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Lo, thus fortune his hap hath lad; 1320

In sondri wise he was travailed,

Bot hou so evere he be assailed,

His latere ende schal be good.

And forto speke hou that it stod

Of Thaise his doghter, wher sche duelleth,

In Tharse, as the Cronique telleth,

Sche was wel kept, sche was wel loked,

Sche was wel tawht, sche was wel boked,

So wel sche spedde hir in hire youthe

That sche of every wisdom couthe, 1330

That forto seche in every lond

So wys an other noman fond,

Ne so wel tawht at mannes yhe.

Bot wo worthe evere fals envie!

For it befell that time so,

A dowhter hath Strangulio,

The which was cleped Philotenne:

Bot fame, which wole evere renne,

Cam al day to hir moder Ere,

And seith, wher evere hir doghter were 1340

With Thayse set in eny place,

The comun vois, the comun grace

Was al upon that other Maide,

And of hir doghter noman saide.

Who wroth but Dionise thanne?

Hire thoghte a thousend yer til whanne

Sche myhte ben of Thaise wreke

Of that sche herde folk so speke.

And fell that ilke same tyde,

That ded was trewe Lychoride, 1350

Which hadde be servant to Thaise,

So that sche was the worse at aise,

For sche hath thanne no servise

Bot only thurgh this Dionise,

Which was hire dedlich Anemie

Thurgh pure treson and envie.

Sche, that of alle sorwe can,

Tho spak unto hire bondeman,

Which cleped was Theophilus,

And made him swere in conseil thus, 1360

That he such time as sche him sette

Schal come Thaise forto fette,

And lede hire oute of alle sihte,

Wher as noman hire helpe myhte,

Upon the Stronde nyh the See,

And there he schal this maiden sle.

This cherles herte is in a traunce,

As he which drad him of vengance

Whan time comth an other day;

Bot yit dorste he noght seie nay, 1370

Bot swor and seide he schal fulfille

Hire hestes at hire oghne wille.

The treson and the time is schape,

So fell it that this cherles knape

Hath lad this maiden ther he wolde

Upon the Stronde, and what sche scholde

Sche was adrad; and he out breide

A rusti swerd and to hir seide,

"Thou schalt be ded." "Helas!" quod sche,

"Why schal I so?" "Lo thus," quod he, 1380

"Mi ladi Dionise hath bede,

Thou schalt be moerdred in this stede."

This Maiden tho for feere schryhte,

And for the love of god almyhte

Sche preith that for a litel stounde

Sche myhte knele upon the grounde,

Toward the hevene forto crave,

Hire wofull Soule if sche mai save:

And with this noise and with this cry,

Out of a barge faste by, 1390

Which hidd was ther on Scomerfare,

Men sterten out and weren ware

Of this feloun,and he to go,

And sche began to crie tho,

"Ha, mercy, help for goddes sake!

Into the barge thei hire take,

As thieves scholde, and forth thei wente.

Upon the See the wynd hem hente,

And malgre wher thei wolde or non,

Tofor the weder forth thei gon, 1400

Ther halp no Seil, ther halp non Ore,

Forstormed and forblowen sore

In gret peril so forth thei dryve,

Til ate laste thei aryve

At Mitelene the Cite.

In havene sauf and whan thei be,

The Maister Schipman made him boun,

And goth him out into the toun,

And profreth Thaise forto selle.

On Leonin it herde telle, 1410

Which Maister of the bordel was,

And bad him gon a redy pas

To fetten hire, and forth he wente,

And Thaise out of his barge he hente,

And to this bordeller hir solde.

And he, that be hire body wolde

Take avantage, let do crye,

That what man wolde his lecherie

Attempte upon hire maidenhede,

Lei doun the gold and he schal spede. 1420

And thus whan he hath crid it oute

In syhte of al the poeple aboute,

He ladde hire to the bordel tho.

No wonder is thogh sche be wo:

Clos in a chambre be hireselve,

Ech after other ten or tuelve

Of yonge men to hire in wente;

Bot such a grace god hire sente,

That for the sorwe which sche made

Was non of hem which pouer hade 1430

To don hire eny vileinie.

This Leonin let evere aspie,

And waiteth after gret beyete;

Bot al for noght, sche was forlete,

That mo men wolde ther noght come.

Whan he therof hath hiede nome,

And knew that sche was yit a maide,

Unto his