The Cambridge ms (University library, Gg. 4.27) of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

§ 1. THE DOCTOR'S TALE.

CAMBRIDGE MS.

[and begynneth þe tale [Sloane MS 1685, on leaf 178]

There was as tellith me Titus lyueus. A knyȝt/ þat clepid was Virgineus Fulfyllyd of honoures and of worþinesse And stronge of ffrendes and of grete rychesse [Sloane MS 1685 folio 178b] A douȝtyr/ he hade by hys wyf/ Line 5 And neuere hade he mo in alle hys lyf· ffayre was þis mayde in excellent beute A-bouen euery wyȝt/ þat man may see· Line 8 ffor nature haþe with souereyne diligence ffourmyd hir/ in so grete excellence As þouȝe she wolde say loo I nature Thus can I forme and peynt/ a creature Line 12 Whan þat/ me lyst/ who can me counterfet/ Pignalyon nouȝt þouȝe he alwey forge and bete Or graue or peynte for y dare wele sayne Apollus ȝepherus shulde worche in vayne Line 16 To graue or peynte or forge or bete ȝif/ þei presumyd me forto conterfete ffor he þat ys þe formour principal Hath made me his Viker/ general Line 20 To forme and peynte eche erthly creature Ryȝt/ as me lyste for alle thynge ys in my cure Vnder/ þe mone þat may wane or waxe And for my werke no þenge wille I axe Line 24

[6-text p 304] Line 24 My lord/ and I ben fully at accorde [[Sloane MS 1635]] I made hir/ to þe worshipe of my lord So do I alle myne oþere creatures· Of what coloure þei be or what figures Line 28 þus semethe me þat nature wolle say This mayde was of/ age twelue ȝeere & twey In whiche þat nature hath suche delyte For riȝt/ as she can peynte as lyly white Line 32 And rudy as roose riȝt with suche paynture She paynteth hath þis noble creature Or she was borne vpon hir/ lymes fre Were also bryȝt/ as suche coloures shuld be Line 36 And Phebus dyed hade hir/ tressys grete Lyke to þe stremes of his bornyd heete And ȝif þat excellent was hir/ beaute· A þousand sithe more Vertuouse was she [Sloane MS 1685 folio 179a] Line 40 In her/ ne lacked no condicioun That/ ys to preyse as by discrecioun As wele in body as goste Chast was she ffor whiche she floured in Virgynite Line 44 With alle humilite and abstynence With alle temperance & pacience With mesure eke and berynge of array Discrete she was in answerynge alway Line 48 Though she were wys as Pallas dar I sayne hir/ faucond eke fulle womanly & pleyne None counterfetid termes hade she To seme wys but / aftyr/ hir/ degre Line 52 Sche spake alle hir/ wordes more and lesse Sounynge in vertu and in gentilnesse Constant in hert / and euere in besynesse Line 56 Schamefaste she was in maydens shamefastnesse Line 55 To dryue hir/ oute of hir/ slougardye Bacus hade of/ hir/ mouthe no Maystrie ffor wylle and þouȝt done Venus encrece As men in fyre wille casten oyle or grece Line 60

[6-text p 305] Line 60 And of/ hir/ owen vertu vnconstreyned [[Sloane MS 1685]] She hathe fulle ofte tyme hir/ seeke feyned ffor þat she wolde fle þe companye Where likly was to treten of foly Line 64 As ys at feestes Reueles and at daunces þat/ bene occasions of/ dalyaunces Suche thynge maken · Chyldren for to be To sone rype and bolde as men may see Line 68 Whyche ys fulle peryllous and hath bene yore ffor alle to sone may she lerne lore Of/ boldenesse whan she ys a wyf And ȝe maystresses in youre olde lyf Line 72 þat/ lordes douȝters han in gouernaunce Ne taketh of/ my worde no displesaunce Thynges þat ben sette in gouernynges · Of lordes douȝters only for two thynges [Sloane MS 1685 folio 179b] Line 76 Ouþer for ȝe han kepte youre honeste Oþere elles ȝe han fallen in frelete And knowen wele ynouȝe þe olde daunce And conne for-sake fully myschaunce Line 80 ffor euermo · þerfore for crystes sake kepith wele þo · þat ȝe Vndirtake A theefe of veneson þat hath for-laft his lycouresnesse and alle his þefes craft Line 84 kan kepe a forest best/ of any man Nowe kepeth hem wel for and ȝe wele kan lokeþe wele þat to no vice ȝe assent Leest/ ȝe be dampned for youre euel entent Line 88 ffor who so dothe a traytour ys certayn And taketh of þat þat I shal sayn Of/ alle tresoun suffreyn pestelence Ys whan a wyȝt be-trayth Innocence Line 92 ȝe fadres and ȝe modres eke also Thogh ȝe haue Childre by it one or two Ȝoure ys þe charge of alle her/ sufferaunce Whiles þei bene vnder/ gouernaunce Line 96

[6-text p 306] Line 96 Be ware þat be ensample of/ youre liuynge [[Sloane MS 1685]] Outher by necligence of Chastisynge That þei ne peryssh for I dare wele say Ȝif þat/ þei done ȝe shulle fulle sore obeye Line 100 Vnder .a. sheperd softe and necligente The wolfe hath many an sheepe & lambe to-rente Suffiseth on · ensample nowe as here ffor I mote turne a-yeyne to my matere Line 104 Thys mayde of whiche I telle my tale expresse Sche kepte hir selfe hir/ nedeth no maystresse ffor in hir lyuynge maydens myȝt/ rede As in a booke euery gode worde & dede Line 108 That longethe to a mayde vertuous Sche was so prudent and so bounteuous · ffor whiche oute spronge on euery syde Bothe of hir/ beaute and of hir/ bounte wyde [Sloane MS 1685 folio 180a] Line 112 þat/ þorouȝe þe londe þei preysed hir eccheone That/ louyd vertu safe Envie allone þat/ sorye ys of oþere mennes wele And glad ys of hys sorowe and vnhele Line 116 The docture maketh þis discripcioun Thys mayde wente on a day into þe toun Toward þe temple with hir/ moder/ dere As ys of yonge maydens þe manere Line 120 // Now was þere a Iustice in þe toun þat/ gouernour was of þat regioun And so by-felle thys Iuge hys eyȝen caste Vpon þis mayde avisynge hir/ fulle faste Line 124 As she come forth by þere þe Iuge stoode A-none his hert chaungeth and hys mode So was he/ cauȝt/ with beaute of þis mayde And to hym · self/ fulle pryuely he saide Line 128 Thys mayde shalle be myne for ony man A-noone þe feende in-to hys hert/ ranne And tauȝte hym sodeynly by/ what sleiȝt/ þe mayde to hys purpos wynne he myȝt/ Line 132

[6-text p 307] Line 132 ffor certes by no force ne by no mede [[Sloane MS 1685]] hym þouȝt he was not able for to spede ffor he was stronge of frendes and eke she Confermyd was in suche souereyne beaute Line 136 þat/ wele he wyste he myȝt/ hir/ nevere wynne As for to make hir with hir/ body synne ffor whiche with grete deliberacioun he sent/ aftyr/ a Clerk/ in-to þe toun Line 140 The whiche he knewe for sotelle and for bolde Thys Iuge vnto þis Clerk his tale hathe tolde I secre wyse and made hym to assure he shulde telle it to no creature Line 144 And ȝif/ he did he shulde lese hys hede Whan ascented was þis cursid reede Glad was þe Iuge and made glad chere And ȝafe hym ȝiftes precious & dere [Sloane MS 1685 folio 180b] Line 148 Whan shapen was alle þis conspiracie ffrom poynt to poynt how þat his lecherie Perfourmed shulde be fulle sotelly As ȝe shalle here and afterward opunly Line 152 home gothe þis. Clerk þat hiȝt Claudius. Thys false Iuge þat/ hiȝt Apius. So was hys name for it ys no fable But/ knowen for an historialle þenge notable Line 156 The sentence of/ hit · sothe ys oute of/ doute Thys false Iuge gothe nowe faste a-boute To hasten his delyte al þat/ he may And so by-felle sone after/ on a day Line 160 Thys false Iuge as tellethe vs þe storie As he was wonte sat in his consistorie And ȝaue his domes vpon sundry caas. This false clerke come forthe a wele gode paas. Line 164 And said lord ȝif it be youre wille Ȝis dothe me riȝt/ vpon þis pitous bille] [[Sloane extract ends]] In which I pleyne vp-on virginius [Camb. Univ. Lib. MS Gg. 4. 27] [folio 302a] And ȝif he wele seyn it is not thus Line 168

[6-text p 308] Line 168 I wele it preue / & fynde it good witnesse That soth is that myn bille wele expresse The Iuge answerde / of this in his absence I may not ȝeue diffynytiue sentence Line 172 Lat do hym calle & I wele gladli here Thow schalt haue alle ryȝt & no wrong heere Virgynyus cam to wete the Iugis wille And ryȝt a-non was rad this curssede bylle Line 176 The sentence of it was as ȝe schul here To ȝow myn lord sire apius so deere Schewith ȝoure poure seruaun[t] claudyus How that a knygh[t] / callyd virgynyus Line 180 A-geyns the lawe a-geyn alle equyte Holdyth expres a-geyn the wil of me Myn seruant which that ¹is myn¹ [[^1_1 later]] thral be ryȝt Whiche from myn hous was stole vp-on a nyȝt Line 184 Whil that sche was ful ȝyng this wele I preue By witnesse lord so that it nat ȝow greue Sche nys his doughty[r]/ nat what so he seye Wherefore to ȝow myn lord ȝe Iuge I preye Line 188 Ȝilde me my thral / ȝif þat it be ȝoure wille Lo this was al the sentens of his bille Virginius gan vp-on the cherl be-holde But hastyly er he his tale tolde Line 192 And wolde a preued it as schulde a knyȝt And ek by witnesse of manye a wight That it was fals that seyde his aduersarye This cursede Iuge wolde no thyng tarye Line 196 Ne here a word more of virginius But ȝaf his Iugement & seyde thus I deme a-noon / this cherl his seruaunt haue Thow schalt no lengere / in thyn hous [[² ous & ^2_3 corrected]] here saue³ Go brynge hire forth / & putte hire in owere warde Line 201 This cherl schal han / his thral this I awrarde And whan this worthi / knyȝt virgynyus Thour sentence / of this Iustyse Apyus Line 204

[6-text p 309] Line 204 Muste be forse his dere douȝtyr ȝeuy [folio 302b] Vn-to the Iuge in lecherye to lyuyn He goth hym hom & settyth hym in his halle And leet a-non his deere douȝtyr calle Line 208 And with a face ded as aschyn colde Vp-on hire humble face he gan by-holde With faderys pite styngynge thour his herte Al wolde he not from his purpos conuerte Line 212 Douȝtyr quod he virginia bi thyn name There been two woyis othir ded or schame That þou muste suffere allas that I was bore ffor neuere thow deseruedist wherefore Line 216 To deyen with a swerd or wit a knyf O deere douȝtyr endere of myn lyf Which I haue fostered vp with swich plesaunce That thow were neuere out of myn remembraunce Line 220 O douȝtyr [[yr corrected]] which that art myn laste wo And in myn lyf myn laste Ioye also O gemme of chastite in pacience Take thow thyn deth for this is myn sentence Line 224 ffor loue & not for hate þou muste be deed Myn pitous hand mote smytyn of thyn heed Allas that euere apius the say Thus hath he falsely Iuged the to day Line 228 And tolde hire al the case as ȝe be-fore [[e later]] Han herd / nought nedyth for to telle it more. O mercy dere fadyr quod this mayde. Line 231 And with that word sche bothe [[he corr.]] hire armys layde Aboute his nekke as sche was wont to do. The teris broste out of hise eyen two And seyde goode fadyr schal I deye Is there no grace is there no remedye Line 236 No certis dere douȝtyr myn quod he Thanne ȝeue me leue fadyr myn quod sche Myn deth for to compleyne a lytyl space Parde Iepte ȝaf his douȝtyr grace Line 240

[6-text p 310] Line 240 ffor to compleyne er he hire slow allas And god it wot no thyng was hire trespas [[Camb. MS has lost 2 leaves]] [But þat she ranne hir/ fadir/ fyrst/ to see [Sloane MS 1685, on leaf181, back] To welcome hym with grete sollempnite Line 244 And with þat worde she felle on swoune a-noone And aftyr/ whan hir/ swonynge was gone Sche risethe vp and to hir/ fadir/ sayde Blessyd be god þat I shalle deye a mayde Line 248 ȝif/ me my dethe or þat/ I haue a shame Dothe with youre childe youre wille of goddes name And with þat worde she praythe fulle ofte þat with his swerde he shulde smyte hir/ softe Line 252 And with þat/ worde on swone doune she felle Hir fadyr/ with fulle sorowfulle hert/ and fel Hir/ heede of/ smote and by þe top it hent/ And to þe Iuge he yaue it/ to present [Sloane MS 1685 folio 182a] Line 256 As he sat in hys dome in consistorie What þe Iuge it sawe as saithe þe storie He bade take hym and honge hym also faste But riȝt/ a-noon alle þe peple in þraste Line 260 To saue þe knyȝt/ for reuthe and for pite ffor knowen was þe folys Iniquyte The peple a-none hade suspecte in þis thynge By manere of thys Clerkes chalengynge Line 264 That it was by þe assent/ of Apius· They wyste wele þat he was lecherous· ffor whiche vnto þis Apius þei gone And kysten hym in prison riȝt anone Line 268 Where as he slouȝe hym self/ and claudius þat seruaunt was vnto þis apius. Was demed for [to] hange vpon a tre But Virgineus of/ his grete pite Line 272 Prayde for hym þat he was exiled And elles certes he hade be begyled· The remenaunt were honged more & lesse þat consentid weren to his cursidnesse Line 276

[6-text p 311] Line 276 here may men see how synne hathe hys merite [[Sloane MS 1685]] Be ware for no man wote howe god wille smyte In no degre ne in whiche manere wyse· The worme of conscience wylle aryse Line 280 Of wycked lyf/ þouȝe it/ so preue be þat/ no man woote of hit but god and he. Wheþere he be lewed man or leryd he note howe sone þat he may ben a-feryd· Line 284 Therfore I rede you þis counselle take ffor-sakeþe synne or synne you for-sake

Here endethe þe tale of þe Mayster of phisyk/