The Lansdowne ms of Chaucer's Canterbury tales / edited by Frederick J. Furnivall.

§ 1. THE DOCTOR'S TALE.

LANSDOWNE MS.

¶ Incipit fabu[l]a. [on leaf 169, back]

Ther was as telleþ vs titus liueus A knyht þat cleped was virgineus Fulfilled of honoure & worþinesse And stronge of frendes and of riches Line 4 A douhtere he hadd be his wyf And neuer hadde he mo in al his lif Faire was þis maide in excellent beautee Abouen euery whight þat maie see Line 8 For Nature haþe wiþ souereigne diligence Formed hir in so grete excellence As þouhe sche wolde seie loo .I. Nature Thus can .I. forme and painte a creature Line 12 Whan þat me leste who can me counterfete Pigmalyon nouht þouhe he alweie forge or bete Or graue or peinte for .I. dar wel seine Apollus ȝepherus schold werche in veine Line 16 To graue or peinte or forge or bete If þei presumed me for to counterfete For he þat is þe formour principal Haþe maade me his viser general Line 20 To forme and peinte eche erþely creature Riht as me lest for al þinge is in my cure Vnder þe mone þat maie wane and wax And for my werke no þinge wil .I. ax Line 24

[6-text p 304] Line 24 My lorde and .I. bene fullye att acorde .I. maade hire to þe worschip of my lorde So do .I. al myn oþere creatures Of [what] colour þei bue or what figures Line 28 Thus semeþ me þat Nature wold seie This maide was of age twelue ȝere and tweye In whiche þat Nature haþe suche delite For riht as sche kan peinte as lyle white [folio 170a] Line 32 An[d] Rode as rose riht wiþ suche peinture Sche peinted haþe þis noble creature Ar sche was borne vppon hire limmes fre Were als briht as suche coloures scholde be Line 36 And phebus hadd dyed hire tresses grete Lyke to þe stremes of his burned hete And if þat excellent was hire beute A þousand folde mor vertuous was sche Line 40 In hire ne lakkeþ no condicione þat is to preise as be discrecione As wele in body . as goste chast was schee For whiche sche floured in virginite Line 44 Wiþ al humilite and abstinence And wiþ al attemperance and pacience Wiþ mesure eke and bereinge of araie Discrete sche was in ansewaringe alweie Line 48 þouhe sche were wise as pallas dar .I. seine Hire faukonde eke ful wommanly and pleyne None conterfeted termes hadde sche To seme wise bot after hire degre Line 52 Sche spakk and al hir wordes more and lesse Souneinge in vertue and in gentillesse Schamefast sche was in maidens schamfastnesse Constant in hert and euer in his besinesse Line 56 To dryue hire oute of hire slogardie Bachus hadde of hire mouþe no maistre For wil and þouht to done venus encrese As men in fire wil kasten oyle or grese Line 60

[6-text p 305] Line 60 And of hir owen vertue vnconstreyned Sche haþe ful oft time hire seke feyned For þat sche wolde flye þe companye Where likly was to treten of folye Line 64 As es att festes reueles and att daunces þat bene occasione of dalyaunces Suche þinges maken childern for to bee To sone Ripe and bolde as men maie see Line 68 Whiche is ful perilous and haþe be ȝore For al to sone maie sche leren lore Of boldenesse whan sche is a wyfe And ȝe maistresses in ȝoure olde life Line 72 þat lordes douhters haue in gouernance Ne takeþ of mi worde no displesance [folio 170b] Thinges þat bien set in gouernynges Of lordes douhtres only for tuo þinges Line 76 Eyþer for ȝe han kepped ȝoure honeste Or elles ȝe haue fall in frelte And knowe wele ynowhe þe olde daunce And konne forsaake fully meschaunce Line 80 For euere mo þer-fore for crist saak Kepeþ wel þo þat ȝe vndertak A þef of venison þat haþ for-laft His lycorusnesse and al his þefes craft Line 84 Kan kepe a forest best [of] ony man Nowe kepeþe hem wele for ȝe wele can Lokeþ wele to no vice þat ȝe assent Lest [ȝe] be dampned for ȝoure yuel entent Line 88 For who so doþe a traitour is certeine And takeþ of þat þat .I. schal seine Of al treson suffreine pestelence Is whan a whight be-trayeþ Innocence Line 92 Ȝe faders and ȝe moders eke also Þouhe ȝe haue childern be it on or mo Ȝoure is þe charge of al her suffrance Whiles þei bien vnder gouernance Line 96

[6-text p 306] Line 96 Beþe ware þat be ensample of ȝoure leueinge Eyþer be necligence in chastisinge þat þei ne perische for .I. dare wele seie Ȝif þat þei done ȝe schol ful sore abye Line 100 Vnder a scheperd soft and necligent þe wolf haþ mony a schepe and lamme to-rent Sufficit one ensample nowe as here For .I. most torne aȝeine to matiere Line 104 This maide of whiche .y tel my tale expresse Sche kepped hir self sche neded no maistresse For in hire leueynge maydens myht rede As in a boke euery good worde and dede Line 108 þat longeþ to a mayden vertuous Sche was so prudent and so bounteuous For whiche oute spronge on euery side Boþe of hir beute and hire bounte wide Line 112 þat þoruhe þe londe þei presede hire ychon þat loued verteus saue envye alone þat sory is of oþer mennes wele And gladde is of his sorwe and vnhele [folio 171a] Line 116 The doctour makeþ þis descripcioune This maide went on a daie in-to þe toune To-warde þe temple wiþ hir moder dere As is of ȝonge Maidens þe manere Line 120 Nowe was þer a Iustice in þe toune þat gouernour was of þat regioune And so befel þis Iuge his eyȝen kast Vppon þis maide aviseinge hire ful fast Line 124 As sche cam forþ by þere þe Iuge stode Anone his hert chaungeþ and his moode So was he cauht wiþ þe beaute of þis maide And to him self ful priuely he seide Line 128 This maiden schal be myne for any man Anone þe fende in to his hert ran And tauht him sodanly be what sleyht The maiden to his purpos wynne he myht Line 132

[6-text p 307] Line 132 For certes be no force ne be no meede Him þouht he was not able for to spede For he was stronge of frendes and eke sche Confermed was in suche souereigne beute Line 136 That wele he wist he myht hire neuer wynne As for to maake hire wiþ hire bodi synne For whiche wiþ grete deliberacioune He sent after a clerk in to þe toune Line 140 The whiche he knewe ful sotel and ful bolde This Iuge haþe vn-to þis clerke his tale ytolde In secre wise and maade him to assure He schold tel it to no creature Line 144 And if he dide he scholde lese his hede And whan assented was þis cursed rede Gladde was þe Iuge and maade goode chiere And ȝaf him ȝeftes precious and dere Line 148 Whan schapen was al þis conspiracie From pointe to pointe howe þat his licherye Performed schold be ful sotellye As ȝe schal heren afterward openlye Line 152 Home goþe þis clerk þat hiht Claudius This fals Iuge þat hiht Apius So was his name it is no fable Bot knowen for an historall þinge notable Line 156 The sentence of it soþ is oute of doute This fals Iuge goþ nowe faste aboute [folio 171b] To hasten his delite al þat he maie And so be-fel sone after on a daie Line 160 Þis fals Iuge as telleþ vs þe storie As he was wonte satt in his Consistorie And ȝaue his domes vpon sundre caas This fals clerke cam forþe a wel good paas Line 164 And seide lorde if þat it be ȝoure will As doþe me riht vpon þis pitous bill In whiche .I. pleine vpon virgineus And if þat he wil seine it is nouȝ[t] þus Line 168

[6-text p 308] Line 168 .I. wille preue it and finde good wittenesse þat soþe is þat my bill will expresse The Iuge Ansewerde of þis in his absence .I. maie not ȝif diffinitif sentence Line 172 Latt done him call . & .I. wil gladly here Thou schalt haue riht and no wronge here Virgineus came to wite þe Iuges will And riht a-none was redde þis cursed bill Line 176 þe sentence of hit was as ȝe schal here To ȝowe my lorde sir Apius so dere Scheweþ ȝoure pouer seruant Claudius Howe þat a knyht called virgineus Line 180 Aȝeines þe lawe aȝeines al equite Holdeþ expresse aȝeines þe wil of me Mi seruant whiche þat is þrall be riht Wyche from myne hous was stolne one a nyht Line 184 Whiles sche was ful ȝonge .I. will . it preue Be wittenesse lorde so þat ȝe ȝowe nouht greue Sche his nouht his douhter what so he seie Where-for my lorde þe Iugge to ȝowe .I. preie Line 188 Ȝelde me my þrall if it be ȝoure wil Lo þis was þe sentence of þe bil Virgineus began vpon þe clerke be-holde Bote hastely ar he his tale tolde Line 192 He wolde haue defended it as scholde a knyht And be wittenesse of mony a trewe wyht That al was fals þat seide his aduersarie This Cursed Iuge wolde no longer tarie Line 196 Ne here a worde more of Virgineus Bot ȝaf his Iugement and seide þus .I. deme anone þis clerk his seruant haue Thou schalt no longer in þin house hir saue [folio 172a] Line 200 Go bringe hir forþe and 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 Line 204

[6-text p 309] Line 204 Most be force his dere douhter ȝeuen Vn-to þe Iuge in lichere to leuen He goþe him home and sett him in his hall And lete anone his dere douhter call Line 208 And wiþ a face dede as asshen colde Vpon hire hum[ble] face he gan be-holde Wiþ faders pite stikinge þoruhe his hert Al wolde he nouht from his purpos conuert Line 212 Douhter quod he virginea be þi name There bien tuo weys eyþer oþer schame þat þou must soffer alas þat .I. was bore For neuer þou deseruest where fore Line 216 To deyen wiþ a swerde or wiþ a knyf O der douhter ender of my lif Whiche .I. haue fosterd vp wiþ suche plesance þat þou ne weer oute my remembrance Line 220 O douhter whiche þat ert my last woo And in lif my last ioy also O gemme of chastite in pacience Take þou þi deþ for þis is my sentence Line 224 For loue and nouht for hate þou must be dede My pitous honde most smyte of þin hede Alas þat euer Apius þe seyhe Thus haþe he falsly Iugged þe to day Line 228 And tolde hire al þe cas as ȝe be-fore Haue herd it nedeþ nouht to tel it no more Merce dere fadere quod þis maide And wiþe þat worde sche boþe hire armes leide Line 232 Aboute his nekke as sche was wont to do The teres barsten oute of hire yen tuo And seide goode fader schal .I. deye Is þere no grace is þere no remedie Line 236 No certes dere douhter myne quod he Than ȝeue me leue fader myn quod sche My deþ to compleyne a litel space For parde Ieffa ȝaue his douhter grace Line 240

[6-text p 310] Line 240 For to compleine ar he hir slowhe alas And god it wote no þinge was hire trespas [folio 172b] Bot þat sche rann hir fader first to see To welcom him wiþ grete solempnite Line 244 And wiþ þat worde sche fel in swoune anone And after whan hir swounynge was agone Sche riseþ vpe and to hire fader seide Blissed be god þat .I. schal deye a meide Line 248 ȝif me my deþe ar þat .I. haue a schame Doþe wiþ ȝoure Childe ȝoure wil a goddes name And wiþ þat word sche praieþ ful oft þat with his swerde he scholde smite hir softe Line 252 And wiþ þat word in swoune doune sche felle Hir fader wiþ ful sorweful hert and felle Hire heued of smote and be toppe it hent And to þe Iuge he ȝaue it to present Line 256 As he satt in his dome in consistorie Whan þe Iuge it sauhe as seiþe þe storie He badde take him and honge him also fast Bot riht anone al þe peple in þrast Line 260 To saue þe knyht for reuþe and for pyte ffor knowen was þe foles iniquite þe peple anone hadd susspecte in þis þinge Be maner of þis clerkes chalangeinge Line 264 þat it was be þe assent of Apius That wist wele þat he was lycherous ffor whiche vn-to þis Apius þei gone And kesten him in prison riht a-none Line 268 Whereas he slowhe him selfe and Claudius That seruant was vn-to þis Apius Was demed for to honge vpon a tre Bot virgineus of his grete Pite Line 272 Praide for him þat he was exiled And elles certes he hadde be by-gilede The remenant were honged more and lesse That consented were to þis cursednesse Line 276

[6-text p 311] Line 276 Here maye men see how sinne haþe his merite Be war for no man wote howe god wil smyte In no degre ne in wyche maner wise þe werme of conscience wil arise Line 280 Of wikked lif þouhe it so priue be þat no man woot of it bot god and he Wheþer he be lewde man or lerede He note howe sone . he maie bee aferde Line 284 Ther-fore rede .I. ȝowe þis counsel take [folio 173a] For-sakeþ sinne ar sinne ȝoue for-sake

Explicit fabula Magistri Phisicorum