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For sche fond non amendement
To syghen or to sobbe more：
So was ther guile under the gore。 5730
Nou leve we this king and queene；
And torne ayein to Philomene；
As I began to tellen erst。
Whan sche cam into prison ferst；
It thoghte a kinges douhter strange
To maken so soudein a change
Fro welthe unto so grete a wo；
And sche began to thenke tho；
Thogh sche be mouthe nothing preide；
Withinne hir herte thus sche seide： 5740
〃O thou； almyhty Jupiter；
That hihe sist and lokest fer；
Thou soffrest many a wrong doinge；
And yit it is noght thi willinge。
To thee ther mai nothing ben hid；
Thou wost hou it is me betid：
I wolde I hadde noght be bore；
For thanne I hadde noght forlore
Mi speche and mi virginite。
Bot； goode lord； al is in thee； 5750
Whan thou therof wolt do vengance
And schape mi deliverance。〃
And evere among this ladi wepte；
And thoghte that sche nevere kepte
To ben a worldes womman more；
And that sche wissheth everemore。
Bot ofte unto hir Soster diere
Hire herte spekth in this manere；
And seide； 〃Ha； Soster； if ye knewe
Of myn astat； ye wolde rewe； 5760
I trowe； and my deliverance
Ye wolde schape； and do vengance
On him that is so fals a man：
And natheles； so as I can；
I wol you sende som tokninge；
Wherof ye schul have knowlechinge
Of thing I wot； that schal you lothe；
The which you toucheth and me bothe。〃
And tho withinne a whyle als tyt
Sche waf a cloth of Selk al whyt 5770
With lettres and ymagerie；
In which was al the felonie；
Which Teres to hire hath do；
And lappede it togedre tho
And sette hir signet therupon
And sende it unto Progne anon。
The messager which forth it bar；
What it amonteth is noght war；
And natheles to Progne he goth
And prively takth hire the cloth； 5780
And wente ayein riht as he cam；
The court of him non hiede nam。
Whan Progne of Philomene herde；
Sche wolde knowe hou that it ferde；
And opneth that the man hath broght；
And wot therby what hath be wroght
And what meschief ther is befalle。
In swoune tho sche gan doun falle；
And efte aros and gan to stonde；
And eft sche takth the cloth on honde； 5790
Behield the lettres and thymages；
Bot ate laste； 〃Of suche oultrages；〃
Sche seith； 〃wepinge is noght the bote：〃
And swerth； if that sche live mote；
It schal be venged otherwise。
And with that sche gan hire avise
Hou ferst sche mihte unto hire winne
Hir Soster； that noman withinne；
Bot only thei that were suore；
It scholde knowe； and schop therfore 5800
That Teres nothing it wiste；
And yit riht as hirselven liste；
Hir Soster was delivered sone
Out of prison； and be the mone
To Progne sche was broght be nyhte。
Whan ech of other hadde a sihte；
In chambre； ther thei were al one；
Thei maden many a pitous mone；
Bot Progne most of sorwe made；
Which sihe hir Soster pale and fade 5810
And specheles and deshonoured；
Of that sche hadde be defloured；
And ek upon hir lord sche thoghte；
Of that he so untreuly wroghte
And hadde his espousaile broke。
Sche makth a vou it schal be wroke；
And with that word sche kneleth doun
Wepinge in gret devocioun：
Unto Cupide and to Venus
Sche preide； and seide thanne thus： 5820
〃O ye； to whom nothing asterte
Of love mai； for every herte
Ye knowe； as ye that ben above
The god and the goddesse of love；
Ye witen wel that evere yit
With al mi will and al my wit；
Sith ferst ye schopen me to wedde；
That I lay with mi lord abedde；
I have be trewe in mi degre；
And evere thoghte forto be； 5830
And nevere love in other place；
Bot al only the king of Trace；
Which is mi lord and I his wif。
Bot nou allas this wofull strif！
That I him thus ayeinward finde
The most untrewe and most unkinde
That evere in ladi armes lay。
And wel I wot that he ne may
Amende his wrong； it is so gret；
For he to lytel of me let； 5840
Whan he myn oughne Soster tok；
And me that am his wif forsok。〃
Lo； thus to Venus and Cupide
Sche preide； and furthermor sche cride
Unto Appollo the hiheste；
And seide； 〃O myghti god of reste；
Thou do vengance of this debat。
Mi Soster and al hire astat
Thou wost； and hou sche hath forlore
Hir maidenhod； and I therfore 5850
In al the world schal bere a blame
Of that mi Soster hath a schame；
That Teres to hire I sente：
And wel thou wost that myn entente
Was al for worschipe and for goode。
O lord； that yifst the lives fode
To every wyht； I prei thee hiere
Thes wofull Sostres that ben hiere；
And let ous noght to the ben lothe；
We ben thin oghne wommen bothe。〃 5860
Thus pleigneth Progne and axeth wreche；
And thogh hire Soster lacke speche；
To him that alle thinges wot
Hire sorwe is noght the lasse hot：
Bot he that thanne had herd hem tuo；
Him oughte have sorwed everemo
For sorwe which was hem betuene。
With signes pleigneth Philomene；
And Progne seith； 〃It schal be wreke；
That al the world therof schal speke。〃 5870
And Progne tho seknesse feigneth；
Wherof unto hir lord sche pleigneth；
And preith sche moste hire chambres kepe；
And as hir liketh wake and slepe。
And he hire granteth to be so；
And thus togedre ben thei tuo；
That wolde him bot a litel good。
Nou herk hierafter hou it stod
Of wofull auntres that befelle：
Thes Sostres； that ben bothe felle；… 5880
And that was noght on hem along；
Bot onliche on the grete wrong
Which Teres hem hadde do；…
Thei schopen forto venge hem tho。
This Teres be Progne his wif
A Sone hath； which as his lif
He loveth； and Ithis he hihte：
His moder wiste wel sche mihte
Do Teres no more grief
Than sle this child； which was so lief。 5890
Thus sche； that was； as who seith； mad
Of wo； which hath hir overlad；
Withoute insihte of moderhede
Foryat pite and loste drede；
And in hir chambre prively
This child withouten noise or cry
Sche slou； and hieu him al to pieces：
And after with diverse spieces
The fleissh； whan it was so toheewe；
Sche takth； and makth therof a sewe； 5900
With which the fader at his mete
Was served； til he hadde him ete；
That he ne wiste hou that it stod；
Bot thus his oughne fleissh and blod
Himself devoureth ayein kinde；
As he that was tofore unkinde。
And thanne； er that he were arise；
For that he scholde ben agrise；
To schewen him the child was ded；
This Philomene tok the hed 5910
Betwen tuo disshes； and al wrothe
Tho comen forth the Sostres bothe；
And setten it upon the bord。
And Progne tho began the word；
And seide； 〃O werste of alle wicke；
Of conscience whom no pricke
Mai stere； lo； what thou hast do！
Lo； hier ben nou we Sostres tuo；
O Raviner； lo hier thi preie；
With whom so falsliche on the weie 5920
Thou hast thi tirannye wroght。
Lo； nou it is somdel aboght；
And bet it schal； for of thi dede
The world schal evere singe and rede
In remembrance of thi defame：
For thou to love hast do such schame；
That it schal nevere be foryete。〃
With that he sterte up fro the mete；
And schof the bord unto the flor；
And cauhte a swerd anon and suor 5930
That thei scholde of his handes dye。
And thei unto the goddes crie
Begunne with so loude a stevene；
That thei were herd unto the hevene；
And in a twinclinge of an yhe
The goddes； that the meschief syhe；
Here formes changen alle thre。
Echon of hem in his degre
Was torned into briddes kinde；
Diverseliche； as men mai finde； 5940
After thastat that thei were inne；
Here formes were set atwinne。
And as it telleth in the tale；
The ferst into a nyhtingale
Was schape； and that was Philomene；
Which in the wynter is noght sene；
For thanne ben the leves falle
And naked ben the buisshes alle。
For after that sche was a brid；
Hir will was evere to ben hid； 5950
And forto duelle in prive place；
That noman scholde sen hir face
For schame； which mai noght be lassed；
Of thing that was tofore passed；
Whan that sche loste hir maidenhiede：
For evere upon hir wommanhiede；
Thogh that the goddes wolde hire change；
Sche thenkth； and is the more strange；
And halt hir clos the wyntres day。
Bot whan the wynter goth away； 5960
And that Nature the goddesse
Wole of hir oughne fre largesse
With herbes and with floures bothe
The feldes and the medwes clothe；
And ek the wodes and the greves
Ben heled al with grene leves；
So that a brid hire hyde mai；
Betwen Averil and March and Maii；