|
And with that word she preyed hym ful ofte |
| That with his swerd he wolde smyte softe, |
| And with that word aswowne doun she fil. |
| Hir fader, with ful sorweful herte and wil |
| 255 | Hir heed of smoot, and by the top it hente, |
| And to the juge he gan it to presente |
| As he sat yet in doom, in consistorie. |
| And whan the juge it saugh, as seith the storie, |
| He bad to take hym and anhange hym faste. |
| 260 | But right anon a thousand peple in thraste |
| To save the knyght for routhe and for pitee; |
| For knowen was the false iniquitee. |
| The peple anon hath suspect of this thyng, |
| By manere of the cherles chalangyng, |
| 265 | That it was by the assent of Apius; |
| They wisten wel that he was lecherus; |
| For which unto this Apius they gon |
| And caste hym in a prisoun right anon, |
| Ther as he slow hymself, and Claudius |
| 270 | That servant was unto this Apius, |
| Was demed for to hange upon a tree, |
| But that Virginius, of his pitee, |
| So preyde for hym, that he was exiled; |
| And elles, certes, he had been bigyled. |
| 275 | The remenant were anhanged, moore and lesse, |
| That were consentant of this cursednesse. |
|
|
And then she prayed him, as he was expert, |
| He'd strike her swiftly, lest the blow should hurt, |
| Whereon again a-swooning down she fell. |
| Her father, with a heavy heart and will, |
| 255 | Struck off her head, and bore it by the hair |
| Straight to the judge and did present it there |
| While yet he sat on bench in auditory. |
| And when the judge saw this, so says the story, |
| He bade them take him out and swiftly hang. |
| 260 | But then a thousand people rose and sprang |
| To save the knight, for ruth and for pity, |
| For known was now the false iniquity. |
| The people had suspected some such thing, |
| By the churl's manner in his challenging, |
| 265 | That it was done to please this Appius; |
| They knew right well that he was lecherous. |
| Wherefore they ran this Appius upon |
| And cast him into prison cell anon, |
| Wherein he slew himself; and Claudius, |
| 270 | Who had been creature of this Appius, |
| Was sentenced to be hanged upon a tree; |
| But then Virginius, of his great pity, |
| So pleaded for him that he was exiled, |
| For, after all, the judge had him beguiled. |
| 275 | The rest were hanged, the greater and the less, |
| Who had been parties to this wickedness. |
|
