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That he with strengthe ayein hire leve

Tho scholde hir maidenhod bereve. 1440

This man goth in, bot so it ferde,

Whan he hire wofull pleintes herde

And he therof hath take kepe,

Him liste betre forto wepe

Than don oght elles to the game.

And thus sche kepte hirself fro schame,

And kneleth doun to therthe and preide

Unto this man, and thus sche seide:

"If so be that thi maister wolde

That I his gold encresce scholde, 1450

It mai noght falle be this weie:

Bot soffre me to go mi weie

Out of this hous wher I am inne,

And I schal make him forto winne

In som place elles of the toun,

Be so it be religioun,

Wher that honeste wommen duelle.

And thus thou myht thi maister telle,

That whanne I have a chambre there,

Let him do crie ay wyde where, 1460

What lord that hath his doghter diere,

And is in will that sche schal liere

Of such a Scole that is trewe,

I schal hire teche of thinges newe,

Which as non other womman can

In al this lond." And tho this man

Hire tale hath herd, he goth ayein,

And tolde unto his maister plein

That sche hath seid; and therupon,

Whan than he sih beyete non 1470

At the bordel be cause of hire,

He bad his man to gon and spire

A place wher sche myhte abyde,

That he mai winne upon som side

Be that sche can: bot ate leste

Thus was sche sauf fro this tempeste.

He hath hire fro the bordel take,

Bot that was noght for goddes sake,

Bot for the lucre, as sche him tolde.

Now comen tho that comen wolde 1480

Of wommen in her lusty youthe,

To hiere and se what thing sche couthe:

Sche can the wisdom of a clerk,

Sche can of every lusti werk

Which to a gentil womman longeth,

And some of hem sche underfongeth

To the Citole and to the Harpe,

And whom it liketh forto carpe

Proverbes and demandes slyhe,

An other such thei nevere syhe, 1490

Which that science so wel tawhte:

Wherof sche grete yiftes cawhte,

That sche to Leonin hath wonne;

And thus hire name is so begonne

Of sondri thinges that sche techeth,

That al the lond unto hir secheth

Of yonge wommen forto liere.

Nou lete we this maiden hiere,

And speke of Dionise ayein

And of Theophile the vilein, 1500

Of whiche I spak of nou tofore.

Whan Thaise scholde have be forlore,

This false cherl to his lady

Whan he cam hom, al prively

He seith, "Ma Dame, slain I have

This maide Thaise, and is begrave

In prive place, as ye me biede.

Forthi, ma dame, taketh hiede

And kep conseil, hou so it stonde."

This fend, which this hath understonde, 1510

Was glad, and weneth it be soth:

Now herkne, hierafter hou sche doth.

Sche wepth, sche sorweth, sche compleigneth,

And of sieknesse which sche feigneth

Sche seith that Taise sodeinly

Be nyhte is ded, "as sche and I

Togedre lyhen nyh my lord."

Sche was a womman of record,

And al is lieved that sche seith;

And forto yive a more feith, 1520

Hire housebonde and ek sche bothe

In blake clothes thei hem clothe,

And made a gret enterrement;

And for the poeple schal be blent,

Of Thaise as for the remembrance,

After the real olde usance

A tumbe of latoun noble and riche

With an ymage unto hir liche

Liggende above therupon

Thei made and sette it up anon. 1530

Hire Epitaffe of good assisse

Was write aboute, and in this wise

It spak: "O yee that this beholde,

Lo, hier lith sche, the which was holde

The faireste and the flour of alle,

Whos name Thai5sis men calle.

The king of Tyr Appolinus

Hire fader was: now lith sche thus.

Fourtiene yer sche was of Age,

Whan deth hir tok to his viage." 1540

Thus was this false treson hidd,

Which afterward was wyde kidd,

As be the tale a man schal hiere.

Bot forto clare mi matiere,

To Tyr I thenke torne ayein,

And telle as the Croniqes sein.

Whan that the king was comen hom,

And hath left in the salte fom

His wif, which he mai noght foryete,

For he som confort wolde gete, 1550

He let somoune a parlement,

To which the lordes were asent;

And of the time he hath ben oute,

He seth the thinges al aboute,

And told hem ek hou he hath fare,

Whil he was out of londe fare;

And preide hem alle to