyde, 
113: That thurgh that land they preised hire echone 
114: That loved vertu, save envye allone, 
115: That sory is of oother mennes wele, 
116: And glad is of his sorwe and his unheele. 
117: (the doctour maketh this descripcioun). 
118: this mayde upon a day wente in the toun 
119: Toward a temple, with hire mooder deere, 
120: As is of yonge maydens the manere. 
121: Now was ther thanne a justice in that toun, 
122: That governour was of that regioun. 
123: And so bifel this juge his eyen caste 
124: Upon this mayde, avysynge hym ful faste, 
125: As she cam forby ther as this juge stood. 
126: Anon his herte chaunged and his mood, 
127: So was he caught with beautee of this mayde, 
128: And to hymself ful pryvely he sayde, 
129: This mayde shal be myn, for any man! 
130: anon the feend into his herte ran, 
131: And taughte hym sodeynly that he by slyghte 
132: The mayden to his purpos wynne myghte. 
133: For certes, by no force ne by no meede, 
134: Hym thoughte, he was nat able for to speede; 
135: For she was strong of freendes, and eek she 
136: Confermed was in swich soverayn bountee, 
137: That wel he wiste he myghte hire nevere wynne 
138: As for to make hire with hir body synne. 
139: For which, by greet deliberacioun, 
140: He sente after a cherl, was in the toun, 
141: Which that he knew for subtil and for boold. 
142: This juge unto this cherl his tale hath toold 
143: In secree wise, and made hym to ensure 
144: He sholde telle it to no creature, 
145: And if he dide, he sholde lese his heed. 
146: Whan that assented was this cursed reed, 
147: Glad was this juge, and maked him greet cheere, 
148: And yaf hym yiftes preciouse and deere. 
149: whan shapen was al hire conspiracie 
150: Fro point to point, how that his lecherie 
151: Parfouned sholde been ful subtilly, 
152: As ye shul heere it after openly, 
153: Hoom gooth the cherl, that highte claudius. 
154: This false juge, that highte apius, 
155: (so was his name, for this is no fable, 
156: But knowen for historial thyng notable; 
157: The sentence of it sooth is, out of doute), 
158: This false juge gooth now faste aboute 
159: To hasten his delit al that he may. 
160: And so bifel soone after, on a day, 
161: This false juge, as telleth us the storie, 
162: As he was wont, sat in his consistorie, 
163: And yaf his doomes upon sondry cas. 
164: This false cherl cam forth a ful greet pas, 
165: And seyde, lord, if that it be youre wille, 
166: As dooth me right upon this pitous bille, 
167: In which I pleyne upon virginius; 
168: And if that he wol seyn it is nat thus, 
169: I wol it preeve, and fynde good witnesse, 
170: That sooth is that my bille wol expresse. 
171: the juge answerde, of this, in his absence, 
172: I may nat yeve diffynytyf sentence. 
173: Lat do hym calle, and I wol gladly heere; 
174: Thou shalt have al right, and no wrong heere. 
175: virginius cam to wite the juges wille, 
176: And right anon was rad this cursed bille; 
177: The sentence of it was as ye shul heere -- 
178: to yow, my lord, sire apius so deere, 
179: Sheweth youre povre servant claudius 
180: How that a knyght, called virginius, 
181: Agayns the lawe, agayn al equitee, 
182: Holdeth, expres agayn the wyl of me, 
183: My servant, which that is my thral by right, 
184: Which fro myn hous was stole upon a nyght, 
185: Whil that she was ful yong; this wol I preeve 
186: By witnesse, lord, so that it nat yow greeve. 
187: She nys his doghter nat, what so he seye. 
188: Wherfore to yow, my lord the juge, I preye, 
189: Yeld me my thral, if that it be youre wille. 
190: Lo, this was al the sentence of his bille. 
191: virginius gan upon the cherl biholde, 
192: But hastily, er he his tale tolde, 
193: And wolde have preeved it as sholde a knyght, 
194: And eek by witnessyng of many a wight, 
195: That al was fals that seyde his adversarie, 
196: This cursed juge wolde no thyng tarie, 
197: Ne heere a word moore of virginius, 
198: But yaf his juggement, and seyde thus -- 
199: I deeme anon this cherl his servant have; 
200: Thou shalt no lenger in thyn hous hir save. 
201: Go bryng hire forth, and put hire in oure warde. 
202: The cherl shal have his thral, this I awarde. 
203: and whan this worthy knyght virginius, 
204: Thurgh sentence of this justice apius, 
205: Moste by force his deere doghter yiven 
206: Unto the juge, in lecherie to lyven, 
207: He gooth hym hoom, and sette him in his halle, 
208: And leet anon his deere doghter calle, 
209: And with a face deed as asshen colde 
210: Upon hir humble face he gan biholde, 
211: With fadres pitee stikynge thurgh his herte, 
212: Al wolde he from his purpos nat converte. 
213: doghter, quod he, virginia, by thy name, 
214: Ther been two weyes, outher deeth or shame, 
215: That thou most suffre; allas, that I was bore! 
216: For nevere thou deservedest wherfore 
217: To dyen with a swerd or with a knyf. 
218: O deere doghter, endere of my lyf, 
219: Which I have fostred up with swich plesaunce 
220: That thou were nevere out of my remembraunce! 
221: O doghter, which that art my laste wo, 
222: And in my lyf my laste joye also, 
223: O gemme of chastitee, in pacience 
224: Take thou thy deeth, for this is my sentence. 
225: For love, and nat for hate, thou most be deed; 
226: My pitous hand moot smyten of thyn heed. 
227: Allas, that evere apius the say! 
228: Thus hath he falsly jugged the to-day -- 
229: And tolde hire al the cas, as ye bifore 
230: Han herd; nat nedeth for to telle it moore. 
231: o mercy, deere fader! quod this mayde, 
232: And with that word she bothe hir armes layde 
233: Aboute his nekke, as she was wont to do. 
234: The teeris bruste out of hir eyen two, 
235: And seyde, goode fader, shal I dye? 
236: Is ther no grace, is ther no remedye? 
237: no, certes, deere doghter myn, quod he. 
238: thanne yif me leyser, fader myn, quod she, 
239: My deeth for to compleyne a litel space; 
240: For, pardee, jepte yaf his doghter grace 
241: For to compleyne, er he hir slow, allas! 
242: And, God it woot, no thyng was hir trespas, 
243: But for she ran hir fader first to see, 
244: To welcome hym with greet solempnitee. 
245: And with that word she fil aswowne anon, 
246: And after, whan hir swownyng is agon, 
247: She riseth up, and to hir fader sayde, 
248: Blissed be god, that I shal dye a mayde! 
249: Yif me my deeth, er that I have a shame; 
250: Dooth with youre child youre wyl, a goddes name! 
251: and with that word she preyed hym ful ofte 
252: That with his swerd he sholde smyte softe; 
253: And with that word aswowne doun she fil. 
254: Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil, 
255: Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente, 
256: And to the juge he gan it to presente, 
257: As he sat yet in doom in consistorie. 
258: And whan the juge it saugh, as seith the storie, 
259: He bad to take hym and anhange hym faste; 
260: But right anon a thousand peple in thraste, 
261: To save the knyght, for routhe and for pitee, 
262: For knowen was the false iniquitee. 
263: The peple anon had suspect in this thyng, 
264: By manere of the cherles chalangyng, 
265: That it was by the assent of apius; 
266: They wisten wel that he was lecherus. 
267: For which unto this apius they gon, 
268: And caste hym in prisoun right anon, 
269: Ther as he slow hymself; and claudius, 
270: That servant was unto this apius, 
271: Was demed for to hange upon a tree, 
272: But that virginius, of his pitee, 
273: So preyde for hym that he was exiled; 
274: And elles, certes, he had been bigyled. 
275: The remenant were anhanged, moore and lesse, 
276: That were consentant of this cursednesse, 
277: heere may men seen how synne hath his merite. 
278: Beth war, for no man woot whom God wol smyte 
279: In no degree, ne in which manere wyse 
280: The worm of conscience may agryse 
281: Of wikked lyf, though it so pryvee be 
282: That no man woot therof but God and he. 
283: For be he lewed man, or ellis lered, 
284: He noot how soone that he shal been afered. 
285: Therfore I rede yow this conseil take -- 
286: Forsaketh synne, er synne yow forsake. 

Return to: directory.html Canterbury Tales Directory