And wold han preved it as shuld a knight, I deme anon this cherl his fervant have; 12130 Go bring hire forth, and put hire in our ward: 12135 Unto the juge, in lecherie to liven, 12140 He goth him home, and fet him in his hall, And let anon his dere doughter call; And with a face ded as afhen cold 12145 For never thou deservedeft wherfore To dien with a fwerd or with a knif. O dere doughter, ender of my lif! 12150 Which I have foftred up with fwiche plefance O doughter! which that art my laste wo, O gemme of chastitee! in patience Take thou thy deth, for this is my sentence; Thus hath he falfely juged thee to-day. And told hire all the cas, as ye before Han herd; it nedeth not to tell it more. No certes, dere doughter min! quod he. 12153 12160 12165 12170 12175 And God it wot nothing was hire trespas, . 12159. For love] Rom. de la R. 5871.; Car par amour et fans haine A fa belle fille Virgine Et ie Juge, felon l'hyftoire, Le commanda tanto a prendre See below, ver. 12190-3. The fpeeches of Virginius and his daughter are of Chaucer's own invention. But for fhe ran hire father firft to fee, 12180 Yeve me my deth or that I have a shame: 12185 Doth with your child your wille a Goddes name. As he fat yet in dome in confiftorie. 12199 And whan the juge it faw, as faith the storie, To fave the knight for routh and for pitee, The peple anon had fufpect in this thing, 12195 12200 Was demed for to hange upon a tree, So prayed for him that he was exiled, And elles certes had he ben begiled: 12203 The remenant were anhanged, more and lesse, The worme of conscience may agrise Of wicked lif, though it fo privee be That no man wote therof fauf God and he; He n'ot how fone that he fhal ben afered: Therfore I rede you this conseil take, 12215 Forfaketh finne or finne you forfake. 12220 THE PARDONERES PROLOGUE. OUR Hofte gan to fwere as he were wood, 12225 12230 Hire beautee was hire deth, I dare wel fain: Alas! fo pitoufly as fhe was flain. Of bothe yeftes that i fpeke of now Men han ful often more for harm than prow. But trewcly, min owen maister dere, God bleffe hem and our Lady Seinte Marie. And like a prelat, by Seint Ronian. 12235 12240 V. 12233. Of bothe yeftes] This line is reftored from mff. C. 1, HA. It had been supplied in the common copies by the following; But hereof wol I not proceed as now. . 122 36. a pitous Tale'] This is the reading of two good míf. A. and 4. but I believe it to be a glofs: the other copies read ernejul, which is near the truth. It thould be ermeful. Earme, Sax. fignifies mifer. Hence carmelice, mifere, Chr. Sax. 65, earmthe, mijeria, ibid. 141. And a little lower, ver. 12245, to erme is ufed for to grieve, as the Sax. earmian is, Chr. Sax! 188, 14. . 12239. thyjordanes] This word is in Walfingham, p. 288'; "Duæ olla, quas Jordanes vocamus, ad ejus collum colligan"tur." This 's part of the punishment of a pretended phiticus et aftrologs who had deceived the people by a falfe prediction. Hollinked calls them to jorden pots, p. 440. 12240. Thin Ipocras] Ypocras (or Hippocras) and Galianes fhould both have been printed as proper names, with great initial letters. See the note on ver. 433. |